Abyssal Stays Home [KC SI]

[Slynch]

Flash forge would be nice for Sapphire, allow her to use her Ore stock to forge a crude, but self guided Abyssal Missile Larva, similar to Zerg Scourge Nest, Swarm Host or Terran Widow mines. Suicidal style living weapon is on the table when you're an Eldritch being with multiple path to upgrade your force.

Those Abyssal Missile Larva only have 3 main objective:
- Fly themselves towards whatever they were pointed at.
- Evade everything that's NOT the target they're heading.
- In the event of they either reached their target physically, get close enough that their detonation will do harm to them, unable to continue due to taken damage or ran out of fuel, detonate.

Or you can build Loitering Munition using Abyssal connection as Command and Guidance platform, and have that loiter variants for surface and subsurface combat, like the Spider mine.

 

[Naron]

Day 67

Sapphire was back to brooding this morning. I probably should have expected that, but I actually need her in the field. Just in case any scouts come our way.

I wanted to talk to her about fighting and my stance on it, but Jeanne's words are still echoing in my ears. It is true I think differently from them; I do not think my perspective is wrong or bad, but that can easily be bias. This subject is so difficult because war is not a good thing. I forgot who it was attributed to, but I like the quote about it being a continuation of negotiations in a different form. In the end though, that does not change what it does to people. Or humans, rather.

Maybe that is the crux of it? How close or far from the human mentality are shipgirls? How far do Abyssals deviate from that? War changes humans with few exceptions. But Abyssals are born for war. The Abyss concurs with that if nothing else; they have the mental fortitude and mindset to walk through what humans would call hell and shrug it off.

Perhaps my plan to make domestic Abyssals was doomed from the start. Or it just takes more time than I have at the moment. I need to gather my thoughts and have a few words with Sapphire. Ionia and Orion are fine as per usual because they are 'civilian' models without direct combat applications. I guess I can not quite relate to them being born with a purpose in mind; humans only have the purpose they make for themselves after all.

It still feels wrong to even consider allowing anyone into battle. I already worry about Jeanne and Ariel.

Speaking of those two, Frostbite called earlier and called me insane for sending her two Demons as support; after apologising for doubting me when I said I would only send two ships, she called me insane again for making both together. I gather that this is overkill by the fact Frostbite only ever had one Demon, once, who fell when she was chased out of her previous stronghold. But as we all know: there is no kill like overkill.

I am sorely tempted to make more Demons right now, but I need to watch my resources. I absolutely will have my scientists look into upgrading regular Abyssals to Demon status, though. The Abyss itself seems curious about my rationale, but I feel it is a solid idea; if I build a normal Abyssal who ends up surviving a number of engagements and becomes a veteran, making them a Demon is prudent to make them stronger. Or if I want Demons but do not have the resources at a given moment. That one goes more for people not me with the resource cheat, though.

Either way, tomorrow I need to talk to Sapphire.


Day 68

It seems the Abyss was cooking up something as well. I woke up to a new line of tech, starting with Abyssal Conversion. Reading up on it, this branch of the tree covers converting an existing Abyssal into a Demon; upgrades lower resource expenditure and time spent, the base amount is the same seven days as a regular Demon.

That gave me food for thought as well. I needed a few minutes to consider the implications, but then I made up my mind. As much as I dislike it, I can not always keep my girls from danger; this conflict does not allow it. What I can not afford is going down the slippery slope to try and end it faster; the road to hell is paved with good intentions after all.

So I pumped the water out of Sapphire's favourite grotto and walked down there. She was sitting in a corner, decidedly not looking at me. She did not move when I asked her to come along, so I ordered her. As rebellious and upset as she may be, she did not refuse an order from her Princess.

I took her outside to the beach where we could look onto the sea. The endless cresting of waves has something calming to me. What I told her feels kind of cheesy in retrospect, so I am a little reluctant to relay it word for word. But what it boils down to is that I care more about her safety than any gains made in battle. That I hate the prospect of losing any of my girls.

She raised a good point with the twins, I admit. Maybe it was hasty, but Frosbite is among the people I want to keep around. I also told her that I made Demons specifically because they are that much hardier. That their roles were supposed to be the hammer to Sapphire's dagger. That I figured they could do with actual combat experience because they are the most likely to fight later. I also apologised for not considering her feelings.

It took me a while to actually say that; I do not apologise often.

It almost hurt to see that fledgling hope on her face. "So can I sally too?" she asked me then. Maybe I really underestimated how much she wanted it. I am normally someone who just goes along with others, but this time I stayed strong and told her no.

"Not for this engagement. We need to do some preparations first. Also, some ground rules that I really should have thought of before sending the twins out."

Her disappointment was immeasurable, but a reminder that this was no longer a complete no kept her attentive. So I laid down the law, which was basically just two rules.

First, do not die. Come hell or high water, do not die. Even if it means you can not destroy an enemy or you need to retreat, your own survival has the highest priority. No amount of defeated enemies is worth your own life. I think I grew more animated than normal when I talked about this to her, more fervent even. Perhaps that finally got through to her why I am so careful.

Second, protect your allies and work with them. No running solo where it can be prevented, no using each other as dispensable fodder. Demon or no Demon, this does not fly. I did not say it then, but if I actually catch any of my girls doing this, I will remove their battle privileges. I do not care if the regular Abyssals can be built on a factory line, I do not condone treating lives as numbers. This is a situation where I give them enough rope to hang themselves with; consequences are not stated beforehand because I want to see what they do without such a threat looming over them.

One could argue that an exception can be made for mindless Abyssals like drones, but sacrificing those just sounds like a gateway step toward becoming an asshole.

"Do you understand?" I asked Sapphire once I was done talking. She had a bit of an odd look and nodded quickly. Whether she actually understood is unclear, but I will see in time.

"Good. Then we will now convert you into a Submarine Demon."

That was when the severity of the situation started to slip. Sapphire sputtered in surprise, eyes wide and a little blush on her cheeks. She certainly did not expect that. I grinned at her little display.

"I already decided I won't go for legions of ships. Quality is the name of the game here. The only ones I produce from here on will be Demons, and you will join them, now that I have the resources to afford it."

She snapped to her feet and stood at attention. I would not have been surprised by a salute. "Yes, Princess! Thank you!"

She only came down from her high when we were at the spawn pool; Sapphire swam inside, only her head visible while I merrily dumped steel and other metals in. She was almost timid when speaking up again: "Actually, I had no idea this is even possible. Aren't Demons born as Demons?"

"It wasn't possible until this morning," I told her with some cheer, mainly about her dumbfounded look. "And technically, what you said is still true. From what the Abyss tells me, it's not a refit but rather a rebirth. You will still be you coming out, with all your memories and character intact." And if not, I will tear the Abyss a new one for lying to me.

That was when I finished with the rare metals and the pool began bubbling. "Now duck under, I'll see you in a week."

In retrospect, I am not sure to be flattered or worried about the blind trust she had in me and a thus far untested process. Maybe a bit of both. Sapphire vanished underneath and dissolved; it is a bit like turning from caterpillar into a butterfly.

I just realised I put my only scout out of commission for a week while my neighbour expects hostiles any day now. I am such a genius.


Day 69

Ey, nice!

Not much to say outside of that, though. I remembered to call the twins and tell them the rules as well; they took it with grace, but Ariel had an important question for me: how do their allies count into these? Should they flee a losing battle even if it throws Frostbite under the bus?

I had to think about that one for a bit. Like I wrote before, I like Frostbite. But I can not order her to follow the same rules as my girls. It is a special case, but an important one. When I called back, I told them in basically these words: "If it comes to this and Frostbite insists on making a stand, which I doubt, you drag her away kicking and screaming."

