Those are Amazing. Truly.
「What the in the world is that……?」
Aimer was at a loss for words as she watched the strange developments transpiring before her eyes.
Before she knew it, all the damage taken by the pure-white carrier made of ice was restored as if nothing had ever happened.
「Just how are they generating ice?」
『They’re employing something called the brinicle phenomenon. It’s referred to as the icicle of death that can freeze anything it touches. By artificially generating such icicles of death and arranging them in a cross shape, they have managed to form a mega-float made out of rectangular ice blocks.』
「I think what’s even more amazing is coming up with the idea of making an entire aircraft carrier made of ice.」
『There are actually historical records of plans to make an ice carrier on Earth in the distant past. It is likely that this present carrier-type mega-float was developed based on that idea. However, I truly cannot fathom how they came up with the idea of using the brinicle phenomenon to create an entire aircraft carrier.』
「Are those propeller planes also from that past era?」
『They are twin-engine propeller planes. Instead of simply employing reciprocating engines, they use contra-rotating propellers coupled with electric motors that excel in silent operation. They are lightweight aircraft that are capable of reaching a maximum speed of 900 kilometers per hour.』
「But if that’s the case, aren’t they in great danger of getting quickly shot down? Are the Familiar pilots going to be okay?」
『There is no need to worry.』
「Astraea? Why are your eyes turning hollow again?!」
『Those things are amazing. Truly.』
The Boon twin-engine propeller attack aircraft. It still held some peculiar secrets.
「The anti-aircraft missiles can’t get a lock on the enemy attack planes! The radar is also having trouble picking them up. It seems the enemy planes specialize in wire-guided air-to-ground missile attacks.」
「Are you kidding me? Just why can’t we deal with those things?」
The commanding officer responded wearily to the NCO’s report.
He had already thrown away any remaining dignity of a commanding officer.
「Here is the result of an analysis conducted by the Fortress Area’s control AI. It seems those fighters are actually made of wood. Artificial wood, to be exact. Their actual makeup is still being analyzed.」
「……Wood?」
「To be exact, they are made of wood and water, sir.」
「I feel like I don’t wanna listen any further……」
「Please just steel your heart and listen to the end, sir. Oh, the accurate analysis results regarding their exact composition have just arrived. The enemy aircraft are made of the following materials: a mixture of a plant-derived nanocellulose and aqua material hydrogel polymer that’s mostly composed of water.」
For some reason, the non-commissioned officer’s voice sounded increasingly cheery as he relayed the report. He was probably holding everything in desperately as well.
「Just shoot the damned things down then.」
「Small-caliber armor-piercing bullets simply go right through the enemy plane’s wings because they’re too thin. Afterward, the holes that were created would be quickly filled out by the hydrogel. It’s like the plane’s wooden wings are wrapped in a layer of sponge.」
「……」
「Their fuselages look to be equipped with electromagnetic armor. Even if they’re technically just made out of wood and water, they’re surprisingly tough.」
「How about shooting them down with lasers?」
「Are you really suggesting we shoot a sponge made out of water with a laser, sir?」
「It’ll just evaporate and attenuate the beam huh?」
Before they knew it, the two were already conversing freely without any care about ranks. Both of them probably didn’t want to think about the current situation too deeply.
Actually, there were some apparent misunderstandings contained in the report of the non-commissioned officer.
It was actually possible for them to shoot down the Boons. But even if their wings get critically damaged, they would take full advantage of their super-lightweight property to stagger out to the sea, where the pilots would abandon their aircraft.
And since they could only be equipped with missiles, their ability to fight for extended periods of time was very poor.
The Argoforce ended up overestimating the Boons due to their ability to fill in the holes on their wings through the aqua material hydrogel.
「What about rare metal materials or nano-carbon materials?」
「Since the enemy attack planes don’t emit jet streams, the anti-aircraft missiles can’t track them through infrared guidance. Radar waves also simply pass through the wooden nanocellulose. The only parts made of metals present are the MCS and the machine guns, and they merely appear as extremely thin lines on radar. The bombs they employ are also made out of nanocellulose. Their electric motors ensure that they run without making a significant amount of noise. And image recognition tracking is made practically useless once they employ flares and decoys. That’s the end of the report, sir.」
The NCO ended up speaking very quickly while reporting. He really did sound rather excited.
