Book 10: Chapter 4: The Cosmic Battleship Faith

After changing outfits, the Apostles went outside, led by their respective guides.

Qin Lun walked at the back of the group with Vera, curiously observing the cosmic battleship beneath their feet. Compared to the Zeppelin Airship from the previous Divine Comedy World, this cosmic battleship, named Faith, barely made them feel like they were in space.

According to Vera’s explanation, when converted to the Earth Federation’s measurement system, this cosmic battleship had a length of fifty kilometers from the engine room at the rear to the main cannon control room at the front. It was about thirty kilometers wide and roughly ten kilometers high. The ship’s body was slightly flat and was a twin-body battleship.

Both sides of the twin-body were Annihilation Thunder Magnetic Gunboats, while the central core was the Bingren Mothership, where the main bridge and crew living areas were located. Not to mention the gunboats and Bingren ship bays, even just the crew living quarters were equivalent to a medium-sized vertical city.

Qin Lun and the others walked along the corridor of the building. At intervals, the passageways had semicircular metal ring handles. Vera explained that during surprise enemy attacks, these metal rings could help crew members who couldn’t reach shelters to secure themselves temporarily.

The metal floor of the passage had anti-slip plates installed in the middle to facilitate walking. On both sides near the walls, there were moving walkways going in opposite directions. A few Apostles stepped onto them to try them out and found that the walkways had sensors. Whenever someone stepped on them, the speed would increase, matching the normal walking pace of Gith humans.

Through the square transparent windows along the corridor, the Apostles discovered they were in the middle section of a pillar-like building that was over a hundred stories high. Outside was a high-tech city filled with numerous tall cylindrical structures.

However, unlike the vertical cities of the Earth Federation, the buildings in this cosmic battleship’s interior living area were not limited to a single orientation. Buildings from the lower part of the ship extended upward, while the upper part of the ship also had cylindrical structures hanging downward, resembling stalagmites and stalactites in a massive cave.

Between these mostly double-sided buildings that were hundreds of stories high, countless transparent glass tracks extended like loops, with teardrop-shaped streamlined maglev cars speeding along them.

What most amazed the Apostles was that the bottoms of these buildings, which were part of the ship’s outer hull, were not made of ordinary metal. This metal seemed to have a projection capability, functioning like a huge screen that displayed the cosmic Star Void outside the ship, making everyone feel as if they were in space at all times.

The mysterious stars twinkling in the depths of the universe, the neon lights of the city, and the fleeting glimpses of electromagnetic cars racing by, combined with the disorienting sense of being in the boundless cosmos, made the Apostles feel refreshed and their minds open.

“So beautiful!” the Apostles generously offered their praise. In contrast, the Gith beauties leading them remained very calm, clearly accustomed to such starry views and quite immune to the spectacular scenery.

After a brief stop, everyone followed the Gith women and continued forward. They only stopped when they reached the end of the long corridor, where a thick metal gate blocked the way.

The leading Gith female officer pressed her palm against the sensor next to the metal door, and the gate slid open to both sides, revealing the fully enclosed transparent tracks they had seen through the windows earlier.

At the front of the tracks, several teardrop-shaped maglev cars were parked. The Gith women guided everyone into the cars separately. Vera lightly tapped a few times on a virtual screen projected inside the car, and the maglev car began to accelerate and glide. The entire process was quiet and smooth, with no noisy engine sounds at all.

Seeing Qin Lun looking around curiously, Vera covered her mouth and chuckled. “These maglev cars don’t have a power system. There’s only an Optical Computer-displayed projection panel for adjusting the destination.”

A maglev car could hold four or five passengers. Once inside, the transparent canopy automatically closed and turned black, while soft fluorescent lights lit up inside. This was to prevent the rapidly passing scenery outside from making passengers dizzy at high speeds. The seats were made of soft smart foam that could automatically adjust the sitting posture according to different body shapes, while also providing shock absorption and safety functions.

Only a few minutes after entering the maglev car, the built-in Optical Computer notified everyone that they had arrived at their destination. The entire ride was so smooth that it was almost impossible to detect any vibration, as if they had never moved at all.

Stepping out of the maglev car, the Apostles realized they had indeed moved to another location. It was clearly different from the previous building because this structure connected directly from the lower part of the ship to the upper part. Not only was it a full size larger than the other buildings in the city, but it also had numerous maglev tracks connected to its surface, making it obviously one of the city’s core buildings.

“This is one of the few ‘Sky Pillars’ in Faith’s living area that can directly access the ship’s bridge and flight decks!” Vera quietly explained to Qin Lun. “The Descendant Apostle officers are Faith’s most valuable combat strength. The captain hopes you can stay in residences closest to the flight decks, ready for battle at any time.”

“Hmm,” Qin Lun nodded noncommittally and then asked, “Then what was the building we were in before?”