I really do doubt she would make such a choice, too. Frostbite survived a previous wipe by fleeing with her small core of veteran escorts. If she were the type to fight to the last, we would have never met. But at the same time, something may make her choose to face certain death if in a similar situation; expecting logic to prevail in highly emotional situations is an exercise in futility.


Day 71

I made certain to count the days until Ionia gets her candy privileges back. Almost forgot to tell her with tension running high. Then again, being presented with a piece of caramel once she returned got me that sweet little smile of hers; she seems to like the stuff a lot more than I anticipated. Just realising she can have it again made her all but glow.

Come to think of it, she also said she was craving sweets more as the days wore on. I researched this a bit today and now I have to worry. Sugar is not supposed to be addictive like tobacco or alcohol, but does that hold for Abyssals? If what I perceive as a little nudge to kill humans is a nearly unignorable desire for the others, would the effect of food they have no frame of reference for not be amplified as well?

I tried synthesizing meat based on what formulas I could find, but it just did not taste right after cooking. The only other sources I have on this island are fish and some tiny critters I do not want to hunt. And Abyssals, I guess. But I will unseal the poison gas research before I resort to cannibalism.

Maybe I can sell the concept of an infiltration unit to the Abyss, so I can get someone capable of going ashore to buy groceries. But that is such an incredible risk I am not sure I even want to try. At least the Abyss is interested in the idea.

Either way, I need to cut back on handing out candy until I can reliably make other foodstuffs to balance my girls' diets. At least nutrients or lack thereof are a non-issue because we are all Abyssals. Accidentally becoming a drug lord was not on my bucket list, no matter how well it would work to keep people dependent on me.

Maybe I am being paranoid and the girls just react more strongly because they never had sugar before, but I refuse to take risks here. Say no to drugs, folks!

Addendum: I just got a message that fire was opened in Frostbite's territory. I think I can faintly here the echoes outside, too. How nice that they have to show up overnight when I am trying to sleep.


Day 72

Today may have been the weirdest day yet. I have been an Abyssal for close to three months, but this was new.

First I was wide awake with worry for half the night, waiting for word from Ariel and Jeanne. Then the relief upon hearing they were fine, though Ariel took a few shells to her armour belt. Nothing penetrated and her escorts kept the enemy bombers away, thankfully. From how they told it, Frostbite's doctrine consists of grouping battleships in clusters of three with one designated leader, then surrounding them with escorts. Jeanne was her only carrier, but the sheer amount of planes she sent kept the opposing carriers busy enough.

They sunk several cruisers and destroyers, but their opponents fell back upon realising they were evenly matched. What they sent would have been a lot harder to fight without my two Demons in the mix; Frostbite still lost a number of her own girls. The escorts dutifully threw themselves in front of any torpedos that would have hit her battleships.

It was a dry recounting from Jeanne. Even now I have to appreciate that determination the Abyssals possess. I am not sure I have that myself. But then, neither am I 'expendable' nor am I devoid of personal experiences. Abyssals have not naturally evolved, maybe they just do not have innate self-preservation instincts? Or theirs are less pronounced. Princesses definitely have one if Frostbite is any indication.

The Abyss just tells me these instincts are optional; some Abyssals have them, some do not. It just becomes more likely as their power increases. So I was basically right.

None of this was the weird part, though; that came in the morning.

I woke up around my usual time despite going to bed at like four. Perks of being Abyssal, I guess. I even felt pretty rested, knowing Jeanne and Ariel were fine. So I went on my morning walk as always.

Guess what I found at the beach?

I can not describe the feelings I felt when I saw a small form curled up in the sand, just far enough to not be caught by the tide. First I thought it was one of Frostbite's who swam for safety, but I felt the truth about as soon as I registered her torn clothes and bruised body. That was a shipgirl.

It could have been a minute or ten that I just stood there, trying to figure out how this could happen. The constant nudges to dismantle the girl while she slept did not really help there; I kept losing my train of thought because of them. She was injured, but very much alive.

In retrospect, bringing Hydra to kill her at once would have been the prudent thing to do. Letting her live is inefficient, not to mention dangerous. Her presence will constantly rile up my girls. If she returns to her home base, humans will learn about me.

But looking down at her small form in the sand, I could not do it. Maybe part of it was spite at the Abyss telling me what to do. Either way, I picked her up and carried her inside instead. She was even smaller than I thought at first, not tiny like a submarine but definitely petite. Maybe she could have gone as a light cruiser, but I pegged her as a destroyer. I was right on that, by the way.

My mind was awhirl at the time. I did not even think about the possible repercussions when I put her in the repair bath. She must have been exhausted, not waking from either being jostled around or the warm water. The strips of cloth that were left of her rigging faded as well.

The reality of my situation hit me at that point. I sat with my feet dipped in the water for at least an hour, trying to decide what to actually do with this girl. I have no holding cells here, I do not really want to keep any prisoners, and letting her go back sends a torpedo into my operational security. Killing her was not an option either, even if I thought long and hard whether maybe it should be.

Then she woke up. After groaning and sinking deeper into the bath, she muttered something in Japanese; that was my first sign it would get even more difficult: I do not speak Japanese. Just German, English, and Abyssal via racial memories. Moreover, this girl started to look familiar.

It was a weird moment, really. When she opened her eyes to figure out who found and recovered her, we just stared at each other for a few long seconds. Then she rubbed her eyes, blinked, looked around, then stared hard at the water as if trying to solve the world's greatest mystery.

Then she screamed. It was high-pitched, with some screeching involved as well. After that it was scrambling around the room and as far away from me as possible, spreading water on the smooth floor in the process. I am not sure what she thought to achieve hiding in the corner opposite to the door, but panic makes everyone do stupid things.

She babbled questions in Japanese, I got that much from her tone. The few things I picked up through pop culture were nowhere near enough to figure them out, especially not in real-time. I had to scrounge together this knowledge to talk to her; at least she paid attention when I cleared my throat. And what I said at least cut through her panic, even if it was basically "I no Japanese".

Maybe it was the giant Abyssal talking to her in badly accented Japanese; I sounded mighty stupid there. Stupid enough to replace her panic with confusion.

We did not get much talking done after that, beyond that she speaks English and that her name is Akatsuki. At which point I realised why I knew her in particular; her hair is more black than the purple I recall and the sailour outfit was already in tatters then.

She is understandably paranoid, but also still weak. With my Demons staying with Frostbite in case of a second attack, I tabled the issue. There is still a lot to figure out and I need sleep, so I will continue this in tomorrow's log. Good night.

 

[YoRHa_42s]

A Duckie has been obtained, What do now?

 

[DahakStaz]

If you are not going to kill her or release her then the only option left is converting her in a Abbysal.

 

[DragooKnight11]

New Mascot Getto* (*on loan)

 

[Lovhes]

A Duckie has been obtained, What do now?

Click to shrink...

Foie gras?

 

[ArsMagna1337]

Day 70 is missing. I think it has been erased by something. We live in fear of the Time Roaches...

 

[Naron]

Day 70 is missing. I think it has been erased by something. We live in fear of the Time Roaches...

Click to shrink...

Not every day gets documented. There were previous occurences of that, I am fairly sure. Calm, slow days do not warrant an entry.

It is just a coincidence that this chapter has a number of eventful days happening in succession.

 

[Jubjub3000]

A wild shipggirl captured? She will need to keep an eye on her, especially at nighttime so why not take her to bed and use her as a self heating Teddy bear to cuddle?

Thank you for the chapter!

