Disclaimer: Kantai Collection (Kancolle), all of its characters, and musics belongs to their respected owner. The only things I own here is my OCs. This fanfict may or may not be canon. Besides that, I've got nothing else to say. So with that, please take a seat, grab your drink, pick your snack, and have a pleasant cruise (or read).
Chapter 6 "New Facility and Comrades"
"And here is the galley." Ren's voice resounded in the spacious facility. "This will be where the majority of your works take place. Behind that door is the refrigerator room where we put most of the supplies. Next to that is the storage room for the other supplies. Any questions?"
He then waited for the two fleet girls to react to his explanation. Since the two just stood there without showing any sign of it, he took that as a sign of understanding. With that, he moved onto the row of equipment.
"Here is the stove and there is the cooking equipment. You can use all of them as you see fit. Is there any question?" He turned back only to see that the two were still standing on their previous location with their mouth slightly opened. Seeing that, Ren couldn't help but shook his head in disbelief as he let out a big sigh. Behind him, his secretary, Wo, just stood without saying anything. "Wo-kun."
"Yes, Admiral?"
"Go stand near them. Get ready to catch them."
"Understood, Admiral." After giving a slight bow, the expressionless Abyssal followed his order and proceeded to stand near the two fleet girls.
"Unit 1 and 2, electrocute low-level."
"Command acknowledged."
"GYAAAA!" "KYAAAAA!"
The two let out a high-pitched scream as both of them felt electric current run through their body, shocking them completely. As soon as they stopped letting out a scream, their knees weakened and buckled down. But before they could hit the floor, they felt their arm being supported by someone.
"Nice catch, Wo-kun."
"Thank you, Admiral."
"Y-Y-You!" Harusame shouted at him while still being supported by Wo. "What's the big idea there!?"
"Why, to make you come back with us." Ren said to them without a hint of guilt. "You seem to be so mesmerized that I was afraid that you forgot to breath."
"E-Eh? Err…" Hearing that, the two averted their eyes while slightly blushing as their reaction was read by their captor clear as day. "I-It's just…"
"It's just?"
"…This is our…first time seeing such a sophisticated array of cooking equipment." Irako confessed while fidgeting slightly. "We…I was…amazed."
"Err…I was too." Harusame added. "I have only seen those kinds of things in the magazine on the lifestyle article."
"Is that so? I understand." Ren nodded several times as he said that. It was really understandable as he experienced the same things as them the first time he enter the galley. He was astounded to see so many high-tech industrial grade pieces of equipment in one single room. Although he didn't show an exact same reaction as theirs, he did still feel amazed at that time. "So I believe that the equipment available will be more than enough to help you do your job here. If not, do tell me. I'll see what I can do. Is that clear?" The two gave him a short nod. "Ah, before I forgot, let me ask you something, Irako-san."
"Y-Yes?" Clearly didn't expected to be questioned, Irako's answer came out as a stutter.
"Ah, take a seat first. You all look a bit unsteady." After saying that, Ren gestured Wo to help them take a seat. "Are you the one in charge of your previous base's meal schedule?"
"H-Huh? Oh, yes. Although not the one in charge, I managed it most of the time."
"Marvelous!" Ren clapped his hand at her answer, surprising both Irako and Harusame. "Then let's do it your way, shall we?" The two looked at him with confusion visible in their eyes.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Ah, it's like this, Harusame-san. I want the two of you to manage the whole base's meal schedule. From the time of meal, menu, even to the shifts schedule. I leave it all to you. And don't hesitate to ask if there is something you need. Just as I said before, I'll see what I can do."
"Is that…really okay?" Irako asked with a tone filled with uncertainty. "I mean, aren't you trusting me too much? Is this a trap?" Hearing that, Ren smiled behind his mask. He heard the expected response from her.
"That just showed how much I trust the two of you. I don't really care how you will take that. All I know is that I trust you with that. As simple as that." Ren then paused for a bit, judging their reaction. Both fleet girls showed nothing but uncertainty at what he just proposed. It was an expected reaction since they were suddenly being given such a large responsibility. And to make matter worse, it was a responsibility that directly affects the whole base.
After a while, the two just looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Ren let out a sigh after seeing that, startling the two.
"Then how about this, I'll assigned someone with you too. That will make it easier for you."
"Who will that be, Admiral?"
"Hmm…" At Wo's question, Ren started to consider the proper candidate for that task. "I think–"
A sudden noise stopped him mid-sentence. The four looked at the source of the sound and found that someone has opened the door to the galley.
"Ah, excuse me, Admiral. I didn't know you are here."
"That's okay, Wa-kun." At the sight of Wa lifting a couple of crates with her muscular hand, Ren felt that his answer came to him just in time. "Ah, Wa-kun, I have new order for you."
"Yes, Admiral?"
"Since you are already in charge of our guests here, you will also be in charge of managing the meal of this base together with them." Ren couldn't see her reaction since her face was hidden by the bizarre headwear of hers. "Don't worry, you will just be looking after them. Do you understand?"
"Yes, admiral!" Wa put down the crates and gave a salute.
"Good. Ah, is that the supply from the headquarter?" asked Ren as he noticed the crates again.
"Yes, Admiral. Oh, before I forget, you have guests, Admiral."
"Guests?" Hearing that, Ren looked at Wo to confirm. Wo only shook her head, confirming that the news is very recent. "Where are they?"
"I have sent them to your office, Admiral."
"Hmm, then we shall meet them quickly. It is not good to make them wait." Rent hen turned to look at Irako and Harusame that was looking at him. "Well, I will see you later then. Ask Wa if you need something. She will tell me right away."
"Hmm…nothing." Ren mumbled as he checked his tablet for any kind of notice or message while standing in front of his office. Seeing that there is nothing new, he felt slightly worried.
"What is it, Admiral?"
"There's no notification whatsoever from the Administration," said Ren as he put the table back into his pocket. "This is very unusual."
"It is, Admiral. Wo thinks so too."
"Have any guess?"
"Wo doesn't have any, Admiral."
"…Figures. Well, we'll find out sooner." Ren then placed his hand onto the hand print scanner. A quick flash came from the device, followed by a small beeping sound and then the door split open to their side. "Hmm?"
Ren looked inside and saw two figures standing with their back facing him. He examined the two as he walked inside. The two were clearly abyssal fleet girls due to their pale skin that showed from their outfit. But their outfit was so different that Ren felt slightly intrigued by it.
