Part 10: Moon Door 1: Orbal Gear Project Part 1 - First Day

-Primal Grounds-









I wonder how it's made up, though?







Overcome the trial before you...

Then I shall grant to you a memory fragment and my blessing...

-A Gravestone Struck By Lightning-





Even for Tita all by herself, this fight is a piece of cake.















The only issue is that Moonlight Madness makes it hard to use Tita's regular attack.



Also you can't actually run like Tita promised she would. Oops.





-Silence-





Voices: Approaching location...
320... 310... 300...



Voices: Target in sight...
Commencing operation. Coordinate adjustment complete. Activating boosters.





What's that sound?

-Creeping Crisis-









Umm... Erm...



Mysterious Mechanics: Frnnn... Frnnn...



Umm...
D-Do I know you?!
Mysterious Mechanic Carmine: Frrrnnn...
Uh-oh...

-Silence-

Mysterious Mechanic Cobalt: Hahaha... We've really missed you, Tita.
Huh?
Mysterious Mechanic Carmine: ...Oh, my. Don't tell me you forgot the sound of our voices while we were away?
That 'Frnnn' WAS familiar...



Oh!
Mom! Dad!

-Factory City of Zeiss-





I was scared stiff! Just flying in all of a sudden like that and walking up to me without saying a word... Plus you had those goggles on, so I couldn't tell WHO you were!
You could've told me you were planning on coming back!
...
...Mom? Are you okay? Why're you so quiet?
Tita...

*WHAM*



Oh, Aidios! Thank you for gracing our unworthy world with this miracle of a child! I'm never going to let you go agaaain!



M-Mom...you're starting to hurt me...
Ahhh... Giving birth to this bundle of sugar was the best thing we ever did. How did I manage all this time without her? I'm so happy to finally be back!
I can tell.
I'd kind of like the chance to greet her, too, though.
O-Oh. Sure. Knock yourself out.
I suppose you do have the right and all.



Looks like you've grown a bit while we were away.
I sure have!
I've missed you both so much.
Ahhh... Everything you do just melts my heart... Let me hug you again! C'mere! ❤
M-Mom, please...
Erika, I think that should probably wait until you've changed. That maintenance uniform is full of sensors, as you know.
O-Oh, yeah. Slipped my mind.
In that case...





Umm? Are you talking about Agate?
That's the one. I was so hoping I'd be able to meet him.
Now, where is he?
He's actually in Bose at the moment. Mom? You're acting kinda weird all of a sudden...
Bah. Talk about lousy timing.
Not that I'd be happy if he WERE here given that would indicate him being in close proximity to my angel. AGAIN.
Well, it's okay.
We can always go meet him over in Bose next month if it comes to it. I'd like to meet him, too.
True enough! Word has it that a lot has been happening here in our absence... I'll bet we have a LOT to thank him for.
Heheheh... We'll have to go and give him a thank you that he'll neeever forget.
I'll have to go with you and introduce you to him, then! His house is real nice, too! It's pretty small, but it's all warm and cozy.
...You've been to his house?
Gaaaaaah!
Hahaha. Now, now. Calm down, Erika.
Tita, try not to provoke your mother too much, all right?
Was I...?
Agaaate! AGAAAAAATE! You are going to pay DEARLY for corrupting my darling daughter!



Umm... Grandpa...



Sorry for not giving you a heads up on our return.
Oh, nonsense! Don't you worry about that.
What are those things, if I may ask? They look like a vehicle with boosters attached, but...
Female Voice: They're called landing crafts, and they were developed by yours truly.



And there's not much point in an airship if you can't land it, is there? Which is where these two beauties come in.
It depends how high you can jump.



