“So, are there any more proposals?”
『Yes. Furthermore...』
Laojun took over the briefing. The topics he presented next were far more innocuous.
First, regarding the plants to be grown in the plant factory, the proposal suggested hardy, fast-growing, and nutrient-rich varieties. Candidates included round beans (soybeans), itopo (sweet potatoes), kuromugi (buckwheat), and Airbeil (strawberries).
Next, concerning the onboard craft, it was suggested that rather than preparing different vessels for every specific purpose, it would be more efficient to have multiple multipurpose ones.
Furthermore, there was a proposal for ultra-small vessels for scouting.
Additionally, as a backup power source, the magi-brains requested that as many magi-crystals and as much ethenol be loaded as possible.
Finally, the presentation concluded with the suggestion that, if possible, the Adriana should not fly alone, but rather be accompanied by a support fleet.
“I see.”
This was something Jin could get behind. These were the kinds of suggestions that stirred his creative drive.
It was certainly better than a drum-shaped spacesuit.
Elsa, glancing at Jin’s profile, wore an ambiguous expression somewhere between a wry smile and a gentle one.
＊ ＊ ＊
Ultimately, Jin approved all of Laojun’s proposals.
He decided to wait until the Adriana proved to be a complete success before organizing a full fleet. In the meantime, he would build several 10-meter class spaceships—the same model as the Icarus 2—to serve as support.
However, these would be modified so that humans could board them during emergencies. In other words, they were designed to double as escape pods.
Furthermore, for scouting purposes, they would construct several 2.5-meter class spaceships. Jin left the construction of these to Laojun.
“Alright, I’ll get to work on redesigning the onboard craft.”
After a slightly early lunch, Jin set to work on the universal onboard craft.
“Jin-nii, what’s the design philosophy going to be?” Elsa asked, looking more than ready to act as his assistant.
“Right. First, let’s list the different environments we might encounter.”
“Mm.”
“The Ars world. Standard gravity and oxygen.”
“Airplanes, automobiles, four-legged walking vehicles. Any of those would work,” Elsa said.
“The sea, or regions submerged in water.”
“A ship or an airplane. I believe a submarine would also be appropriate,” Reiko chimed in.
“A vacuum and low-gravity environment.”
“A small spaceship with excellent airtightness, perhaps?” Anne offered her wisdom as well.
“Places with dense vegetation, like a tropical rainforest.”
“That would be difficult. There would likely be too many obstacles to fly, so perhaps a heavy automobile or a four-legged walking vehicle?” This was Loll.
“A world covered in ice.”
“Airplanes or four-legged walking vehicles,” said Refa.
It seemed everyone was eager to participate.
“Hmm, airplanes really do have the best versatility, after all.”
“That is only natural. They are fast and convenient,” Elsa agreed with Jin’s murmur.
“However, high speeds carry the disadvantage of potentially overlooking things,” Anne pointed out. Jin nodded, acknowledging she had a point.
“The jungle scenario seems like it would be the hardest. Even a small armored car or a four-legged walking vehicle would have a tough time.”
“In that case, we would have no choice but to clear a path as we move,” Refa stated.
“I suppose so...” Jin was forced to agree.
“In that case, would it be best to give flight capabilities to a small armored car or a four-legged walking vehicle?” Loll’s remark hit the mark. Jin thought that was likely the right direction to take.
“For flying, we have force generators. So we should focus on land travel and travel on or under water.”
In space, the pressure difference was only one atmosphere, but underwater, the pressure increased by one atmosphere for every ten meters of depth. In terms of pressure resistance, a submarine actually had to be sturdier than a spaceship.
“Hmm, I’m not sure... the direction isn't quite coming together...”
Multipurpose or general-purpose designs often ended up being harder to use than specialized ones.
“...Should the airplane walk, or the car fly?” Elsa wondered aloud.
“Oh, that’s easy to visualize.” Jin found the expression interesting and smiled as he followed that line of thought.
“Father, why don’t you consider the frequency of use?” Reiko provided a useful suggestion.
“You’re right. After all, our targets are the Moon, the long-period planet, and... Hale. Those are the sorts of places we’re heading.”
“I do not imagine there are many jungles on the Moon,” Anne said.
“The long-period planet is an unknown,” Loll added.
“On the planet called Hale, there are either no jungles, or they are limited to specific regions,” Refa noted.
Jin was enjoying the situation; this was the first time he had deliberated in such a lively, crowded environment.
“If that’s the case, should I start by thinking about growing legs on an airplane?”
“...That sounds a bit creepy,” Elsa said, unusually enough, making a joke.
“True.”
Since even Elsa had said it, Jin decided to stick to a more conventional design.
“...Maybe I should make a car fly after all...”
Jin imagined a flying car like those seen in near-future manga.
“The base car has to have a futuristic design, of course.”
While the idea of a classic car flying through the sky had a certain enthusiast appeal, Jin decided to go with a more orthodox aesthetic first.
“Master, please also take into account the dangers of cosmic rays and ultraviolet light.”
“Oops, that’s right.” Jin reflected that if Anne hadn’t warned him, he would have made the cockpit a transparent dome.
“Cover the whole thing in metal and use magi-screens for windows, then...”
“I believe that would be the safest option.”
“...It can’t be helped, I guess.”
Jin understood how vulnerable the human body was in outer space. He proceeded with the design without pushing his luck.
The result was a multipurpose vehicle shaped like a flattened egg. To put it in simpler terms, it looked like a wireless mouse for an Apple computer.
The entire structure was protected by a four-layer hull consisting of magi-invar, mithril, soft magi-resin, and 64 light silver. It flew using a force generator.
The crowning touch, however, was that it had neither tires nor legs.
“This is a barrier cushion car!”
“Father, what does that mean?”
“Jin-nii, what do you mean by that?”
Reiko and Elsa tilted their heads, unfamiliar with the term.
On Earth, there was a type of vehicle called an air-cushion car, more commonly known as a hovercraft. It sucked in air and blew it out from the bottom, using that pressure to float the vehicle.
Jin’s creation would use a barrier instead of air to keep the chassis afloat.