Chapter 81 – An Uninvited Visitor, Is It?

"Well now, thank you for coming out to meet me, Chief Researcher Milea, Steve-san."

The bright voice rang through the entrance hall of Syn-Fibra's Seldia branch.

Its owner was a well-built man with impressive golden hair and a suit that fit him with the confidence of something expensive. Mid-forties, perhaps -- considerably older than Milea, though younger than the veteran Steve.

"Welcome. Perda branch chief researcher -- Sean Henriques-san."

Milea extended her hand. Sean took it with a warm, easy smile and shook it firmly.

"It's been a while, Sean-san. Still as busy as ever, by the look of it."

"Steve-san! It really has. You're looking well -- good to see it."

He exchanged an equally firm handshake with Steve, with whom he was clearly on familiar terms, and the broad smile returned. His easy-going manner, at first glance, made him look like nothing more than a genuinely pleasant person to deal with.

"Now then -- allow me to introduce someone. A talented young member of our Perda branch I've brought along, who serves as both researcher and dedicated test pilot: Ritte Fon."

Stepping forward at Sean's side was a blue-haired girl who appeared to be in her late teens, with a somewhat formal, composed bearing. She bowed to Milea and Steve at a precise angle, then exchanged handshakes with each of them in a manner that was businesslike and unembellished.

"It is an honor to meet you. Ritte Fon."

(Researcher and test pilot -- combined in one person...?)

The girl's tone was clipped and slightly stiff, and Milea found herself quietly surprised. Someone who worked as a researcher and still personally climbed into cockpits to probe performance limits was not a combination she encountered often.

"She carries both roles herself?"

"She does. One of our most promising talents. The initial testing of the piece of equipment we lent you -- all of that was handled by her."

(So that's what this is. Showing me what they have. A quiet display of leverage.)

Milea kept the thought entirely off her face and smiled.

"Impressive. -- Well, it has been a long journey. Shall I show you through?"

She gestured the two visitors forward and led them deeper into the Bureau district.

◆

In the time that followed, the group completed their formal courtesy visit to Seldia's Administration Bureau and a brief meeting with Grain and the vigilante corps -- the surface-level paperwork portion of the occasion. Grain, as ever, presented himself as the reliable, unflappable corps captain, leaving Sean and Ritte with a clear impression that all procedural documentation was in impeccable order.

And now -- the four of them had moved to Special Research Room One, the most secure space in the Seldia branch.

The room was lit by the soft glow of holographic displays, and the air inside had a quality that was distinctly taut.

"Now then -- Chief Researcher Milea. If you don't mind, shall we get to the point?"

Sean settled back into the sofa and glanced down at the tea in front of him, still smiling as he spoke.

"I've reviewed the data sent to our Perda branch. The 'Grave Arc.' That prototype heavy weapon -- that's what this is about."

(... Here we go.)

Milea straightened her posture and raised her internal alert to its highest level.

"Yes. That data corresponds to the combat deployment of the Grave Arc against the mobile weapons platform Restful. The results surprised us as well. The Perda branch's prototype weapon concealed potential far beyond what we had imagined."

She delivered the prepared response smoothly. Praise for the other side's technology, deflection of any implication of irregularity -- the adult handling of a delicate situation.

Sean's smile did not shift. But his narrowed eyes, behind it, were not smiling at all.

"Yes. It is very fine data. As engineers go, there are few numbers more gratifying than these."

He swiped a data pad and threw the relevant chart into the air above the table -- the graph from that battle, showing the anomalous output spike that the Grave Arc had produced.

"I believe the weapon's theoretical performance margins and rated limits were all communicated to Chief Researcher Milea in advance, through Steve-san."

He paused, letting the moment sit.

"-- They were exceeded. The weapon's original output capability. By a significant margin."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop by one degree.

In Sean's shadow, Ritte's expression tightened -- barely, but Milea caught it.

She had anticipated something like this. She returned the volley.

"That is something we have noted in our own analysis. ...At this stage, our assessment is that the pilot's extraordinarily singular combat skill, combined with a rate of compatibility with the machine at that specific moment that exceeded all projections, produced a result that goes beyond what our models anticipated."

She was aware it was a somewhat strained explanation. Results that surpassed the weapon's own rated limits. Not something that should happen with a prototype -- but in sufficiently unusual operational circumstances, arguably plausible. For now, she needed them to accept it.

Sean nodded several times with a thoughtful "I see, I see," and rested a hand against his chin.

Then he delivered the question that cut to the center of it.

"The pilot's skill, you say. ...If that is the case, I find myself all the more curious. Chief Researcher Milea -- I would very much like to meet this remarkable pilot in person, the one who performed that miracle. And of course, the machine she pilots as well -- you would show it to us, yes?"

(So that's what they came for.)

Milea drew one short, quiet breath, and raised her eyes.

"...Of course. I'll have her brought here now."