Léon: The Cat Killer

Regarding the kitten's unusual worldview, regarding Medic seeing the kitten as a savior in her life, regarding the emptiness in Medic's own spiritual world, regarding their unhealthy relationship where they seem to have no meaning without each other...

But now, holding the microphone, Kal'tsit didn't know where to begin.

She could accurately depict Kal'tsit at the edge of the earth, yet she couldn't describe another child's illness to one child...

She knew that simply recounting Medic's condition before he left wouldn't encourage the kittens at all... it would only exacerbate their pathological behavior, gradually making them both an unspeakable burden on each other.

Based on her understanding of 'minors', Kal'tsit shouldn't have encouraged the kitten to engage in any actual actions during the natural disaster. However, seeing Amiya's extraordinary performance in her conversation with the police officers at Tikkarondo, Kal'tsit suddenly felt that perhaps she had underestimated these children.

After a few seconds of contemplation, Kal'tsit said:

……

Go pick her up...on the plains...

PS: ...The plot of Lone Star...is so well written, sob sob...Although I feel like my own writing doesn't feel right after reading Lone Star, I think it's because I have a fever, and it's definitely not because of Lone Star.

PS2: My mind was full of Lone Star, but I got writer's block... I haven't finished writing it yet... Anyway, let me clear my muddled brain...

PS3: Meow Meow Cat

Today we continue our appreciation of the Dulin tribe, which appears to be small and delicate, but is actually quite slender.

The Mystery of Medic 2: 052 I've Come to Pave the Way

The massive exploration vehicle moved forward through the storm, and Razer, unusually, did not reprimand his partner for teasing the 'captain' on the other end of the communication channel.

After all, in the silent exploration vehicle, only Franka's cheerful voice could drown out the sound of the Originium crystals hitting the armor plates and recondensing. And compared to the pitch-black storm in front of her, Razer didn't know which was more dangerous: the fear in her heart or the noise in her ears.

As for the driver's job itself, Huang and Nana were watching:

"Checkpoint confirmed, designated landmark... valley... is it visible on the terrain radar?"

"...I can't see it."

Adjusting the equipment, Razer reported the results according to the training protocol, without revealing any of his inner timidity:

"The current surface detection feedback is all Originium crystals that are at least as tall as a person... The original terrain has been completely covered."

"...It's alright, we still have TDD guiding us, and I'm fairly good with distances myself... Let's prioritize maintaining communication and proceed along the route I marked. Prepare the beacon... Puff, can you hear me? We're about to reach the checkpoint..."

So far, I've been able to hear it fairly clearly...

"Judging by the time, the Blacksteel landships should have entered the Calamity Storm's range by now. Hopefully, they haven't run into any problems."

No, the engineers from the Crisis Contract and the Ministry of Defense are all on that ship. As long as our route is on track, they'll be fine... On the other hand, after the checkpoint, the Originium dust concentration from the natural disaster is expected to be so high that even Originium-resistant communication circuits won't be able to maintain communication... Have you made all the necessary arrangements?

"Yes, Katie and the others have already learned how to operate the robotic arm inside the vehicle... There shouldn't be any external operations for the first 100 kilometers..."

[What I asked about is what happens next... Well, never mind... I've given you everything I could, everything I could, everything I could prepare, and everything I could and couldn't do... Even if your 'parents' ask you again, I can say I have a clear conscience...]

Looking at the communication screen, which had somehow lost its visual connection and was now only displaying audio, Nana didn't know how to respond and could only remain silent. Franka, who had been talking to Puff the whole way, chuckled and interjected:

"Regardless, such aggressive disaster reconnaissance is quite something in the Crisis Contract... What's that saying? From nobody to star?~"

[Ha, clearly, those of you who embarked on this insane journey are no longer nobodys... The dead are just dead, only those who survive and bring the data back to the Crisis Contract will truly make a name for themselves... Everyone will remember your glorious achievements in saving a city from a catastrophe with Rhodes Island and Blacksteel International. The Colombian Ministry of Defense might even give you a statue in... Calendor... It's... certain... But, I still... hope... you can return safely...]

"Checkpoint cleared!"

I tried to debug the communicator equipped with Originium Circuit, but even though the whirring fan showed that the device load had already reached 100%, the complete communication interruption still made Razer frown and try to restore communication by slapping the device.

