Long-term salvation

Seeing Rhode was also here, the director pondered for a few seconds and asked:

"Just in case, let me ask you, won't you encounter anything strange this time? Like an alien UFO falling from the sky, an ancient monster hidden in the deep ice, or something even more bizarre... Don't make that face, Rhode. You've never been safe anywhere you've been!"

"How should I know that?!"

After a few complaints, Rhodes saw Director Armitage and Dr. Winters giving him strange looks. The two old men simultaneously raised their hands, took a sip of wine, and then offered a few perfunctory words of comfort.

Rhodes: “…”

"Ahem, anyway, we won't be bringing the students this time. There are already several researchers at the large base that's currently under construction."

Director Armitage placed his glass on the table, rummaged through the pile of documents, pulled out a list, and crossed out several names.

"The others will wait for the next large-scale expedition. As for this time's personnel... Professor Atwood, a physics and meteorologist, Professor Lake from the biology department, and Professor William Dyer (all three from 'At the Mountains of Madness') from the geology department, plus Dr. Serizawa of the Cogito Foundation. He plans to stay there for a while."

Rubbing his chin, Rhode suddenly felt that this equipment was somewhat familiar... After thinking for a while, he nodded in agreement and said:

"I'm leaving tomorrow, but they can leave in a week."

"Of course, as you wish, my chairman."

Chapter 464: Towards Antarctica

Unlike Professor William Dale and his colleagues who flew to Antarctica, Rod set off early with New Jersey and reunited with the Alicorn submarine carrier, which was cruising in the Pacific Ocean and collecting hydrological data.

It took Rhodes more than a week to board the Alicorn and reach the R'lyeh base. After staying there for a few days and receiving a message from the Antarctic base of the Army Without Borders, he set off again for the Dumont d'Urville Sea in Antarctica.

Of course, the Alicorn submarine carrier wouldn't go too close to Antarctica, but Rhodes would fly his F/A-18D Hornet fighter jet there himself... He actually wanted to fly a Big Cat, but none were deployed on the Alicorn or the R'lyeh base, and the latest Super Hornet (originally first flown in 1995) hadn't arrived either, so for now he could only make do with what he had before.

Although the CFA-44 that Rod brought back from the Ace Combat world was still parked in the Alicorn, there was obviously no room for another ship girl in that single-person aircraft.

Because of this, Rhodes, wearing a full set of pilot attire, was holding his helmet and standing in the hangar of the Alicorn, waiting for the moment when the giant submarine mothership surfaced.

There are also many mass-produced Nikkis in the hangar. They are not only pilots but also ground crew members, and in many cases they also serve as landing troops - this depends on the specific action arrangements and shift plans. Only the most technically proficient ones have their own fixed responsibilities.

To some extent, this can also be regarded as the "promotion" path for mass-produced Nikkis, who are required to be versatile and proficient in one or two tasks.

Fireworks were prohibited here, so Rhodes had no choice but to put the cigarette back into his pocket, dig out a few pieces of chocolate from his storage space and slowly eat them, while also watching Nikki and the others' daily work... Generally speaking, it was quite leisurely.

"Nikis are more capable than ordinary humans, Commander. And the androids—you've seen the speed and precision with which they repaired the Alicorn."

New Jersey, who was standing next to Rhodes, said with a grin. She was also wearing a pilot's uniform and was now using her fingers to prop up her helmet, spinning it like a basketball, causing streaks of light to quickly pass across the curved goggles.

"Of course, the same goes for shipgirls," the battleship shrugged, then tucked his helmet under his arm with a malicious smile on his face. "Helen was reluctant to see you leave, saying there's no world like The Last Ship... But if you're on The Last Ship, spending time on a battleship is not a bad choice."

"You better get on the plane quickly!"

Rod said unhappily, putting on his helmet and walking towards the plane, ready to escape from this hell that had squeezed him for several days.

After getting on the plane, Rhodes heard New Jersey get into the back seat with a whoosh, and then the canopy slowly lowered and closed.

After waiting for a few minutes, Nikki Helen's voice sounded in the communication channel:

"Commander, we're going to start ascending."

"it is good."

"——Inform all ships, prepare for impact, and begin ascending!"

The South Pacific Ocean was churning as a massive, jet-black submarine carrier roared out from the deep blue. Its massive hull pushed through waves, sending white spray cascading down like a blizzard.

