Editing HEAVY OBJECT:Volume15 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 2===

“Simply put, it was practice.”

The tall Asian beauty named Taratua Martini On-the-Rocks spoke on the cruiser’s bridge.

Unlike the past, modern ship’s bridges were not all that important. Ship and weapons control were generally done in the windowless combat command center on a lower level, so this bridge was mostly just for show. In an intense battle, the captain on down would have to withdraw from this central point. That seemed like a case of mismatched priorities, but it had gained a new value.

Yes.

It was the perfect place for the privileged class to clear everyone else away for a private conversation.

Although it did require some caution for female officers in skirts because the reinforced glass window extended all the way to the floor just like a broadcast tower’s viewing deck.

“To be honest, the Olympia Dome’s broadcast facility was not all that high a priority. It was better off destroyed, but we could have dealt with the issue even if it was not. Same with forcing the Legitimacy Kingdom to pay reparations. That must have left quite a few bodies behind, but it seems the Faith Organization was up to no good as well. What really mattered was proving the method as effective. …That is, a method of directly accessing the moving Manhattan 000, gathering information, and sabotaging it if necessary.”

“…”

Wraith, another Martini Series, maintained a troubled expression.

Taratua remained seated in her fancy chair and casually clapped her hands twice at her fellow Martini who had safely returned from the Olympia Dome.

“As a giant artificial floating island, the Olympia Dome has many similarities to the world’s largest Object. To be honest, the Olympia Dome is the more difficult of the two when looking only at the infiltration phase. After all, our maintenance fleet and the Manhattan 000 are both from the Information Alliance. If we set a damaged ship adrift and send out a distress signal, the Martini holding the Manhattan 000’s reins will follow the rulebook and approve a rescue even as she argues with the AI network. Simply put, we can get onboard using the exact same method.”

“But how many Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers are left? Thanks to your meaningless harassment, they were driven nearly to disaster and most of them were slaughtered by that flying Object.”

“Oh, is that why you’re so irritable?” Taratua did not seem to care. “Disposable personnel are only valuable when you dispose of them. Can you win a war if you’re too afraid to fire a single bullet? We just have to gather spare personnel from elsewhere. Any new soldiers can be provided the necessary information through training. They work and we profit. Simple, right?”

“Is what you’re doing even war?”

“Oh, it’s war. A war by me and for me. In that sense, I may have wronged you, Wraith. They’re only disposable, but they do have experience packed in their heads. So I promised them your head as a reward for a successful mission.”

“…”

“Given how much the blood had rushed to their heads, I imagine they’ll kill you before they can even think up a cleverer but more perverted plan. Well, just accept it as your fate. I will increase the value of the Martini Series, so you can be part of the foundation.”

Wraith sighed.

“Let’s discuss a hypothetical.”

“Hold on, do you think this is a chat between friends or something? Romantic advice is simply outside my area of expertise.”

“…Let’s say there is a method of completely destroying the Martini Series from without, using the same kind of active self-denial as throwing out everything you own to get a new start on life. Would someone as universally capable and foolish as you be able to forgive your fellow Martinis who went insane?”

“Is that what this is about?” Taratua Martini On-the-Rocks gave a snort of laughter while elegantly crossing her legs. “It would be one thing if you were born with it, but when it’s something done to you afterwards, then you should have been able to prevent it or stop it. No attack or defense is perfect if it is made by human hands. That is why the Martini Series was created to make up for the AI network’s flaws. We’re supposed to play house with Capulet which may not even have a center anymore.”

“Your point?”

“Active self-denial? If someone takes advantage of a vulnerability, the responsibility lies with the person who knew of it but didn’t put together a countermeasure.”

“I see,” muttered Wraith while squirming a bit.

Now, did Taratua notice that the medals on her chest reflected the sunlight to inconspicuously send a signal somewhere?

A moment later, a spider web of cracks ran through the thick bulletproof glass on the floor of the bridge.

“Oh…?”

There was a surprised expression there.

