Chapter 598: Intersection of Two Teams
Having finished a day of standard combat training and tactical review, Asuka felt as if her nerves were still soaked in that peculiar viscous sensation of LCL fluid, carrying a trace of mental exhaustion.
The corridors of the Death World base were always the same—cold metal bulkheads, constant lighting, and air filled with the smell of machine oil, ozone, and a hint of metallic dust that lingered even after circulation and filtration.
She was walking toward her living quarters, her mind subconsciously replaying a few less-than-perfect maneuver transitions from the training.
Just at an intersection connecting the living area and the training area, she unexpectedly ran into a group of people. It was Maine's squad.
They had clearly also just finished some kind of mission or training, still carrying the dusty scent of outdoor activity, which was slightly different from the pure "mechanical feel" of the base's permanent personnel.
The towering Maine walked at the front, with Dorio by his side. Behind them was the chattering Rebecca, gesturing animatedly about something, while Pilar and Falco followed quietly. Jack and Valerie were absent; they had probably gone straight to the Iron Guard's maintenance area.
Both sides stopped simultaneously.
Asuka had heard of this team recruited by Dr. Ryo from another world similar to Night City, knowing they were an important dimensional exploration force, but she hadn't had much contact with them.
Maine's squad was equally curious about this fiery, red-haired girl who could pilot that massive red god of a machine.
"Yo," Asuka took the initiative to greet them, breaking the momentary silence. Her attitude wasn't overly warm, but it wasn't impolite either.
"Finished training?" Maine responded steadily. Even restrained, his massively modified physique exuded an innate sense of pressure.
"Yeah, just wrapped up. What about you guys..."
"Just finished an external environmental adaptation patrol," Dorio added. Her voice was softer than Maine's but carried the same crispness of a warrior.
At that moment, Rebecca bounced forward. Her tall figure and energetic demeanor seemed out of place with the surrounding environment. She looked up at Asuka, her eyes shining: "Hey! You're Asuka, the one who pilots that big red thing, right? So cool! We watched your training on the observation screens earlier, you were super impressive!"
Asuka took well to this kind of straightforward praise, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly. "Hmph, of course."
Rebecca seemed completely oblivious to Asuka's slight tsundere attitude and continued enthusiastically, "We're just heading to Boss Maine's room to grab some grub and relax. It's all good stuff brought over from Night City!"
"The work meals they ration out at this base are barely fit for human consumption, right? Do you want to come along?"
This invitation was somewhat unexpected for Asuka.
She looked at Maine and Dorio; they didn't seem to object.
Life on the Death World was indeed dull, especially when it came to food. High-efficiency nutrient pastes and synthetic food could sustain life, but they tasted like chewing wax.
She felt a hint of interest in the "good stuff brought over from Night City" that Rebecca mentioned.
Moreover, she was genuinely curious about this group of explorers who could travel between different worlds.
After a brief hesitation, her weariness of the monotonous life and desire for novelty won out.
"...Alright," she nodded, then suddenly thought of something. "Just me? What about Shinji and Rei Ayanami..."
"Let's go get them too!" Rebecca was very outgoing. "The more the merrier!"
A short while later, not only Asuka, but also a somewhat bewildered Shinji Ikari, who had been dragged along by Asuka, and the ever-quiet Rei Ayanami, who seemed to have just followed Shinji, all appeared in the slightly larger common lounge-slash-kitchenette frequently used by Maine's squad.
This room was wider than the standard living quarters and bore traces of personal life. There was even a somewhat rough digital painting depicting the Night City skyline hanging on the wall.
Rebecca and Dorio had already hauled out several boxes from a low-temperature storage bin in the corner labeled "Night City Supplies".
When the lids opened, they revealed not the silver-gray packaging of the base's standard nutrient paste, but canned beer and sparkling water in various colors, stamped with the logos of various Night City brands, as well as vacuum-sealed snacks. Asuka's eyes visibly brightened.
"Wow! Is this... real beer?" She picked up a chilled can of beer, sprayed with dazzling patterns and text she didn't recognize, but the familiar industrial packaging style instantly reminded her of home.
"Of course! And try this, Heywood's specialty grilled meat sausage. It's a hundred times better than that 'scientific sludge' you guys eat!" Rebecca enthusiastically handed over a meat sausage sizzling with oil and exuding a rich aroma, cooked on a portable heater.
Shinji somewhat awkwardly took a small cut piece and took a careful bite. A look of surprise immediately appeared on his face; the long-lost, rich taste of actual "food" exploded in his mouth.
Rei Ayanami quietly held a cup of non-alcoholic synthetic juice, taking small sips, her red eyes calmly observing the surroundings.
Asuka took a hearty gulp of beer. The cold, slightly bitter liquid slid down her throat, followed by the sweet aftertaste of malt. She let out a satisfied sigh, "Haa—! Saved! The food here is simply torture on the taste buds!"
This simple meal—rough, direct, and strongly flavored, distinctly Night City style—instantly closed the distance between the two sides.
Around the food and drinks, the initial layer of unfamiliarity seemed to melt away significantly.
The members of Maine's squad also relaxed, holding beers or snacks, sitting or standing around.
"Speaking of which," Asuka picked up another fried item that seemed to be made from some deep-sea fish, crisp in texture, "You guys seem to go to different worlds often? Is that... dimensional exploration?"
Maine nodded, his massive frame sitting in a specially made metal chair, still looking like a small mountain. "Yeah, that's our primary mission."
"In the past four years, we went back to Night City once, sort of a long vacation. After that, we explored three new worlds," Dorio added, pouring herself a glass of deep-colored wine.
"Three new worlds?" Shinji couldn't help but ask softly, his face showing curiosity. Even Rei Ayanami tilted her head slightly, indicating she was listening.
Pilar, while fiddling with an electronic puzzle toy using his nimble mechanical prosthetics, chimed in, "Two of them are still in the preliminary exploration phase. The situations are a bit complex, so there's not much to say right now." He shrugged, clearly finding some details inconvenient or undesirable to discuss.
Falco picked up the conversation, his voice always carrying the calmness of someone who had weathered many storms. "The third world, we just finished our main exploration mission there. It's a... very interesting, and very thought-provoking place."
Rebecca immediately became excited, waving half a grilled sausage. "Right, right, right! That place called 'Elysium'! It's unbelievable! Let me tell you, it was really..."
The attention of Asuka, Shinji, and even Rei Ayanami was completely drawn in. A world evaluated like this by Maine's squad piqued their immense interest.
The Death World, Corona VII, Verdant III—the part of this universe they had witnessed was already bizarre enough. What kind of sights would those completely different dimensions mentioned by Maine's squad hold?
The atmosphere of the gathering grew warmer as the topic unfolded around Maine's squad's recently concluded journey to Elysium.