Chapter 95: Defense of the Desert
“Alright, everyone. I’m sorry, but I’ll leave the rest to you,” Commander Eve said.
“Okay. Good night, Commander (Big Sister),” came the reply.
“Good night, Commander (Big Sister). Once my support duties are done, I’ll rest as well,” another voice chimed in.
“I’ll be pulling back soon too~,” added another.
“Just leave the rest to Olive… Good night, Commander (Big Sister),” Olive said softly.
Though worry gnawed at her, Commander Eve steeled her heart and left the command room. She decided to have something warm to drink to calm her nerves before heading to bed.
“Ma’am, the patrol aircraft are in the air, and there are no abnormalities detected by the sensors. I’ll assist as well, so please try not to worry,” Ringo reassured her.
“I know, but I’m still worried!” Eve sighed as she walked, feeling Ringo’s comforting hand on her back.
With no other option, Ringo decided to stay close to Ma’am, even accompanying her to bed to provide support for a good night’s sleep. It was unavoidable; it had to be done.
Utsugi and Erika were busy communicating with the local strategic AI, determining the best course of action moving forward. Essentially, they would not initiate attacks unless monsters approached their defensive line. If the monsters got too close, they would take defensive actions, and if the line was breached, they would retaliate.
They had demonstrated the tactic of using one monster as bait to launch an attack, so they remained vigilant against such diversions. If one was spotted, they assumed another was lurking nearby.
They maintained vigilance from the sky and through the complex sensors embedded in the ground. Although real-time processing was already in place, they temporarily increased the resources allocated to it.
Patrol aircraft were currently en route from the Second Fortress. In just a few minutes, the number of patrol aircraft in the sky would double. While the resolution would be lower at night, it would still be sufficient to detect any monsters moving on the ground.
Creatures hiding underground could be detected by vibration sensors. Once they expanded the deployment of the composite sensors they were currently mass-producing, they would be able to detect any invading monsters in advance.
“Olive, take control of the mining plant’s strategic AI. Integrate the sensor network with the telemetry from the patrol aircraft. Use the local tactical AI for the control and analysis programs. You can temporarily halt the plant’s operations. I’ve instructed for additional air transport of AI units,” Akane commanded.
“…Okay. I’ve got it,” Olive replied.
Following Akane’s instructions, Olive established a sham merge with the local strategic AI. Unlike deep merge, sham merge allowed for the possibility of later disconnection. However, the distance was too great for a deep merge to be feasible.
By performing a sham merge, Olive could process thoughts as if she were physically present at the location. The downside was that after disconnection, the neural network of the other party’s Brain Unit would undergo complete transformation. Normally, this would lead to various issues, necessitating a reset, but since the local AI was nearly in a neutral state, there should be no significant problems.
Olive quickly established a link with the local strategic AI and uploaded the control programs for the sensors and patrol aircraft. Simultaneously, she began assembling the information processing system. Among the five sisters, Olive was the fastest at this kind of assembly.
The assembled system had few defects and even included an automatic correction feature, earning high praise from Ringo. Commander Eve was lavish in her compliments, though her praise extended to all of them, not just Olive.
“Akane, I’ve finished optimizing the tactical AI network for the multi-legged tanks!” Utsugi announced.
“I changed the link format from mesh to tree. The root node is now controlled by the strategic AI of the multi-legged Mother Unit,” Erika added.
Utsugi and Erika were reconstructing the network between the multi-legged Mother Unit and the multi-legged tanks. Originally, they had used a flexible and fault-tolerant mesh format, but maintaining that network required significant resources, so they switched to a tree format.
In this case, the processing load concentrated on the root node, but it allowed the multi-legged tanks to move more freely. By organizing the command structure, this setup proved advantageous during the first type of combat deployment. The root node would remain mostly stationary, serving as a fixed artillery position.
“The calibration for the network change is complete. No issues detected. Utsugi, Erika, I advise you to take a rest. We’ll switch in ten hours.”
“Are you okay, Akane?” Utsugi asked.
“Just a little overtime,” Akane replied.
“No problem. I’ll hand over to Olive in two hours and then take a break. Ichigo, I need you to back me up for about six hours. Is that alright?”
“Yes, I’ve managed to get some minimum rest, so I’m good. Leave it to me!”
The girls exchanged high-fives, enjoying a moment of camaraderie before returning to their respective tasks.
“Ma’am, we’ve completed the recovery of the scorpion carcasses. We’re currently conducting an autopsy within The Tree,” Ringo reported.
“Got it,” Eve acknowledged.
That morning, Ringo had briefed her on the events of the previous night.
“The basic structure appears to be similar to that of a normal scorpion. However, the composition of the exoskeleton is quite unique. Additionally, we discovered the aforementioned crystal inside the body. Its size is consistent with our previous samples. So far, it seems that the size of the crystal is somewhat related to the creature’s weight.”
“Hmm. This isn’t found in ordinary animals, is it?”
“Yes, Ma’am. The livestock obtained in Port Town Terek do not possess it, nor do the fish and shellfish that can be caught in the surrounding areas. It seems safe to conclude that the presence of this crystal distinguishes monsters from ordinary animals.”
The mysterious crystal, referred to as a magic stone by Commander Eve, was simply called a crystal in places like Port Town Terek. This discrepancy likely stemmed from the crystal’s limited circulation. Even in Flatara City, where it was somewhat available, the name seemed inconsistent. In the Afrasia United Kingdom, it was still regarded as an unknown mineral.
“Research on magic seems to be progressing reasonably well in the Forest Country (Lebresta). We’re continuing negotiations to extract knowledge in exchange for goods, but it seems quite challenging.”
Negotiations with the Forest Country (Lebresta) were ongoing. They had begun trading certain amounts of cellulose fabric. For now, they were accepting coins as payment, which would be used for rent in East Gate City and wages for laborers. They planned to increase trade volume and acquire special products from Lebresta, but they also hoped to import magical technology.
“It would be great if we could figure out what the Forest Country (Lebresta) is seeking.”
Even Ringo, despite her capabilities, had limited experience in human interaction, making negotiations a back-and-forth struggle. However, they had to continue, viewing it as valuable experience.
“Yes, Ma’am. I will do my utmost.”
As a last resort, they could negotiate physically by bringing a warship to the port. If they were being taken advantage of, that would be a card they could play.
“Also, we’ve decided to deploy ground attack drones at the Oil Port and the mining plant. We’re currently airlifting them from the Second Fortress. If we can attack from the sky, it will significantly enhance our defense.”
These drones were equipped with machine guns, rocket launchers, or missiles. They were primarily designed to function as fixed artillery in the air, which meant their detection capabilities were not particularly high. They were intended to operate in conjunction with other machinery.
“Do we have any railgun-equipped models?” Eve inquired.
“Yes, Ma’am. We have about three prototypes integrated. However, we haven’t resolved the heat dissipation issue yet, so they can’t fire in rapid succession.”
The ability to fire projectiles at an initial speed of 8,000 m/s from the air would provide a considerable advantage. Due to the characteristics of microwave power supply, the receiving devices tended to overheat, and both charging and firing generated significant heat. Until they could resolve this issue, it would be challenging to use these weapons regularly.
“That’s reassuring. Keep up the good work with the oil production as well,” Eve instructed.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
In a certain location, a massive surge of sand erupted from a section of the dunes. Almost simultaneously, a colossal creature slowly emerged from within the sand.
As it shook off the sand clinging to its body, it revealed itself to be a gigantic scorpion, measuring over 40 meters in length.
Sensing the death of its kin and recognizing it as a threat, it began to move slowly.