Part 33: Mission #31: Of Numbers Real and Imaginary

I leave you alone for a few hours and you end up at The Human Centipede. I'm not angry at you, just...disappointed.

Mission #31: Of Numbers Real and Imaginary

But, before we get to mission, it's time to catch up on the internet.



There are a number of government websites, but most of them aren't particularly interesting. The USN site has profiles of the dearly departed Purple Haze squadron that reveals, as most of you guessed, that Dennis is from Ohio, which explains a lot. There's also some information on MIDAS, which, long story short, started as a new form of energy research right up until the USN government decided, "Is there any reason we aren't using this to destroy bits of the Third World?"



The Centipede/Wulong site goes into some detail about there operations. It turns out that they charge tens of thousands of dollars for the simplest jobs. Meanwhile, we haven't gotten paid yet.



In the news today, there's a lot of talk about the fact that a DHZ fleet got vaporized. None of the news sites really know what happened, although most of them suggest that the DHZ intended to invade the Philippines. Also, there are ominous rumblings about a developing political crisis in Japan. Finally, remember that ambassador who helped us get from Taiwan to mainland China? It turns out that shortly after we escaped, his house was burned down...with him and his family still inside. The lesson? Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to help Kazuki or his friends or you will end up dead.

And now, a passel full of emails.



Thrilling. Next, a message for Alisa


Hey, if he really wanted to live, he should packed something better than a rifle.
: ...
And Liu gets one too.


: You...!
: She's a spender all right.
: ... Don't look at other people's mail.
: Oh, sorry.

And finally, Pham gets an email...FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE!


: The old man is still alive?
: I wasn't worried.
: But you were crying.
: S-Shut up!




You know, I honestly have no real idea where in China we are.



The Tianlei, jewel of the DHZ Army. Seems like the rebels could thwart it by being anywhere where there weren't giant paved roads, and, for that matter, it seems like it's sheer weight would destroy any conventionally designed road it drove over, but sure, whatever.



: Whoaaa, duuude...
: This is as far as we go. You're on your own!
: Umm, thank you very much.
: Don't mention it. See you around!
: There they go.
: I can't figure out whether they're cool or just jerks.
Ryogo, don't you understand, being a jerk is an important part of being cool...the most important part.
: C'mon, we're going!



Good, more face time with everyone's favorite war criminal.
: ! Lan, from Rapid Reaction Force.
: I see you got here safely.
: Yeah, sure.
: Liu of the Real Numbers.
: Real...?
: You must be Jiu Lie Yin, the commander of the Rapid Reaction Force. We'll be under your care for a while.
: I'm only following orders. We can't take you to Shanghai, but we'll drop you along the way.
: That's more than enough.
: Your colleagues are here, too.
: Colleagues?
: The Imaginary Numbers. They're stationed here under the chairman's direct orders. They're creepy, but also quite competent.
: ...
: You'll follow my orders while you're in the fortress. I'll throw you out if you cause any problems. There's a room ready for you. Stay there and be quiet.
: I'll throw you out if you distract my job.
: Stay in your room and be quiet.



: !
: What is it, Liu?
: Imaginary Number.
For those of you not up on math, which, given the submissions I get for wanzers is evidently quite a large proportion, an imaginary number is a number whose square is negative, as opposed to a real number, who square is positive. They're important for complicated mathematical operations that require the use of negative numbers. Of course, this being a jRPG, I'm reasonably sure they just picked the name because it sounded cool.
: Liu, I heard you failed to retrieve MIDAS.
He's an albino. That's a bad sign.
: It's none of your business.
: It is. Your failure may affect Sir Lukav's plan.
And he refers to his superior as a 'sir.' Yeah, this has bad news written all over it.
: There is no change in plan. I already made the arrangement. What about Lukav?
: He never fails. Don't worry.
: I hope you're right.
: You're only a Real Number, after all.
: ...



