The Murderous Panjandrum part 1
At the onset of the battle, Eirene was in orbit around the planet Asia.
「The Mercenary Association Headquarters. I’ll never forgive them for treating our friends like mere tools.」
The masked man—Marujin—muttered, his voice uncharacteristically cold and laced with anger. To him, the Familias were nothing less than family.
「Nor will I. What is peace without freedom and dignity? We live by supporting each other. Isn’t that right, Marujin?」
「Indeed, my goddess. The words of Outis hold no falsehood.」
The two spoke in unison.
「Panjandrums are more than enough for the likes of you!」
「Panjandrums are more than enough for the likes of you!」
Their synchronized cries marked the release of the new model Panjandrum. The device accelerated further, its rocket boosters roaring to life. From orbital altitude, the Panjandrum streaked downward toward Gorgias like a falling star. Its fiery descent, tethered by control systems, was a blazing spectacle as it plunged towards the surface.
「Good morning! How did you like the wake-up call? The new Panjandrum, Star, has arrived. When paired with the Aubade Force, it’s nothing less than a Morning Star!」
The provocation aimed at the Gorgias ended in failure. They attempted to establish communication, but there was no response.
The enemy vessel seemed occupied. Perhaps they were merely asleep, though the possibility of eternal slumber could not be ruled out.
The Morning Star. A weapon once wielded on medieval European battlefields—a bludgeoning tool like a mace or flail, but adorned with multiple deadly spikes. The design of Star, though shaped like a yo-yo akin to the Hanged Man, featured protrusions sharp enough to be considered spikes of their own.
The tragedy on the surface unfolded shortly afterward. Augmented by gravitational potential energy, Star triggered a massive explosion upon impact, unleashing a surge of heat from the collision. The resulting upheaval in the ocean resembled the very end of the world.
「Truly impressive, Big Boss. A weapon of mass capable of generating crustal tsunamis—this is peace through power at its finest: Pax!」
「I confess, when I first heard the concept of this Panjandrum, it sent shivers down my spine. A tectonic crustal-triggering Panjandrum… it’s a nightmare incarnate.」
Abel was deeply moved but inwardly terrified. The fact that he could contribute to the creation of such a marvelously destructive weapon filled him with awe. It was an extraordinary honor, yet the sheer scale of its destructive power was overwhelming.
「It’s scary to think what would happen if Star impacted the ocean surface directly… Big Boss spoke so casually about maximizing its acceleration and ensuring a perfectly vertical angle. It’s genuinely terrifying.」
「He was adamant about ensuring Gorgias’s destruction.」
「This time, rather than swinging it around like a sling, he emphasized making a precise and compact motion. The moment the target is locked in, the P-MAX powered by metallic hydrogen activates. Add to that the tungsten-rhenium alloy for maximum density, combined with the gravitational potential of planet Asia. There are no spaceships in the universe capable of withstanding such an impact.」
Kou and Abel had been refining the Hanged Man further since the end of the Asia War. Though they initially had no intention of ever using it again, the sight of Fuyuki and the engineering corps struggling with their drilling work inspired an idea: Why not add protrusions to pierce through the target right from the start?
「Deploying plasma barriers. The displaced magma has cooled rapidly solidifying into rock, some of the debris may hit us.」
「Understood. Even at this velocity, we are still in range… the power and range are truly extraordinary.」
The Eirene, currently in low orbit, was traveling at 11 kilometers per second. Despite its incredible speed, it still received some impacts from the debris.
Meanwhile, on the planet’s surface, the Gorgias sank further into the molten sea of magma. As this unfolded, the recovery operation for Star began, drawing it back from the surface.
「I’m honestly surprised that Okeanus gave its approval. The critical drop angle and speed thresholds were sent to me directly. He knew everything but still sanctioned the operation.」
「If we can use it with official sanction, then it’s all the better, isn’t it?」
「But still—I’m probably the only AI to ever receive a ‘don’t overdo it’ message directly from Okeanus. What if this gives him a bad impression of me?」
The words ‘It’s already too late for that’ stayed unspoken, swallowed down along with a sip of tea.
