harleyscars Page 452
Page 452
But that smile was fleeting, after all, the biggest problem at hand hadn't been solved yet...
Adeline, how is she now...?
He couldn't wait to leave the hospital and go to Pascal's laboratory to see what that girl looked like now.
And how will our enemies view us now...?
......
......
Meanwhile, Pascal and Messerschmitt's work continued. Several days of intense work had brought Pascal back to her old self, that颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of being listless, dispirited, and lacking in style) female researcher with a white lab coat, dark circles under her eyes, and an unkempt appearance.
Messerschmitt was also having a hard time. He heard that Pascal had made a special request to make his own body unique in order to reflect the coexistence of Nieto and Adeline’s consciousness in one body. Messerschmitt was really worried about this request.
"Doctor, let's use this machine for testing first. I'm really tired. Let's find out what her consciousness is like now."
“…Okay then,” Pascal rubbed her eyes hard again, she was exhausted too: “Let’s try to see if her consciousness can function normally first, and then make adjustments based on the actual situation.”
After placing the core into the machine, there wouldn't be any more mismatches this time. The two returned to the control panel and began the wake-up process.
"Cloud mapping is working normally, body adaptation is normal... motion sensing is normal."
"Wake-up begins, startup initiated."
......
In the surveillance footage, the girl slowly opened her eyes and looked at the canopy in front of her. Pascal couldn't help but feel overjoyed. It seemed that the test of the machine was successful and she was able to wake up successfully.
Just when the two thought the process was about to proceed smoothly, the girl in the maintenance cabin suddenly began to struggle violently. She had no limbs or lower body, but she was frantically trying to get up, seemingly desperate to get out of it.
Pascal quickly spoke up: "Metis, stay calm. You are currently in a test unit, which is not yet complete. We will prepare a complete unit for you after we go through a series of confirmation procedures."
The girl did indeed stop what she was doing, but after a brief turn of her head, she focused her gaze on the camera and spoke in a cold voice...
“I am Adeline, Miss Pascal.”
......!
"You...are you really Adeline?"
"Yes."
This detached and aloof emotional expression is indeed Adeline's. Just as Metis said, she has preserved Adeline's consciousness completely. It is truly a stroke of luck amidst misfortune!
The drowsiness vanished once again, replaced by joy. Pascal smiled and said, "Well, congratulations, Adeline. Your consciousness is perfectly preserved, and there are no problems with the compatibility between the core and the mecha. In a little while, we will be able to prepare a complete mecha for you that retains some of your original configuration. At that time, you can go to see the Commander."
"..."
She did not answer and remained lying quietly in the maintenance bay. Pascal assumed she did not want to talk and continued his work, while Messerschmitt continued to monitor the aircraft's condition from the side.
It wasn't until several minutes later that the girl's voice could be heard coming through the microphone...
“Miss Pascal”.
"What's wrong, Adeline? Is there something you want to say?"
......
She stared coldly upwards, like an empty puppet, yet seemingly expressing some terrifying desire, completely different from the expressionless girl of the past.
"Do you have the ability to modify me, or prepare a more powerful machine for me?"
This was exactly what Pascal had in mind, so he replied without hesitation, "Of course, your new machine will definitely be better than the original in terms of performance."
"What I mean is, to be faster and stronger than my current sisters and companions, so strong that I can do many things that I couldn't do before, so strong that the Commander will remember me, depend on me, and be inseparable from me, and... so strong that I can use this ability to achieve revenge."
"......What?"
Pascal was somewhat surprised; was this the first thing she wanted to do after regaining consciousness?
Could it be that the violent struggle just now was also for this reason...?
“Miss Pascal, I want revenge… I want all those who stole my and the Commander’s happiness to die before my eyes, with my own hands. For this, I hope you can incorporate all the most advanced technology you can currently achieve into my machine.”
......
The most cutting-edge technology does exist, but many unexpected events occurred in its implementation. In particular, the melting of Metis's cloud map left Pascal with a lingering grudge. To be honest, Pascal did not dare to immediately agree to Adeline's request.
But her eyes looked so lonely and resolute that she couldn't help but waver...
