Log Entry 8 – 14/5/20XX, Monday

Today was the big day. Vicky took it upon herself to wake each of us up as early as 4, calling us through the internal hotline or outright pounding on our doors. After a quick breakfast of microwaved pancakes and canned coffee (even the cooks weren't awake yet), we were hurried down to the lab to begin as soon as possible. With the exception of Victoria herself and Noel (that man never seems to lose his composure, always neat and organized, silently observing everyone, only making short formal responses when directly spoken to. Sometimes I wonder if he's a surveillance robot under disguise), we were all bleary-eyed and yawning the entire way. One would think after a completely sleepless night I'd be the worst off of the bunch, but Trales outdid me in that regard; she was still wearing pajamas under her lab coat and had to continue her breakfast during the lift and tram rides after she kept nodding off in the dining hall.

The four prisoners were sound asleep when we arrived; at least, they appeared to be. I hit the gas button anyway, and sure enough, Hibiki grimaced and twitched slightly before slumping over again. My guess was correct, despite the toggle-able soundproof function of the cell, she did figure out what we were planning after seeing us prepare the serum last night, and probably wanted to attempt an ambush once we open the door to take the test subjects, not that it would've resulted in anything other than getting herself hurt. Inazuma should've noticed too, though it appears she really has chosen to accept it and simply slept away.

With the gas vented away we quickly lifted our two subjects out, Inazuma and Ikazuchi. The two sisters were stripped (Vicky and Trales handled that part), wired up to a more advanced specimen holding machine and placed within separate glass cylinders. Once they were sealed, the containers filled up with liquid (a diluted version of the nanopaste used in the repair docks) and our modified Re-Class nanobot serum was pumped directly into their bodies. After a stressful hour of close monitoring, we could finally breathe a sigh of relief; their vital signs were stable, now we just have to wait and see what happens.

The rest of the day was mostly spent running tests on the Conduit-implanted Elders. All of them stayed up to practice with their new powers and 2 more of our original Elites became Flagships overnight (we took to calling the golden Aura Elites Flagships). The discovery of Flagship Auras was quite exciting last night, but in reality they're just a step stronger than Elites with no unexpected properties. Oh well, not every discovery's going to be groundbreaking. Further testing also showed the Abyss Energy from the Auras were what increased explosive force in their connected cannons, thus improving firepower and range. As for living components such as Chi's motorbike or Wo's hat and planes, their psychic bond allows sharing of Abyss Energy even if detached. Despite Demons and Princesses having psychic links too however, it's not enough to support the sheer size and power of the Demons, so Conduits have to be implanted in them individually.

Meanwhile Rick and I also put up a curtain between the cell and the machine holding Ina and Ika. When the two remaining prisoners eventually awoke, I lied and said their two friends were taken elsewhere for further energy tests; Hibiki obviously knew the truth, it was Akat that needed the illusion. It's not one that will last long, but for what it's worth, seeing the finished product may be less traumatizing than witnessing a work-in-process, much like with bacon.

Log Entry 9 – 16/5/20XX, Wednesday

We were examining one of Willow's (one of our two Flagship Wo-Classes) planes in the lab when a yelp came from Rick, followed by a clatter, and soon a high pitched scream that made everyone cringe.

"The hell was that?" Marquis questioned as we quickly turned around towards the source of the shriek; Akatsuki sat there, in a position implying she just lost balance and fell over backwards, staring wide-eyed in terror at the two canisters that held the Fleet Girl sisters. Rick had just tripped and accidentally ripped the curtain down, giving the poor Fleet Girl full view of what became of her missing friends.

The two sisters floated there, held up by dozens of tubes and cables connected to their bodies. By this point their skin had become deathly pale and their hair looked bleached, their toes have merged together into one mass of flesh as their feet slowly deform into Re's hoof-like ones; much more disturbing however was the big bulge emerging from their tailbone. Just less than half a meter long, the black Abyss Alloy had already formed into a vague jaw at the end of the unfinished tail, looking like some sort of alien parasite. While it's not really THAT disturbing to look at for us or even an average person (I've seen far worse on the internet), no doubt it's a whole other matter when it's your closest friends.