The commanding officer couldn’t even muster the motivation to yell at the other party anymore.
「So, it’s over huh?」
「Oh, and by the way, sir. A super-dreadnought aerial carrier, the space carrier Astraea, and an unfamiliar aircraft carrier are following right behind the ice carrier.」
「……Haah. Understood. Just relay your earlier report to Vasa-sama and ask for advice. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to come up with any solutions myself.」
「Understood!」
The NCO who felt that he’d finally gotten back at his irritable superior officer quickly went away.
The coastal defense commander couldn’t do anything but let out a deep and weary sigh.
「A report from Fortress Area R001 just came in. It says they are currently being attacked by piston engine-powered propeller planes made out of wood and water that were launched from an aircraft carrier made of ice. They are urgently requesting for countermeasure suggestions to be provided.」
Alberto relayed the report to the other two.
All three of them displayed stiff expressions on their faces.
「It also says that the ice aircraft carrier is able to restore the damage it takes in mere moments, and the bullet holes on the wings of the propeller planes made out of wood and water get immediately filled in.」
「Alberto, can you explain it to me one more time in a language I can understand?」
「Should I just put it in writing?」
「……I’m sorry. Forgive me for that.」
Castor couldn’t help but cover his face with his left hand in consternation. Such an absurd development had truly dumbfounded him. He couldn’t even begin to make sense of it.
「An aircraft made out of hydrogel polymer and plant-derived nanocellulose, huh? It sure sounds like it’s a product that’s very good for one’s health.」
Alberto muttered under his breath while making a lame joke about health food.
「If you’re fine with consuming plant-based material, then why don’t you try eating tobacco?」
Vasa spat out, unable to contain his feelings of frustration and annoyance.
He immediately realized his gaffe and hurriedly apologized to Alberto.
「……Forgive me, Alberto. I didn’t mean that.」
「I understand, Vasa. But allow me to take you up on that suggestion and have a puff.」
Alberto found the usually calm Vasa’s irritation perfectly understandable.
After all, even Alberto was left speechless, and the shock he felt earlier even surpassed the time he first saw the drill tank. In a world where humanoid Silhouettes that are capable of unassisted flight abound, the fact that propeller planes were actually built was simply unthinkable.
As if trying to escape from the bizarre reality, Alberto quickly lit a cigarette.
He let out a puff of smoke and continued to relay the report.
「Furthermore, it looks like a super-dreadnought-class aerial carrier that’s over 1 kilometer long, Astraea, and another aircraft carrier are waiting in the rear.」
「Vasa, I’ll leave the rest to you. I now hold a profound distaste for ancient weapons from Earth. And it seems this body does as well.」
「……Yes. Alberto, switch all aircraft’s load-outs to anti-ship missiles and quickly take down the ice aircraft carrier. Their attacks wouldn’t be able to get through the defenses of the super-dreadnought and Astraea anyway. Switch the ammunition of the anti-aircraft guns to high-explosive ones to deal with the propeller planes.」
「Understood.」
Alberto silently relayed Vasa’s instructions to Fortress Area R001 via text transmission. It seemed that he didn’t want to relay it verbally.
「Vasa, any thoughts? About this situation, I mean?」
「I have none.」
It looked like Vasa also didn’t want to think too deeply about the situation.
「This is the first time I’ve seen a combat-use propeller plane.」
『There may not be many transferees who have seen one either. At most, they should have only encountered civilian transport planes. Kou also considered using a propeller plane as the basis while developing a successor to the heavy attack aircraft Thunderstorm. Their roles have gradually changed as time passed.』
「Just how amazing are those propeller planes anyway? I mean, I know that they’re amazing for some reason, but……」
『If they were game units, they’d be very meta. In any case, they specialize in assaulting Fortress Areas and are designed specifically for situations where enemy fighters are limited. As a result of emphasizing stealth, low-altitude performance, and low-speed maneuverability, the Development Engineer who designed them has successfully created the first-ever aircraft that specializes in engaging in local battles within the confines of a Fortress Area.』
「Meta units huh? Their designer actually saw that far ahead?」
『Those things are practically useless outside of Fortress Areas. Their carrying capacity is also quite limited. They excel in flying around and in between buildings like mosquitoes while attacking enemies on the ground. All in all, they are still pretty impressive.』
「You’re actually praising them.」
『I am merely praising the fact that the Engineer is well-aware of the essence of bricolage. Building something completely new by using various unrelated parts that are readily available. That’s the true essence of bricolage. The bricolage of propeller attack planes and a mega-float made out of ice by taking advantage of the brinicle phenomenon is an idea that only a genius can come up with. It is an impossible feat for regular people.』
「Wait. Aren’t you just saying the Engineer is crazy in a very roundabout way?」
Aimer pointed out mercilessly.
