Editing HEAVY OBJECT:Volume10 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 13===

The protrusions were only about the size of hand mirrors.

Lasers were a convenient way to detect the bend caused by a barrel’s weight or heat, but they were not perfect.

The very nature of the method required the reflectors to be exposed on the outside.

And as mirrors, the reflectors were easily broken.

Plus, they would not work as well if dust or paint got on them.

Since they were the key to making targeting corrections, the shells would not hit if they were taken out. It was a lot like breaking a sniper rifle’s scope.

That may not have been a huge issue for a normal tank. The reflectors could simply be replaced whenever they broke. However, an Object was a weapon made to endure a nuclear attack. If it would fail to work after a direct hit from shockwaves, nuclear fallout, and heat spread evenly across its surface, it never would have been adopted as a crucial part of the main cannons.

“That’s why the Mobius Infinity makes new reflectors.” Quenser gulped. “Instead of using indestructible mirrors, it uses ones that can be replaced as soon as they break. The snow crystals are made by gathering moisture around the dust in the air and then freezing it. It probably uses nanotechnology to create the core and sprays supercooled water around it to complete the crystal. Unlike normal snow, the crystal didn’t ‘just so happen’ to take this shape. Like a photonic crystal, this is artificial snow designed to have the optimal design for bending the lasers.”

“But…what are we supposed to do?” Heivia was confused. “I get the concept, but that’s not a weakness! We can fire all the missiles in the world at it or dump an ocean of paint on it, but it can keep blowing in new reflectors. There’s no point in even trying to take on infinitely reproducible mirrors!”

“Don’t be so sure.”

Quenser grinned and did the last thing Heivia had expected.

Despite his apparent confidence, he grabbed the flat monitor to access the official site for the Band Station’s prize show.

“Wait. After all this, you’re relying on other people’s knowledge?”

“Quite the opposite,” replied Quenser. “After risking our lives so much, doesn’t our measly pay seem a little lacking? Don’t you want to post our ‘answer’ in the hopes of hitting the jackpot?”