Chapter 216: The Ship's Mainframe!
Translator: ryuxenji Editor: H2dH2mr
An excellent logistics specialist meant a team would have several extra lives. To become a top combat team, the position of logistics specialist could not be left unoccupied. After careful consideration, Lin Zhong-qing chose this without any regrets.
Of course, this did not mean Lin Zhong-qing had given up on mecha piloting. Students from other specializations could still choose to take mecha piloting courses, but their studies in the area just would not be as specialised and systematic than if the student had actually signed up for the specialization. In the end, their combat power would also naturally be incomparable with those students from the mecha piloting specialization.
Overall, Lin Zhong-qing's decision was a great sacrifice. He had completely given up on his own path to become a super strong fighter, choosing instead to invest in the possibility of his combat team becoming a top team. Han Jijyun too had made his decision for this objective.
Han Jijyun believed that only by becoming a starship captain would he be able to better serve his current team. Yes, Han Jijyun could not accept that their lives would be placed in the hands of an unfamiliar starship captain.This made Han Jijyun feel very unsettled and insecure, so he decided that he would step up personally.
It could be said that every single member of Ling Lan's team was using their own way to better the team. This was also why Ling Lan wanted to help Han Jijyun settle into his role quicker — if he could have practical experience operating a starship ahead of time, this would undoubtedly give Han Jijyun a head start over the other students in the starship navigation specialization ...
After arranging everything, Ling Lan quickly left the central control room. Her objective was now the captain's room. Only by obtaining the control rights of the mainframe would she be able to truly claim control of this ship.
Han Jijyun looked at Ling Lan's disappearing figure, and very quickly rallied his spirits. His gaze became sharp and discerning. Just as Ling Lan had said, this was a great chance for him to familiarise himself with a spaceship's controls. If he could fully utilise the remaining 1 day and 1 night, he believed that when it came to practical control of a spaceship, those peers at the academy would definitely be no match for him after this.
Of course, to let these staff members lay down their grudge and mentor them sincerely — that would depend on how he, Han Jijyun, could spin things. Han Jijyun swept his gaze over the remaining cadets guarding the central control room and was suddenly struck by a realisation. He had just noticed that Ling Lan's arrangement still had another deeper meaning ...
Han Jijyun smiled lightly, thinking to himself: Boss Lan sure enough is Boss Lan!
Han Jijyun was an ambitious person. Although he had applied for the starship navigation specialization, he did not truly want to give up on military strategy. He wanted to develop both fronts at the same time, learning from both specializations. Han Jijyun's goal was very ambitious. He not only wanted to be an exceptional captain, but also an indispensable military adviser for the team, coming up with plans and tactics for his brothers to protect them in their missions.
Han Jijyun silently cheered himself on, telling himself that he needed to complete this trial before him; he could not let Boss Lan down.
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As Han Jijyun was cracking his head on how to obtain sincere instruction from the staff members, Ling Lan's group of six had arrived at the captain's room at greatest speed.
Before they even got close to the captain's room, Little Four already spoke up to remind Ling Lan that there was still one person guarding the captain's room!
Ling Lan did not waver. She instantly directed Little Four to crack the passcode on the door of the captain's room. The door was swiftly unlocked, and without even stopping to think, Ling Lan led Lin Zhong-qing and the others straight into the room.
At this time, the major inside the room was staring at the virtual images in front of him. The main video was focused on the scene in the cafeteria; the other images were all in small windows around the edges of the screen for his convenience to check on them every so often.
In the cafeteria on the main screen, the captain was already in a fight with Qi Long. Probably because he was pleased to find this talent and eager for sport, the captain was not going all out. Instead, he was holding back his strength to fight Qi Long at an equal level, sparring with Qi Long with the intention to instruct.
Qi Long was a battle maniac from the start — he very quickly sensed the intentions of his opponent. When he discovered that the other had no ill will and intended to instruct him, he reeled in those highly offensive power moves, and began learning from his opponent in earnest.
The major could not help but nod his head in approval at this scene. The extremely talented young fighter in the screen was, as expected, a fellow with extraordinarily strong comprehension when it came to battle. No wonder he had achieved such a level at this age.
Right then, he suddenly heard the A.I. controlled door emit a soft click, and then it slid open on its own. He turned back in shock. Mind you, only he and the captain had the access code to the room — no one else should be able to get in. And right now, the captain was in the cafeteria ... so who could it be that was entering now?
A youth dressed in a black windbreaker came into view, walking ostentatiously into the room with five sentries trailing him. Seeing him look back, the youth's face remained unmoved as he stated some preposterous words in an icy tone. "Sorry, I'm here to inform you that I'm taking charge of this ship!"
"You — impudent!" The major burst out into laughter in his extreme anger. Still, this did not affect his rational thinking. "Looks like that youth in the cafeteria is part of you all."
The major instantly figured out Ling Lan's plan. That Qi-Jin youth in the cafeteria had been so blatant, all so they could lure the most capable captain of the ship out of his room, making it easier for them to conquer this area ... but, was it really going to be that simple?