Edit

I wonder what the mc can do with akatsuki? Show her the joy of sunbathing? Maybe get her to help turn the island into a more relaxing place? Create a nice open building with a little Dock for canoeing?

 

[Ferreae]

A Duckie has been obtained, What do now?

Click to shrink...

Akatsuki, not Akizuki

She caught an elephant lady.

 

[Naron]

Day 73

Okay, I turned in a little earlier so I can write down my thoughts about this entire clusterfuck. And that is what this was, no way around it.

First off, Akatsuki is physically similar, but not quite like the one I vaguely remember from game art. Makes sense, I doubt any of this fully aligns with what they put into a game.

Secondly, her English is thankfully good. We could at least talk to each other, not that there was much talking at first. Most of it was scared questions about who I am and where she is; I am not sure if me being quiet was reassuring or scaring her, back there in the bath. Yesterday is less fresh in my memory now. I told her that I found her on the beach and tried to get her back into the bath. She did not want to.

Suffice it to say, I only had a vague idea how to act around a clearly terrified girl. I did not want to scare her, but she would not really calm down, either.

In the end I told her to breathe. Maybe that helped a little. Then I think I offered to answer her questions if she comes back into the bath. She complied then, even if she stayed skittish and sat down as far away from me as she could. I wonder if that fear is a normal reaction or Akatsuki is just more prone to it. Maybe the absence of her fleet added to the initial panic.

Either way, that was when I learned her name. I offered mine first, if just to get her to open up. Then she asked her questions again, one after the other.

I tried to answer as best I could, though I could only shrug when she asked what would happen to her now. I really did not think that far and still do not know what to do; hence this log, I need to sort my thoughts.

"But you're an Abyssal?" is what she said when I told her to finish repairs first. "Why do you help me?"

That hurts a bit in retrospect, but I just took it without much reaction. "Is it wrong?" I asked her back. "Wanting to help?"

She did not really have anything else to say to that. Then we had an awkward silence that lasted several minutes. You know those that get worse the longer no one says anything? I went through dozens of things we could talk about and disregarded them all. Asking where she is from could have been taken as trying to squeeze information out of her, and so on. Most subjects could have been taken that way.

I eventually asked her to stay here while I attended some other duties, which worked for an hour or two. I already made calls to Frostbite and my girls, then went to the kitchen to make a snack. I was halfway done when I heard Akatsuki shriek, followed by a gurgling bellow.

I think I wrote yesterday that this was surreal. Imagine my face when I step out into the hallway, only to have a damp and naked shipgirl slam face-first into my tits. Said shipgirl is being pursued by a four-legged pseudo-shark with a dozen squirming root-tentacles. You could not make this up if you tried.

I caught her in my arms and barked at Hydra to stay down; that at least got the latter to grind to a halt, but Akatsuki was trying to fight me off. I needed to take a half hour in the bath myself after; the only reason she gave me no more than bruises is that she was still so damaged.

When she stopped struggling and fell limp, I held her at arm's length. Hydra growled until I threw her a sharp look. After setting down the destroyer, I told my first ship to go outside and patrol. Then I shuffled Akatsuki into the kitchen to chew her out; there was a good reason I told her to stay in the bath. I can not stop Hydra from roaming around.

She was so shaken that she even mumbled an apology. I only realise right now that she was probably trying to escape what appeared like captivity. Well, so much for that.

So after taking my new batch of candies off the heat, I stuffed one in the surprised destroyer's mouth and marched her back to the baths. When I told her again to stay in there, she complied.

That was most of what happened yesterday, really. Repair baths take a good, long while to repair even a small ship. Akatsuki stayed in the bath all day while I bustled around, trying to figure out what to do.

I still do not know, by the way.

Jeanne and Ariel are slated to return sometime tomorrow. My time is running out; I can order my scaly, barky fish-dog down, but not them. Their instincts are the same.

At least today was calmer than yesterday. I visited Akatsuki three times in the bath, partly to check she is still there and partly to check on her. She is nowhere near fully repaired, but the worst of it is gone. From what I coaxed out of her, she got hammered by Frostbite while protecting her own flagship. We did not talk much about the nearby battle; she refused to part with anything about her fleet, I wisely said nothing about my own contributions.

Sometime today, I got this insane idea to solve my food issues through her; try to set up some sort of trade where I pay her resources to go and buy groceries. But the logistics of that alone are a nightmare. Not to mention what her superiors would do if they found out; or worse really, if she tells them. There is an argument to be made for betting on greed, to just give her several bars of gold to hand her superiors and hope I can buy them. But I do not want to keep buying them either.

Like I thought yesterday, killing her immediately would have been the best choice. But seeing her slumped over in the tub just tugs at my heartstrings. I can suspend these things if I do not see anyone, I do not feel much of anything for whoever Frostbite sank or lost two nights ago. But this girl right in front of me is a different matter entirely.

She asked me again why I am doing this, but I still had no real answer. I could go and throw her into my second spawn pool, the Abyss tells me that would yield results; but it would also destroy the girl.

Can I go back to hiding from my enemies instead of accidentally sheltering them? That was nicer. I do not like sitting between a rock and a hard place like this.

Hydra took to prowling around my base. I do not know how much Akatsuki saw of it yesterday, but she definitely will not see any more. At least it is clean and looks nice, what with the gold and silver ornaments I have everywhere.

There was one odd moment where I had Ionia standing in the door, telling me that there was an enemy in the baths. She must have come back without me realising, so I told her not to worry about it; I put the girl there. I also asked her to keep this to herself, which earned me a simple nod. It is hard to tell what Ionia thinks. At least she does not have the same urge to kill, due to being a transport ship.

I still do not know what to do.


Day 74

I let her go.

Maybe it was not the correct choice, but I feel it was the right one. I could find enough reasons to justify myself, but none of them are true. Chances are good I will be dead if anyone but me reads this, anyway.

Something I firmly believe in is that the moments that define us do not depend on others. What says the most about us is what we do when there is no reward to be found, when nobody is there to witness or judge our actions. I doubt I will ever be all that good about doing the right thing, but at least this once I wanted to.

So I woke Akatsuki and gave her some simple cloth I synthesized, then led her out to the beach. Hydra was told to stay back inside, just in case she tries using her cannon. I gave Akatsuki a full tank of fuel and told her to go.

She was so utterly confused, it would have been funny if I had not felt like I was making a grave mistake the whole time. "You just let me go?" is what she asked, standing there forlornly. I know I am plenty tall now, but she felt even smaller there.

"Just go. It would be nice if you didn't tell anyone, but I'm not dumb enough to believe you won't." There was some morbid humour in my voice. Maybe I should have killed her, but that window of opportunity has long passed. "I don't want to be involved in this war any more than I have to. Now go."

It still took her a few seconds to get moving. She applied her rigging before her feet hit the water, standing evenly upon the waves; it was mostly just patched over, but it will definitely hold. She looked back several times, probably not quite believing what happened. I just stood there at the beach, feeling weird until she left my sight.

Afterward, I lay down in the sand to think. The dread has faded by now, though I still feel I made a mistake. Hard choices are named like that for a reason. But I guess it makes sense with my general philosophy of not being first to strike. I will give Akatsuki and her commanders enough rope to hang themselves with; if nothing comes of this, great. If Haven is being carpet-bombed in two weeks, I may have to reevaluate a few things.

Ariel and Jeanne returned a few hours later, both perfectly healthy and brimming with energy. Well, Jeanne at least. Ariel excused herself after a short debriefing; I caught her on the computer later. A budding nerd after my own heart.

Jeanne was the one who asked me about my days here, though. "Have you considered what I told you in regard to Sapphire?" was one of her questions as well. Maybe I underestimated how much thought she put into that particular subject.

