As the Eurocopter lands on the helipad, Doctor Solace uses his laptop to scan the damage. It appears that the only damage he and his Eurocopter have suffered are a few bullet holes. Other than that, there's no serious damage. All the bombs thrown at him either missed or were intercepted by his CIWS and RAM missiles. He did expect to suffer some sort of damage, but he never expected it to be that minimal. If his defense systems are this good, then imagine how powerful he could be on full automatic. ANd while he's never treid it before, it's easy to imagine the results considering how many aircraft he and his helicopter managed to blast from the sky. Still, this didn't stop some of the aircraft from putting a few bullets in his ship's hull. This is a clear indication that no matter how superior his armament is, it does not make him invincible one bit. For DS and his helicopter, this battle was a test to see just how capable they were of pulling off an attack on such a massive scale. Now that they have the results, they'll need to see where the have to improve themselves. Next time they might not be so lucky.
After DS has docked at the harbor and tied his ship, he gets off to the platform where the three Bullin sisters are waiting for him. They are all smiling and their eyes are literally glowing. Seeing him in such a great shape, despite having suffered damage, is beyond their belief. To survive such an attack almost unscathed, this has never happened before. Even they wouldn't have survived through all of it by themselves, and even if they could, they would still have gotten themselves harmed, if not sunk and killed. They underestimated DS. When they first saw him, they considered him weak and unfit for combat. Well, his weapons were never obvious in the first place, so who can blame them? Still, it looks like they won't have anything to laugh about in the near future. They thought they could mock him? Well, apparently they just learned their lesson. Next time they jusdge someone by their, they might as well live to regret their choices.
-'Hey girls, I didn't think you'd be expecting me', says DS as he walks towards the sisters.
-'We wanted to observe the battle ourselves, just as you said', replies Universal in rather joyful voice tone.
-'You were amazing out there', says Bulin, running towards DS in excitement. 'I've never seen a transport ship like you being able to fight off such a massive squadron of aircraft, let alone intercept bombs before being able to hit'.
-'Well, my CIWS system and missile batteries were meant to intercept shells and rockets, not just aircraft', says DS as he types a code on his wrist computer. 'Any target, from cannon shells to torpedoes, cannot escape my high tech anti-aircraft and anti-ship thermal radar. Any ship, aircraft, shell, rocket or torpedo that is fired at me will be intercepted and destroyed within a distance of six kilometers'.
-'Six kilometers?', says Bulin in complete surprise. 'You never said that'.
-'I didn't know I had to be so specific when you asked me', replies DS in his usual low voice tone, as if he was trying to make a joke.
Universal then looks at the Eurocopter on DS' helipad. She has never seen an aircraft like that one before. Its design and propellers are way beyond what she has imagined. She has seen many weird experimental aircraft, but not as weird as that one, and the fact that it is able to remain stationary in mid air makes it even more amazing. No other faction possesses such an amazing aircraft with such amazing flying abilities. She and her sisters saw what this was capable of, and they have no reason to doubt how mangificent it is. Right now they probably wish they had the same aircraft in thei own fleets. That way they would have made cargo deliveries to both sides much safer.
-'So that's a helicopter', says Universal as she points at the Eurocopter.
-'Yup, that's it', says DS while looking at it. 'It's an EC145 Eurocopter, one of the best helicopters ever built. It has a top speed 246 km/h or 133 knots and uses a Safran Arriel 2E engine, one of the most powerful engines ever. And with its 30mm armor, this aircraft can take you wherever you want. Even against a 50 caliber machine gun cannot stop it from flying'.
-'Incredible', says Bulin in a low, surprised voice tone, that's the only word she can think of. She doesn't know what else to say. She's been studying all types of aircraft in order to know what spare parts to deliver to the other factions, but she never had that much of an interest in general. The sight of the Eurocopter though has made her even more interested in the specific type. It might be the only aircraft of its type, but if she acquires the blueprints, she might be able to built her own 'helicopter'. This might as well benefit her faction for the best. If they have an enitre fleet of those helicopters, cargo deliveries would have been much safer.
-'Yeah, but there's one major disadvantage with this helo as it is called by its other name', continues DS. 'You see, it's not meant for combat. It's only purpose is to tranport the wounded and supplies from one place to another. Its armor is meant only to withstand as many bullets as possible. The flares that you saw are meant to confuse any missiles fired at it as most guided weapons are programmed to follow the heat of the engine. The flares are meant to create more heat'.
-'Oh, I see', says Bulin, trying to hide her frustration. If this helicopter is not meant for combat, then what's the purpose of it at all? On the other hand, she might be able to make her own design, so it might look better than this Eurocopter. But first, she needs to ask for the blueprints.
-'Anyway, I must get back to my field hospital', says DS as he walks towards the Jeep ambulance that had been waiting for him. 'I need to finish setting it up. I won't bare anymore delays. The sooner I finish it the less I'll have to worry about coming under attack again'.