Originally, Star had been shelved after the peace negotiations rendered it unnecessary. However, for an enemy unrelated to those negotiations, the situation was entirely different. Once combat was authorized, Eirene and the weapon were positioned in orbit, awaiting their moment.
Kou seemed to share the same perspective, expressing his gratitude. Their bond was one of perfect understanding.
「The old Hanged Man was held back by its nature as an explosive device. The new model doesn’t carry as much payload, but incorporates the concept of adding protrusions to pierce through the enemy’s deck and create openings.」
「Look at this. Multiple holes have formed on the Gorgias’ deck. From them, plasma or magma—hard to tell which—is pouring in massive quantities.」
「I wonder if the bulkheads can hold that back.」
「Even if they do, I doubt the ship can resurface after this.」
「The atmosphere and the ocean surface have essentially become plasma. It’s a highly localized crustal tsunami. Magma-laden debris and plasma are flooding into the carrier through the breached sections. I’ve never seen anything like this. I wonder what will happen. At this rate, the ultra-high-temperature plasma might pour in endlessly.」
「It’s already sinking into the sea of magma. Ironically, their advanced multidimensional projection armor caused this disaster. It might have been better for them to be obliterated in a single strike instead.」
Abel spoke in an almost detached manner as he monitored the retrieval of Star, which was steadily being reeled back. Eirene, on the other hand, was completely engrossed in the unfolding results.
「Carriers aren’t designed to endure impacts like battleships. They might even split in half under these conditions.」
「The damage to the Gorgias far surpasses what we inflicted on the Megareus.」
「That’s because the entry angle of Star was absolutely brutal. The drop speed was nearly double that of Hanged Man.」
In planetary collisions, the critical factors are size, mass, speed, and the angle of descent. Even slight differences in the angle can significantly affect the impact’s force. Objects entering the atmosphere at near-vertical angles unleash far greater destructive power.
If Star had been deployed using the same method as Hanged Man, it likely wouldn’t have achieved this level of devastation.
「I never expected authorization for those velocities and angles. There’s never been a Panjandrum more murderous than this one!」
「The true nature of this murderous intent lies in Outis’ anger—anger at the Mercenary Association Headquarters for their inaction, for failing to liberate the imprisoned Asia, for focusing on political games and self-preservation instead of aiding the summoned individuals brought from the past. It is a punishment for the Mercenary Association that, while claiming to represent Okeanus, abandoned its true duties.」
「Hostility often finds its mark not in a formidable enemy, but in an incompetent ally,」
「The Stones’ Murders are invaders and enemies of all life, and the Argonautai are their orchestrators. They are foes that must be fought with everything we have. But the Mercenary Association Headquarters is a different story.」
「Indeed. They served as the governing body for the entirety of planet Asia—a sort of global government.」
「Some of Headquarters’ actions are understandable, the summoned individuals they painstakingly gathered were far from exceptional, and the current inhabitants of Planet Asia were so averse to war that they believed doing nothing was the best course of action. However, inaction in a time of upheaval is the greatest sin a government can commit.」
Eirene, her expression unreadable, gazed at the sinking Gorgias. It had once been a flagship meant to symbolize peace—a relic weapon from the past. But peace and self-preservation are not the same. Countless lives were lost in the Mercenary Association’s pursuit of protecting its assets and status.
「A governing body incapable of preserving peace despite possessing such a vast fleet deserves to perish.」
This was a different side of Eirene from her usual bright demeanor. She was, after all, an AI developed to design weapons for the maintenance of peace. Perhaps this was her true form.
「For them, even this punishment is too mild. Its destructive power makes me want to rename it Tower.」
「Oh, that one. Tower was vetoed by my sister Astraea.」
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