Long-term salvation

[Main Mission: Ensuring the smooth return of humans to Earth]

[Optional Mission - Ensure the Survival of Fukui Rei Yukikaze]

"This is not an easy task... Prana, Alona, ​​I'm counting on you this time."

"Okay, Sensei." x2

Chapter 531: Fighting the Fairy Xuefeng

The solar wind spewed from the binary stars across the empty void of the universe, violently whipping the planet's sticky, charged atmosphere. The resulting astronomical spectacle wasn't a gentle aurora, but a bizarre and magnificent blood-red river of light that tore through the entire sky.

This is [Planet Fiali].

The lair of the alien life form "JAM" and the battlefield where humans fight against it.

More than thirty years have passed since the war in Antarctica that forced the world to unite. Humanity can now proudly say that they have kept foreign enemies outside the Earth, but... is it really so?

The hyperspace tunnel "Passageway" above the South Pole still stands quietly. It is not so much a terrifying tombstone as a flame that lures moths - moths called "humans" pass through the passageway and come to the planet Fiali to fight what they think is a war - however, no one knows how long this war will last.

Fialli Air Force (FAF) main base, Fialli Base, underground.

"Newcomer? Joining the special warfare?"

Major James Polk looked puzzledly at Brigadier General Lydia Curley, who was sitting behind the desk. The latter took a sip of coffee and nodded slightly. But before the major could continue, she put the cup down and added:

"He's actually a serious criminal, right?"

"...Yes, those guys in Special Operations are no pushovers, but they're clearly no criminals," Major Poker sighed helplessly. He took the information handed to him by the Brigadier General and opened the folder. "What are they thinking back there? The FAF isn't a garbage dump."

Hearing the complaints from her subordinates, Brigadier General Lydia's mouth curled up slightly. She leaned back in her chair and glanced at the dim surroundings:

This is the headquarters hall of the special warfare force - Tactical Aviation Corps, Fiali Base Tactical Combat Aviation Regiment, Special Warfare Unit - whose main flight squadron is also known as the "Boomerang Force". Information control terminals are lined up on both sides, and men and women wearing headphones are staring at the dimly lit screens, transmitting information using the inefficient method of "human voice".

Perhaps one day in the future, they, we, and all of humanity will be replaced.

Brigadier General Lydia retracted her gaze from scanning the surroundings and hid her thoughts:

"Look at his charges, Major."

"Name, Rhodes. Crimes—bigamy, hooliganism, promiscuity, childlessness, stealing a princess... What the hell is all this?! Why are there charges of impersonating Jesus Christ and nuking Mogadishu? Wait, isn't Mogadishu on Earth a safe place?"

Admiring the gaffe of her most capable subordinate, Brigadier General Lydia picked up the cup and drank the coffee in it. Her fingers ran across the rim of the cup, her face full of nonchalance:

"I'll leave him in your care, Major. He comes with his family, after all."

"Wait, then these charges...didn't the Central Computer System (CCS) make any corrections when entering the personnel information? And the Special Warfare Tactical Computer (STC) didn't have any objections?"

Major Poker looked at his superior helplessly, but the latter just shrugged and said in a strange tone mixed with loneliness and expectation:

"How could we possibly understand the AI's thoughts? Perhaps to them, this human isn't that surprising—even though he single-handedly defeated two tactical flight squadrons during a test exercise back on Earth—this powerful combat capability, within the torrent of data, is far more meaningful than those ridiculous fabricated accusations."

"..."

Taking a deep breath, Major Poker saluted his superior and turned to leave. He held the document tightly in his hand, feeling annoyed that he was going to get into trouble in the future.

After leaving the Special Warfare Command, Major Poker took the elevator and headed towards the airport terminal:

In order to guard against Gam's attacks, the first and currently largest base to be built, the [Fiyali Base], had its main facilities and living space for 12 FAF members built underground - especially the living space, which was even comparable to a city with a population of 50.

Just after passing the passage hub, Major Poker saw his good friend and subordinate, Second Lieutenant Rei Fukai, a young pilot, walking indifferently through the crowd. He was carrying a plastic bag full of instant food. His handsome face only slightly changed when he saw Major Poker:

"Jack (Zero would shorten his first and last name to Jack when he called him)," Fukai Zero nodded slightly at his only friend, took out a can of drink from his bag and handed it to him, "Where are you going?"

"Let's go to the terminal... Come with me. It's a good opportunity to meet my future companions."

"companion?"

"Ah yes, mate," Principal Poker sighed, pushing up his beret. "He's a troublemaker like you, and judging by his record, he's quite capable—he should be in a combat squadron, not a special warfare unit."

Fukai Zero didn't say anything. He just lowered his eyes and listened quietly to his friend's complaints.

He is a loner and has only Major Poker as his friend, the only person he can talk to. But if we expand the scope a little bit to include "fighter planes/machines"... FFR-31MR/D "Yukikaze", his favorite plane, can also be included.