The first one had a lot of machinery strapped onto her body. She wore a pair of thigh high boots that had the same dark color as Ru's outfit. A lot of cable and mechanical part jotted out of her boots and traveled onto her short pants and chest piece that seemed to leave a lot of skin visible. Some have even reached onto her head piece that seemingly covers only the front, leaving her shoulder-length wavy hair freely fluttering. The only other addition to her outfit that looked kind of normal is her dark colored pair of gloves.
If the first one had a lot of skin exposed, the second figures had almost all of her skin exposed. The reason for that was because she only wore a black colored bikini. The dark colored material made her pale skin somewhat even paler. If that wasn't weird enough, Ren's attention was directed onto her arms. Although the first one wore a pair of gloves, it still looked somewhat ordinary. But the second figure's gloves–if you can call it that– covered almost the entirety of her arms. From her wrist onto the area around her shoulder, mechanical looking gloves covered it completely. There is even a metallic collar-like object that covered her entire neck area. The collar only stopped inches away from the edge of her short hair.
"The Admiral is taking too long!"
"Just wait, Ri-chan. Patient."
The two started talking without looking back. It was clear that they didn't realize that both Ren and Wo have entered the room. Feeling slightly mischievous, Ren signaled Wo to wait and they stayed close enough for them to hear the two's conversation but far enough to avoid being detected. His ever expressionless secretary only gave him a tilted head as a reaction to his action, but she still followed his unspoken instruction nonetheless.
"Maybe he is busy eliminating fleet girl with the other."
"Hah! I doubt he needed the others. Didn't you hear the rumor?"
"What rumor, Ri-chan?"
"The rumor about him being a monstrous beast that able to outclass any of the hime-class abyssal! What else? How can you not know that, Chi-chan?" The one called 'Ri' exclaimed to the one called 'Chi' with excited voice.
"Err…I thought that was just a rumor. I mean…there is no concrete proof of that, right?"
"Oh, come on. There you go again, going all sciency like that."
"It is called being logical, my dear gullible friend."
"Meh, suits yourself." The short haired one gave a shrug after saying that. "But think about it. To be an official leader of a group of abyssal that consists of elite level personnel. Do you think they will pick just anyone?"
"Usually, they won't. But, don't you think that there is still a chance that it might be just an ordinary character? Maybe even a weakling but with a slightly higher level of intelligence?"
"Or maybe a strong but stupid one?" The two then laughed out loudly at their own joke. "Man, I wonder what our Admiral will really be like."
"Yeah, I wonder too. Jokes aside, I'm quite curious too, Ri-chan."
"Then how about you turn around and found that out by yourself?"
"E-Eh?" "H-Huh"
At the sudden voice that entered their conversation, the two immediately turned around to see the owner of the voice. Their body stiffened at the sight of their commanding officer. Ri widened her eyes as Ren's figure entered her sight while Chi let out a voiceless gasp as she saw him.
The first time Ren saw the two, he was a bit surprised. But he realized that he wasn't as surprised as the time he saw Wa entered his office the first time. The reason was that the two have appearance that looked much normal to him compared to Wa's.
The one called Chi, although had a strange mask that covered the majority of her face, still looked like a normal girl. Her mask had only left the mouth part uncovered while the place where her left eye supposed to be is replaced with a camera-like orb. For Ren, her sight looked just slightly strange, but still less menacing than Wa that wore a bizarre headgear that resembles the upper part of a beast jaw.
If Chi looked normal, then Ri looked far more normal to Ren as she had no gear whatsoever that covers her face. If one could ignore her pale skin and her arms' equipment, she looked just like an ordinary bikini wearing young girl. There was no strange aspect of hers that Ren could pointed out.
"W-W-WAAAAHHHH!" "GGGYYYAAAAHHH!"
Surprised by their scream, Ren took a step back as his train of thoughts stopped. He looked at the two that had just fallen backward, hugging each other with trembling body. Their mouth was left opened and their face–Ri's face to be exact since Chi's face is covered by her mask– showed nothing but fear.
"I-I-It's here!"
"T-The Black Demon!"
Ren raised one of his eyebrows after hearing the strange nickname. As they threw a strange name at him, he felt strange. To be called scary and a demon by the one that is called the demons of the sea. It was such a strange experience that he didn't really know what to say about it.
"What did you just call me?"
The moment he asked that, their trembling worsened. He then realized that his question came out terribly fear inducing as he leaned his head toward them and asked with a rather cold voice. It was not his intention to do that in the first place, but he unconsciously used that tone as he was curious.
"N-N-Nothing!"
"W-W-We're sorry, sir! Please don't h-h-h-h-hurt us!"
"…" Their reaction made him frowned a bit. To him, their reaction somehow irritated him as he was just asking a simple question.
"Hiiii!" The two shrieked with fear all of a sudden. It baffled Ren as why the two suddenly let out that kind of sound. Unknown to him, his sudden change of emotion has shown onto his mask. Just like the time when he was angry at Harusame, few areas of his mask flared up. Although the color was not as vivid as that time, it was still a noticeable change for the two to realize that their conversation had done anything but pleasing the figure in front of them.
"P-Please don't kill us!"
"P-Please, sir!"
"…Huh?" Their plea for mercy only irritated him further, making the purple and white strips around his flared even brighter.
"Admiral." A voice then called him from behind. He glanced to his back and found that it was Wo's voice. "Please allow Wo to take care of this."
"…" He looked at the two cowering abyssal in front of him and then let out a sigh. "Very well." Wo nodded and walked to his side. The moment she showed near him, the two immediately shifted their attention toward her.
"Wo-neesama!"
"Wo-sama!"
"…sama?" Once again, Ren is baffled by their response. The difference of treatment she received was very baffling for the Abyssal Admiral that he couldn't help but widened his eyes that were hidden behind the mask.
"You two, calm down and introduce yourself properly."
"Yes, understood!" The two gave a very energetic response to her emotionless command. The change in their behavior was so sudden that it made Ren doubted his memory of them cowering in front of him. He then shook his head to calm himself slightly. Although still feeling baffled by their attitude, he was calmer than before.
"I am Torpedo Cruiser Chi!"
"I am H-Heavy Cruiser Ri!"
