Story Reader / Main Story / 28 Polaris Bond / Story
A girl walks in with a large suitcase. She puts the suitcase on the ground, making a hollow sound that echoes through the empty church hall.
I'm back!
Huh?
In a teasing tone, says the person sitting and swinging her legs on the railing on the second floor.
"Mother," she is back...
Zero does a flip and leaps down from the second floor like a ghost. She lands beside the other girl and scrutinizes her the same way she would sniff prey.
You... smell like Sage's data...
You were with her, huh... Where is she? Did she come back with you?
Every part of me, including my heart, screams and longs for Sage...
Hey! Zero! Where did you go?
A light yellow figure pops out behind the second-floor railing.
I haven't even calibrated your tail balance device yet! Why did you leave?
Oh... Hi! Good morning, Amina!
Zavier extends his fourth hand that's holding a wrench as he greets the girl with the suitcase downstairs.
Good morning, Mr. Zavier!
Tell me, where is Sage?
Cough, cough... cough...
Facing Zero, even Amina, who's usually outgoing and cheerful, finds herself stammering.
Sage is traveling out there. I was sent back to fetch some supplies and network units—
Lame.
When she learns that Nanami hasn't returned with Amina, Zero instantly loses interest and drags the cables extending from her back to the base of the pillar.
Ah, is it about the network synchronization in the Americas we talked about last time?
Yes.
Perhaps due to the "horrible" experiences of dealing with Zero, Amina visibly relaxes when she sees Zavier coming downstairs.
Is Zero fixed?
Of course! She even has a built-in phonograph function now... Just don't tell her about it.
O-okay...
Why don't you let Spooner get the supplies for you? And the network synchronization... maybe wait a bit?
Hum?
Schulz isn't here these few days. I could give you the hardware, but it's useless because it hasn't been complied with.
Besides, the "Gray Tower" has been hit with some minor attacks recently... It's causing a bit of trouble.
Amina's smile stiffens when she hears Schulz's name.
"The Emperor"... is not here?
Yes, he isn't at the church these days because he went to Kowloong with Hanying for network synchronization.
Or you could go to Kowloong and have him compile it for you. You can just bring it back when it's done, no?
No.
Wow, that was blunt!
No. He always acts like he's better than everyone. I don't like him. He always has a gloomy face... It's just not fun at all being around him...
Then I'll have Mr. Spooner take the supplies back to Sage.
"Empress", welcome back.
Arcana slowly walks over from the staircase behind Amina and the rest of them.
Mother.
So I see that Sage hasn't returned.
Sage has been helping us help a lot of people these days, be they humans or Constructs.
I believe that Sage will return when the time is right...
Exactly! How about I go on a honeymoon with Sage this time? I've already planned it...
But during Sage's absence, we've had to face some malicious attacks. Sage left us with the Revelation, and even that has become a target of attack these days.
It's about the Gray Tower...
Zavier is right.
But... Sage did give me two missions when she sent me back.
One is to bring back some supplies, and the other is to check on the church's network synchronization.
If it's what Sage said...
Arcana closes her eyes, apparently contemplating the deeper meaning of Nanami's words.
I will provide more assistance to Zavier in fortifying the Gray Tower's defenses, but right now, only Schulz understands the Gray Tower's network protocol...
I believe the issue with network synchronization can be fixed as soon as Schulz is back. And when that happens, we should stop seeing all the malicious attacks on the Gray Tower.
The Gray Tower is still standing in the church's main hall. Infinite data flows through its bright lamps like stars on a cold veil.
In the meantime, tell us about Sage's recent activities, Amina.
How has she been lately?
Out... of the way! Out of the way!
Get lost! Don't block my way, you scumbag!
Mom! Mom!
Aside from having to knock a few teeth off some unlucky thugs along the way, Ma and Yu arrive at the medical center without really getting into any trouble.
Seeing all the people, Ma can't help but wonder where they all came from.
Yu!
Doctor Zhang!
The medical center is like a rock in a turbulent stream, splitting the crowd that's heading to the North Port.
When Ma and Yu arrive at the medical center, they see a group of Medics in uniforms standing at the entrance. They are holding hammers, drills, and other oddly shaped tools.
Why are you here...
The medical center must be short-handed at a time like this...
Sir...
Huh?
No, Mr. Ma isn't here for treatment. He brought me here.
I see... Thank you, Mr. Ma.