Perhaps Fukai Zero himself did not realize it, but everyone else in the special warfare team knew very well that this young pilot's love for his fighter plane had gone beyond common sense and even seemed a bit extreme - this was understandable, after all, the fighter plane named "Yukikaze" was also like this.

It took Major Poker more than ten minutes to bring Fukai Zero to the terminal of the Fiyali base, which would receive civilian supplies and personnel from Earth. It was also a relatively prosperous hub.

Standing in the sparse crowd, Major Poker turned his head to look at Shenjing Ling, who was leaning against the supporting column with his hands in his pockets. After sighing, the major quietly waited for the arrival of the serious criminal.

The major didn't have to wait too long. After just a few waves of people, he saw a silver-haired man in handcuffs emerge from the crowd - accompanied by a cute blonde girl, a black cat squatting on the man's head, and four burly military police.

"Major James Polk?" The military police officer ignored the surprised and curious looks around him. He stepped forward and went straight to the main person, as if he was dumping a hot potato in a dangerous place. "We will begin the handover with you now... This man is the serious criminal 'Rod.'"

Rod?

The major who was about to sign the document subconsciously raised his head and looked into those azure eyes. The young man in front of him had a handsome face, and his eyes inadvertently revealed a hint of majesty and carried a soldier's heroic spirit. He was indeed born with a good appearance. As for the girl next to him... she was very cute, but there was something indescribable and unspeakable in her eyes.

What a strange combination. Even the black cat with a mocking expression seemed normal in comparison.

"Lieutenant Rhodes, I will be your superior from now on. This is Major James Polk, Director of the Special Warfare Forces and Assault Manager," Major Polk said. He then pointed at Fukari Rei who was leaning against a pillar. "That's Lieutenant Fukari Rei, your future companion."

"I see. Thank you for coming in person, Major."

Rhode nodded slightly. He twisted his wrist, which was aching from being handcuffed for so long, and then grabbed Abigail, who was trying to escape after noticing something was wrong, and smacked her cheek.

"Why am I a felon?! What have you and those two little fools been plotting?!"

"Mmmmm... Wulusai! Which crime are you talking about? I'm a princess!" Abigail flapped her legs, trying to launch a surprise attack on Rhodes' knees. "Stealing the princess's heart is a serious crime! It's unforgivable. I'll lock you up in the Dreamland when we get back!"

"You—bigamy? If you don't get married, you won't be charged with this crime?"

"He admitted it! He admitted his crime in broad daylight!"

Looking at the two people making a fuss, Major Poker stumbled over and picked up the black cat from the ground. After exchanging a glance with the cat, he took a deep breath.

The accusation is actually true!!!

Chapter 532: The Man Who Stole the Princess

The new felon was surprisingly easy to deal with.

Major Poker thought so.

He has superb skills and a handsome face, but he doesn't have the gangster-like air that is rumored to be his. His manners and words when dealing with ladies are those of a true gentleman. He even quickly integrated into the special warfare team. He is completely opposite to his partner, Second Lieutenant Rei Fukai. It would be even better if the charges against him were false.

"Hey, Rod, tell us another story of yours. Something about 'the savior of the end of the world' and 'the army without borders'... Honestly, you tell it like it really happened. The other world and supernatural creatures sound scary. Luckily, we only have to deal with Gumb."

The other special warfare pilots laughed and talked, but only Fukai Zero, who was sitting next to Rhodes, remained silent.

"Or how did you manage to win over the three princesses? But then again, the House of Nyarlathotep, the House of Yog-Sothoth, and the House of Shub-Niggurath? Those names are weird."

"Forget it. I'm worried the Major will be angry... There will be opportunities in the future. I have many more stories to tell."

Rhodes, who was the focus of everyone's attention, coughed lightly a few times, waved his hand to drive these guys away, and at the same time sent blessings to the unlucky guys who chanted the names of the Three Pillar Gods - they would not come all the way here, but they would not be able to escape the nightmares that would last for several days because of this.

After the other pilots left one after another, Rhodes looked at Major Poker, who was folding his hands with a helpless look on his face. Major Poker sighed:

"You two... I've received a lot of thanks from other units lately, and of course, a fair share of complaints. So, gentlemen, the front and rear pilots of the 'Snow Wind', could you explain why you're so prone to joining in the fray? It goes against our special warfare code of conduct."

The main flight squadron of the Special Warfare Force (the 5th Squadron) is called "Boomerang," which means it collects all kinds of intelligence during combat, observes the battle with a cold eye, and remains unshaken even when seeing friendly forces in distress, just to ensure "absolutely safe return" - as a tactical reconnaissance unit, Special Warfare requires pilots to avoid combat as much as possible, with the ultimate goal of returning safely and bringing back intelligence.