Although the short haired abyssal fleet girl stuttered, they still managed to introduce themselves just fine. Ren, instead of answering them, opted to just stand in silence for a while, trying to gauge their expression. And, just as he predicted, the two immediately lost their composure and started to show how nervous they were. Their whole body literally screamed 'nervous and scared' toward Ren. This made him let out yet another sigh. And just like before, that made the two flinched a bit.
"Tell me…" He then moved toward his desk, ignoring the girls' worry-filled gaze that was directed at him. After taking his seat, he looked at the two again. "What is your specialty?"
"S-Specialty, sir?"
"Yes, Chi-kun. Let' start with you." Being suddenly questioned like that, Chi's whole body stiffened. Her reaction was not missed by Ren and thus earned her another soft sigh. "Don't worry. Just speak your mind. I won't get mad or anything."
"Y-Yes, sir." Ren felt slightly annoyed that she was still stuttering. "U-Uhm…I…ehm…"
"Anything will do. Don't think too hard." But even after saying that, the mask wearing abyssal just mumbled incoherently, clearly doesn't know that to say. "Okay. Change of question. What is your favorite thing?"
"Favorite thing?" She then held her own chin and tilted her head from side to side. "My favorite thing…I guess…machinery?"
"Oh, a technician, are you?" Even without showing his face, Ren's voice was enough to show how pleased he was to hear that. "Go on."
"I can tinker with machinery…repair it, modify it, uhm…"
"Chi-chan can even develop new stuff." Her friend, Ri, added with a smile on her face.
"Is that so? Fascinating…indeed. Then how about you, Ri-kun?"
"I'm good with destroyers, sir!"
"Huh?"
"She means she can interact with the destroyers quite well, Admiral."
"Oh, is that so? Thank you, Wo-kun." After hearing the two's specialty, Ren tapped his finger on his desk as a few thoughts ran around inside his mind. After a few seconds, he then clapped his hand, surprising the two again. "Very well! Since I don't know your real ability, I will trust you on that for now. Chi-kun!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"You will be in charge of our factory. The one assisting you will be changed each week. You don't have to worry that you will work there alone. Do you understand?"
"Sir! Yes, sir!" Chi's voice was filled with excitement, making Ren' smiled behind his mask.
"Then Ri-kun! You will be in charge with the destroyers' daily expedition. You can lead them however you want, but I only have one instruction. Don't engage in battle without consulting to me. Try your best to avoid the fleet girls' patrol. Do you understand?"
"Sir! Yes, sir!"
"Good!" Ren stood up and then walked toward them. He then placed his hands on their shoulder startling them yet again. "Chi-kun, Ri-kun, welcome aboard! I expect nothing but the best from the two of you."
"Yes, Admiral!" Their shouts were accompanied by a firm salute. Ren felt quite pleased at what they have shown him. Although, he could still noticed a hint of fear and anxiety from their eyes –once again, Ri's eyes, since Chi's were covered completely– that reminded him of his time when he was in charge of training new recruit in the navy. The sudden memory that resurfaced in his mind disturbed his composure a bit, but thankfully he managed to regain that quickly.
"Good, good! Then for now, we should–" A sudden vibration from his chest pocket stopped his sentence. While a bit grumbling at the sudden disturbance, he took his tablet out and quickly read tapped the screen. "…Huh?"
"What is it, Admiral?" As usual, Wo was the first one that noticed his confusion.
"It's a message. From the Administration. Ah, please calm down, okay?" He put his hand forward as soon as he saw that the two newest members were showing sign of being startled and slightly excited. Because of that, he decided to stop them before they display their excitement in the open. "Two messages, actually."
"The first one?"
"It is about these two." Ren gestured toward the two, immediately startling them again. "Like I say, calm down." Inside his mind, he felt that the two might need some training to take control of their emotion. It was such a strange behavior an abyssal could show. For him, the image of an abyssal fleet girl is like Wo. Calm and cold, yet very efficient. But then the image of her being buried by boxes just because she wanted to get a box that she deemed to be interesting, he quickly doubted his level of understanding of them.
"Is it about their deployment here, Admiral?"
"it is, Wo-kun, but…that is not the strange one. The next one is."
"And that is?"
"It says that a new facility for the base has been completed. There's no more information after that. I, no, make it we, have to check on it." The tablet then shoved back into his chest pocket. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, Admiral" Wo then walked to his side as he stood up.
"W-Wait a minute!"
"Hmm? What is it, Ri-kun?"
"D-Did you mean we, as in, us two included?" Ri asked while gesturing at herself and her masked wearing friend. The one being pointed at also nodded to show that she also have the same question as her.
"Of course." Ren then walked passed them. But before he was far from them, he glanced back at them. "Aren't you curious? The Administration deliberately send me a message that contain no information whatsoever about it. What surprise will I, no, we see there?" He purposely made his tone as grand as he could. He then smiled behind his mask as he saw the girls' reaction to his provoking. "But if you don't want to, I won't for–"
"We will go!"
"A-Ah, yes." This time, it was his time to become the startled one as he didn't expect them to show so much enthusiasm. "Then, shall we?"
"We shall!"
"So…this is the place, right?"
"Yes, it is Admiral."
"Hmm…very…out of place?" He tilted his head to the other side as he appraised the thing in front of him. "Ugh…this is just unexpected."
"What is it, Admiral?" Ri's voice came from near him. "It's just a door."
"Ri-chan, it's a wooden door. An old looking wooden door." Chi quickly corrected her friend. "it is very different from the other doors in this base."
"Glad that I'm not the only one thinking like that."
"Then all we have to do is to open it, right?" Ri then walked toward the door. "Gyah!" A loud impact sound was made as the girl crashed onto the door directly. "What gives!?"
"…What are you doing?" Ren asked Ri who was rubbing her nose as it began to reddened due to the impact.
"Huh? I was going to enter the door but the thing is broken! It wouldn't open!"
"…Goodness." Ren muttered that as he shook his head. "Do you think it will open by itself?"
"Eh? Isn't all door supposed to be like that?" Hearing that, Ren let out a sigh. "It's not supposed to be like that?"
"Silly Ri-chan, you have to open it manually, you know?" Chi then walked next to her friend. Her tone that was dripping with confidence made Ri put on a pouting face, clearly irritated. "All you have to do is find the handle and then turn it. It's as easy as that, you know? Just like…this? Eh?" A sound of confusion came from her and then she turned toward her admiral. "Sir, I think this door really is broken."
