Chapter III: The Behemoth of The Sea
Federation Tank Training Carrier
The Shinano
The ship carrying Japan U-18 National Team now reaching its destination, The Shinano. A giant door in starboard hull opens and the entire ship enter The Shinano. Everyone seems amazed and frightened. The room inside is massively large, even for a big scale ferry, and there's a fully operational harbor inside as well. Not only this ship alone, inside the harbor, there are 5 Osumi class LPD and 2 more ferries of the same class they boarded.
Everyone then disembark the ship, still marvel on what they are in currently. School Carrier is a gigantic ship, but this Carrier dwarfs each and any of them. In the harbor which as large as a regular naval base, they don't get picked up by bus or truck, instead, they were boarded in a train. Yes, so massive this ship that each floor has its own railway system to go around the various part of ship quickly, with each floor served by four sets of electric commuter train. To go around the ship, each train would require an hour, which made the train in each station come in 15 minutes intervals.
All girls seems so dazzled that they lost words. The train is nothing different with the ordinary train in Japan, except that this is in a Carrier.
"The Carrier is so massively large, since this is made for the purpose of tank training. This way, Japan National Team would be able to train in the Carrier while they're on their way to the venue," Yukari explained.
"Didn't the regular School Carrier enough?" asked Saori.
"Well, they're big, indeed, but not big enough. Tanks need plenty of room to do maneuver, and more tanks means more rooms needed. All the landscapes in the top designed for any terrain we might faced, including desert and tundra environments."
"How do you know much about this?" asked Hana.
"I read it somewhere, but I didn't thought that it would be THIS HUGE," said Yukari.
"The train, is it going upward?" asked Saori.
"Yes, though this Carrier have many elevators - and some of them are quite huge - the railway tracks themselves also acted as elevators, circling the ship while gradually ascend or descend on each floor, this is a nice way to going around and see the entire ship,"
"I cannot imagine going the extra length from the top to the bottom." said Mako.
"Well, let's take this as an opportunity to getting know of... Whoa!"
Yukari amazed while looking outside the train windows. No, not tanks, but a giant hangar filled with at least 10 gigantic transport aircraft Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy, along with 3 militerized passenger plane of Boeing 737, some Kawasaki C-2 Transport Planes and P1Y1 Ginga Observation Planes, and dozens of helicopters and smaller planes of all type. Due to immense size of this ship, it's like putting the entire airport inside the Carrier.
"Why so many giant planes?" asked Saori.
"To transport tanks, surely, and all its supplies," said Yukari, "so we don't need to rely on local transportation modules, and this way we could ensure security and reliability of our tanks and supplies to the battle ground."
"No kidding," said Mako.
The train then stop in the station near a huge giant elevator in base of the Carrier's mast. The liaison official guide them into the elevator, and by that, they arrived in the top section of the Carrier, which Ami Chouno has been waiting for them.
"Hi, Guys!" greets Ami Chouno, "do you enjoy the ride?"
"Yes, but why we have to go all the way here?" asked Shizuka.
"Oh, can't helped it," said Ami Chouno, "as you can see, The Shinano is extremely huge that there's no port in Japan able to accept it,"
"If that so, then how does anyone build it?" asked Alisa.
"We can't build it on any of our land or shore facilities, so we have to build it here, in the middle of the ocean where the depth and space made the construction of ship of this scale possible. All modules, facilities, infrastructures, tools and workers have to be transported here either by ships, barges, or even seaplanes, and took about 10 years to finally build it, where 5 years of it is to grow vegetations, foliages, trees, and shaping terrain in the top section. So if you think your School Carrier is a construction marvel, then this should be a construction wonder. Even biggest storm won't be able to sink this Carrier."
"That's awesome," said Kinuyo Nishi, "a wonder of Japan shipbuilding engineering!"
