Story Reader / Floating Record / ER09: Crescent Sun / Story
ER09-19 In the Wake Of
And that is what happened.
After returning from Hydrangea Island, I became Scarab's new captain.
Though to be fair, V pretty much forced me into it.
Yata tosses a liquor-filled mint candy into the air and catches it in her mouth.
She then pats the Medic Bot's shoulder with an exaggerated look of despair.
I never knew you had to write so many mission reports.
They're saying the combat environment was complex this time, so I have to write detailed reports about everything—the Red Tide's spread patterns, consciousness projection responses, environmental conditions on Hydrangea Island, and all that other stuff.
I have six hands and I'm still here struggling!
Yata, what are you mumbling about to "Shorthalt"?
The Medic Bot blinks repeatedly, apparently sharing Shiva's confusion.
The robot, once Shorthalt's target of drunkenly embrace whenever he let himself have one too many drinks, adopted Shorthalt's name after his passing.
Now it accepts all sorts of peculiar offerings while serving as a silent confidant.
Long story short, the Scarabs failed to capture their mission target and got punished—now they're on a "wonderful" mandatory vacation.
The Red Tide was so dangerous that even Nikola had nothing to say about it, though V—our resident workaholic—was visibly irked.
In her words, this isn't a vacation, it's... uh, "just another form of confinement", yeah.
Hey, Shorthalt.
Yata's playful expression fades as she becomes serious.
Say... do you think Scarab is gonna turn out fine with me as the new captain...?
I mean... I just feel like I have to know a billion things to be a captain.
Would you feel as lost as I did when crises like this happen out of the blue...? How do people usually cope with it anyway?
I'm just scared... scared of losing anyone close to me again.
So do impart your wisdom like you used to whenever you're free. I'll pay you in mint candy.
It isn't until Yata gets on her feet that she sees that "Shorthalt" already has a heap's worth of gifts sitting on its head.
Wanshi's cushion, Discord's scissors, Shiva's tarot cards, various flavors of alcoholic electrolyte from Shorthalt's drinking buddies, and much more.
People throughout Babylonia share a special bond with him. Whenever they wish to confide in him, they leave gifts for the Medic Bot, just like this.
Here you go. Make them last—we've got a limited supply of these things.
Yata ceremoniously places five liquor-filled mint candies atop the heap of gifts.
Beep—
In the distance, a shadowy figure quietly stops the recording. Beneath their mask, the corners of their mouth curl into a subtle smile.
She knows she won't be getting any reply, but she still taps her terminal all the same and sends the video to a communication port.
Alright, Yata, sober up. We've got a mission.
I'm not drunk.
Alright.
Through evaluation, Commander believes Hydrangea Island has relatively well-maintained facilities.
If we can successfully decontaminate and reconstruct it, it could be reopened as a ground fortress.
Yata, since you're familiar with the island, this mission has been assigned to you.
Decontamination? But the Red Tide drowned the island, no?
No, the Red Tide only drowned the school building where we were and went away soon after that.
But we can't assume it's completely safe. There are still Corrupted remaining on the island.
So, we're heading out on another mission?
No, you'll be going with Gray Raven's Commandant only. The rest of Scarab is still under disciplinary confinement.
Oh... Gray Raven's Commandant, huh...
Yata mutters the name in a daze before suddenly snapping back to her senses.
V, please give me some hangover electrolyte for Constructs.
With practiced ease, Valeria finds a bottle in the cabinet and tosses it across the room to Yata.
Thanks.
Why are you being so serious all of a sudden?
I used to consult the valedictorian about tactical matters, and they would always walk me through my questions in detail.
Last time, I even invited them to work out at the gym together. I've been wanting to explore other places with them too.
Don't treat this like a vacation. Watch out for the Corrupted.
Yata downs the hangover drink in one go and waves dismissively at Valeria.
Don't worry, V.
She shoulders her powered arm pack and leaves the lounge.
