I Reincarnated as the Captain of a Battleship in a Robot Anime, but at This Rate, I’m Going to Be Assassinated – Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Even in a Distant Future World, Things Might Blow Up
[space_man][space_man]No matter what world, no matter what future, the happiness of being able to enjoy a cold drink in an air-conditioned room on a sweltering day remains the same.
[space_man][space_man]And it seems that the deliciousness of iced coffee with ice on a hot day is the same everywhere. Shougo drained the offered iced coffee at a speed that surprised even himself.
[space_man][space_man]But it wasn’t just him. Lieutenant Mark and the others, as well as Lopes and her crew, were the same.
[space_man][space_man]For that moment, I think the atmosphere in the room relaxed.
[space_man][space_man]The worry that there might be poison in the drinks had disappeared somewhere, and I think the other side isn’t stupid enough to do something like that here.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Phew…… If this were private, I’d feel like gnawing on the ice, but not in a setting like this, right?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Such words come out because of the relaxed atmosphere. Shougo meant it, but he was aware of the situation.
[space_man][space_man]However, Shougo was itching to continue the conversation.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Now…… let’s get down to business.”
[space_man][space_man]”Wait a moment. My granddaughters have nothing to do with this, do they?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Shougo placed his glass on the table and was about to present the topic for discussion, but Adamant stopped him.
[space_man][space_man]In this conference room were the Rebel Army, Lopes and her group, who were the negotiating partners, Adamant and the other planetary representatives, Dr. Phoenix, and Percy. But at the edge of the room, Yuuki and Anish were also there, sipping their iced coffee.
[space_man][space_man]Under the current circumstances, they shouldn’t be involved, but this was Shougo’s idea.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”We can’t be the only ones enjoying iced coffee in a cool room, can we?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Simply put, he wanted to keep an eye on the two who were essentially the protagonist and heroine of this anime world. Also, it seemed too pitiful to leave them out in the sweltering heat and just say goodbye. But of course, that wasn’t all.
[space_man][space_man]He had a plausible reason prepared.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”More importantly, they’ve seen us. There’s no guarantee they won’t leak information. Listen, right now, even the slightest crack in this situation is dangerous. Normally, security would be much tighter, but it’s too late. It’s actually safer to involve them deeply now. If they know things they shouldn’t, they’ll at least understand the consequences of leaking them, right?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]He tried to sound a little villainous, but he didn’t really mean it.
[space_man][space_man]However, because Shougo said such a thing, both Yuuki and Anish had slightly taken aback expressions.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”A-are you threatening them?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Adamant stood up involuntarily, but Shougo ignored him and continued.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”It’s insurance. More importantly, I want to talk. I’ve said it many times, but I’m going to set New Balance right. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t intend to rehash that. However, I can’t do it with just the Rebel Army’s total strength and my personal power. Naturally, New Balance has the power to control Earth and all the colonies.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]It was mentioned a bit in the anime, but if Earth’s forces were represented by 10, the Rebel Army only had about 6 or 7. This is largely due to the Rebel forces being scattered across various planets and New Balance controlling most of space.
[space_man][space_man]Of course, as a parting gift for joining the Rebel Army, Shougo intends to submit information about New Balance’s force deployment that remains in the ship’s data. However, the moment he surrenders, that information will become outdated. It probably won’t be very useful.
[space_man][space_man]What’s more important is the conversation between Shougo and Anferu, and above all, the fact that Anferu was planning to destroy civilian planets under his orders.
[space_man][space_man]This will be a major weapon to use against them.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”There have been atrocities led by Anferu before. Repression is the most obvious example, but if it’s called a security operation against the Rebel Army, distrust can grow, but it’s possible to cover it up and manipulate the narrative. There are also executions of rebels and reckless operations, but these are mostly internal military matters and don’t reach the civilians. Above all…… planetary destruction is a top-secret matter.”
[space_man][space_man]”Hah! There are three colony planets that have been massacred under Anferu’s leadership!”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Lopes said, quietly at first, then with a growl filled with anger.
[space_man][space_man]Her intimidation instantly tightened the atmosphere in the conference room, which had been relaxed until just a moment ago.
[space_man][space_man]As she said, New Balance has destroyed three colony planets with the Planet Killer so far. Most of them were simply for cooperating with the Rebel Army.
[space_man][space_man]There was no confirmation of whether there were actually Rebel forces there. Most of Anferu’s actions are kept secret and concealed. It’s surprising that it hasn’t been exposed, which shows their incredible influence within the military.
[space_man][space_man]The execution squad would likely be collared. Jowain was supposed to be among them, but Shougo avoided that fate by becoming Jowain.
[space_man][space_man]He made them commit atrocities. He did it. If this fact is made public, they will be the target of criticism. If that happens, their lives will be disrupted. Therefore, they have no choice but to obey.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”So, here’s the thing. Everyone, I’m going to make this fact public. But just making it public won’t do anything. I’m going to spread this on PDSN!”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Everyone in the room was dumbfounded by Shougo’s statement.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”PDSN…… on the social network?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Even Lieutenant Mark was surprised and asked back.
[space_man][space_man]PDSN: Planet Dimension Social Network. It’s a commonly used network service that enables communication between Earth and various planets. Although there’s some lag for planets that are too far apart, it’s basically updated in real-time.
[space_man][space_man]Social networking services are also familiar to Shougo. He thought it would be foolish not to use it.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Aren’t you going to hold a press conference or something?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Lopes seemed to have forgotten her earlier outburst.
[space_man][space_man]It would certainly be sensational for a former New Balance general and right-hand man to hold a tell-all press conference.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Of course, I think it would have an impact if I, a former New Balance general, held a press conference, but if you want to reach the general public, this is the quickest way. But if we do it normally, New Balance’s information warfare unit will delete it like crazy. That’s why I want to use Trismegistus.”