With the hissing sound of the pressure reducing valve, the drainage grille on the surface of the ship's deck sprayed out high-pressure water jets, washing away the algae and salt frost attached to it to ensure that it would not affect the subsequent carrier-based aircraft launch operation.

The F/A-18D Hornet fighter jet was brought to the catapult deck by an elevator, and the indicator lights on both sides lit up immediately.

Although the sun was still shining overhead, the sea breeze was strong and the temperature was approaching zero degrees Celsius. Even inside the fighter, Rhodes could feel the slight swaying and vibrations—but it wasn't a problem.

"According to the weather forecast, today is the best weather in recent times," Helen's voice was as steady and professional as ever. "We will continue to cruise near Antarctica. If you need us, you can directly call for air support and railgun strikes from the Alicorn."

"Of course... ready for takeoff."

Rhodes replied with a smile, which he quickly faded. He reached out to turn on the TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation System) button and lowered the radar altimeter. Since the aircraft was carrying air-to-air missiles and auxiliary fuel tanks, it also needed to be trimmed according to its weight.

After taking a look at the weather data sent, Rod released the aircraft's parking brake and unlocked the nose wheel steering, gently pushing the throttle to drive the F/A-18D into the designated ejection position. Since there were no other aircraft nearby, he unfolded the folded wings while taxiing to save unnecessary time.

After arriving at the designated ejection position, guided by the lights and communications on both sides, Rhodes turned on the ejection rod switch, lowered the ejection rod and connected it to the catapult. Unlike ordinary aircraft carriers, the catapult on the Alicorn, a submarine carrier, is more automated and does not require personnel to operate it externally, in order to cooperate with its tactics of launching carrier-based aircraft and quickly diving to avoid enemy detection and counterattacks.

"Was the weapon safety released during the ascent?" Rhodes pushed the throttle forward, letting the fighter slide forward a little to ensure the normal connection between the tow bar and the catapult. Then he began to check the control surface. "The control surface is also normal..."

"I thought that with the commander's proficiency, these inspections wouldn't be necessary."

New Jersey said with a smile in the back seat. She turned slightly and looked forward, only to see a faint white spot at the junction of the sky and the sea - that was not the Antarctic continent, but a huge ice floe that had drifted over and had begun to melt.

"I don't want Pixy and Michael to find out about this. They'll definitely keep nagging me," Rhode muttered. He took a deep breath and began his final inspection. "I just won the practice match using super maneuverability. Physical fitness is also part of the game! Don't play if you're not happy!"

"You sound like a 40-year-old office worker who comes home exhausted from get off work, plays a couple of games, and is mocked by Xiao Deng, who's not even 20 yet, over the voice chat. Even though you're the one mocking... It's immoral, Commander."

"No Road Race!"

Rhodes replied angrily, flexing his fingers and pushing the throttle to the appropriate position with his left hand, while his right hand rested on the cockpit cover and his head rested against the headrest of the seat.

After preparing to fight the afterburner, Rhode gathered his thoughts and said in the communication channel:

"everything's ready."

"Start ejecting!"

"catapult!"

The mighty force of nature pressed Rhode against the seat, but he didn't feel any discomfort at all. He simply let the trembling of the aircraft crawl over his body and crawled into the anti-gravity suit. Thinking about it now, Rhode even felt a little nostalgic for his time in the world of Ace Combat.

No need to worry about the destruction brought by the tides of the other world, just put the enemy into the lock frame and press the launch button of the missile.

The moment the F/A-18D left the deck, Rod immediately retracted the flaps and, while holding the joystick tightly with his right hand, pushed the fighter 20 degrees to the left to a heading of 330.

"Commander, we don't have any other carrier-based aircraft to take off, so just take off!"

New Jersey looked down at the screen in front of her. She didn't particularly like the feeling of leaving land and sea—the sky? The sky had nothing to do with battleships! At least not in the 2K era.

"Oh yeah, I'm used to it... well, not really. It's been a while since I've flown a fighter jet, especially a carrier-based one."

Rod shook his head, controlled the fighter to press 20 degrees to the right, and returned to the normal route. Then he pushed the throttle and began to climb.

The sky was currently covered by clouds that had spread from Antarctica, and it was intermittent, like a colander that had been randomly pieced together. However, if one looked around, one could see the endless ocean.