It's a small comfort knowing you haven't kicked the bucket yet. I mean, how could I have been able to gloat if you were already six arge under?
Hmph. You really think a pathetic contraption like that is good enough to beat me? You must have forgotten who I am when you were out and about.
One close look and the cracks start to show--just look at them! I doubt they even manage five minutes.
A fat load of good they'll be for anything other than trying to show off to me. They won't be getting any real-world use any time soon.
Heh! Oh, how wrong you are. I'll have you know that we came all the way from the border with Calvard on these.
From CALVARD?!
Oh, did that catch your attention? I'll give you that the crafts' flight time is somewhat limited.
But that's an issue where I can find an easy workaround! By firing them from an orbal catapult attached to an airship, they can fly a distance of roughly 120 selge!
After modifying the orbal circuits, we were able to record an operation time of 382.2 seconds, too!
120 selge? 382.2 seconds?!
HAHAHA! Surprised? That stupid look on your face says it all! Not to worry. I'll give you as much time as you need for that shriveled old brain of yours to comprehend my brilliance.
Brilliance?! Pah! Don't make me laugh! You're talking to the man who developed the Capel! These are child's play by comparison!
I don't even need to ask how you made them. I could probably develop a better version in my sleep!
Say that again, you stubborn old fart!



*sigh* Here they go again...
Will you two please stop fighting?! Please!
Oh, and I read those files you sent me! You've got some nerve showing your face to me after exposing MY daughter to so much danger!
To say nothing of letting vermin like that 'A'-word near her!
You'd think Olivier would get the brunt of this rage. Maybe they just haven't dared to tell her about him.
Oh, get over yourself! I'm getting lectured on looking after people from the mother who ditched her daughter to wander the continent, am I?
How about you look in a mirror before you go criticizing others, huh?!



D-Dad, can't you stop them?
Haha. It'll be fine. Let them have their fun. They're secretly happy to see one another again, I'm sure.
But we're taking up a lot of space in the middle of the town here. How are people going to get past us?
...Yeah, that's a good point. We can't leave these two landing crafts out here forever. I guess we're just going to have to drag our quarreling father and daughter back home.
Mind giving me a hand, Tita?
Sure thing!







One coffee with plenty of milk and three sugars coming up.
Oooh! Let me help, too!



When are you going to grow up enough to understand that coffee is best taken black?
And when are you going to understand that there's nothing worse than an old codger too set in his ways to appreciate another's tastes?
Hmph. I'm just telling it like it is. Adding milk alone completely ruins it, and then you go and plop three sugars in? You can't even call that coffee anymore!
Oh, poor coffee... What did you ever do to be blasphemed so?
Ugh...
Here's your order, Erika.
Don't let it get cold, now!



Bah. We'll have to settle this dispute another time.
Well, time to drink up.
*sip*



Ahhh...
Anyway... Where are my souvenirs, Albert?
Souvenirs? Why would I have any of those for you? You're the one who's been busy slacking off abroad.
Grrr... Forget traveling abroad! You were the one who got to ride on the Arseille with Captain Schwarz!
You're telling me you had a chance like that and DIDN'T get me a photograph? Or her handkerchief? Or even a button off her uniform?!
Wh-Why do you want a button off her uniform?
Your mother's been a huge fan of her since the captain's academy days.
I swear... If you have the time to think about such worthless nonsense, how about using it to look over an academic report or two? It's no wonder all your inventions are half rate.
...Did you just use the words 'useless nonsense' in reference to Captain Schwarz? Did you DARE to insult her?



Oh, nothing of the sort. I had plenty of chances to share a few cups of tea with her on board the Arseille. She's a fine woman, if you ask me. She'll go far.



If you're not going to shut that insolent mouth of yours, I'm going to do it for you!
What's that? Is someone jealous?



...



What is it?
Oh, it's just... It's just that I finally realized it's kinda nice to see them fighting like this after all.
Makes it feel like Mom's really home, you know?
Yeah. I guess you're right.
Hey, how would you like to do some shopping? I'll handle making dinner tonight, so I'll need to grab a few things.
Huh, really?
That sounds great. I haven't tasted your cooking in aaages.
Well, hopefully you'll be able to have it a lot more from here on. Neither of us are planning to head out for work again any time soon, so I'll be taking over cooking duties for a while.
Oooh...
I'd love to go shopping with you, then!
Ahaha. Great!



