Dishui Base
The shipgirls and Zhao were transported back towards the sea, this time via Z-25. The base has been placed at the easternmost region of Shanghai, on a square structure reaching in the man-made Dishui Lake, connected to the edge of the lake by two bridges. The Shanghai Lingang New Town Expo Center stood nearby, also rebuilt.
After dropping them off next to a building, the jet headed back to a military base. The area is crowded with people. Looking around, Yat Sen could see the Paramount Leader, Zhou Yi, and the National Defense Minister, Ouyang Kemeng, escorted by the Presidential Guard. Many marines, army soldiers and various military officers are also present. They are tasked with holding back the civilians and journalists.
"We sure are popular, desu," Kongou said as she waved at the shipgirl fans, "we won't let them down."
"I wonder where the base is," Akatsuki said, "they said similar to the Shikotan base in size."
A hand tapped Yat Sen on her back.
"Huh?" she said as she turned around.
She was greeted by the sight of a grinning zombie with pale skin, bloodshot eyes with dark bags under them and a scary smile. Yat Sen screamed and slugged it in the face. The man was knocked a metre back. He didn't move after hitting the ground.
"Wait a minute," Tenryuu said, "isn't that…the Pilot Officer?"
"Ah, this is not good," Zhao facepalmed, "in front of the media and our leaders."
"Pilot Officer," Yoshimura pulls him off the ground, "you okay?"
"Shit," Sima swore, "this is the second time."
He adjusted his glasses, "At least these didn't break."
"What was that about?" asked Zhou Yi.
"I thought he was a Jiangshi," Yat Sen muttered, "with the pale skin, bloodshot eyes and all."
"I think my jaw is dislocated," Sima said, "nope, just bruised."
"You do realize that you are on every television set in China, right?" asked Ouyang, "don't trash the name of Chinese shipgirls."
"Yes sir," Yat Sen bowed slightly, "I am sorry. But why does he look like that?"
"He stayed up the whole night," Yoshimura explained, "trying to understand shipgirl magic in a scientific way."
"How did he go?" asked Kaga skeptically.
"He claims he understands a few more things," Yoshimura replied, "and he said he won't be giving up."
"That's cool, desu," Kongou laughed, "people like that are awesome."
"Where is the base?" asked Zhao.
The Paramount Leader pointed at the structure behind them. Turning around, the shipgirls look at the large building behind them. The large structure is two stories tall, about the same size as a small apartment block. The building is quite bland.
"Eh?" Akatsuki said, "But Zhao said the size of the Shikotan Base."
"Yeah," Zhao said, "Sima told me this."
"The land area is the same," Sima shrugged, "and isn't that what I said?"
"Now that you mentioned it," Tenryuu nodded, "the land occupied is of the same area, but…"
"We have human staff here," Sima said, "from all branches of the military. They have to be accommodated too, you know."
"Supporting shipgirls with conventional forces," Yoshimura said, "nobody does that anymore."
"We won't be fighting on our own," Yat Sen said, "because that is not the way we do things here in China."
"What are we doing now?" asked Zhao.
"We will have a tour of the facilities," said Sima, "with the media and the political leaders."
The shipgirls, officers, politicians and the journalists walk through the front door, entering a massive lobby. The lobby itself has a very high ceiling, separating the upper floor. A large staircase allowed passage to the upper floor. For a military installation which was built in the space of one day and night, it is large and extravagant. The floor is marble, as are the pillars which supported the ceiling from the lobby.
They are greeted by a young woman wearing a linen shirt and trousers covered with a lab coat, accompanied by several fairies. Although she did not appear to be older than eighteen, she seemed to be an important figure. Her pretty face was all smiles until she saw the Pilot Officer. Neither the younger shipgirls nor the ditzy ones noticed the contempt which briefly flashed across the woman's eyes. But Sima and Yoshimura did. As did Tenryuu and Kaga.
"Welcome to the Dishui Naval Base," she announced, "I am Professor Liang Baoyu and I will be leading you on the tour."
"Who is she?" asked Yoshimura.
"Professor Liang Baoyu," Sima replied, "a theoretical physicist who has a few science degrees from different universities under her belt. The cover girl for female intellectuals and feminism in China. Not bad for someone who is twenty seven."
"She's twenty seven?" Tenryuu asked.
"She looks seventeen," Kaga remarked.
"Probably the make up!" Zhao laughed obnoxiously, "That and maybe Korean cosmetic surgery. She probably doesn't understand Japanese so-"
"I speak five languages," Liang interrupted sharply, "and Japanese happens to be one of them. So watch your mouth, you manimal."
She turns back to the political leaders, who didn't understand the heated exchange, and smiles again, "Shall we begin?"
"I thought Sima was a jerk," Tenryuu muttered as they followed Liang, "but this girl takes it to a new level. Though the Officer Cadet did start this."
The cruiser turns to Kaga, "What do you reckon?"
Kaga thought for a few seconds before simply saying, "She is a Christmas cake."