In the past, she considered Adeline one of her closest relatives; otherwise, why would she have made such a promise, sending Metis into her machine...?
"...Are you sure? These technologies and devices are not yet mature enough for this era. If it needs to be operated, we will need to keep your pain sensory module activated and amplified throughout the process to confirm whether the process is smooth based on your reaction...Even if it is extremely painful, you will endure it?"
"...I have no reason to refuse."
737 Pain
“Messerschmitt, you now have a new project to take charge of.”
"What project is it? Don't tell me it's another one where we're adding some special features to this mecha. Being a contractor is too difficult."
"No, I will be in charge of all the work on this machine from now on. What you need to do next is to expand the experimental site so that it can accommodate the maintenance bay space and carry out the testing of the surrounding weapons and equipment."
"That's simple. Just make some minor adjustments to a suitable unused space in your facility, and it'll be finished tomorrow... Doctor, what are you planning to do?"
"To create an unprecedentedly advanced Nieto, at someone's request."
......
......
After Messerschmitt left, Pascal returned to the control panel and looked at the still-closed mech before her. Her mind was still clear; she was waiting for the modification to begin. Now all the necessary elements were ready, and only the final hurdle in her heart remained.
"Adeline, let Metis come out for a moment."
......
"Hello, Miss Pascal, is there anything you'd like to say?"
When Metis's consciousness took control of the machine, the girl's smile immediately became warm. This alone showed the difference between the two, but that smile now always gave people a sense of hypocrisy. Politeness helps to shorten the distance between people, but at the same time, it makes the last bit of closeness unattainable.
This injury was not only a blow to Adeline, but also a significant setback for Metis.
......
"In response to Adeline's need to enhance the machine's performance, I will attempt to link your cloud maps with Eagle's Nest and Red Falcon in the following work to improve your combat capabilities. Although there won't be another cloud map meltdown this time, the increased computing power will still cause a significant impact on the amplified pain perception module. Even so..."
This is what Pascal is most worried about. Metis, the cloud map was destroyed because of the experiment in the Eagle's Nest. Now that the experiment is going to be done again, wouldn't that be too unfair to her?
However, the smile on the body remained unchanged; in fact, the curve under the corners of the eyes became more pronounced, creating a stark contrast with Adeline herself and giving off an indescribable sense of strangeness.
“It’s alright, Miss Pascal,” the girl slowly shook her head and said, “Since Adeline’s death, my consciousness has been no different from dying a second time. I didn’t spend much time with her, but it was enough for me to see the pure heart of this girl. She followed that commander with unimaginable passion and love, and even in death, she had no complaints. Even in the moment before she died… she apologized to me, feeling that it was unfair to me…”
She slowly shook her head, and the past in the cloud map—the bitterness she couldn't taste because she had lost her sense of taste while inside the machine—all welled up in her eyes...
"But in the end, how many times have I been fair in my life? The destruction of Cloud Atlas was at Morido's request, and coming to Adeline's side was also out of necessity, but I don't regret it now. She doesn't regret it, so why would I? So... let's begin, Miss Pascal, let's finish this quickly."
It begins at the Eagle's Nest and ends at the Eagle's Nest...
......
"Um...um...I'm sorry, Metis, in the end, I still couldn't free you from Morido's shadow."
Pascal nodded slowly, biting his lips and wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes.
"She is also liberating us, just in a different way. You'll find out sooner or later."
"Well... let's begin..."
The last contact was lost, and Pascal placed her hands back on the instrument. She had never felt that this familiar computer was so difficult to operate. The words and codes that were engraved in her mind in the past now felt like the most difficult math problems to solve, and every step was extremely difficult.
Kaifeng machine body, loading new module
"Uh!"
The adverse effects began to appear; the machine in the maintenance bay trembled, making Pascal's heart tighten. She couldn't help but slow down her movements to alleviate her discomfort.
The temporary disconnection was also to prevent her from urging herself to speed up her actions. Machines are ultimately different from humans. The idea that a short pain is worse than a long one doesn't apply to them. Every moment of pain is a clear calculation, and stronger pain will be amplified to avoid further damage to the body. It's better to slow down and alleviate the pain as much as possible, so that they still have a chance to endure it.
