Evolve (11)
"You're finally showing your true colors! You bad person!"
Nadia shouted, claiming she had figured out the reason why she slandered the armored type. Her bushy tail fluffed up in a burst.
Kyle snorted.
"It's not slander. Everything I said is the truth—without a single lie."
"Liar! Hurry up and tell the real truth!"
"I just told you. It's all facts. Since you can't accept it, I'll go through it point by point. First, supply efficiency. The battlefield is an environment where it's not strange for unexpected situations to occur. In such a place, when are you going to resupply missiles? You can't just stick them in one by one. And if you load them in a hurry, there's a risk of malfunction."
Kyle knew that an era where precision equates to effective power was continuing and acknowledged that precision was an important value.
But he also said there were situations where simplicity beat precision. That was the battlefield.
"If you swap the pod itself quickly..."
"It's still the same. Adjusting the system takes time. On the other hand, with a cannon, all you have to do is change the cartridge and you're done. Even if you load it roughly, it works normally. Unlike troublesome missiles."
Kyle pointed out that after firing off all the missiles in a pod, it becomes useless until resupplied.
"You need sustained firepower to fill that gap. Full salvo! You shout that and after you're done, are you just going to run around panicking?"
"T-Then you can just cover with a rifle..."
Nadia mentioned the linear rifle, not a standard pulse rifle. She implied that the linear rifle, with its powerful single shots, would be enough support.
"Hm? Linear rifle... Since it's connected to the core and shares output, it's definitely stronger than the pulse rifle. It has enough firepower to penetrate even most ship armor—so it would be effective against mutated beings wearing exoskeletons."
At first, Kyle seemed to be convinced. Seeing this, Nadia thought she had turned things around. It didn't take long for her to realize this was a mistake.
"But can that replace missile firepower? Can you execute difficult maneuvers while changing pods? Do you know that managing overheating is critical for linear rifles? How do you fill that gap? I'm talking about operational sustainability right now. Look, it's trash, right? Ah, that was harsh—let's say it's just inferior."
Kyle folded his arms and looked down, feigning incomprehension to lower her guard before twisting the knife.
"I keep emphasizing it, don't I? The firepower gap should be as short as possible. Operational sustainability can determine success or failure. In that sense, nothing is as inefficient for a main weapon as a missile pod. Sure, you can push enemies back momentarily with a concentrated attack, but after that, you're helpless."
"..."
"I won't deny that missile destruction is very high. That's a fact. Missiles and other long-range, precision munitions rule the battlefield; I'll admit that. That's another fact. But we must also consider the wielder of those weapons and the situations they face."
As Kyle's explanation went on, Nadia increasingly lowered her head under invisible pressure. Soon, her tightly clenched fist began to tremble. Kyle's "Hm? Hmmm?" interjections throughout only made him seem more annoying.
But Nadia could not argue further—she wasn't even given the chance. This was no longer a debate. In truth, it never was; he was just talking over her the whole time.
"Only warships like cruisers, with ample storage, can afford to rain down missiles. Missiles fired from a power loader like this are horribly inefficient—especially as a main armament. Even more so since it's not one-on-one, but mostly many-on-one in battlefields. So, instead of missile pods, cannon-type weaponry is the way to go. This option has higher sustainability and is relatively easier to resupply. Much, much more!"
Kyle said the enemy also needed to be considered. The enemy—pureblood supremacist groups—had the same, or even higher, tech levels as us. He said he couldn't imagine they wouldn't have countermeasures to disrupt missiles.
"Ugh... Hyun-woo..."
A battered Nadia, her ears drooping, walked up to me. Even though she'd only listened, if Kyle's words had form, Nadia would have already been knocked to the floor.
I shook my head as I watched the two of them with a dumbfounded look. Still, I tried to console Nadia, patting her back as I asked,
"By the way, can we actually make missiles?"
All that talk about a romance for big guns or how missiles were better meant nothing if we couldn't manufacture any—armored or not.
"Oh, of course we can."
"We can?"
"As long as we have the blueprints, nothing's impossible to make. There are manufacturing facilities on the Albatross."
"Then why haven't we used them until now?"
I knew the Albatross had facilities like a machine shop and other material production areas, but this was the first time equipment was being discussed so seriously.