"Huh? What is it now, Chi-chan?"
"There's no handle, sir."
"…Really now?" Ren could only mutter that as he shook his head once again. "Is that why you said that it is broken?" She nodded. "…calm down…calm down…it's not their fault…calm down…" Ren muttered as quiet as he could while his eyes were twitching behind the mask.
"Should Wo contact the Administration, Admiral?"
"…Forget it." He then walked forward onto the door. The two abyssal fleet girls instinctively parted away from the door, leaving it open to their superior. "Let's just…get inside." He then put his hand onto the small hole on the door and then moved his hand sideway.
As the door slid to the side, the sound of it sliding down on its rail was complimented by a surprise gasp from the two girls behind him.
"I-It opens?!"
"H-How!?"
"…" Ren couldn't say anything except just shook his head again at their reaction. Once again, he was amazed at how different their knowledge is compared to him. It was not exactly that they are lacking, it was just different from him. "…Get in."
"Oh, so we slide it manually?"
"Hmm…interesting. So the rail is not on the inside? Where is it?"
"Rail? You mean that stuff on the top?"
"Oh, right! It's on the top, yes, yes. Fascinating."
"Chi-chan, Chi-chan! There's some more on the bottom too."
"Bottom too? And there's no mechanism except that, right?"
"Well, since we just can move it like this…and this…this is kind of fun, hehehe."
"Let me try, Ri-chan….Oh, yes, it is, isn't it? To think that something as simple as this exists. And works!"
"…Calm down…calm down…" With a clenched fist, Ren turned around to look at the commotion and found the two girls were busily playing with the sliding door. To his surprise, he also saw Wo was near them, admiring the object. At that, he couldn't help but slapped his own forehead. "…Girls…leave the door. And just get inside…this instant!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"R-Right away, Admiral!"
While the two answered stutteringly, Wo just gave a short nod and then followed him inside.
"…This is going to be a pain…"
"It's…a pool?"
"No, Ri-chan, it is a steaming pool."
"Sheesh, technical stuff again. A pool is a pool!"
"Ah, but no pool will have so much steam like these are, Ri-chan. Small difference is a difference nonetheless."
"Okay, okay! Sheesh…you and your technical term."
Ren looked at the two bickering in front of him and felt another sudden headache rising inside his head. Once again, he muttered his usual mantra of 'calm down…calm down' over and over again. But he still felt his anger rising slightly.
"Admiral, is something wrong?"
"…Wo-kun…what do you see in front of you?"
"Wo see a large pool that produced a lot of steam, Admiral."
"…Does the term bathing come into your mind?"
"No, Admiral." Wo gave her answer without wasting a single second together with a short shake from her. "Wo doesn't know what bathing is, Admiral."
"…Ugh…my head." A short groan came from his mouth as he heard her answer. "I guess…that is to be expected. Chi-kun! Ri-kun!"
"Yes, Admiral!" The two that were busy bickering at each other while discussing the real identity of the object in front of them turned around in unison.
"Let me tell you the name of that object is…no, let me tell you the name of this whole facility is."
"Oh, you know it, Admiral? As expected!"
"Tell us!" A mixed emotion swelled inside his mind as he heard the two's excited voices.
"This whole facility is called a bathing facility. This area is the main bathing area. As you can see," Ren pointed at the rows of shower, "you can use that to clean yourself before entering onto the main bathtub," he then moved his finger to point onto the pool, "and that is the name of the steaming pool."
"Oh!" The three gave a unison voice of awed after hearing it from him.
"The place where we enter before is the changing place. You take of your clothes there and store your clothing article or anything inside the provided lockers." The image of grey colored steel lockers that stood in a long row came inside his mind as the explained that. It was such a modern looking piece of furniture for him. It was leagues away from his usual worn out looking locker he used in his previous base. "Just this time is okay, but the next time we enter this place, no one should use any kind of footwear."
"Admiral, a question."
"What is it, Chi-kun?"
"Then…we are to enter this place naked? Without any kind of equipment?"
"Correct."
"Err…but what about my mask, Admiral?"
"Huh?" He then realized that her question of 'without any kind of equipment' is referring to her unusual headgear. "If you can take it off, take it off. If not, don't."
"O-Oh, understood, Admiral."
"Wait a minute!" Ri's voice cut their conversation, which irritated Ren slightly. "E-Eh, I mean, I have a question, Admiral."
"…Go on."
"Does it mean that we have to clean our body ourselves, Admiral?"
"Huh?" Another strange question came into him unexpectedly. "What do you mean? How do you clean yourself usually?"
"Uhm, by entering that big green glowing tank. Err…what is the name?"
"It's Bio Cleanser Tube."
"Ah, right! What Chi-chan said."
"…Bio Cleanser…what?" Ren couldn't help but feel slightly amazed and confused at their answer.
"Admiral, it is a device that we the abyssal used for a quick clean."
"Is that so?" For him, just hearing the name was more than enough to impress him. "Wo, give me a detailed explanation later, understood?"
"Yes, Admiral ."
"Okay, so in here you have to do it yourself. Clean yourself thoroughly before entering into the bathtub to avoid dirtying the water."
"Admiral, why do we have to do it that way? Isn't that much more inefficient?"
"For that answer, Chi-kun, you must remember the main method of this experiment. Do you remember that?"
"The main method …Oh! Try to live the same way the fleet girl live their life!"
"So the fleet girls do this instead of using something like ours?" This time it was Ri that ask him the question.
"Probably."
"How inefficient…maybe there is some secret behind it."
"…Probably."
He could only give that answer as he never knew their way of life. But then just as he pondered that, he felt another vibration from his pocket. After he took out the tablet, he tapped the message icon and a through explanation was displayed. "Ugh…so many words."
"What is it, Admiral?"
"I've just got a message from the Administration and it seems to be…an explanation for the whole facility."
"E-Explanation? From the Administration!? A-Admiral!"
"Y-Yes?"
"C-Could I see it?"
"Err, sure? I guess?" Faced with the excited Chi, Ren gave his tablet to her. "Scroll down, the most of it is on the bottom."
"Yes!" After that, what came into Ren's mind was the sight of the masked abyssal fleet girl that was holding his tablet and reading the content of it while moving her mouth from time to time.
