Stick Panticost acted very quickly. While everyone was still immersed in the plan he proposed and trying to improve it, he had already got the answer.
"Newton's speculation was correct. Those Kaiju aren't simply driven by wild instincts, not just hunting and gathering; they're here on orders! They're biological weapons! Not products of nature! Their masters, or rather, their creators, are a colonial civilization in the universe. They occupy a planet like locusts, exhausting everything before moving on to their next target.
Our planet is one of their chosen targets.
Surprisingly, the intelligence we gathered through this telepathic encounter revealed that they've been eyeing this planet long before humans even existed. They visited during the age of the dinosaurs! But back then, the planet's environment and atmosphere weren't suitable for survival. For other reasons, they returned. But they've always maintained a certain interest in this planet.
Now, with ozone depletion, carbon monoxide levels rising, and water pollution, they sense the ripening of sweet fruit, and so they've returned. They believe the current environment, even with the limitations of the wormhole, is ripe for terraforming the planet and colonizing it. Over the past decade, they've sent wave after wave of Kaiju, not to kill us, but to gradually attack and contaminate the most polluted areas, gradually transforming them into habitable environments for them!
As for annihilating us? As long as the environmental transformation is successful, at least half of our population will die. Eventually, they'll send out harvesters more powerful than the first, second, and fourth generations to completely harvest us. At this point, the new house has been cleared, and the new tenants can move in.
"I knew it!" Newton Geisler jumped up excitedly, clenching his right fist and swinging it violently in the air.
"This is impossible!" Hermann Gottlieb looked dazed.
"This is the truth, Dr. Herman," said Stick Pantecost. "Like you, I don't want to believe it, but it's the truth, just like mathematics."
"Never mind him, he's just the wail of a defeated man! Let's talk about this colonial civilization. Any more news?" Newton Geisler pushed Hermann Gottlieb aside and leaned in front of Steck, his face flushed and excited. He wasn't the calm and sophisticated type, the one who kept his emotions to himself.
In the original series, he impulsively disassembled and modified the Shaolin Ranger's telepathic system because no one believed him, and used it to communicate with the damaged, dying head of a Kaiju. When Hannibal Chau asked him why he needed the Kaiju's head, he first said it was confidential, and then, before Hannibal Chau could ask again, he took the initiative to brag about everything he had done.
In essence, he was like Hermann Gottlieb, a relatively pure researcher whose emotions were all expressed on his face, without any scheming. Of course, this was different from the years that followed, when he was brainwashed and controlled by the pioneering consciousness.
"The Pioneer Civilization. The people who created these Kaiju were called Engineers. The DNA of Kaiju comes from the genes of these Pioneer Engineers. They cloned Kaiju of various forms through poison-making chemistry and biological mutation techniques. The higher the level of their Pioneer Engineers, the more powerful and toxic the cloned Kaiju.
"Also, the Gap is exactly as Dr. Luke said. If we want to enter, we must obtain a portion of the Kaiju's genes, or bring a monster with us. Only then will the Gap recognize us and allow us to pass through," said Stick Pantecost.
"With so much information, it seems you have put in a lot of effort these days." Heike Hansen patted Stek's shoulder.
"Alexis and his wife helped a lot. Using the single-person synesthesia system created by Dr. Luke, with three people simultaneously communicating with the secondary brain of a monster, we were able to obtain this valuable information." Stick Panticost rubbed his forehead.
"Are those three guys okay?" Raleigh Beckett asked.
"Three death row inmates, one of whom holds a doctorate, participated in the experiment in exchange for a reduced sentence." Stacker Pantecost glanced at the questioner, Raleigh Beckett, and added, "They're still alive, but they'll have to spend their entire lives in prison."
"Dr. Luke, is there any way for us to get the key to enter the [Gap]?" Stek's gaze fell on Luke Field who was standing beside him.
"Of course," Luke Field replied easily. "All we need is a piece of monster tissue to modify the mecha. If necessary, I can also give you a monster genetic coating to make it look real. It's a double insurance policy."
"Let's get started. Time is running out and we can't wait." Stack Panticost clapped his hands to disband the meeting.
…
"I see Dr. Luke holds a high position in this base?" Rory Beckett asked curiously, catching up with Asako Mori and walking side by side with her. He found it hard to believe that even General Steck, who he remembered as difficult to deal with, actually treated Luke with such respect. Especially during his time at the PPDC headquarters, he'd noticed that Luke seemed to have the same final say as General Steck.
"Of course. During PPDC's most difficult time, it was Dr. Luke and the Shaw Industries behind him who provided assistance." Asako Mori hurried along, explaining to Rory Beckett, "Dr. Luke brought a lot of Shaw Industries' unique technologies, which greatly helped PPDC. For example, the mecha modification. The combat effectiveness of the mecha hunters modified by Dr. Luke is incomparable to before.
At the same time, he also modified the base."
"Base?" Raleigh Beckett was a little confused.
"Some industrial machinery is used to increase the maintenance time of Mech Hunters. Ever since the member states drastically reduced their numbers and cut off PPDC funding, we've found it difficult to maintain a large number of Mech repair teams. Aside from a few who volunteered to stay, most of the others have been transferred away by their respective member states. Dr. Luke once developed a set of unmanned factory technology for Shaw Industries, and he modified it and used it in the PPDC. Recently, General Steck picked up abandoned Mechs for repair because he found that after applying this technology, the existing number of Mech Hunters has not reached the limit of this technology. He can easily add more Mech Hunters to the existing maintenance team."
Asako Mori counted off the details on her fingers for Raleigh Beckett. "In addition to the unmanned factory technology, Dr. Luke has also upgraded PPDC's energy system. He said that PPDC's current funds can only upgrade it to this extent. However, if the upgraded energy system is fully operational, it will not only be enough to operate PPDC's headquarters at full capacity, but also provide sufficient energy for the entire island."
