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CHAPTER 158 : A New Plan ( PLAT )
🕑 Added 2025-09-22 14:22:42 +0000 UTCAfter Krilavich left, Aidan stayed on his narrow bed, staring at the ceiling while his mind raced through possibilities. He'd been thinking a lot about civilization levels lately - the kind of theoretical framework that scientists used to measure technological advancement across species.
Level One civilizations could harness all the energy available on their home planet, build massive space solar arrays, construct space cities and orbital stations, and develop reliable interplanetary spacecraft. Level Two civilizations could build structures around entire stars to harvest their energy - Dyson spheres, artificial planets, even terraform entire solar systems. They'd have true interstellar travel capabilities. Level Three civilizations could manipulate galactic-scale energy sources, build around black holes, create artificial wormholes, and travel between galaxies like it was nothing.
By that scale, human civilization was maybe 0.75 at best. They could barely get to their own moon reliably, let alone harness planetary energy sources. The Precursor civilization that was sending Kaiju through the breach had to be at least Level Two, possibly approaching Level Three. They could manipulate interdimensional portals, create biological weapons the size of skyscrapers, and had apparently been doing this to multiple worlds for who knows how long.
What was interesting, though, was that according to the intelligence reports Ryan had access to, the Precursors coming through the breach were just a colony operation. Not their main civilization, not their military - just an advance settlement team looking to terraform Earth for their own use. That suggested the real Precursor empire was probably Level Three or beyond.
Which means, Aidan thought grimly, if humanity somehow manages to close the breach and stop this invasion, we'll probably just be painting a bigger target on ourselves.
The most important strategic point was obviously the portal itself, sitting at the bottom of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. That thing was like a nest, a permanent gateway between dimensions. If they could figure out how to either close it permanently or - better yet - reverse-engineer the technology and use it themselves, that would change everything.
But first, he needed to survive long enough to make any of that happen. And Ryan's body was currently running on empty after weeks of simulation pod abuse.
Gradually, exhaustion overtook strategic planning, and Aidan fell into the first decent sleep he'd had since arriving in this world.
The next day dawned bright and clear at the Shatterdome Base. After a night of heavy storms, the sun was burning off the humid air, giving everything that crystal-clear quality that only happened after major weather systems moved through. The whole base felt refreshed, like the rain had washed away some of the constant tension everyone lived with.
In the physical training center, Aidan was trying to get Ryan's body back into something resembling fighting condition. The treadmill felt like punishment after weeks of neglect, but he needed to rebuild his stamina if he was going to survive in a world where giant monsters could attack at any moment.
The Shatterdome had cost billions to construct and was basically a small city designed around housing, maintaining, and deploying Jaegers. It had everything - pilot training facilities, scientific research labs, machine shops, living quarters, medical facilities, even entertainment areas for off-duty personnel. But the funding situation was getting desperate. The PPDC member nations were hemorrhaging money every time a Jaeger went into combat, and they were getting increasingly reluctant to approve new expenditures.
Part of the problem was that most of the valuable Kaiju materials couldn't be sold commercially. The governments were terrified that alien biotechnology might cause social upheaval if it got into civilian markets. So except for a few worthless body parts that got sold as novelties or aphrodisiacs, most Kaiju corpses went straight to research facilities where they sat in freezers for months while bureaucrats argued about classification levels.
It was insane economics - they were sitting on potentially revolutionary biological materials, but politics and fear kept them from monetizing any of it effectively.
"Ryan? What're you doing here?"
Aidan turned to see a thin, nervous-looking guy in a stained white lab coat approaching. Dr. Newton Geiszler looked exactly like central casting's idea of a mad scientist - wild hair, thick glasses, and the kind of manic energy that suggested he'd been drinking nothing but coffee and energy drinks for weeks.
"Hey, Dr. Geiszler. Shouldn't you be elbow-deep in Kaiju guts right about now?" Aidan stepped off the treadmill, grabbing a towel to wipe down the sweat.
"Just finished a research session, actually. I'm heading up to see Marshal Pentecost." Newton seemed surprisingly upbeat for someone who spent most of his time dissecting alien corpses.
"Dude, you might wanna shower first. You smell like... I don't even know what that is, but it's not good." Aidan wrinkled his nose. Newton's lab coat was stained with various fluids that probably violated several international health codes.
"Nah, this won't take long. I'll just talk to him and get back to work." Newton shrugged off the suggestion with typical scientist obliviousness to social norms. "But seriously, since when do you work out? I don't think I've ever seen you in here."
"my body is pathetic. I figured I should do something about that before it completely falls apart." Aidan started stretching, trying to work out some of the stiffness in muscles that hadn't been properly used in weeks.
Newton gave him a knowing look. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Mako Mori, would it?"
Jesus Christ, does everyone on this base know about Ryan's embarrassing crush? "No, it doesn't. Can we please talk about literally anything else?" Aidan felt his face heating up with secondhand embarrassment.
"Sure, no problem. Actually, you want a copy of my latest Kaiju analysis data? Might be useful for Jaeger maintenance applications."
"That'd be great, thanks." Anything to change the subject away from Ryan's disastrous romantic life.
Newton waved goodbye and headed off toward the command center, leaving Aidan alone with his thoughts and the punishing treadmill routine he'd set for himself.
The truth was, if he was going to implement the Life Evolution Equation he'd learned about in Atlantean texts, Ryan's body needed to be in much better condition. The early stages would enhance brain function and physical capabilities, but if the foundation was weak, the process could actually make things worse. And eventually, he'd need to create a magnetite to push beyond normal human limitations entirely.