Without anything to do, Ren then came toward Wo who was looking around the place. Although still wearing her usual expressionless face, Wo's eyes carried a visible hint of excitement and curiosity.
He moved his sight slightly and then came onto the figure of Ri that was dipping her hand onto the pool. Seconds after that, she pulled out her hand with a surprised look on her face. She then repeated the same action again, but didn't pull her hand immediately.
Seeing those two's actions, Ren felt somewhat curious. How do they live before being assigned here? To not know something so simple as bathing was strange enough for him. But after hearing their explanation of a device that can be used to clean their body just by dipping into it has made it more bizarre for him.
At that, he even remembered that they have never eaten anything that can be considered real food by his standard. Both Ru and Ta have confirmed that they have been eating meal regularly, but not what he could call meal. It was just some brick-like or bar-like object that had no taste whatsoever. It was as if they lived like mindless army of robot. Together with their diet that also consists of fuel, he wouldn't be surprised if they were really robot.
"…Robot, is it?" The moment that particular phrase came into his mind, his mind shifted into another fact. The girls, Ru, Ta, and Wo, both exhibited a clear curiosity at how people's live their daily life. Something as simple as shopping was a trip that seems to be memorable for them. Cooking, although hazardous in the last time, still managed to become something interesting for them. Not to mention the eating of the food. They showed a very positive reaction to that.
With those facts, the term robot didn't suit them. For him, the term 'sheltered girls' suited them much better. It was like one of the story he read that depicted a story how a sheltered and enclosed human showed interest in every day and common object or activity.
"Are they…just sheltered human being?...No…their eyes flared up when they enjoy the meal…so...what are they? Really…mysterious."
"UUUWWWWOOOO!"
"E-Eh? W-What!?" Hearing such a loud shout all of a sudden, Ren shifted his gaze immediately to the source of the voice. It was none other than the masked abyssal fleet girl. Chi. While holding his tablet up high, she was screaming in excitement. He also could see a slight glow from her uncovered eye.
"W-What is it, Chi-kun?"
"T-The place!" His eyes then let out a laser like beam that moved from one place onto another in a very erratic manner. At first, Ren was alarmed as he doesn't have any information about the strange thing Chi was doing. He was afraid that it would harm any of them or even destroy the whole place. But then he was calmed down by Wo that taped his shoulder.
"Don't worry, Admiral. Wo can assure you that it is all right."
"R-Really?" He then shifted his eyes onto the laser emitting girl. "What…is she doing?"
"Scanning, Admiral."
"Scanning?" She nodded at him. "She could do that?"
"Yes, Admiral. One of her ability is to be able to scanned the area or object around her using that eye of hers. It is her special ability."
"Is that so? Amazing." He then tilted his head to the side. "And…what is she scanning for?"
"Wo doesn't know, Admiral. Wo suggest that we just–"
"FOUND ITTTT!"
"…ask her now…"
"…Okay? Are you perhaps…annoyed for not able to finish your sentence?"
"…Maybe." It was the first time he heard a vague answer from his usually direct and straight minded secretary of him. "Wo request for Admiral to forget about it."
"…Haha…granted." But inside his mind, he could never forget that moment. "Chi-kun! What do you find?"
"A-Admiral! T-T-There!" She then pointed at one of the door located on the far back of the room. "It's there!"
"What is, Chi-kun?"
"It! Ugh, j-just follow me!"
"W-Wait a minute!" All of a sudden, he was pulled by Chi with tremendous strength onto the direction of the door.
"OOOOHHHH! IT REALLY EXIST!"
"…Wow…"
Inside the room, the two were welcomed by a large metallic encased engine. On the front, a transparent sheet of glass protected it instead a plate of metal like the rest of it. A multitude of transparent tubes connected it onto the holes that decorated the whole wall. A stream of bluish and greenish liquid could be seen travelled on it. Sounds of gear grinding and piston moving could be heard from the inside of the machine.
"What is this?"
"This is the rumored Micro Nano Factory Mk. V and also the Paladin Class Generator Mk. IV!"
"The…what?"
"Okay, okay! Let me explain this." Chi let out a cough and then moved onto the big engine. "A Nano Factory is device that is used to produce nanites. Nanites are microscopic organism or mechanisms that can be injected into anything to mend or control. Those nanites then can be used for a variety of task from simple scouting and information gathering to performing nanosurgery that can reconnect material fiber from fiber. The impressive thing about the Micro Nano Factory MK. V is that a regular nano factory will need a space at least five times of this room. Compact, yet fully functional, it can produce a staggering amount of nanites per hours! If I'm correct, the production rate is about 20 million per hour. To make it even more impressive is that the machine can simulate a whole factory production line, from material collecting, storing excess material and waste, and also filtering the end product. For the material, it use a compound that can be made from a mix of metallic carbon type 125 and with biodegradable carbon type 334 while tampering them under a controlled environment that needs at least–"
"Okay! Stop!" Ren raised his hand, cutting the girl's explanation.
"Eh? But I was just getting to the molecular density and the chain chemical reaction of it. For your information, it uses a chain that has to connect molecule number–"
"Enough!" Ren stopped her again. Clearly not pleased being disturbed by him, she pouted. "I get it, I get it. The general explanation is enough for me."
"Sheesh…If you say so, Admiral."
"You have been only talking about the nano factory. So the generator is–"
"Oh! It is even more impressive! The Paladin Class Generator Mk. IV is a generator that use an almost friction-less turbine engine. The turbine itself is considered to be a very efficient micro-turbine. Those turbines, made with the best abyssal class V carbon steel, have a relatively low coefficient of friction that is less than 0.01. That is almost enough to be considered material that achieved superlubricity! The main theory behind it is the implementation of a magnetic force inside a zero gravity environment. Combined with the frictionless component, it will–"
"Time out!" Ren shouted once again after hearing Chi started to babble on and on about the technical stuff behind the next engine. He could feel his head started to throb after hearing just the first sentence. "You can give me detailed written report of it next time. For now, a short and brief explanation is more than enough."
"…Okay, Admiral." Her shoulders slumped down as he heard her superior's answer. Even without knowing the expression she made behind the mask, it was not a difficult task to know that she was disappointed. "I…will do that."
"Chi-kun." He called her, making her looked at him straight in the eyes. "You really like machinery and tinkering with them?"