: Everyone calls Liu a Real Number.
: And those creepy guys are Imaginary Numbers, right?
: Who are they? Will you tell us?
: Imaginary Numbers and Real Numbers are both special forces.
: Like Lan's Rapid Reaction Force?
: We're not in the military. We take direct orders from the chairman.
: I see. That's why the guy in Taiwan was so sarcastic.
: Liu, you don't like Jared? You didn't look very happy talking to him.
: Yeah. Why aren't you more friendly to your colleagues?
: They're not my colleagues! They're murderers. They only think about fighting.
: They're creepy, but you don't have to be so harsh.
: You'll see what I mean. I'll talk about myself when the time comes.
I assume that will happen as the last shovelful of dirt is being put on Kazuki's grave.
: Okay, stop. We can relax now. Let's enjoy it. We're traveling on a fortress, dude!
The Plot Alarm goes off.
: What is it? Is it time for lunch?
It's the soup klaxon!
: It's the alarm, you idiot!
: Something happened.
: Let's go to the bridge.



: Is it the enemy? The Hua Lian Rebels!?
: Calm down. This fortress won't fall very easily.
: Enemy wanzer at 10 o'clock.
: Deploy the Rapid Reaction Force. Destroy the enemy!



: Fools... they can't take the Tianlei down with those forces.
: Here they come! It's the RRF!
: All right, blow it up!
: Yes, sir!



And the rebels blow up part of a mountain, trapping the Tianlei.

: How futile! All units, commence attack! Don't let any escape!
: All right, draw the RRF away, then retreat!



: Stop until it settles.
: They're halting the fortress by detonating a mountain face.
: Is everything okay?
: Shut up! A small landslide can't stop this fortress.
Yeah! At most it can merely prevent the fortress from moving!
: Enemy wanzers, front and back!
: Use the fortress's firepower until our wanzer squad gets back. Open fire!
: What about deploying the Imaginary Numbers?
: They're not under my command.
: Damn it! What's the use of having special forces if you can't
use them? Liu!
: All right, all right. Jiu, we'll go as backup.
: Fine. Do what you want.



: ...Whoaa, man. There's a lot of them.
Note to self: Stop letting Ryogo smoke spliffs before battle.
: Don't let them get close to the fortress! You got that!?



Kazuki, Miho and Pham are in. Oh, and I take Alisa along, but, well, she's really more like a mascot at this point.



Kazuki and Pham manage to destroy an enemy wanzer is record time. More Grapples and Reksons, I'm afraid, but this time the Grapples have flamethrowers, which is only threatening if by some stunning bit of bad luck they manage to get several lucky hits on one of wanzers in a row.



Hah! As stated before, it would be highly unlikely that a low-accuracy weapon couple with a low-accuracy wanzer is apt to any real harm to me. I laugh at this enemy's ignorant attempt to hurt Miho.



FUCK!



This is going to be one of those missions, isn't it?



The effect of ROF III on the flamethrower.



And Kazuki gets randomly force-ejected. Mrgh.



Pham's response to these setbacks? Burn everything around her to the ground.



In this mission, the Tianlei will support you with some missile turrets. They are painfully more effective that Alisa.



Kazuki punches a rebel so hard that not only does he die, but his very existence is retroactively destroyed as well.



How many Grapples have I killed at this point anyway?



Might as well equip Alisa with Roman Candles for all the good she's doing me. Here's a clue for all of you would-be wanzer builders out there: if you give me a wanzer with obsolete weapons, you better be damn sure it has some sort of surefire gimmick that will make it worthwhile.



Hey, it's that dude from last time who was afraid of the Wulong, but not my squad. I can only hope that in the last seconds before he dies due to 3rd-degree burns covering 90% of his body, he realizes who he really should have feared.



I'm never getting a platinum medal again, am I? Pham gets MVP because she didn't jump out of her wanzer in the middle of battle.



: ...Reinforcements?
: We have to get in Tianlei before the RRF returns! Attack!
: This is, like, totally endless, dude...
: If you've got the time to whine, take down the enemy!
: I thought we could take it easy!



Either Kazuki finally learned to explode things with his mind, or we got reinforcements...maybe both.
: !?
: !



: Imaginary Numbers!?
: You're in my way. If you don't move, I'll attack you, too.
: Jared? What turn of events brings you here?
: We were ordered to attack the Hua Lian...nothing more.
: Liu, do you copy?
: What is this?
: The RRF have found the Hua Lian base. Their 3rd battalion's coming from there. Rendezvous with the RRF and then strike the enemy forces.
: You heard it. Now get out of here.
: Tch... All right!
Kazuki only likes to slaughter rebels on his terms!
: Can't we take a break?
: Just shut up and come with me!

Next Time: More Rebel Hijinks!