Franka, standing to the side, seemed quite unfazed:

"Isn't it the same as planned? I actually think it would be scarier if this thing could still make a sound when we passed through the checkpoint..."

Even Razer couldn't help but agree with Franka's quirky statement at this moment. After all, that situation only represented two possibilities: one was that his temporary captain's calculations had failed... the other was that the three pilots had already caused the vehicle to deviate from its course... Either of these two situations was unacceptable, as this rescue mission, which had been costly and involved a great deal of resources, had turned into a complete mess.

For Razer, which always keeps its responsibilities and missions in mind, this seems to be something more terrifying than death.

Without pressing the brake, but simply releasing the accelerator, the massive exploration vehicle began to decelerate noticeably. Logically, it should have lowered the beacon at this point, but Razer did not hear the captain's command.

Nana, of course, also saw the expression on Razer's face as it kept turning back to look at her. Nana, whose cat ears had been drooping inside her helmet since the start of the trip, gestured for Razer to move forward, just a little bit more:

"The beacons we're carrying are the same type used by Colombian army artillery standard bearers... They have built-in transmitters and can respond to calls on the land-based ship's radar... They're not ordinary optical beacons, so they can be placed further away than typical rescue beacons... The spacing can also be wider... This is to minimize the distance required for the third phase of manned signal flares for combat readiness duty... If possible, it would be best to save people who would have to wait in the disaster..."

"...You're the captain, I'll listen to you..."

After hesitating to speak, Vayvan finally responded to Nana in this way. And after traveling about a third of the distance that Razer had in mind when it came to ordinary beacons, Nana then ordered the people in the rear control room to plant the first beacon.

The main task of operating the external robotic arm was assigned to Jessica, because she was the only one present with experience in operating large construction machinery... Although Jessica waved her hands repeatedly when she was given this task, and said with tears in her eyes that she had only played with similar things in her family's factory, after all, no one else had ever played with them, so this task really belonged to her.

"Well... then, I'm going to begin?!"

"We...we'll help you!"

Seeing that Katie was starting to stutter, Stewart slapped Katie's helmet, making a crisp thud.

"Katie, calm down... Anyway, all we need to do is make sure the beacon is vertical, right?"

"Yes, military beacons come with explosive pile drivers, so they can be firmly fixed even on petrified ground... But ensuring they're vertical is just to make sure the optical strobe is visible above the horizon... These beacons have built-in transmitters, so it doesn't really matter if they're slightly off-center..."

Despite Jessica's statement, everyone still strictly followed the instructions to complete the horizontal alignment.

Except for Vanilla, who, due to her relatively underdeveloped birthplace, had little understanding of mechanics and could only cheer from the sidelines, everyone else was staring intently at the bubbles on the horizontal column.

"Um... I'm going to press it, okay?!"

"The level is confirmed! Press it down, Senior Jessica!"

Hearing Katie's energetic response, Jessica, whose droopy ears had been trembling with anxiety, let out a low whimper as she operated the robotic arm to raise the beacon.

A massive metal pole, half the length of an exploration vehicle, was lifted off the ground with the help of a robotic arm. The red optical beacon, which had been activated before being taken out, shone like breathing in the dark storm.

As the explosion resounded, part of the beacon pole was driven into the ground, and cracks spread outwards from the already hardened Originium surface... As the mechanical arm moved away, only the beacon light, like a banner, remained, shining brightly in the storm.

"Is this... okay?"

After confirming that the robotic arm would not interfere with the beacon and checking the depth of the rod to ensure it wouldn't be buried by Originium anytime soon, Jessica connected to the internal communication system in the cockpit:

"Um... I think we can move on..."

Oh, Jessica did it well!

“It’s… it’s okay…”

Hearing the brief beep of the disconnected connection on the other end of the call, and hearing Franka's faint voice behind her saying, "It's okay not to be so serious," the girl involuntarily smiled slightly. Then came the voice of the "captain":

[There are still many beacons to be placed... We'll try to choose suitable terrain from the cab side, and I'll also try to select routes that don't require manual operation... The next operation is in about twenty minutes. You can go to the rest room to wait now... Rest and conserve your energy.]

Rest...?

Although it was just operating a robotic arm and not tiring at all, Jessica always felt guilty staying in that lounge with vinyl records, game consoles, and even a bar freezer while her predecessors drove and operated equipment through natural disasters.

