[X] Gather/salvage conventional materials.
-[X] From broken parts of the sub pen.
[X] Teach Mary some useful skills...
-[X] Let Mary see some playback of major battles during the Fog War and see if she can change the simulated outcome at all (Command Training)
[X] Seize control of the base's systems
-[X] Overwhelm both the control and security systems. (20% chance of failure)
For the next several days you've decided to go to work. Changing your outfit a bit to suit the laborious task of recycling scrap metal and broken pieces of the submarine pen. A heavy set of mechanic's clothes would do as you tied your hair behind your head into a ponytail. You grabbed pieces of steel and rusting iron from where they were lying and brought them back near your hull, piling them together.
It took you a couple of days to pile enough scrap metal and serviceable steel from the submarine pen for them to be of any use. During the time, Mary enjoyed herself running around in the new set of clothes you made for her. This way she won't have to be wearing those rags anymore and would look like a more decent human being.
She sat in her new dress and shoes as she watched you work from the sidelines. Ripping out metal from the pens was easy enough with your strength and crumpling them in your hands to make a more compact shape was something you went doing routinely for a few more days. When you were done, you absorb the fifty tons of steel and iron into your hull and used them as a temporary measure and repair a few of your busted pieces.
The process was simpler and a bit quicker than salvaging the base for parts but it did the work. You didn't feel comfortable using inferior material for repairs but beggars can't be choosers. You were practical enough to even utilize wood and stone if it came down to it so a bit of metal was already a luxury.
You also hooked up some cables from the collapsed parts of the base. This way you'd replaced the fried parts and discboards within your bridge. Some parts were needing some full replacements so there's not much you could do on your own.
By the end of this juncture you managed to repair some of your ship systems to less than optimal status. Not great but it worked. Other Fog might've been horrified and would have preferred being beached in this dumb island forever than make use of available materials but... You weren't them. A sad truth but not one you're hung up about.
You've mutilated your hull and very identity once, you can do it again.
Your Navigation, Sensors, Sonar and Thruster Control were once again useful. Far from what you'd like but what can you do. You'll probably be able to make a quick get away and descend into the depths once more with just this.
On your down time, when you weren't working on stitching your hull back together, you decided to test little Mary's capability as a Design Child. The girl herself didn't seem to mind and seemed to enjoy spending more time with you. You had to admit, her enthusiasm was very amusing.
You had her study a few materials from your database as a start. She might've read bits of it in her books before but it'll be better if her knowledge was refreshed. You were curious if she had the aptitude of being in command, but this was just one way you measure the advancement in the development of Design Children.
"So, Mary, what do you think of war?" you casually asked her as you scanned one of her books, the girl herself busy reading the holographic materials you provided her while tiny Surcoufs milled about and cleaned the place.
The Design Child looked up and thought about for a moment before replying, "Well, it's horrible. People die and things get destroyed. But it's... necessary. We wouldn't have beaten the Fog all those years ago without it."
"I see. I certainly took no pleasure in my previous battles. Unless the other side really deserved it," you thought back to a few settlements you've razed to the ground from the depths of the ocean, slinging corrosive torpedoes at islands as a mindless drone, "But the Fog War was entirely different."
"I've read many books about it. There were... Four Factions in all, right?" guessed Mary, "There was my home, the American Empire, formerly known as the USA. Then there was the Blue Steel composed of both man and Fog and the Scarlet Fleet which is the same but a bit more violent. Then there was the Fog itself led by the Supreme Flagship Yamato."
"Correct. With these four factions waging battle, numerous combat scenarios were born with the advent of new technology and varying battlefields. And... well, being me, managed to get a good look at each from within every faction," you closed Mary's book and tossed it to a tiny Surcouf passing by as you snapped your fingers.
Mary stood up and widened her eyes as the bridge lit up brightly and changed. You weren't standing on your own bridge anymore but were standing on the deck of Houston, the Bloody Knight of the Fog.
This was a battle from the middle stages of the Fog War where the Scarlet Fleet engaged Blue Steel in combat.
You granted Mary access to a holographic UI and laid it before her like a board. Since she didn't have the advanced sensors nor the calculating capacity of a Fog ship, you'll have to support her throughout this exercise.
"W-What is this?" she asked in surprise, her eyes fixed upon the board before her depicting the ocean and seven dots on her side. the dots were labeled as ship designations with the Heavy Cruiser leading the dots being the brightest one.
Accompanying the Heavy Cruiser were two Destroyers, two more Heavy Cruisers and an Aircraft Carrier.
The Heavy Cruiser was undeniably Houston being as the Flagship. If you looked to your left you'd see the familiar form of a Fletcher-Class Destroyer. The William D. Porter while to your right was the Johnston.
You noted that Emile Bertin and Dupleix were accompanying this group as the Air Craft Carrier Yorktown hung at the back.
You smiled and explained, "This here Mary is but one of the many encounters the Fog had with one another during the war. Your goal is to change the tide of the battle. You'll be commanding the ships participating during the battle and we'll see if you can change the outcome."
"Ch-Change the outcome?! W-Wait, hold on!" Mary cried out, "I don't think my heart is ready!"
"Don't worry, I'll guide you through this. But remember this is simulated in real time," you told her with a smile.
Mary looked as if she was about to panic before she clenched her fist and sighed, "Okay! Just... Tell me. How did this Heavy Cruiser win the fight?"
