Chapter 216: What I Want to Do (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 216: What I Want to Do (5)
As soon as the weekend passed and the work week began, the first thing I did was head to headquarters.
Having had plenty of rest and with the duels resuming, I felt a strong urge to get serious about my work.
Now that I was living in the same house as Su-ah and seeing my girlfriends every day, I was consumed by the thought of starting my investigation into Superhumans as soon as possible.
It wasn't that I had been taking the investigation lightly before, but I felt a renewed sense of urgency.
"As I thought, there aren't many similarities to the Bioroid experiments."
After sitting at my desk at headquarters and turning on my computer, I first examined the Bioroid experimental data I had brought from the ship.
Since I had heard a rough overview of the Superhuman experiments from my girlfriends, I hoped to find some common ground with Bioroids, though I didn't hold my breath.
As if rewarding my low expectations, I found no similarities between the Bioroid and Superhuman experiments.
So, I began to wonder why they weren't similar.
The foundations were different, but they shared the commonality of being experiments conducted on living organisms. Therefore, I believed there had to be some overlapping elements.
"The difference in technology is probably the biggest factor," Luche chimed in, looking at the monitor beside me.
"I suppose so, right?"
As Luche said, the biggest difference was the technological gap between Earth and Spacetro.
Because Earth's technology was less advanced, the Superhuman experiments were incredibly primitive compared to the Bioroid experiments.
"Do you think we can find experimental data from before the Bioroids?"
"We could probably find some if we looked, but it'll be hard to verify anything specific."
The Bioroid experiments began after the Homeworld was destroyed and the various national unions merged to establish Spacetro.
While some data could be found since it was based on various prior experiments, the most important historical records were kept as classified information, making them impossible to access now.
"It doesn't have to be specific."
That didn't matter. What I was looking for wasn't the minute details of the experiments, but the general process. I was confident I could gather enough information without needing to see the classified files.
"Alright. I'll look into it and let you know."
Even for simple data, Luche decided to go out of her way to help me, since I lacked the necessary access permissions.
From the perspective of those fighting Superhumans, researching them was vital.
While I was doing this for my girlfriends and Luche was doing it to help me, the end result of a successful investigation would be a significant achievement for the organization.
"But Senior, what are you going to do for me if I help you?"
Even if it wasn't for personal reasons, there was plenty of justification for the investigation, but it seemed Luche was helping me for purely personal ones.
"What would you like me to do?"
"Hmm. How about a date?"
"Sure, sure."
Even if she called it a date, it was obvious she just meant grabbing a meal together, not the kind of date I went on with my girlfriends. When I answered with a chuckle, Luche beamed.
"You two look like you're having fun."
While Luche and I were engrossed in the data on the monitor, I looked up at the sound of a voice coming from over the partition.
Captain Angelica, her pure white hair neatly tied back, was watching us with a smile, a coffee in one hand.
"Captain Angelica. Hello."
"Hi. It's lunchtime—are you working without eating?"
"I'm not really hungry. Have you eaten?"
"I just got back from going out with Esmeralda. What are you working on?"
Interested in seeing Luche and me skipping lunch to work, Angelica pulled up a chair and sat beside us.
Since the space was too cramped for the three of us to sit side-by-side, Angelica pulled her chair closer, pressing right up against me.
"Bioroid experiments?"
"Yes. Since Superhumans are also created through experiments, I thought there might be some clues."
Nodding, Angelica took a sip of her coffee and stared intently at the monitor.
"Are you researching this because of the duels?"
"That's part of it."
"By the way, are you still working on that research to adjust Battle Suit output?"
"Ah, that... Well, I did mention Battle Suits when the Assault Suits were being issued this time."
"Not Battle Suit 37. I mean the one you were trying to customize, A."
When the new suits were being issued, I had brought up the idea of suits with better performance, but for various reasons, we ended up using the current ones.
Back when I was using the Battle Suit—which was functionally superior to the current Assault Suit—I was Angelica's direct subordinate, so I naturally thought she was talking about the suit I used back then. However, she was referring to a suit I had been researching a long time ago.
"I lost my authorization for that when I was placed on probation. It's probably sleeping peacefully somewhere in the Archive."
As an engineer who had maintained equipment for a long time, I had also taken an interest in programming various functions. I had tinkered with suits a few times, but after being disciplined for saving Luche long ago, I lost my development clearance and dropped it entirely.
Of course, even before the probation, I hadn't been using the Battle Suit anymore, so I hadn't been developing it as passionately as before.
"Is that so? I didn't know that part."
Angelica, who knew I had been disciplined but didn't know the specific details, spoke with a hint of regret. Feeling a bit embarrassed about mentioning how I'd lost my clearance, I cleared my throat.
