Chapter 83: Paraiso Army
“Commencing deployment of the local infiltration Communicator Androids.”
With the control operations of the locally produced Communicator Androids, based on the genetic makeup of the local populace, stabilized, the first batch of 22 units was set to be dispatched to Flatara City. The transport would be conducted via the newly developed Assault Drop Pods, which would drop from an altitude of 10 kilometers into the wilderness near the city.
“Assault Drop Pods, drop initiated.”
The Assault Drop Pods launched one after another from the rear hatch of the SR-1 Albatross. Once deployed, the pods stabilized their posture through aerodynamic control before igniting their upper thrusters to accelerate.
“All pods, control signals normal. Assault posture stable.”
At approximately 100 meters above the target, the lower thrusters ignited, performing a reverse thrust for forced deceleration. The Assault Drop Pods were not particularly useful on their own. However, their exteriors were reinforced with a robust ceramic-metal composite material, allowing for ample supplies to be carried within.
After a certain degree of deceleration, the landing units of the pods embedded themselves into the ground. The shock and inertial forces were absorbed by a gas that liquefied under pressure, which was then released as high-temperature gas through control valves from the units. The gas vaporized again, spreading as smoke and momentarily obscuring visibility.
The landing legs of the embedded pods deployed, anchoring the pods in place. Simultaneously, the armor of the pods shifted, allowing the shock-absorption fluid to flow out. Pushing aside the raised front armor, a Communicator Android clad in reinforced exoskeleton emerged.
“The internal shock levels remained within expected parameters. All 22 units have been deployed and landed successfully. The pod anchoring status is also without issues. Test results are favorable.”
“Rapid troop deployment has become possible. Yes, having soldiers rush in at that speed is quite a nightmare…”
She chuckled wryly as she watched the scene unfold.
At least within the Afrasia United Kingdom, there was no doubt they would face no enemies. This time, only 22 units were deployed as a preliminary production model, but the currently mass-produced units were planned to operate in groups of 24 units, totaling 15 groups.
In other words, they could deploy 360 Communicator Androids clad in reinforced exoskeletons instantly and over a wide area. For a city like Flatara, it could likely be subdued in about an hour.
“We can also deploy Continuous Track Tanks for urban warfare. We’ve also made progress in manufacturing rocket motors for acceleration and deceleration during descent, so we are currently ramping up production. Existing Multi-legged Tanks can also be equipped, so we can consider our initial goal of enhancing the airborne troops achieved for now.”
“The rocket motors can now be manufactured directly at the Second Fortress. I believe we can say that our production facilities are finally in place.”
“Yes, Ma’am. The first production line we anticipated is operating normally. After this, we will gradually expand the production lines and increase the local production ratio. We expect to secure sufficient manufacturing capacity in about three months.”
Finally, they had come this far, and she let out a deep sigh, sinking into her chair. It had been nearly two years since she was thrown into this world. Resources were still tight, but they had managed to establish a stable manufacturing base.
“…Now then. It would be ideal if we could find an oil field…”
Securing oil would undoubtedly enhance the quality of various products. However, such things rarely went smoothly. Oil could provide not only various fuels but also resin products, nylon, plastics, and other materials. If they could secure these abundantly, their production capacity would increase dramatically.
“Yes, Ma’am. I propose we operate the Supersonic High-altitude Reconnaissance Aircraft in a limited capacity to create a surrounding map. The probability of being targeted while flying at Mach 3 or higher is low, but due to the many unknowns, the risk of being shot down remains.”
“Indeed. We’re currently researching this, the Ramjet Engine Reconnaissance Aircraft. The engine design is complete, and the airframe structure design is also finished. We’re working on heat-resistant materials now. Heat-resistant materials?”
“Yes, Ma’am. In high-speed domains, the airframe becomes hot due to adiabatic compression. If we do not implement proper heat countermeasures with suitable materials and their arrangement, the best-case scenario is mid-air disintegration, and the worst is an explosive scattering. Additionally, air resistance is significant, so without an appropriate airframe shape, there is a risk of structural failure due to pressure differentials.”
Fortunately, the aircraft operated by The Tree did not require visibility. As long as the camera lens was exposed, the differences in material due to pressure differentials and mechanical calculations could be minimized. Furthermore, using the large-scale Printer, most of the airframe could be formed in one piece. With molecular-level control over internal devices and wiring, they could achieve nearly calculated motion characteristics. Combined with The Core’s computational power, they could produce an exceptionally high-performance machine with no waste.
“Hmm, impressive. However, while it is possible to mass-produce or copy, using the Printer takes time for manufacturing. Essentially, it becomes a one-off machine.”
“Yes, Ma’am. If we include maintenance hatches, it creates structural weaknesses, so if it malfunctions, it will be dismantled for recycling. It won’t withstand long-term use. To make it mass-producible, we need to redesign it, considering maintenance, manufacturing difficulty, and production lines.”
“…Ah, that makes sense. Moving parts wear out, and electronic devices degrade.”
“We will incorporate some redundancy, but with this airframe, it will likely reach the end of its lifespan after about ten flights. Normally, we wouldn’t operate such machines, but given our current situation of resource scarcity while having an abundance of energy and time, we can afford it.”
In reality, Ringo strictly controlled the speed of resource acquisition and production capacity, calculating to use resources as efficiently as possible. If they couldn’t operate a production line due to resource shortages, they wouldn’t build it in the first place. Energy reactors are not easily expanded, so they had prepared a large-capacity one from the start, and power was generally in surplus.
“We will operate three of these aircraft to rapidly update the surrounding resource map. If we are going to do this, it should be a lightning strike. If we take too long, they might come up with some countermeasures, and if it’s a short period, we can make excuses for anything.”
“Right. I’ll leave that operation to you. It would be great if we could find iron ore deposits or oil fields…”
“If we can’t find them from above, we’ll have to start drilling randomly.”
“That sounds daunting…”
Fortunately, resources other than oil had begun to be supplied. If they couldn’t find an oil field, they would have no choice but to pivot to space development. They would use satellites to collect terrain data and search for locations likely to contain oil. However, that would change the overall resource balance and cause delays in all projects.
“I wonder if there are any places where oil is gushing out naturally…”
As she indulged in such wishes, she sank deeper into her chair.
Meanwhile, the deployed Communicator Androids, once under the control of the local strategic AI, began to move towards Flatara City, merging with the previously deployed Multi-legged Tanks.
Here, they would conduct a personnel exchange and retrieve Ringo’s favorite Commander genetic-based Communicator Android. Since it was based on the genes of the local populace, its facial features should be more familiar. However, with its appearance still resembling that of a young girl and closer to the familiar race, there was a possibility of being underestimated.
“Shouldn’t we avoid unnecessary troubles?”
“Yes, Ma’am. If we crush them with force, any unnecessary troubles will eventually disappear.”
That was quite a blunt response. No, Ringo hadn’t answered without thought, but…
“This is one of the methods for communicating with the locals. The very situation of being underestimated becomes a valuable opportunity for information gathering. We will also categorize subsequent responses into several patterns and accumulate basic data.”
“…Hmm.”
Commander Eve tilted her head. While what was said wasn’t wrong, it felt lacking.
“If we’re talking about patterns, shouldn’t we also differentiate by age, gender, and physique?”
“We won’t do that.”
“…Oh, I see.”
Well, in the end, this too was Ringo’s whim.