Ah, don't worry about it.
What are you doctors doing here with... hammers, drills, and saws?
We are all orthopedic doctors, and we're just keeping these tools handy in case people decide to take advantage of the mayhem to cause trouble...
So what now?
We have to wait for further instructions from the higher-ups.
Where are they? Where are Pulao and Chaofeng?
They should be on the frontlines in the South Port...
The explosions came from the south.
Yes, because... they just blew up and sank the auxiliary town.
They what?
Sank it?
Kowloong's auxiliary town isn't very big, but it's still a 30 sq. km artificial island that stretches out from the continental shelf. Some might disagree, but it's a legitimate "town."
They... Wow, this blows my mind...
I don't know the specifics.
An hour ago, we received an order to stand by. We haven't gotten any casualties over the past hour... and I heard the North Port Medical Center is the same.
****. How are they supposed to send in the wounded when this place is such a mess?!
Before them is a tsunami's worth of people that goes as far as they can possibly see.
Guess you always need to expect the unexpected.
So... we are preparing to head to the frontlines.
...
Boy, this is ridiculous.
Ma sighs and grabs a member of the Kowloong Crew leading the crowd.
Hey, you!
What are you doing?! Can't you see no one ain't got time to mess around now?!
Ma is stunned when he sees the word "Pu" on the man's mask.
What's your name? Send a team to escort these medics to the frontlines in the South Port right away.
Jianqu, no, wait a minute.
No, wait, who are you...
I'm nobody, dammit. Just a ****ing old man!
Ma grabs the young man by the collar.
If you still have a soldier's conscience, take these medics to the Kowloong Crew headquarters! Now!
People at the frontlines need them now! How are we supposed to fight with a bunch of wounded soldiers?
...
And! Haven't you seen—
Ma stops short and slowly lets go of the man when he realizes he is being rude.
I'll need approval from the headquarters to send them to the frontlines.
Fine, then hurry up!
The man seems intimidated by Ma and pulls out a communication device to contact Kowloong headquarters.
Hello...
?
Hello! Can you hear me? Hello?!
...
The radio... isn't working.
I can't reach the headquarters.
We lost contact... Yu, try contacting the headquarters, too.
And try calling the North Port Medical Center, too.
...Not getting through.
Same with the North Port.
The North Port should be safe for now. There shouldn't be any problem.
Which means the communication center at the South Port's connecting bridge...
So? What do you think you're supposed to do as a soldier now?
...
Screw it...
Third Squad! I need you all to come here now!
The man's gentle voice turns into a roar that drowns out the crowd's noise.
Clear the way. We're leading the medics to the headquarters for support!
The continuous artillery fire is shaking the ground, forcing Chaofeng to brush off the dust that is falling onto the map.
What about communications? What about the messengers we sent out?
We haven't heard anything, and the messenger we sent to the North Port hasn't returned.
Damn it...
What about the backup satellite communication?
That's not working, either. An unknown broadcast signal seems to be jamming it...
Try again from the second connection phase.
We've tried over 50 times already—
Boom!
Another high-explosive bomb lands not far from the Kowloong Crew headquarters, causing dust to rain down on everyone in the room, except none of them has the time to brush it off.
They are in the midst of a war. Death is only five kilometers away.
Everything is happening too fast.
From the Pulao Crew's first encounter with the enemy at Yundong Station south of the auxiliary town, only two hours have passed.
Creatures they have never seen before are emerging from the sea and sweeping inland like a tide.
With no warning and no experience fighting these creatures born purely out of the Punishing, the entire auxiliary town was buried under this crimson tide in just half an hour.
The explosives buried in the underground transport tunnels of the auxiliary town for such a situation fulfilled their original goal at the last moment. It blew up the entire auxiliary town.
But that was only a temporary solution to buy time.
Within two hours, the Hetero-Creatures had broken through the auxiliary town's defense line and advanced 12km. The latest attack brought them within five kilometers of the Kowloong Crew headquarters defense line.
Messenger! Messenger! What are you doing over there?
Have the North Port send over 600 tons of ammunition immediately, right now!
Go already! Take this... letter! I wrote it, give it to them!
I don't care if you use the underground transport lines, drive, or run on foot. Just get it there within 20 minutes.
As for the people from the North Port, get them ready and transported here within 40 minutes. 40 minutes! They have to get the thing here no matter what happens!