"I remember you even made a hacking tool to try and crack open the suit's code."
"Was that the first time you ever got angry at me?"
Back when I was young and reckless, I had created a hacking tool to try and modify the suit. That was the first and last time Angelica had ever yelled at me.
Thinking back, it was a truly ridiculous thing to attempt, and I fully deserved the scolding.
"Well, of course, I was shocked. My subordinate suddenly says he's going to crack open military secrets. I was even more surprised because the hacking tool was actually well-made."
"I made it with the intent to tear apart every single mechanism and piece of data..."
I trailed off as something clicked in my mind.
What I needed right now was various data on Superhumans.
However, I had no route to acquire Superhuman data and had to rely entirely on the records within Spacetro.
But thinking about it slowly, it wasn't that I had no route at all.
My girlfriends were Superhumans. Among them, Yubin was even the team leader.
Asking them to bring me data from the Earth Defense Union database was too risky. The daily life I was currently struggling to maintain could crumble in an instant.
But what if I didn't target the database, but just the data on a single computer?
Back when Yubin didn't know my identity, she told me her Superhuman activities were a "part-time job." And in those stories, her boss always appeared.
Naturally, there were superiors at the Superhuman headquarters as well.
The moment the thought flashed through my mind—that something might turn up if I poked around the computer of someone like a Branch Manager...
"That's it!"
The entire plan snapped into place in my head.
My sudden shout startled both Luche and Angelica, who were sitting beside me looking at the monitor. My eyes met Angelica's.
"Thank you! Captain Angelica!"
Overjoyed at having accidentally found an answer, I pulled her into a hug. Angelica, receiving the embrace without knowing why, just stood there, unable to find the words to respond.
"Excuse me for a moment."
As soon as I let go, I jumped up from my seat.
Currently, I didn't have the authorization to check the programs I had made in the past. I could remake them if I had to, but if I could check the base program, I could drastically shorten the time it would take to build a new one.
What I needed to find was someone who knew about the materials I had created in the past, had access permissions, and had been looking at the Archive for a long time.
"Theo!"
"Whoa, jeez! You scared me."
I called out to Theo at the top of my lungs the moment I saw him returning to the office after lunch.
Theo, who had been walking in looking satisfied and full, jumped in surprise at my loud shout.
"The Archive! We have to dig through the Archive!"
I said, unable to hide my excitement as I grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
Until quite recently, he had been stationed on the ship, continuously working on engineering and facility management.
Back when Kruger and I were building programs together, Theo was the one watching from the side. While he might not have looked for the specific programs I made, Theo, who had been scouring the Archive until recently, would surely know where the current data was located.
"What is it? You crazy bastard. Calm down and talk!"
The realization that there was something I could actually do had me incredibly worked up, and it took a moment for me to settle down.
While A was holding onto Theo and shouting, Luche and Angelica, who were still at A's desk, watched him and then locked eyes.
"That's not fair."
At Luche's blunt, pouting remark, Angelica gave her a gentle, motherly smile and stroked her hair.
"I didn't do it on purpose. It was a coincidence, so don't take it to heart."
"Even if it was a coincidence, it doesn't change the fact that you scored points."
Angelica, who understood Luche's feelings well, explained that giving A a clue for his investigation hadn't been intentional, but the furrow in Luche's brow didn't smooth out.
"By the way, has it been decided when Alt is coming?"
"Not yet. Something came up at the observation base in Japan, so it'll take a bit more time."
Angelica brought up another topic to try and cheer Luche up, but she could feel that Luche's attention was still fixed on her even as she answered.
"You guys always talk about things I don't know."
Though her face was full of discontent, to Angelica, Luche just looked adorable.
"I suppose so. You never saw A when he wore the Battle Suit, did you, Luche?"
Seeing Luche acting like a child upset over having her favorite toy taken away, Angelica felt a bit mischievous and spoke boastfully about having seen A back when he was in his prime.
"!"
Feeling like she had somehow lost, Luche looked at Angelica with a face on the verge of tears. Seeing Luche looking like she might burst if she said one more word, Angelica smiled and pulled her into a hug, stroking her hair.
"Just as there's an A that I know and you don't, there's an A that you know and I don't. Don't overthink it."
As she was being stroked and comforted by that gentle voice, Luche thought silently in Angelica's arms.
'I wonder if she'll still be able to say that when she finds out all of Hunter Killer are Senior's girlfriends?'
Esmeralda and Angelica always claimed they had no interest in pursuing a deeper relationship with A, but until A started dating all of Team Hunter Killer, those two had been the primary targets of Luche and Seira's wariness.
Luche had no intention of letting her guard down just because A had girlfriends now, but thinking about the reaction they would have when they learned the truth they didn't know, she felt a strange sense of kinship.