"Everyone, it looks like we've found our next destination," Mr. Norman declared with a mischievous smile, setting the tone for our next adventure.
I turned to Nolan with curiosity, asking, "Well, I guess you're right. Nolan, is the NS Scorpion ready?"
Nolan replied, "It's mostly done. I could finish it fully within two to three days. Frankie and Lucas, I'll need both of your help to get the NS Scorpion up and running," he informed us about the current status of our formidable machine.
"That's fine. The sooner we go to Mirage Island, the sooner we can save the slaves," I emphasized to Nolan, underlining the urgency of our situation.
Nolan nodded in agreement, saying, "I understand what you're saying. Let's prepare to leave in a few days."
Mr. Norman then shared his plan, saying, "As for me, I'll try to gather as much information as I can about Mirage Island from Daniel Kim."
Lucas lightened the mood, suggesting, "All right, everyone, that's enough heavy talk for now. How about we enjoy a tasty meal before turning in for the night?" His cheerful voice lifted our spirits, providing a moment of respite from the weighty matters at hand.
"Sounds great, I'll help you," I offered to assist Lucas in preparing dinner, but my offer was quickly met with a resounding "No" from Lucas, Nolan, and Mr. Norman, all in unison.
I couldn't help but wonder, Is my cooking really that terrible?
After our hearty dinner, Mr. Norman and Nolan retired to their own residence. The rest of us decided it was time to turn in for the night, seeking some well-deserved rest.
…..
The morning sun began to rise, its gentle light slipping through my room's window and casting a warm glow upon my face.
"Agh," I groaned, as I woke up from my sleep, only to be greeted by Rex.
*Woof Woof*
"Good morning, Rex. You're up early today," I greeted him. I got out of bed and refreshed myself and made my way downstairs.
It had been a few days since our meeting, and on this particular morning, Lucas was busy preparing some coffee in the Scorpion Syndicate's old base diner. I, on the other hand, lounged in one of the chairs, taking in the ambiance.
Suddenly, the diner door swung open, and Mr. Norman and Nolan entered together.
"Good morning, Frankie and Lucas," Mr. Norman greeted us warmly.
"Good morning, Mr. Norman and Nolan," I responded with equal enthusiasm.
They joined us, taking seats opposite me. I leaned forward, curious. "So, what's the plan for today?"
"I'll start," Mr. Norman began, and the diner fell silent as we listened intently. "I spoke with our beloved face-scarred slave trader, Daniel Kim. According to him, Mirage Island is currently experiencing a severe water shortage. Water is so scarce that residents are limited to drinking it only three times a day, and they're allowed just up to 150ml each time," he relayed this information with a somber tone.
He continued, "The entire Mirage Island is apparently under the control of a group led by a mysterious woman. But when it comes to the leader, I questioned Daniel Kim repeatedly, and he genuinely claimed not to know anything about her, not even her name. I don't believe he's lying about this," Mr. Norman added.
"As for Daniel Kim's partners, all he mentioned was that they were instructed to head to a specific point on Mirage Island, a location provided by their partners. His slave traders would then deliver and collect what they referred to as 'Goods,' well they are basically slaves" Mr. Norman concluded, leaving us with the information he had gathered.
"Hmm... So are you suggesting that this mysterious woman is the ringleader behind everything?" I asked Mr. Norman curiously.
"Probably, I'm not sure, but it seems very likely. I believe she's somehow involved in this whole affair with the slave traders. Instead of referring to her as the 'mysterious woman,' why don't we give her a temporary name?" Mr. Norman proposed.
I raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Is that really necessary?"
"Absolutely! It will add an element of intrigue to our mission. I suggest the name 'Anonyma,' which essentially means 'unknown woman.' What do you guys think?" Mr. Norman asked with a proud expression, eager for our input.
*Sigh*
Nolan sighed and said, "That's enough, Grandpa. We have more pressing matters to attend to. But we can go with that name for now. As for my report, as you guys already know, NS Scorpion will be fully ready by tonight, and we can prepare everything we need tomorrow, then depart for Mirage Island the day after tomorrow," Nolan updated us on the NS Scorpion's status and outlined our new plan.
