Writing goes slower than I'd like, but some bits I'd like to share.
The next chapters will be quite heavy in concepts and exposition, including why there are jumpdrives in these girls and the Abyssals and how they works (and at what consequences).
The insignias for the individual Composite Task Groups has been completely redrawn, all 23 of them, now properly scanned and the lore will be updated as well. The western/European/Atlantic front is now divided into two Commands: Vigrior and Naumachia (previously it had been only Naumachia) and we will see some of the TJC's early campaigns as well.
Art of Kongou and Haruna in their Kai-2 rigging is done, plus a bit of lore which will be expanded later.
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The Second Victory of Armour
Kongou Kai-2, Kinetic Strike Shields.
Haruna Kai-2, Iron Fingers Gauntlet.
Admiral Kurosawa from his command office saw the announcement, being made and broadcast through the JNET. The first product borne from thoughts of the Neo-Mahanian faction within the Advisory Office, the attempt to answer the Armoured Qualm.
"We, the Applied Naval Research and Strategic Advisory Office, via convergent decisions with the Substrate Administration, Forgemastery Council, Fairy Aeronaval Command, Regional Tactical Command, Foundation War College, and the Global Admiralty, do hereby declare the Type Extinction and retirement of the Battlecruiser (CC) designation.
As per the completed rollout of Fast Battleship Total Upgrade program under the Fleet Expansion and Development (FLEXDEV Ring 1) plans, all Shipgirls previously under this designation has been recategorized and recontextualized in accordance with new tactical optimae and dicta."
As usual, credit is to my sister who's done a great job with both Kongous. Rigging is done by me, inspired by the Armoured Girls Project figures.
Hiei's and Kirishima's will be the Multi-Blade Vane and Arc Snapper.
The Flow Network is a supply system that utilizes principles of matter translocation and transmutation derived from the science Manifold Physics, exploiting the connections of Indra's Net to deliver, via non-local transition to subspace (also known as freespace), supplies of Transmaterium (also known as Substrate) to supply Fleet facilities in the world, effectively creating a nigh-untouchable and instantaneous logistical train. Specialized fabrication machines and forges at each facility convert stored Substrate into usable machinery and supplies according to need.
…Regulating the Flow is the Nexuses established around the world by the Forgemaster Flagships during their Emergence. An example of a Flow Nexus is the Material Observatory located at Mt.Ikeno in Japan, formerly known as the Super-Kamiokande Neutrino Research Facility…
Manual of INDUSTRIA Operations, 2023
Super-Kamiokande Neutrino Observatory, Mount Ikeno, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
Mid-2021
Consider the transformative effects the Abyssal War and Emergence had on the scientific landscape of the world.
In the span of a few years, a technological and scientific boom driven by survival; theories and hypotheses vindicated or thrown away in succession. When the hands of salvation came bearing turret and torpedo and arcane science that drives it, the world's greatest minds set itself on the only task that matters, the first task above all: to understand.
The greatest of the discoveries concerns the arcane science of the manifold and the freespace, and how their powers are expressed in the mundane world, through the Shipgirls or otherwise…
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"What's it like down there, Mifune?"
"You should be down here, Takeo. How beautiful, as if the stars themselves are here!"
Sakurazaka Mifune, chief researcher at the Kamiokande Neutrino Observatory and future Substrate Administrator stood upon his raft, floating on the waters of the primary neutrino observation tank. His co-researcher Takeo observed by proxy in the control chamber.
What they saw was : a miniature cosmic horizon painting itself in the interior of the observatory, a starscape made of the scintillating lights of the photomultiplier tubes. The arrays should have been passive instruments of observation, but something, a primal thing, has taken over the entire system. Lightning arced up and down the array, and the entire display shifts in gradients of colour.
The place was once on the brink of closing. It was the usual causes; when the immediate urgency of war presents itself, funding on this kind of research was the first to go.
As with many things, the Emergence changed this. He saw the reports and news when the First Emergent flickered to existence out of a gate of snapping lightning, saw in wonder as she destroyed the Abyssal fleet on Tokyo Bay, and, like many other scientists, pondered and hypothesized on the implications of this. Then the Joint Command's representatives came, bearing funding and the words:
"We have a plan, not only for survival, but for progress. Scientific instruments like Kamiokande will become the cognitive speartip of this war. We will not go back to hiding in fear. We will learn."
A green-blue waterfall stream of particles fell from above, from among the golden array of tubes, converging in the center of the pool of water along with the arcing leaps of lightning.
Mifune paddled around as this happens, seeking a vantage point from which to observe. But he noticed: there was a sound, growing steadily intense. A heartbeat of gravity, a rythmic pulse of physical forces bound in treaty, here at the center of Kamiokande.