Either way, I took her to the bubbling spawn pool and told her she had a point, but that I still hate the prospect of losing anyone. Hence why Sapphire is currently undergoing metamorphosis to become a Submarine Demon. Suffice it to say, Jeanne was just as confused as Sapphire herself about that one until I explained.

While I had her there, we also discussed turning Ionia into a Demon or some equivalent. Jeanne was unsure if that made sense, same as I; we asked our transport's opinion on the matter later, but she simply shrugged. Seems she does not care too much.


Day 75

Today was nice for several reasons. The first is that Sapphire came back to us new and improved. The other is that Orion finished assembling all the bases I asked her to. It has been two months since she was back at Haven, but now she is finally home.

That was actually the first thing happening today; Orion already announced that she completed the mission last night. She returned around noon, upon which I introduced her to the Demons she had yet to meet in person. Jeanne seemed amused by her curt greeting; Ariel returned it softly before thanking Orion for her hard work.

The moment introductions were over, my little workaholic asked me what to do next. So I put her to work learning interior decorating on the Internet; I want my base properly furbished, and anything I can offload onto someone else is good. She took to it without issue, though a rotation on the computer had to be figured out; Ariel likes using it. I will need to make a few more in the near future.

Then Sapphire emerged from the spawn pool with a whoop; this time it was not just me, but also the Demons there to greet her back. She was not the least bit intimidated of them anymore, cheerfully splashing Abyss goop as she waded out. "Submarine Demon ready to roam! I return to your side, Princess!"

She seemed so enthusiastic, like how she was at the start. Getting this upgrade must have meant more to her than I thought; at the time, I was a little worried she lost something during the metamorphosis. Some probing told me that she still remembered her name and the past months, though.

Honestly, the other surprising change was her body. Sapphire shot up something like twenty centimetres and her eyes gleam aquamarine now. Also, where she was lithe before, she is now stacked. What does a submarine need engines that big for?

Well, not my problem. Though I do envy that she seamlessly adapted to her new center of gravity after stumbling exactly once. Jeanne and Ariel greeted her as their sister and Sapphire was over the moon. Then she spent a while squeezing details about their deployment under Frostbite out of the twins.

I left them to that and did what I lacked the focus to do the past few days: consider new techs on the tree. I am starting to finish the generic stuff and my pet projects; comms got another upgrade to become more stable through bad weather, too. Now I need to pick a direction to develop into; a little preparation will not be amiss with my cover probably broken.

With that in mind, I started working on stealth upgrades for Sapphire and cost reductions to various ship types. There are a number of redundant systems that can be optimised away, various little corners the designs are improved in as my R&D teams pour over their blueprints.

I still do not like the prospect, but I know myself. If they do attack me, I will fight back.


Day 80

All was calm the past few days. I made more computers and Sapphire is back to scouting the area; her speed improved a lot, I notice. And more than that, she says merely becoming a Demon has bumped up her stealth a good bit. Her hull did not, though. I do not like to rely on her ability to stay hidden as the sole defense she has, but so be it. I make her the sneakiest girl in the world, just like I keep improving Ariel's hull and Jeanne's aircraft.

Maybe it would be a good idea to give my ships some more firepower, too. I can see laser weapons toward the end of the tech tree, but it will take actual years to get there. Most of the early stuff went quick and cheap, but things take longer and longer to research now. Even with the upgrades that lower research time pushed close to the highest level. The one upside is that I have more time to generate the resources this will guzzle up like nobody's business.

Outside of that, I had a face-to-face meeting with Frostbite today. She was a little surprised that I offered roasted fish; not some sort of delicacy by any means, but Abyssals do not even cook with fire. They do not cook at all. So it certainly impressed my fellow Princess, even if it was just fish with some of my salt sprinkled on.

I have to admit that I underestimated how sharp Frostbite actually is, though. The moment she saw Sapphire and had to be re-introduced, she asked for the tech to evolve Abyssals into Demons. No surprise beyond a moment of shock, no hesitation, no confusion. She up and went for the prize. From the 'negotiations', I gathered that having Jeanne and Ariel there reminded her how much of a game-changer Demons are. Her Mi-Class excavators also amassed enough resources to consider making some for herself. The main point Frostbite considers is that her forces are just about at capacity for her holdings; any more and she can not field them all without destroying her stockpiles.

"Refitting my veterans into Demons will neatly sidestep the problem," was how she summarised. I had to agree, too. Demons are mainly expensive in their creation, but they do not take up much more on fuel or ammunition than other ships.

Either way, once I got her reasoning, I decided that is a tech I can not charge for. The Abyss just handed the method to me after all. Frostbite was clearly befuddled when I told her that; turns out I am the only one who knows how to use it yet. The Abyss can impart knowledge selectively. She also seems to consider me 'blessed' in some form, seeing that I get preferential treatment. And I kind of get it?

Thankfully, me wanting her to have the knowledge had the Abyss pass it onto her. Frostbite blinked at me and nodded thoughtfully. "Not a refit, but a rebirth," she muttered, then asked me if the process left the original ship's personality intact. I did not realise just then, but I think she relaxed once I confirmed that. Was she worried about her own girls not staying the same?

Abyssals may take more after humans than they themselves suspect. Even with different instincts and morals, they still band together and care for each other. I asked Frostbite straight up earlier: "You seem to care for your girls, yet you will send them to war without hesitation."

Her response was illuminating. I need to think hard to get it back together properly.

"War is what we were born for, Dagon. From the smallest to the largest, the slowest to the fastest. Submarine, destroyer, cruiser, carrier, and battleship. Everyone does their part, everyone is appreciated. Those closest to us are missed, should they fall. But we will not fear death, for it will only deliver us back into the Abyss's embrace. I see now you think differently from me and I accept that. I will not criticise you for as long as you do likewise."

That was a fair point all around. Maybe that is the difference between a civilian and a soldier. When I asked her what will happen once there are no more humans left to fight, Frostbite got thoughtful. "I do not know" was her answer. Then she changed the subject and went back to talking trade for other tech.

I guess we both have stuff to think about tonight.

 

[Faber_The_Builder]

I let her go.

Click to shrink...

A mistake, but I get it, keeping her on the island would just result in Kanmusu search parties. Kinda sad she can´t do a First Contact fully on her terms anymore, but it could be worse. Command will for sure send someone after Akatsuki reports back.

 

[Morkail]

she is a grave threat to humanity, by this point things are almost going back to normal for humanity sure they have lost most of the seas but it's not like they fear being wiped out. Her existence in the long run very much changes that.

So, I'm not very familiar with the lore of this setting but did humanity do something that got them invaded by demon ships?

Edit: not sure if it was my phone but while writing this post it froze and I had to lock and unlock it phone to keep typing never happened before.

 

[Dsaeg]

she is a grave threat to humanity, by this point things are almost going back to normal for humanity sure they have lost most of the seas but it's not like they fear being wiped out. Her existence in the long run very much changes that.

So, I'm not very familiar with the lore of this setting but did humanity do something that got them invaded by demon ships?

Edit: not sure if it was my phone but while writing this post it froze and I had to lock and unlock it phone to keep typing never happened before.

Click to shrink...

As far as I remember nothing in particular. Just being itself.

 

[Lovhes]

Do Akatsuki even know what dagon is beside a weirdly friendly and posh abbysal leader?

Her biggest value/threat is her technology and development, I don't think Akatsuki found those out during her stay.

 

[Naron]

Do Akatsuki even know what dagon is beside a weirdly friendly and posh abbysal leader?

Her biggest value/threat is her technology and development, I don't think Akatsuki found those out during her stay.

Click to shrink...