Poor girl kept stuttering the two's names, which quickly devolved into babbling nonsense, unable to tear her eyes off the sight until she eventually turned aside and heaved, puking on the ground. Vicky launched another pen at the gas button, but by then Akat had already fainted on her own.

"Wo does not understand. Why was that Fleet Girl so frightened?" Willow asked me while Rick had to clean the barf away.

"Well, wouldn't you be horrified if you saw your best friends being mutated into monsters? I mean, what YOU would see as a monster."

She shook her head, waving her hat's tendrils around. "Why would Wo fear that? Wo's friends would be becoming stronger, evolving into greater existences. Wo would be happy for them instead. Same with Fleet Girls. Abyssals can be brought back from death, can breathe underwater, can withstand pressure even on the ocean floor, can control Abyss Energy more efficiently, and are stronger in general. Fleet Girls are not. Abyssals are the evolution of Fleet Girls. Wo does not understand why they choose to fight us instead of joining us."

One could argue those perks are paid for with brainpower for anyone not strong and lucky enough to become a battleship, but I chose not to continue the debate. I wonder if she'd still think that way if she was still a Fleet Girl. Regardless, we should probably run the second test with Akatsuki as soon as possible after the first is done; her sanity's going to drain pretty fast after this, the most merciful action would be to use Abyssimilation as brain bleach for her.

Other than that little mishap the day has been relatively uneventful. However, as I lay in bed trying to get some rest, Akat's face of pure terror stay burned into my mind. For a moment I pondered, how would I have reacted to seeing someone dear to me floating in a canister like pickled animal specimens and mutating into alien creatures? Probably very violently. Yet while to Akat her friends were turning into monsters, from a different perspective we were evolving them, making them stronger, semi-immortal even, as Willow had said. The only potential downside would be mentally, due to amnesia and minor psychopathy, but if what was claimed in that news article was true, isn't Construction into a Fleet Girl almost the exact same thing? And as Vicky said, all Fleet Girls will inevitably die and naturally become Abyssals, we sort of ARE doing them a favor by manually converting them in a way that at least preserves their intelligence and personality. Wait, Fleet Girls don't physically age after Construction, doesn't that mean they COULD potentially live forever?

Ugh, this is going to be another sleepless night isn't it. Guess I'm going to the beach again.

Ran into someone I least expected to. As I walked along the sandy shore, hoping to relax to the soft sound from crashing waves and the cool embrace of the ocean wind like I often do during nights like this, I noticed a familiar figure in the distance. He was staring out into the horizon under the star-filled heavens, standing tall in parade rest, beard and coat flowing in the breeze, just like on the first day.

After a moment of consideration, I walked over and stood beside Anton. We looked out into the dark ocean together for a few minutes, the rustling leaves and ocean waves filling the void of our silence. Finally, confirming that he won't be starting any conversations, I spoke up.

"It's her birthday next week."

I felt him give me a sideways glance, but I kept looking forward.

"My daughter, Charlotte. It'll be her tenth birthday next Friday. The big One O. Shame I can't be there with her. At least I know she'll have a big party with her new step-dad, one that I wouldn't be able to afford. All I can do now is sit here, hoping my best wishes can reach her somehow."

We said nothing for another while.

"So, how old is yours this year?"

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke. "Nineteen. As she will forever be."

No more was said, and after a few more minutes I took my leave.

Log Entry 10 – 21/5/20XX, Monday

The team and I (sans Vicky, who's been waking up much earlier than the rest of us every day for the past week) had just arrived outside the lab after breakfast, expecting another regular work day. Damn did Vicky have a surprise in store for us.

When the door opened, all I saw was a blur of white before I found myself tackled to the ground. Thinking it was another attack from an upset Abyssal, my first reflex was to try shoving the attacker off, but she was far too strong; when I got a good look at my assailant however, what I saw wasn't a face of malice, but a playful smile on a familiar yet different face.

"Nice to meet you Commander! You can rely on me from now on, okay?"

Everyone else's initial shock quickly turned to amusement as the situation cleared up, trying to stifle snickers or just outright laughing at the sight of a grown man held down by a teenage girl (Marquis later said it was mistaking me for someone of such high authority that they found funnier. Wankers.)

