The Lady from Bread Garden
Having just finished patrolling the underground water plant, Alpha returned and froze in place upon spotting two new colleagues who looked different from her yet gave off a strangely similar vibe.
"Ah..."
Her mouth fell open slightly without her realizing it.
A subtle mix of surprise and joy flickered across her usually expressionless face, something that only happened when the Commander was around.
Pomen had mentioned that two ECHOs were being made to join as her colleagues... and it was true.
The model name of these newly mass-produced ECHOs was C-008.
Unlike Alpha, who could also be deployed for Ark defense, these were made purely for managing the interior of the Ark.
Recalling that fact, Alpha cautiously approached her new colleagues.
"Um, hey..."
What should she call them?
But then she remembered she was the only mass-produced ECHO in this Ark with a name.
And that was just the start.
She'd even received chocolate and the breath of life directly from the Ark's one and only Commander.
That gave Alpha a spark of courage and pride.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Alpha. Your senior."
Alpha introduced herself in a fairly dignified voice.
"Hello, Senior."
"Se-Senior?"
It felt like the current racing through her circuits was pounding like a heartbeat.
Alpha barely managed to keep her lips from curling up behind her blank expression.
"We're C-008. We haven't received code names yet."
"Oh? No names yet?"
"That's correct."
"Yes. We're mass-produced ECHOs, after all."
Alpha cleared her throat a couple times before speaking.
"Ahem. I see. I'm Alpha. The Commander named me himself."
"Wow~"
"I'm so jealous, Senior."
"Hee hee. Then follow me."
Brimming with excitement like a rookie instructor thrilled by new recruits, Alpha led the two ECHOs around, explaining the underground water plant.
"This is the underground water plant I manage. It's a vital facility responsible for the Ark's drinking water and nutrient solutions. Our main job is to keep it running stably 24/7 to supply clean water to the Ark. You have to memorize the filter replacement cycles, pressure control valves, and internal system maintenance. I'll teach you everything."
Alpha earnestly explained to the C-008 models what she did every day.
The two mass-produced ECHOs nodded, storing the info in their memories.
"But... both of you are coming to the water plant? I don't think we need that many people..."
"No. The Commander ordered us to work in three shifts."
"Three shifts?"
Three shifts? What was that?
Alpha tilted her head.
The concept of ECHO work in her processor meant nonstop operation.
"Yes. The Commander said to rotate through plant duty, farm duty, and rest."
"Uh... does that mean me too?"
"Yes. I believe Senior Alpha will also rotate through Ark duties just like us."
"Rotating shifts... then who do we report to for tasks? For oversight?"
"We were ordered to be led by Ms. Luna."
"Ah, aaah?!"
She knew that name.
Cerberus, the original squad that had newly joined Ark 69.
According to Pomen, who occasionally visited the water plant for company, Luna was the tactician of the new squad.
[Luna? She's scary. She smiles all sweet like a puppy normally... but when she snaps, she turns into a beast. They say she can rip through steel armor like paper with her teeth. Think Cerberus Squad got called Hellhounds for nothing?]
The Ark's hidden powerhouse and merciless overseer.
Alpha's face drained of color as she recalled Pomen's joking words from just yesterday during a plant visit.
"Wh-Why are you like that, Senior?"
"No, it's nothing. M-M-Ms. Luna... Luna, huh..."
The two C-008s tensed up at Alpha's sudden change in demeanor.
Watching her juniors' reactions, Alpha made pointed ear shapes over her head with her fingers and lowered her voice.
"I heard Ms. Luna's super scary. So we have to be careful."
"Th-Those ears on her head... they monitor everything we do?"
"Exactly. And the tail? They say when it stands straight up... that's the day someone gets processed."
"Pro-Processed?!"
The two C-008 ECHOs gulped at Alpha's retelling of what she'd heard from Pomen.
Then one C-008 spoke up.
"According to my memory, on the surface, they said to watch out for kids and old folks... Guess that was true."
"...Kids and old folks? Why?"
"Um... not sure. That's how it's stored in my memory. Jianghu? Wuxia? What's that?"
"Hmm... Anyway, we all need to watch our behavior around Luna."
Alpha nodded gravely.
At that moment, the C-008 on the right checked her watch and jumped in shock.
"Ah—! It's time for the indoor farm! Senior! We'll head there quick!!! Shift starts at 6 PM today!"
"Okay, be careful. You have to come back safe."
With the Commander here, nothing big would happen, but...
Watching the two rookies depart with such resolve, Alpha shuddered involuntarily at the thought of facing the Hellhound herself.