She has no idea

 

[JiggieP]

I guess we can expect some recon from the human forces in the future. Maybe they will even discover that one of the Abyssal Princess has connection to the internet now.
Her weird peaceful-ish mentality will definitely be noted by the higher-ups, and whether that will lead them to trying to capture or befriend her? Only the author know. Though I supposed with all of her demons she is building up, capturing is definitely not an option.
Here to hoping the carpet bomb doesn't happen, but that's optimistic thinking from me.

 

[Naron]

Day 81

Thinking about what Frostbite told me took a while. I did not get as much sleep as I would have liked, so I will keep today's entry short.

Quite frankly, this is culture clash; maybe more than that because I am still human in mind if not in body. The Abyss has refrained from remaking me as an Abyssal. I imagine it defeats the purpose of this exercise.

At least I finally start to understand why I am still me. It is the same reason Abyssals still resemble humans and shipgirls, instead of being fully monstrous. The Abyss was born of human cruelty and callousness; or rather, its hivemind was. It continues to be human-adjacent and adapts human concepts for its own use. Abyssal shipgirls conform to similar types than human ones. Only the barely sapient or fully mindless creatures are completely inhuman.

My role in this is to be the Tech Administrator. I remember I picked the title myself, but it definitely fits what I am supposed to do. The Abyss gave me everything I could ever ask for and more to industrialise its adapting nature. Through me, it pulls upon more and more of humanity's technology, adapting it for itself step by step. Ingenious, as well as incredibly dangerous.

I am the linchpin of a war that is on the cusp of turning bad. Not sure if that is flattering, though. The moment I die, everything I researched will go to every other Abyssal. The longer I live, the more I can research. I am a living, self-compounding bomb of knowledge.

I am also surprisingly calm about this. Then again, do I necessarily have to care? Humanity has no idea of my significance and neither has the rest of the Abyss. I will be fine unless I let something slip.

There is still some worry about some sort of self-destruct to set off the spread of tech, but what was true before still is: thus far the Abyss was really good to me. I am not going to start distrusting it out of paranoia. We both know it can earn even more tech in the long run by letting me do my thing, too. I will need at least decades to complete everything, let alone whatever new things may be added over time.


Day 84

I had a few calm days to interact with my little fleet and talk to Frostbite. We shared bits about our respective philosophies; I can tell Frostbite does not agree with me, but she is respectful of my stance as long as I offer her the same courtesy.

I decided to talk to my five ships as well after some thinking; their input was interesting if nothing else. The warships each have little qualms in regard to battle or killing. They listened to me, but respectfully disagreed for the most part. Mind, I already knew any moral argument would not work, so I followed up with practical concerns. Stealth is more relevant than victory until our cover is broken. Even then, we are still better served researching further because I am the only one in this faction who can do that.

Yes, I know. I just talked about not letting anything slip in the last log entry, but my ships are my ships. I told them to keep this secret with their lives and they readily agreed. Then I explained my intended role, sans my originally being human. I am happy that they believed me regardless of how wild it sounded, but I have to remember not to start bullshitting them. I also left out that everyone else will get my techbase if I die, just in case.

In addition, Ionia gave me a knowing look the whole time I talked about staying hidden. I guess I deserved that. At least the girls are more amenable to my preference for stealth now; Sapphire apologised too, for pressuring me away from 'my duty' as she called it. I told her it was fine, but she took an actual hug to calm down.

This also reminded me that I can hug any of them whenever I want now; I still feel awkward and like I am bothering them, but still. Progress.

Otherwise, I traded more tech with Frostbite. She told me that some of her scouts found another human convoy dodging around her territory, but aiming straight for mine. I turned down her offer of striking their flank after Sapphire spotted them earlier today.

Because quite frankly: this is not just a convoy. Half a dozen battleships and assorted escorts, two aircraft carriers keeping fighter screens up the whole time. I worried a little that they would wheel around to invade Frostbite's domain. I also kept Sapphire ready, in case they came for me. But they just passed through.

There was one weird thing, though. Some of those airplanes were cruising over Haven when the convoy passed by. I told everyone to bunker down and stay out of sight, glad the original factories were already relocated inside. The scouts found only an empty island.

I can not tell if this was just a routine check for potential harassers or if Akatsuki talked. They are leaving the area as I write this, though; if nothing else, I should be fine for now.


Day 90

Nothing much to say. There was another attempt to root out Frostbite, but she has her own Demons now. Two of them plus my three made for a nasty surprise. Sapphire gushed about how she snuck around below enemy lines without ever being spotted. She definitely made me proud, even if she ran out of torpedoes in her enthusiasm and had to retreat. Double-tapping each of her marks was just sensible as far as I am concerned.

I feel compelled to make these small entries after a few days, but life is good and nice lately. The girls are each starting to pick up hobbies. Orion got interested in interior decorating and from there sewing. Jeanne likes to cook. She started trying to make meals out of the small selection I figured out how to synthesize by now. Although I also noticed her planes scouring the area for ingredients and fish.

Jeanne in particular seems curious about my tech powers as well; I caught her studying physics on the Internet yesterday.

Meanwhile, Ariel is just rooted to the computer; she got upset that it did not do everything she wanted and began learning how to code. So I pointed her at some tutorials, with a warning that she will need math for that. She did not mind and generally seems to love absorbing aspects of human life. She also got into playing games recently. My battleship is a nerd, now confirmed.

Sapphire is still happy carving with whatever materials I can give her. Between her and Orion, my home base looks more like a castle than a cave. She recently got interested in painting as well, but even more so in working with Jeanne in the kitchen. Only that Sapphire is more about baking than cooking.

Ionia is the least interested in picking up hobbies like these. I still think we are somewhat similar, so I had my Fairies build her something like an e-book reader; an integrated one she can take along while ferrying resources. She seemed content with that, but I am still waiting to hear anything concrete from her.

I am mostly just glad the girls all picked up a hobby or two. I know they get a little stir-crazy with nothing to do, same as me. Something else they share with humans. Having something to pass the time helps alleviate that.


Day 99

Frostbite complained at me.

The week before last, Sapphire visited her submarines again; she does not mind the visits, but it turns out that the talk of hobbies spread. Sapphire thankfully did not say anything about us having the Internet, but a number of Frostbite's girls were interested in all these ways to pass the time. Now they are badgering their Princess as much as they dare to let them come play with Sapphire.

Suffice it to say, she is less willing to spend so much fuel on playdates; I only have to supply one or two after all, she has a good bit more. She calls me generous to let my girls come over whenever they want, still unaware I am literally cheating.

At the same time, even Frostbite herself seemed interested in all the things I know but she does not. She is no fan of idle time, either. The Abyss never even realised that it can improve stability by providing anything in regard to entertainment over our racial memories. Though I get the impression that some Abyssals came up with simple games to play elsewhere; most of them were just sunk before these things could spread. They constantly reinvent the wheel.

Well, I guess I know what I am doing the next little while. Some preparations need to be made, then I will pay a first visit to my fellow Princess's domain. That will hurt my reserves, but if I make like Prometheus and bring them games they were since denied, I figure I should do it in person. And after writing this I have to hope I did not jinx myself to a similar fate; I would prefer not to have a bird eating my liver every day for the rest of eternity.


Day 109

It took a while to prepare everything. I mostly looked up rulings and put the pair of Sapphire and Orion onto the detailwork; making boards and cards, preparing figures and tokens. I carefully printed rulesets on waterproof paper and ink. And over it all, my scientists kept studying a particular tech I spotted and immediately grabbed.

If I go to see Frostbite, then I will take as much worth out of it as I can.

That said, teleportation completed yesterday.

