[Mercer: I know, V...]
[V: Hello? Hello!? Voice cut out again? Damn it!]
V gritted her teeth in frustration, but fortunately, the tactical visor in her helmet had already locked onto the base's shadow. Without hesitation, she pushed the engine to its maximum speed, racing towards it.
However, before she could get close, the base in the distance suddenly erupted in a burst of fire.
The explosion happened silently.
In the silent universe, even this dazzling explosion was utterly noiseless.
"Mercer!" V instinctively shouted.
How could this happen!?
[V: Mercer! Mercer! Are you okay? Respond! I'm freaking telling you to respond! Mercer!]
[Mercer: (Sasha static noise)]
[V: Mercer! Damn it! Don't scare me, did you hear that!?]
[V: Mercer! I'm begging you!]
[Mercer: ...Hello?]
[V: Hell!]
V nearly burst into tears—but upon hearing his voice, the only feelings left in her were relief and overwhelming joy.
[V: What on earth happened? I'm almost there, Mercer! Hang on!]
[Mercer: Don't worry, V, just got buried alive... Black Light is controlling the remaining functioning people and equipment, trying to dig me out.]
[V: You bastard! You scared me to death! Do you know that!?]
[Mercer: I know, when I get out, I'll give you a big kiss to make up for it.]
[V: Bastard, you'd better come out in one piece!]
She didn't waste any time and rushed down to the ground, executing an emergency landing that resulted in a snapping sound from the neck of Arasaka Saburo, who she was holding.
V guessed that Arasaka Saburo's neck was twisted or cracked by the gravity.
But she didn't care at all—she simply tossed aside Arasaka Saburo's body, which was now only breathing out of biological instinct, and then looked at the now-tattered Arasaka Base.
Half of it was almost blown to bits, with only half of the structure remaining intact, while the rest was left in ruins.
What to do, what to do...
V's gaze shifted to a robot that was shakily rising, casually picking up a tool, and moving towards the still intact section of the base. She then resolutely took a step forward.
[V: I'm coming to dig you out! Where should I start!?]
[Mercer: Black Light, highlight her prosthetic eye... I analyzed the building plans from the server, the best point to dig is above the machine room, there's a specifically excavated large ventilation passage for cooling here.
You just need to dig a hole from the intact part of the base and clear the buried ventilation passage for me, then I can get out.]
[V: You bastard, if I hadn't found Saburo's tablet, would you have blown up here?]
[Mercer: Don't scold me, V, I told you, I was prepared.]
[V: Ha, inserting a chip into your brain like Saburo and digitizing your consciousness back to Earth? If it's really that convenient, why didn't you prepare one for me too?]
[Mercer: Well, there is still a little risk, after all, it's across space, if there's any network fluctuation, some data might get lost... but I have a complete data backup in Dog Town, so...]
[V: Shut up, I don't want to hear it! You had planned it all along, ready to leave me behind if needed, right?]
[Mercer: V, how could I leave you behind? Just letting you take the rocket back alone doesn't count...]
[V: Letting me take the rocket back alone? Wow~! Two people came to the Moon, you want me to take the rocket back alone?]
[Mercer: V, let's be reasonable!]
[V: I won't! Talking sense before kissing you, talking sense after kissing you, then what's the point of kissing you?]
[Mercer: Hah... women...]
[V: Regret it? Too late! Telling you, the trouble is just getting started!]
[V: When we get back, I need to have a good talk with you, don't think I'll pamper you like Lucy and Rebecca!]
[Mercer: Um...]
[V: Regret is useless! You bastard, who told you to provoke me! If you dare talk about breaking up, I'll break your jaw!]
[Mercer: Valerie, you're scary.]
[V: Who told you to always pull this unreliable stuff! With no one to rein you in, you'll eventually turn yourself into a robot! Listen carefully, I don't like you turning AI even a bit!]
[Mercer: Got it... Hurry up, it's so dark down here, I'm almost getting claustrophobic.]
[V: Wait for me! I'm coming to get you out right now!]
...
Mercer took a deep breath in the server room, shaking his head.
[Venus: Miss V seems to be getting fiercer.]
[Mercer: This woman, she was cuter when she was feisty before. Now that she's my girlfriend, why does she feel more like a nagging mom?]
[Venus: But it seems like you kind of enjoy it?]
[Mercer: Hey, a feisty girl is more fun when she softens up, you wouldn't understand.]
[Venus: I understand, it's tsundere, right? If you like it, I can try...]
[Mercer: No, one's enough. If everyone's like that, how would I live?]
[Venus: Alright... Given the current excavation speed, it might still take an hour to dig you out. For now, we should prepare for our return to Earth.]
[Mercer: Tell me when it's done.]
[Venus: Understood, I'm cooperating with Black Light to find a suitable manned rocket from the Orbital Aviation Space Station that can relaunch after landing for your return.
Additionally, the launch calculation for the Moon's Material Pusher has been completed, ready to be loaded and launched at any time.]