Vol 3. Chapter 9: The Paraiso Unit
“Commencing deployment of humanoid machine communicators for local infiltration.”
The control system for the humanoid machine communicators—mass-produced for the governance of Fratara City and based on local genetic profiles—had stabilized. As a result, the first lot of 22 units was scheduled to be deployed to Fratara City.
The transport method was a test run of newly developed assault drop pods, which would be launched from an altitude of 10 kilometers and dropped into the wilderness near the city.
“Assault drop pods, commence drop.”
One after another, the assault pods shot out from the rear hatch of the SR-1 Albatross.
Once dropped, the pods stabilized their posture through aerodynamic ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) controls before igniting their upper thrusters to accelerate.
“All pods responding normally to control signals. Assault posture stable.”
At approximately 100 meters above the target, the lower thrusters fired in reverse for a forced deceleration. The assault pods were not useful on their own.
However, their exteriors were armored with a tough ceramic-metal composite shell, and the spacious interior could hold ample supplies.
After decelerating to a certain point, the pods rammed their lower landing units directly into the ground. Impact-absorbing gas inside condensed into liquid under pressure, then was released from the units through control valves as high-temperature vapor.
This vapor instantly re-gasified, creating a smoke screen that temporarily obscured visibility.
Landing legs deployed from the pods embedded in the ground, with anchor piles fixing the pods into place. At the same time, the pod armor shifted, releasing the previously compressed shock-absorbing fluid.