These things... These... Hetero-Creatures...
They're different from the Corrupted we've seen on the Nighter. These are pure Punishing.
But our soldiers... They're living, breathing people.
Hello! Hello?
The line is dead already.
Argh, was hoping someone could tell us if people in the industrial area are having trouble making it out...
This is buying time for people in the industrial area to evacuate.
Ah, right. Send another messenger to the industrial area.
Tsk... Have we heard anything from Pulao?
They need some more time to reach the connecting bridge.
We have to hold out until they reclaim the communication center, or we won't be able to defend this place.
Bang!
Cough...
That was really close...
What the ****! That shell must have landed within a kilometer!
Cough... Looks like... they were digging trenches. Bet they decided to go with explosives because they'd run out of time.
What kind of war is this! Digging trenches?! Who gave that order?!
No one...
A bunch of rookies... Get a few people to come with me to check on it!
We need their firepower for support, not for them to blow us all up!
Are we trying to bury our own people before the battle is even over?
Bixi curses as he hands the blueprints to the commander next to him, then he points at a few messengers to go out of the underground bunker with him.
From here to the connecting bridge... seven kilometers.
Chaofeng brushes off the dust on the map again.
They... they're like a dagger plunging into the hearts of those enemies.
It's our only hope.
The Nighter in the North Port won't be able to set sail if we can't reclaim the South Port's purification channel.
Asking for help from the outside world is our only chance.
I really wish you had brought a team of people with you when you got here three hours ago.
The agreements signed in Babylonia weren't meant to take effect immediately...
Now we can only put our hopes on them.
Did Bixi only sign high-explosive bombs and kinetic weapons? Why didn't he sign the dense munitions and thermonuclear weapons as well? We need powerful artillery support!
Are you crazy?
Right now, we need to provide artillery support and buy time for the Pulao Crew to make it to the connecting bridge, and that's not gonna happen if we flatten half of the port and kill them with weapons.
If we can't reclaim the communication center, we won't be able to use higher power broadcasts to break through this unknown interference...
If that happens, it won't matter what weapons we use.
That's not what you said when Pulao's team set out.
Tsk...
Sir!
Speak.
I just got back from downtown South Port. I met the medical team on my way back. They've already started treating the wounded.
Good! How's the situation in the South Port?
According to Pulao Crew's report, 30% of the South Port's residents are already heading to the North Port to board the ships. More than half of the remaining 70% are also being systematically evacuated to the North Port.
Also, the underground transport lines in downtown South Port are now open to the public.
Did they reserve a few transport lines for the military?
Bixi is aware of the situation here and has started coordinating the transport of military supplies from South Port through the underground transport lines.
Well done. Go take a break. Get another messenger to come.
I can keep...
This is an order.
Yes, sir.
The young man nods and drags his exhausted body out of the operations room. Another tall Chaofeng soldier enters the room.
Sir.
Notify the Pulao Crew in downtown South Port to defend the military supplies coming this way.
Also, tell the Pulao Crew in the North Port that if the situation turns dire, they should make the call on allowing citizens to seek refuge in Kowloong and not just keep evacuating people to the North Port.
Yes, sir.
The tall Chaofeng soldier takes the identity terminal from Chaofeng and leaves the operations room in a hurry.
Let me in! I need to see him!
You...
The door to the operations room is open once again. Two men from the Chaofeng Crew carry in an old man.
What's going on?
This geezer... He came with the medics and insisted on seeing Madam Pulao.
Throw him out.
Wait a sec.
She walks over to the stubborn old man, followed by a shadow.
What is it that you want?
I'm here to see the person in charge of the Pulao Crew, and to look for my granddaughter.
Humph, why are you here...
Pulao is leading an important mission. She's not here.
What about my granddaughter? Zhishi!
She is fulfilling her duty as a soldier alongside Pulao.
Where is she?
...
Where is she? Answer me!
The second squad is currently heading to the connecting bridge with Pulao. Their mission is... to reclaim the communication center.
Reclaim... reclaim...
Ma mutters in a daze, repeating Chaofeng's words.
No one can contact them until they reclaim the communication center occupied by the Hetero-Creatures.
Who... who sent her... Who gave her permission to go...
Ma's sharply defined cheekbones are twitching as he tries to suppress his immense anger. His voice is trembling in the dull thuds of the exploding bombs outside.
It was me.
