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A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Chapter 20 - Huntly Mine (part 9)
Dinner is also served in the hotel, and to be honest, the hotel continues to prove its exceptionally amazing food quality despite a third rate hotel. And by amazing... - This dish looks good. Yuusha, you must try it. - Mirai lets out a happy voice, as she clicks on a dish on the digital menu. Within a few seconds, the dish appears on the centre of the table, hot and fresh out of the oven. A classic baked vegetable dish. - I thought you cannot taste? - Gustatory sensor system. I just install one before we went onto the trip. I know that it will be a waste if I cannot try out new food when I travel, that's why. However, they would still be combusted and become my energy in the end anyway. - Mirai casually speaks, as she uses a fork to take a piece of the dish and puts it in her mouth. Mirai lets out a happy noise, as she enjoys the deliciousness of human food that she has probably not tasted for some time. Definitely a scene for the eye. I scroll
A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Chapter 21 - Huntly Mine (part 10)
The next morning, again, arrives peacefully on the prosperous and peaceful Australia. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, it is currently summer here. The soft sunlight shines through the window of my hotel room, where I am currently sleeping and restoring energy from an exhausting yesterday, only for another exhausting today, and likely for the rest of the week. It is currently seven in the morning, and since there are no scheduled activities today, we are free to travel to and from the mine at any point in time. Our timetable will be quite flexible, only if I turn to my right and see that Mirai is doing something on her bed with some mechanical components - Mirai, what are you doing? It is like seven in the morning. - Finally you are awake. Thanks to the early lights-out time yesterday, I finish charging at three or four in the morning, so I automatically wake up and prepare for the trip later. - We have like a whole four days, and our progress is al
A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Chapter 22 - Huntly Mine (part 11)
(This chapter is written in Mirai's perspective) - Anti-corrosion spray, check. Agility module, check. Weapon, check... - I scroll through the list of items through my built-in archive, making sure that the most important items are in the quick list. After parting with Yuusha, I head to the building with the elevator that links to the underground facility. I am genuinely surprised that a visitor's identification card can allow access to such an area. After about a few minutes descending about fifty metres into the ground and wandering across the long hallway, the familiar sight once again appears in my field of vision, now with newly repaired electrical connections after the incident. That is fast. In the twentieth century, and even until now, train stations are constructed with a door that links the station and the outside. If this station serves the same purpose as a train station for commute, there should be such a door nearby. I turn on gamma vision to detect
A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Chapter 23 - Huntly Mine (part 12)
- Noted. Please standby. - I receive a reply from Mirai. It sounds like she also hits a jackpot on the side. I sit in a hidden corner, looking at the two Intruders manually mining the metal ores. After getting about a pile of ores, they throw them into the conveyor belt, and continue mining. I sit mindlessly for ten to fifteen minutes, counting hundreds of sheep in my mind, then turning to look at them, then yawning in boredom. I almost fall asleep, wondering why would a species lying on the high end of the universe is using the most basic tools to mine, when a loud bang makes me startled. A row of Intruders appears from a tunnel path, geared fully with all kinds of advanced tools and protection (although they do not really hide the hideous appearances of a typical Intruder of low rating), each pushing a trolley stacked with boxes and boxes of alunimium ores. One by one, they line up to pour all of their mining products into the conveyor belt tunnel. The sound of the or
A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Chapter 24 - Huntly Mine (part 13)
The veil of the deep midnight is quickly erected in the sky, as the clock signals the twenty-second hour of the day, watching over the two of us sitting face-to-face, looking at the factory map that Mirai has traced out using her vision and the satellite. We are trying to find out how to launch a full-scale attack, bringing down the factory within the first and only attempt, drawing various lines and curves on the map to see which paths are the most appropriate. - There are these corners that will act as blind spots. If we use these corners, we will penetrate through their first line of defence. Then the Pyro-planes will sweep through using this trajectory. - That is a good strategy, but just a little bit change. We can send false drones here to attract their attention first. Then, we continue with your strategy. Our strategy is definitely to cause false alarm, then breach the factory, go straight to the deepest floor and finish off the boss. Easier said than
A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Chapter 25 - Huntly Mine (part 14)
The intense patrolling of the drones continues until the early morning, which leaves us with no way to use any electrical devices, so we decide to just sleep. And it seems like other residents in the area had soon fallen asleep before the midnight came, so effectively, nobody, except us, are aware of the situation. It is currently five, and immediately after the drones seem to disappear from our window view, we gear up to attack the underground facility as early as possible. This time, we cannot resort to ordinary travelling, because it is literally digging our own wave to enter an unprotected car. I send a message to Issac, who is currently dead asleepin his comfortable bedroom to let him know that we would be heading out first. Then, we get out of the house. Mirai takes out the familiar plane that we have been constantly using for missions from the archive. Right at the moment the plane is taken out, I withdraw my photon magnum pistol from my pocket... ... and shoot d
