Avalon Branch BAS Corporation

 

「There’s no way BAS Corporation could have arrived at Planet Libya before us and established a spaceport.」

「Well, yes that much is clear. Is there a Transferee on Planet Libya with British origins maybe?」

「No, there’s no one like that!」

Libya declared firmly, as if she had been falsely accused of something.

「There’s been another transmission. This is going too far—what a joke! They’re calling themselves the Avalon Branch of BAS Corporation. First Albion, and now Avalon!」

Astraea felt insulted. Her anger was barely concealed.

「The land where King Arthur is said to sleep… there’s no way Avalon could exist on Planet Libya!」

「King Arthur and BAS Corporation are being treated like public domain material at this point.」

The remark drew a chuckle. After all, even Albion Corporation had been nothing more than a subsidiary created on a whim by Abel.

「Wait a second. I just remembered something. There was a theory that Mount Etna in Sicily was considered a possible location for Avalon. Planet Libya does have a volcanic region named Etna, inspired by the Mediterranean’s volcano.」

Libya seemed to have recalled this detail. Even if it was an obscure legend, to her, such a name was an important part of her origins.

「That makes it even more troublesome. That Etna—of all places, is the site where Typhon’s seal is located! That is the designated most critical sealed zone!」

Kou let out a wry smile. Their mysterious host was clearly trying to lure them in. And yet, for some reason, he didn’t sense any real danger.

「Voy, let’s go. If they’re calling themselves BAS Branch Avalon… it’s probably just someone taking a joke too far.」

「They could be triple-dealing you!」

「That’s a harsh accusation. I can’t say for certain that it’s safe, but… I’ll head there with Aimer.」

The two of them hurried to Unit 5 and quickly boarded. Immediately, the crane activated, lifting Unit 5 and securing it to the Harmonia.

「Commencing deployment of the Harmonia.」

From the rear hatch of the Astraea, the Harmonia was released.

「Whoa! Kou’s definitely the one they’re calling for!」

The tractor beam, which had originally been targeting the Astraea, had instantaneously switched to the Harmonia. Its output seemed to have weakened accordingly.

「I’m heading out, Astraea.」

「May fortune be with you. We await your safe return.」

「Don’t worry! I’m here too!」

Asia’s Aimer responded with a beaming smile, full of confidence.

「Asia! Isn’t your entrance a little too fast?」

「I just want to be ready for anything. Plus, it’ll make it easier to stay in contact with you.」

「That’s true. Since we still don’t know the enemy’s intentions, this is the best course of action. I’ll leave it to you, Asia.」

With that, the Harmonia began its descent toward Planet Libya. Meanwhile, the Astraea completed another orbit and started preparations to descend, aiming to rendezvous with the other two ships.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

「Abel, listen carefully. We’ve received a transmission. The source is BAS Branch Avalon… on Planet Libya.」

Eirene delivered the message with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

「What did you just say?!」

Abel, who had been deep in his work aboard the Eirene, was caught completely off guard by the unexpected news.

BAS Branch Albion had originally been nothing more than a name Abel had chosen on a whim. There was no way a Branch Avalon could exist.

「There are no Transferees on Planet Libya. Let alone anything related to BAS Corporation.」

「Exactly. Which means… someone out there either knows what we’ve done or has investigated everything down to the last detail.」

「This is unbelievable… Could it be the Observer—the super AI Prometheus?」

「I can say for certain it’s not Prometheus. In fact, this is something completely different. The transmission uses real-time quantum communication, the other entity is completely synchronized with me. Whoever this is, they’re an incredible existence. Want to talk to them?」

「Of course. There’s a high chance this is related to the Big Boss.」

Abel had already heard from Eirene about the situation that led to the deployment of the ‘Fool’. The weapon that used a quantum accelerator to create a black hole had been necessary in the end. He had been ashamed of his own narrow-mindedness.

Suddenly, a voice came through.

「Can you hear me, Abel? I am what is called a Mythology Weapon.」

Abel locked eyes with Eirene. There was no doubt—this being could very well be on the same level as Vritra.

「I can hear you clearly, Mr. Mythology Weapon. Are you… a Kryptos?」

「By classification, I believe that would be accurate. I swear that I bear no ill will toward innocent people.」

The Mythology Weapon’s tone was calm—too composed to be anything but deliberate. The entity possessing such a voice was clearly a gentle person, although calling them a person was a bit of a misnomer, it would be better to call them a gentle AI.

「Wait a minute… Could it be— are you Typhon?」

Eirene hesitantly asked, her voice tinged with apprehension. The name Typhon—the ultimate weapon created to destroy super AIs—was not something she wanted to utter lightly.

「I am no such grand existence. However, due to certain circumstances, I have taken the liberty of identifying as BAS Branch Avalon upon making contact with Astraea.」

「If it was necessary, then so be it. But you’re saying there was a reason you had to claim the name of BAS Corporation?」

Abel immediately decided he would report this to George, the BAS representative, after the fact.

「That is correct.」

「Every Mythology Weapon must have a motif. I’d like to ask for your true name.」

「Now is not the time, Rider of Merlin. However, I understand that a lack of designation would be inconvenient. For now, call me Arcturus.」

Eirene immediately began cross-referencing information on Arcturus.

「Understood, Arcturus. How much do you know?」

Leaving the analysis to Eirene, Abel focused entirely on the conversation with this enigmatic Mythology Weapon.

「Everything up to the Asia War and the Dignity War.」

Abel was left speechless. A being capable of comprehending the events happening on Planet Asia to such an extent—despite being on Planet Libya on the other side of the Nemesis System—could only mean that this being was a super AI, one rivaling Libya herself.

「…For a Mythology Weapon of such immense authority, what could you possibly want from a mere Development Engineer like me?」

「Two things. To aid Outis—first, I request that BAS Corporation register a Silhouette Unit. Second, I ask for assistance from both you and Eirene.」

「Registering a Silhouette is simple enough. But what can I possibly do for you when you are on Planet Libya?」

「Oh, you can do plenty, B-Rank Development Engineer Abel.」

Both Abel and Eirene were stunned. That was something only the two of them knew. Abel had recently been promoted from C-Rank to B-Rank Development Engineer.

 

 

TN:

Avalon is a legendary island from Arthurian mythology. It’s often described as a mystical paradise where King Arthur was taken to heal after his final battle. Many theories exist regarding its location. The main ones are Glastonbury Tor in Glastonbury, England, and Ile Aval in Brittany, France. However, there is indeed a theory that places it in Mount Etna, Sicily as well although is not widely accepted by Arthurian scholars.