Editing HEAVY OBJECT:Volume3 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 11===

Above ground, the Object called the Wing Balancer by the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Archangel by the Faith Organization was communicating with the unit defending the mining facility.

First, the control centre for the large radar facilities said, “We can defeat the Legitimacy Kingdom’s Generation One Object now. It has taken the initiative and moved forward not because it has confidence in its ability but in order to buy time for the maintenance base to retreat. For safety reasons, we should take it out here rather than drawing it in further. The other Object that fled offshore could see a chance and approach at any time.”

In response, the Archangel said, “Not yet. Simply defeating it would be easy enough. I’m not about to lose to a Generation One like that. However, simply destroying it will not achieve our goal. We should wait for a chance to invite it in.”



The four exchanged the information they had.

They knew victims had come from each unit. They knew that they had lost both large radios.

And…

“Wait, wait, wait, wait. Do you mean this is a diamond mine rather than a military coal mine? Is that the type of deposits they were looking for with ultrasonic wave devices?”

“No, my guess is that this was originally a coal mine. A new survey just so happened to find an unexpected byproduct.”

“So is that why the Legitimacy Kingdom military suddenly took an interest in the Kamchatka Peninsula and began this operation to take control of the mine? This is nothing but a war of interests.”

“Diamond production used to be dependent on places like South America, Oceania, and Africa,” said Charlotte. “The distribution of power in those areas of production is fairly well set in stone. Problems also often arise in areas that are estimated to have deposits. If a brand new, stable source was discovered, it would be similar to creating a brand new market. Any world power would desperately want to get their hands on it.”

“For us, the real surprise was that this isn’t a military mine,” said Quenser in shock.

He looked through the anti-war publication Myonri had handed him.

It gave details on what causes they supported with their earnings and told how many people were working in the mine. They were of course hiding that it was a diamond mine, so it was referred to as a coal mine.

According to the numbers given, there were 10,500 people working in the mine.

“And these workers are all part of some anti-war group in the Faith Organization. They were working for money they could donate to poor people in the Legitimacy Kingdom for a drinking water well. What the hell are we even fighting for?”

“The coordinates are listed as a military facility,” added Charlotte. Her bitter expression likely came from recalling that she had aimed her rifle at an anti-war worker. “But it seems the workers here do not intend to fight. The reason we have not seen any workers may be that they all evacuated as soon as they heard the commotion from above. There should be refuge rooms scattered about meant for awaiting rescue in the event of a cave-in.”

“So to sum it all up,” said Heivia. “Our higher ups in the Legitimacy Kingdom military somehow learned that the eastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula is filled with diamonds, so they quickly sent an Object there to attack a mine filled with pacifists!? That puts the Wing Balancer squarely in the category of ‘ally of justice’ by protecting the diamond mine!!”

War was not like something from a children’s comic. It was almost always driven by murky human interests.

They had known that.

But…

“That’s just too much. That makes us the clear bad guys…” muttered Quenser, hanging his head.

However, Myonri then spoke up for the first time in the discussion.

“It might not be that.”

“What might not be what, Myonri?”

“The reason behind this battle.” As Myonri gathered her thoughts, she looked Heivia in the face and then Quenser and Charlotte in turn. “It might not be the diamonds.”

“What?” Quenser asked.

Myonri gave a single small shake of her head and said, “The Faith Organization’s actions bother me. If they were really trying to protect the diamond mine, would they wait for the enemy Object right above the mine? They should have been able to predict that we would invade from Alaska and over the Bering Sea. So wouldn’t it make more sense to set up a defensive line on the sea?”

“Well…” Quenser trailed off but then began again. “You and Heivia said the Wing Balancer could jump. It’s perfectly matched for this partially manmade ria coast. It also has the large radar facilities here, don’t you think it probably just wanted as much of an advantage as it could get when fighting our princess?”

“There is an even better reason.”

“?”

Quenser, Heivia, and Charlotte looked puzzled.

Myonri went on to say, “Listen. This mine is run by pacifists who wish to talk things out with other forces rather than fighting them. That is a rare position within the Faith Organization. As they are carrying out just a few large scale charitable acts, they are probably all from some influential group rather than a gathering of disparate people with similar views. They are probably a thorn in the side of the higher ups of the military who want war to continue. Meaning…” She paused for a second. “Isn’t it possible they want to have them all slaughtered amidst the confusion of an Object vs. Object battle while they are all gathered in one place?”

Quenser could not help but gasp.

“Then the information about diamonds was nothing but bait to draw in the Legitimacy Kingdom military?”

“The Faith Organization is a group of ideologies,” said Charlotte slowly. “It is possible that they would sometimes fear an ideology. Such as one saying not to fight. The higher ups of the Faith Organization undoubtedly want this global war to continue and to achieve victory for themselves in the end. A group spreading an ideology touting peaceful resolution would be in the way of the profit of victory that the higher ups wish for.”