"The base's protective measures have also been upgraded. When the base was originally built to target Kaiju, it lacked protection against electromagnetic pulses and other weapons. Dr. Luke transformed it into an oversized Faraday cage. Although General Styk felt it was unnecessary, since it was a friendly favor from Shaw Industries, he didn't say anything.
Finally, Dr. Luke and Shaw Industries have the support of a nation. His connections and influence are immense within that nation. All of our PPDC bases in other member states have been closed or transferred, leaving only this headquarters. Besides this nation's belief that PPDC needed to be preserved until the Monster Wall was verified, Dr. Luke and Shaw Industries also played a significant role. General Steck, along with us, are deeply grateful to him.
"I see. It seems he is a good person after all." Raleigh Beckett smiled.
Asako Mori pursed her lips and smiled. The two of them went to their respective lounges in the base, with their doors facing each other.
"I heard that you are the driver?" Raleigh Beckett suddenly turned around and asked as he entered the house.
Upon hearing this, Asako Mori turned around, holding the folder and meeting Raleigh Beckett's eyes. "Yes, I've only been a pilot for a short time, but I haven't experienced a single battle yet."
"What about your simulator scores?" Raleigh Beckett asked. Becoming a mech hunter pilot required a tremendous amount of training and dedication, not to mention a certain amount of talent! When Raleigh Beckett first joined the Hunter Academy, he'd seen many people eliminated due to factors like failing training, failing simulator training, and unstable mental state.
"51 shots, 51 kills." Mori Mako answered softly.
Asako Mori's simulator performance made veteran hunter Raleigh Beckett raise an eyebrow in surprise. "That's pretty good. Which mecha hunter is assigned to you? Maybe we'll fight together in the future."
"Kurtuluo." Asako Mori's expression was rare, a little girl's excitement. This was the first time that Raleigh Beckett saw this expression on her face since he met her.
"Kurtullo? The sixth-generation fighter?"
Raleigh Beckett, who had been at the PPDC headquarters for almost a week, naturally knew about the mecha with the same special style as the Storm Red placed in the center of the base. He also got some relevant information from his old friend Heike Hansen, and knew that it was the newest and only sixth-generation mecha, just as special as the only fifth-generation mecha Eureka Raider.
"Yes, it is very powerful. When I control it, I can feel its boundless energy. It has six energy cores..." Asako Mori obviously likes Kurtuluo very much.
"Wait, I heard that this isn't Dr. Luke's mecha?" Raleigh Beckett frowned, carefully recalling the information about Kurtuluo he had obtained from Heike Hansen.
Asako Mori paused, her fingers tightening around the folder. "Dr. Luke is a researcher. His safety is of paramount importance to everyone at the base, including Shaw Industries and the country behind it. We can't treat him like a soldier. Furthermore, Dr. Luke is immersed in researching and modifying mecha technology every day. To him, Kurtuluo is just another piece of work."
"Is that so?" Raleigh Beckett nodded as if he was convinced.
Asako Mori felt somewhat discouraged. As the world's most advanced, arguably even the most powerful, sixth-generation mech, the Kurtuluo was a force to be reckoned with by every mech hunter in the wild. Yet, Dr. Luke described this powerful mech as little more than a toy, a tool to test and prove his skills. After its successful release, Dr. Luke's interest in it had largely waned.
Thinking back to when Dr. Luke handed her control of the Kurtulo and the incredulous response she received when she asked him why he was giving her the pilot's seat, Mori Asako found it hard to understand. But this didn't diminish her joy at becoming Kurtulo's pilot. She had spent the past few months familiarizing herself with Kurtulo's various functions. She was not only an excellent combatant, but also a skilled mecha researcher, which helped her more quickly grasp the Kurtulo's technological capabilities.
…
When the countdown of the war clock reached the last day, the atmosphere in the base became tense.
23:53 pm.
The energy emerging from the wormhole triggered the PPDC's alarm.
Cai Tiantong quickly sat in his seat, looked at the data sliding on the screen, and made a report.
"Three signals! Signal strength level, fourth generation! One of them is fifth generation!"
Looking at Raleigh Beckett and others who hurried over because of the alarm, Cai Tiantong said at Stek's signal.
"Their code names are Tailed Rat and Ridgeback Turtle, and the first fifth-generation species is codenamed Poison Woman. They will arrive at Xianggang within the hour."
"Sound the alarm, evacuate all citizens in the city, and close the bridge. The authorities will arrange for every citizen to enter the shelter. The rest is our job. The fall of Sydney cannot happen here. Crimson Storm, Shaolin Ranger, Cherno Alpha..." General Stek took over Cai Tiantong's words.
"The Shaolin Ranger might not be able to be deployed for the time being. Dr. Luke just dismantled it for experimental modifications." Shaolin Ranger's maintenance engineer, Chen Kesheng, raised his hand helplessly. "Dr. Luke said it's only a third-generation aircraft, perfect for experiments. Even if it fails, it's only a third-generation aircraft lost."
The other members of the Shaolin Ranger maintenance team also looked helpless when they heard this. Boss, after the previous upgrade, the Shaolin Ranger already meets the standards of a fourth-generation aircraft!
"Well," Steck glanced around and saw his adopted daughter, Asako Mori, standing next to Raleigh Beckett, looking a little eager. "Together with Danger Wanderer and Kurtulu, the four of you will stop the monsters. My only goal is to keep them away from the base and the city. Eureka Raider, you will be responsible for guarding the coastline. If any Kaiju break through the blockade, you will stop them. Any questions?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"Then start preparing. Keep the monster's body as intact as possible, as Dr. Luke will need it." Stek waved his hand, signaling everyone to go and prepare.