"Well, I won't say that, since this is not the only ship of this size in the ocean. China, our destination, has Carrier Liaoning, which pretty much the same class of The Shinano. United States of America has USS Enterprise, Great Britain has HMS Malta, Russia has Ushakov, but the biggest among them is Bismarck, owned by Germany,"
"Wait, but if The Shinano is this big, then how big is Bismarck?" asked Shizuka.
"Who knows, one could only imagine," replied Ami Chouno, "haven't seen it myself, but according to the one who've seen it, it's like seeing 'The World Turtle' or so they said,"
Everyone still stood silence in awe.
"Well, let's come out and see what's in the top section offers," said Ami Chouno.
Ami Chouno lead the girls out from the mast, which directly put them into a military base like area. Hangars and workshops for tanks are lying here in large proportion, as well as some smaller vehicle, like motorcycles, jeeps, half-tracks, even some Kettenkrads. The hangars have their doors opened, exposing tanks inside them such as PzKpfW VI Tiger I, M4A3E8 Sherman HVSS, Cruiser Mk. VI Crusader III, and SU-100 tank destroyers. Everyone seems wondered more after the tanks unfolded.
"Don't worry, you'll be playing with them tomorrow, as for right now, you will go to your accomodation," said Ami Chouno.
"You mean our barracks?" asked Erika Itsumi.
"Of course not, Silly, just get on to the trucks, I will show you where are you going to live for the next 2-3 months,"
Everyone then board into a number of trucks with their engine running. Ami Chouno ride in the same truck as Miho and the Anglerfish Team. As soon as they ready, Ami Chouno's truck moving leading the way to the other trucks. They're rolling out from the tank base area into what looks like a small town not far from there.
The town is small but has quite decent size, there are few blocks of housing which adjacent to each other, some kind of town hall, a school which is quite big, a shopping centre; all of them are bordering the central square, some Sunkus minimarkets, a communal swiming pool and a couple of onsens. There are people inhabits this town, but not much, more like they're just keeping the town running. Even down bellow decks has plenty and more occupants than this surface town.
The trucks then stops in on of the housing block.
"You will all be staying in these houses; each houses could hold about 10 persons, so I leave the arrangements to you!" said Ami Chouno.
The houses that will host them is quite comfortable two-story house. Each house has 4 large bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a large common room and also a single large kitchen. Judging from the size, this one house is enough to host 10 persons in it. There are small patch of garden in front, and community bicycles in some corners.
"If you need to talk about something as a team, you may do it in the town hall, just a ten minutes walk from here. The 2nd floor of the town hall is reserved for sensha-do team purposes. And also, you will all attend school everyday to catch your academic lessons,"
"What? We still have to attend school as well?" Mako suddenly turned pale.
"Your uniforms will be ready on each wardrobe in your rooms. If the size doesn't match yours, report it so that we can deliver the right size. There are three sets of each, for school, for physical exercise, and for sensha-do purpose. Wear them accordingly,"
Ami Chouno then leave all the girls in their would-be residences.
"What should we do now, Nishizumi-dono?" asked Yukari.
"Err... First we decide which team should get which house so that everyone could get rest quickly," said Miho.
"I'll do that!" said Hana.
"And I'll be helping," said Koume.
"Thank you, Hana-san, Koume-san. And then we need to make sure that everyone get their new uniform correctly, and got everything they need covered,"
"I'll take care of that, Miporin," said Saori.
"I'll be helping out," said Kinuyo.
"Alright, thank you, everyone,"
Hana and Koume quickly draw which teams should be billeted in which house, and by their quick action, everyone has already got their accommodation in no time. Coincidentally, Anglerfish Team sorted in the same house with Tiger Team of Emi Nakasuga, Miho's old friend. All of them are cheering up, and for Miho and Emi, and also Hitomi Yuzumoto, this is like a pleasant collision between their past and present. Not long after that, everyone has already in their own house. Miho is in the same room with Yukari and Hana (two of the rooms have a bunk-bed and a single bed, while the other have two single bed).
