Theseus’s Ship
In the western wilderness of the P336 Fortress Area, several Silhouettes were locked in combat.
It was a mock battle.
A short distance away, Astraea stood by, watching the scene along with the usual crew. Observing the scene from the command center were two additional figures—Kelly and Kinukawa.
「The one piloting the Lanius Type-D is Takaba-kun, right? 」
Kinukawa confirmed, his gaze fixed on the unfolding fight. The pilot of the other machine was Kurose.
「Yes. The fighter is still in the prototype stage, but we’ve entrusted it to Taa-kun.」
Taa-kun, a veteran Familia who had long supported Hyoue, demonstrated seamless coordination with his partner.
「To think you had a similar vision in mind. It’s truly delightful.」
Kinukawa remarked, narrowing his eyes in a pleased smile.
「You guys, that’s all well and good, but aren’t you cramming in a bit too much?」
Kelly chuckled wryly, he still had more to say, but he had already given up..
「The concept is simple, I assure you! Admittedly, the fighter carrying the Analyze Armor have become a bit more complex.」
Kou offered a prepared defense, anticipating this line of criticism.
「The idea of a fighter jet separating and passing additional combat equipment to the Silhouette is a solid one. The fact that the fighter itself can continue to operate independently is also impressive! But… does it really need to be able to carry a Silhouette as well? Isn’t that a bit too ambitious?」
「The Red Sprite that Albion developed turned out to be far more user-friendly than expected.」
「Ah, that British fellow…」
Kelly begrudgingly acknowledged it. Albion, from BAS’s Albion branch, referred to Abel. While Kelly had plenty to say about the Red Sprite, even he couldn’t deny that it was an effective fighter unit.
「The support fighter Borealis—well, if it ends up being a four-engine plane, I suppose it can’t be helped.」
「Yes. Two of the engines double as additional armor thrusters for the Lanius. But, things haven’t gone exactly as planned.」
「Of course, they haven’t! The concept itself is unreasonable!」
Kelly didn’t hold back. Even Kou had to concede that the Borealis was overloaded with features.
「And another thing. Kinukawa, what’s the deal with that unit?」
「That’s a new model, the Aramasa. It’s equipped with armored muscles thanks to Takaba-kun’s help.」
「No, I mean the fighter carrying its Analyze Armor!」
「The Akors, huh… hmm.」
Kinukawa muttered, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
「Are you trying to build a flying tank or something?」
Kinukawa’s newly constructed Silhouette, paired with Analyze Armor, boasted a level of complexity that even Kou found astonishing. Its most distinctive feature was its three-barrel configuration of D-rifles: one specifically for the Silhouette, and two modified D-cannons for the fighter jet. The pilot chosen for this unconventional fighter jet was Heino, known for his expertise in handling such unique aircraft.
While Kou had envisioned a lightweight fighter for the modular form, Kinukawa had aimed for compatibility with a heavy fighter design.
「This unit, was built as a countermeasure against Aberration Silhouettes.」
「Aberration Silhouettes, huh? It’s hard to counter those things, so we need something outside of expectations…」
「When the Aramasa and the Akors combine, they form the Dragon Slayer. Designed with the resolve to take down even dragons themselves. Did you just laught, Kou-kun? 」
「N-no, of course not.」
Though Kou refrained from saying so aloud, he found the name excessively grandiose. He wouldn’t judge Kinukawa aloud, though—he wasn’t in a position to criticize others.
「With that standard, we can push beyond the limitations of Silhouettes. So, what kind of machines would emerge if we did? Considering that, I envisioned large-scale units—like dinosaurs.」
「An evolution of the Aberration Arms, then?」
「Exactly. If a reverse-engineered Silhouette that combines the strengths of Murders and Silhouettes were to emerge, it’d already be too late to respond. That’s why we created the Dragon Slayer.」
「You’ve really gone all out!」
「Look who’s talking. The unit you’re developing seems to incorporate its fair share of new technologies as well.」
「Well, unlike you guys, I’m not as obsessed with combining units! I’m focused on enhancing the base capabilities of the Silhouettes themselves.」
Kelly shot back, his grin widening with a touch of pride. It was clear he had high hopes for his latest creation.
「Is it not finished yet?」
「Be patient. Of course, the first unit is reserved for Jenny.」
「I can’t wait to see it.」
「You should focus on the Type-D first.」
Although Kou was deeply intrigued by Kelly’s new machine, he snapped back to his current task, hastily returning to his data collection.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「Lanius, especially Unit 5, doesn’t seem to prioritize weight reduction. It’s more of a version upgrade centered around a new frame and armored muscle system, isn’t it?」
Kinukawa turned to Kou, who was seated nearby, busy operating a terminal.