But under the 'captain's' orders, Jessica returned to the lounge with her newly acquainted companions... There, she saw the pink-haired girl who had been organizing her backpack earlier, but now seemed somewhat lost and unsure of what to do... Jessica remembered that the girl's name was...

"Susuru... Doctor?"

"Yes, this is Sussuruo... Your communication with the cockpit was just on speakerphone, so it sounds like the beacon setup went smoothly."

"Ah... yeah, I hope things will go this smoothly from now on." (Phosphorus)

Scratching her cheek sheepishly, Jessica watched as the other person gently patted the sofa beside her. Seeing Vanilla join Katie and the other two in their makeshift cramming team, clutching the instruction manual… Jessica, intimately familiar with power armor, decided to sit down next to Sussurro after a moment's thought.

Before the black-haired girl could even consider whether to go to the bar for a drink, the pink-haired fox next to her pulled a blue and white box from her backpack. Qi

"Jessica, this is for you..."

"What is this?" Wu

"Oripathy prevention medication. It sounds pessimistic, but I think we might need it sometime... This is yours; it's very convenient to use because it has an auto-injector." (Nine)

“Um… I’m not Oripathy…” Jessica’s tone was initially full of doubt, but seeing Sussurro’s strange expression as she pursed her lips, Jessica couldn’t help but repeat in panic: It seemed…

"I'm really not a patient with Oripathy..."

"I know, I just reviewed everyone's medical records... Nobody wants to have this disease... but compared to death, living is definitely better..."

"Rhine's power armor has an internal Originium dust concentration detector. You can place the syringe in the automatic injection module in your leg or arm and set the injection conditions to an Originium dust concentration of 0.3%... Although it puts some pressure on the kidneys and lung mucosa, and may cause some abnormal side effects such as confusion, difficulty breathing, and rapid heartbeat... using the blocking medication in advance can indeed control Oripathy and has a slight... preventative effect."

While speaking, Sussurro activated the injection module built into Jessica's power armor... Excluding the two morphines and one cardiac stimulant that were already present, Sussurro filled the remaining three empty slots with Rhodes Island's injection pens.

“That works... You four come over here too... According to the MOD management section of the manual, put the inhibitor into the automatic injection slot... Remember to turn on the internal circulation scan and vital sign detection of the power armor... Rhine Lab's equipment is really advanced; it can even automatically determine the injection dosage by using the user's vital signs.”

Shaking her head, Susuluo stood up with her backpack, said goodbye to the still somewhat dazed Jessica, and left the beautifully decorated lounge... Only when walking through this narrow, shaky corridor with its flashing navigation warning lights could Susuluo truly feel that she was on a small boat heading towards death.

"Nana, I'm in... I'm here to install the automatic injectors for the blocking agents for everyone..."

Looking at the cockpit, where the atmosphere was much more serious compared to the lounge, Susuluo couldn't help but add:

"An inhibitor of Oripathy..."

"...That stinky fox over there is a patient with Oripathy, so let's put all my needles into her."

Ms. Razer, the pilot, started the conversation, and then Ms. Fox chimed in, not to be outdone:

“Oh, but I got a good amount of inhibitor from Jennifer before I left the Blacksteel Landship~ I shouldn’t need an injection for the next twelve hours. And it’s more important to keep that idiot Vayvan healthy than to keep an Oripathy patient healthy… Dr. Sussuro, I have two doses here, I’ll put my portion on Liskarm.”

If Sussurro had just entered Rhodes Island, he might have been completely confused by this pair of bickering lovers. However, after being harassed by Blaze a while ago, Sussurro was now completely immune to such verbal exchanges. Amidst the responses of "Ah, okay, okay, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," Sussurro installed the syringe he brought from Rhodes Island into Rhine's Armor MOD.

Seeing that Sussuruo completely ignored her duo's attempt at comedy, Franka tapped the arm module, whose transparent outer shell and slightly lit interior indicated it was activated, and asked in confusion:

"...By the way, why can Rhodes Island's autoinjectors be used in Rhine's equipment...?"

"This is a universal interface... It's installed like this on most Oripathy intensive care monitors... It's just that hospital equipment doesn't need an outer armor... Nana, I've installed yours too."