"Eh? Yes, Admiral." Her voice contained slight confusion.
"I see." He nodded several times and then placed his hand on her shoulder. "It seems making you the one in charge of this base's technical matter is indeed the correct thing. I can see your passion in it just from your detailed explanation. Impressive is an understatement."
"E-Eh? I-It's not that special, Admiral."
"Nonsense!" He said that with a very firm tone. "You can identify the machine just from looks alone. Even if that might not be absolutely correct, you have shown that you really have some, if not a lot, knowledge in that subject. And for that, I expect you to give nothing but your best for this whole experiment."
Although that might sound cheesy even for him, it was nothing but honesty that came out of his mouth. The compliment might felt out of place with his bizarre looks, but it was still his honest opinion. Inside his mind, he hoped that Chi will not take that as an empty compliment.
"A-Ah, yes, Admiral!" Chi gave him a salute after hearing that. Inside Ren's mind, he felt relieved that the masked girl showed nothing but happiness at his compliment. "I will do my best, Admiral!"
"Good!" After that he pulled away from her and approached the machine. "But…why does something so sophisticated and high-tech be placed inside the bathing facility?"
"Oh! The reason is written down on the message, Admiral!" Chi then put forward the tablet she was holding form some times. "Here you go, Admiral."
"Ah, okay." After receiving back the tablet, he scrolled down the message and found it was as detailed as her explanation. Realizing that he was in need of a much briefer explanation, he turned toward the girl once again. "Chi-kun, give me the brief and short answer for the reason. Can you do that?"
"The brief and short version? Hmm…okay…Uhm…The nano factory is pumping the produced nanites into the bath water so that it can work directly under the water while the subject is submerged. The generator is used to power the factory and also to regulate the temperature of the bath water." After that explanation, she paused looked at the Admiral that has become quiet. "Is that enough, Admiral?"
"Very good, Chi-kun!" He clapped his hand, praising her. "Brief, yet very informative. Do that again next time. But you can be very detailed in your written report."
"Understood, Admiral."
"So…the nanites will help repair and recovery, eh? Very interesting." Ren tapped his chin as the information slowly seeped into his mind. "Very interesting indeed."
"It will help repair and recovery in a very short amount of time."
"Oh, is that so?"
"It is, Admiral. With the amount of nanites being pumped out, it is very possible that it might even be able to regrow limbs in record time."
"Regrow limbs? Really?" She nodded at his question. "That is…beyond impressive. Once again, The Administration didn't fail to impress me and scare me at the same time."
"Indeed. With this, the whole bath has become a very large recovery place. But…"
"What is it, Chi-kun?" Hearing a confused tone coming from her, Ren shifted his eyes toward her. "Something's wrong?"
"I still don't understand why we have to do it in warm water. I mean, does that even have any benefit to us? The most important thing is just to recover and be ready to work again, right?"
"Ah, for that question, you have to experience it yourself. Isn't experiencing something new is exciting?"
"Oh! Right! Right!" She nodded her head excitedly after hearing the term 'something new' from her superior. "As expected, you have a very broad mind, Admiral. No wonder The Administration picked you!"
"Ah…right." He was at lost for how to react to her comment. Because of that, he just stayed silence. "By the way, Chi-kun. Are you able to operate these two machines?" Ren asked while pointing to the machines' control panel and screen.
"Hmm…let me see." She then approached it and started to look at it intensely. "…temperature…stream control…energy redirection…I probably can do it, Admiral. It's not that complicated. After a short study, I'm sure I can do it."
"Good." Inside his mind, his impression of the girl increase more and more. To have someone that con operate something sophisticated like those made his mind a bit more at ease. "Hmm?" A sudden buzz came from his ear. Then a name popped out on the corner of his eyes. "Ta-kun?"
"What is it Admiral?"
"A call from Ta. Wait a minute. Connect."
"Ah, Admiral!"
"What is it, Ta-kun?"
"We have a situation here, Admiral."
"Huh? Give me the report."
"Uhm, in short, our stock is depleting fast, Admiral. The destroyers' result has been less than usual. Ru and I fear that it might be because the source is drying out, Admiral."
"Drying out? Hmm…that is possible."
"What should we do, Admiral? At this rate, our stock will only be enough for 5 days at most."
"That is…anything but good. Hmm…" Ren frowned behind his mask, clearly worried. Without proper material, the base might shut down and that is not a happy thought. He considered asking for The Administration for some assistance, but he doesn't know when will that be available. "Ugh…let me think about it for a while. Do a recheck if possible."
'Understood , Admiral. Ta signing out." After another buzz, the sound of connection between them closed came into his ear.
"What's the matter, Admiral?"
"Uhm,…let's get back to Ri-kun and Wo-kun first."
"Ah, Admiral, you've come." Ru's voice came at Ren's group as he entered the warehouse. "And…oh, I seem to remember the two of you from back then."
"M-Ma'am! I'm Torpedo Cruiser Chi! And this is my comrade…"
"H-Heavy Cruiser Ri, Ma'am!"
"Ah, right, right. We've been in the same training regiment, right?" Ru gave them a smile as she responded to their salute. "It seems that we will be in the same base in the mean times. Let's work hard together."
"Yes, Ma'am!" The two gave their salute in unison. When they did that, Ren noticed that they gave her a look of adoration, similar to the one they gave to Wo. This made Ren thought a bit about their previous livelihood.
"What is it, Admiral?" Seeing their admiral just stood there in silence, Ru decided to ask him. "Is there something wrong?"
"…Nothing. Don't mind it." He waved away his hand, asking her to just forget about it.
"Ah, maybe our admiral is worried that his place will be taken by Ru-chan here." A voice came from behind Ru. He white haired girl smiled mischievously as she said that. "Ru-chan is very famous among the other abyssal. Isn't that right, Chi-chan and Ri-chan?"
"Y-Yes, it is!"
"Hmm? Oh so Ru-kun is a famous abyssal, is it?" Hearing that, his interest was pique. "No wonder both Chi-kun and Ri-kun showed so much respect for her."
"I-It's not like that, Admiral."
"Oh, but that's the truth, Ru-chan." Hearing the direction of the conversation, Ta's mischievous smile went wider. Her target has changed from the Admiral to her fellow battleship abyssal. "No abyssal would not recognize the name Battleship Class Ru. Her brave sight of fighting those fleet girls without showing a hint of fear. Dodging torpedoes after torpedoes. Isn't that right, girls?" At Ta's rather exaggerated narration, the girls nodded excitedly. This just made the black haired battleship blushed while trying her best to not show it on her face.