The leather chair’s stuffing scattered everywhere. Taratua’s butt slid forward in that luxurious chair. She tried to hold onto the armrests, but her entire body had gone limp. Her hips fell from the chair and she collapsed to the floor.

Had the wet sensation finally caught up to her by then?

Fresh blood was splattered around like someone had rubbed red paint around with a mop. Needless to say, it drew out the path Taratua had taken as she rolled along the floor.

And lastly…

[[Image:HO_v15_137.png|thumb]]

There was a dark red hole in the tall Asian beauty’s stomach.

“Ah…bh.”

“If someone takes advantage of a vulnerability, the responsibility lies with the person who knew of it but didn’t put together a countermeasure? You are awful through and through, but it doesn’t really matter if you were broken or if you were always that way.”

Wraith Martini Vermouthspray’s expression had not changed.

“Who do you think did this?”

She slowly leaned forward to bring her face in close, but she showed no sign of stopping the hemorrhaging blood or providing any other first aid to her fellow Martini.

“You’re the kind of asshole who hides information on the Hammer Throw 001 for no other reason than to be cruel. You probably can’t even keep track of how many people hold a grudge against you. If you were mediocre enough to be convinced, I would not have had to rely on this.”

“…———”

“Yes, yes. No need to worry. None of our people will be blamed. They made sure to bring back some Faith Organization guns and ammunition as souvenirs. Shoot you with those and, well, all the documents will say you were shot by an enemy soldier in the normal course of the war. War is not treated as a crime. Although this might change some rules so we can’t hold private conversations on the bridge any longer. The adults will be sad to lose another valuable smoking area. Personally, I’m not too fond of the combat command center and its thick walls. It feels too oppressive.”

Nothing dramatic happened.

Taratua Martini On-the-Rocks could not close her wide-open eyelids and she simply stopped moving like her battery had run dry.

Humans were selfish creatures. She did not inspire the kind of emotion that Piranirie had.

Wraith held a hand to her ear and spoke into her earpiece.

“She is dead. I will send her body to the military doctor and have it proven that the wound came from a shot fired from 400 meters. And that it was done by the Faith Organization bullet embedded in the wall.”

“Oh, is that so? Thanks for actually choosing to kill her. I don’t think I could have handled it if you had tried to bring Taratua into this. But what else would I expect from one of the great Martinis? No one’s better at sending people to their death.”

“…”

“Honestly, this is the last time I do anything as annoying as a sniper job from a one-man submersible rocking in the waves. Now you need to take command. You can do that as a Martini, right?”

“Hold on. That’s much easier said than done. It’s not just an issue of rank. You need to consider affiliation and the command structure as well. You are aware how many hurdles I have to clear here, aren’t you?”

“I don’t care, Madam Lieutenant Colonel. The only reason I didn’t shoot you first is because you’re easier to control and thus more valuable than Taratua. Well, there was also all the people who died because she hid the information about the Hammer Throw 001. After we settle this Manhattan issue, you need to modify the records so they don’t list us as dead. That’s the only way we can return to our normal lives.”

“Understood.”

“Are you sure?”

This was not an icy voice.

Heivia’s voice was somehow mechanical. That was proof that he had passed the temporary surge of emotion and his drive for revenge had settled in as a normal thing. With the exception of a certain individual, no pain or death he witnessed would shake his heart now.

Wraith had seen plenty of people like that on the battlefield.

As a Martini, she had maintained order within the Information Alliance military by managing losing armies and occasionally eliminating berserk units or indirectly executing war criminals by sending them to certain death.

“Your life is a limited-time-only deal that lasts as long as you’re useful to us. Once you’re useless, you will meet the same fate as Taratua. You can give me an upturned look with tears in your eyes and you can place your hands on the wall and stick your ass out toward me, but it won’t change a thing. I’m having a hard time finding reasons not shoot you right in your insane head. So work hard for the Legitimacy Kingdom.”

The cold and mechanical transmission ended.

Wraith was all alone for the moment.

No, it was possible no one had ever filled the gap left by that one boy. Not even the young man who was always by her side. Especially when she knew how angry it would make her if someone casually offered to fill that gap.