"Alright! You know the drill. Load up the equipment, and get on the ship." Jia ordered.
"Yes Ma'am!" The android soldiers responded.
"Ester, we're sufficiently supplied for a category 6 zone correct? No deliveries are late?" Jia asked.
"All supplies and equipment have arrived. We're ready to launch at any time, the airship is fueled and ready." Ester answered.
"Ester?" Yuren hadn't seen this particular android before.
"She's the 701st's logistics officer, she's in charge of managing the battalion's supply line." Jia introduced.
"HMIS-014 Ester, It's a pleasure to meet you, Commander." Ester saluted.
"It's nice to meet you too." Yuren greeted, "But I have to ask..."
"Commander." Jia cut him off. "She's the logistics officer, her job is to handle the supply chain and manage the battalion's material."
"I was just wondering, why does she so short? Aren't androids usually around average height?" Yuren was curious.
"Get on the ship, Commander." Jia sighed.
"Wait, Jia...?" Yuren asked.
"Why does that matter?" Jia questioned.
"Because that's not normal! It's a very serious combat-related question."
"This is how she was designed, and that's all there is to it." Jia answered. "Send your complaints to the R&D department, and the Vice Minister. Now go."
"But-"
"GO!" Jia pointed towards the ship, "You can worry about it later."
"Yes ma'am." Yuren sighed. He was a little frustrated with Jia, but he knew it was because of the conversation they had earlier.
As he boarded the ship, he was met with the familiar faces of the 701st androids.
The bridge of the Eisendrache amazed Yuren; this was his second time aboard it. It amazed him just how high-tech it was, with screens and consoles displaying status and location data. He looked out the large window on the bridge and marveled at the ship. It was an impressive feat of technology, and the first time he'd ever been aboard such a vessel.
Resonance once again crossed his mind. Did this ship utilize it, too? What did it feel like to have the ship use his energy as a power source? No one would question him if he looked at the ship's data and flight log. They wouldn't find anything unusual or suspicious since he was the commanding officer, and he'd be allowed access to all the ship's information.
"So, how do you like the ship? It's a pretty neat design, huh?" A female voice came from behind him.
"It's quite an impressive sight." Yuren smiled, "The ship must be expensive to maintain."
"It has its fair share of expenses, but we make due." She replied, "YJV-01 Reila, by the way."
"Oh, you're the captain, right?" Yuren turned around.
"Correct. I'm the ship's operator. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
"Do you pilot the ship manually?"
"I'm in charge of the ship's operations and functions. So yes, I am a pilot."
"Huh? By yourself?" Yuren was confused.
"If it helps you understand, yes, I control everything myself. There is no AI, I am the Eisendrache's brain." Reila answered.
"But... wait... there was a helmsman here last time." He remarked.
"I was offline."
"Offline?"
"How can I explain... I wasn't cleared for operation yet. They were still transferring the authentication to the new commander." She answered. "Have you seen him?"
"That'd be me." Yuren scratched his head.
"What?" Reila stared at him in disbelief, "There isn't a man alive with the resonance requirements to use me. Are you sure you just don't have temporary authorization to give orders?"
"No. That's him. His resonance woke you up earlier." Garra interjected.
Reila stared at Garra, "Impossible."
"Have I ever lied? You goddamn fool." Garra crossed her arms.
Reila looked back at Yuren and stared at him. "Those fluctuations this morning was you?!"
"Commander, Ever since the Eisendrache's construction. Reila hasn't had anyone capable of activating her android body, all our previous commanders could only communicate orders to her through the ship's terminal." Lina added.
"This... is... unprecedented..." Reila shook her head.
"Wait. I'm confused about something." Yuren raised his hand. "Can someone explain to me what Reila is?"
"Reila is the Eisendrache's android body," Jia explained. "She operates the ship, and is its brain."
"Reila... you mean she's the ship?!" Yuren exclaimed.
"It's not like any of us, but yeah the ship is technically one of the battalion's androids." Jia nodded.
"What?! Then the Eisendrache has no crew at all?! It's all androids?!" Yuren gasped.
"Reila is the crew," Lina replied.
"I don't understand, why doesn't she have a proper body?"
"The ship is her actual body, commander. Reila is the Eisendrache." Jia answered. "The android body she operates is just another part of it."
"Why? Why does a ship have a separate android body?" Yuren was confused.
"The Eisendrache is special. She has to be operated by someone with strong enough resonance." Jia explained.