That day's dinner was a real feast...

...and for the first time in quite a while, Tita was able to experience the joy of dining happily with her family.

After dinner...

-Under the Moonlight-



You can leave the rest to me now, Tita. You must be tired. Go on to bed.
I'm fine, honestly. I'm not doing any more than I usually do.
I bet you're even more tired than I am, Dad. You rushed through all the work you had to get back here as soon as possible, didn't you?
W-Well...
Haha. You've gotten pretty sharp, huh?
Well, I'm not a kid anymore! I'm thirteen now!
Professor Russell: Wh-What in Aidios' name...?!



It's why we came back here to begin with.
ZCF is the only place around that will allow me to do so. That's what I believe, anyway.
Maybe so, but still...
What're you guys arguing about?



It's past midnight, you know. You should go and get some rest.
What are those? Some kind of blueprints?
Can I see? Please?



Aww, but I want to see those blueprints!
It's a modified sewage pump, with angled piping at a total difference of TWELVE POINT SIX FIVE degrees from existing pumps. Isn't that exciting?!



That's an orbal engine on the right-hand side, right?
It looks like a compact one, too. Oh, I know! Is it a new kind of airship?
Come on, Mom! I really wanna seeeeee!
Oh, boy. Look at you getting all fired up. You just can't help yourself when it comes to machinery, can you?
That's not fair!



Shall we get to work?
Oooh! Perfect timing. Get our angel to bed, will you?
Sure. It IS past her bedtime.
Whaaat?!



Let me have a quick look! Pleeease? I can go to bed right after that! I can't work out why that converter's torque is so low, and it's bugging me.
(It looks like her obsession's grown by monstrous proportions since we've been away.)
Be that as it may, it's still past your bedtime.
B-But!





'Ehh this is close enough, sleep tight munchkin'







Even at a glance, I can tell it's not going to be easy to make.
We're best off starting by running a simulation on it with the Capel before actually attempting to make the blasted thing.
Nothing comes to mind that would be strong enough to build the frame out of, either. I say we should consider looking into a new one.
Hey, you're talking to the designer of the Airship That Needs Another Airship here. She'll find a way.



(Maybe I can scooch closer without them noticing?)





Aww... I shouldn't have pushed my luck.



Buuut...
If you're that curious, I can tell you tomorrow. But right now, you need sleep. How does that sound? Good enough?
But... ... ...
That's a promise, okay? A PROMISE.
Yes, yes. I promise.



And don't go making whatever it is without me!
I know. We won't. I promise in the name of the Goddess above that I'll tell you tomorrow, and that we won't make it without you.
Anyway, good night, Tita.
O-Okay...



Zzz... Zzz...



(She takes after her mother in every way.)





This is amazing... Ouroboros' technology is even more impressive than I could've dreamed.



Their technological level's far beyond our own.
That's true for virtually everything I've seen of theirs, too--the archaisms, the Gospels, the Glorious... I'm not entirely without ideas on how they have all of it, though.



Why the sudden questions, anyway? I've already sent you the info I had on them before.
The thing is...
...we didn't actually learn of them through the information you sent. We knew of them before that.
You did?!
We haven't actually encountered them or any of their members, exactly. But they've been expanding their influence across the continent for a while now through jaegers and certain wealthy individuals.
We can confirm as much beyond a shadow of a doubt based on our travels.
That's why we came back here. We never imagined they'd be so bold as to try anything in Liberl, or we would have come back earlier...
...but they're not getting any more of a head start on us. We need to finish this, and we need to do it as soon as possible.

This feels like a good stopping point. We should be just about halfway through this part. Moon doors are looooooooooong.