Strange Report: ‘It Seems a Panjandrum Has Generated a Black Hole’
The encounter with Vritra and the report of a black hole being created sent a strong shock through Ulysses.
「A weapon that only Asia can control… we needed something like that to take down a Teras, huh!」
Kelly regarded the situation with grave concern.
「They absorb Development Engineers to upgrade their bodies… Are we nothing more than resource assets to them now?」
Yunlan wore a bitter expression. He had nothing but gratitude toward the Trireme Space Fleet for managing to take it down.
「Even if they safely make it to Libya, the road ahead will still be difficult. All we can hope for is that they return safely to Planet Asia.」
「Kinukawa-san is with them. It’ll be fine. Space is that guy’s domain.」
Hyoue reassured Kurt, who was clearly worried.
「Seriously! Thank goodness the accompanying Development Engineer was Kinukawa! If it were me, I wouldn’t even be able to hold a proper conversation!」
「You shouldn’t put yourself down like that, Kelly-san. That applies to all of us here. Other than Kinukawa-san, the only ones who might be able to handle this situation are you or Kurt-san.」
Yunlan shook his head. In this situation, he was genuinely relieved that the accompanying Development Engineer was Kinukawa.
「We didn’t make the wrong choice in personnel. That’s all that matters.」
Hyoue laughed. Just seeing how thrilled Kinukawa was about going into space made him feel happy as well.
「Exactly. Oh, and after that black hole incident, Kou’s been assigned to mandatory lectures.」
「Technology without knowledge is dangerous. Considering the future, he needs to expand his understanding. This time, there’s no doubt that Kinukawa is the right person for the job.」
For the time being, Yunlan and Rick were in charge of mentoring Kou. Since the young man had a tendency to be overly serious, they figured he would be diligent in attending his lessons.
「Disguising a particle accelerator as a Panjandrum… Now that was an unexpected twist!」
「The fact that he managed to take down Vritra—one of the most powerful Mythology Weapons of the Teras faction—is truly a stroke of fortune for us. To think it was originally a battleship of the same class as the Megareus…」
「Yeah. If those Teras things had attacked in swarms, we’d be in serious trouble.」
It was no surprise that Okeanus had authorized the operation of the ‘Fool’. If Kou had died, the destruction of Planet Asia would have only been a matter of time.
「Do you think the Stones have detected it? The ‘Fool’?」
「They probably have. Though I don’t know what’s their reaction to it.」
The image of Asia appeared on the monitor.
「Asia, huh. This time, we owe you one. The treaty prohibits the launch of mass weapons from orbit, but black holes are a completely different thing, so they aren’t banned. They probably want to ban these as well, but they can ask for it without proper compensation. Vasa must be tearing his hair out over this.」
Hermes too, Asia thought.
This weapon was so dangerous that it was impossible to receive authorization to even test it first. The only reason they had received permission was because Okeanos had understood the danger Vritra posed.
「No need for thanks. But I want to ask you, members of Ulysses, to ensure the Second Expeditionary Force is fully prepared, based on Kou’s group findings.」
「Of course. They carved a path through a crisis that dangerous. We can’t afford to lag behind.」
At Kurt’s words, all the Development Engineers present nodded in agreement.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「A Panjandrum has generated a black hole, Huh? I’d love to just yell, ‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ right about now, but this is probably not a joke.」
Hermes muttered as he skimmed through the report. It detailed an observation of extreme gravitational collapse within the Nemesis system.
This was beyond a mere bizarre report. The very principles behind it were a complete mystery.
「Eirene’s departure into space has been confirmed. It was assumed she was heading for Planet Libya… but it seems this was actually a new Panjandrum experiment.」
「That’s not quite right, Vasa. Even if it were an experiment, Okeanos would never allow the creation of a black hole. If I did that, I wouldn’t just be sent to Tartarus—I’d be erased from existence entirely.」
「Then what are you saying?」
「Let’s pretend we never saw this!」
Hermes smiled brightly and promptly deleted the report from the display.
