Story Reader / Floating Record / ER07 Soaring Beyond / Story
The room's occupant stares intently at the curved monitor ahead, completely ignoring the streams of data flowing across the surrounding terminal screens.
In the center of the monitor is a detailed topographic map marked with coordinates. A cluster of yellow dots emits faint white ripples within the deep blue closed curves, creating a few contour lines that quickly fade away—only to start again.
After confirming the image, the young man's fingers fly across the keyboard as he cross-references and verifies the data.
The work seems to have hit a dead end. He massages his temples in frustration, but a knock at the door soon breaks through the stifling atmosphere.
Come in.
I received the notification. It is about Aerospace City, right?
Yes.
During yesterday's routine surface scan, we detected a signal south of the Kola Peninsula.
It's an abnormal high-power signal; it seems someone is actively targeting Babylonia with a more primitive device.
After comparing the map data, I've narrowed down the approximate location of the signal source.
In that area, there's only one location with high-power equipment... Tsiolkovsky Aerospace City.
...An aerospace sanctuary from the Golden Age. I thought the Corrupted had long since taken it over.
The high intelligence demonstrated by the Hetero-Creatures cannot be underestimated. We must not rule out the possibility of a trap.
...Anyway, we cannot just stand by.
Asimov taps the table with his index finger, pauses in thought, then pulls up the relevant dossier.
After establishing contact with Kowloong, they provided me with some new data...
But Kowloong's knowledge of Aerospace City is no better than Babylonia's.
The current dossier on Project Eden contains almost all known intelligence. Most other records were lost during the Punishing Virus outbreak and years of warfare.
I know you have the physical maps of that area.
Nothing ever gets past you, does it?
During the Golden Age, most detailed locations were only recorded on paper for secrecy. Though many were lost in the calamity, some still remain.
Be careful with it. This is a family heirloom passed down from my grandfather.
With gentle movements, he unfolds the aged paper, so brittle it seems it might crumble at the slightest touch.
...The exact location remains unclear.
Of course. This is one of our most classified documents. The map was created as a commemorative piece, specifically given to one of the city's founders.
I see... We can only narrow it down to a general area, then.
He circles a location on the terminal's map.
The activities of airborne Hetero-Creatures and the heavily congested orbital debris belts are interfering with our radio waves. Even with active tracking, we cannot pinpoint the source of the radiation.
However, the radius deviation is only about 100 kilometers. That shouldn't pose too much of an obstacle for surface reconnaissance.
...Why do you have to conduct reconnaissance?
...Don't ask such a pointless question.
Tsiolkovsky Aerospace City lies in the far northern territory of Kowloong, home to the most advanced aerospace testing facilities from the Golden Age.
It oversaw the launch mission of the Dawn-III spacecraft and conducted the research, development, and technical verification of Eden-I.
What if... what if humanity can never return to Earth...
A heavy silence fills the air.
...Didn't Kowloong conduct any further reconnaissance?
After the Punishing Virus outbreak, the Kowloong Science Council, under Qu's directive, devoted all their research resources to the Tabula Akasha project. Evidently, the pressure of preserving civilization left them no time to look toward more distant horizons.
As years passed, Aerospace City faded into legend, preserved only in ancient texts.
...Alright, is there anything else you need?
I'll coordinate with the military regarding the surface recon schedule.
By the way, how's the progress over there?
Long wedges the terminal between his forearm and body, then expertly swipes the screen several times with his free hand. A file cover promptly appears:
Phase II Report: Omega Weapon Control Experiment and Frame Compatibility Research Findings
Asimov takes the terminal from Long, his eyes and fingertips tracing across the screen in silence as he contemplates the contents.
...I still need to cross-check some calculations with Hyperreal's combat data, but this should work for now.
Long slides his finger upward while holding the file copy, and a mail notification promptly appears in the bottom right corner of the desktop monitor.
Asimov quickly scans the content before giving an acknowledging nod.
I definitely prefer the aroma of hot tea.
...
Paying no mind to Long's contemplative gaze out the porthole, Asimov opens his terminal and begins his daily work.
Conference Room
Gray walls, gray furniture, and a gray atmosphere to match.
The mission briefing is concise, yet your fingers continue flipping through the pages—a mindless gesture long after finishing the read.
You still seem down. Don't tell me you skipped breakfast?
You can pay for the meal and tip with Black Cards in one go. Or if you'd prefer installments, I'll only charge 20% interest—a special rate for Gray Raven.
It's getting pretty late anyway. Why don't we just wait a bit longer and have lunch instead?
Celica purses her lips with a hint of playfulness.
Okay, okay, I'm just kidding.
She activates the conference room's terminal, bringing up a holographic map.
Sigh, always the same routine. Gets a bit stale after a while.
Well, I'd take a repetitive routine over another Babylonia explosion any day.
As usual, let me brief you on the mission details...
According to the report from Science Council Section 1, this morning we detected a signal near New Murmansk, but we're unable to pinpoint its source remotely.
Gray Raven is familiar with the terrain, making you the most suitable candidate. I'll have to trouble you both with this reconnaissance mission.
Lucia is preparing for her new frame installation, while Lee, as the bearer of Hyperreal, has been asked by the Science Council to stay behind and provide assistance in their research.
It's just a simple recon mission. You and Liv should be able to handle it on your own.
I assume you've reviewed the briefing? We can't count on Kowloong anymore. The Arctic Route Union has been busy with internal restructuring since the uprising, and many documents about Aerospace City were lost during the conflict.
