I was forced into a mandatory vacation.
Apparently, my immune system had been compromised because the nanomachines had over-repaired my body. They told me to just sit around and do nothing for half a month.
They’d managed to finish the fracture treatment to the point where the bones were fused back together, but the fact that it had taken nearly two hours to get me into a surgery unit was the real problem. Because my legs had been completely crushed, components from my muscles and bones had supposedly backwashed into my bloodstream.
Apparently, I was at risk for sudden death!
As a result, I was now a walking pincushion covered in sensors!!!
Abnormalities were showing up in several of my organs. I was allowed to move around, but only under Kevin’s constant surveillance.
Currently, Kevin didn’t have a fixed shift. He had originally been a radar operator, but he’d been demoted to a handyman. Now, he split his time between operating, serving in the kitchen, and doing general chores—and on top of all that, he’d been tasked with monitoring me.
Hahaha!
...Wait, this guy literally tried to kill me once!!!
That said, Melissa also spent most of her time loitering in my room (though she was out training at the moment), so I supposed my safety was guaranteed.
Despite my condition, I wasn't having much trouble with daily life. My hands weren't broken, and as for my legs...
I tried to stand. My rehabilitation walking support device whirred as it compensated for my weight. With tech like this, you could walk as long as the bones were pinned together. There were also powerful painkillers for the discomfort, though I’d been slightly traumatized by that kind of medication ever since that idiot fairy had force-fed it to me. I planned to use it only when the pain was so bad I couldn't sleep.
"Just stay in bed," Kevin said, looking worried. "Want me to pick something up for you? Don't be shy."
"I was just checking if I could move. More importantly, I’m bored. Can I do some muscle training?"
"Of course not!!! Stay in bed!"
Sigh. I was so bored.
I was tired of the Imperial public relations broadcasts; it was just the same news on a loop. It was almost entirely propaganda. On the net, citizens who had regained their composure were bashing the government relentlessly. Even so, the Imperial government didn't stop the propaganda, nor did they bother with censorship. They were content to let people blow off steam while only cracking down on actual criminal threats. In that regard, the civil officials were surprisingly adept.
"Yo," Melissa said as she strolled in. "Captain, you wouldn't believe it. Since you’re out of commission, they’ve started us on a hellish training regimen to increase our survival rate. I’m having a blast, but the boys are all completely worn out. Hm? What’s up? Why are you standing? Here, sit down."
"O-oh."
I sat back down on the bed as Melissa pulled out a folding chair.
"How is everyone doing?" I asked.
"They’re full of motivation. Sure, the guys whose homes are far from the Imperial Capital are anxious, but they see the Captain trying to keep his word and putting his life on the line for them. Everyone shares the understanding that it would be a disaster if you died. A replacement leader wouldn't be under any obligation to honor your promises, after all."
"The reasoning behind their support is depressing!"
"Isn't that just the nature of leadership?"
Well, I guess so. It wasn't like I’d fostered some deep, hot-blooded friendship with those guys. If anything, we’d only become close since the Zork Attack Incident. Since they supported me regardless of the reason, I decided to be grateful.
"And how’s the wifey?"
"Ah... well, it’s turned into a major incident, so she’s stuck in a meeting."
"Because Baron Caron turned into an Ogre?"
"Yeah, that’s part of it, but the new spy is the real issue. An operative of unknown identity managed to wipe out an entire planet. It seems they’re making contact with the Empire, Prince Thomas, and others."
Even after all this, Big Brother Walter was being completely bypassed. Everyone knew he was hopeless, so they didn't even bother talking to him.
"What about the Empire?"
"They told us to handle the investigation."
They really were hopeless.
"Veronica-chan says they don't want us to take the credit because it would give Prince Walter an advantage in the succession," Melissa added.
"They’ve turned the bureaucracy into their personal playground!!!"
Walter was useless! Well, maybe the people around him were doing it on their own and the information just wasn't reaching him... No, he was still useless regardless.
"So, what are we going to do?"
"Nothing."
"We’re doing nothing!?"
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because the Captain hasn't recovered yet. We’ll probably just focus on producing weapons and ammunition until you’re back on your feet."
"Is it really no good without me?"
"Yeah, no good. Without you, we’d have to brace for a total wipeout if things went south."
As he listened to Melissa, Kevin wore a complicated expression.
"That’s our weakness," she continued. "We deploy the Zork's natural enemy and the rest of us provide support. There’s really no other way for us to fight."
As for a secret plan, I couldn't think of anything besides the project to train Edge and the others. At our core, we were still lacking.
While we were having such a serious conversation, Kevin brought out some snacks—the kind sold in vending machines. He also grabbed some juice from the refrigerator and handed it over.
"Thanks."
Kevin was surprisingly attentive.
"Thanks," Melissa muttered casually. This comfortable sense of distance was nice.
Suddenly, a timer rang.
"Perfect timing."
I reached for a nutrition bar I’d kept by the bedside. Carbohydrates, proteins, fats—the three major nutrients—along with minerals and the like. I had to consume these at specified intervals to keep the nanomachines supplied with repair materials. Since the bar was dry, I washed it down with the juice. Right now, I was allowed to eat as much as I wanted, but falling behind on my nutrition was strictly forbidden.
"What do you think, Kevin?" I asked, suddenly shifting the topic to him.
"I don't know," he replied. "I don't even know how to get back to my original self."
Going back to his original self might be impossible. I knew the doctors had already told him as much. I didn't think the Zork thought that far ahead, anyway. No matter how you looked at it, he’d just been a disposable asset.
Eventually, our idle chatter wound down and we broke up. Both Melissa and Kevin left, leaving me to lie there alone.
I had absolutely nothing to do...
Old Man Ohno was busy, Big Brother Cyrus seemed swamped, and the students from the Officer Academy were so tied up with work they couldn't even play VR games. I might have been the only bored person on the ship.
I looked out the window. The stars were faint, washed out by the lights of Ohno's colony where we were currently docked. It was still far too early to sleep. I was at a total loss.
Then, the chime rang and the door slid open.
"Yeah, come in."
When I gave the casual reply, a girl stepped inside. I thought it might be Ren, but it was Baron Ohno’s daughter. Kyoko, if I recalled correctly.
"Captain! I have come to pay my respects! I am Kyoko Ohno, newly enlisted locally! It is an honor to meet you!"
"Good job on the greeting..." I muttered. It was a spirited salute that probably would have passed the Imperial Guard’s standards. She was a young girl with her hair tied in twin-tails, perhaps a little younger than me.
"Captain, I would like you to take a look at this immediately..."
"What’s this?"
A file was sent to my terminal, and I opened it. It was a blueprint, complete with part model numbers and formatting for a shaping printer.
"I was the one who designed my father’s battleship! I have great confidence in my skills as a mechanic!"
Oh, so she was the one. That railgun’s power had been incredible. The fact that she’d managed not to hit me was even more impressive.
"So, what exactly am I looking at?"
"It’s a Captain-exclusive close-combat machine!"
Does that mean she finished her design before the Empire even started?