Myonri nodded. 

“The Faith Organization military wishes to quickly deal with this anti-war group, but if they slaughtered or purged them themselves, it could lead to anti-war sentiment spreading further. But if the anti-war group is killed by an Object from the very world power they were reaching out to help…”

“The trust they had tried to give us would cause their hatred to grow even greater than normal,” said Charlotte.

In her barrier duty, she had likely seen plenty of the negative emotions that could overcome people. Her voice was quiet, but it held a great weight.

Heivia frantically said, “Wait, wait, wait, wait! This is all speculation. We have no proof that Myonri’s idea is correct.”

“This is just adding speculation atop speculation.” Quenser pointed straight up. “But I thought the princess had no chance of victory if she fought the Wing Balancer in a straight fight. So why haven’t we heard a declaration of victory through the tunnel speakers yet? If they had defeated an Object, the symbol of the military, it should be like a victory parade was going on. That craft’s strength is absolute. There is no room for miracles to play into it. So if the princess hasn’t lost yet, isn’t that a sign that the Faith Organization military is acting oddly?”

“You mean the Wing Balancer isn’t putting up a real fight?”

“It is drawing the Baby Magnum in closer to the true target,” said Charlotte quickly. “It does not matter which Object attacks the mine. If either Object bombards it in the process of the battle, their objective will be achieved.”

“But.” Heivia seemed to be searching for anything to deny that was what was happening. “This mine continues for 150 kilometers along the coast and 90 kilometers inland. Can an Object really destroy the entire thing that easily?”

“The mine is between 1000 and 4000 meters deep. The freezing seawater is probably more of a concern than the earth. If several specific points are shelled, a deluge of seawater will likely drown or freeze anyone inside.”

“Then if they alter the information slightly from it being ‘in the confusion of battle’ to ‘because of the enemy’s movements’, the ignorant Faith Organization civilians will be incited to support the war.”

“Things are going to get ugly at this rate,” said Quenser, voicing his fears. “If we don’t put an end to this before the princess is used, this will get bad. How many people work in this mine? Um…That publication said 10,500 I think. All of them will be slaughtered for the sake of the Faith Organization’s national policy.”

“If this was a normal mine, it would be much more mechanized and have fewer people. But a diamond mine is different. People are needed to sort out the small ores without damaging them,” replied Charlotte immediately.

Heivia then said, “But what exactly are we supposed to do? We know the Faith Organization military is putting together some horrible plan, but how can we stop it? Please don’t tell me you want us to deal with the Wing Balancer on our own.”

“Are you saying you want to just stay here?” Quenser gave a slight sigh. “If the Faith Organization’s ultimate target is this mine, this seems like the most dangerous place to me.”

“Shit,” cursed Heivia.

Myonri raised a small hand.

“So what do you suggest we do?”

“Your unit was headed to Point 1, right? You were going to use an interference program to mess with the large radar facilities’ targeting correction for the Wing Balancer. Is your electronic equipment still functioning?”

“Yes. But you can’t mean…”

“What we need to do hasn’t changed.” Quenser messed with the handheld device proffered by Myonri and copied the interference program to his own device. “The only difference is that they know about us now. But from the vibrations coming from above, the Winger Balancer must be focused on its battle with the princess. We can take that chance to head to Point 1 and use the program.”

“That’s easier said than done,” groaned Heivia. “If that would cut it, our huge-breasted commander wouldn’t have put together that complicated plan in the first place. She held the princess’s appearance to the end because she had no other choice. The princess has now overturned those plans by coming out onto the stage. If we head forward now, we’ll just find a dead end.”

“Since that plan has been overturned, we can’t hope for a perfectly safe plan. …I’d say this is better than charging at a 200,000 ton mass of steel, though.”

“God dammit. Why can you never make the wise decision to just run away!?”

Quenser and the other three ended up heading down the tunnel. They were headed for Point 1, but the above ground route had countless UAVs flying around and two Objects clashing. They decided on the slightly safer path.

(I don’t know where they’re hiding, but it’s fortunate no workers are nearby.)

That thought had nothing to do with humanitarianism or the like. He simply did not want to be crushed by a mass of panicked people in those cramped tunnels.

The interior walls were covered in smooth plastic, but black rock jutted out at various points. The tunnels were poorly made in those places and in some areas they were forced to cross an abyss on a bridge made of damp wood. They were led through the tunnels by Heivia and Myonri who had come from an area near Point 1.

Suddenly, Quenser heard a slight cracking noise.

A thin crack ran down the plastic wall to the side. The Objects were still fighting above their heads. He assumed the vibrations from that had shaken the entire tunnel, causing the crack in the wall.

But he was wrong.