"I-It's just over exaggerated information." She then let out a cough to recomposed herself. "Enough of that, we have a situation."
"Hehehe…if you say so." Ta grinned at her friend, which earned her a glare from her. "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself to the new girls. I'm–"
"Battleship Class Ta, right?" Ri answered her with the same excited voice as before.
"E-Eh? Yes. You know me?"
"Of course! You are one of the flagships of the abyssal earliest fleet that break through many fierce battles. Nicknamed as the White Battleship, you are a very famous person too that rivaled Ta-neesama fame."
"I-Is that so? Hahaha…" Not expecting that kind of compliment, Ta looked quite lost at what to say to them. "Nice to hear that they recognized me too."
"Of course you are!" This time, it was Chi that said that. "Together with Ru-sama, the Black Battleship, and Wo-sama, the Grey Carrier, you three are known as the Original Three!"
Hearing that name, both Ru and Ta wore similar uncomfortable expression. But they just smiled wryly at the two girls that have announced their fame like it was their job. No matter how uncomfortable they feel hearing that name, they couldn't say anything toward the girls that were saying that without an inch of ill will.
"….Uwah…" Ren who was standing near them could only let out that sound. He then shifted his eyes to Wo that stood near him. She averted her eyes immediately. "Grey Carrier?"
"…Wo asks that you refrain from using that name, Admiral. Wo feels…somewhat strange hearing that."
"….Whatever you say," he paused for a while before continuing, "Grey Carrier Wo."
"…Admiral…" Ren noticed that Wo's eyes twitched a bit after she heard that name coming from his mouth. Although feeling that it will be fun to tease the three, he put that thought aside as they need to concentrate on the task at hand.
"Okay, okay. Let's stop that for now." After a clap of his hand, the girls stopped their conversation. As their attention has turned onto their Admiral, he looked at the white haired battleship. "Ta-kun, have you recounted the whole stock again?"
"Yes, sir. But…it is just as we fear. We really need to find a solution in less than 5 days."
"Hmm…then if the real reason is that our current resource is nearly dry, we should look for another source. But…is it possible for the destroyers to do that?"
"If by themselves, it might be difficult and inefficient. But if someone could lead them, the chance will be much better."
"Someone to lead them? Hmm…Oh! Ri-kun, you can do it." The girl in question looked at Ren with an excited expression. "Are you up to it?"
"Yes, Admiral!" A salute accompanied that shout of hers. "I will not disappoint you."
"Excellent! Now since all of you are here, well minus Wa-kun since she has different responsibility I will formally announce that the base's technical matter will be handled by Chi-kun here and the destroyers' mission and such will be handled by Ri-kun. I hope there is no objection, yes?" They all nodded at his words. "Ah, good. Wo-kun will remain my secretary while Ru-kun and Ta-kun will remain in charge of the warehouse. The only thing that will be in shift is the kitchen duty. I will post the schedule later on. Yes, Ri-kun?"
"What is kitchen duty?"
"You'll cook the food." Ru answered her.
"Cook? What's that?"
Hearing that, the scene from the kitchen not long ago resurfaced within Ren's mind. Together with that, a throbbing headache again. But he endured that and tried to explain it to them.
"You see, cook is a–"
"Attention whole base, it is lunch time. I repeat, it is lunch time."
"….On second thought, I'll let you experience it by yourself." A smile grew behind Ren's mask. Just like him, Ru and Ta also let out a small smile while Wo kept a stoic face. But if one looks carefully, one could notice the excited glint in her eyes. Looking at them, both Chi and Ri felt somewhat confused but still excited at what they will see.
And just as he expected, the galley that day showed a very hilarious sight of the newly recruited girls shoved their face with as much food as possible, complete with their own set of glowing eyes. Of course, this sight baffled Harusame and Irako that didn't expect that.
"Is that all, Wo-kun?"
"That is all at the moment, Admiral." Ren leaned onto his chair and stretched his back.
"Ah, good, good." He then pulled out his tablet. "Oh? Several notices?" Tapping onto the mail icon, several windows opened up. "…Missions, eh?"
"What kind, Admiral?"
"Material collecting, scouting, training, and…err…"
"And?"
"…battle with the fleet girls. Ugh…" Ren massaged his temples as he said that. No matter what have happened, he still find it difficult to fight the vanguard of humanity against the abyssal threat. "…Can I leave it to you guys for this? I feel…somewhat uncomfortable."
"Understood, Admiral." Wo gave a short nod. "But Wo suggest that you fix that problem since this will be inevitable in the near future. Especially if The Administrator sends some of the Hime class abyssal here."
"…That reminds me, Wo-kun. What is the Hime class?" Ren fixed his sitting posture and leaned onto his elbow while asking that. "Is there any difference then any of you girls?"
"Wo doesn't really know the exact detail. But in short, they are considered to be a special existence among the abyssal rank. They are not exactly the strongest since any abyssal can be the strongest, but the weakest of them is still considered to be one of the strongest."
"…That…is very impressive…and scary." He felt cold sweat coming out of his forehead as he heard her explanation. "And their appearance? I remembered that you told me they are…very unique."
"Indeed they are, Admiral." A nod came from her. As Wo only meet a few of them, Wo's opinion might not be correct."
"Then? What's your opinion? I'll go with yours at the moment since I don't have any other information."
"They are unique and interesting, appearance-wise and ability-wise. Ah, Wo remembers something that is very much different from the usual rank abyssal."
"Frankly, I'm afraid to ask what that is." Ren let out a sigh and braced himself for anything. "Give it to me."
"Understood." Wo nodded and looked at him. "They have…a companion, if that term is fitting."
"Companion?"
"Each and every one of the Hime class abyssal have at least one loyal companion that will assist them in battle. Those companions are…very strong and…sometimes brutal."
"Brutal?" A silent gasp came out of his mouth. "As in…ability-wise?"
"Ability-wise…and appearance-wise."
"…Oh great…just great…" Ren held his head as he heard that explanation. "…So that's why you said that Wa-kun's appearance is much normal compared to them?"
"…Yes, Admiral."