Suddenly his entire vision was blinded in shades of green and blue, as a massive display of light, electricity, and gravity erupted all at once, and when he balanced himself again on his raft, when he managed to regain his senses, that was when he saw it:
There was a tree. Its roots surrounded and contained the singularity beneath the water. It grows with an obsidian-black trunk and long, serpentine branches that looped around the interior of the observatory, linking all the radiant photomultiplier tubes in a miniature cosmic circuit, channeling the pulse and heartbeat of the Nexus.
The rustling of bone-white leaves accompany the first bloom of red flowers, and under the tree, under the first fall of petals, was Akashi, Forgemaster of The Fleet, Baroness of Anvil, among many past and future epithets. Wearing a mask engraved with symbols of the craft, a hammer hefted on her left hand.
She offered her right palm. Mifune paddled closer, awestruck, and reached for it.
----
That was three years ago. Many other Forgemasters of The Fleet has emerged since, many other Forges and Nexuses has been built and fired up. The Forgemasters themselves, technocrats to end all technocrats, with unsurpassed mastery of the Flow, the Transmaterium, among other crafts necessary to sustain the war.
In their heart, the first and highest truth: Nothing exists without each other. You cannot sustain an empire alone.
Akashi labored in her workshop-in-passing on Sparrowmark HQ. Though Yuubari is the Forgemaster of Sparrowmark, Akashi herself worked as a traveler blacksmith, moving between facilities to augment their function.
"Miss Akashi, the followup to FLEXDEV is in, and we found it quite favorable. Up to 8 per cent of HAVEN's computational cycles will now be allocated to extended rapid prototyping simulations."
"Thank you, Sakurazaka-san. I will see to it soon."
Her concerns are many. Mass, computational capacity, power. Strength, flexibility, expediency, practicality. Problems like Flow attenuation and engram misdecoding. FLEXDEV is the first consolidated research program to be run, drawing lessons from the accumulated campaigns and battles of the Joint Command.
The war is gearing up, they say. Even if the pace of operations has slackened, dark rumours from the Office Meisanbou spoke of new mysteries. Spoke of escalation, and of a Circumspect Strategy. A changing blade.
She huffed, as her delicate and precise hands worked on the design made real. Mentally segregating the report and her other thoughts, she concentrated on the work in front of her.
Today she's making something for herself.
She slid the broad hammerhead into its shaft, before assembling the base of the shaft itself. A new hammer, a construct to create other constructs, a tool of world-shaping capabilities in a Forgemaster's hand. It is completed now.
She smiled in admiration of her handiwork, and at the wonders she may yet make.
CTG IRIDIUM, Material Research and Development Tasks, Global Authority
Insignia of the CTG IRIDIUM: Material Divinity
IRIDIUM was named after the fact was discovered that a Shipgirl's hull rigging is primarily composed of a sophisticated, lightweight but extremely resistant iridium alloy mixture, the first clue to the larger otherworldly nature of the Shipgirls, as iridium is a highly rare metal on Earth. The various research groups and action collectives that primarily managed the resourcing operations and material sciences of the Shipgirl operations coalesced into IRIDIUM, led by the Substrate Administration and the Forgemastery Council in cooperation with the Quartermaster Logistical Command, the more conventional logistical arm of INDUSTRIA.
IRIDIUM is further divided into three subdivisions:
- MITHRIL: Focuses on armour and survivability development
- ANDURIL: Focuses on the development and maintenance of the melee weaponry of the Shipgirls.
- PHLOGISTON: Named after the antiquated alchemical concept, and also the name given to the explosive compound and propellant used natively by Shipgirls; PHLOGISTON therefore specializes in the research of ballistic and explosive weaponry.
Transmaterium: Is a form of psychokinetically sensitive programmable material that forms the primary components of a Shipgirl's mechanical parts (usually in the form of Alloymorph, as mentioned above). More than just a form of programmable and transmutable material, it also hosts the conceptual and semiotic payloads essential to a Shipgirl's fundamental being, the ideative parts that makes a Shipgirl what she is. All Shipgirls possess an innate level of control of their Transmaterium mass, via Aspect Thaumaturgy. Transmaterium sources are non-local, pulled into this dimension via a Forge's miniaturized singularity. This, along with a Shipgirl's resurrection capability, combines to form a formidable anti-attrition logistical measure that made this ascendant form of warfare possible.
Flow: An in-universe explanation to the game's regenerating resource. The security concerns regarding the Flow are well-known and measured against in-universe. After a certain threshold, Flow input will be reduced until it is needed again, as a large amount of material transiting through Manifold will inevitably attract Abyssal attention. Usually Flow will be stored in a ready-use mechanical component or material form, rather than stockpiling large amounts of raw Transmaterium.
