Chapter 51: The Arrow at an Altitude of 20km
“… An arrow was lodged?”
“Yes, Ma’am. During reconnaissance, the Solar-powered Scout Aircraft (SWIFT) encountered a malfunction and was returning when we discovered an arrow embedded in the middle of the right wing.”
“…”
The SWIFT, flying over the forested area to the east of the Port Town of Terek in the Afrasia United Kingdom, had been attacked. It was a rather shocking report.
“… RINGO. Can you confirm the altitude of the SWIFT?”
“The altitude is approximately 20,000 meters, Ma’am.”
“An arrow struck the wing of the SWIFT at an altitude of 20 kilometers?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
She was taken aback. After all, it was at an altitude of 20 kilometers. The wingspan of the SWIFT was about 40 meters. From the ground, it would appear as nothing more than a tiny dot.
Of course, with RINGO’s computational abilities, hitting a target 20 kilometers away with a projectile was not particularly difficult, but that was only possible due to RINGO’s vast computational resources. Moreover, this was not a horizontal shot; it was from above.
Given the influence of gravity, it was fundamentally different from simply aiming at a target 20 kilometers away.
To begin with, while the SWIFT was relatively slow for an aircraft, it still flew at speeds between 200 to 300 kilometers per hour.
For instance, assuming the arrow’s speed was an average of 200 kilometers per hour, it would take 6 minutes to reach an altitude of 20 kilometers. In that time, if the SWIFT was traveling at 200 kilometers per hour, it would have already moved about 20 kilometers from the targeted location.
Furthermore, it was not guaranteed that the SWIFT would move in a straight line. To hit the SWIFT accurately, one would need to predict where it would be after those 6 minutes.
“By the way, if a large number of arrows were fired, we would be able to detect them, so it’s likely there were no more than five shots. There’s even a possibility that only one arrow was fired.”
“… What about video analysis?”
“Due to the distance and the relay communication between SWIFTs, the resolution may be low, but the frame rate is not very high. If the camera had been facing the direction of the arrow, it might have captured it, but unfortunately, it did not.”
Of course.
Not knowing what to do, she sank into her chair, frowning.
“Oh, and one more thing. There was a letter wrapped around the arrow’s shaft.”
“… Oh…”
This meant that the arrow was used not as a weapon but as a means of communication. It suggested that the sender possessed an intelligence capable of understanding that they were dealing with something artificial, rather than simply shooting at something in the sky.
“The content of the letter is currently being analyzed, but it appears to be written in a language used in the Afrasia United Kingdom, so I can report on that. It is also written in several other languages, but they likely convey the same message.”
“So, they are a civilized society. The fact that it’s written in multiple languages suggests they see us as a potential negotiation partner?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Here is the content.”
To make it visible to her, RINGO displayed an image of the letter. Naturally, since the Commander could not read the language of this world, a translated version was included. At the same time, RINGO read the content aloud.
“Warning. You are infringing upon our territory. We request that you leave immediately. If you wish to negotiate, please contact the ambassador in the East Gate city. If you continue to infringe, we will consider it an act of hostility and will attack. Forest Country Border Guard.”
“… Hmm, the content is quite reasonable.”
“Yes, Ma’am. Shall we proceed with negotiations?”
At RINGO’s question, she pondered. Having a channel for negotiation was not a bad thing, but the issue was how to send a representative.
The East Gate city was one of the cities within the Afrasia United Kingdom. From what she had heard, it was a city that had developed through trade with the Forest Country (Lebresta). If the ambassador from Lebresta was stationed there, it would make sense.
By the way, the East Gate city was believed to be located more than 500 kilometers inland from the Port Town of Terek.
“So, we need to send a Communicator Android? We can’t just send one in unprotected.”
“Yes, Ma’am. Given the current situation, it is not advisable to send a Communicator Android due to safety concerns.”
In that case, the options were to either leave the issue unresolved or use units other than those from The Tree.
“It would be possible to request the Guild Master of Terek to send a messenger. However, it is uncertain whether they would arrive safely.”
“… Right. The security situation is poor.”
She pondered. Ignoring this situation was certainly an option. However, if she believed the letter, she would have to give up on surveying the Forest Country (Lebresta) from above.
Currently, the only effective methods for reconnaissance were the SWIFT or the Flying Boat (Albatross) flying overhead.
However, against an opponent capable of hitting a target at an altitude of 20 kilometers with pinpoint accuracy, both aircraft were far too vulnerable. If the engine were targeted, the SWIFT could be easily shot down, and even the Albatross, being merely a reconnaissance aircraft, would struggle to withstand arrows tipped with metal. If the engine or fuel tank were pierced, it would be unable to fly any further.
Moreover, if an arrow struck the onboard computer, it would likely result in a loss of control and a crash.
Yet, establishing contact was also a difficult situation. Even if negotiations were successful, it was hard to believe that aerial reconnaissance would be permitted.
“Ma’am. If negotiations are successful, we can send a delegation, so while there are limitations, we could continue some level of investigation. Additionally, even if we could simply engage in trade, there is a possibility of acquiring valuable resources.”
“Well… it’s a bit roundabout, but I feel hesitant to intrude upon someone else’s territory.”
“Yes, Ma’am. If we were to invade, we could certainly plan for that.”
“That would be a last resort. I’m not interested in hegemony.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
This was, incidentally, the moment when world domination through super science was thwarted.
“Hmm, but if that’s the case, we need to send some sort of delegation. Even if they are Communicator Androids, it feels risky to send them out unprotected…”
Sending out a Communicator Android with the expectation of it being used up was not a bad idea, but it would take time to manufacture, and rare materials were required.
Additionally, to maintain communication with RINGO, it was necessary to keep a SWIFT on standby in the air. Based on the map obtained from the Port Town of Terek, the East Gate city was estimated to be over 1,500 kilometers away from The Tree. Several SWIFTs would need to relay communications, and the time lag in communication could not be ignored. If they could not even enter the airspace of the other nation, sending a Communicator Android would be meaningless without some form of communication prepared. Specifically, satellite communication.
“For the time being, it would be best to assess the situation while instructing the Guild Master of Terek to send personnel.”
“Right. … For now, let’s halt the investigation of that eastern forest. We can’t afford to lose a valuable SWIFT…”
“Yes, Ma’am. We are deploying a replacement SWIFT, but let’s send it to a different region. Additionally, it has been confirmed that the SWIFT can be detected, so we need to operate it more cautiously in the future.”
Indeed, the possibility of the SWIFT being discovered by some faction had been considered. However, the fact that it could be attacked was unexpected. If it could be observed from beyond its range, there was not much to worry about, but if they could launch attacks, it would be best to keep a distance.
“Just like that giant monster (Rain Croin) the other day, this world is truly unreasonable (fantasy)… The fact that arrows are being used as a means of attack is quite magical (fantasy). I wonder what kind of method they used.”
“This time it was a personal arrow, but if a large crossbow like a ballista had the same range, even a fighter aircraft could be shot down in one hit. We should be more proactive in gathering information.”
“Right. I’ll leave that to you. … In that case, for the time being, our investigation target will be Afrasia. At least we can predict the technological level of this country.”
“Yes, Ma’am. I will expand the scanning range to the north.”