The one who answered my question, grumbling at Kyle from behind me, was Nadia.
"Huh? Didn't you hear? Licorice got the blueprints. Just yesterday! That's why we're finally seeing results now."
"... Yesterday?"
Licorice slept in my room last night. After talking with me, I hadn't seen her working on extracting data, so she must have finished at least some of it before coming to my room.
"Even now, new blueprints are being updated. Thanks to that, we have more options to consider. We don't have to rely solely on the pulse rifle anymore. That's why we can talk about this now."
"Ah, that's good, then."
"My workload's increased, so it's not good for me, though."
Kyle muttered that it was better than doing nothing.
"So, have you decided on the direction for the upgrades?"
At my question, Kyle looked at Nadia, as if asking whether she was convinced after all the explanation.
He said he'd only mentioned the first point and could elaborate more if necessary. Nadia, looking exhausted, took a step back, not wanting to engage any further.
"Unanimous, then. I'll take it that we're going with a grenade cannon line."
Kyle laughed, as if this was the obvious result. Though, in truth, neither I nor Roxy had voiced an opinion, and Nadia only nodded half-heartedly.
Still, I glossed over it. After all, this was probably the only time Kyle would get to laugh. Nadia and I would handle the power loader modifications, but all the rest of the work would fall on Kyle and his team.
I couldn't even guess how much work it would take to manufacture enough for the coming battles to unleash all-out. Better let him have his moment now. I could clearly see that Nadia was thinking the same as she narrowed her eyes and wagged her tail.
Unaware, Kyle began making lines on the hologram screen with a fairly serious look. Each swipe of his finger across the screen added more to the machine frame.
"Nadia, I've drafted up a rough estimate. Make the parts according to that. The connection parts might be tricky. Normally, we'd let the automated process handle it, but it's too much work to change the line just for this."
"... Are we really going with this? Two cannons?"
"Yes. It needs at least two to qualify as a firepower type. Reloads take time, so having two is a minimum."
On the hologram screen was a power loader, now relatively lighter-armored compared to the original design. On each shoulder were two menacing grenade cannons.
The number of attitude control thrusters had increased. They'd previously only been on the lower section and back, but now were on the shoulders too. It looked like he'd added a booster pack not just for attitude control but for actual jumps.
The missile pod, which was once supposed to take up nearly forty percent, now accounted for less than ten percent. Instead, the pod-shaped container was completely detached and placed on the exterior.
Nadia's eyes became watery—like someone who thought she'd lost a child and then found it again.
"What's this? I thought we weren't using missile pods?"
"Hey, of course we are! I only opposed using them as main armaments; I never denied their usefulness."
Kyle said that if resupply was the issue, then we just needed to keep from having to do it mid-battle in the first place.
"Pods, if not accessed by the system, are just bombs sitting in place. It's better to scatter containers in the area and only activate them as needed than to carry along with a risk of sympathetic detonation."
"Great! This is totally...!"
"There might be weight problems since the cannons are pretty big, but let's just mount them for now. Who knows, a new generator blueprint might come out."
"Yes!"
Now knowing that missiles weren't being ditched entirely, Nadia promptly brightened and squealed with excitement. I looked at the two, now suddenly all friendly, with a cold stare.
"If they were going to be like this, why did they butt heads so much? Should have just got to work sooner. Don't you think so, Carry?"
「(ㅇࡇㅇ)?」
Carry looked up, as if to say, "What did you say?"
She must not have heard me, being in the middle of an endless snowball fight with Sprout. Both pairs were pretty similar, so I immediately regretted even speaking up.
Something squirmed inside me, but I just roughly stroked Carry's head, brushing it off. As long as she was healthy, that was enough.
"Kyle, you sure you can handle the workload?"
As soon as I asked, Kyle suddenly tensed. I could practically hear his brain working overtime.
He quickly came to a conclusion, exclaiming, bright as if discussing someone else's problem,
"I can't!"
"..."
And so confidently, at that. Was this the result of a mind no longer able to handle reality? Was Kyle finally breaking down?
"Of course not. Even if we stay here for a few more days, that's not enough to secure the needed supplies. There just isn't enough raw time for the process. If we could stay a month, we'd make enough, but if we remain here that long, we might end up erased along with the satellites, like on Europa."