But when the girl's face was directly facing the camera, a bleak smile appeared on her face again. This time it was Adeline; she was trying to comfort herself with her eyes...
We need to hurry. The pain of not being able to take revenge far outweighs the pain of being reformed now...
......
"I see......"
Pascal ultimately chose to compromise, gritting his teeth and speeding up his work. He began embedding the various modules, replacing the limbs, improving the appearance, and... reconnecting the eagle's nest to the kestrel...
"Connection started, 3, 2, 1..."
"Uh!!!"
Connecting two high-precision carrier drones simultaneously, the cloud map's computing power was almost instantly overloaded to the critical point. Tears and coolant immediately flowed out from inside the aircraft. These substances, meant to explain Adeline's level of pain to Pascal, immediately made her understand the situation: it was too painful, unbearable.
Eagle's Nest and Red Falcon possess unparalleled auxiliary combat capabilities, but they also have extremely high computational requirements. Humanoids need to operate two drone carriers and multiple small carrier-based drones inside them simultaneously. The high-intensity, multi-threaded computation would exhaust even humans, and the same applies to humanoids.
But she endured the excruciating pain, clenched her teeth, and wept as she tried to bear the agony. How could Pascal not empathize with her, seeing her scarred face and the wounds in her heart?
"I'm so sorry, Adeline..."
Even if this is your wish, I can only apologize to you; the current technology forces you to endure this pain.
She couldn't stop the tears welling up under her dark circles, but had no time to wipe them away. This work required constant attention, and it was also a form of torture, but all of this was to fulfill your and his wishes...
Go and take your revenge, Adeline. Do what you want to do. What we and this era have wronged you in the past, you can now take back with your own hands...
......
......
"Is the renovation complete?"
"Done... Now transfer her to this new maintenance bay, perform one last maintenance cycle, and she'll be ready for deployment."
"...She looks like she's asleep?"
"Hmm...she's asleep, but she shouldn't be awake for long...is the experimental site ready?"
"We're ready, but I doubt we can meet all the testing requirements for all her equipment. Some of it is too powerful; this small place can't handle it."
"...I understand. I will find an opportunity for her to gain practical experience outside later."
738 Rebirth
In the brand-new maintenance bay, the final maintenance process, besides repairing and alleviating the excessive pain and computational overload caused by the cloud map, also includes the work areas of differentiating the two consciousnesses, and... the visual modifications, to reflect the new Adeline, and Metis...
"Perhaps this is more suitable for you..."
Near the experimental site, not only Pascal, but also a large number of Nietos were watching the start of the test. After all, Messerschmitt had been doing something quite significant these past two days, and everyone had noticed the commotion. Now that the test was about to begin, everyone naturally wanted to join in the fun.
PS: For a better reading experience, I recommend searching for "Call of Duty Mobile OST/Soundtrack" on NetEase Cloud Music Podcast, or searching for "Mythical Characters: Templar Knights" to witness Adeline's rebirth...
......
"Doctor, there's a reaction! There seems to be movement inside the maintenance bay!"
"what?"
Pascal quickly glanced at the data display screen below, but everything seemed normal. So where did this noise come from?
"Indeed."
Messerschmitt walked over from the side and pointed to the testing area below. From the maintenance cabin located in the center of the area, came a loud metallic clanging sound.
Something was pounding on the metal door, like a trapped beast struggling to break free of its cage...
"It seems she's awake..."
Pascal looked at the clock beside him and realized that it was time.
After several heavy blows, the metal door was indeed deformed, and through the gaps in the deformation, several slender fingers peeked out...
"coming......"
......
"Sister Metis, this is our new body...?"
“Yes, dear Adeline, look at the reflection in the glass, don’t you like it? Miss Pascal made it for us himself.”
Inside the maintenance cabin, the girl's body was completely exposed, but she didn't care at all, only admiring her new image through the reflection.
Long black and white hair, black and white eyeshadow, black and white patterns, a black and white single-lens goggle, and black and white pupils after removing the goggle... everything looks so harmonious...
It seemed to be specially designed to confirm the existence of two consciousnesses within this machine...