thefictionvixens Chapter 6: The Script in the Cage and the Trojan Horse
Chapter 6: The Script in the Cage and the Trojan Horse
On the bridge, the air that had just relaxed due to "safety" instantly froze at Gerald Garcia's cold and arrogant voice.
Forced detention.
These four words, like four heavy icebergs, crashed down on the hearts of every crew member of the Archangel. The color drained from their faces at a visible speed, replaced by a pallor mixed with horror and humiliation.
"The entire ship's armament systems have been forcibly deactivated from the outside!"
"Main gun power supply interrupted! MS catapult locked!"
The CIC operators' trembling voices rose and fell in a chorus of reports, each word like a slap in the face, burning their dignity as elite soldiers of the Atlantic Federation.
Marlene Ramias's body tensed instantly as she leaned back in the captain's seat. She gripped the armrests so tightly that her knuckles turned deathly white from the force. She stared intently at the man's face on the main screen, a face etched with the undisguised contempt of an Eurasian Federation officer for his "countryside relative," a colleague from the Atlantic Federation.
"Commander Garcia, we belong to the Eighth Fleet of the Atlantic Federation and have priority in our operations! You have no right to detain us!" Lieutenant Natal Bakiru stepped forward, her stern tone like a hammer striking steel.
Garcia on the screen gave a disdainful smile, not even bothering to look at her directly.
"Lieutenant Bakirulu, please get your facts straight. This is 'Artemis,' the sacred and inviolable territory of the Eurasian Federation. Here, my word is law." He paused deliberately, enjoying the other's expression of barely suppressed anger. "As for the Atlantic Federation's authorization? Ha, that piece of paper is in my fortress; it's less useful than a piece of toilet paper."
He finally turned his gaze to Maru, his eyes like a hunter inspecting his trophy in his cage.
"Now, lay down your ridiculous resistance and prepare for inspection. This is an order, not a request."
Communication was unilaterally cut off, and the screen went dark.
Humiliation, like an all-pervasive virus, spread wildly throughout the bridge. They had barely escaped from ZAFT's jaws after a near-death experience, only to find themselves headlong into a trap meticulously laid by their so-called "allies."
"They've forced their way onto the ship! The hatch in Area A has been breached!"
The ear-piercing sound of the hatch being forcibly opened by explosives came through the internal communication system, accompanied by the arrogant shouts of Eurasian Federation soldiers and the suppressed roars of the crew.
Maru closed her eyes, her chest heaving, and took a deep breath. The cold air filled her lungs, but it couldn't extinguish the anger and anxiety in her heart.
Her mind was racing at an unprecedented speed, frantically searching for any possible way out. But all paths seemed blocked. Under this so-called absolute defense, the "Umbrella of Light," they were like fish in a barrel, with no choice but to be slaughtered.
Despair began to overwhelm reason like a tidal wave.
Just then, an absurd thought burst forth again, like a bolt of lightning cleaving through her chaotic thoughts.
The young man in the solitary confinement cell...
That guy who calls himself a "professional gaming companion"...
Does his absurd "game strategy" also include... this seemingly unsolvable "dead end"?
[WARNING: External high-intensity energy field has locked the ship. All functions except for the ship's life support systems have been taken over.]
Current status: Imprisoned.
In the confined room, the cold, monotonous system notification sound jolted Ling Yu awake from his comfortable light sleep.
He rubbed his sleepy eyes, sat up somewhat unhappily, stretched out a big yawn, and his bones cracked and popped.
"What the hell... Why does my deluxe VIP single room have a forced internet disconnection?" he complained to the empty room. "The service is terrible. I'll definitely have to give it a six-star review on Dianping later."
He heard hurried footsteps and indistinct shouts outside the door. He listened carefully and, combined with the system notification he had just received, immediately understood the situation.
"Oh, so it's the 'Artemis' mandatory story quest."
Ling Yu pursed his lips, his face showing no sign of tension, but rather an extreme displeasure at having his "wonderful afternoon nap interrupted."
