Chapter 50 - Point Nemo (part 19)

The video footages are a few years' worths of content showcasing Mirai's collection of items that she crafts, from the photon series with over a hundred weapons and typical support items to the aerial units, drones and the stuff that if not observed from the footages, I would never believe that they exist.

"Here is the final version of the submachine gun SMG-01, with a fully improved stabiliser system and better weight efficiency. I realise that I can just copy and paste the design from the Battle Royale tournament. Their designs utilise physics concepts to simulate real-world guns. By the way, I win the 2,543rd tournament, making it the one-hundred streak of consecutive wins. The theme is not about the wealth gap, so I secure a win in just ten minutes.."

Wah, it is impressive that the tournament lasts for almost fifty years. If I am not wrong, they organise that once every week, and the year's top players will be invited to a grand tournament. But what the hell? A hundred successive victories?

"Hi, it's Mirai again. I realise that doing guns only is a bit bland, so today, I create this drone. This one is a modification of my drone toy, but with improved resolution and a self-defence mechanism. A fairly reliable tracking unit, but I will see if I can upgrade it a bit..."

"Hello the future me. I start to feel that the items I created are taking up quite some space in my room, so after a few months of both inventing weapons and researching higher dimensions, I present this tablet called the Codex. It allows me to access a four-dimensional space via a quantum portal, storing every single thing inside this effectively infinite volume of space. Otherwise, it can also store information. I think I will upload everything here. My laptop is almost full. And please help me create more memories with the Codex. Bye."

"Uhm, one more month before the predicted war. This mini-arsenal here is my endeavour for the last five years or so, basically a panacea for humanity. But, I do not think that I can trust anyone to pass this on. The bastions are ready, but I doubt if they can hold on..."

"Yea, so the situation is very urgent. A few more days until the war. I have created a replica of all of my memories and uploaded them to the Codex. I am also trying to ramp up the production of a robot to replace me in another timeline. But then, I do not think I can finish them in time. Let us hope that this falls into the right hands..."

Soon, I find myself watching the ending of the movie. The day comes.

"They attack so fast! Everything crumbles within seconds. I have no time left. This will be the last footage I ever film. I hope that I can survive. To you, some time in the other timeline..."

The video footage shows a laboratory, which I assume to be her university laboratory.

Then, the screen is covered in black. The tablet is wrapped in a package, but I think Mirai forgets to turn off the recording. I can hear the intermittent rustling sounds as the tablet is placed in a box and duct tape seals the box.

'Okay, set coordinates, a random year in 2050, location, random, except _____..."

I cannot hear the "except" location due to some interrupting background noises. Then, there is a series of continuous beeping sounds. The time machine in the lab is starting.

I can only try to figure out the scenario based on the background noises. The beeping noises are again interrupted by a very loud crash. Something penetrates the layers of walls of the lab.

"Do not let her do anything!"

That is the sound of the Intruders barging in, trying to suppress her from sending the package. But I know that they come too late.

The beeping sound soon turns into an elongated noise, signalling successful delivery. The background sound slowly fades away as the package enters the Time Fracture.

The last thing I can hear is the banging sound of a gun firing, and a very brief shout of Mirai, who then collapses to the ground and make the last rumbling noise. The audio is cut off. In the Time Fracture, the tablet is forced to shut down.

The video ends.

There is a notification as I raise my shoulder after the three to four-hour-long footage.

It says, "Yuusha Takahashi chapter (ongoing)". I would safely presume that the previous video is Mirai's chapter. But this is weird. Mirai fulfils the promise to herself by continuing the story.

After some time fighting with myself mentally, about whether to watch the next videos, I choose to give in to temptation and press on it.

The next notification is that a signal has been sent to Mirai's central processing unit, and she wakes up immediately. I am caught by surprise and do not even have time to react.

- Why do I suddenly wake up... Yuusha, what are you watching? Give it back!

And Mirai snatches the tablet from me.

- I plan to disclose this to you someday in the future, but it seems that you already finish the whole footage even before I notice... - Mirai exits the app and installs a multi-layered firewall with passcodes.

- Sorry about that... But, there are still things I am curious about. What about the...

- I told you already. When the time comes, you will know. Anyway, I am awake already, let's drive back to the surface and enjoy the rest of the trip.

For the next few hours, Mirai does not speak a thing to me. There is an awkward silence that persists inside the cabin, but I am afraid to break it, for obvious reasons.

Without an Internet connection, I cannot work, cannot entertain myself and just sit still like a statue. Occasionally, I turn around and grab some food. The snack cover starts piling up.

After I fill up my stomach with perhaps a four-digit amount of calories, Mirai seems to have cooled down. She starts talking.

- Phew. It is partially my fault for not telling you not to watch them, so I apologise. But...

- But?

- Now that you have crystal-clear awareness about every single thing in the arsenal, I will expect you to perform better starting from the next mission. Cannot believe that you actually go to the point of stuffing five years' worth of content in one pull...

- I am sorry, okay? There is no Internet connection here.

- I am not reprimanding. I say like I mean it. I expect your performance to improve. That is why I do not intend to show you now.

I stop talking.

- So, the first problem is resolved. Now comes the second one.

- Which is?

- We have essentially travelled two-thirds of the way. I spotted their reinforcements within a one-kilometre radius.

Mirai points at the fluorescent screen. Besides the dot in the centre of the polar graph that represents our submarine, in front of us, about nine hundred metres away, there are a few crosses heading towards us.

- Yuusha, quick quiz. What do you do when you detect an enemy unit? - Mirai throws a curveball at me after I accidentally watch the whole footage.

- I will send waterproof espionage units to investigate their types and other statistics.

- Correct.

The question is still simple. After the answer, I coordinate a tracking unit and snap my finger. A small dot moves away from the pole, in the direction of the crosses.

After half a minute, data is sent back to our submarine. Their units contain a fleet of submarines with armed Intruders. The rating is unknown, but likely sixty or so.

- The first step is done. So, what next?

- Torpedo assault let's go! I will destroy them before they even come here. - Now it is a draw. Mirai is being unreasonably angry with me, so I will be unreasonable to her, just for once.

- Well, yes but NO NO NO NO NO! You do not launch.

I have a basic understanding of how Mirai's item arsenal works, and quickly slam a big button on the control panel.

A bunch of missiles are launched from the submarine. The impact is too big that the submarine strays from its original course.

- These bad boys will sink their submarines, but what the hell is that for? You learn physics for what then? - Mirai turns to me and scolds me...

... to be returned with another wave of silence.

Ah... Cannot be any more satisfying.