NIKKE, when the stars bloom

Ok,

A little tired.

【Anik, let’s watch a movie. 】

Chapter 25: Re-judgment

"307th hour. Already breaking the record, Boss."

In the Level 1 solitary confinement monitoring room, prison guard Voss leaned back in his chair, his small eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, his whole body exuding a strong aura of despair.

"This gentleman didn't say a word from beginning to end. I seriously doubt he can last another 300 hours, which means we have to continue working in three shifts for 12 days.

Boss, if he doesn't confess, the three of us might confess first."

Voss reported his work pathetically, but when he thought about having to be in a daze for several more hours, his mouth twisted in tears, feeling aggrieved like a child.

According to the requirements, the first-level confinement must ensure that the room is in an absolutely dark state, so it is impossible to install night vision surveillance.

Therefore, there are no ordinary surveillance images in the monitoring room. Voss can only listen to the prisoner's heartbeat and breathing while observing and recording the prisoner's various physical data.

If it's only two or three days, just grit your teeth and hold on.

But for thirteen days in a row, he could only sit in the monitoring room and stare at the monitoring data for eight hours every day. To put it bluntly, Voss felt that he was not a monitor at all, he was just a prisoner who came to the monitoring room to keep this gentleman company.

too painful.

It’s really... so painful!

"Boss, how about we implement a six-shift system? Please!! I'll invite you to the most popular brothel in the Outer Edge!!!"

……

……

“At the 360th hour, the director of the rehabilitation center told me that their monitors were forced to switch from a three-shift system to a two-hour standby system because they could not bear the mental pressure.

As for Phoenix, he hasn't said a word so far.

...Ingrid, I'm afraid his current condition is no longer suitable for joining the Ark."

At the headquarters, Deputy Commander Anderson had a stern face and seemed to be in a very bad mood.

"I personally think it is impossible for a person who has been detained in level one for more than 300 hours not to feel resentment towards the senior officials involved in the sentencing."

"..."

In the face of Anderson's words, Ingrid neither rejected nor approved. She just casually glanced at the information on the table and changed the subject:

"You have seen the results of the K Zone mission in the past half month. A total of seven Nikki teams were sent out, three were completely wiped out, and four were seriously injured. It is difficult for our special forces to forcibly penetrate into the K Zone with the ammunition load of a transport plane.

Anderson, you should know better than me that those old guys who stick to the old ways will never allow us to organize a large-scale Nikki force to go to the ground.

The only one who can sneak into Area K to check Letcher's intelligence now is the guy who is still recording in the confinement room.

I recommend that an application be made to Alnwick for a new sentence.”

"...Yes, but he cannot have uniqueness."

After closing his eyes and pondering for a moment, Anderson came up with his answer.

"At the very least, we cannot let him realize that he is unique in the Ark. We also need another candidate, a commander who can also complete various difficult tasks."

"Do you have this candidate?"

“…There will be.”

Seeing Anderson's ambivalence and unwillingness to speak directly, business tycoon Ingrid naturally stopped asking who the candidate was, and said abruptly:

"I'll go and tell Ma Shiding to come over."

"he?"

Under the deputy commander's questioning gaze, the woman squinted her eyes again and explained helplessly:

"I sent someone to interview friends in Phoenix, and they said... he's been a fan of Volom ever since he met this guy."

"Vollum? Who is Vollum? The leader of some school of thought? Or the leader of an opposition party?"

Ingrid: “…”

"She is Nicki Idol, a rapper singer under Ma Shiding."

Anderson: "..."

……

……

"Tsk, can you please not come to the cafeteria to eat, and disturb other people's appetites?"

"It's just that it's too much for one person to occupy an entire long table."

"This is what immoral people do. They live more comfortably than us."

In the cafeteria at night, Christine ate her dinner silently, with an elegant and calm posture, paying no attention to Nikki's whispers around her.

For one thing, she had gotten used to the slander and no longer thought about the complicated question of why the Nikkis still oppressed each other.

Secondly, since the mission half a month ago, she realized that not all people are so disgusting. At least, there is still a ruthless commander who really treats them as lives.

Three times...

Clang——!

A dinner plate filled with simulated meat made from Popart was dropped in front of Christine.

"I said you have a really good temper. If it were me, I would beat them up."

With the loud voice and heroic tone, Christine knew who was coming without even raising her head.

"Could you be gentler next time? When I was chatting with the commander, he told me that he likes to eat in silence."

"…Huh?! I'm telling you, don't lie to me! Big darling is that kind of quiet man? No, it's impossible! I don't believe it! This is not true! This doesn't fit with the fierce personality of darling!"