A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Chapter 26 - Huntly Mine (part 15)
Operating at a high velocity, but slow enough to not destroy my body, the carriage would take ten minutes to pass through the factory. At the same time, I am sure that the Intruders have deployed, if not all of their forces residing in the factory dormitory, up to ninety per cent of their forces. The drones and flying units hovering in circles on top of us and the armed Intruders underneath that just wait for us to fall and devour us like fierce predators are closing onto us. - Mirai, can we deploy our full-scale attack yet? - Why not? Go ahead! After getting permission, which I actually do not even need, I open the tablet, scroll through the archive and start spam clicking on the screen. Above me now, there appear squadrons and squadrons of a variety of aerial units, from the instant use Suicide Drones to the heavier units that provide more powerful support such as Pyro-planes and autonomous jet fighters X128. Upon my press, all of them start firing. N
A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex Chapter 27 - Huntly Mine (part 16)
You know, after years of honing my common sense, if you tell me that on a random day, a random package just spawns in front of my house out of nowhere, and from inside the package, a random entity just casually tells me to embark on a fifty-year journey to save the entire humanity from an invasive alien force, whose probability of occurrence is as good as the numerical metric dimension of a hydrogen atom, I would just laugh and brush it off. That is literally the plot of a science fiction novel. Just a dream that any person can have. Yet, this weird dream of mine has been around for a solid half a year, and it is not like I would wake up any time soon. There is a saying that in a dream, half of the brain is like a director, and the other half just watches it happening like a movie, getting surprised at the plot twists that it creates itself. But, just think of it. What an irony, is it? Even for a brain, generating such vivid content, even without prior exposure or experience, is
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Chapter 106 - Project Tomorrow (part 5)
- Quick! Secure all exits of the television studio. Initiate first-level protocol. Focus security around studio 4-A. Hurried footsteps echo through the corridors and halls, as fully-armed police and military personnel impose a lockdown on the studio and check every nook and cranny for any intruders. The studio that hosts the game show is located in a fairly remote region near Cairo. As a national studio that produces most of the programmes in the country, its level of security is on par with a military base. The specific information of measures implemented is obfuscated to the public. Still, with some observation, one would realise that making any move within the studio needs meticulous planning from the most intelligent of humanity. As soon as every staff in the studio is mobilised, the girl starts to move. The trip sensors she installed throughout the studio have simultaneously triggered, capturing a huge movement.__________- The twelfth question is another
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Chapter 105 - Project Tomorrow (part 4)
- ... and despite being the country with the largest area in the world, boasting up to eleven different time zones, Russia is surprisingly not the country with the most time zones in the world. In fact, it is France that claims the crown as the country with the most time zones in the world, with twelve different time zones ranging from UTC-10:00 to UTC+12:00! This is attributed to the fact that France has many territories worldwide, which also highlights their significant presence worldwide.- Wow, that is a very detailed description, although it may be difficult for the audience to grasp what you are trying to say. But yes, the correct answer to the country with the most time zones is B, France! Let us give another round of applause for the amount of wisdom this fortitudinous man possesses! With Mirai's assistance from somewhere outside the studio, we breeze through the first ten questions ranging in all sorts of topics and requiring countless hours every day look
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Chapter 104 - Project Tomorrow (part 3)
- Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the thousandth show of the series "Who Wants to Be the Zillionaire?", a weekly trivia game show every Tuesday only available on Al-Hayat TV. I am your host, Ali, and today, to commemorate the thousandth show, the stakes have been raised. There are still fifteen questions, but each question is exponentially harder. In return, once the player clears all fifteen questions, he will win up to... A billion Egyptian pounds, approximately three billion yen or twenty million US dollars. That is ten years' worth of my previous salary or more. For thirty-three years of my life, I have never thought about this, because the odds of reaching the final question are as high as winning a lottery. However, with Mirai's help, getting the winning prize will be a breeze.- Let's welcome our player for today! Due to special circumstances, we will refer to him as T. Mr. T, please come in. The door to the game show arena opens., and I am immediately
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Chapter 103 - Project Tomorrow (part 2)
