The scenery at San Juan Mountain Sanatorium is beautiful, and the environment is pleasant. In front of the courtyard where Reno resides, there is even a small lake surrounded by pine forests.
Reno enjoys being here. Sitting on the balcony, holding a cup of Tennessee whiskey, he gazes at the distant lake as the sun sets. In the sparkling lake, fish jump in the water; a few squirrels are lively jumping around in the trees. A fox sneaks through the woods and sits by the lake.
It looks at Reno on the balcony with bright eyes. Reno raises his glass to it and drinks it all at once.
"It's called Jerry," a beautiful and melodious voice comes from the side.
Reno turns his head and sees a girl standing on the neighboring balcony. She has short blue hair and wears a black backless dress, with a touch of laziness in her demeanor, as if she had just woken up from a nap and still retained an infinite affection for the bed.
Full of allure.
"Sorry... were you talking about it just now?" Reno turns back to look at the little fox in the distance, asking with doubt.
The girl shrugged. "I guess you didn't name it Jerry."
Reno laughs. "I'm Johnny Reno, Commander of the Second Mech Squadron of the flagship Adrastea of the Seventh Fleet of the Redwood Sector, and temporary captain of the Adrastea."
"Clarice Austin, an environmental investigator from Hexton, invited here for environmental analysis and testing," the girl paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up with a strange glow, her features relaxed, as if she had discovered a new continent. "You said you're a mech commander but still a temporary captain? It's the first time I've heard of a mech commander serving as a temporary captain. What put you in that position?"
"Destiny," Reno replied after some thought.
The girl laughed. "Considering you're still standing here, I guess you didn't sink the ship."
Reno replied, "Driving a starship is actually quite simple. Aim in the direction, engage acceleration, and the ship flies back. The most interesting part is that you only need to give orders, and all the actual actions are done by the officers under your command. So, to some extent, a starship captain can be the only person on board who knows nothing and can still drive the ship."
"Just like how a president can manage everything because he knows nothing!" the girl interjected.
The two looked at each other and suddenly laughed.
What they just said was a folk rhyme circulated among the people to ridicule the government. Obviously, Reno's joke didn't fool the girl.
Reno was about to say something when the girl suddenly said, "Oh my, time is running out!"
Then she did something unexpected: she lifted her skirt and began to climb up the wall.
Reno was startled by the girl's behavior. "Miss Austin, what are you doing?"
"Never mind me, I'll be fine!" Clarice Austin was already standing on the protrusion of the wall, then slowly climbed upward, looking like a Spider-Man who had just attended a banquet still wearing formal attire.
As she continued to climb, her target seemed to be a terrace above. Reno muttered, "Damn."
He pressed a watch on his wrist. A black liquid sprayed out of the watch and covered Reno like a thin black film. Soon, Reno was completely covered by this black film, looking as if he were wearing a suit of night clothes.
Having done this, Reno jumped off the balcony. As he fell, his palms pressed against the wall, firmly sticking to it, and he quickly moved upward.
A gust of wind blew, causing Clarice's long skirt to sway. She trembled, almost lost her balance for a moment, stepped into the air, and started to tilt downward.
"Ah!" Clarice let out a terrified scream.
Just as she was about to fall, a strong hand pressed against her lower back, sending her back to the wall.
"Steady there," Reno said. He appeared behind her, his body like a wall, giving Clarice a sense of security.
Clarice sighed, "Okay, I admit, I was a bit reckless. But time is running short, can you help me get there?"
"Of course," Reno replied. "Hold on to me."
Clarice turned around, hooked her hands around Reno's neck, and wrapped her legs around his waist.
They faced each other like this, their proximity so close that Reno could feel her fragrant and enticing breath.
Then, he supported the wall and, with Clarice, climbed toward the top terrace.
Clarice looked at Reno, her big eyes charming and moving. She asked, "What are you wearing? How can you climb on the wall?"
"LRS-II standard protective film, specifically for internal personnel of starships. It's not combat-effective, but it has good climbing ability, thermal insulation, and cushioning effects. Starships are huge, and when they encounter battles, sometimes a roll of distance can be equivalent to falling from ten floors. In addition, the gravity system on the starship may also be damaged. The adhesion function allows us to ensure normal operation in weightlessness. Finally, when we accidentally fall into places with significant temperature differences, its good thermal insulation effect can save our lives... Of course, occasionally it can also be used to cameo as Spider-Man."
"Are these devices not supposed to be turned in as soon as you leave the ship?"
"Temporary captains can occasionally secure some benefits for themselves."
Clarice chuckled lightly, her lips pursed. "Your benefit saved my life."
As they spoke, Reno had already climbed onto the rooftop terrace.
Reno set Clarice down.
Clarice hurriedly ran to a corner of the terrace.
There was a telescope placed there.
Clarice cheered, "I almost missed the time."
Reno asked incredulously, "You risked your life to climb up here just to look at the stars?"
"No, it's the patrol ship," Clarice replied, holding onto the telescope. "The Lakrazaf-class ground patrol ship. At this time every day, it begins its periodic low-altitude patrol. When it starts its patrol, it turns on all its lights, and it's the only time people below can see it through the clouds."
"Does your friend serve on that patrol ship?"
"My husband," Clarice answered.