Engrams: Infomorphically encoded designs for a particular technological component, the in-game development recipes, and activated by a measured input of resources, but subject to random chance that output certainty is only marginally assured; Substrate Administration speculates that this is a form of further measure against Abyssal detection and subversion, as above all Abyssal forces prey on repeating patterns; the same logic that drives a Fairy's limited lifespan.
The limitations to this system is therefore not the amount of resources or scarcity but:
- The risk of Abyssal subversion and detection
- The computational power needed to calculate and manage the operations.
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This will be the first part of Indra's Net. If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them, either in-story or outside it. Resurrection will be explained in an upcoming chapter.
More than just a form of programmable and transmutable material, it also hosts the conceptual and semiotic payloads essential to a Shipgirl's fundamental being, the ideative parts that makes a Shipgirl what she is
A shipgirl's existence can be divided into three; The Persona, The Armata, and The Idea. This part is especially important. SubsAd do not officially use the term Construction but Probabilistic Reification: she is also an idea made real, a dream given form, rather than just merely assembled from components.
So you mentioned the Faeries limited lifespan. What about the named squadrons (Tomonga, Egusa, the 601 sq, etc)? Are their experiences passed on so that they don't suffer a loss of efficiency?
So you mentioned the Faeries limited lifespan. What about the named squadrons (Tomonga, Egusa, the 601 sq, etc)? Are their experiences passed on so that they don't suffer a loss of efficiency?
Yes, Generally speaking, named squadrons and more specialized fairies (SCAMP etc) have longer lifespans meaning they usually train their own successors.
So you mentioned the Faeries limited lifespan. What about the named squadrons (Tomonga, Egusa, the 601 sq, etc)? Are their experiences passed on so that they don't suffer a loss of efficiency?
Yes, Generally speaking, named squadrons and more specialized fairies (SCAMP etc) have longer lifespans meaning they usually train their own successors.
I've been giving more thought to this question and a better answer would be this:
With regards to skill-sensitive Fairy 'castes' like pilots, if they are killed in battle or died in the end of their lifespan, their successors will inherit some of their abilities and experience, so each successive generation of pilot fairies gets more and more skilled. Some individual fairies may persist through multiple iterations, retaining their personality and uniqueness, though these cases are rare and pilot fairies do not usually get killed in the first place (remember the 4koma's explanation).
I get what you mean, and I appreciate you saying it. I'm not 'sweeping the matter under the rug' and it's not that easy of a matter for the Fairies themselves. I'll make sure this is properly reflected in the story.
Should have been writing the immediate next chapter, but instead wrote what I hope is a battle scene worthy of a battleship like Musashi. You'll see it later on in full, of course. Have a preview:
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2200, off Limasawa Island, Philippines Interior Waters
Samuel B.Roberts, her ferocity unending, plunged her fist to the chest of the Abyssal battleship stricken by her, and pulled out. The Ta-class died in a gurgle. Johnston similarly flicked her axe clear of blood, moving away from the butchered remains of several heavy and light cruisers. Their battle is done, for now. The others, not yet.
From some distance Gambier Bay entered a relayed report.
"What the fuck, again?" Sammy huffed in exasperation. Heerman, Johnston, and Hoel all made the same expression on different levels.
"All Taffy 3 units be advised, we got a report that the Abyssal vanguard threatening Leyte has been destroyed, almost certainly by a member of the Burning Fleet. But a massive Abyssal presence is now converging there. We predict they will be able to outflank the entire multinational deployment on Philippines Interior AO if Leyte is breached. "
They listened in silence, and even Sammy has her colors drained from her face. The multinational fleet has not been engaging the main Abyssal force, massive as it were, this was only a distraction. The second wave bearing down on Leyte was the main force.
She snapped out a command to her audacious cadre.
"We will make best speed to Leyte until we get to jump range. Then---"
"Do you think she'll be there?", Hoel asked about their missing number.
"... Yes. and that heavy cruiser will be with her too."
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Above the clouds, 24 fighters made their strike dive. The Jinrai Squadron from Taihou descended on the flurry below. They loosed hundreds of autocannon rounds, striking down the Abyssal bombers assaulting Musashi. They are not trained for night-fighting, cannot land again if they return, but it does not matter now. A lightning-gate snapped out their mistress Taihou beside Musashi. She herself is in no better condition, the hidden campaign had worn down her petite body. She turned her flightdeck broad, deflecting several ill-dropped bombs.
"A carrier taking hits for a battleship? Worst joke I ever heard."
"Not that I don't like it though!" Musashi laughed a throaty laugh, but then she dropped her head low, coughing out. Taihou looked at her, and at herself, knowing everything will end soon. Soon, but not yet.
A moment of brief silence as the last of the Abyssal bomber wave plunged into the seas. Musashi knelt, breath ragged and fast. Taihou drew pained breath and launched all her remaining aircraft.
