Editing HEAVY OBJECT:Volume4 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 11===

Given the situation, Heivia and Royce had to act on their own, but they had no real reason to keep the information to themselves.

As they took action, they contacted the police special forces and a Legitimacy Kingdom Object other than the Baby Magnum and its Mobile Maintenance Battalion. They made a request for the Object to prepare its anti-air lasers. If Heivia had gotten Froleytia to do that, it probably would have gone a lot smoother though.

And then…

They heard a major change to the situation come in via a radio transmission.

“Speed Killer is ready. We can use the anti-air lasers at any time. Even if a cruise missile is fired at the city, we can intercept it with 97% accuracy.”

“Wait, wait!!”

“According to the satellite, the mobile launcher is located 20 kilometers northwest of where the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion is stationed. If we know the starting point and ending point, we know its flight path. There is no way it will slip past us.”

“Is this information correct!? Are you sure their cruise missile is targeting that convoy of some VIPs travelling 30 kilometers southeast of here and not the maintenance soldiers scattered throughout the impromptu cityscape!?”

“It seems they are conversing over cell phones that use a civilian satellite as well as via normal radio. However, we have people with special devices to intercept those signals. We got the information from there. There is no mistaking this.”

“And…” Heivia chose his words carefully. “Is there also no mistaking the fact that the Object’s anti-air laser defense is set to shoot down the cruise missile halfway through its flight?”

“Halfway? …That would mean it’s right above the impromptu cityscape!” shouted Royce, but Heivia had already figured out what they were after when he had asked the question.

The commander in charge of the Speed Killer replied, “The convoy being targeted is carrying a lieutenant general and a brigadier general. That chemical combustion warhead must be shot down.”

“…”

“A chemical combustion warhead only has its intended effects when the proper materials are mixed together and mixed with the air upon detonation at the proper altitude. If it is shot down by an anti-air laser, there is almost no chance of a large, several kilometer explosion occurring.”

“But there is still some chance, right?”

“Even so,” immediately replied the commander. “The Elite and commander will have airtight armored vehicles accompanying them that can withstand biological and chemical weapons. As long as the bare minimum is protected, that is all that matters. And of course the Object itself will not be destroyed by anything of that level. Also, I am putting you under a gag order to prevent a panic. Any further communications are-…”

Heivia clicked his tongue and switched off his radio.

Royce then shouted at him with such force that he almost grabbed at the boy.

“What is going on!? Are they planning to let everyone in this city die? And if those airtight armored vehicles can withstand the heat and flames, what does it matter if the cruise missile directly hits that convoy!?”

“Don’t ask me. He was probably forced into this decision by those higher officers. …And I get the feeling this is exactly what the ones using the chemical combustion warhead want.”

“?”

“They used the satellite cell phones to purposefully allow the military to intercept the transmissions. As they expected, the military plans to set up a defensive line to shoot the missile down halfway through its flight. …And that is in the perfect spot to roast all the maintenance soldiers in my unit as you predicted.”

“It can’t be…But that means…”

“If you simply shoot a cruise missile in Oceania, one of the many Objects will shoot it down before it reaches its target. But that just means you have to create a plan based on the assumption it will get shot down.”

“But that horrible commander said the odds are low a large explosion will occur if the cruise missile is shot down with an anti-air laser!”

“If they know it will be shot down, they can change those odds,” Heivia searched through the handheld device belonging to one of the armed men he had shot. “I saw this diagram of the warhead before, but now that I look closer, something is off about it. The different chemicals are packaged separately. If it reached its target like this, nothing would happen.”

“Wait, you mean the chemicals will only be mixed together in midair if it it’s shot down?”

“From this design, I’d say they want it shot down. The chemicals are stored under high pressure which I guess is to ensure they scatter everywhere when the container bursts. If we leave this to the Object’s anti-air lasers, this city will be swallowed up in a sea of flames!!”

They knew where the enemy’s mobile launcher was.

Without getting permission, Heivia borrowed a Legitimacy Kingdom off-road vehicle that was parked on the road with the key in the ignition.

Royce shouted, “What are you going to do!?”

“Isn’t it obvious? We came this far on our own, so we just have to finish it that way!! Royce, if you want to help, fill that drum up with gasoline!!”