-'I'm coming with you', says Universal as she walks quickly to the other side of the Jeep. 'The more assistance you'll get the sooner you'll finish'.
-'You sure? You haven't set up a tent before, and it's not as simple as you think. You sure you can manage?'
-'Sure. If you show me, I can memorize it'.
-'Alright then, come along'.
They then get in the Jeep and drive towards the abandoned airfiled, passing by an old Austin K2 fire tender that has been attempting to tackle a depot fire with the assistance of one of the two Scania water tower trucks. DS and his helo might have been able to hold off the enemy squadrons, but there were a few aircraft that decided to focus on the harbor. After all, the base is a strategic target of great importance. Why most aircraft decided to focus on DS and his Eurocopter, that is unknown. Maybe it was revenge for the losses they suffered yesterday. Well, if that was the case, it was a very reckless and irresponsible move. They violated the Geneva convention thrice in just two days. Why, they did that, it no longer matters. One thing is clear though, they don't care about the rules of war anymore, and if that's the case, maybe DS should start reconsidering his rules of engagement. If they are willing to go that far, then so is he.
After five minutes of driving, they arrive at the field hospital. Surprisingly, the tents and ambulances are still in one piece. It appears that the attacking aircraft chose not to harm any of the hospital's facilities and only focused on the factories and floatplanes. Of course they would. The hospital wasn't serving any strategic value, so they had no reason to wipe it out, and even if they did attack it, they would have simply wasted their ammunition. Well, DS has got to hand to them. For once, they decided to show some form of respect. Still, that doesn't change the fact that they attacked him and his Eurocopter. Maybe he should start arming his ambulances and fire trucks for extra defense. It sounds unethical, but it's also logical at the same time. Not that it would make much of a difference, but it would guarantee some extra protection against various exterior threats.
They get off the Jeep and DS picks up some metallic poles from the trunk. While big tents are needed for the usual medical works, smaller tents are also needed as storage compartments for other medical equipment such as electrical generators, satellite dishes and some freezers as the ambulances don't have enough room for all the medical supplies. With this heat, some of the generators are prone to breaking down or overheating as they are old and out of date, and while some tools can fill up the specific role by modifying them, they still don't solve the major problem of breaking down. Maybe with some spare parts from here, DS can solve this issue, but for now, he needs to use whatever he has at his disposal. The sooner he deals with it, the better.
After putting down the metallic poles, he begins to set them up one by one with Universal watching carefully. As Doctor Solace said, it's not as simple as she thinks, and it looks like he's right. There too many ropes to tie, too many screws to fix, and it's a very complicated procedure. She's never done anything like that before, so she must not miss a single detail from all that. One wrong screw or rope and the entire thing might collapse, just like a house of cards, you take one out and the entire thing falls apart. Every pole, screw and rope are like a card, she needs to be extremely cautious.
After setting up the first tent, DS turns towards Universal who is still observing him.
-'You got it? You think you can do it?', he asks, still in a calm voice tone.
-'Yup, pretty much', replies Universal. 'Looks simple enough'.
-'I hope so. I need to take a shower, that heat's getting into me'.
-'You can use our shower at the base if you'd like'.
-'No need. I'll use the shower in one of the ambulances. I need to wash my hazmat suit as well'.
-'You sure? We can wash it for you'.
-'No need. The hazmat suit cannot be washed like a regular piece of cloth. It requires a very specific procedure on how it should be done'.
-'Okay then', says Bulin. She's trying to be friendly enough to make DS feel like he's been welcome enough, but apparently that has had no effect at all. His suspicions are still far from over. He's known the Bulin sisters for only a few hours, he can't trust them out of the blue yet. On the other hand, he's right about the hazmat suit. This isn't something you can throw away and replace it. Washing it would cause it to be damaged, and he can't afford it. This is the only suit that can protect him from any sort of diseases and chemicals, so he needs to be careful. Only he knows the procedure of washing it, so he's the only one who can do it. To leave it to someone else, they would probably screw up. Well, at least he can relax for a while when nobody sees him.
Two hours later, DS gets out of the ambulance. The sweat appears to have completely disappeared and the smell seems to be completely gone. Looks like the shower did indeed pay off. Even his hazmat suit and goggles are shining, and the surgical mask appears to be brand new. Probably because he replaced it as those masks can only be used once. Other than that, he looks completely clean now. Bulin doesn't know how he cleaned the suit up, but for it to be that shiny, he must have used a very specific soap. Not only that, a sweet smell comes out of it. Whatever soap he used, it must come either from a flower or a fruit. If she can make that soap as well, she definitely needs the recipe.
-'All cleaned up I see', says Universal, trying to enlighten the mood.
-'Yup, pretty much', replies DS. 'It did take me sometime to get rid of the black spots, but I added a little lemon detergent and they were gone'.