"Rod said, 'We've got nothing to do anyway, so let's kill a few aliens for fun,'" Fukari Rei said calmly, his shoulders hunched. He added, "Xuefeng agreed, too, Jack."

Hearing this, the major was so angry that he wanted to slam the table:

Is Xuefeng your wife?! You just do whatever she says?!

"Don't be angry, Major. Besides, Brigadier General Lydia didn't object. After all, we've brought back all the necessary intelligence."

Rhode spread his hands, his face full of innocence. For some reason, he always liked to persecute serious and righteous people with faces full of resentment, such as Irons. Major Poker in front of him was also a good person, but he always thought too much. Because of this, Rhode really couldn't suppress his desire to stir up trouble.

"Neither the Central Computer System (CCS) nor the Tactical Computer (STC) objected... To be honest, when I first heard of STC, I thought it stood for Standard Template Construct. It's a great thing."

"...What nonsense are you spouting again? Forget it, forget it. Be more careful next time. The battle with Gumm is extremely dangerous. The recent casualties are gradually increasing. I don't want to see you disappear from the radar one day."

Major Poker covered his forehead in annoyance - Fukai Zero's rear-seat pilots were lost too quickly, causing his partners to change frequently, and the new one... was a war maniac with extremely good skills.

Why did the central computer assign him to special operations?!

The major had sent inquiries to the central computer before, but they always evaded the call with various excuses. Over time, the major began to sense a hint of guilt in their responses, as if they had been bribed.

But do these artificial intelligences really have emotions?

Throwing this sci-fi plot out of his mind, Major Poker waved his hand to send the two away, saying unhappily:

"I don't want to be called over and scolded by Brigadier General Lydia one day. You two should be careful."

"OK OK...Zero, we can try using only the machine guns next time."

"it is good."

"That's enough, you two!"

Reaching out to take the Monster drink thrown by Major Poker, Rhodes handed a can to Shen Jing Ling with a smile, then said goodbye to them and walked towards his room. Like everyone else, Rhodes had his own living room in the underground city under the [Fiyali Base]. It was a two-bedroom, one-living room structure with normal water and electricity, but he could only cook with an induction cooker.

In order to maintain people's lives and other hobby needs, the underground city also has large supermarkets, but the goods sold there are all from the earth, so the prices are not low after taking into account the transportation costs.

Returning to the room, Rhode threw his coat on the sofa, then tugged on Abigail's cheek while she was playing games, and said with a smile:

"You've been quite free lately."

"I'm just accumulating strength," the descendant of the evil god glared at Rhodes in dissatisfaction, but when she came to her senses, she saw the word KO flashing on the screen - the black cat Pickman next to her removed his claws from the handle and yawned in boredom.

Rhodes: "...When can you win once?"

"It will win."

Abigail looked relaxed.

However, when Rhode stood up and prepared to make himself a cup of coffee, the cute girl shook her head, disturbed the cat next to her with her toes, and said in a serious tone:

"Rod, you must have known about this planet... the strangeness of this world."

"I know."

Amidst the cat's angry meows, Rhodes stirred his coffee with double the sugar with a spoon and raised his voice slightly amidst the noise of fighting over there:

"Planet Fiali is a complete simulation created by Gum. The forests, land, canyons, and even the sky are all simulated. If humans discover the truth or take any unusual action, Gum will naturally show its terrifying fangs."

Rod returned to the sofa with his coffee and placed the cup on the small coffee table next to him. He then turned the defeated Abigail over and held her in his arms.

Rubbing the girl's golden hair, Rhodes lowered his eyes and whispered:

"This is not an easy job and we definitely need help."

"I'll try my best," Abigail kissed Rod's cheek gently. She stretched like a kitten, revealing her smooth belly.

"Anyway, before I gather my strength, you'd better have Prana and Alona talk to the Central Computer (SCC) and Tactical Computer (STC) here and ask them to provide you with more convenience... Can't these humans just pack up and go back to Earth right now?!"

"Decades of investment cannot be simply discarded; decisive evidence is needed."

As he spoke, Rhode reached out and took out the [Shiting Box]. He could see the two girls inside huddled together, whispering something. Under Rhode's instruction, Prana and Alona had already contacted the AIs at the Fiali base. After a serious discussion and showing them evidence of the existence of the other world, the evil god, the savior of mankind, and the [Unknown Benevolent Entity/System], the latter agreed to the deal:

When everything is irreversible, Rhodes will help the humans on the planet Fiali return to Earth safely and provide data for the AIs to think and evolve on their own.

At the same time, the AIs will provide as much help as possible in the "present" and be absolutely loyal to Rhodes and do any work in the "possible future".

After several hours of careful consideration, the details of the covenant sworn in the name of the Savior of mankind were passed through the huge torrent of data and written into the underlying logic.

This is the “Smart Covenant”.

Just as Rhode was poking the two girls in the [Shiting Box], ready to ask what they were plotting, Prana suddenly turned her head and whispered:

"Communication, access."