Tenryuu, Yoshimura and Zhao snorted and tried to suppress their laughter while the younger shipgirls and Sima were perplexed.
"That's the sickest burn ever," Zhao said, "and I have seen my fair share of them."
"Pay attention to me," Liang warned, "this tour is important."
"What is the matter?" asked Zhou, not understanding the Japanese exchange.
"Ah, nothing, sir," Liang said, "let's go."
"Hurry up," a Presidential Guard said, his voice robotic due to the speakers, "the Paramount Leader also has to visit the new cities built inland."
"Okay," Liang said, "the most important part of the building, the Commanding Room."
The crowd follows the professor as she headed to a door to the left. Opening the door, she herds the people in before entering herself. The room has rows of computer terminals, some of them with up to five monitors. A massive holographic table stands at the opposite end of the room. It projected a three dimensional map of the waters east of Shanghai, which provided light in the dark room.
"This is the Command Room," Liang said, "and as the name suggests, it is where shipgirl operations are coordinated. The commander of the shipgirls can monitor the shipgirls from here and give them orders. These terminals are not activated yet, but they will play part in the operations."
"What are these?" asked Yat Sen.
"Not sure," Sima replied, "but some of them look like drone control terminals."
"Drones?" asked Yat Sen.
"Aircraft with no pilots," Sima said, "we control them from the ground. You saw them attack the Re-class battlegroup."
"This is advanced stuff," Yoshimura said, "it reminds me of the headquarters of Yokosuka."
"Next, the factory," Liang said, "where the ships are built and upgraded."
The crowd leave the control room and follow the professor to the other side of the building. Opening the door, Liang reveals a massive room. The first thing that caught their attention is a large tray like depression at the centre. A series of indentations surrounding a yin-yang symbol. Pipes led drained into the indentation. At three sides of the rooms, massive vaults of metal lined the walls.
"What is this?" asked Akatsuki as she looked over the setup.
"A ba gua," Tenryuu said, "but what for?"
"Simple," Yoshimura replied, "the shipyards don't just build the shipgirls body. They need the soul of the ship. In Japanese shipyards, a Torii is used to beckon the spirit to this world. I imagine the ba gua, a similarly important symbol in Chinese mythology, does the same."
Sima cast a glance to the Japanese, taking a mental note of what they said.
"Well then, Mr. Defense Minister," Liang said as she pointed to a control panel in front of the depression, "shall we construct our first ship?"
"How?" asked Ouyang.
"Shipgirls are made of four substances," Liang replied, "steel, fuel, ammunition and bauxite. You can allocate the resources to ship building. More resources means the chances of getting a big warship increases. But it isn't absolute. You can put in 2000 of each resource and only get a destroyer."
"Like an RPG game," Ouyang said, "right?"
"Yes," Liang said, "but I advise a small number because the Chinese didn't get any large ships until more recently. Fifty of each is what I suggest. That is the amount given for construction of destroyers."
"Well then," Ouyang said before asking Zhou, "fifty of each?"
"Fifty of each," Zhou nodded, "the Chinese only had antiquated protected cruisers in the era where shipgirls come from. No point putting in more."
"Fifty of each it is," Liang smiled, tapping the control panel several times, "now we have to go outside. When the shipgirls soul comes in from which ever dimension, we get large amounts of radiation. The nature of which is not known, despite research by Western scientists."
After everyone evacuated from the rooms, the layers of sliding metal doors shut.
"That is a lot of layers," Sima remarked.
"Don't want any radiation escaping," Liang said, "the Westerners and the Japanese do not bother with such precautions, but we Chinese are not keen on the chance of developing cancer."
"Has cancer been observed in the other nations?" asked Zhao.
"No," Liang shook her head, "but we aren't risking it."
Once again, Sima made a mental note for further research. He wondered whether this was within his field of expertise. After all, scientists were the ones who researched and engineers used their knowledge. A count down timer above the door flashed to life, indicating zero hours and eleven minutes.
"Only nine minutes?" Tenryuu said, "How small could the ship be?"
"Smaller than Mutsuki," Yoshimura said, "but China had a lot of vessels like that."
Zhou reached into his pocket and pulled out his ringing phone. He smirks before answering it.
"Hello, Yang Tian," he said, "pity you weren't here…"
Pilot Officer Sima tensed up visibly at the mention of the name. What does the man want?
"What?" the Paramount Leader exclaimed, paling, "Land based bipedal Abyssals? All over Lüshunkou? Pushing back the army?"
"What is going on?" asked Kaga, "What did your leader hear?"
"Hey Kaga," Sima asked, "have you heard of Abyssals moving onto land?"
"We know of Princesses based on land installations," Kaga replied, "and small Abyssals based on shore-based guns."
"Yeah," Ikazuchi said, "the artillery imps also count. But they hang in shallow water. No records of them moving inland."
"Ah, great," Zhao said, throwing up his hands, "we are making history. Land Abyssals are on the Liaodong Peninsula, staging a land invasion for the first time in the war."