-'Is that why you smell so sweet?', asks Universal in almost complete surprise.
-'That too, but I also added some men's perfume to smell a little better', says DS as he's trying to adjust the suit's hood and goggles. 'I've used the same method multiple times, that's why it always remains clean'.
-'I see', says Bulin.
-'I see you've done some pretty good work here', continues DS as he watches Bulin setting up another tent. So far, Bulin has managed to set up three tents in just a single hour and without DS' assistance. At first, DS did consider helping her, but he wanted to see how she would manage by herself. Apparently she did quite the work. Even if her sisters assisted her while he wasn't looking, it matters not. The important part is that she managed to succeed. 'You could have taken a rest you know. You didn't have to work non stop'.
-'I did take a rest, twice', says Universal. 'I might not look like it, but I don't get tired that easily'.
-'Is that so? I never thought about it'.
-'Yeah, it is so'.
-'I see. Well, I think I can manage from here. I don't want to force you to work, so I think I'll carry on by myself'.
-'Please, you are in our base, and you are a guest here, so it's my responsibility to help you'.
-'Please, there's no need. Besides, you might have a schedule to maintain with your cargo deliveries'.
-'Now that you mention it, you have a point', says Universal as she tries to set up the next tent. 'I'm supposed to deliver a shipment of aircraft parts and ammunition to the Azur Lane faction in about eighteen hours from now'. She was so busy observing the battle and setting up the tents that she forgot about her schedule. And now that she remembered it, she has just realized how far behind schedule she has fallen. She was supposed to have her shipment loaded an hour ago, but the shipment is still in the depots. If she wants to make up for the lost time, she needs to leave ASAP. She knows how dependant the two sides are on those weapons, so she can't let them down now.
-'I'll come with you', says DS, much to Universal's surprise. 'I'd like to know more about this 'Azur Lane' faction, and the best way to do that is by joining you on your delivery'.
-'You sure about that?', she asks in complete surprise.
-'Completely. I'll also bring three of my ambulances and one of my fire trucks along', replies DS.
-'What for?', she asks again, not understanding what DS is trying to achive.
-'Personal reasons', replies DS. 'I'll tell you on the way. Besides, the faction might need medical supplies, and I'm the only one who has enough supplies'.
DS has a point. While the Azur Lane faction might have enough medical supplies for their troops, they don't last forever, and they might have already run out. Universal did receive a spcific radio message on what she should deliver, but maybe this is her chance to gain a little bit extra from the money she's been making so far. Sure the prices are reasonable enough to keep her base in a stable economic position, but maybe, just maybe, she can improve the finances thanks to DS' surprise package.
-'Alright, be my guest', says Universal.
-'Thanks. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to recall my aircraft. Who knows for how long they've been flying', says DS. He then picks up his walkie talkie radio from his suit's pocket and contacts the two Artsiv AWACS drones. 'Hello, hello. Artsiv squadron, this is Samaritan One. What's the situation up there'.
After two seconds of silence, the first drone responds.
-'Artsiv One to Samaritan One, all clear', says the AWACS drone. 'No sign of any aircraft or ships. The airspace is clear'.
-'Copy that Artsiv One', says DS, relieved that his drones are safe. He can't help but feel like an idiot ffor forgetting them up there for so long. He did say that it was up to them to keep the airspace safe during the battle, but he never intended to push them that hard. Looks like he'll have a lot of apologies to make once they land, regardless of whether it's his fault or not.
After picking up the drones that have just landed and putting them in the trunk of the Jeep ambulance, DS picks up a few more metallic poles and begins loading one of the Hino Ranger ambulance trucks. This is his only chance to find out what's really happening to the outside world and set things straight once and for all. He's curious about this 'Azur Lane' faction as he has never heard that name before and wants to know what it is about. As far as he remembers, there is no faction with that name, could it be that they are a rogue faction operating in some war torn nation like the Austronesian Republic? It's possible, but it doesn't make much of a sense either. On the other hand, nothing appears to make much sense. And with the appearance of the WW2 Japanese aircraft, he's willing to believe just about anything right now. If joining Universal is the only way of finding out what's going on, so be it.
Unbeknownst to them, two Sirens had already located their base and were keeping a close eye on them, monitoring their activities. Soon, Doctor Solace will have to make a hard decision. His neutrality might have kept him alive so far, but soon it might no longer work. Sooner or later, he's gonna have to pick a side.
(And that's all for today's chapter. I apologize for not updating the story for so long, but I left the lack of inspiration get the best of me. Let me know what you think in the comments below. Also, feel free to check out and subscribe to my Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@LiteratureDefenseForceTV) (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3NFEl7QVOGicwHf47sx2kA) and Dailymotion (https://www.dailymotion.com/dm_3d747a802541c2896c380556ac124866) channels. Remember, your opinion is always important)