「Why would you do that? This is a serious threat.」
It was likely the work of Asia’s Knight. If only their enemies possessed such a terrifying strategic weapon, it would be a nightmare.
「Pretending it never happened is the best course of action. Digging into this won’t bring us any benefits. If we poke around too much and get in the way, we will be the ones who end up in the worst position.」
Hermes grimaced. He had wanted to take control of Planet Libya before anyone else.
「I can say this with absolute certainty: That thing will not be used against us. Not unless we attack them in deep space first.」
「That may be true, but…」
There were things that even Vasa and the Stones hadn’t been informed about.
There was something in Planet Libya.
A foe that Hermes himself, along with his now destroyed comrades, had feared above all others. Supposedly, it was in a dormant state—but there was no guarantee it would never awaken.
「You’re speaking as if you know something.」
「Do you really think anyone would go out of their way to use a Panjandrum to create a black hole?」
Hermes deliberately emphasized the Panjandrum to divert Vasa’s attention.
「That’s true.」
Vasa accepted the reasoning. There had to be a justification. The Nemesis System was under Okeanos’ supervision—there was no way a weapon like that could have been constructed without his authorization. He felt ashamed for not realizing it sooner.
「Maybe I was a little unfair to you, my friend. In this case, what do you think is the most important piece of information?」
Hermes leaned forward, explaining as Vasa wore a troubled expression. He couldn’t deny feeling a small pang of guilt.
「The most important information… Is it the creation of the black hole?」
「No. It’s the fact that there were no witnesses and no casualties.」
Vasa’s eyes widened in realization.
So far, it was purely speculation based on data. There were no reports of eyewitnesses from the Stones, nor had there been any casualties from the Trireme Space Fleet.
「This is critical information for the Stones right now. After all, even though the Stones had taken control of Planet Libya, they were annihilated by those so-called ‘Mythology Weapons’. The production facilities for the Murders were seized, and their control over the super AI Libya was lost. Right now, you could say Planet Libya is in a state of total chaos.」
「Are you saying that these ‘Mythology Weapons’ hold that much power?」
「It means there’s an enemy roaming in Planet Libya that even the relics of the Interplanetary War era are useless against. If they can handle it, great. But if they lose, the next target will be Planet Asia. Even if the Stones and Trireme joined forces, could we even stand against an opponent powerful enough to take control of Planet Libya in such a short time?」
「That serious?!」
「That serious. Even I didn’t think so—until just now. But wouldn’t it make more sense to assume Okeanos authorized the creation of a black hole because they had no other way to fight back? And the fact that they disguised it to look like a Panjandrum must have been intentional. Judging by its shape, it was most likely a particle accelerator. They must have collided two different types of matter at near-light speed or perhaps…」
「!?」
Vasa gasped.
Hermes was right. Particle accelerators were often circular in shape. In this era, their performance would be exponentially greater—and miniaturization would be simple.
And they had disguised that as a Panjandrum!?
It was beyond anything Vasa could have imagined. As expected of his god—Hermes. His insight was truly divine, no human could compare.
「The flagship was probably not Eirene—it was likely Astraea, Asia’s Knight’s flagship. We can’t afford to underestimate either Eirene or Astraea. Eunomia, at least, is predictable.」
As a super AI, Hermes had no particular attachment to the three Hora-class ships. However, in mythology, the three Hora goddesses were said to be his guardians, which might explain his lingering bias.
「I see… so that’s how it is.」
They were of the same Hora class, but there were notable differences in personality. AI could be remarkably diverse, Vasa thought.