"So what are we going to do?"
"Well, there's no place left to raid, and no opportunity, so what other options are there? All we can do is try and make as much as we can, as long as it's within reach."
Kyle shrugged. He was right: even if we wanted to raid a military base, those were likely already under pureblood supremacist control.
Even if they happened to be vacant, all the usable materials would be long gone. Even if we somehow retook them, there would be nothing left for us to get.
"Oh, well, I'll get going. I was all fired up at first, but now that the actual work is piling up, I'm already feeling overwhelmed."
Kyle gave off an air as gloomy as an animal being led to the slaughterhouse. Before he walked away, I grabbed him.
"Wait! What about my equipment?"
"... Ah, that'll need more research. I have to melt the rare metal first, but with the current facilities, I can't. I think I mentioned this before, but this stuff might not work with ordinary processing methods. I can't use it as is, because it doesn't fit the base equipment. I'll return it to you—try messing with it yourself with your supernatural power."
Kyle said he'd set the rare metal aside and told me to take it. With that, he headed to the machine shop. Along the way, he glanced up at Roxy, who was working on modifications atop the small armed shuttle.
As he turned again, Kyle signaled to me. Pointing at Roxy and making a motion like shredding the air, it sure looked like he was telling me to put Roxy to work rather than tease him. I nodded in understanding, so Kyle grinned.
"What a personality... At first I thought they weren't real siblings, but the more I see them, the more they're alike."
Nadia said this while watching Roxy. I wondered why she was staring, but it was clear: Roxy, having noticed Kyle's suspicious signal, was striking a ridiculous pose in Kyle's direction—a mutual provocation. Guess they really were siblings.
Not wanting to waste energy being stuck between them, Nadia and I shook our heads and got to work assembling parts for the power loader. I wasn't talking much, yet already I felt exhausted.
"Should we start with the frame? Since we have extras, that step should go quickly."
"Yeah, let's do that."
Nadia was about to head to the container with the loader's sub-frame, but I stopped her. It was heavy, so I'd have to move it anyway.
I stood in front of the parts container. After operating the panel on the container, the door opened with a clunk. The scent of newness and oil filled the air.
I was going to lift it physically, but decided to test how much weight my telekinesis could handle. I activated my supernatural power.
As an invisible force enveloped the container, the frame inside shifted with a clunk. When I focused hard, I could just about make it rise and move around, but it seemed easier to just lift it by hand. So I dropped the telekinesis and carried it.
Even that much made Nadia go "Ooh" in amazement and applaud. I hadn't used my telekinesis for applause, so I was embarrassed. I resolved to show something better next time.
'I could manipulate it way more naturally when I first manifested it.'
Somehow, I had less capacity to control force now than when it first awoke. If I'd been like this then, I wouldn't have touched the Reformist ship swallowed by the Maker.
'Later.'
Thinking about it tonight wouldn't be too late. For now, modifying the power loader took priority.
"Hang that here. Hold this for a second? I'll secure it."
"Okay."
Nadia gave directions while looking at the cockpit on the frame stand. I moved quickly. Nadia was the expert, so I just had to follow her lead.
Now that we had a plan, the skeleton went up quickly. It didn't take long to attach the arms and legs to the torso of the power loader.
Of course, with only the frame assembled, it didn't look impressive yet. But I had no doubt it would look majestic when finished—because we would make it that way.
"Hyun-woo, pass me number five."
"Here."
"Number seven now."
"Here."
Nadia sat astride Carry for height and continued working. Whenever she, with an extra-focused look, called for a tool, I stood ready to telekinetically pass it over. I couldn't move heavy stuff yet with my power, but it was very handy for this kind of task.
"Again, number five—no, three."
"Here."
Even if you could print the frame in one go with a 3D printer, assembly was the same. Tighten, untighten, pull, retighten. No matter how advanced technology got, this process would never change. That's why most engineers, regardless of the era, remained covered in grease.
I glanced at Nadia. She had a streak of soot on her cheek—probably from unconsciously wiping sweat away with her hand.
A face absorbed in concentration, lips unconsciously jutting out while examining parts up close. She looked a bit silly, but more than that, I felt she looked cool.