Miho open the closet right there and found the uniforms that Ami Chouno talked about. The daily school uniform is a regular serafuku with navy blue color and white trim with vermillion ribbon. It also come with white sport shirt with navy blue trim which could also be used as undergarment either on serafuku or tank jacket. The tank jacket itself resembles the one used by University All-Star Team, olive-green jacket over white collared shirt, beret of the same olive-green color, dark green outer vest, the differences are they're use navy blue tie and plead skirt.
"The schedule here said that school will be started the day after tomorrow, and so I guess we can have tomorrow for sensha-do meeting," said Hana.
"Yes, there are a lot of things to talk about," said Miho.
"Nishizumi-dono, how do I look? Am I look sharp with this?" said Yukari already wearing her sensha-do outfit.
Miho nod while smiling.
"How about if we explore the area after meeting?" asked Hana.
"That would be a good idea," said Miho.
"Great! We can go to onsen, shopping and even find some places to eat!" said Hana excitedly, "but speaking of eating, when can we have dinner?"
"Saori-san still going around and checking for everyone, perhaps needs few times before she come back," said Miho.
"I can made you some food from my own provision, Isuzu-dono!" asked Yukari.
"Well, I guess that's fine, but how many do you brought?"
"Quite many, I always assumed that you'll be looking for food, so I brought many of them," Yukari smirks.
"Oh my, you always so full of preparations, as expected from Yukari Akiyama," said Hana.
Yukari rushed to the kitchen to prepare some light food for Hana. She met Hitomi and Kita there, and three of them decided to cook together.
On the other hand, Miho walked to the balcony and spread her view to the entire residential area. The night has come, and though very subtle, she can feel the Carrier is moving. Emi Nakasuga, going for the same intention, stepped in beside her.
"We finally fight our battle again, together," said Emi.
"Hm-mm, however, tomorrow would be very difficult, because I don't know what will lies ahead," said Miho.
"Come on, you have all of us, you have me. We will always behind you, you know that, right?"
"Yes, that's why I'm very grateful for that,"
Miho and Emi smiles.
"So what does it looks like?" Miho asked.
"Huh?"
"Sensha-do, outside of Japan, was it different?"
"Meh, not much different from here, but each nation do have their own approach on sensha-do. Heck, they even call it with many names as well,"
"Oh really?"
"Yes, British called it 'tankery', German called it 'panzerfahren', French called it by name so long that I can't remember,"
Miho and Emi laughed amusingly.
"I wonder, what do they call it in China?" said Emi.
"I don't know, pretty much everything I know about sensha-do is only at Japan. I never knew about sensha-do in another country. Would they be strict? Would they be laxed? Would they do things we don't? Or are we do things they don't?"
"Don't you think that you've already overthinking about it?"
"The unknown always made me fear, Emi-chan."
"Then fear not, for we are here. And you just have to trust to us, your comrades, and trust the tank. Those two are things that sensha-doin accept in anywhere in this world."
Miho looked deeply into Emi's eyes. And start moving closer to her.
"What's the matter?"
"Emi-chan, I..."
"Wait, you're not confessing, are you?"
"Well, I just..."
Miho stops, and from the corner of her eyes, she could see Yukari stood there from who knows when, standing still, shuddering as if she has seen a ghost.
"Ni... Nishizumi-dono..." Yukari spoke in tremble voice.
"Yes, what's the matter, Yukari-san?" asked Miho.
"Din.. Dinner is ready, if... If you want to have it..."
"We'll be there,"
"Yes, I... Apologize,"
Yukari then run back as fast as she can.
"What's wrong with that friend of your?" asked Emi.
"Hehe, well, that's Yukari being Yukari. Oh yeah, about earlier, I just want to say that I'm glad to have known you back in the elementary school, and I'm cherishing that moment everyday,"
"Well, that's what a friend for, eh? Now we'd better off since I'm getting hungry,"
"Come on then," Miho smiled.
