GCLopes
patreon
Chapter 61 - GL581
🕑 Added 2024-10-29 00:12:47 +0000 UTC"I think this decision is quite easy," Isabela began to speak. "We will have a long mission ahead; from what they said, it will be the whole day. Therefore, we may have several fights throughout the day."
"Right," Oliver agreed.
"In that case, we need the people responsible for battle to be capable of remaining in combat for hours," Isabela explained. "I, for example, can fight for quite some time in hand-to-hand combat. But the moment I start using my Boon, I will become incapacitated."
"I understand." Oliver thought for a moment. "So, in this case, it would be best if Katherine and I focus on the battle, and you and Alan handle reconnaissance."
"Won't you get tired from the shots?" Alan asked. "They must consume a lot of Energy."
"No, I can control how much energy I spend with each shot," Oliver explained. "Besides, I trained in hand-to-hand combat last week; as long as it's nothing crazy, I should be able to manage."
Alan agreed with him, while Isabela was a bit surprised that he could control his Energy to the point of altering the strength of his shots. Katherine agreed with their reasoning and had already seen Oliver fight, so she didn't mind the arrangement.
Oliver looked at the line, seeing that there should still be long hours before they would be called.
--
--
"Group: Oliver Nameless, Katharina York, Alan Aquila, and Isabela De Luca. Correct?" The teleportation inspector confirmed the participants.
"Correct," Oliver affirmed.
"Great. Before you depart, you need to receive your supplies." The inspector handed each group member a backpack. "Alright, walk to the center of the platform and prepare yourselves."
Again, as soon as the inspector finished speaking, they had already been transported. The four automatically shivered from the cold when their feet touched the ground. Even in a closed room, they could feel the chill of the place. Perhaps due to their experience with teleportations or because of the cold, the four didn't feel much nausea after the trip.
"Welcome to GL581," one of the soldiers greeted them. "You should follow this path until you meet the captains."
As soon as the soldier finished instructing them, the four began to follow a long corridor.
The teleportation room looked like a bunker, with thick stone walls and steel doors. Along the corridor, lamps scattered on the ceiling complemented the decor.
At the end of the corridor, a staircase led them from the underground to the building's entrance. As soon as they poked their heads out of the stairway, the four saw the size of the colony.
It was a small city built between two enormous mountains of snow and ice. The city of steel gleamed like a crystal in the midst of the snow.
The four could feel the harsh and unforgiving weather, with strong, icy winds that seemed to come from all directions. Although small, the city was filled with buildings and structures, many of them bearing corporate symbols.
"Are they here for research?" Oliver theorized.
"Possibly. Look at the MechaTech symbol," Katherine pointed out. "Either that, or they have some commercial relationship with the colony."
The streets were narrow and little used, mainly due to the snow that accumulated between the buildings.
Facing the two mountains, the colony seemed a lone bastion of life against the silent, relentless cold.
The four raised their hands to block the wind as they walked to the central square, where hundreds of groups were gathering. Right at the entrance of the square, some captains were commanding the newly arrived groups.
Caine saw the four approaching and walked toward them. "Where are your clothes?" the captain asked.
"What do you mean, sir?" Oliver questioned.
"You should be wearing the winter uniform," Caine explained.
"Sir, we only received these supplies, but the instruction we received was to follow to the end of the corridor and join the other captains," the recruit commented.
"Damn it. You four, go to that tent. There's a space for you to change clothes. I'm going to have to talk to the soldiers." Caine stormed off in search of the soldier who gave the wrong information.
'If any incident happens, they'll have my liver, and this soldier gives me the wrong instructions,' the captain thought, bubbling with anger.
The four headed to one of the logistical support buildings. Inside, several soldiers and officers were preparing all the necessary support for an operation of this size.
"Sir, we're not receiving communication from the satellites around GL670. There must be some interference."
"It must be a snowstorm. Keep trying to communicate."
"Yes, sir."
The four tried to avoid disrupting the flow as they went to the station's restrooms. The new uniform included a heavy green hood, a thick coat, and an additional layer of pants to be worn over the uniform.
Upon leaving the station, the four could already feel the difference in protection.
"I wonder what it's like to fight wearing something like this?" Isabela asked.
"Soon enough, we'll find out," Oliver replied.
"Wow! Wow! Oliver, look at this!" Alan shouted, pointing to the entrance of the city.
As soon as Oliver turned, they could see groups of four gigantic mechas passing through the city's protective gate.
"I've never seen one so close," Oliver commented.
"They are two Titanbounds, Model Y; those are relics from the Seventh Wave," Alan remarked.
Oliver didn't know enough to recognize the models of the mechas but was astonished by the sight.
The two mechas marched through the snow with their shiny black hulls. Each step thundered through the frozen ground, leaving deep impressions in their trail as steam hissed from hidden vents, giving it almost a breath-like feeling.
In their hands, they carried what looked like long lances shaped like drills. However, except for the lances, their only other weapons were on their shoulders, where a barrage of missiles was prepared.
These ancient war machines seemed to have been modified and lost some of their ferocity over time. However, their titanic stature made it clear that when they were in combat, nothing could stop them.
"They must be mechas modified for mining. Still, it's impressive; imagine a monster like that drilling into the ground," Alan commented happily.
The girls were also interested, especially since some army divisions use mechas. However, that wasn't their specialty.
Upon returning to the square, it was even more crowded than when they left. The groups were scattered without a formation.
"Attention!"
The sound caused the entire square to fall silent. Major Five, accompanied by the other captains, stood at the entrance of the square.
"Recruits! Pay attention. We are going to start the reconnaissance exam. Each group should go to the security gate; there, you will receive the necessary equipment and the area you must explore," the major explained. "Stay within your areas; each instructor should have already informed you about the dangers you may encounter on this planet. Do not underestimate them."
"To conclude, this exercise will last six hours. The countdown will automatically start as soon as you receive your equipment and step out of the city. At the end of the period, return to the teleportation station to return to the Academy." Five finished the explanation and cleared the passage at the square's entrance, allowing the groups to advance to the security gate slowly.
'I need to find Damian. Damn, it's been a while since I've seen that boy; I barely remember his face,' Oliver thought as he moved toward the exit.
Several soldiers were assisting the groups at the gate, ready to depart.
"Which of you will be responsible for reconnaissance and mapping?" the soldier asked.
Alan and Isabela stepped forward.
"Extend your arms. I need access to your gauntlets," the soldier instructed.
As soon as both presented their gauntlets, the soldier connected with his own until a beep signaled the end of the update.
"Your gauntlets are now configured with the reconnaissance system, as well as the exam's countdown. The moment you pass through the gates, it will start," the soldier explained.
"To map, you simply need to walk to the position; you can see the black areas that are not mapped," the soldier pointed to the hologram projected by his gauntlet. "Also, throughout the map, you will find red lines that indicate the limit of exploration. Do not advance beyond these lines."
"Any questions?" the soldier asked.
"What do we do if we find an anomaly or a creature?" Alan asked.
"Great," the soldier said, bringing up the hologram again. There is a notification button in the corner of your screen; just select the area and click the button. It will ask you to detail what was found."
Alan nodded.
"Good luck, recruits," the soldier said, dismissing the four.
"Ready?" Oliver asked.
"Yes," came the unanimous reply.
Comments
Guilherme Carneiro
Thanks! I thought I had found all the texts with the wrong number. It's 581
A B
Is it 581 or 571? It's one in the title and another in the text