I briefly considered wiping off the soot with a towel, but set it down—I didn't want to break her focus.
That was when Nadia finished the first round of adjustments, wiped away a bead of sweat, and smiled in satisfaction. She pushed Carry back and gazed contentedly at the loader, now with appendages reattached.
"Hyun-woo, I'm going to really get into power loaders."
"Get into? You mean you want to become a real pilot?"
"Yeah. Not just an unlicensed pilot—I'm going to get a real license."
"I heard that's pretty hard..."
"It's okay! Celestia said she'd help me."
Nadia turned and looked at me and her ears perked up again.
"You need a license to be eligible to pilot a starter craft. Mass-produced means its performance is proven, but it has clear limits. That's why I want to get one. If I want to keep up with you, Hyun-woo, I need to get stronger. My own body is too weak, so I have no choice but to rely on equipment like this."
Nadia said she'd chosen power loaders as her way to overcome those limits. She scratched her cheek, smearing the soot even more after failing to bend a metal plate.
"Am I being too pathetic? I wish I could handle special powers like you..."
"It's cool."
"... Huh?"
"It's cool. Really. The way you concentrate on your work, and the way you're looking ahead to the future."
Nadia was looking forward. She had no doubt they'd escape Titan and was already picturing their future on Earth.
"R-really? That's a relief."
Nadia blushed and giggled, resuming her work. She wasn't as focused as before—she kept glancing at me and trying to look composed. So, she no longer looked cool—just cute.
When I chuckled quietly, Nadia's ears turned red for another reason. Perhaps to burn away her embarrassment, she changed the subject.
"I want to do so many things. This time it's cannons, but next time, I'll try different concepts! I want to try specializing in close combat, slicing enemies with pulse blades, and someday complete an armored type. Oh, I want to use this too! The mass-produced big hand is weak, so I'll repair it properly!"
Nadia tapped the knockoff Big Hand, a heavy device creating gravity fields. As the enemies we faced grew bigger, the degraded version was no longer much help. But that was only because it was a knockoff.
If she finished its repairs, she'd be able to crush something like the Deathworm we saw at the Keter military base—purely by brute force.
Nadia spun around and said,
"That way, I want to always be by your side. Do you think I can?"
"Think you can keep up? I'm pretty fast."
I replied playfully, and Nadia casually answered as if that was nothing.
"Then I'll just add another thruster! And if that's not enough, one more!"
"If you add any more, I'll lose sight of you. Please stop."
I feigned panic, and Nadia giggled. Watching her, I spoke.
"I was joking about keeping up—you being by my side, though, is something I'd like to ask for myself. Even back on top of the Maker, if you hadn't been there, I wouldn't be standing here now."
"So you can't do without me!"
I hadn't meant quite that far, but I just agreed. It was nice to see Nadia's face light up so much.
A tittering laugh came from somewhere. Roxy, watching us, was grinning slyly. Oops. I'd forgotten there were others around.
When I glared at him as if to ask what he was looking at, Roxy just laughed louder—not even trying to hide it.
"Uh, the connection part's tricky...! Hyun-woo, take a look at this...!"
It seemed only then that Nadia realized he was there and awkwardly banged some tools around for no reason, though it was obvious she'd finished her work.
"Use this for that. I know a really good part for that spot."
Roxy leapt down from the shuttle, landing lightly and miming taking something out of his pocket. Nadia, a little wary, asked,
"W-what is it?"
"Fresh love antics. This one's called 'Wanting to always be together,' and this one's called 'I wonder if you can keep up with my tempo.'"
What he actually took out was a photo of a beastkin—her tail twirling like a propeller. It was, of course, Nadia herself. Clearly teasing her.
"Don't tease me...!"
Nadia, bright red, flailed her tools to cover her face. It wasn't threatening in the least, but Roxy pretended to be startled and dashed away.
"Carry, go after him!"
「(ㅇࡇㅇ)?」
Once again, Carry was so absorbed in her snowball fight with Sprout she couldn't hear Nadia. Eventually, Nadia just wore herself out grumbling and slumped on the spot.
Only then did Carry realize what Nadia said and chased after Roxy, but he was so quick around obstacles that the distance never closed.
I couldn't hide my laughter at the sight. I almost joined in the chase myself, but decided against it.