The colossal train features an armor plate thickness of 50 meters, constructed like a fortress beast designed for extreme durability. Each side of the vehicle is equipped with a concealed Close-In Weapon System (CIWS), integrated seamlessly into the structure for rapid defense. It's equipped with advanced all-terrain drive systems designed for enhanced adaptability, enabling it to operate seamlessly across diverse and dangerous environments such as rugged land routes, mountainous terrain, snowy surfaces, and even bodies of water.
The train has five floors: the first floor houses the powerful engine, a massive assembly of energy and radiation motors, with ventilation grilles and exhaust vents swirling with strong heat. The second floor contains Isabella's meticulously maintained garden, filled with lush plants, colorful flowers, and a small cascading fountain that adds a tranquil ambiance. Floors three and four serve as personal quarters, with the fourth floor featuring advanced living modules, personal beds, and a large bathhouse; the fifth floor is designated as the control room and workspace, equipped with holographic interfaces and command consoles that monitor the train's systems and navigation.
Meanwhile, the train's cart shares the same five-floor layout. The first floor contains the engine, with intricate machinery, pipes, and control panels, to support the whole vehicle. The remaining floors are dominated by a high-tech factory filled with automated machines, robotic arms, conveyor belts, and storage units, all operating efficiently for manufacturing and maintenance.
On the fourth floor, Aaron exited his room, having changed into more comfortable clothes, a soft, loose-fitting uniform designed for ease of movement, before heading toward Ciel's area. As he moved through the corridor, he noticed a striking pair approaching, one a 243 cm tall woman with short, silvery-gray hair, and the other a 224 cm tall woman with long, sleek black hair flowing down her back. Both were engaged in their own world, oblivious to his presence.
"Isis, did I wake you earlier? Why are you still asleep? Do you know what time it is?" Quinn, the shorter gray-haired woman, asked with a mixture of concern and irritation.
"I did wake up, Quinn, but I just took a short nap," Isis replied, yawning and stretching, her sleepy tone laced with exhaustion.
"That wasn't a short nap, —it was many hours long," Quinn sighed, clearly exasperated by her habit of waking up late. She then turned her gaze forward and spotted Aaron approaching.
!!
"Greetings, leader!" Quinn saluted hastily.
"Hmm, good morning, Aaron," Isis greeted with a nod, maintaining her sleepy composure.
"It's already noon, Isis," Aaron pointed out casually, then his gaze drifted to her pajama top, which was unzipped, revealing a glimpse of her bra.
"And your pajama's zipper was open," he added, inspecting the casual oversight.
Hearing this, Quinn blushed furiously and hurriedly rushed to close Isis's pajama, as if her life depended on it.
"Sorry, sir! You saw her embarrassing herself," Quinn stammered.
"It's okay, Quinn, if Aaron only saw it," Isis said flatly, her face unchanging and unfazed by her own indecent display.
"Shut up please, I'm not talking to you," Quinn snapped, still blushing, annoyed at Isis's indifference.
"Never mind that, finish your personal stuff. We're about launching March Seven tomorrow," Aaron stated seriously, unfazed by the scene.
"Yes, sir!" Quinn responded promptly.
Aaron nodded, then passed by them and continued on his way.
"You're loud, Quinn," Isis teased with a dry tone.
"You really need to shut up, sloth. Hahh~, how embarrassing," Quinn muttered, covering her face in embarrassment.
"Why are you so maidenly? We're too old for that," Isis remarked coolly.
"Because I'm a woman!" Quinn shouted defiantly.
"Hahh~, let go, I'm going to dress you up properly," Quinn said tiredly, while offering her hand.
"You're the best, Quinn," Isis said in a monotone.
Quinn sighed and then smiled.
After walking for several minutes, Aaron arrived at a door marked with the number 2. The automatic sliding door opened smoothly as he approached.
"Where is the information, Ciel? Hm? Isabella? I thought you were at your clinic," he said, noticing the 218 cm tall blond woman with long hair sitting beside the 239 cm tall brunette with side ponytails, who's busy at her computers.
"Hello, Aaron. I just asked Ciel something personal and was about to leave, but you're here. Do you know where Noah is?" Isabella, smiling politely, responded.
"He's about to head to your clinic," Aaron replied firmly.
"I see, thanks, Aaron," she nodded graciously.
"See you later, Aaron, Ciel," Isabella added.
"Isabella, the information just arrived. Do you want to watch?" Ciel asked, glancing up from her screen.
"There's still a lot I need to do, Ciel. That can wait," Isabella replied calmly.