Seeing the girl, who was intently watching the navigation without looking up, nod to indicate that she understood, Sussuro glanced at the original blocking agent that Franka had taken out earlier:

"...In addition, the medicine from Rhodes Island and the medicine you are using...may have quite different effects on the body...Of course, it's not that there's anything wrong with the medicine from this pharmaceutical company, but in terms of ingredients, Rhodes Island's medicine is more targeted at acute attacks...and their medicine does not have the preventive effect of low-pollution environments."

"But correspondingly, the side effects are also smaller... Operator Franka, you can use it as appropriate."

Listening to Sussuro's explanation, Franka shifted her gaze to look at herself, Razer, and Captain Medic, whose medicine box was overflowing with medicine... Then she looked at Sussuro closing Huang's medicine box. Judging from the internal light, Huang seemed to have only carried two inhibitors, while Sussuro herself had none at all.

Franka directly raised her question about this...

“...Ah, because Huang and I are indeed infected...we don't really need 'prevention'...another thing is that we only have so much medicine. After ensuring that you, Stewart, and Andre are in a stable period, Huang, as a member of the action team, needs these two blockers even more. After all, if I were in the worst contaminated environment...then everyone's situation would only be worse than mine.”

Seeing the little fox's indifferent head-shaking gesture, Franka blinked and took out her potion box from Blacksteel:

"...Then, would you like to use this?"

"As I said before, it's just a routine medication to prevent the infection rate from worsening... It might not be able to handle the worsening situations we might encounter... That's okay, ensuring the main force's operational capability is the top priority for this kind of mission..."

"...I see...Then please make sure you're in a safe position behind me, Doctor."

Watching Franka and Dr. Sussuro, who was also infected, talk like this, Razer remained silent, but she silently tightened her grip on the joystick.

Just as Razer was considering whether to discuss compensation for Rhodes Island with the rest of the team, Nana, the Medic operator who had just uploaded the route for "Xing Yilin's Wife's Dirty Affairs," looked up and then blinked:

“Sussuro, didn’t Jessica bring a box from Blacksteel… the one that was sent to Rhodes Island… Go tell her that there are twelve auto-injectors in that box for acute Oripathy attacks…”

"……oh……"

Although Sussuro didn't ask, the Black Steel Comedy Troupe's gazes towards Nana were very clear. If eyes could speak, then Razer and Franka's eyes were definitely asking questions like, "How did you know what was in Jessica's box?" and "Why would Jessica send a package to Rhodes Island for no reason?"

But, thinking about it, it's understandable. Nana simply took out the 'evidence' that Razer wanted before... Agent 77's equipment was all in that box. Verifying the hair DNA would make everything clear.

Of course, the two of them wouldn't undermine each other like that now, since judging from the drug distribution just now, the people from Rhodes Island... are indeed not bad people.

Just as everyone had filled the medicine boxes and seemed fully prepared, the sudden slowing of the car still made everyone's hearts skip a beat.

"...A dead end?"

Hearing Razer's question, Nana peeked out and glanced at the terrain radar... There was indeed a 'wall' blocking their way 500 meters ahead... As the vehicle slowly moved forward, and Huang turned on the searchlights, they finally saw the hellish landscape before them.

Crystallized Originium, sprouting sharp edges and spikes, clung to larger Originium, solidifying and coalescing into irregular clusters, resembling countless spiky fortresses that had suddenly appeared around the vehicle…

It's hard to say whether the exploration vehicle can pass through the gaps, but because this area has just experienced an excessive amount of Originium condensation, it is the safest place in the natural disaster area that Nana calculated will be for the next few hours or even days.

"...BPRS understands the Originium contamination theory... but how do we move forward in this situation?"

A brief silence filled the cockpit, then Nana stood up and casually picked up the delivery box that Susuluo had brought.

"I'll clear the obstacles manually... as long as the route is made so that the exploration vehicle can move forward."

Recalling the introduction to the Havoc System, Nana planned to find a room to put on her agent gear under her Rhodes Island coat; at least that bodysuit offered good resistance to Originium radiation.

"I will pave the way."

PS: Waaaaaah, kitty

PS2: The background music after that... I guess we can use The City Must Survive... Yeah, the song from Frostpunk when it faced the final drop in temperature... But I might have to interweave the events of the Black Steel Ship and Tikkarond Block 4 with Nana and the other cats... I hope you won't feel it's dragging... After all, you can only appreciate the difference by comparing things.

PS3: I still have four days of IV fluids left... Anyway, don't worry about that temporary one... I'll have time to finish it eventually (facepalm).