More like they'd rather not get involved.
As expected of Gray Raven's commandant, quick on the uptake.
The Parliament recently approved a resource aid package for New Sophiasburgh, so we've been in close contact with them lately. They'll set up a temporary base for this investigation.
Speaking of which... there are some matters the President specifically asked me to brief you on.
Celica glances down at her datapad, her brows knitting slightly as she reviews the information.
What I'm about to tell you is rather... sensitive.
While New Sophiasburgh remains relatively stable, the situation with the Arctic Route Union has deteriorated into armed conflict.
The Ascendant attack did cause unrest, but such obstacles are inevitable during reconstruction.
The scale of the skirmishes isn't large, but they're happening quite frequently.
Aerospace City's presumed location is in the outskirts—an area that has effectively become a no-man's land since the virus outbreak.
It's unlikely that any armed forces would venture into that area.
Therefore, what deserves more attention is the situation in New Sophiasburgh.
The Forest Guard currently maintains a policy of neutrality and has not intervened in the conflict. They prefer to focus on their fundamental duty as protectors.
However, this neutrality hinges on their own safety remaining unthreatened. If New Sophiasburgh is forced into battle, those officials at the Diplomatic Court will certainly have their hands full.
The Forest Guard is still willing to provide guides. In exchange, Babylonia forces must not enter the forest area to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.
Therefore, this will be a recon mission without backup support.
Conflict remains the eternal theme of the anthropic universe. In these wastelands, the roots of ancient civilization intertwine with the sprouts of new society, gradually growing into their own order.
Perhaps forging a path through humanity's thicket of words and forest of guns proves more challenging than developing weapons to suppress Hetero-Creatures.
Great. I've attached the transport aircraft schedule at the end of the mission briefing.
Have a safe trip.
With a brief wave goodbye, Celica turns and leaves the conference room.
Upon entering the atmosphere, the transport's turbine engines take over from the fusion ramjet.
The roar of the fan exhaust and the heat in the cabin make you question whether the mixing of compressed air and fuel is actually happening in the cabin rather than in the engine pods.
A solid thrust pushes up from beneath the seats as gravity finally claims its hold on the aircraft.
The tailgate slowly lowers, revealing a vast, white landscape.
The stuffiness disappears instantly as the biting cold wind hits, making it clear just how essential the arctic combat gear really is.
A tall, silver-haired Construct stands before the cabin, as if having waited there all along.
It has been a while, Commandant of Gray Raven, Liv.
Good morning, Rosetta. Oh, have you fully recovered, Nausicaa?
The memory of fighting alongside the Forest Guard against the tide of Corrupted still feels fresh.
I'm fit for duty now. And of course, thank you for the medical supplies you provided.
The heating core is still under construction, but our defenses and supplies are holding up well.
Would you like to rest at our camp first?
Although it's just an outpost, we're fully equipped with all the necessary amenities.
You raise an arm to check the body temperature monitor on your wrist.
Rosetta signals for several humanoid-hybrid Constructs at the landing pad to follow, then leads her guests straight toward the forest at the outpost's edge.
The temporary compound of prefab units and modular frames soon disappears behind you, replaced by a vista of fir and pine trees characteristic of high-latitude regions.
Holographic beacons occasionally peek through the moss, their metal poles embedded in the soil projecting hand-sized warning symbols into the air.
You're as keen as ever, Gray Raven Commandant.
You should have read the briefing before departure. That Aerospace City should be somewhere around here...
Yes. Thousands of anti-personnel mines from the Golden Age are buried in these woods. They're likely part of the city's defense system.
As for the new ones...
Her words cut short as she raises a clenched fist—the signal for everyone to take cover.
Liv quickly activates her weapon, powering up her Levi-Gun system.
Your hand instinctively draws your gun toward the source of the disturbance. Near a distant boulder, a human-like mechanoid paces back and forth. It seems to be searching for something, taking its time with no intention to leave.
It's an awakened machine from Aerospace City.
Those new minefields are their doing. That area has likely been occupied by mechanoids.
A bullet is already chambered, and your thumb slowly moves to the safety.
The mechanoid moves with surprising agility, its actions far from clumsy. Its sensors are obscured by a heavy protective shell resembling a space helmet, making it difficult to discern its full form.
Despite having seen the mechanoids of Constellia, it's still hard for you to imagine those "little painters" wielding brushes could take control of a city.
So... even the Forest Guard doesn't know the exact situation in Aerospace City?
Indeed. We don't plan to approach this dense forest.
There were once refugees who tried to cross the forest to reach the city, but after that, no one knew what happened to them.
However, I've heard reports of people spotting those refugees near ARU. They were apparently sent out under the governor's orders to trade supplies.
Before your arrival, I made a point to verify this information again, and received the same confirmation. Aerospace City... perhaps it doesn't reject refugees after all.
So, we don't have to take the risk.
After a few minutes, the mechanoid finally loses interest in lingering around and vanishes into the depths of the forest.
Understood.
Even without Celica's reminder, it's clear that the Forest Guard has no duty to head into the frontlines.
While we cannot interfere in this conflict, you can always turn to me—to me personally—if you need anything.
There's no need to be so formal, Commandant.
Indeed. We never yearned for a promised land, yet heaven's gifts have found their way into our hands all the same.
I will seize this opportunity, and when the time comes, I will stand by your side as a more powerful ally.
She takes a long look at you before turning away, leading her Forest Guard companions toward the rising sun.