"Get off him Rai, he's not your commander, not even close." Even Vicky can't help but grin. Standing beside her was Recette, laughing her ass off, and my attacker's sister, trying to hide her own smile.

Turned out our two test subjects had been completely Abyssimilated already and Vicky released them early to surprise us. The Raiden Sisters was the nickname Trales made up for them, and despite Vicky's minor protest about it sounding like some video game character, we ultimately agreed upon it. As Rai meant thunder and Den meant lightning, Rai and Den were our new names for Ikazuchi and Inazuma respectively (admittedly their FG names were quite a mouthful).

Physically, they differed little from Recette (Vicky called her over to meet her new pals) besides their tails, the heads of which have large angular protrusions on the sides, making them resemble anchors instead of a smooth snake jaw. The real difference was more than meets the eye.

After a quick check of their physical condition, we led them down to the training area to test their Abyss Energy output. Rai and Recette pranced down the hallways with great enthusiasm, chatting with each other non-stop; strangely, Den didn't seem nearly as energetic, just walking along behind us. Perhaps it's just her personality being carried over, as is often the case for battleships, though something else seemed off to me; while Rai had taken her new body completely in stride as if she'd been that way her whole life, Den seemed more self-aware, staring at her own pale skin and tail whenever she thought no one was watching, and even stumbled on occasion from her new feet. Then of course there was her eye; both of Rai's eyes had changed from amber to magenta, but Den's right eye remain unchanged. It was still fully functional though so we chalked it up as a minor "defect".

We met up with the engineers (they'll be making special equipment for the two) and Willow (to coach the two on activating their Auras) and set up equipment in the firing range, with Rai in the middle of a ring of insulated machinery, connected via conducting wires. While we covered most of the floor and walls with plastic already, everyone else still stepped outside behind the aerogel barrier just in case.

And so the suspense began. We waited as Willow tried her best to teach the girl (which took awhile since Rai was pretty bad at following instructions), wondering just how much power the new Re-Class can generate; a hundred volts, a thousand, ten thousand? Can she even produce electricity like we expected at all?

Our internal doubts were cleared when the girl suddenly erupted into electric power with a deafening crack of thunder; violet lightning arced from her body, scorching the plastic wherever they struck. The power died down after a few seconds, though sparks continued to flow around her in a form of electric Aura. Rai started jumping with joy, and Vicky looked about ready to join her; three hundred thousand volts, the test was beyond a success.

Den proceeded to one-up her sister, reaching five hundred thousand volts. She gazed down at herself while we looked over the data, a look of awe, and was that a tinge of excitement I saw in her eyes?

Jackson whistled while looking through the print-outs. "Well I'll be, those cute little tesla coils pack quite the punch, good work fellas! Heck, I'd say the first thing we should be making would be-"

"RAILGUNS."

"What was that?" We looked at Sakuri, who was in turn staring intensely at Rai, who was entertaining Recette by generating sparks from her fingers.

"RAILGUNS. WE ARE MAKING RAILGUNS."

After the engies headed back, by popular vote, I was chosen to be the Raiden Sisters' main caretaker. They reasoned I'd be best for the job considering my parental experience and how much Recette likes me, but no doubt they just don't want to babysit, lazy wankers. Oh well, I don't really mind some extra company.

As their caretaker the others sent me to lead the two around the base for a tour, though honestly I barely know the place myself, so I got Recette to help me out. Been here for almost two months and it was only then that I realized how little I've seen of the place besides the lab, port and training area.

Since Rai was hungry, our first stop was the mess hall. Since we eat completely different foods, Abyssals have their meals in the mess hall down in the base while us humans have ours at the mansion. The place reminded me of my middle school's cafeteria, with chunks of metal instead of mystery meat, and pretty cyborg girls instead of wrinkly old lunch ladies.

After the girls each grabbed a metal sandwich (triangular slabs of steel with sheets of different metals in between) and a cup of diesel fuel, we headed through the port to the repair docks. For most light wounds, the Abyssals just sit in hot spring-like pools of nanobot serum for a few hours, though for more serious cases the wounded have to stay submerged in chambers of concentrated nanobot paste, much like the Raiden Sisters during Abyssimilation.