"Then, Isabella, finish all your personal tasks. We're launching tomorrow," Aaron instructed.
"Understood, leader," Isabella replied with a graceful bow before walking away.
Did I hear right? Are we about to launch my baby?" Ciel asks with excitement. After many years of confinement, her restrictions are finally lifted, granting her the freedom to do anything without limits.
"Yeah, all things are ready, so we're heading to the surface soon..."
"Even so, I still don't like your naming sense. Like really? Baby March 07? It's our all joint project, why selfishly call our vehicle such a name?" He rapidly asked, cringing at the name of the vehicle called. Even for him, it sounded too immature.
"It doesn't matter at all; it's my creation too, so I'll name it whatever I want," she said proudly, her eyes shining with shameless confidence.
"That's quite a strong conviction..." he replied in an amazed tone.
"But that still doesn't change your poor taste in naming," he pointed out flatly.
"Ugh!" Ciel touched her chest, clearly affected by his blunt critique.
"By the way, what did you see on the drone's footage? If possible, I want to avoid being in the dark about our situation we're going to take."
He badly needs to see the route they would take, aware of how deadly the surface world had become. The Creatures on outside, apart from humans, had become either formidable individuals or virus-infected hordes that mutated and evolved in mechanical, unpredictable ways. So he emphasizes safety without a lasting cause.
"Did anyone say your words..." As she recovered from the harsh critique, she was about to respond when she caught Aaron's intense gaze into her, a silent intense statement.
"Okay, okay, okay, hahh~gush... You don't hold back even with a woman like myself," she murmured with a sigh, feeling the sting of his blunt honesty. She thought about how thoughtless he could be.
"I'm always like this, though. Also, if you want to be treated like a woman, behave like a proper one," he said flatly, a factual tone without sugarcoating.
"Gush..."
Ciel reluctantly operated the computer, displaying a 3D map of the surface based on Vanguard drone surveillance footage.
"Here, in the parking lot, it's an open space we can use to drill our way out. We have clear views of the surroundings, minimizing the risk of ambushes," she explained, trying to forget the previous conversation, pointing to an overgrown parking lot reclaimed by nature after the global virus outbreak had passed, leaving only a forested landscape.
"That sounds good. How's the hostile creature distribution?" he asked.
"The old super mall area has many creature sightings, but other directions are less hordes sighting, allowing us to focus firepower on the mall," she detailed with sharp precision, showing the remnants of a once-bustling mall now overgrown with plants and debris, hazardous and dangerous to enter.
"Then the only main concern now is ensuring your drill can clear a path for us," he said.
"Nothing to worry about that. My drill has been tested in our mine, multiple times, and it's proven to be powerful enough to pulverize anything in its path," she proclaimed proudly.
Over the many years of isolation, they had developed technology and resources, primarily extracting from the enormous mine they excavated. Many of their inventions relied on their resources. Yet, they were willing to abandon everything to achieve their goals.
"I trust your capabilities," he replied softly.
"So, what's the plan now?" she asked.
"Simple, we'll bulldoze our way through," he answered.
"Roger that," she responded.
"Finish your preparations and rest well —you'll be working hard tomorrow," he advised.
"No need to worry. Those tasks are my specialty, and I don't feel tired doing what I love," she said confidently.
——————
Early morning in the control room on the fifth floor, Aaron and the others, except Noah, were already seated, finalizing preparations. Outside, everything except the vehicle had been cleared; all equipment, drones, and supplies were loaded inside. Even the mine had been sealed off.
"Good morning," Noah yawned as he entered.
"You're late. Take your seat and buckle up," Aaron said sharply.
"Sorry, big brother. I was playing a video game with Ishtar overnight," Noah explained, embarrassed, as he rushed to his seat and strapped in.
"You know you're human and can't play overtime like Ishtar does," Aaron stated firmly.
"I'm really sorry," Noah said with remorse.
"And Ishtar, why didn't you stop him?" Aaron asked.
"Sorry, didn't realize the time," Ishtar replied calmly, a faint smile on his face, showing little concern.
"Hahh~... enough of this, process connecting the cyber suit."
Aaron and the girls are wearing specialized cyber suits, which are connected to the seats via cables attached to their spinal backs. These suits enable them to interface directly with the vehicle's systems on a personal level. A holographic interface appears in front of them, displaying real-time system status, outside camera feeds, and the overall condition of the vehicle.
"Activate the railway platform."
The platform beneath the vehicle begins to rotate smoothly, shifting 60 degrees horizontally to align the vehicle for its next phase.
"Open the gate."