- It has been so long since we last talked in person. So, how have you been? - Let's say, my past few years have been a mess. You? - Same on my side. You cannot imagine how difficult it is to live around that woman. - From what I see, she is a very intelligent and awesome person, no? I envy you for having such a partner. - It is because of that so-called intelligence you praise her for, that I do not even understand what is going on in her head. I have a better chance of winning a lottery than guessing her mood. We quarrel almost every day. - However, if you think of it, it is those days that you argue that make you appreciate the days that you two live harmoniously together. Of course, I cannot speak for you, because my marriage is very peaceful back then... - I think I have mentioned this before, but please do not compare our dynamic with a married couple. - You are overthinking, brother. Albert and I
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Chapter 102 - Project Tomorrow (part 1)
2060, Sahara desert... Project Ashita... After the brief exchange with the Colonel-ranked Intruder named Lamabula, Mirai and I spent countless hours after the construction observation duty hours to devise a plan. After careful consideration, the seeds of Project Ashita are sown. Before introducing the project to the CEA survivors, Mirai initially hesitated, but she ultimately discussed it with Lamabula. Without a doubt, he burst into his signature, explosive laughter and rejoiced the moment Mirai mentioned the scale of the project, and willingly lent a portion of the base's space for the construction of the colossal battleship. So long as he deemed us subpar compared to the Intruders, he would continue lending assistance. However, the dangerous part of this rigged contract is that we do not know until when he would deem us sufficiently dangerous and suddenly cut all support. However, that has never been Mirai's concern, who can fight head-on with Lamabula, and whose distrust a
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Chapter 101 - The Future that Bet Life to Believe
Counter-Extraterrestrial Association, Egypt branch, 2060, From the outside, it looks like a small stand-up comedy house within the bustling tourist area of Cairo. However, in the basement, its true form is revealed. More than half of the basement area is for equipment and vehicle storage, and in the corner, a hydraulic lift is responsible for carrying them to the first floor. Deeper into the basement is the meeting room. Around the table, Mirai and Wilhelm sit next to each other, on the largest seat designated for high-ranking officials of the CEA or important people. Then, Ernst, Gottlob, Arthur, Maric, and I sit on the remaining seats. At the centre of the table, a hologram depicts the images of the current situation. Under the table, each seat will have a mouse which resembles a ball, so anyone can freely rotate or zoom in on the hologram projection for better observation. - Thank you everyone for being here. Before we start the impromptu meeting, two more people wo
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Interlude 7 - Rendezvous
And then, the two hands of the clock of fate met. What happens is bound to happen, and humanity is none the wiser. After being separated from the tomb's lid, the mysterious device's defensive mechanism went off, resulting in vibrations across the entire pyramid. The team immediately fled from the chamber, with Wilhelm leading and Ernst in the back. Gottlob and Arthur kept close to Maric, the only person without any firearm or combat experience. - Mileva, you stick to us at all times. We will handle this. - As if I have another choice. - Watch out! A stone fragment cracked from the ceiling and fell down. Ernst charged forward, pushing both Maric and Arthur forward, right before it hit the ground and shattered. - I told you, stay vigilant! - Sorry, sir. The only things Maric could hear were the chaotic rustling and the humming from the vibrations. Never would she think that a life-and-death situation occurred to her simply due to
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Interlude 6 - Pursuit
Humans immerse themselves in illusions, but who dares to break through such sweet dreams and pursue reality? - Wow, look at this artefact, guys. - Let me see, let me see. - So cool! The next day, Maric's group visited the cluster of pyramids in Giza. To avoid the tour buses flocking in and causing an influx of tourists to roam around. Thus, the poor soul who returned to the hotel late after the stand-up comedy show was sleep-deprived, against her gang whose energy and enthusiasm were over the roof. Waking up as soon as six in the morning to have an indulgent breakfast and catch the earliest bus, they reached the foot of the most colossal one, the Great Pyramid of Giza at eight-thirty. They shared money to book a guide for the entire visit, and the man in summer clothing and a hat was already there, waving at them. The pyramid visit was expected to last half an hour. Because there were few people in the tunnels, the occasional breeze that traver
- A Backpack, a Gun and a Codex
Interlude 5 - Mileva
To leave everything behind. For the greater cause. Ever since then, the words echoed in her head, like an enclosed chamber with a perfect reflection. The words were stuck there, and it made her unable to think properly. What did they mean? - What is on your mind, darling? - Nothing. Just weird, personal stuff. After getting close to a science major graduate from the University of New South Wales, the two decided to come together and live under the same roof. They had a lovely child, and their road ahead was paved with rose petals. Of course, no happiness is eternal. On that fateful day, she heard the words. _____________________________________ - Huh, Egypt? Of all places? - Come on, you are a sociology bachelor. Why so sceptical? Just consider it a cultural appreciation trip. Her group of colleagues were planning to visit another country during their precious holidays. Unlike everyone, who seemed to be very ecstatic about the tr