Even though they won't be using the barracks (Rai insisted on sleeping in my room and Recette followed suit after her, so I've got 3 new roommates now since Den's staying with her sister), we took a look there anyway. Much like college dormitories, the barracks were rows and rows of hallways with dorms fit into one side. Each dorm fit about 4 Abyssals, usually of the same ship class, and just like with their fashion senses, the battleships tend to decorate their dorms far more than the lower classes, some even putting stickers and signs on their doors.

Finally we dropped by the admirals' offices. There wasn't really much to see besides secretaries carrying stacks of documents up and down the corridors though. Each admiral has their own office that doubles as their living quarters. I've heard most of them rarely ever leave their offices besides to go to the meeting room at the end for strategic conferences.

Throughout the tour Rai looked at everything with wide-eyed wonder like a kid on her first visit to a museum, asking lots of questions, chatting up random Abyssals; Den also looked more relaxed than before and generally enjoyed herself, tagging along with a spring in her step. Watching the three play around without a care in the world, old memories of my own daughters inevitably rose up once more. Charlotte's hitting double digits at the end of the week and I'm out here in the middle of the ocean, hundreds of miles away. Wonder if they miss me, or are they enjoying the rich life too much to care. I should see if I can get Kennedy to send a postcard for me at least, let them know I'm fine and not to worry.

They're busy playing scrabble on Marquis' iPad right now (awfully nice of him to just give it to the kids), Den's going for her third win in a row. I'll have to get them to stop and go to bed after this round, little ankle biters their age shouldn't be staying up past midnight, even if they're alien cyborgs. Good thing the engies quickly assembled an extra bed for them, otherwise I'd have to sleep at the table. Ah, almost forgot, found another old article the other night while I was bored. I'll just attach this and go check on the kids, Rai and Recette are calling for me to break Den's streak for them.

News Article

During a recent defensive battle against the Abyssal invaders within the North Sea, Admiral Anton Kaiser of the German Navy was severely wounded from an explosion on deck caused by enemy fire. The victim's right arm has been completely severed, and third degree burns have been inflicted on the surrounding area. He is currently hospitalized under critical condition.

Highly decorated and revered within the navy before the alien invasion, Admiral Kaiser has become famous even amongst civilians as a war hero against the extraterrestrial threat, holding the fewest friendly casualties in any operation under his command and was responsible for the first live capture of an Abyssal creature by German forces. He is also the only German Admiral to personally command his own ship, the Beowulf, against the Abyssals at sea. Unfortunately his bravery has become his undoing during the recent sortie as a stray enemy shot impacted the vessel, causing an explosion that has critically wounded the Admiral and 3 crewmen, killing one.

Despite the damage, the Beowulf survived retreat back to port. Only 2 destroyers were sunk in the operation. Casualty numbers aboard the other vessels are currently unreleased.

Admiral Kaiser's daughter, Ms. Abigail Kaiser, has volunteered to participate in the Fleet Girl Project to honor her father's efforts and sacrifices to protect humanity. Little is currently known of the Fleet Girl Project, proposed by the mysterious and currently assumed friendly alien race known as the Faeries, only that it involves genetic modification of suitable human candidates, allowing the modified humans to wield alien technology capable of permanently damaging the Abyssal creatures. After extensive testing, it was concluded that only human females have a chance of being compatible, thus the naming of the project. Numerous suitable candidates have already been gathered by military from around the world, and Ms. Abigail Kaiser shall become the first German Fleet Girl.

"We are most proud of Admiral Kaiser's bravery and great leadership in our ongoing battle against the extraterrestrial threat." Said a military spokesperson during today's press conference. "The Admiral is currently kept hospitalized at a secure medical institution, cared for at all times by the best medical personnel we have available. We would also like to express the utmost gratitude to his daughter Ms. Kaiser for her volunteering into the Fleet Girl Project. We promise to honor her wishes to succeed in her father's duty and protect humanity against the Abyssal invaders with the best of our power."

Ms. Abigail Kaiser herself was not available for contact at the time of this article's writing.