"That explains nothing!" He cried.
Yuren thought for a moment, and the Vice Minister's words came back to him. These androids were created from the cores of the machine lifeforms, and they were essentially reborn. That meant the Eisendrache was a large Meteorn, and Reila was the reborn consciousness of the entity. Her android body must've been like an appendage of the ship, one that was only needed when interacting with humans.
"I see. I understand now." Yuren nodded.
"Do you? You look very troubled." Lina observed.
"I think I've come to a very interesting revelation..." Yuren was shocked.
"You should sit down," Jia suggested.
"No, I'm fine. Set course for the black-out zone. We can discuss it later." He waved his hand dismissively.
"Alright then."
The Eisendrache lifted off the ground and slowly ascended. Its engines hummed and roared as it rose higher and higher.
"So this is the first time the ship is actually fully operational? I'm impressed." Garra commented.
"Yes. It's a big day for me." Reila smiled. "The resonance supply seems a bit low, but we'll be fine."
"Oh? That's rare. I thought this ship had the largest generator installed."
"That was an auxiliary generator substituting for me. The actual source of the resonance is the Commander."
"Huh. So that kid is the battery... Interesting." Garra nodded. "Can't you give her more power? Or is that too dangerous?"
"It might be dangerous..." Yuren admitted.
"That's fine then." Garra turned towards the window.
The flight went smoothly, and they arrived at the edge of the blackout zone within an hour. The ship descended and landed on a nearby plateau.
"This is where the black-out zone is?" Yuren questioned.
"No, see that dark foggy area out there?" Garra pointed at a cloud of darkness several kilometers away. "That's the black-out zone."
"Wow. That's huge." Yuren remarked.
"That's a category six zone. It's massive, but the 701st should easily clear it. We'll have it done before you know it." Lina boasted.
"Yeah... right." Yuren muttered. "Is that an average size?"
"No. That overconfident dumbass is downplaying the danger. Average black-out zones are category two." Garra remarked.
"So what's the most dangerous?" The boy asked.
"A category ten," Jia answered. "There's only one of those, and unfortunately it's still active and unchecked."
"Where is it?"
Garra walked over to the map and pointed to the center of a desert on another continent. "There."
"So what makes this so dangerous? It's just a big cloud of fog. Is it some kind of gas or something?"
"No. It's not a chemical compound. It's just ambient energy so dense you can see it. There's no physical substance to it." Jia answered.
"So then what makes the category ten so dangerous?" Yuren questioned.
"The Apocalypse class meteorn is dormant there," Garra responded.
"Apocalypse class..? I'm still not familiar with these things."
"They're the highest and strongest of the Meteorn, and a source of resonance. We aren't sure why it hasn't moved for the last fifteen years, but we're grateful it just stays away from everything. The entire continent would be an apocalyptic wasteland if it ever awakens." Jia explained.
"What does it look like?"
"We have no idea. The only visual image we have of it is a silhouette, and we've never been able to get a clear picture. There's a lot of speculation as to what the Z Type actually is, and no one has ever gotten close to it." Lina explained.
"It's looks like a woman." Garra added.
"How would you know that? We don't have any pictures." Lina argued.
"I engaged it, several decades ago..."
"W-what?! And you're still alive?!" Yuren gasped.
"Didn't I already tell you that this isn't my first body?" Garra growled.
"Right..."
"I got a good look at the meteorn and nearly fought with it, and that thing was definitely a woman. And that same silver colored hair like yours."
"Are you serious? The Z Type has the same hair color as me?!" Yuren was taken aback.
"I've already said too much." Garra turned away.
"Why not tell him the whole truth?" Lina suggested.
"Non-disclosure orders from you know who." Garra hissed.
"Oh... I see." Lina sighed.
"I really can't say anything else." Garra sighed.
Yuren couldn't admit it, but he didn't like hearing that detail; it confirmed what the Vice Minister told him about his origins. He wasn't born a human. The thought scared him, and he wasn't sure how to process that.
He couldn't help but worry about entering the black-out zone. And all the Meteorn inside, what would happen to him? Was he in danger? He didn't know, and the unknown scared him. What if the black-out zone wasn't because of Meteorn like him? Could his abilities create the same phenomenon? He didn't think it'd be so simple to clear the blackout zones.
He could only hope that the Vice Minister's plan would work and that he wouldn't turn into a monster.