The sea is beautiful, but unfortunately it hides too many secrets and horrors.

"Set course, New Jersey," Rod said, pursing his lips in anticipation of an Antarctic storm. "We're going to speed up."

The fighter jets shot into the clouds like arrows, while the Alicorns returned to the deep blue sea with a slight nostalgia, heading in the same direction.

Chapter 465: Midnight Base

The waves of the Dumont d'Urville Sea rolled, and large chunks of ice collided with each other, making a thunderous roar and constantly hitting the large concrete dam used to block it.

Inside the harbor, protected by a dike, small tugboats worked tirelessly to clear small pieces of floating ice, while icebreakers outside continued to do the same. Before the storm arrived, another wave of cargo ships would arrive, bringing more building materials and basic supplies to fill the several large underground warehouses.

Amidst a light snowfall, three workers drove a Labor engineering robot equipped with a cold-weather kit across the snowy landscape. Today, they had to complete the inspection and repair work of the embankment. More workers and robots were methodically carrying out construction tasks on land. Savage humans were violently altering this eternally unchanging silver-white land, stripping away the snow, breaking through the rock, and then laying out their own creations at will.

This is the Midnight Sun base of Atlas Corporation (Army Without Borders), which consists of a port capable of berthing small and medium-sized ships, a nuclear power plant, a complex of buildings with various functions, and a military airport including a temperature-controlled hangar under construction.

The Polar Day Base is more of a large military base than a scientific research station, but it also has some scientific investigation and experimental features.

Because of its large area and basically complete living facilities, the three professors from Miskatonic University who arrived here early can be said to have caught a good time.

"Hmm...damn alarm clock..."

Professor William Dale of the Geology Department crawled out of his warm bed. He glanced at the numbers on the thermometer—the temperature inside and outside—before he safely threw back the covers, hit the alarm, put on his clothes, and woke up the other two professors in the room.

"Professor Atwood, Professor Lake, hurry up and get up! There are fresh vegetables in the cafeteria today!"

"...Vegetables? Where are the vegetables?!"

Professor Rick from the Biology Department suddenly jumped up from the bed. He quickly put on his clothes and slapped Professor Atwood, who was still half asleep, twice. He looked completely different from his usual calm and composed self.

"It's only been four or five days, and I already don't want to eat that damn canned food anymore... Hurry up, Atwood, and Dale, don't forget to tell Dr. Serizawa!"

Ishiro Serizawa, a researcher from the Army Without Borders and a certain foundation—Professor William Dale had met him at a dinner party at Hill Manor, but they had only officially met a few days ago—they would use helicopters to drop signal detectors in Antarctica to collect and detect various abnormal signals, and conduct geological surveys of the locations of those signals.

Due to their work relationship and the fact that they lived close to each other, the scientists quickly became familiar with each other.

"The expedition team and workers from Aurora have already completed the construction of the large greenhouse. The first batch of vegetables will be harvested this week, and there are also vegetables delivered by the freighter the day before yesterday," Professor William Dale said vaguely, gargling his mouth. "I don't know why they're having a dinner at the base today... Anyway, we can eat better today."

"Aurora people? I remember they were at Zhongshan Station (in 1989)?"

"They're also part of the Army Without Borders—as for their identity as 'scientific expedition team members,' it's probably a bit of both. You know, the people of Aurora are always very reserved, especially in such sensitive places and times... After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States won't be treating them well."

"That's politics, my friend."

Professor Edwood knew more. Unlike Professor Rick, who had nothing to do and often stayed in the data room, as a meteorologist he needed to communicate with many base personnel and collect information in the observation tower. He could always hear people talking about all sorts of messy and strange things.

For example, "There are Chinese people in the Polar Day Base just like in Africa," "It seems they only go to Africa to train Tanzanians," "There are Chinese people in various units of the Army Without Borders," "Antarctica without borders is so beautiful," "Fuck, you are actually an An?!" and so on...

No matter what's going on in Africa, there aren't many Aurora people here, but you'll never see this group of young men with buzz cuts in the base bar - they live like Puritans every day!

This secluded life seemed to have the opposite effect, making other people in the base curious and grateful to them:

These Aurora people are really good at growing vegetables!