It is called Abyss Transference, but effectively is what I said first. I need a station to send and one to receive, each of which is damned expensive; the maximum range is limited, but far enough to reach Frostbite. I can increase it later with more research. More to the point, a single teleportation chamber can target any other in range. There is an upgrade to use them as relays, meaning I need only a single teleport to reach any destination.

Like I said though, a single station is incredibly expensive. I have enough stockpiled to build two, but only barely so. Orion already set her drones to build my station here. On second thought, maybe I should send her and Ionia on their own to save fuel? I could not use Frostbite's station to get back anyway, unless I stay for three days or so.

Also, yes, I am planning to gift Frostbite an expensive teleportation device. All in the name of spreading some humanity among her troops. It will help us if we can just send envoys and convoys through there, too. Transfer is free after the thing was built.

I am definitely going to build another at some hidden spot, just in case. But that is for later.


Day 110

Much to my surprise, she did look that gift horse in the mouth. When I asked her permission to send Orion over to build something, she wanted to know details. Once she had the details, well. At first Frostbite was blown away by the concept; she only calmed down after a discussion about its limitations and reach. Her strategic planning never stopped, though.

She also refused to let me foot the bill.

"After hearing of such a thing existing, I want to trade for it either way. As kind as it is of you to gift this many materials, I will provide my own. Send your ships and name your price."

That was that, I guess. It is nice to have a good neighbour like her. The cost for that particular set of blueprints was steep, but Frostbite hardly even hesitated; I have not gouged her on prices yet, after all. We agreed to send the payment over the teleporter while Orion personally hands over the blueprints. This also allows Frostbite's own Mi-Class girls and drones to help out, reducing construction time from three days to one.

Maybe I should have more builders. But I keep thinking that when I build something big every once in a blue moon.

I am sending Orion out tomorrow morning.


Day 111

I am incredibly happy that Ariel reminded me to send an escort with Orion. She ran into another convoy soon into Frostbite's territory; were it not for Sapphire sinking their transports from within their midst and sending them scrambling, they would have sunk Orion. As in, she came so close to being destroyed that Frostbite estimated two months until she is fully repaired.

That was too close for comfort; I think I was near a panic attack when Sapphire radio'd in that they were under attack. She dragged Orion all the way to Frostbite's main base for the other Princess to check her over.

I did not talk much with Orion, but neither of us is one for many words. I appreciate her presence, not to mention that she was the first shipgirl I built. Losing her would have been bad. I do not think I even care that Sapphire sunk several shipgirls and will probably bring heat in our direction. I am just glad Orion will recover.

One downside of this is that she can not build in her state; Frostbite was sparse with details, so I do not even want to imagine how Orion looks right now. With the most experienced drone commander unavailable, we are back to an expected two days of construction time.

I sent Ionia and Ariel to pillage those sunk transports. Whoever went after my girl will pay back the damages in their resources.


Day 112

Okay, first off: it was Americans.

How I know this? Ionia did me one better and recovered not just the contents of their loading bays, no. This insane girl used her improved engines to tow back every single sunk ship, one by one. I saw the flags on what was left of their rigging. Did not even really register that human shipgirls can be transports before seeing them.

Then again, the sight was not pretty; Sapphire did precise work slicing right through their achilles heels and lower backs. That was my first time seeing actual corpses, too. The memory of how still and plain odd they were makes me shiver a little.

At the very least I now know roughly where I am. Japanese ships come from one side, Americans from the other. We are somewhere in the Pacific ocean, hopefully not near Pearl Harbour. I have no idea what the place looks like, or if it is still under human control, but that would be a bit high-profile for me to be comfortable around.

I have the wrecks in storage right now; their payload was a number of various things including foodstuffs, which immediately went into the freezer. I can synthesize a decent number of things, but my science teams should be able to do it better with the actual materials at hand to test on. Yes, I am still on the hunt for good food. My diet consisted mostly of nothing for over four months now; I never liked fish much and caramel was always too sweet for my tastes, too. So any progress on that end is great progress.

In other news, Orion continues being a workaholic. Instead of taking it easy in the baths, she abused radio to start instructing Frostbite's construction crew remotely. My fellow princess commended her spirit, completely collected despite coming so close to death. I just felt exasperated when I heard about that.

At least this cuts down construction a bit; not as much as if Orion was there in person, but it shaves off a few hours.


Day 113

They will complete the gate tonight. I already agreed with Frostbite that we will run a test with drones tomorrow, just to make sure it works as intended. Then I will pay her holdings a visit, introduce all the things I prepared to her fleet, receive the payment for Frostbite's new tech, and take Orion back with me when I return. Frostbite did offer to see to her recovery, but it just does not feel right to keep Orion away from home. My repair bath is just as suitable for her to stay.

This brings me to another matter I was thinking about. Thus far I ignored any techs to improve the spiritual power of our repair baths. There was no reason to when not expecting any battle, but that skirmish reminded me how times have changed.

I am not entirely sure how to feel just yet, either. I should be angry about almost losing Orion, but at the end of the day she will recover. My emotions have already mellowed out, as they usually do. I still do not want to jump into the war just like that; any chance to get along, no matter how miniscule, goes out the window if I turn around and start attacking. This was clearly an attack of opportunity, not them targeting me in particular.

It has been one and a half months since Akatsuki left Haven. I do not know exactly how long naval expeditions need to prepare, but at this point I feel somewhat certain it will be fine. Either she said nothing, or they decided to at least wait and see.

On another note, I decided to use the sunk transports as a resource base for Ionia's rebirth. She told me she does not need to be a Demon, but I asked her to undergo the process anyway. If nothing else, it will make her more durable. Orion will get the same once I am done figuring out if doing this while injured will affect her. So far the Abyss says no. With the resources I saved on not funding that second portal, I can afford ascending her as well.

I put Ionia into the pool just an hour ago. She did not say much beyond "Good night" while the half dozen dead transports dissolved around her, then ducked under the surface.

A few small things need to be prepared tomorrow morning, like cooking fresh food, but then I will leave Haven for the first time since becoming an Abyssal. I am a little excited, to be honest.

 

[JiggieP]

Tftc. She is quite levelheaded.

If it was me, i would have not forgive them

 

[Bisonlot]

Tftc. She is quite levelheaded.

If it was me, i would have not forgive them

Click to shrink...

Image doesn't work in your post but shows up in my reply box when I clicked reply to tell you. I do not understand.

 

[xbox432]

Ooh, so the Kanmusu are curious about the report of a "friendly" Abyssal, enough so that they sent some scout planes? It'll be interesting to see how they'll eventually respond. Full force assault to attempt a "purification", or will a diplomatic envoy be sent?

Also, Yay! The support ships are getting the demonic upgrade as well. I wonder how their abilities will be upgraded? Especially Orion seeing as she is an Ur template in her own right.

 

[Morkail]

Ooh, so the Kanmusu are curious about the report of a "friendly" Abyssal, enough so that they sent some scout planes? It'll be interesting to see how they'll eventually respond. Full force assault to attempt a "purification", or will a diplomatic envoy be sent?

Also, Yay! The support ships are getting the demonic upgrade as well. I wonder how their abilities will be upgraded? Especially Orion seeing as she is an Ur template in her own right.

Click to shrink...

The diplomatic route might actually work in her case especially if she manages to keep a lid on the fact she is responsible for the new tech the enemy has. Considering her teleportation building if she keeps that and her other assets hidden well enough she has a good chance of being viewed as the "civil" princess who sits around and seeming does nothing.

How ever if they even get a hint that all that tech is coming from her all bets are off.