「Yes, the Lanius does require a certain level of armor. During the fight against Castor’s Corvus, the arm nearly broke when performing the thruster-assisted sword draw. That said…」
「That said?」
Kinukawa prompted, noticing Kou’s uncharacteristically hesitant expression.
「We’ve made significant modifications to Unit 5 since its initial discovery. At this point, the only original component left is probably the MCS. I’m honestly unsure if I can still call it Unit 5 anymore.」
The battle against Castor had revealed numerous challenges, not just with Unit 5 but also with the A1 and B variants.
What troubled Kou the most was how far removed Unit 5 was from its original state due to the extensive upgrades. His feelings grew stronger after visiting the scrapyard, now turned a museum, and seeing the original Lanius Unit 1. He had even repaired the head unit, replacing almost every component imaginable: sensors, frame, armored muscles, and internal actuators. Finding parts that hadn’t been replaced was nearly impossible. Apart from the MCS, there wasn’t much left of the original.
「That’s quite the philosophical dilemma.」
「It’s not that deep.」
Kou said with a small, self-deprecating laugh. The enhancement of Unit 5 was both his starting point and his ongoing mission.
「No, it’s definitely philosophical. An ancient Greek conundrum, actually. It’s called Theseus’s Ship, or the Paradox of Theseus.」
「Ancient Greece?」
「It’s the philosophy of identity, the story goes that the hero Theseus’s ship was preserved in Athens. Over time, every piece of decayed wood, every oar, was replaced. The question is—can it still be called Theseus’s ship?」
「Th-that’s…」
Kou trailed off, startled by the realization that people in ancient Greece had pondered such a similar dilemma.
「It’s a question of what makes something the ‘same.’ There are many answers, but at its core, if you trace it back to its origin, it remains Theseus’s ship. Think about humans—our cells completely regenerate every ten years or so, but we don’t stop being ourselves, right?」
「That’s true.」
As he glanced back, his eyes met Aimer’s. She offered a small smile and nodded in encouragement.
「The identity could rest in whether it’s the same original entity, whether it retains its name, or whether reassembling its parts maintains that identity. When you disassemble and rebuild something, which version is the ‘real’ one? These questions arise mainly because physical objects change over time.」
「Identity and time, then.」
「Exactly. There are frameworks to define identity, of course. Back on Earth, if a computer’s operating system or key components were replaced, it was often treated as a different computer. For airplanes, the fuselage was the defining framework. For cars, was the frame. For a Silhouette, if you change the MCS, but its data is carried over, it remains the same unit. On the other hand, if you swap only the MCS and install it in a Bear, it would become a Bear instead.」
「That makes sense. I’ll look into it more myself.」
「That’s a good idea. Such a perspective can also help with bricolage. Unit 5 is Unit 5. Does that ease your mind a little?」
「Thank you.」
Kinukawa nodded, clearly pleased. He understood how deeply Kou cared for his machine and how closely they grew together. This would likely guide Kou’s development efforts in a positive direction.
As Kou continued to grow, so too did the development of the Silhouettes, step by step.
「The original Lanius is a design unique to Takaba-kun, after all.」
「The concept of the Lanius focuses on thick armor paired with high maneuverability and a balanced center of gravity. Additionally, it has a suite of advanced sensors optimized for close-quarters combat. That vision is something only someone like Hyoue-san could have come up with.」
「And you’re the one who added the detonation engine to enhance its mobility.」
「It’s more of a straight-line specialist, though.」
「Is that so? Then you might want to study John Boyd’s Energy-Maneuverability Theory. It’s a principle about the most energy-efficient way to turn in aerial combat.」
「Who’s that?」
「Boyd was a theorist whose ideas heavily influenced the design philosophy of the U.S. military’s F-15, F-16, and F-22. In dogfighting, what matters isn’t maximum acceleration or the smallest turning radius, but rather the ability to execute the most efficient turns while conserving energy. This theory will undoubtedly be useful for developing the Type-D and the Borealis.」
Kinukawa explained that achieving the smallest turning radius often requires a significant loss of speed, which is a critical disadvantage in aerial combat. Boyd’s theory emphasized maintaining kinetic energy while turning, without losing altitude or speed. Maximum speed alone meant little if maneuverability wasn’t optimized.
「I understand.」
「I’ll help you in everything I can, of course. After all, the Borealis is a four-engine aircraft—something entirely unprecedented on Earth. It’s truly a delight to work on.」
As he spoke, Kinukawa’s thoughts drifted back to a time when building such advanced aircraft was an unattainable dream. Now, as if fulfilling what had once been impossible on Earth, he allowed himself a sly, satisfied smile.
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