novel bin Chapter 1037: Not a Vacation (3)
Chapter 1037: Not a Vacation (3)
Chapter 1037: Not a Vacation (3)
As dawn approached, the Chimaeric Demons took the soldiers' places throughout the base. To all appearances, it was business as usual at the outpost.
But now, key positions were held by Erik's clones, and not by Hin's soldiers. Not that Erik needed to control the outpost. The only thing he had to do was to find a place where he and the Chimaeric Demons could fix the ship's damage, or at least take another one.
But that, of course, required Erik and the others to know what the situation there was. Did they have the tools to make the fix? Did their protocols allow that? What would happen if they arrived on the island? Would they be attacked because of such protocols?
That was why Erik sent the Chimaeric Demons there. He might have done that alone, but what was the point of having the Chimaeric Demons if he ended up doing everything himself?
...
...
...
The clone impersonating Captain Roth sat at the desk in the command center, looking every inch the part of a tired but dutiful officer.
He picked up the communication device, keying in the secure frequency that would connect him directly to Erik's ship.
"Base to Shadow, everything is ready," he said, using the predetermined codename for Erik's ship.
There was a moment of static before Erik's voice came through. "This is Shadow. Report." "Infiltration successful," the clone said. "We've secured key positions within the outpost, as requested. No alarm-raising kills made, no suspects raised."
"Excellent," Erik said. "What's the situation there?"
The clone paused for a second. There was much to tell.
"The base layout comprises a central command center, barracks, storage facilities, and docks. We have approximately 150 personnel on-site, including 30 officers and 120 enlisted soldiers. Supplies include enough food and ammunition to last several months. Defenses include automated turrets, a perimeter fence, and several guard towers."
The false Captain Roth stood at the window of the command center, looking out over the darkened base. In the distance, he could see the faint outline of the docks where, soon, its master was going to put the ship.
He turned to the Chimaeric Demon, impersonating Lieutenant Vega. "It's time," he said.
From afar, the silhouette of Erik's ship took shape against the dark horizon. Slowly, it approached the dock. The sound of the parting waves reached them.
As the ship arrived at the dock, the Chimaeric Demons acted. They went there and secured it to the docks. They threw thick ropes and tied the ship, ensuring stable mooring.
As night fell, the few soldiers and engineers on duty gathered at the docks, having been briefed earlier about an incoming vessel in need of urgent repairs.
However, everything had been weird. Whispers circulated about Captain Roth's unusual fixation on this particular ship.
Some speculated that it might be carrying sensitive cargo or high-ranking officials, while others wondered if it was part of a classified mission.
A Chimaeric Demon, pretending to be a senior officer, greeted the engineers and soldiers at
the dock.
He got straight to the point. "The ship is damaged. We got hit by a thaid swarm. We need it fixed fast." His tone left no room for questions.
The engineers were very interested in this mysterious situation. They listened carefully to the
explanation.
Once they understood how serious it was, they got to work. Soon, the dock was busy with activity. Repair vehicles were turned on, their lights shining in the dark. Many people worked around the ship, using advanced tools and materials the Chimaeric demons had never seen to
fix it.
After examining the ship, the head engineer came to talk to the disguised Chimaeric Demon. "Sir," he said, sounding both professional and worried, "the damage is bad, but we can fix it. It will take at least two days of non-stop work to repair it properly. But if it's really urgent, we could make it ready to sail in about 36 hours, though we'd have to cut some corners."
The Chimaeric Demon nodded, knowing that even this longer time was fine for Erik. Their plan to sneak in and trick everyone had worked perfectly. Now, they just needed to keep pretending until the ship was fixed and ready to sail again.