Wolfe sat down while yelling, and just as she picked up a piece of simulated steak and was about to eat it, the black and red figure she caught sight of out of the corner of her eye forced her to give up her desire to eat.

"Lavi?!"

The big woman turned her head and saw Rabbi's familiar serious face, and she immediately grinned happily.

"Don't tell me you're the only one out there on a mission."

"Love, Christine, long time no see."

Perhaps infected by Lolfu's smile, Lapi couldn't help but also reveal a gentle smile.

"I haven't been on a mission yet, but I feel like I should be soon. I received a notice this morning that the three of us will continue to form a unit, but the level is not high. It's a numbered unit, numbered 04-F."

"Numbered troops?"

Hearing these four words, the two women who were eating and preparing to eat became excited on the spot, and all four eyes stared at Rabi with some beautiful expectations.

Code-named troops may not need a commander, but numbered troops must have one.

"It's the same as before. I'll be the temporary commander."

As soon as the words fell, the women rolled their eyes and continued to lower their heads to prepare for their meal.

Rabi was also very smart, so she knew what the two teammates were expecting. So she gently placed the plate next to Lolph, sat down, and added:

"I got some information about the commander from our boss."

Swah——

The two gazes converged again in response.

"The commander has been suspended."

"Suspension?"

"ha--???"

Regarding this earth-shattering news, although they both cared about the commander's recent situation, Lolfe and Christine showed completely different attitudes.

The former was so disappointed that his ears seemed to droop.

The latter, although disappointed, also had a distinct sense of relief in his disappointment.

It's better to be suspended.

He is so capable that if he does not stop working, he will probably spend more time on the ground than on the Ark.

"And then, Rabbi."

Compared to the distraught Lolph, Christine was more concerned about someone's recent situation.

"Any other news?"

"Ah."

Rabi's ideas seem to be similar to Christine's.

“Don’t worry too much. It is said that the higher-ups have re-sentenced the commander in consideration of his mental health issues.

The end result is that Tetra's CEO will recruit commanders through special recruitment and conduct comprehensive psychological assessments of commanders through social work.

Both Missilis and Paradise will send Nikki to accompany the commander around the clock.

The commander's suspension will not become invalid until the evaluation is passed.

According to our boss, if the commander can be reinstated within six months, 04-F will become the commander's designated Nikki unit and be given a code name."

Chapter 26 Mental Illness

The tangled weeds, tangled vines, thriving trees and plants are savagely and tenaciously trying to turn the remains of this supposedly deserted city back into a forest.

"Physical energy has dropped to 23.69, the maximum movement speed is 5.33M/s, and the success rate of this mission has been reduced to 0."

Alnick's electronic synthesized sound gave a cold ending, and the Letchers' machine guns cruelly tore apart the plants' achievements over the past century.

Phoenix, who would be blown to pieces if he wasn't careful, struggled to move through the buildings, cursing loudly.

"Did you take my adrenaline data into account? Oh, and the doping data! 5.33 meters per second, is this the speed of a marathon?!"

Boom-!

A machine gun bullet penetrated three thin walls and luckily hit Phoenix's head, killing him instantly.

Then, all the images disappeared, and Anik's figure condensed again.

The AI ​​girl who had just gained consciousness crossed her arms and answered in dissatisfaction: "I am artificial intelligence! Taking all factors into account, your fastest theoretical speed at that time was 5.33M/s! There is a limit to how much willpower can squeeze muscle cells!"

"We'll talk about this later. That machine gun shot you just made was intentional, right?"

Phoenix returned to his sea of ​​consciousness and mobilized his own stream of consciousness, rudely punching and pinching Annick's face left and right.

"The trajectory of that machine gun bullet is heading towards me. Do you think I can't see it by hiding it with those gun lines?"

"That was a stray bullet."

"It's not a stray bullet!"

"It's a stray bullet!!"

"You keep making excuses!!!"

"..."

In front of the foolish and brutal tyrant, Anik, who gradually realized the viciousness of society, finally shut up.

However, her eyes and actions undoubtedly told Phoenix that it was indeed a stray bullet.

It was the stray bullets that she had commanded several Letchers 2,000 meters away to deliberately sweep out. Anyway, this guy didn't stipulate that Letchers couldn't shoot without a target.

Make him doubt his own calculation ability!

Let him reopen in a minute!!

"No more practice."

Seeing that this AI girl was so stubborn, Phoenix's sea of ​​consciousness threw out several waves, as if waving his hands.