He awoke to the gentle rocking of the sea at dawn. Though his physical body couldn't sense the waves' movement, the faint swaying in his visual display confirmed his current status.
He should be nearing Orb's coastal waters by now.
After logging off last night, he had set his destination to Orb's near-seas. Judging by the patrol schedules of Orb's coastal defense forces… it should be about the right time.
Orb didn't have the resources or manpower to maintain comprehensive security along its entire border, especially at sea. Mostly, they just relied on radar.
But radar didn't pose much of a problem for He Kui.
With the presence of a neutron jammer, Orb's border radar was effectively useless against him.
Having bypassed it many times before, He Kui soon managed to slip undetected into Orb's territory.
The next challenge was figuring out how to reach Orb's main island, Yalafath. The capital, Orfato, along with other major cities, was located there. To closely monitor the upcoming interactions between Orb and the Alliance, the best option was to infiltrate Orb's main island.
Hiding the GuAIZ on a deserted island nearby, He Kui looked toward the main island of Orb. Not that he could actually see it from here—Orb wasn't small enough to survey in a single glance.
His radar was upgraded, and according to the data, its performance should exceed that of the Archangel. He could now move around the Archangel without triggering any alerts.
Of course, with wartime advancements, everyone's technology was progressing rapidly. Who knew what tech upgrades Orb might have implemented by now?
But as long as he didn't recklessly approach the Hyakuri Accelerator, the national defense zone, or Morgenroete's headquarters on the island of Yuna Kyiru, he should be safe.
"Swim across?"
It wasn't far, and it was a straightforward option. Forging a new identity wouldn't be difficult for him. He'd just need to avoid the passing vessels.
With the plan set, he prepared for action.
After securely hiding the GuAIZ, He Kui tucked his cloak inside his suit and entered the water using his semi-mechanical body.
With the neutron jammer active, the radar in this area wouldn't be very effective.
Even without the jammer, a small target like Aegis was unlikely to be detected by conventional radar—unless there was a submarine or radar ship nearby.
As soon as Aegis entered the water, the thrusters on its feet activated, propelling him forward like an arrow.
Relishing the smooth, seamless controls of Aegis 2.0, He Kui couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
Aegis 2.0 was significantly superior to the 1.0 unit he had left in South America. Its performance was better across the board, even extending to radar capabilities. With virtually no delay, Aegis 2.0 could now unleash He Kui's full power.
Still, he knew that the experience of simulated combat wasn't the same as real battle.
Sitting here in the simulation pod, he lacked the feedback and risks of an actual battlefield, which could diminish his effectiveness by ten percent or more.
But that was still preferable to placing himself in direct danger.
As He Kui guided Aegis 2.0 toward his target, he simultaneously exited the Aegis stationed in South America.
Opening the cockpit, he found that, unlike in Orb, it was already dinnertime here. There was roughly a ten-hour time difference between the two locations, and the quick transition left He Kui briefly disoriented.
"You're finally awake!"
Elena stood in front of his cockpit, her eyes bright with excitement as she looked at him.
"Were you waiting here the whole time?"
"Not really! I came by after training."
Elena replied with her usual candor, climbing into the cockpit with He Kui.
Fortunately, He Kui had already disconnected the data cables that linked directly to Aegis, so she didn't notice anything unusual. But balancing dual-threaded operations was slowing his reaction speed a bit—left and right brain multitasking wasn't something most people could handle easily.
"What's up?"
He Kui asked, skillfully evading a civilian yacht in Orb's coastal waters as he addressed Elena, who had just entered the cockpit with a curious look on her face.
The cockpit was modestly built—let's say, compact, with its functional design leaving minimal room. With two people inside, the space felt fully occupied.
"It's the same as my cockpit! How do you manage to sleep in here so long?" Elena knocked on the seat's not-quite-comfortable padding, closer to steel than any plush material.
"And how do you handle… you know, basic needs?"
"There's a recycling system. You just store everything until there's an opportunity to dispose of it."
"What? Really?"
"Yeah, it's right here." He Kui pointed to a section at the back of the footrest area, where a red light indicated its presence, showing a discreet black tube hidden within.
"Though it makes sense you wouldn't know about it, as it's mainly for long-term missions."
He Kui explained, tapping into his extensive experience with reverse-engineering the Dagger units. The setup he pointed out was essentially a system for long-term missions, allowing pilots to relieve themselves in a pinch—though for major functions, it would be an unpleasant experience.
A smaller need could be handled, but most pilots would avoid relying on it. Any substantial use would leave a regrettable stench, even with ventilation.
"But how could anyone live in this space?"
Elena looked around, her previous awe from He Kui's technical knowledge giving way to concern.
"Are you feeling cramped?"
"You could stay in my room if you'd like. I have a private room too!"
They now found themselves in a peculiar position, with Elena seated squarely on his lap—a situation He Kui was painfully aware of, as he couldn't actually feel a thing. There was a pang of regret as he took in her figure.
If his real body were here... But that was far too dangerous.
Dodging yet another vessel in the bay, He Kui continued, a bit exasperated.
"No, it's not that."
As a rare Mobile Suit pilot, the South American Union went out of their way to retain him, offering much higher ranks than ordinary soldiers. Despite Elena's easy-going nature, she held the rank of Second Lieutenant and had her own small, single-room suite.
The South American Union certainly didn't skimp on accommodations for their often short-lived MS pilots.
"So why are you here in this cockpit?"
"System adjustments—I wanted to test an upgrade or two."
"You can upgrade systems too?!"
Elena's excitement ramped up again at He Kui's words.
"Uh, I know a bit?"
More than a bit, in truth—his information engineering skills were nearly at S-rank, potentially on par with Kira's. If he were facing a standard ZAFT Green pilot, he could probably program mid-battle.
"Then can you help me? I feel like my suit can't keep up with my reflexes, and the computer's super slow!"
"I asked those old engineers, but they all said no."
"If you upgrade it for me, I'll do whatever you want!"
"No need to go that far."
Though He Kui couldn't take her up on the offer, the idea wasn't unappealing. Not that he was in any position to take unnecessary risks with his real body.
Still, it seemed Elena was more than an ordinary natural soldier; otherwise, she wouldn't have noticed any lag.
Once he exited the cockpit, he walked with her toward the suits.
Meanwhile, at sunset, He Kui climbed a cliff and reached a lighthouse, having successfully made landfall on a small island near Orb's main island.
According to his intel, there should be a small town here. The plan was to go to the town hall to forge a local identity and then board a ship to the main island.
He Kui looked toward the distant cluster of buildings, solidifying his plan. However, he faced one immediate problem—he had no money.
Resorting to theft wasn't his style, plus it would alert the authorities. The last thing he wanted was for 'Palas' to be
branded as petty criminals. That would be a major hit to their image. It seemed his best option was to sell something…
Another challenge.
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