In front of the vehicle, a massive steel gate slowly creaks open, releasing clouds of steam while dirt, small rocks, and debris fall onto the vehicle's surface, creating a gritty atmosphere.
"Activate the drill."
A colossal drill, spanning the entire width of the vehicle's front, starts spinning rapidly, its rotating blades glinting menacingly in the dim surroundings.
"Commence the launch sequence."
"5... 4... 3... 2... 1..."
"Go!"
The massive train begins to move forward cautiously at first, sparks flying from its wheels as it advances toward the gate. As it gains momentum, it speeds up, rushing toward the barrier. The train crashes through, colliding with the wall with a resounding boom as the drill bit bites into the surface, carving a tunnel.
"It's a success..." Aaron murmurs in relief.0
"Told you," Ciel says with a proud smile.
Many hours pass as the vehicle successfully drills a tunnel leading toward the surface. They relax, allowing the autopilot to take over, passing the time in tense silence. Suddenly—
Warning! Enemy detected!
Warning! Frequency interference detected!
Realizing they must respond, they hurriedly reconnect their cyber suits.
"Camera feed," Aaron commands, and the interface displays numerous giant worms with crystallized carapaces, continuing their attack on March 07's armor plates.
"They're here..." he whispered softly.
"Continue forward."
"Big brother, what are those?" Noah asks in a confused tone, having been in cryosleep for many years and unfamiliar with these creatures.
"Morphomyst, worm type. I'll explain about these creatures later."
"Okay," Noah replied reluctantly.
Suddenly, the vehicle shudders violently, rattling and shaking from the impact.
Warning! Left side armor has sustained minor damage.
Warning! Cart 1's front armor has slight damage.
Warning! The top armor shows minor damage.
Warning! The back armor of Cart 1 has minor damage.
"Big brother..." Noah murmurs worriedly.
"It's okay. We can't fight these creatures right now. Ignore them for now," Aaron reassures him despite the worsening damage caused by the Morphomyst worms. But within a second, another hit lands—this time more dangerous.
Warning! Cart 1's right-side wheels have suffered major damage.
"Tch! Talk about luck," Aaron mutters, visibly irritated despite his experience, frustrated by the relentless worms.
"Isabella, what's the condition of the damaged wheel?" he asks.
"62% damage. I can perform an emergency repair, but if they keep attacking March 07's cart, we may have to abandon it," Isabella responds with concern.
"We can't abandon it, and don't even think about it! My babies are in there. Just do an emergency repair," Ciel insists, her tone tense, her invention, factory, and laboratory are all inside that cart.
"You heard her," Aaron stated flatly.
"Understood," Isabella nodded graciously.
Isabella's eyes glow bright red as her nanotech-enhanced blood surges, lifting her off the ground. With precise focus, she directs the nanobots in her blood to the damaged wheel, rapidly repairing it.
Isabella is an android equipped with molecular nanotechnology—her cells are tiny, autonomous bots capable of devouring and repairing organic and inorganic materials. These nanobots multiply as they feed, becoming stronger and refining their capabilities.
"Change of plan, Isis. Find a large open space; we're changing our route," Aaron commands.
"Roger," Isis replies, her own eyes lighting up with bright red. Her body releases a frequency wave.
Isis is an android utilizing frequency technology—her heightened senses allow her to scan, interfere, and manipulate various frequency waves within her environment.
"We're traveling at 255 km/h. The nearest open space is..." she murmurs monotonously.
"Approximately 2,509 km ahead, but I detect numerous unknown frequency disturbances."
"It doesn't matter; we'll kill those worms and carry out a complete repair," Aaron commanded with conviction
"Ciel, prepare the UIWS."
"On it," Ciel replied promptly, taking control of the entire system of March 07.
A few minutes later, while they were still getting attacked, as they were about to approach the open space, Aaron raise his voice.
"Everyone, prepare for impact!"
thump!
After exiting the tunnel with impact occurred, they saw a vast, abandoned underground city stretch out before them, filled with crumbling remnants of buildings and collapsed infrastructure. Then they see numerous humanoid creatures covered in cracked, dry wounds, with mechanical augmentations protruding from their bodies.
"Ciel, activate UIWS now!"
March 07 and its cart has opened on both sides, reveiling a mounted gun turrets, 20 on each side. The creatures notice the colossal train plummeting into the cleared space, landing with a thunderous crash, wheels spinning freely, going red, and goes into extreme heating as the brakes try to stop while it crushes the terrain beneath.
Growl..
Growl!
Growoar!
Roar!
That creature rushes the stopped colossal train with growls and roars as its echoes around them.
"Fire!"
Boom!boom!boom!boom!boom!