I originally thought I could live a peaceful life as a "prison aristocrat" for a few days, lying around all the way to Alaska.
I also watched Kira and Frey put on a lovey-dovey scene. I didn't expect these NPCs to be so clueless, insisting on adding their own drama.
He idly brought up the system panel.
[Current available points: 100 points.]
[Cards held: [The Swindler's Smile] (R card, one-time use) x1, and some worthless cards such as 'Colony Security Fighting Technique'.]
"Tsk, 100 points, not even enough for a low-level single draw. Looks like it's time to 'work' a little and earn some extra cash."
His core demand is to "slack off, relax, and enjoy life."
Therefore, the fundamental motivation for all his "efforts" is "the initial investment he has to make in order to slack off more safely and comfortably."
Now, he's locked in someone else's cage, unable to comfortably slack off, and even deprived of internet freedom, which has clearly crossed his bottom line.
Ling Yu stood up, stretched his neck, leaned over the door of the solitary confinement cell, cleared his throat, and shouted into the communicator on the door:
"Hey! Friends outside, could you please inform your boss, the highest-ranking official?"
"Take a professional 'game beta tester' for example,"
We have discovered a fatal bug in your so-called "newbie safe zone" that could cause server crashes and data rollbacks.
His voice carried a kind of infuriating yet inexplicably confident ease.
"If he doesn't want his proud 'turtle shell' to be kicked in the middle, he'd better come and talk to me immediately, right now, with sincerity."
"And by the way, tell him that my consultation fees are very expensive."
Bridge of the HMS Vesalius.
Xiao Ran stood in front of the tactical screen, his eyes behind his glasses calmly watching the point of light representing the Archangel, which was completely swallowed by the "Artemis Umbrella," motionless, like an insect frozen in amber.
"The target has been captured and is completely incapacitated." The adjutant's voice carried a hint of satisfaction.
"As expected." Xiao Ran's tone was completely calm, as if he had simply confirmed the answer to a math problem.
On the ZAFT Armory System interface in his mind, a blue data stream was performing complex logical deductions at a speed that even he himself could hardly match.
[Analysis Target: Predict the next action of [Anomaly-01]]
[Input variables: Target faction (captured), Target personality (chaotic/fun-loving), Available resources (unknown), Current environment (inside Artemis Fortress).]
[Prediction conclusion: 1. Attempt to subvert/incite (probability 15.7%).]
2. Find vulnerabilities in the internal system and exploit them (probability 38.2%).
3. Exploit external threats (ZAFT) and internal conflicts to create chaos and seize the opportunity to escape (92.5% probability).
"Use us?" Xiao Ran looked at the option with the highest probability, a cold, almost admiring glint flashing in his eyes behind his glasses.
"Using themselves as 'bait' to lure us into attacking the fortress, and then taking advantage of the chaos when the fortress is defending against the enemy to escape?"
No, that's too simple, too narrow-minded...
Xiao Ran muttered to himself,
A bolder guess, one that better reflected the man's erratic behavior, came to mind.
"【Anomaly-01】, you 'Trojan horse' planted in the heart of the enemy, you will never be satisfied with just running away."
You will turn the entire city of Troy upside down, and even... take it for yourself.
He raised his head and gave the order that puzzled everyone.
"The entire team retreated 50,000 kilometers, entered a state of silence, and turned off the active radar."
At the same time, I request my country to dispatch the three machines 'Thunderbolt,' 'Storm,' and 'Duel' to immediately join me here.
"Commander?" The adjutant was completely puzzled. "Shouldn't we take this opportunity to attack? This is the best chance to destroy the Archangel and that 'G'!"
"No," Xiao Ran replied coldly, his eyes gleaming with the patience and excitement of a chess player awaiting their opponent's move.
"The actors are in place, and the stage is set. Before the main character takes the stage, all we need to do is be a quiet audience."
He turned around, casting his gaze back at the desolate starry sky, a subtle, unnoticed smile playing on his lips.
"I'm a little curious, what would you do, fellow villager?"