"Ugh…I hope that we will not get any of those any time s–" A sudden vibration from his pocket made him unable to complete his sentence. "…Please…anything but that…"
After uttering a silent prayer, he pulled out the tablet and tapped the icon on the front of it. With a trembling hand, he scrolled down the screen and then looked at the title of the message. As soon as his eyes fell on the words that made up the title, his face paled and his mind went in a panic.
"Admiral?" Noticing her admiral has been silent and acted very worryingly, Wo asked him. "Is that from…The Administration?"
"…Wo-kun…"
"Yes, Admiral?"
"Please give me all information you have about the Hime class abyssal. As complete as you can."
"…Understood, Admiral." Wo gave him an understanding nod.
"Thank you, Wo-kun. But…let me take a short break." Ren then leaned back onto his chair again, letting his head faced the ceiling of his office. A heavy sigh escaped from his mouth, showing how tired he was.
"…The Administration send one of them, right?"
At Wo's question, Ren didn't gave an immediate answer. He just remained in silence. His secretary waited patiently beside him, not pushing the matter any longer.
"…Oh how wonderful if that is the case, Wo-kun." A short mocking giggle came from him. It was not really sure the target of the mocking, but Wo just stood there.
"Then?"
"…No, they didn't send one here." Ren then returned to his previous position. "It will be much better if that is the case." The same phrase came from his mouth again. "They will…"
"They will…?"
"…send three at once…Tomorrow."
*In an unknown part of the world
N: That was one large meal we have!
C: You can say that again, sir. And to think that the management sent a lot of those here.
N: From what I've heard, it was because they received such a large amount of from one of the vendor.
C: Sir, that is…strange, right? I mean, to have a connection with company in food production?
N: Well…the management is…how do I say it? A multi business corporation? Maybe…Ah, forget about it. Whatever business the management deal with, as long as we are paid, I don't have any complaint.
C: Hmm, I guess you're right. Oh, a message! From…Ka-san?
N: You have her number?
C: I have, sir. From Yo-san. She said that it will be more convenient to have. And…oh, she's here! In the entrance!
N: Well? What are you waiting for? Let's get her and get the show on the road!
C: Sir, yes, sir!
N: Okay….since we got some new equipment, might as well use it, right? So…this button, and this, and this, and this. All set!
C: Sir, she's here.
N: Right! Take your position!
C: Yes, sir! Oh, you've already set up the equipment! Nice one, sir!
N: Hehe! Don't think I don't study the new equipment! Okay, give me the cue, Camera-kun!
C: In 3…2…1…Action!
N: Heeeelllloooo! You are, once again, with N-san here and Camera-kun there! Welcome to the little corner at the end of the show! Before we start, we need…our guest! Camera-kun!
C: Yes, sir! Door open!
K: O-Oh, it opens. Hello the–
N: Spotlight, pleeease!
K: WAAAH!
N: Ladies and gentlemen! Our guest for today! The always cool and collected deep sea prowler, Submarine Class Ka-san!
K: W-W-What?
N: Please greet the audience, Ka-san.
K: O-O-Oh, y-yeah. H-Hi!
N: Uhm…not too energetic, but no matter! Welcome, Ka-san to our place! How are you today?
K: Fine…a bit startled, but fine. Really, N-san, didn't expect something like this all of a sudden.
N: Well, we tried it with Yo-san the other day and she like it. So we figured, why not make this a habit? Besides, this will make us more pumped up.
K: I guess…I'm just not used to this.
N: Don't mind it. Okay, let's start with the first question, shall we? Ka-san, I heard from Yo-san that you've been busy. Is that right?
K: Indeed, I have. The Administration is making a lot of stuff for this new base. Because of that we are in high alert since the work has been going on day and night. In fact, after this, I have to get back to my job immediately.
N: Uwah, busy, aren't you? So…may I know what kind of stuff are we talking about here? If it is confidential, please feel free to refrain from answering.
K: Hmm…it's not that confidential. I guess for the safe side, let's just say that the Administration is seriously equipping the base with a lot of things. They really take this experiment seriously.
N: Very interesting news, Ka-san. I guess we can expect a lot of things for the future.
K: That's correct, N-san. I have to say that I'm very eager to see the experiment move along.
N: Is there any other Abyssal that will get into the base?
K: I haven't heard any news about that. But judging from the scale of the expansion,, the chance is that the base will be filled with a lot of us.
N: Probably they will come gradually, right? I mean, to accommodate a large number of personnel, the base will certainly need a lot of facility.
K: Oh, for sure, for sure. That's why I said there will be a lot.
N: Okay, so next question. Have you meet with your admiral yet?
K: Ah, I was wondering when will you ask that. Sadly, I have not. I guess he is just too busy. If I'm this busy, I don't know how busy he is.
N: True, true. Okay, I guess that's all for the question. Next, we will have this. Camera-kun!
C: Yes, sir! One screen, coming up!
K: Oh, now you have a screen installed. Nice.
N: A new equipment the Administration send to us. Well, let's read the letter, shall we? First, it's from… GreyMan19! Thank you for following the show there! Let's see…hahaha…it is quite amusing, no?
K: Who is this Harusame? I never heard that name before.
N: Oh, it is the fleet girl inside the base.
K: Oh, is that so. No wonder I haven't heard that–Eh? There's a fleet girl in the base? Inside the base?
N: You don't know, Ka-san?
K: No! I mean, how? I mean, ugh…Is that really true?
N: it is.
K: ….I really need to get back to the base.
N: Okay, so let's move on to the next one. It's from diokun! Thank you for following the show and also for the compliment! And next is from…oh, a regular! Mr. Haziq! Thank you! And don't worry, you're not the only one. I also fear them.
K: Heh, even us, the Abyssal, fear them. We still don't know the extent of their claw on this planet.
N: Oh, really?
K: Who wouldn't? I mean, they have a lot of information, their power is amazing, and don't let me start on their way of command. It's baffling, scary, and brilliant at the same time.
N: You mean when you battle?
K: When we battle. They are very precise. I mean, somehow too precise. Kind of scary.
N: Agreed, Ka-san. Well, I guess that's all for today's show! Thank you for being here, Ka-san.
K: You're welcome.
N: We will contact you again later.
K: Okay.
N: Well, there you have it, folks! Please send us your comment (aka Review). Thank you for watching, have a nice day, and stay healthy, everyone! We'll be seeing you later! Bye!