Chapter 3

3. Get to work, Hotshan!

The control center is reinforced through several stages, each requiring the construction of specific facilities, and most importantly, the approval of the master key holder from the upper echelons. In the case of Han Idrasil, this upper echelon was the Union, or 'Union.'

The control center, being the pinnacle of human advanced technology equipped with a super artificial intelligence, was not approved for just anyone, and once approved, the command authority could not be changed until the current holder's death.

The super artificial intelligence would not allow such a change, and even if the command authority was legitimately transferred, all the permissions granted by the upper echelons would be reset.

To hack the super artificial intelligence of the control center, one would need to be at the level of a control center, but such technological capabilities were strictly restricted from civilian possession, and without prozeal and ceramic, it was impossible to even attempt.

Moreover, the control center was designed to self-destruct the moment a hacking attempt was made, so even with the necessary technology, the only way to forcibly take over another control center was through the approval of the command authority or the death of the current holder.

No commander would willingly hand over the control center to the enemy, knowing they would die, making this a meaningless assumption.

In other words, the control center was the cradle and the final stronghold of the commander, and everything. In 'Space War,' it was rare for the protagonist to venture outside the control center.

Han recalled these facts and thought about how Han Idrasil became the command authority of the control center.

In an irresistible situation where the enemy's main gun attacked, Han's predecessor, the commander, approved the transfer of authority to the highest-ranking surviving officer and ultimately died. If there had been no suitable person, the approval itself would have been invalid, but the Union approved it.

If the approval was not given, the super artificial intelligence would have to be scrapped, and to create a new one, a massive amount of prozeal and ceramic would be required, which would mean a significant loss. Since Han Idrasil was a loyal and capable officer to the Union, the approval was granted.

The reason the control center's matters are so complex is that if the control center reaches the highest level, it can even produce ships, which is only natural.

Most importantly, the holder of the master key has independent command authority, regardless of the scale.

This authority can sometimes surpass that of a ship's captain, so under normal circumstances, Han would never have become a base commander. It was an FTL (faster-than-light) level promotion.

'I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I see this is a pretty significant position.'

In strategy games, command authority is a given, so there was no reason to see it as special.

'Anyway, all permissions will be reset, so once the headquarters is completed, the only military facility I can approve for construction is the barracks. In the game, you just invest resources and troops pop out, but... '

In reality, the barracks is a basic military facility, so to train troops, you need people. Once a person is trained as a soldier, equipped with steel armor, and sent out, they can be called a space marine.

'The problem is there are no people.'

Being in the outer regions of space, troops are always in short supply, and the few that were left, only about 100, were all that remained after the enemy attack.

Moreover, these were already trained and battle-hardened soldiers. What was the point of giving them basic military training?

'Ah... damn it.'

The result of the tutorial is that everyone dies, and only Han Idrasil, separated from the super artificial intelligence, barely survives. It was one of the few scenes where the protagonist operates outside the control center.

'What can I do?'

The resources I have will mostly be used to build the control center, so even if I wanted to build a barracks, I couldn't.

'Not long after the control center is completed, the Kraakto will attack... '

I can't build a barracks, and even if I could, it wouldn't be very useful.

'Should I just watch and die?'

That's a problem in itself, but where's the guarantee I won't die? The barracks are already different from the game.

Thud, thud.

Immersed in various troubling thoughts, Han wandered aimlessly. Then, a soldier patrolling the base spotted him and spoke.

"Lieutenant! No, Commander. Are you alright? I heard you were severely injured."

"Hmm?"

"Surely... you don't recognize me? Oh! Your injuries must have been very severe."

Even with fatal injuries, if you receive timely and appropriate medical treatment, there's a chance of survival. However, there could be side effects like permanent memory loss, so Erio assumed Han's condition.

"It's Erio. I've carried out many missions under your command."

Sierra is a significant character in the tutorial, so I remember her, but how could I remember the name of a generic unit that isn't even marked?

"Oh, is that so?"

Erio smiled bitterly and spoke.

"Do you remember? You once said that the more battles we fight, the more we lose ourselves. The past we remember is shattered by a single shot from the enemy's main gun. Sigh."

"..."

"If I've upset you, please forgive me. You must think I'm a stranger now, Commander..."

"There's no need for forgiveness."

Han, answering nonchalantly, asked again with a relieved expression.

"More importantly, how is the situation on the ground?"

Han Idrasil's past connections are irrelevant. What matters is understanding the current situation.

Erio's expression hardened as he answered.

"It's not good. I heard the Union fleet abandoned our base. Is that true?"

