A month after meeting Vindel in the meeting room, I'm back, facing him again. We planned to meet sooner, but his work delayed us until today.
"Sorry for the delay. Congrats on third year."
"Thanks."
"We're comrades now. Drop the formalities."
Surprisingly friendly. "Got it."
"Let's talk unit formation."
"Wait. One question first."
"What?"
"You congratulated me on third year, but I've got a year left in school. How do I balance that with Shadow-Mirror duties?"
"…Shadow-Mirror?"
Crap! The name's not official yet! Major slip-up!
"Uh, I mean—"
"Shadow-Mirror… a fitting name, like the Federation's dark reflection."
Huh?
"Vindel?"
"Good call. Let's go with Shadow-Mirror."
Seriously? Was I the one who named it in the original?
"So, Shadow-Mirror's the name?"
"Yeah, it suits us. Now, about school?"
"If I'm leading the special operations squad, how do I manage as a student?"
"Simple. Do both."
"What?"
"You heard me. Balance Shadow-Mirror and school. It's an order."
Impossible, but I'm stuck. The unit's just forming—gear, base, and members will take at least six months. Third-year second half is mostly self-study, so the overlap won't be long.
"Fine. Unit formation—any progress?"
"We'll use PTs and AMs, plus Assault Dragoons (AD) and Valkyrie Series (VC)."
As expected. Assault Dragoons prioritize mobility; Valkyrie Series are artillery-focused. I feign ignorance. "AD? VC?"
"Not public at most academies yet. ADs, developed by Fremont Industries, are high-mobility assault units with advanced man-machine interfaces—perfect for special forces. VCs, from Z&R, are artillery units with live ammo. We'll need a few for support. Both are newly announced."
I nod, acting convinced. "Assault and artillery units sound essential for a special ops team."
PTs have artillery units like Schutzvald, but only three exist. ADs, built for assault, are reliable.
"Those four are set. Anything else?" Vindel asks.
My trump card. I pull a report from my bag—Fel's Time Flow Engine paper, simplified.
"Time Flow Engine?" Vindel reads, his expression growing serious.
"What do you think?"
"Impressive theory—if it works."
"It's legit. I knew Fel personally. He wasn't a fraud."
"Knew? Past tense?"
"He passed recently. Dr. Montoya's continuing the research."
Vindel's cheek twitches, calculating. "How complete is a Time Flow Engine-powered machine?"
"Nowhere near. It's just theory."
He twitches again, suppressing anger.
"The report doesn't mention it, but the engine was meant for time travel. Scholars mocked that, so funding's tight. Fel's reputation kept it afloat, but with him gone, Montoya's struggling."
I sip tea from a bottle.
"The day before we met, I attended Fel's funeral. I suggested to Montoya that weaponizing the engine's perpetual-motion trait could secure Federation funding."
"Without the engine built, that's a stretch."
"Now, yes. But we've got at least six months before we're operational. That's enough time."
He nods, understanding. "Six months to build a mobile weapon, especially with an untested power source, is tight."
"A fuel-free perpetual-motion machine is tempting, right? Worst case, we develop the engine separately from the machine."
"Smart. We'll need a developer in Shadow-Mirror… maybe her."
He's got someone in mind. "A genius too brilliant to handle?"
"Exactly. You two might get along."
"Who?"
"Lemon Browning."
Of course. Lemon, already? Kyousuke's accident was recent—does she have her identity yet? As Excellen's base, maybe she does.
"If you can handle it, go for it."
"Fine, but the Time Flow Engine better deliver. If Lemon joins, funding's secured, and they back out of weaponization, we're screwed."
"Should be fine. Researchers need funding to survive."
"Alright, I'll trust you."
The Time Flow Engine's set. It derails the original, but my survival matters more.
"Anything else useful?"
"AD's base is the Solpressa, a fighter with great maintenance and short takeoff. Good for interception. VC's base is the Fylgia, a hover tank with high mobility and turning speed. With a skilled pilot, it can one-shot PTs or AMs."
"Useful, but Shadow-Mirror's small and elite. Don't humanoid weapons suffice?"
"Everything has a use."
True—original Neue DC used Solpressa and Fylgia. They're versatile, even if we don't pilot them.
"Time's up. Take this." Vindel hands me a data disk.
"What's this?"
"Shadow-Mirror candidate list. Pick the best ones."
"You're dumping this on me?"
"Want to handle the base and logistics instead?"
"Fine, boss. I'll handle recruitment."
I lost that one.