It had been a few days since we encountered the breathtaking GigaLinkers. Since then, our journey had been smooth sailing, and even creatures like the Armored Ravager, which used to pose a significant threat, no longer troubled us. According to Nolan's calculations, we should reach Mirage Island by tomorrow.
I was on the command deck, steering the NS Scorpion, with Lucas as my co-helmsman. Meanwhile, Mr. Norman and Nolan had disappeared, seemingly engrossed in something they found in the deepest part of the storage room. I wasn't sure what it was, but Nolan appeared quite shocked, and he had dragged Mr. Norman with him for some reason.
"Grandpa! How could you forget something so important?" Nolan demanded, his voice laced with fury.
"Hey, I am quite old, and it's been nearly half a century since I last saw the NS Scorpion, so it's natural for me to forget about these things. What about you? Didn't you work on the NS Scorpion? How didn't you find it back then?" Mr. Norman defended himself and turned the question toward Nolan.
"We-well, I was busy with repairs and the upgrades, and it was fully covered, kept in a box, and placed in the deepest part of the storage. Even now, I stumbled upon it by accident," Nolan offered his explanation.
As Mr. Norman and Nolan returned from their little trip, they seemed to be in the midst of an argument. I was curious about the topic of their conversation, so I decided to inquire.
"Nolan, what are you two discussing?" I asked him with curiosity in my voice.
*Sigh*
He released a weary sigh and replied, "Frankie, it's kind of a long story. You should probably put the NS Scorpion on auto-pilot mode if you want to know the full story," he told me with a tired expression.
Intrigued by his statement, I followed his advice and activated the auto-pilot mode. Lucas joined us, and we all headed to the diner. Meanwhile, Lara and Miss. Ava remained in the command deck, monitoring our surroundings.
As we settled in the diner, Nolan began his explanation, "So, Frankie, I'm pretty sure you're now familiar with HydroVortex technology. But what if I tell you there's an even more advanced technology that surpasses it, and it was once used on the NS Scorpion?" Nolan said this with a serious expression on his face.
What NS Scorpion once had even more advanced technology? From the way he says that it appears that the NS Scorpion somehow lost that technology now. I am curious to find out what happened.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked Nolan, my curiosity piqued.
Nolan began to explain, "Well, Frankie, NS Scorpion once possessed an advanced technology called the AeroVortex engine. It's built upon the HydroVortex technology you're familiar with, but as the name suggests, this engine runs on air rather than water. However, the most remarkable aspect of it is that by using the AeroVortex engine, any vessel can be converted into a flying vessel." His words left me intrigued, and I leaned in to listen more attentively.
"Wait, hold on a minute, are you trying to say that with this AeroVortex engine, NS Scorpion can fly in the air?" I asked him, my eyes wide with shock.
"Yes, precisely. The thing is, the AeroVortex technology can only be found in Avian territory. Not only that, it's very expensive to install and maintain because only the Avians know how to maintain this technology. Even I don't fully understand how this thing works. Now, do you understand how surprised I was to see something that amazing was just thrown away in a corner like some trash?" Nolan explained, his expression tired.
"Did you find something like that inside NS Scorpion?" I asked him, still shocked, and turned to Mr. Norman, one of the original crew members of NS Scorpion, for some answers. "Mr. Norman, what is the meaning of this?"
*Sigh*
He let out a weary sigh and replied, "As I said, it's been so long that I forgot about it. By the way, now that we have found it, Nolan, can you fix it?" Mr. Norman asked Nolan.
"Hmm... I don't know. It's very old and damaged a lot. I will give it a try, but I can't guarantee anything. By the way, how did NS Scorpion have something like that to begin with? And how did it get damaged like that?" Nolan asked Mr. Norman curiously.
"Well, we got that thing from the Avian Council along with the Omni Replicator Forge, and it got damaged when we fought the flame salamander," Mr. Norman recounted his stories from the past.
"Wait a minute, Avian Council? There are so many people who would do anything to meet the Avian Council. How did you manage to meet them?" Nolan asked Mr. Norman with wide-eyed shock.
"Wait a minute, Nolan. That's not important right now. Mr. Norman, what do you mean by flame salamander?" I interrupted Nolan and asked Mr. Norman curiously.
"Oh, are you interested?" Mr. Norman asked me with a mischievous grin and continued his story, "Well, a flame salamander is a reptilian being that has four limbs, two wings, and scales as hard as steel, and they can even breathe fire from their mouth," Mr. Norman told us about the flame salamander.
"Wait a minute, is that thing basically a dragon?" I asked him curiously.
"I know, right? We asked the same exact thing to the Avian Council, but for some reason, they insisted that it was a flame salamander rather than a dragon. Maybe it's because the concept of a dragon is not widely recognized in this world, and they are more used to the name flame salamander," Mr. Norman offered his own theory.
Well, I guess that makes sense, but to think this world has something similar to a dragon. Will I be able to see something like that if I become a mercenary? I'm not sure if I should be excited or terrified if I encounter something like that.
"That's not important! Grandpa, tell me about how you managed to meet the Avian Council," Nolan interrupted us with urgency in his voice.
"All right, all right, calm down, geez, I will tell you," Mr. Norman tried to calm down Nolan and continued his speech.
"Well, as you know, during our prime, we were the best mercenaries around, so we were able to meet the Avian Council very easily. They had a job for us, which was to either hunt or make the flame salamander retreat. Our payment was the AeroVortex engine and the Omni Replicator Forge. Unfortunately, during our encounter with the flame salamander, the AeroVortex engine was severely damaged, and we decided to fix it later, but we never got the chance. That's how it ended up in storage," Mr. Norman recounted his stories from the past and explained how the AeroVortex engine ended up in the storage.
"Well, that's too bad. Anyway, what happened to that flame salamander?" I asked Mr. Norman curiously.
"Heh, asking the important question, are we? Well, it got away, but it was severely injured, and we basically bombarded it with nuclear torpedos, so it's most likely dead now either because of the wounds or by radiation poisoning," Mr. Norman told us about this and continued.
"All right, everyone, let's get back to work; we are almost there," Mr. Norman reminded us of our mission. After nodding in approval, we all went back to work.
…..
It had been a day since our conversation about the flame salamander. We were all in the command deck, each occupied with our tasks. Suddenly, Nolan urgently called for my attention.
"Frankie, come and take a look at this," he beckoned me over to the periscope, his eyes locked onto whatever he had discovered.
"What is it?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"Just take a look, and you'll understand," he replied cryptically, not offering any further explanation.
So I just did as he asked me and I peer through the periscope, and an otherworldly scene unfolds before my eyes. The periscope extends above the water's surface, granting me a unique view of an island that appears to have been forsaken by time itself.
This is no tropical paradise with lush greenery; instead, it's a haunting and desolate landscape. The island's terrain is harsh, its soil cracked and parched, as if it longs for a single drop of moisture. The relentless sun beats down upon the arid land.
Only a few tenacious plants dare to cling to life here, their verdant patches standing out like precious jewels amidst the unforgiving backdrop. They are the island's fragile lifeline, a testament to nature's resilience.
In the distance, a town comes into view, its buildings seemingly huddled together, seeking shelter from the harsh environment. They bear witness to the island's enduring spirit, a place where life persists against all odds.
As I continue to observe through the periscope, a sense of solitude and isolation washes over me. This island exists in its own quiet corner of the world, far removed from the bustling civilization I know. Yet, its stark beauty and mysterious allure captivate my imagination.
I tore my gaze away from the periscope and turned to Nolan. "Nolan, is this...?"
Before I could complete my question, he interjected, "Yes, this is Mirage Island."