"Hurry up, my friend, the vegetables are definitely limited! Even if you don't want to eat them, you can help make up the number!"

Professor William Dale and Professor Lake each carried Professor Atwood outside. Even after washing his face, the professor looked exhausted. The professor had only slept for two hours. He and other meteorologists had been calculating weather data and finally issued a warning:

A blizzard is coming!

The warning will be passed on to the French Dumont d'Urville research station hundreds of kilometers away, and to the Norwegian Thule Station (from "The Thing"), a little further away, deep in the heart of Antarctica, where a group of scientific researchers have just arrived and nothing can go wrong.

After meeting up with Dr. Serizawa who was also following the fresh vegetables, the four of them walked along the corridor bridge towards the cafeteria.

However, upon entering the large cafeteria, they discovered that the chefs in charge today were not only French, Russian, and United States chefs—there was no British chef. After wasting a lot of the base's ingredients, that guy was put in a sack and thrown out of the kitchen—but also a young man from Aurora University who the professors didn't know very well. He answered in fluent English with a slight North China accent:

"I learned a few tricks at the hotel back home, so I was asked to help in the kitchen today—our instructor said I couldn't lose my job! But, fellow intellectuals, breakfast is the same as before. If you want some leafy greens, you'll have to wait until dinner tonight... Would you like some millet porridge to start? The millet in Shanxi is very nourishing."

"That's fine...never mind. Give me some. Add more sugar, young man."

"okay."

This young man from Aurora University happily explained that he came from a reconnaissance company directly under the 38th Group Army in the Beijing Military Region. Like everyone else, after assessment, training, and various studies, he became a member of the Army Without Borders and began global deployment.

The Aurora personnel who came to the Polar Day Base came from many different backgrounds. For example, the instructor of the young man helping in the kitchen was from the 54th Group Army, and his company commander was from the 20th Group Army. If you count their places of origin, the number is even greater... This is quite Aurora style.

While waiting for the millet porridge, Professor William Dale noticed that the workers and base personnel in the cafeteria were getting commotion. They put down their tableware and gathered around the windows and corridors, talking excitedly.

Seeing this scene, the four professors looked at each other, squeezed into the crowd and looked out the window -

An F/A-18D Hornet fighter jet dragged a long arc trail over the base, as if it was wearing a pure white crown for the Midnight Base.

"...Rod," Professor William Dale said the name subconsciously. There was no reason for it, but the professor was sure who the pilot of the fighter plane was. "The wheel of fate has begun to turn, and we are about to face a blizzard."

Before Professor William could continue his sigh, his ears were immediately drowned by the exclamations of the crowd:

"Runway de-icing isn't finished yet...Fvck!"

"The boss actually landed directly on that icy runway!"

"No, this is too fast... How come a woman suddenly appeared... She actually stopped a taxiing fighter plane with her bare hands?!"

"...It's those 'things' in Hill Manor."

The crowd paused for a second, then erupted in even louder cheers:

"BOSS feeds the demon with his own body, we love you!!!"

"BOSS!"/"BOSS!"/"BOSS!"

The professor, seemingly overwhelmed by the Minions, tried desperately to leave, but was swept towards the gate by the crowd, leaving behind only a helpless wail:

"Vegetables! And my millet porridge! Okay, okay... BOSS! BOSS! BOSS!"

Chapter 466: Base Inspection

The sky is low in the polar day, and the sunlight reflects thousands of cold silver rays on the ice field.

Leaping out of the F/A-18D Hornet fighter, Rhodes stood steadily on the edge of the runway covered with a thin layer of ice, allowing the white desolate land to wrap around him. The wind was carrying the breath of the thousand-year-old glaciers, instantly tearing the warmth emanating from his body into wisps of white smoke, which instantly dissipated in the extremely cold air.

Without any hesitation, Rhodes immediately took out a coat from the storage space and put it on, then threw one to the ship girl who was walking towards him.

"You should just take care of yourself," the ship girl said, putting on her coat and coming over. She put her hands in her pockets and wrapped her arms around Rhodes from the side. "I don't need a warm coat like this, Commander."

"But it's still cold, isn't it?" Rhode shrugged. He took a deep breath of the cold air and saw two Laborers and two tractors approaching quickly from a distance. "Enjoy life a little more, my great battleship."

"If this is what you wish, I will obey."