Royce followed Heivia’s instructions, but he still had questions.

He climbed into the passenger seat of the off-road vehicle and they drove out of the impromptu city.

“I know we have to stop this, but do you really think we can destroy that mobile launcher!? We had enough trouble with just those 3 pursuers. Their main force is going to be concentrated around that launcher!!”

“Shut up! We don’t have time!!”

A cloud of sand blew into the air as the off-road vehicle drove off into a dry wasteland.

They were still 20 kilometers from the mobile launcher.

The armed group would have its firepower concentrated around that launcher. Also, they had no reason to wait. They would be launching the cruise missile as soon as possible.

“Shit! That light!!” shouted Royce.

A bright flash of light could be seen beyond the horizon and a signal flare-like point of light shot up into the night sky. However, the distances were simply too great. A signal flare would not produce enough light.

“They fired it!! That was the cruise missile loaded with the chemical combustion warhead!!”

“Tch. Can we make it in time!?”

Heivia slammed on the brakes and drove in an S-pattern as the tires slid. In the end, he finally managed to stop the off-road vehicle safely.

He then jumped down onto the sandy ground.

“We weren’t on our way to attack the armed group and destroy the launcher!?”

“I never thought we would make it in time for that!!” shouted back Heivia, bringing a look of shock to Royce’s face.

Royce then thought Heivia must have been running away before the explosion to save himself, but Heivia headed to the back of the off-road vehicle.

“As long as we keep the missile from continuing on its intended course, we can prevent the impromptu cityscape and the maintenance soldiers from being sacrificed! If it flies off in some other direction, their plan involving the anti-air laser will fail!!”

“Are you planning to jam it?”

“The Craft Salamander III’s guidance system uses terrain calculations. It measures the ups and downs of the terrain it passes over to determine what corrections need to be made to its course. As long as it has 3-5 pages of documentation on the terrain between the launch point and the arrival point, it can aim itself quite accurately.”

“Does that documentation come from satellite photos?”

“Normally. Simple aerial photos should work just as well. But in that case, the documentation cannot be updated in real time, so it all has to be researched beforehand and the launch location cannot be changed,” explained Heivia. “Naturally, if aerial photos to determine its course are inputted, no communication is needed after launch. While GPS navigation requires a constant exchange of information with the satellite, this method has no risk of being stopped with jamming.”

“Then what can we do!? How are we supposed to oppose a cruise missile flying at supersonic speeds!? Don’t tell me you plan to aim your rifle into the air and shoot it down!!”

“I’ll be doing something a little flashier than that.”

Heivia used both hands to pick up the drum filled with gasoline that had been loaded in the off-road vehicle.

He opened the large metal container, tipped it over, and spread the gasoline around the wasteland.

“Be mindful of the wind. It can carry vaporized gasoline.”

“What are you doing? The cruise missile is already in the air!! It will pass by overhead before too long!!”

“As I said, the Craft Salamander III’s guidance system uses terrain calculations. It periodically compares the data held in its chips to the actual ups and downs of the terrain below it to correct its course.” After the last of the gasoline had left the drum, Heivia casually threw the empty container to the side. “That just means we have to make sure it can’t compare the two sets of data.”

He then pulled out a cigar lighter from the driver’s seat of the off-road vehicle.

He glanced out at the hot, red ground.

“We just have to do something like this!!”

The instant after Heivia threw the cigar lighter, a giant explosion filled a portion of the wasteland.

In an instant, a massive amount of light and heat was produced along with a shockwave.

Afterwards, black smoke rose up into the night sky. The black smoke filled the entire area the explosion had encompassed.

A white point of light shot by above their heads with tremendous speed.

“What? That isn’t the right direction.”

“The flash of light and the smoke prevented it from checking on the terrain,” said Heivia as he held a hand in front of his face to protect his eyes from the orange light. “If it can’t correct its course, there’s nothing to worry about. Now we just have to wait for the Speed Killer to deal with it. It doesn’t matter if the anti-air laser brings the chemical combustion warhead down over empty desert.” He collapsed into a sitting position and wiped sweat from his brow. “I can get things done too when I don’t have to face one of those monstrous weapons.”