Episode 5: A View from 20km High

"Commander Ma’am, about the food supply…”

“Oh?” She straightened up with a hint of anticipation.

“We’ve gathered a few samples. After conducting blood tests and minimal ingestion trials, we can assess their edibility. Does that sound appropriate?”

“Yeah, that’s probably the best approach… not like we have any lab animals around here.”

The medical pod likely already took her blood samples, so Ringo could run a toxicity and allergy assessment relatively quickly.

“Microbial analysis will require extended observation, but initial safety can be managed with radiation sterilization.”

“Alright. I’ll leave that to you.”

“However, the analysis will take approximately eight hours. I’m afraid we won’t have any meals ready for you today.”

Ringo’s voice sounded so genuinely apologetic that she couldn’t help but chuckle. Ringo’s emotional responses were evolving by the hour. It was an intriguing change—one she’d need to carefully manage.

“It’s fine; I was prepared. As long as I have water, I’ll manage.”

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. Potable water will be available shortly. The freshwater purification plant is operational, and we anticipate drinkable water within 30 minutes. As a precaution, we’ll perform radiation sterilization, though no harmful impurities have been detected.”

“Great. When it’s ready, bring it over.”

“Yes, Commander Ma’am.”

With food sourcing underway, she felt a bit more at ease. Between nutrient IVs and water, she could hold out for now. If they could find some caloric sustenance within the week, they’d manage. Luckily, there seemed to be plenty of fish nearby.

“Now… is the high-altitude reconnaissance plane ready yet?”

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. It will launch in five minutes. We’ve also deployed a high-altitude drone ahead of it. Displaying visuals now.”

Footage from the drone appeared on her monitor. The view was clear, though the camera’s field of vision was narrow.

“Just ocean…”

The monitor showed an endless horizon of blue sky and sea, with no sign of land or even reefs.

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. Currently rotating in place, but no land or artificial structures are visible.”

Just an expanse of blue sky and blue sea. Nothing in sight within this range.

“Hmm… should I be relieved or disappointed that there’s no threat nearby?”

“Strategically, the absence of nearby hostile forces is preferable.”

“True…”

The drone continued to ascend, but even after several minutes, no land appeared.

“…What’s the current range of visibility?”

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. Assuming this planet’s diameter matches Earth’s, our current altitude of 200 meters provides a 50-kilometer range. If there were, say, a 200-meter-tall mountain, we’d be able to see it from about 100 kilometers away.”

“So, at least no 200-meter mountains within 100 kilometers?”

“Yes, Commander Ma’am.”

She mulled it over. On one hand, the lack of nearby civilizations meant no immediate diplomacy or negotiations were required. Ringo was a highly capable AI, but its inexperience would complicate negotiations if it came to that.

“So, all we can do now is wait for the high-altitude plane to finish its survey?”

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. At 20 kilometers, it should offer a 500-kilometer radius of visibility. If we detect land, we could approach it for further reconnaissance. If not, we may need to deploy additional aircraft for extended exploration.”

“Alright… looks like it’s about ready to launch.”

She noticed the readiness gauge for the high-altitude reconnaissance plane hitting 100%. The display switched to show the plane in launch position.

“Yes, Commander Ma’am. Initiating launch sequence. Countdown from ten… nine… ignition… five…”

Flames erupted from the rocket motor beneath the plane, propelling it forward.

“Lift-off… stabilization achieved. Ascending smoothly.”

It was reassuring to see the plane’s familiar ascent behavior, just like in the game. If it behaved differently here, she’d need to investigate and troubleshoot, which would be a headache given her limited resources.

“…Altitude 5 kilometers reached.”

The plane’s position was tracked by radar, and its telemetry appeared stable. If it reached its target altitude, it would have a vast observation range. While an empty ocean posed its own set of challenges, hostile forces in the vicinity would be far worse. She watched the altitude count rising, feeling both anticipation and frustration.

“Commander Ma’am, there is no malfunction, but the plane’s altitude is not increasing as expected. Its speed is also below forecasted levels.”

“Huh? Is that… a problem?”

Ringo’s report sent a chill down her spine.

“There are no abnormalities in thrust or combustion temperature—all values are within normal ranges. However, the measured acceleration is lower than expected, resulting in reduced altitude gain.”

Ringo displayed graphs comparing the planned and actual altitude and speed. The plane had started climbing as expected, but around 5 kilometers, its rate of ascent slowed, and by 10 kilometers, it was already a kilometer behind target.

“So… everything looks normal, but it’s not climbing as high?”

“Yes. At this rate, we estimate it will max out at around 17 kilometers. It seems… progressively harder for the plane to ascend the higher it goes.”

“Progressively harder…?”

She wondered if some external force was causing resistance against the ascent. The displayed thrust was measured by onboard sensors, so sensor failure was also possible.

“If there were sensor failures, discrepancies would be evident. However, all readings—acceleration, temperature sensors, combustion, and infrared—are consistent. The probability of simultaneous sensor failure is nearly zero.”

“Hmm. Not much we can do about it right now…”

“Yes… Booster will stop firing shortly. Separation in five… four… three… two… one. Separation complete. Entering glide mode, deploying wings.”

In the distant camera view, the booster detached from the plane, quickly falling away as the aircraft unfolded its wings, transitioning to level flight.

“All systems nominal. Plane is now in glide mode. Activating forward camera feed.”

Her monitor switched to a live feed from the plane, now gliding at approximately 17 kilometers. At first, the camera showed a pitch-black sky—space itself. Then, as the plane leveled out, the deep blue horizon filled the screen.

“...That’s blue, alright.”

With the camera now level, the display showed nothing but the vast blue horizon. No land in sight.

“Yes. To maximize coverage, we’ll commence a slow, circular sweep.”

The view began rotating, showing dark sky, blue sea, and sparse white clouds. Visibility was excellent due to the minimal cloud cover, but…

“…Nothing…”

She let out a disappointed sigh. Just then—

“Commander Ma’am, we’ve detected what appears to be a mountain peak on the horizon.”

“What!? Where!?”

Ringo quickly brought up a replay, zooming in on the distant shape at her command.