Thaw out a Second Life

Pinpointing a Bait

Tirpitz goes off somewhere on her own, having been bored watching Neumark switch between her wrench, hammer, and screwdriver over and over again.

"........"

After a while, Neumark lowers her hands and frantically turns her head from left to right. The repair ship scans the ceilings, surprised at the lack of surveillance cameras in the facility.

"Grr....." The rigging faintly growls at her
"Tirpitz wouldn't approve this and she'd choke me if she finds out. The original one would have been just upset, but the current one is impatient and grumpy"

Neumark thinks the rigging is criticizing her, so she speaks to it as it could understand her. Orthrus has the mentality of a mechanical pet, so it's only intelligent enough to recognize words.

"It's already past noon. Bismarck META's group might be on standby"
"Grr?"
".....I'm making sure backup doesn't arrive on time. Bismarck will surely come rushing here if the signals are up"

Neumark looks back and forth at the two computer screens where she types long lines and rows of codes and data.

"I can't mess up now......"

After days of preparation to keep the METAs undetected by the base's radars, Neumark wipes the sweat off her forehead when her computer privately tracks the location of Bismarck META and the others. They're all in position even if the tracking device have been destroyed.

"This is....."

Neumark then switches to an encrypted channel when a U-boat attempts to connect to her designated channel.

[This is U-556....META. Lord Bismarck and the others are in position]
"You're all a little early"
[We need to strike while they're still unaware]
"I get it, I get it"
[Has the signal towers been disabled]
"Almost there. Jamming two towers is troublesome while I'm keeping track of your group"
[Hurry it up. Lord Bismarck needs to confront Lady Tirpitz as soon as possible]
"Tell your Bismarck not to be too harsh on her little sister"

While Neumark is occupied with sabotaging the towers within the base by limiting its range and redirecting it to nowhere, she shakes her head, exhausted at the thought of how difficult the sisters can be. If she immediately jams the signal, someone in the base will eventually realize and possibly alarm the rest, so Neumark tweaks its properties for the time being.

[That's not up for me to decide. Besides, Lord Bismarck looks unhappy that Lady Tirpitz is wasting her current life, so.....]
"As long as Tirpitz isn't hurt much, then it's fine. That icy blockhead needs some sense beaten into her by the one person with the capability to do so"

As much as she doesn't like Tirpitz to be in danger, she wryly smiles in agreement that Bismarck META's intervention is needed because she can't always personally keep an eye on her.

"Listen. No distress call will reach out to Iron Blood ships in one hour. Remember, you people have one hour before Iron Blood realizes their base is being attacked"
[Eh? Can't you make it two hours at least? Lord Bismarck needs a sisterly reunion!]
"It's as far as I can help. This way, it's disguised to appear the attacking METAs jammed our communication towers. I don't want to go in jail just yet!"
[T-that's true. I thank you in Lord Bismarck's behalf]
"Hmph....."
[The attack will begin the second I lower the barrier from above. When it appears, it means Lord Bismarck is in the base and.....]
".....Tirpitz will come after her like an idiot. She can be predictable"
[What will you do by the moment the fighting starts?]
"I'm staying here and monitoring the battle, of course. I'll do what I can to prevent Bismarck from connecting to Tirpitz here"
[I feel guilty for the Lord Bismarck here, but I must fulfill my duty and so should you]
"I have to end the communication here. Any longer and it would leave traces"
[Okay, got it!]