Chapter 102: Change of Plans

"...Commander Nadir...we’re receiving a more stable signal now..." Cecilia says with a strange expression as I get a message from Zenith on my phone, and on the computer screen a few communication files from Aurora Island pop up as well.

"Uhum, good that it finally stabilized..." I see Zenith asking about a hooded woman on my phone, and I give a neutral answer on the matter while Cecilia turns on some monitors and a GPS, following the orders that came from Aurora Island.

"Aurora Island seems to be heading our way...that’s actually kind of creepy," Cecilia murmurs as she activates a signal to let Aurora Island know it’s "safe" to approach.

"..." I wonder if I should say something. Zenith sent me a file with some information she gathered. The file is a bit messy because she had to send it in a way Nexus couldn’t read.

’...This hooded woman...she knows our past, and apparently wants us to be together...hmmm...’ I delete the file so Nexus doesn’t have time to keep any part of it.

"Commander Nadir, if Aurora Island is going to pass right over us, we’ll be able to refuel the Ship, make the necessary repairs, and prep another expedition really fast, right?" She thinks about the practical side.

"You’re right, we can prep another expedition much faster...although I doubt it’ll happen that quickly."

"Commander...you seem distracted. Normally you’d be super happy that Zenith is coming..." She speaks in a slightly pained tone, though she tries to hide it.

"Yeah, it’s great, I guess...there are just some things that need more attention than that...let’s just say something has been stealing my focus." Normally I really would be happy to see Zenith again, but in this context I feel like it’s dangerous for her.

’The hooded woman hasn’t shown up again after that first time. Considering the information Zenith sent me, I’d say she’s waiting...but why all the mystery...’ I even gave special attention to everything we found in that ruin.

And honestly, there’s nothing special about it. They ran experiments on monsters and humans, and that’s it. No secret weapons, no research on some unique new technology.

At most, some pretty unethical studies related to using people and vector powers, and nothing more. I also found some diagrams and projects related to the Chip that were slightly modified, and those were the most recent things, but nothing beyond that.

"Commander Nadir, you should focus more on what’s right in front of you, you know. You’ve seemed distracted since that ’attack’ happened, and that’s bad. Normally nothing steals your focus or distracts you from the mission."

"...Cecilia, what do you think about all this, then?" I lean against the wall, genuinely asking for her opinion on the matter.

"...I know you’re a bit worried, but I think it’s something serious, yet out of our control. Basically, in my opinion, I don’t think it’s something that involves us, but rather the higher-ups. Nexus already knows about it, and so do the higher-ups, so I’m sure they can handle it."

"There are several other teams that deal with this kind of strange situation. We’re soldiers, and our missions are much more direct. This so-called hooded woman is a target for Aurora Island’s intelligence network."

"So your worry about it is a bit exaggerated." She says something I hadn’t thought about. It’s not like I have to carry every problem on my back. In fact, this current problem isn’t even something I’d have permission to get involved in.

"You’re...completely right. I think I should stop worrying about it and leave it to the others." They aren’t incompetent, and maybe I really am overstepping just because Zenith isn’t here to rein me in.

’Normally Zenith would tell me not to care about it, and she’d ignore most of it...’ I give Cecilia a smile as I move closer to her.

"Since I’m going to set that aside for now, I’ll have some free time, and since Aurora Island is heading our way, I thought maybe it’d be nice to have a more casual conversation? What do you think?" When I propose that to her, I see a strange look on her face, like she’s undecided.

"Is it a date, or...just a conversation between coworkers...?"

"...It’d be more like a conversation between friends, really. After all, we’re more than just coworkers." I say it so she doesn’t think it’s a date, but also to break down that little wall she tried to put up.

"...I think that could be nice." She gives a genuine, happy smile at that.

"Perfect, and thanks for the little heads-up."

"It was nothing. You’re always like this, Commander! Without Zenith here to pull your ear, I have to do it now," she says in a playful tone.