"She ate all the opposing Fog ships..." you replied, the memory scarring you forever but it's Houston, you could forgive her for that, "I don't recommend it."
"So I can do whatever as long as I win?" asked Mary.
"So long as it's within the capabilities of Fog Ships. And being a smart girl, I think you're more than familiar enough with what we can do," you assured her with a nod.
Mary looked at you with her crimson eyes before nodding, "Surcouf... I hate fighting. But I don't want to lose either."
"Your win condition is the sinking of the Enemy Flagship. Your lose condition is if your Destroyer or Air Craft Carrier Units fall," you said while crossing your arms, "This is just a simulation. So don't be scared. I'm here too. Come on, Mary. Let's play a game."
.....
....
...
Three hours later, Mary lost.
Well this was within your expectations of course. The girl wasn't a superhuman that could adapt in the heat of a fight while being rained upon by photon cannons and corrosive torpedoes. But she did manage to wipe out nine hostiles but the costs were heavy. On the first hour, Dupleix sank as Mary got careless and prioritized the safety of Yorktown above all else.
She grossly underestimated the power of a Fog Vessel's anti-air capabilities but you did commend her changing tactics on the fly and sending enough planes from Yorktown to blot out the sun as smoke screen and disperse the hostile Fleet's attention.
But that was also a bad move on her part for she didn't consider that she managed to empty Yorktown's reserves of nanomaterial which while allowed her to sink three hostile ships unopposed, cost her Yorktown.
On the second hour, Mary wasn't able to identify the thanatonium signals headed her way, causing a corrosive torpedo to slam hard into Houston's Klein Field. She had send her escorts in to engage the remaining hostiles as she danced around incoming corrosive warheads. Her defensive play for Houston was impressive, managing to shoot down most missiles out of the air while still making sure her remaining ships lived.
She kept her formations close and tight but not too close that they'll be wiped out in one blow.
Mary only got scared when the hostile Fleet unleashed their Super Gravity Cannon. She panicked and took one look at her asset's equipment and punched the Mirror Ring system of Emile Bertin.
While it did save your fellow Frenchbote from being blown to bits, the shockwave was enough to tear through Houston's Wave Force Armor and blast it apart. The simulation ended and Mary fell on her knees, exhausted.
You walked towards her and placed your hands on her shoulders.
"Hey, hey, it's fine. Mary, dear?" you called for her when the girl suddenly hugged you and started sniffling.
"I lost," she hiccuped.
"It was your first time and you're not exactly used to it," you replied.
"It's scary."
"Do you want to discontinue?"
"No..." Mary moved away and wiped her tears as she controlled her breathing, "I hate losing."
You blinked before a giggle escaped you. How amusing. This child was just precious. You patted her head as the tiny Surcoufs returned to the bridge and began cleaning again, "Maybe next time. How about you go to bed. Get dinner and get some sleep, okay?"
"Okay," Mary decided, standing up and being guided to her room in one of your crew quarters by a tiny version of you. You stood up and dusted your clothes. Not exactly captain material but you'd rather have her than anyone else.
She's a careless child but with a bit of polish...
You chuckled before you decided to finish up your business here.
.....
....
...
You stood before the control panels of the facility's administrative section. You rolled your shoulders and clenched your fists. It's about time you got some hacking done. Hopefully years of sleep didn't rust your capabilities. With your new Core, this should be a cinch, right? You just have to hack the control system and the intermediate computer system, then you'd probably be able to walk out of this base scott free with some intel.
You were a spy. A triple crossing agent that played every single side in a free for all war.
This wouldn't really be a problem.
And so you got to work.
You let your palm settle on top of the panels and you began.
It took you a few moments and there was that satisfying ping of success. Anti-climactic but it did the work.
The lights on the monitor accepted your presence and went on without much of a fuss nor muss. You should be able to access most of the facility right now. While your hardware for electronic warfare may have been destroyed, you still had the skills necessary to worm your way through the tightest security.
You checked and double check to make sure that there wasn't any distress signals needing to be intercepted. You should be able to access the satellite uplink now. You checked a few things and you raised an eyebrow at what you found. It seems that the armory was accessible now. You should be able to see what sort of weapons you'll be able to temporarily install.
You tried accessing some level 4 security files but it seemed that the databanks weren't powered properly. You gave the panels a light kick at that. Stupid primitive humans making things convoluted for good pieces of information. But nevertheless, it seems that you need to power up a reactor to gain the information.
Otherwise, you could choose to see what you could gather from the now accessible satellite uplink. Hopefully doing so won't tip anyone off. Otherwise this would be all for naught.
[Major Actions-1]
[] Bite the bullet and see what you can gather about the Outside world through the uplink. Time to see what the world looks like.
[] You have full access of the facility now. Perhaps it's time for you to get armed and check out the armory. You like your guns loaded.
[] Relevant information is stored in the server banks. But you'd need to get to the reactor room to power the place. Ah, your hunger for knowledge.
[Minor Actions]
[] Perhaps you could give Mary a better set of clothes. You never asked her what she liked when you gave her so maybe a wardrobe change was necessary.
[] Your interior is a mess and it looks like something you're incredibly unfamiliar with. Maybe you should get Mary to help you and the Subnodes (tiny Surcoufs) to help you clean up.
[] YOU SHALL TEACH MARY HOW TO BAGUETTE.
[] Let Mary have another go at [Command] simulations. She has the potential after all. Certainly a rough diamond.