“Oh, that was the Biochemistry Research Institute for cultivating clones, which also serves as a hospital for treating the injured!” Vera explained softly.

As the Apostles and their guides conversed quietly, they arrived at the middle-upper levels of the building and paused in a spacious hall.

The area of this level in the “Sky Pillar” seemed quite large. Looking through the transparent display windows around, it appeared as if the floor had suddenly bulged outward. The hall was oval-shaped, with a row of numbered doors on the right. Some rooms were labeled with signs for medical check-ups, fitness and entertainment, and dining and drinks, suggesting this was a special residential floor for officers.

“Is this specially prepared for us?” Qin Lun asked with a smile.

“Yes, this was originally one of the activity areas for Faith’s senior Flight Officers. It has been cleared out and provided for you Descendant Apostle officers.” Vera’s face showed a bit of excitement as she blinked playfully. “I was only a reserve Flight Officer and wasn’t qualified to live here before. Thanks to you, I get to move in early.”

“You’re going to live here too?” Qin Lun raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, the guides’ rooms are next to their respective officers’ rooms. We can provide assistance and advice, and also help with daily life matters.” Vera said happily. “However, this is my first time serving a Descendant Apostle officer. If I make any mistakes, please bear with me!”

While everyone was talking, a large projection appeared on the smooth wall at the front of the hall. A tall Gith in a military uniform appeared in the projection. This Gith seemed somewhat old, with a silver-gray beard on his chin. He wore small items resembling medals on his chest, and the emblem on his peaked cap was golden, indicating a high rank. His self-introduction confirmed this.

“Respected Descendant Apostles, welcome to Faith. I am the captain—Marx!”

After Marx, who called himself the captain of Faith, appeared, the female officers immediately stopped talking, stood at attention, and saluted. The Apostles didn’t react much and remained as they were, though their eyes were focused on the projection.

“In these troubled times, we Gith are honored to receive your assistance! On behalf of all the officers and crew of Faith, I extend our highest respect and gratitude to you all. We sincerely hope you can achieve victory in the upcoming battles and fulfill your missions.”

Marx paused briefly here, and his gaze in the projection fell on the face of the leading Gith female officer. “Due to my duties, please forgive me for not being able to meet with you in person for now. If there are any inconveniences, please inform my adjutant, Fuyutsuki. She will do her best to assist you!”

Among the ten Gith beauties, the young female officer who appeared the most mature promptly stepped forward, indicating to the Apostles that she was Fuyutsuki.

“Then… please take some time to familiarize yourselves with the new environment. I look forward to our next meeting!” After a flash on the wall, Marx’s image vanished.

“Captain Marx seems very capable!” Qin Lun said with a smile, looking at Vera.

“Yes, Captain Marx is a famous flying hero!” Vera’s face turned red with excitement as she waved her small fist. “We junior officers rarely get to see him usually.”

Qin Lun felt somewhat surprised but quickly understood. The cosmic battleship Faith was as large as a city, and the captain was its supreme ruler. Back in the Earth Federation, even the mayor of a city wasn’t someone an ordinary person could meet easily.

“Whoosh…” With a soft sound, the metal door slid open automatically, revealing the officer’s quarters where Qin Lun would be staying.

“Officer Qin Lun, I’ve already entered your genetic signal into the sensor. When you come and go, just press your palm against the sensor!” Vera waved at Qin Lun from the doorway, beaming with joy. “You should rest now. If you need anything, just call me. I’ll be in the next room!”

“Ve—” Qin Lun had just raised his hand to speak when the Gith beauty eagerly darted away.

The metal door automatically closed behind her, leaving Qin Lun facing a bare door wall. She was clearly in a hurry to check out her own room.

“Alright then,” Qin Lun shrugged helplessly and turned to examine the officer’s quarters.

Though it was called a senior officer’s room, the setup inside was quite simple. The bed was a smart hibernation pod, which could be opened manually or automatically. Of course, when not in battle, the lid didn’t need to be closed. The room had an excellent temperature and humidity control system.

Besides the hibernation pod for resting, there was a smart foldable desk on the right side of the room. Embedded in the desktop was a micro Optical Computer connected to the battleship’s main system.

Additionally, on the left side of the room was a wardrobe that could retract into the metal wall. Inside were already several spare military uniforms, along with a spacesuit and helmet that could be used in outer space. Presumably, this was a safety measure to prevent crew members from being directly exposed to the vacuum of space if the ship were damaged.

After inspecting the various items in the room, Qin Lun focused his attention on the Optical Computer on the desk. The micro Optical Computer’s operation was very straightforward, and he quickly figured out its functions and the information he could access with his officer privileges.

“Retrieve the stored data of the cosmic battleship Faith. Retrieve the information on the Bingren. Retrieve the information on the Apostle clone bodies!”

As Qin Lun spoke, a transparent projection of a large battleship slowly materialized above the desktop…