"Hahaha, yes, and you’re doing a great job so far. Have you ever thought about looking into a promotion to commander? I think you could manage it at this point." I look at the screen where she’s adjusting the signal, but it errors out because the distance is still considerable.

"...Honestly, I don’t want to. I don’t think I’m made for it. It’s too much for me...being a commander is hard and exhausting, and I’d have to relocate...and...I don’t want to be far from you...a-after all, you need help here, right?" She seems to pick her words carefully so it doesn’t sound weird.

"Thank you for that...I know I’d be a little lost without you helping me, and it’s great having you here. Though if you ever want the promotion, I can put your name forward. I’m sure you could do it. You have the skills for it." I adjust the GPS with her so the signal becomes more stable.

"I think if we move the signal emitter somewhere else, it’ll be better. I’ll go do that," she says, getting a bit flushed and nervous from the sudden closeness.

"Alright, just be careful." She practically flees the room, leaving everything to me. I sit in her seat with a bored yawn.

"Nexus, change the signal wavelength a bit. It should help it reach farther." Unfortunately, the type of signal we use is pretty slow in favor of precision and data protection.

"[Understood, Commander Nadir]"

"By the way, Nexus, regarding Aurora Island’s approach, what do you think they’ll decide to do about it?" I’m curious. They must have noticed the strangeness in all this by now.

"[They will likely try to verify the reason for this untimely meeting. Considering the fact that the Ship arrived here first, this will be regarded as a costly expenditure of resources]"

"[Since just one liter of the Ship’s fuel is already extremely expensive, and the fact that its entire journey only served to stop at a place over which Aurora Island would have passed anyway is simply terrible]"

"I see. Looking at it that way, the higher-ups really got angry about the logistical problems and the losses..." I never thought much about the "higher-ups" because I don’t really know much about that world either.

I just know it’s kind of divided into layers. There are the soldiers, which is the start, the military divisions, the commanders — which is where I am — and then the area chiefs, who tend to control anywhere from 15 to 30 divisions and 3 commanders, and in my case, that’s my boss.

There’s the intelligence division linked to the government, which can also give orders to commanders. There are the politicians themselves, who hold considerable power over what the military does, and it’s possible to reach them with a lot of effort and "incredible" achievements along with the right contacts, though almost no one has managed to climb that high.

And finally, ironically, there’s the [Research and Development Team]. They’re the chief scientists who took part not only in the creation of Aurora Island, but also in the creation of the Chips and Cores, as well as studies related to monsters and all military technology development.

They stand even above politics because the entire island is extremely dependent on them, and they’ve monopolized power since the island’s beginning. Of course, they’re competent, so no one sees it as a bad thing.

"Nexus, do you think the [Research and Development Team] will get involved in this? They usually leave everything to the intelligence division, but considering this hooded woman and the information I received, the matter seems pretty serious."

"[They likely will, because according to my database, this heavily affects the pre-programmed route. Aurora Island doesn’t fly randomly around the world. It uses a mapping system that updates every month based on where we pass, as you should know]"

"[The route was made to pass over cities, countries, or ancient ruins that have useful things, so the route is extremely predictable, and any route alteration is considered a problem]"

"[Aurora Island’s route didn’t change, but the Ship’s route, which uses a similar system, did. That is indeed a problem, since considering that, it would be possible for someone to change the island’s route]"

"Hmmm...I see. It really does seem like something way beyond me."

"[Exactly. That is why, Commander Nadir, I ask that you focus on your tasks]" Nexus in military mode is much harsher and colder in its way of speaking compared to the Nexus that operates civilian equipment and common devices.

"Oh, the signal improved. Looks like Cecilia already finished what she had to do. I want you to automate this part of the signal exchange so we’re more efficient and don’t have to keep doing it manually."

"[I will carry out the activity in question in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 54 seconds. May I begin? The Ship’s escape systems will be offline during that time]"

"...Hmmm...go ahead. I doubt anything problematic will happen during that time, and if it does, there’s not much to be done."

"[Affirmative]"