"That sounds good. What do we need to prepare for the journey to Mirage Island?" I asked the grandfather and grandson duo, my curiosity piqued.
Nolan responded, "Well, we'll need tons of water, food, ammunition, and torpedoes. Regarding the ammunition and torpedoes, we still have the Omni Replicator Forge. My grandfather and I will work on replicating as much ammunition and torpedoes as possible today," he explained the plan for the day and continued.
"As for you and Lucas, you can go with David and buy us water and food for our mission. Wait a minute, now that I think about it, water can spoil easily, so get some rum along with those. We can mix water and rum to prevent it from spoiling quickly," Nolan instructed us and continued.
"David has a day off today, but he'll come to the Scorpion Syndicate's old base later, so you can go with him. He'll show you where to buy those things," Nolan assigned us our task.
"Are you sure you'll be able to handle NS Scorpion by yourself?" I asked Nolan, my concern evident in my expression.
"Yes, thanks to you and Nolan, all the repairs are done. I just have to calibrate the command system and the weapons system a little, and I can do that by myself," Nolan reassured me.
"Well, if you say so," I replied with a casual shrug.
As we discussed this, the door to the Scorpion Syndicate's old base diner swung open once again, and David entered, offering a cheerful, "Good morning, everyone."
"Speak of the devil, we were just talking about you," Nolan chimed in.
"Is that so? Well, whatever, what are we doing today?" David asked Nolan curiously.
Nolan explained, "Well, as for Grandpa and me, we're going to the NS Scorpion to make a few preparations. As for you, Frankie, and Lucas, you're going to the market to buy water, food, and rum."
David raised an eyebrow and inquired, "Why? Are you guys going somewhere?"
Nolan replied with a shrug, "Well, something like that."
Hmm... It looks like neither Nolan nor Mr. Norman told David anything about our mission. Did they hide that from him on purpose? Well, I am pretty sure they must have their reasons for keeping it a secret from David. Maybe I will ask about it to either Mr. Norman or Nolan when they are alone.
As I contemplated this, Lucas served us all some coffee he had prepared. We thanked him, and Lucas suggested, "Everyone, I'm making some breakfast before we go prepare our own things. Why don't we have a hearty meal first? David, you're welcome to join us as well."
"Thank you, Lucas. I'll take you up on that offer," David replied with a smile.
We accepted his offer and enjoyed a hearty meal. Afterward, we all went our separate ways to prepare for our respective tasks. David took me and Lucas to a store that resembled a wholesale outlet, which was perfect for us since we needed to stock up on a large quantity of supplies.
Nolan had only mentioned buying a lot without specifying the quantity, and since we had no idea how long our journey to Mirage Island would take, we decided to purchase around ten barrels each of water and rum. It seemed prudent to have more than we might need rather than find ourselves short on supplies during our mission.
When it came to food, the store had several options for preserved items such as noodles, smoked meat, cured meat, and more. In addition to these, we decided to purchase staples like rice and pasta. Just because we'd be spending a long time at sea didn't mean we had to eat the same thing every day.
Luckily, this world was somewhat developed in a manner similar to Earth, so they had a variety of preserved foods available, including items like dried beans, lentils, and even dried fruits like raisins.
"All right, is that all?" Lucas asked me curiously.
"Wait, we forgot something very important," I told him in a stern voice.
Lucas raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "Something important? What's that?"
"Well, we forgot instant coffee and milk powder," I told him with a serious tone.
"Instant coffee and milk powder? Is that really that important?" Lucas asked me with a confused look.
"Of course it is! I don't know about you, but I can even live without food, but I can't live without coffee," I told him with a serious look on my face.
Lucas gave me a small chuckle and said, "All right, all right, Frankie, let's go get some instant coffee and milk powder."
After that, we finally stocked up on all the things we needed for the journey and returned to the Scorpion Syndicate's old base.