『……Those propeller planes are made partly out of nanocellulose. It’s a bioplastic. It’s five times stronger than iron but one-fifth its mass. And the hydrogel polymer is 500 times tougher than konjac. It’s a material that’s used as a replacement for tableware here on Planet Asia as well. In terms of aerodynamic heating, they are materials that are suited for reciprocating engine-powered aircraft that do not fly at supersonic speeds.』
Astraea blatantly avoided the topic.
「The fact that they’re basically made of wood and water is amazing.」
『Nanocellulose is a super-compressed material composed of plant fibers and cells broken down into nano units. You can use trees, rice straw, potatoes, and other plant life to produce it. The aqua material hydrogel polymer is made by adding water to a special clay-based substance, and the resulting material is composed of 95% water.』
「Amazing.」
『I believe Aimer has already eaten food made using such materials. Non-melting soft-serve ice cream is actually created through the application of nanocellulose technology.』
A soft-serve ice cream machine was typical in current-era warships.
「I see. So, I’ve actually eaten it before……」
『The Boon might have actually come about as a result of the lacking finances of BAS. They can be manufactured quite cheaply after all.』
「You did say they ended up spending too much money on the Gracious Queen.」
While the two were discussing, a transmission from Abel came in.
「Admiral Aimer, the Moby Dick is about to sink. I’ll have to evacuate for now. As expected, being repeatedly hit by anti-ship missiles was just too much for it to take.」
He gave his report with a refreshed smile. He actually seemed quite happy that his ship was going to sink.
「The Boons also did a great job out there. Fantastic!」
Judging from the enemy force’s confusion, Abel had obviously managed to achieve his aim.
「It’s made of ice, but it’s really tough.」
「We’re letting Whis circulate through it via the trace amounts of alkali metal in seawater. In other words, it’s a high-dimensional projection ice block.」
「So, you can actually do that……」
The Moby Dick’s icy body cracked as Aimer watched on.
A pure-white submarine actually appeared from within it.
This was the true form of the device that continuously created ice to maintain the carrier. Countless rods protruded out of its surface. They were responsible for inducing the brinicle phenomenon and forming that rectangular hull.
Even though he was in the middle of a combat operation, Abel was elegantly brewing tea.
The submarine quickly disappeared into the water.
「This should do for now.」
「Are you heading back?」
Aki asked hopefully.
「Of course, not! We’ll make a reappearance after the Gogyou chaps have wiped out the enemy’s air power and achieved air superiority. We still haven’t used some of the weapons I’ve developed. Please do look forward to them.」
「Yes, we eagerly await their exploits.」
Contrary to her positive-sounding reply, Aki’s gaze was blank, and Astraea was displaying the exact same expression.
「Please hold on. Now that Moby Dick is gone, what will happen to the propeller planes? They no longer have a mothership they can return to.」
Aimer was worried about the Familiars. The Boons are only able to park on the deck of a carrier.
「We’ll be retrieving our dear friends, so there’s no need to fret. As long as this main submarine is still functioning, it will merely take a few days to recreate the ice mega-float. The planes can also park themselves on the deck of the Gracious Queen. And besides……」
The submarine dashingly disappeared into the sea depths.
It was akin to a scene in a spy movie.
While elegantly sipping tea inside his submarine, Abel winked at Aimer and displayed a relaxed smile.
What followed were the words of a warped rationalist.
「Our victory is nigh unshakeable. As such, there’s no particular need to hurry back, correct?」
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