[space_man][space_man]”Huh?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Now it was Percy’s turn to be surprised.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”It can manipulate electrons, right? Electrons, in other words, it can control electronic networks as well. I want to use it to stream the details of this operation and the audio data everywhere. I don’t care if it overloads the servers. Listen, rather than some big shot saying something important, it’s this kind of medium, the internet, that ordinary people see, that will be the needle’s prick.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Above all, information transmission through the internet is terrifyingly fast.
[space_man][space_man]If we continue to spread it, even if they try to regulate the information, it will be too late. In any case, the initial action is crucial. Sending it out just once won’t do anything.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”T-that’s insane! You want to use Trismegistus…… for internet trolling!?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]To use a machine that could potentially destroy a planet for such a vulgar purpose……
[space_man][space_man]It was an unthinkable idea for Percy, who was serious to a fault, for better or worse.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”It’s better than fighting a war with guns! Besides, I’ve always thought, shouldn’t the Rebel Army use the internet more for propaganda and stuff?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Shougo realized he was letting his true self show, but he decided to go with the flow.
[space_man][space_man]The era in which this anime was created was the dawn of the internet, and internet culture was becoming popular, but it wasn’t mature yet.
[space_man][space_man]Above all, social media was still underdeveloped and existed only in underground spaces.
[space_man][space_man]However, as time went on, information strategy on the network began to have great significance. The fact is that information can be exchanged in real-time all over the world.
[space_man][space_man]And that’s what he’s trying to do in this anime world. Using a machine that can destroy planets and potentially replicate itself.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Th-that’s…… underhanded.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Anish muttered. Her words probably reflected what most people in the room were feeling.
[space_man][space_man]But Shougo was a little confident.
[space_man][space_man]His plan was to involve as many people as possible in the wave of information.
[space_man][space_man]War isn’t just about exchanging gunfire. It starts with information warfare.
[space_man][space_man]That being said, Shougo isn’t an expert at all. He’s just imitating what he read on the internet.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”It’s not underhanded! It’s the most important thing! We’ll use Trismegistus’ electronic control to send information in all directions. If we send a large amount of data in multiple directions at once, no matter how much New Balance tries to put out the fire, they won’t be able to respond. The important thing is to get the facts in front of people’s eyes. Create tons of throwaway accounts, I want to tell them if they can create puppet machines, they can do this much!”
[space_man][space_man]”Um…… excuse me?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Suddenly, it was Yuuki who joined the conversation.
[space_man][space_man]He timidly raised his hand.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Hm? What is it?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]The protagonist spoke. Shougo had strange expectations.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Sending out information is good, but Jowain? Lieutenant Commander? If you’re the only one doing it, it probably won’t mean much, or rather, they’ll just retaliate and it’ll be over, I think.”
[space_man][space_man]”Retaliate?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Surprisingly, what came out of Yuuki was quite intelligent.
[space_man][space_man]He’s a smart kid to begin with, but it seems he has a different perspective on things.
[space_man][space_man]Shougo understands the meaning of the word “retaliate.” He knows that New Balance will try to extinguish the fire by claiming that the information Jowain sent out is fabricated, nonsense, or fake news.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Well, how should I put it…… The fact that Lieutenant Commander is a former Lieutenant Commander, a former military officer, and now with the Rebel Army, will probably be used against you. Also, the planetary genocide…… it happened three times, right? But I didn’t know about it. That means other people don’t know either, probably.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Although he lacked confidence, what Yuuki said wasn’t wrong.
[space_man][space_man]Information control is thorough.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”So, they might blame Lieutenant Commander for everything and create a justification for their actions. It’s easy to create fake information online.”
[space_man][space_man]”Hm? Well, that’s true.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]It’s certainly something to be concerned about.
[space_man][space_man]The fact that information isn’t generally disclosed is terrifying.
[space_man][space_man]Many people scrutinize information presented to them without any prior knowledge. Furthermore, there will likely be media manipulation by New Balance.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Also, there’s another way to make it a hot topic. A third party should do it. For example…… like a mysterious space pirate?”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]The words that came out of Yuuki’s mouth were unexpected.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”S-space pirate?”
[space_man][space_man]”For example! Being opaque, in other words, stimulates curiosity. People are more interested in information from a mysterious someone than in a chaotic exchange of insults between opposing organizations. At the same time, we can spread rumors like it’s a Rebel Army operation or an exposé from within New Balance…… Anyway? If we’re going to make it a topic online, it’s better than just saying it outright? That way, even if New Balance tries to blame Lieutenant Commander for betraying them and shift the blame, the public won’t connect the dots. Because, either way, it implicitly acknowledges the fact that Colonel Anferu gave the order to destroy the planet.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Everyone in the room was speechless at Yuuki’s eloquence.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Ku, haha!”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Lieutenant Mark clapped his hands and laughed.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”That’s interesting! Space pirates! Hahaha! That’s good, it’s cooler than the Rebel Army. Space pirates, the appearance of a mysterious hero is certainly exciting, isn’t it? Hahaha!”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Lieutenant Mark put his arm around Shougo’s shoulder while laughing.
[space_man][space_man]He’s suddenly getting friendly.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Lieutenant Commander, this is worth a try, don’t you think? Let’s make fun of that bald Anferu bastard. We have to have fun rebelling, right?”
[space_man][space_man]”……Yeah.”
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]Shougo himself was convinced by Yuuki’s argument.
[space_man][space_man]No, he actually thought it would be more effective.
[space_man][space_man]
[space_man][space_man]”Shall we do it? Send out information as space pirates?”