The major quickly calmed down. He pointed at a small screen on the virtual monitor and said, "I'm just a little curious. How did you all avoid the ship's surveillance devices?" That image was precisely the video feed of the passageway to the captain's room. He should have seen them pass by that area on the way here, but there was nothing in the logs.
Ling Lan stepped forward without a care. The moment she had walked through the door, she had taken stock of the other. This soldier of major rank breathed deeply and steadily, his aura thick and settled. If she was not mistaken, he should also be a Qi-Jin stage expert. However, this was no threat to Ling Lan. At present, Ling Lan's capabilities were at the level where no one below the stage of Domain could rival her.
Ling Lan strode over to the captain's exclusive seat and sat down, a hand casually sliding across the mainframe's light source before her. She said calmly, "You mean this?"
Following Ling Lan's words, the image on the screen suddenly changed. A person actually appeared in the initially empty corridor — it was the image from when the captain had walked out of the room ...
With this, the major finally understood. His expression shifted slightly and somewhat rattled, he said, "You all have a high-level hacker." Only a high-level hacker could change the video feed, but shouldn't hackers of this level all already be in the control of the military since young? Why would such an expert be among this group of youths?
"Do you all really think that you can crack the mainframe in a brief amount of time to obtain the control rights of the ship?" The major did his best to smooth out his expression. He smiled coldly as he surreptitiously adjusted his body temperature.
Once one's ability reached a certain level, one did not need to touch one's communicator to send out a warning signal — one could do that just by changing one's body temperature.
Ling Lan glanced coldly at the major and said evenly, "Don't waste your strength. It's useless!"
The major too had sensed that something was wrong, because the temperature of his wrist was already extremely low, but his communicator still was not responding. This meant that the communicator had already lost the function to contact the outside. This was definitely not something a high-level hacker could do — what in the world was going on?
Ling Lan no longer bothered with the stunned major. She continued to touch the light beams of the mainframe, as if shifting something around.
In fact, inside the mindspace, Ling Lan was currently telling Little Four, "Little Four, help me connect to the mainframe. I want to get the administrative rights of this ship."
"Okay, Boss, I'm already talking to it! This little fellow is very interesting, actually having developed a little bit of self-awareness ..."
Ling Lan quirked a brow in surprise, "Oh? An existence like you?"
Little Four huffed discontentedly, "How could that be? Who do you think I am? I am without peer under the heavens ... I just said that it was seeking the path of evolution, having sparked the barest inkling of desire to shake off the restrictions of its programming. It's like the mainframe has been invaded by a virus, except this virus will not destroy the mainframe's programming, instead giving it the tiniest bit of awareness towards evolution ... This is the first time I'm sensing this. In the past, no matter how humanistic a mainframe appeared to be, it was still within the confines of its programming."
"Boss, let me first talk with it a little. It seems to be very afraid of me." Little Four had tried to communicate with the other, but had not received a response from the mainframe.
Just a while later, the mainframe finally spoke up, "Hello!"
Little Four cheered inside Ling Lan's mindspace. "Boss, it is willing to talk with us now."
"I want to become the master of this spaceship," Ling Lan said calmly to the mainframe.
"..." The mainframe fell silent once more.
"Little Four? What's going on?" Ling Lan asked inside the mindspace.
"Wait a bit. It seems to have some feelings for its original master." Little Four had sensed the mainframe's reluctance, feeling the mainframe's affection for the captain.
In the mainframe's world, Little Four had already found the mainframe's true self. He was holding up a naked little brat of about one years old 1 by the scruff of his neck as he chided, "What, being disobedient now?"
The mainframe whined pitifully, "The master has always treated me well."
Little Four said exasperatedly, "We're just taking control temporarily — temporarily , understand?" He believed that his boss would not really want to keep such a small ship as this one — she was definitely just taking control temporarily for her major counterattack this time.
"But the master will be sad." The mainframe still wanted to help his master even though the being before him now was so strong beyond his understanding. If he made him angry, he believed the other would definitely kill him without any mercy, and then take full control of the ship anyway. Although he did not want to disappear, the rules set within his chip, as well as the feelings in his heart, made him unable to just agree to their demands.
The mainframe was unsure whether this feeling was a requirement of his programming, or was it truly his own heart being reluctant to betray his master ...
"Then step aside, I'll take over temporarily. I'll return control to you later on." Little Four did not want to continue bickering with this immature mainframe endlessly, so he threw down this offer.
"Please no! The programming is set so that I will die with the ship." The mainframe hugged Little Four's calves as he bawled, "If you take over, the programming will destroy my consciousness ..."
With his life hanging in the balance, the mainframe instantly threw aside his reluctance for his master. He revealed a flaw within the system. "As long as you crack the programming set by the master, I can temporarily become your master's ship." The system was a dead thing — as long as one obtained the control rights, the mainframe would not have to self-destruct, but this should not count as a betrayal of his master, right ...? The mainframe consoled himself, thinking.