I had a rough idea. If they abandoned us, so be it, but the protagonist was saved by the fleet that returned...

Han, recalling the setting and story of 'Space War,' continued.

"From our perspective, it might seem that way, but our fleet was focused on destroying the Empire's fleet. Of course, I don't think this situation is good either."

"Empire? So the enemy ships that destroyed the base were indeed from the Empire!"

"Battle with the Empire isn't a new thing."

'In the game, we've been clashing all along.'

"But the concentration of prozeal and ceramic in this area was low. Why?"

'Now that I think about it, there was a hint that it wasn't an Empire ship... Damn, they should have sent someone who knows the whole story. Damn it!'

A wave of frustration hit him again, but he composed himself and continued.

If there's no significant gain from starting a war, what's the point? The Empire isn't a group of bloodthirsty maniacs; they, too, act for profit.

"Even if the enemy ships were from the Empire, we can't hastily conclude that. This is an outer region, and conflicts don't always arise over prozeal and ceramic."

Prozeal and ceramic don't exist as mineral resources on planets. While their mysteries are not fully understood, both resources exist in the form of microscopic particles.

These can be collected in their current form, but it's extremely inefficient. Therefore, they are usually extracted from minerals on planets or asteroids in areas with high concentrations of prozeal and ceramic, then refined to obtain small amounts.

Occasionally, very rare but mysterious minerals composed entirely of prozeal or ceramic appear, but exposure to their energy without proper preparation can be fatal.

In the vast, seemingly infinite universe, the reason humans fight over specific regions is precisely this. The universe is vast and accessible, but areas with high concentrations of these resources are not found everywhere.

Han Idrasil's base was a Union outpost responsible for managing and defending one of these areas. Being in an outer region, it was a very dangerous area, always at risk of enemy attack.

"Do you think it was the Neutrals, Commander?"

Among the three major factions of Terra, the Neutrals are the most difficult to define.

Factions based on planets usually join the Empire or the Union, but the neutral faction is a conglomerate of various groups, including the Merchant Union, Mercenary Union, pirates, and stations.

Groups that have left the Union or the Empire also belong to the Neutrals, making it the largest faction in terms of size. The Union is second, and the Empire is last.

Ironically, the power of the factions is in reverse order: Empire, Union, and Neutrals.

This is the setting of 'Space War,' and since I can communicate with Erio, it seems to be the same.

Han shook his head, as he didn't know the details.

"Until we have reliable evidence, we can't accuse everyone. It's clear how inefficient and unproductive that would be. Most importantly, identifying them is the job of our fleet that pursued the enemy."

Han glanced at Erio's rank.

'A lieutenant.'

"Are you a squad leader?"

"Do you remember who I am?"

"No, but you seem competent enough to discuss the current situation."

"Alright. What do you suggest, Commander?"

"Erio, Lieutenant. The base is in a dire state. Even if we rebuild the control center, we can't do anything without proper resource acquisition. Lieutenant Sierra has led a squad to search for resources, but there's no guarantee we'll find high-concentration minerals in time."

If we just mine any minerals, we'll only waste the prozeal and ceramic we have during the refining process. This is why we need to extract minerals with high concentrations from areas with high resource levels.

"Right now, more important than resource acquisition is establishing a proper defensive position."

"Defensive position? The control center, once completed, will stabilize the field and form a defensive barrier around the base."

'If he knew that the enemy would soon tear through that barrier, he wouldn't be so calm.'

Han's expression hardened as he shook his head.

"No, I mean a more primitive defensive position."

"Huh?"

A primitive defensive position? Does he mean something like a wall? Erio looked at Han with a puzzled expression, but Han was staring at two bunkers in the distance.

"First, we should build a wall connecting the bunkers using the debris around us. Also, don't forget to prepare close-combat weapons."

"Excuse me?"

Even more incomprehensible. We do have close-combat weapons, but this isn't the age of swinging swords. Why do we need close-combat weapons, and what's with this talk of walls?

Even if we surround the base with a wall, can it stop aerial bombardment? Erio narrowed his eyes, suspecting Han's mental state.

Feeling Erio's confusion, Han didn't feel the need to explain. In the military, you do what you're told.

"There's no time to explain. Implement this immediately, by any means necessary!"

"Um... Understood."

Better than nothing.

Using the super artificial intelligence of the control tower would be ideal, but there's no time or resources for that.

But there are resources and labor all around. If I give orders, something will work out. My safety is important, but ultimately, this is to save all of you. So get to work, Hotshan!

4. Unfathomable Orders (1)