Back in Nidavellir, he'd been too focused on learning dwarven forging techniques and studying their neutron star energy collection systems to start the evolutionary process. But now, trapped in a world where humanity was fighting for survival against interdimensional monsters, it might be his only chance to gain the power necessary to make a real difference.
Around noon, after showering off the sweat and changing into clean clothes, Aidan made his way to the cafeteria. The food at the Shatterdome was surprisingly decent - not gourmet by any stretch, but way better than military rations. They had to keep morale up somehow, and decent meals went a long way toward maintaining sanity in a high-stress environment.
While looking for a place to sit, he spotted Mako Mori at one of the tables near the windows. She was eating alone, looking over what appeared to be technical schematics while she ate. After a polite nod in her direction, Aidan found a seat at a nearby table where Dr. Newton was already halfway through his lunch.
"So how'd your meeting with Pentecost go?" Aidan asked, sitting down with his tray.
"Better than expected, actually. He's giving me access to the Knifehead remains for detailed study." Newton looked genuinely excited about the prospect of dissecting the Category-3 Kaiju that had nearly destroyed Gipsy Danger.
"Knifehead? That's the one from Alaska, right? The one that tore up Gipsy?"
"Yeah, that's the bastard. Ripped right through the conn-pod and killed Yancy Becket. The whole front section of that Kaiju is like a biological battering ram designed specifically for penetrating Jaeger armor." Newton was getting that manic gleam in his eyes that he always got when discussing Kaiju biology.
"I read through those analysis reports you sent over earlier. Really interesting stuff, thanks for sharing." Aidan was genuinely curious about the biological aspects of their enemies, especially since most people only thought about Kaiju in terms of how to kill them.
"You actually found it interesting? Want to come work in the lab with me? I could use someone with engineering background to help with the mechanical analysis." Newton perked up at the possibility of having someone to share his enthusiasm.
"I'd love to, but I'm swamped with Crimson Typhoon maintenance schedules. That triple-arm configuration requires constant calibration adjustments." Aidan shook his head regretfully. "Maybe when things slow down."
"Too bad. You're missing out on some seriously fascinating biology."
At that point, someone sat down at their table. "I heard you were sick yesterday. You feeling better?" Mako Mori had moved over from her solitary table, apparently concerned about Ryan's health.
She was striking in a way that had nothing to do with conventional beauty. Short black hair with electric blue highlights, severe bangs that framed serious dark eyes, and the kind of focused intensity that suggested she was always thinking three steps ahead of everyone else. Everything about her posture and expression suggested someone who took the weight of the world very seriously.
"Much better, thanks for asking." Aidan smiled, then decided to address the elephant in the room. "Look, I owe you an apology about all that simulation pod nonsense. I know it was annoying, and I'm sorry for being a pest."
Mako seemed genuinely surprised by the straightforward apology. "It's okay. You're not a bad guy, Ryan, but I'm really not interested in dating anyone right now. I've got too much other stuff to focus on."
"Totally understand. No hard feelings." Aidan got up to refill his plate - Ryan's body was apparently trying to make up for weeks of poor nutrition all at once.
When he returned with a second helping, he decided to stick to safer conversational territory. "How's the Gipsy Danger restoration coming along? You need any help with the technical specs?"
"I'm planning to upgrade it with a dual-core reactor system while we've got the armor plating removed." Mako's whole demeanor changed when discussing technical subjects - she became animated, engaged, clearly in her element.
"Dual-core, huh? That'll solve any power issues, but man, that's basically strapping a nuclear bomb to your chest if something goes wrong." Aidan kept eating while they talked, his body apparently determined to consume everything in sight.
"I'm redesigning the escape pod systems to compensate for the increased risk."
"You're gonna need upgraded muscle strand engines too, and probably a complete overhaul of the liquid synaptic systems. Tendo's gonna have a nervous breakdown trying to run diagnostics on all that new hardware." Aidan could already picture the head technician pulling his hair out over the complex integration challenges.
Mako actually smiled at that mental image. "He'll manage. He always does."
Aidan excused himself again to grab more food, his appetite apparently endless. When he returned with his third full plate, both Mako and Newton were staring at him with obvious amazement.
"Dude, where are you putting all that?" Newton asked, looking between Aidan and the massive amount of food he was methodically working through.
"I'm making up for lost time. Turns out nearly starving yourself for weeks makes you really hungry when you finally start eating properly again." Aidan kept working his way through the meal, his body apparently convinced it needed to store up nutrients for another famine.
"That's... actually a lot of food, even for someone recovering from poor nutrition," Mako observed with scientific curiosity. "You might want to pace yourself or you'll make yourself sick."
"I feel fine. Better than I have in weeks, actually." And it was true - every bite seemed to be restoring energy and mental clarity that Ryan had been missing. "Besides, if giant monsters can attack at any moment, I'd rather be over-fueled than running on empty."
It was a philosophy that made sense in their current situation, even if it looked excessive from the outside. In a world where survival often came down to split-second reactions and physical endurance, maintaining peak condition wasn't vanity - it was basic survival strategy.
The conversation continued as Aidan systematically worked through enough food for three people, discussing technical challenges, Kaiju biology, and the increasingly precarious political situation surrounding the Jaeger program. For the first time since arriving in this world, he felt like he was starting to understand both the immediate threats and the longer-term strategic picture.
And slowly, a plan was beginning to form.