 

[Lovhes]

The diplomatic route might actually work in her case especially if she manages to keep a lid on the fact she is responsible for the new tech the enemy has. Considering her teleportation building if she keeps that and her other assets hidden well enough she has a good chance of being viewed as the "civil" princess who sits around and seeming does nothing.

How ever if they even get a hint that all that tech is coming from her all bets are off.

Click to shrink...

The threat of killing her will spread all he knowledge (and bluffing that others will be made to continue her efforts) should fend off most of immediate threat to her from the human side.

Would probably make her look like a very tasty pinata for the abyssal tho, ironically.

 

[Naron]

Day 114

Today was interesting; I visited Frostbite just as planned, my three Demons following right behind. I left Hydra behind though, to hold down the fort just in case. Not that I am so sure she even understood much of where we went. Still about on par with a smart dog, if less clingy.

Frostbite herself was not much of a hostess, but that applies human standards again. She waited for me when I came through at eight like we agreed on, flanked by her own Demons. She has three of them now, too; her surviving escorts from the original domain, two destroyers and a light cruiser. All three are veterans.

We exchanged greetings and everything, then she showed me around. I could definitely see the remains of a human airbase in some spots; Frostbite kept the foundations and built her own stuff on them, although the important structures are dug into the earth. I admit it took me a while to spot any of that, though; the constant cover of clouds and light drizzle distracted me a bit.

Being in another Princess's domain was educating, too. I could actually feel my own power over the weather for once, though more in the sense that I did not have any control here. There was no reason to try fighting Frostbite for it, but I could feel some sort of presence all around me. Is that how all Abyssals feel near a Princess? The Abyss says yes, though the effect is lessened to regular ships. Demons have a weaker aura of the same sort as well and can apparently exercise some limited control, but only if they are outside of a Princess's domain or get permission.

I asked some questions along the way, but Frostbite's base is pretty utilitarian; I do not want to call it spartan, mainly because I doubt the lack of furnishings and such is by choice. It will be if she keeps to it now, but that is up to time.

We met a number of Frostbite's ships as well, which was just weird. As in, I did not expect a whole flottilla of semi-recent destroyers to take a knee. Same for the two battleships that curtsied, or the one that bowed respectfully. That may have been the first time I actually felt prince-ly and not just like the one in charge. At least nobody was offended or confused when I told them they do not need to do that.

"Your actions are no secret," was what Frostbite told me about that after it happened a few times. I guess she noticed my discomfort? "My fleet knows well where the improvements that keep them alive stem from. Your Demons have saved a number of them by their presence also."

I did not really consider it from this angle before, but it does make sense. Then again, I also do not quite agree that I am to thank for what the girls do. Although I would take the blame for any misdemeanour, so maybe that is a fallacy? I need to mull this over some other time.

What I do know I am responsible for, at the least, is today's events. I already saw some hints of Sapphire's influence on the tour; some girls were skipping stones and better at it than I ever was. Others had squares drawn in the sand to play hopscotch. It was often half-hearted, but the interest and light sense of competition were there. I guess that it makes sense in retrospect; Abyssals do not have that same drive to win over each other, they have other priorities in their nature.

After looking around and meeting some of Frostbite's girls, I went and started playing Santa. It is a few months too early for Christmas, but whatever. I gave them chalk and tools, introduced the faster card games, and spread around a boatload of sandwiches. Not exactly in that order, the food came first. And it was a little funny, too. At first there were only a handful girls once I got to work, but within a few minutes the entire fleet showed up. Even Frostbite was surprised and then stumped by the food.

It is still sad that Abyssals normally do not get to enjoy any of these things. I held back on the sweets here just in case. Even accidental drug dealing is a big no-no for my sensibilities. Not that I really needed it, even just some basic sandwiches with synthesized butter and pillaged ham had them eat out of my hand. Metaphorically speaking, that is.

It took a while to convince Frostbite that I am still working on that 'technology'. Thinking back to that, I could swear she was pouting at least once. Maybe the adage is still true even for Abyssals; the fastest way to a woman's heart is through her stomach.

When I shared that one with Jeanne, she got confused and asked why I do not aim for the chest instead. Then I had to explain what that actually means to prevent any actual misunderstandings. I am not sure I like the thoughtful look she had afterward.

My own ships are well-respected here, too. Being Demons and supporters probably helps with that. I noticed that destroyers have a habit of gravitating toward battleships and carriers; submarines mainly stay among each other. Capital ships are more free in who they approach, though they seem to feel more comfortable with some escorts around.

I asked Jeanne and Ariel right before writing this entry if they want a proper escort as well; they told me yes. Which means I will make a Destroyer Demon after ascending the rest of my little fleet. But I digress.

I only had enough time to share some of the games I prepared; the playing cards already circulate among Frostbite's fleet, though. We agreed to meet up again tomorrow to continue; even the Princess herself took interest in playing UNO. I think I will definitely take a chessboard tomorrow. My reserves contain a solid mix of different games, some of which I shamelessly copied from the Internet. No Monopoly, though. We do not need an Abyssal civil war.

One other curious thing I just noticed: Ariel is on the computer again. It is pretty late already, but she has this faint smile on her face. Which reminds me she is the most introverted of my lot. I had a little conversation about her social battery and it turns out my hunch was right; she did get exhausted about interacting with others sometime around noon.

My own social battery is better than hers, but I definitely should have noticed earlier. So I told her in no unclear words that she is free to leave if she starts getting tired of being around people. Unless there is combat to be had, I will not scold her for wanting alone time. Then I gave her a little hug and left her be.

Speaking of hugs, Orion got one of those too; as big as I could make it without aggravating her injuries. Then I all but carried her back to Haven; she is now hanging around the local repair bath.


Day 115

Ariel approached me this morning and asked if she could stay behind. I let her, so it was only Jeanne and Sapphire coming with me to Frostbite's domain again.

Today I spread board games, introduced a few more card games, and tried to sell them on some more dishes. It is pretty hard to make something to feed a fleet without the majority of portions going cold. Maybe I should tech into those stasis fields to keep cooked food fresh. No matter how much the Abyss insists that is not what they are for.

Human ingenuity means using things in a way they were not designed for, after all. Most of the time it is dumb, but sometimes you get something entirely new and useful.

The second day of bringing enlightenment to the Abyssals convinced Frostbite some more, too. She seems more drawn to the complicated games, planning strategies and approaches ahead of time. Card games are nice enough to kill some time, but nothing for her to really sink her teeth into.

She actually thanked me today, for giving her and her fleet so much without asking for any recompense.

Sapphire and Jeanne were having a blast, too; it seems they easily integrated with some of the groups and played the various games.

Which brings me to another observation: Abyssals form social groups. It is the continuation of the thing with destroyers liking to crowd around capital ships; most of it seems to be instinctual, but some is also personal reasons. I did spot a couple of escorts and submarines staying on their lonesome. For tomorrow, I am printing them some books to read.

Likewise, most battleships seem to enjoy having destroyers and cruisers around. Ariel is a clear exception, but even Frostbite has a soft spot for the escorts. Light and heavy cruisers all like their own class the most, though they get along just as well with transport ships. The Mi-Class I introduced is integrating into this social setting, most comfortable with the transports but fine interacting with anyone. They seem more matter-of-fact than the other ship types as a rule, though. Then again, I have four of them in total to base that observation on. It can just be a coincidence.

I am happy with today's progress either way. Frostbite's fleet does not defer to me, but they accept me just like their Princess. I am not sure if they could reject me at all, come to think of it. After all this, they definitely seem to like me though.


Day 116

And there was the other shoe. I really should have known better.