With a sound of destruction that stabbed into his ears, the rock surface crumbled and a giant mass of machinery charged through.

The four of them leaped and rolled away from the mass of machinery either forwards or backwards in the tunnel. Through the dust, Quenser saw the mass of machinery slam into the plastic wall on the opposite side, making a creaking noise. 

“A powered suit…!?”

[[Image:HO_v03_13.png|thumb]]

It probably was not a military weapon. The parts for the arms and legs were excessively thick, but it had odd gaps in the armor. The machinery required to move its body was plainly visible. Its design prioritized ease of maintenance over defense.

“Shit, what the hell!? Is that a mining model!?’

Quenser heard Heivia shouting from beyond the powered suit. The path leading to their destination was also on the other side. In other words, Quenser’s path was blocked by the powered suit.

Quenser felt a chill run down his spine.

This was not a worker from the mine.

If the workers were who Quenser and the others predicted they were, they would not do this.

(I know it’s you, you coward.)

Quenser’s eyes met with the inorganic camera lens.

(You goddamn spy. I can tell you’re laughing your ass off beyond that steel!!)

The unrefined arm meant to tear through the bedrock and dig through solid rock aimed for Quenser’s head. A sound like the grinding of heavy gears reverberated through the area.

He had no time to avoid it.

The thick fingers grabbed Quenser’s entire tidy head.

Heivia immediately held up his assault rifle.

But Quenser of all people told him to stop.

“Gah…!? Geh…uuh…Stop, Heivia!!”

“Why!?”

“You can’t shoot through that thick armor!! The ricocheting bullets will kill us, not him!!”

“But!!”

Heivia did not remove his eye from the sight.

But it was true that his rifle bullets could not penetrate the powered suit armor.

But if he did nothing, Quenser’s head would be crushed in just a few more seconds.

Suddenly, a dull noise reverberated through the tunnel.

It came from the side.

A new figure appeared from the hole the powered suit had smashed open. She swung a pickaxe down at the gap in the joint between the powered suit’s palm and wrist and the sharp point stabbed in.

Powered suits were used for many tasks and there were many different models, but mining models tended not to worry much about keeping the joints sealed. In fact, gaps helped vent heat.

The tip of the pickaxe that found its way into the gap in the armor dug into the internal machinery, forcibly stopping the movement of the wrist.

The powered suit’s fingers stopped moving.

Quenser, who had been hanging a bit off the ground, fell back down.

“Gah…!?” he groaned, but then someone grabbed his hand off the ground.

It was not a Legitimacy Kingdom soldier.

It was the female worker from the Faith Organization anti-war group that had been carrying the first-aid kit before.

“Hurry!!” Her intonation was a bit off, but the worker spoke in English, a language people of the Legitimacy Kingdom would understand. “This won’t last forever!! You need to get out of here now!!”

At the same time, Quenser heard a dull noise.

The powered suit forcibly moved its arm with the pickaxe still stabbed into the wrist joint. After the sound of something breaking, the destroyed pickaxe fell to the ground. That had not been enough to hold back the horsepower of the powered suit.

The powered suit clenched its giant fist and swung it.

It was aiming for Quenser…

(No, it isn’t!!)

He immediately tackled the female worker.

In the next instant, the fist aimed for the woman flew through empty air and struck the plastic-covered floor of the tunnel.

The plastic shattered, cracks ran through the bedrock, a great vibration emanated out, and dust flew into the air.

“You!!” shouted Charlotte as she pulled Quenser up from the ground. She then dragged him back and away.

“What about the worker!?”

“We’ve got her over here!!” responded Heivia from the other side of the powered suit. 

The worker seemed to try to say something, but the dust caused her to cough violently.

“Heivia, Myonri, you head on!! Don’t try to fight back! Do you really think you can do anything with that rifle!?”

“To hell with that!! I have an anti-tank missile, y’know!?”

“Do you ''want'' to bury us all alive!? Just get going!! Hurry!!”

“Fine, you goddamn knight!! We’ll release the worker when we find a good place. Don’t you dare get yourself killed, okay!?”

For a bit, it felt like they were hesitating, but Quenser finally heard a few sets of receding footsteps. Heivia and Myonri were heading further on with the civilian worker. Quenser and Charlotte were staying behind.

With the unnerving sound of hydraulic machinery, the powered suit turned to fully face them.

It stood over 3 meters tall, so it almost completely filled the tunnel. Quenser doubted they could manage to slip by or under it.

Charlotte audibly gulped and then spoke to Quenser.

“Now then, what should we do?”

“Just to check, who do you think is in there?”

As she looked at the powered suit that had wordlessly crashed through the wall to attack them, Charlotte gave a blunt reply.

“Only that traitor could have attacked us with such perfect timing.”

“Then I think we need to pay that bastard Nutley back for what he did.”