「If Astraea and Asia’s Knight have gone to Planet Libya, the entire Argonautai might start moving to take advantage of the situation. But that would be a mistake. Right now, Asia’s Knight is fighting the very entity that wiped out our forces. Let’s help them maintain the deception and play along. That was a Panjandrum. Got it?」
「Understood. If we go with that, it will be easier to convince the others within the Stones.」
「The involved spacecraft was Eirene. We’ll frame this as a high-powered Panjandrum test conducted in deep space.」
Hermes was worried. If Trireme found itself in dire straits, Outis would be forced to make a move…
If Outis awakened that thing and allied with him…
Calling that situation a crisis would be a gross understatement.
That man was the one who had liberated Asia. He was not to be taken lightly. For now, the priority was keeping the Stones contained—without provoking them further.
「I’ll handle the report. We’ll classify this as a Panjandrum experiment using electronically excited explosives by Eirene. All units will remain on alert. If any invasion plans arise, I’ll have the Argoforce report it. This should also allow us to focus on our continental campaigns.」
「Good. Do that, Vasa. I’ll approve that explanation, so send it over when it’s done.」
「Thank you.」
「Are we in agreement, Vasa? I expect you to return this favor. That project—I want it moving forward.」
「The Arena Project?」
「Exactly! A sport where iron and blood are shed—not just sweat! A colosseum for Silhouettes—we’ll call it in Latin Amphitheatrum—no, even better, let’s call it something more modern. Yes, Amphisiater would be good! Bread and circus, but in a circular arena! We’ll gather mercenaries and turn it into a spectacle!」
「A strategy to pacify the mercenaries?」
Bread and circus. Food and entertainment were the hallmarks of policies designed to keep the masses complacent. For the Argoforce, which wanted to expand its mercenary ranks, this was a necessary measure.
「That makes it sound so sinister, Vasa. I’m merely trying to improve their dull, monotonous lives.」
Albert, who had been listening quietly from the side, was reminded of Bardo, who had set off on a warrior’s journey to improve himself. He had a feeling that once the Amphisiater was completed, they would meet again.
He said nothing. He knew instinctively—this was a moment to blend into the background.
「The demigods will oppose it.」
Being staunch egalitarians, they detested competitions that established superiority and inferiority.
「Those damn rocks can spend the day staring at the void for all I care! There’s not enough commerce or entertainment here! The Stones has no distribution network to speak of! By guaranteeing mercenary protection and absolute neutrality, we’ll attract all sorts of Silhouettes and pilots. And once the arena in the Fortress Area is established, a black market will naturally form around it—where even Trireme’s limited components and antique replacement parts will flow in. That is my real goal.」
Vasa couldn’t help but be impressed. Hermes, the super AI who bore the name of the god of trade, completely lived to his name. He was planning to acquire everything the Stones lacked under the guise of a personal hobby.
「I half expected you to say you wanted to organize a concert next.」
Vasa let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Albert, noticing the danger of Vasa’s words tried to stop him with a whisper. But with Hermes right in front of him, he didn’t have the courage to effectively stop him in time.
「……」
Hermes had gone completely blank. His expression was one of utter shock—as if he had just realized something.
…?
A bad feeling crept up Vasa’s spine.
「That’s it!」
「No.」
Vasa rejected it immediately.
「Enough with the jokes. If you want to hold one by yourself, I’ll give you my fullest support.」
「Are you trying to turn me from Mercury into the mad emperor Nero?! You’re playing bass.」
「Absolutely not.」
「Fighting in the arena alone would be boring!」
「I’d rather be a show pilot for your Amphisiater than participate in that.」
「Look, if we invite Asia’s Knight or Fairy Blue as guest performers, it would be a hit. We could even call in Asia! If she uses her materialized body, she could easily pass as the ‘Planet-class Idol’—it’d be perfect!」
「And what exactly do you plan to do by making our enemies popular? No. Absolutely not.」
「Come on, work with me here!」
「Even if it’s you, Hermes-sama, this is impossible. If you tell me to take on a hundred opponents in the arena, I’ll give it everything I have—but this? No way.」
Albert, silently observing their exchange, felt nothing but deep sympathy for Vasa. Perhaps he should prepare some good liquor as a consolation.
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