Ariel stayed back home again, as did Hydra. I finished explaining games and fed a bunch of hungry mouths, nothing bad happened there. If anything, the loners were surprised when I approached them; Frostbite was also intrigued by the concept of books, but thankfully all Abyssals come out with the ability to read. It would have been a nightmare to teach them that.

The bad stuff started around noon. Actually a bit earlier, but I only found out when Ariel radio'd in that Haven was under attack. From my reconstruction, she never checked the scanners and forgot she could use radio due to surprise.

First a group of regular bombers laid waste to the island. My base was sturdy enough not to collapse from that, but the upper layer got caved in by the following bombardment. Ariel stayed inside, but Hydra was outside on the island.

By the time she reached out to me, the battle was already raging for a few minutes. Frostbite immediately stopped me from charging in and told her own fleet to ready for sortie. Sapphire and Jeanne were held back all the same, but they only stayed because Ariel kept sending updates. I know for a fact they would have run right through the teleporter if an SOS had come.

It was harrowing. Maybe if I ignored Frostbite and went right through, things could have been different.

When we did emerge at the back of two entire destroyer screens and a full complement of battleships, I could have cried. Even the lowest layer of my base had rubble everywhere. The highest layer collapsed outright, leaving only ruins of the few factories I had there. A handful of drones survived because they hunkered down inside.

My heart was beating heavier the longer it took to find Ariel. The sound of gunfire and screams at least told us she was still alive, calmly sending that she held the line when pinged. And that she did.

The repair bay and active spawn pool are halfway down my base, but some of the more delicate rooms are toward the top. Ariel guarded the only entrance with blazing guns, fighting off a group of landbound shipgirls and human strike teams; from what she explained later, the latter came first and the former followed when they realised there was an Abyssal inside.

I still almost had a heart attack when I saw her. If anything, Ariel looked worse than Orion; she took fire from everything attacking Haven, half her face and body melted to slag. She held the line anyway and started up a storm to stop the bombers from coming back. I took over from her once Frostbite told me to, meanwhile her forces streamed outside to take the fight. Jeanne's flight decks belched out more planes than I expected her to have, contesting the airspace with technological superiority.

The battle raged back and forth for the better part of an hour. Then Sapphire and her submarine friends finished sneaking through the floodgate entrance and behind the enemy. The flotilla was spotted once and had to retreat, but Sapphire remained undetected until she sank all three enemy carriers in rapid succession. Then she beat a hasty retreat, only to double back when the attackers' attention was rapidly taken by the other submarines nibbling at their trio of battleships. It was a duo soon after, then only one sounding the retreat once Frostbite and her Demons hammered into them.

We did not get all of them, but many. The rest of the day was spent taking stock of the damages.

The good news is that Ariel survived. She defended not just our home base from intrusion, she also saved her two defenseless sisters' lives. I stuffed her into the bath as soon as the guns fell silent, but the hug and thanks she got is nowhere near enough.

Hydra is gone, though. A couple of destroyers dragged her corpse back from where they found her, armour belt ruptured and ammunition cooked off. Going by the injuries on the corpses, my girl went down swinging; one of the sunk battleships and half a dozen escorts, both cruisers and destroyers, were torn apart by that super gun. With no other target in sight however, they just hammered past Hydra's defenses with brute force.

I was in a bit of a haze after the adrenaline wore off, or whatever equivalent Abyssals have. Frostbite helped me take stock. Her girls found all the wrecks and corpses, then helped my few surviving drones drag them back. I needed a while to get away from Hydra.

She tried to talk me into 'shaking it off' and things like that. Easy to say for an Abyssal who does not care for her subordinates. I told her to shut up... which may have been a little harsher than I wanted it to be. I am not going to apologise.

I had my drones dig a pit for the human corpses. After taking everything of interest, including their guns and whatever other paraphernalia they had on them, I poured gasoline over the mound of corpses and burned them all. Even if biological matter can be used to make something, I still do not want to go there.

The other thing is that I recognise some of these shipgirls. Even without the soldiers being Asians and Americans, I could recognise the battleship Kongou. One of the destroyers was Hibiki, too. Akatsuki was not among the dead, but I have no idea if she was just not here or retreated with the few ships that made it out.

I may still be in shock a little bit. At least I do not feel actually angry, just sad. Orion and Ionia almost died, Ariel almost died, and Hydra is gone.

All the remaining hulls are in storage for now; being what they are, it will take some time for them to even start decomposing. I need to decide on that soon, though. Frostbite left one of her Mi-Class girls here to help clean up; I think her name is Shallows, but I did not pay too much attention. My being bad with names does not really help there.

I think I start feeling that urge to wage war again. But right now it is hard to tell if that is me or the Abyss. Maybe both for once.

I told Akatsuki that I want to be left alone. A targeted attack on this island, with regular soldiers no less, means they knew without a shadow of doubt I was here. I cursed her earlier in my head, but I know it was not her fault; she did not make the decision to attack me. It just gets increasingly harder to separate the people who gave the order from those who followed it.

I need sleep.


Day 117

An idea came to me earlier today. I directed some of the drones myself and kept busy; Sapphire was out on patrol to spot whomever may come close. I also started animating the weather into a proper storm; with my cover broken, I may as well announce my presence. A third of the shipgirl corpses went to Frostbite as thanks for helping me without hesitation. She tried to reject them, but I insisted.

Which was around the time I had that idea.

"I'm probably going to keep relying on you to bring the firepower," is what I told her. "So making sure you're well-supplied is just good practice."

We had a bit of an argument then; Frostbite was not wrong that continuing to refuse building a fleet would get me killed. I still do not want to do that, though. Like I said, I had an idea; she was skeptical when I told her about it, or rather that I want to try something else first. Especially when I asked her to send girls around all nearby islands to grab whatever lizards they can find. Haven is devastated, so I will not find much in terms of flora or fauna here anymore.

She agreed, though. Which means I can return to my German roots, trying to drive the point home with shock and awe.

Once I have those lizards, I will make Godzilla.

 

[Slynch]

Uh... Ever build Electron Pathway Drone? Yeah, build that, and use magnetic field to direct lightning down on your enemies. Because you can make a cake and ate it too. Keep those drone in high static cloud and send wrath of god down on those shipgirls until they retreat, lost all fairies due to repeat high voltage shock ( thus vegetable the ship in question) or they send dedicated aircraft to hunt your Pathway Drone.

And Ocean Floor Mobile Platform Demon. For utilities and anti surface & ASW operations, as well as acting resource harvesting, mobile sub repair base & any other functions you can slap on her open slot Operation Modules.

 

[Naron]

Uh... Ever build Electron Pathway Drone?

Click to shrink...

I do not know what that is, nor where it comes from.

 

[Vlaadd17]

If mc is squishy can she just generate or convert titanium to make outer armour with it? Or at least for subgirls, she would be like, damage proof.Or titanium armor somewhere down there at tech tree?

 

[Slynch]

It's a drone system with purpose of attracting lighting discharge from storm clouds, then either store said charge till appropriate time or directional discharge via directed magnetic field or other means. You can either using Abyssal Eldritch property or use disposable aluminum wire with steel tip to direct said stored lighting down on surface target. Of course, make sure you DO have ultra dense solid capacitors bank for your drone, and insulated them appropriately.

If you do play Genshin, then the drone act similar to Yae Miko Totem, except those totem get Energy from static discharge instead of Electro energy.

 

[JiggieP]

Damn, you just have to go and kill the doggy didn't ya? She is definitely still in shock, but I was hoping dhe would be a little bit more murdery. Tftc.

 

[manatherindrell]

Poor doggy. Yay Godzilla. Glad she's still reluctant to wage war, and worried that there is no possibility for peace.