Two more snaps of lightning, and Choukai alongside White Plains arrived.
The glass-eyed heavy cruiser, also damaged, injured, and burning, brought the report.
"We repelled an eight-strong cruiser wing not far from here. They are certainly coming in force, and...."
The Second Philippines Campaign is a combination of Samar, Leyte, Sibuyan, Surigao, Mariana, and a little bit of Solomons.
The thing is: that the Abyssal forces are repeating historical scenarios is a well-known and public fact in this world, with all implications thereof (suffice it says that Shipgirls are not as free to mingle with civilians in this setting as in others). The Joint Command's Strategic Advisory Office therefore tries to play both sides: there are some that feel 'playing along' and winning is the best course of action, and others of course tries to avert such scenarios from happening again.
Though of course all admirals are highly strategically adept, Kurosawa alone sits on top of the Office. Imagine his headache.
The Second Philippines Campaign is a combination of Samar, Leyte, Sibuyan, Surigao, Mariana, and a little bit of Solomons.
The thing is: that the Abyssal forces are repeating historical scenarios is a well-known and public fact in this world, with all implications thereof (suffice it says that Shipgirls are not as free to mingle with civilians in this setting as in others). The Joint Command's Strategic Advisory Office therefore tries to play both sides: there are some that feel 'playing along' and winning is the best course of action, and others of course tries to avert such scenarios from happening again.
Though of course all admirals are highly strategically adept, Kurosawa alone sits on top of the Office. Imagine his headache.
My vote would be on averting history, but using said history to prepare ambushes when appropiate and possible. Nothing worst than waiting to repeat the battle of Leyte and discovering that the enemy's carrier fleet is fully operational and that the battlewagons are concentrated in a single large formation while the forces at Surigao and Samar are a few destroyers and light cruisers (and yes I know that's not exactly what is happening here, but the comparision is too good to ignore).
The internal dynamics of the SAO is also a major plot point later on, and the Second Philippines campaign is the first major undertaking and 'shaking down' for them. I have mentioned the Neo-Mahanian faction of thought in the Kongou art post. There are others: Mitchellian, the Hartmen, Carrier Cabal, Armoured Qualm (which is a specific offshoot of the Neo-Mahanians). All have good points, none can be ignored easily.
What does it mean to be a battleship, a battlecruiser? Incipients of an obsolete way of fighting? What does it mean to be Armoured, to bear layers upon layers of transmaterial alloy plating, starfire and reality forged into a protective shape, maintained by the efforts of the loyal armorer fairies? With all those liquid-hardener cells, reactive plasma jets, and the annihilating particle layer of the Aspect shield?
The bitter fact is that all those are useful to prolong fights, not shorten them, not decisively resolve a fight with the speed and kill-assurance a destroyer, cruiser, or carrier can provide.
What does the Armour offer? An extremely high time-to-kill, almost nothing else.
The first curse, after all, is when death becomes an afterthought.
Decades of popular culture has made "protecting everyone I care" an extremely cliche and nebulous motivation. But for those shipgirls Armoured, and indeed all of them, it is almost an existential imperative.
The object of their existence is not their own survival, and it never will be.
What do they fear?
To be restrained, useless, helpless to fight and protect, to be unable to make themselves useful.
Not death. Death is not insurmountable. They have proven it once, and will continue to do so as many times as necessary. Failure is not an option. Death, however, is.
Thus we define the Armoured Qualm, the question of endurance, of hold, and of defense. Fear is the starting condition of any defense. Fear is shackled to the pscyhe of the Armoured.
Let us, then, resolve it.
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RL conditions has thus far prevented me from doing any serious amount of work, which is why I'm making this short post.
Musashi will be an important character. I think everyone who has seen my posting habits can already tell I like her so much. But it's not going to be a Musashi-centric story. It is a world after all.
First of November is Musashi's birthday. And in a week, on 9th November, The World Set Free will be one year old as well. Thank you, the readers of this fic for supporting me thus far. I can offer nothing but that I will continue to do my best for this fic and the KanColle fandom.
IT rose from the lambent world-sea and the floodplains found confidence in legs the runner in the high grass and IT saw the final shape and thinks it beautiful and all the wonder it could be IT IT IT a WORM burrows between manifolds who gnaws on the rich roots of the world-tree killed the eagle and the rat pale breathing whispers of the infomorph and the flesh and the machine and IT turns the red flowers pale IT waits in the dark and in the light and IT opposes both dark and light opposes Creation and Decay IT hegemonic antidiversity MALIGNANCY outbreak and IT lurks within the cosmic sea IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN HERE with entire worlds of thinking matter IT calculates and writes itself into reality and IT frays Indra's Net and IT is coming IMMINENT IMMINENT IMMINENT and in the END, IT will say; behold! The dream of the WORM, the pale kingdom in a hidden place