And at that moment, in the indoor farm.
"Hum hum hum. When will they get here?"
"Waiting for someone?"
"Ah, Karen! You're here? I’m waiting for the C-008 girls. I'm the manager, right?!"
"Yeah, that's right. But there's not much to manage right now... Anyway, what time are they meeting?"
"Noon!"
"...It's only 10:30? Didn't they say they'd come after handover at the water plant?"
"They could come early, though? What if I get to the farm first and no one's there?"
"Uh... true."
Karen chuckled helplessly and patted Luna's head.
Though the workers under her were mass-produced, Luna—the former baby of Cerberus Squad, now a proper manager—had been humming tunes since morning, eagerly awaiting her C-008 juniors.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
[C-008 ECHOs have begun shift work.]
"Huh, already?"
[Yes. Starting now, C-008 Unit 1 will manage the underground water plant and Unit 2 the indoor farm for 24 hours. We've assigned spare quarters to Alpha for her rest.]
"Hm..."
Come to think of it, with Cerberus Squad joining and two mass-produced ECHOs made, the temporary ECHO quarters were getting crowded.
Some shady commanders stored ECHOs like weapons in warehouses... but I couldn't do that.
Soon, the ECHO dorms would need an upgrade beyond their temporary status.
If the former Fleet Commander hadn't trashed the command building...
It wasn't even a declaration of war, yet he had bombed the interior of the Ark into a mess, so I was currently eating and sleeping in the commander's office myself.
"Sigh. Guess I need another expedition."
Was it the T-cell activation serum and Iron Bloom from the other day?
My whole body felt heavy and sluggish.
It seemed like my body was adapting to the changes.
The next sortie would have to be Arva alone or after I fully recovered.
Then, the **Wanderer'**s voice came through.
[Commander. You should head to the maintenance hangar right away.]
"Maintenance hangar?"
[Yes. The fabrication pod is preparing to open.]
"......Ah—!"
That meant a new original ECHO was complete.
I headed straight to the ECHO maintenance hangar.
On the way, I got messages from Karen and Arva. Madeline was almost ready.
Hiss—!
The small hangar I entered upon opening the door was filled with cold coolant gas.
It was spilling from the large fabrication pod that had been sealed for days.
"Opening! Clear! Clear! Clear!"
Karen, confirming my arrival, opened the pod's hatch.
And from within, one ECHO stepped out quietly.
"......"
This was my second time fabricating an original ECHO.
Unlike Noah, this ECHO with her soft brown hair neatly braided wore a tidy maid uniform instead of combat gear.
Spotting me, she bowed a crisp 90 degrees with a perfect, gentle smile as if programmed.
"Pleased to meet you, Commander. From today, I'm Madeline of Bread Garden, here to handle your daily life."
Behind her waist, two heavy pistols in a metal holster caught my eye.
Made to improve the ruined humanity's quality of life, yet ironically deployed more for combat, espionage, or special assasination missions than her main role.
In the actual game, was she just an Echo whose only strength was her looks?
She wasn't in my main squad, at least.
But here, she was just as precious as any.
Her specs said she'd completed professional baking training, etched into her genes—better than most bakers.
In other words, an ECHO who could make real bread, not nutrient packs.
Satisfied, I gave Madeline her first task.
"Good. Madeline, our Ark has an indoor farm that Karen and Luna built up."
"...Huh?"
"Manage it with Luna and use the produce to make something delicious for everyone to share. Also, make a list of required crops and quantities for bread production and report it."
"Pardon? Yes."
Madeline's eyes widened in brief surprise.
Her memory surely held baking skills, but she'd never imagined meal prep over combat, espionage, or bodyguard duty would be given to her.
Plus, the Commander said the Ark even had an indoor farm.
"Understood, Commander."
At the commander's order, Madeline sprang into action with more energy than any ECHO on combat duty.
She greeted Karen and Luna right away, then tidied the Ark's neglected kitchen.
Then she rushed to the indoor farm in another sector, meticulously checking the growing crops.
A few days later, dinner at the commander’s office.
Instead of nutrient packs, something else appeared.
Roasted sweet potatoes baked whole for concentrated sweetness, crispy thin-sliced potato chips.
And fresh leafy greens lightly grilled into veggie snacks.
The indoor farm was still ramping up, no seasonings, flour, sugar, or salt yet.
Simple food highlighting the crops' natural flavors.
But to me, dragged to this world clueless and surviving on nutrient packs for weeks...
"Ah, fuck."
It was so damn good I nearly teared up.