Chapter 179: Flashlight

He walked through the aerial corridor that had been sealed and radiation‑shielded.

Sui Bian, Leon, the Red and White Queens, and the Dark Angels could get a full view of the dock area that serves as Luna Base's entrance and exit.

In addition to the three side‑by‑side docks, there is a large landing pad equipped with many robotic arms.

The landing pad holds the Yuyou, Crane Ostrich Vessel, Hunting Falcon and other aircraft reinforced by robotic arms for the armed divisions.

There is also a vessel that resembles the Crane Ostrich Vessel but is three sizes larger, looking like a small warship.

The dock area of Luna Base is actually also a starport.

These small warships are Umbrella's own models and also the civilian versions sold externally.

They can carry four hundred people at once, make the Earth‑Moon round trip in six days, and contain life‑support systems lasting three weeks.

Even passengers who buy economy cabins on the civilian model have a small berth, but they must go to a communal washroom for bathing or showering.

Business class simply enlarges the berth space, and the communal washroom rarely has a line.

The top tier is luxury business class, where the berth is not only larger but also includes a private restroom; of course, the price is far higher than any international flight on Earth.

However, the civilian ships parked here are Umbrella's own models.

There is no distinction between economy and business cabins; all berths are the same size, and the communal washrooms are six more than on the civilian version.

Most importantly, employees' trips between Earth and the Moon are reimbursed by Umbrella, so they never have to buy tickets.

Although Sui Bian has to consider every angle—cost here, consumption there—in reality Umbrella isn't short of money, so he provides countless benefits to the staff.

Especially employees who have signed formal contracts and NDAs receive all kinds of reimbursements and bonuses, and even their immediate relatives get virtually free surgery, hospitalization, and medication at Umbrella's general hospital—essentially, one hire brings blessings to the whole family.

Walking through the aerial corridor fitted with a flat‑handrail flashlight ladder, Sui Bian silently observed the Lion Griffin docked at Dock 2.

He can see the bridge at the very front of the hull and three twin‑linked cannons on the upper side; other sections likely have additional twin cannons, but the angle prevents a clear view.

Moreover, the twin cannons' caliber is far inferior to the 300 mm plasma side‑guns of the Azure Eagle class, let alone the electromagnetic main cannon.

Sui Bian recalls that, by design, these twin cannons are energy weapons that fire high‑energy beams, crudely called "laser cannons."

Such laser weapons are still useful in space "naval battles," but within an atmosphere they suffer scattering and attenuation from dust, droplets, ice crystals, and other tiny particles.

If fog, blizzard, or heavy rain occurs, the laser's effectiveness is further hindered.

Umbrella does have laser‑weapon technology; in fact, before the Lion Griffin was procured, Sui Bian spent 800 points in the system store to exchange an M36 Katrell‑type Laser Rifle forged by some hammer.

It can also be called a "Flashlight."

The M36 weighs 2.6 kg, is 920 mm long, its "magazine" holds 21 terabits, and its maximum rate of fire is 240 rounds per minute.

Its "magazine" is not a conventional ammunition clip but a rechargeable, reusable battery.

The M36 has no ballistic trajectory; in theory, you aim, pull the trigger, and the beam from the barrel hits the target.

Although people constantly joke that the M36 or other laser rifles are "flashlights" with little damage, that's a misunderstanding.

After all, the "big‑heads" who wield the M36 laser rifle have to face all manner of demons and spirits, which is why it seems like a flashlight.

Even though the M36's damage to solid targets is far below that of plasma shoulder cannons, it wins on price, needing no fusion reactor—just a battery magazine.

Its good stability and reliability, plus low maintenance cost, make personal energy weapons no longer exclusive to Astate and OriginalBody.

"Professor Xiersi once warned us that without solid evidence we must not jump to conclusions; don't forget we are Oxford History Department students."

So, looking at the twin laser cannons on the Lion Griffin, Sui Bian isn't particularly surprised; he just thinks they're less reliable than plasma cannons.

"White Queen." He then turned his gaze back to the White Queen and said, "Notify the Eastern European manufacturing plant to speed up production of three fold‑jump engines, then retrofit the three Azure Eagle‑class ships."

Finally, have Luna Base arrange to replace all the Lion Griffin's laser cannons with plasma cannons and suitably add a pulse close‑defense cannon array."

"Understood, sir." the White Queen replied.

Having said that, everyone continued toward the end of the aerial corridor.

They left the corridor.

Upon reaching the starport terminal, the group entered the exclusive passage without pausing, then crossed a sealed, radiation‑shielded skybridge straight into a private shuttle only slightly larger than the Crane Ostrich Vessel.

The view shifts to a bird's‑eye look over the starport opposite the three docks.

The skybridge retracts and retreats, the fixing robotic arms extend, and the private shuttle lifts vertically from the pad, heading toward a small upper gate.

The gate opens slowly.

The moment the slit widens, direct sunlight pours into the dock, illuminating the various vehicles on the pad and the starport structures.

And as the gate opens, no gas leaks out despite the pressure difference.

With the gate fully opened for the private shuttle to pass, it leaves the dock and starport, emerging above the lunar sea outside the gate.

From the shuttle's cockpit, the view outside is a gray plain of the lunar sea floor, a massive gate at the center of the plain, and an intensely glaring sun.

Then the shuttle ascends vertically out of the lunar sea, eventually reaching orbit above the Moon.

It deploys optical camouflage while accelerating, preparing to use a gravity‑assist slingshot to boost speed back to Earth.

The shuttle is equipped with a small fusion engine and a complete life‑support system, with berths, washrooms and all other compartments fully furnished.

Using the gravity‑assist effect, the round trip between Earth and Moon takes only 26 hours, far faster than civilian vessels, since it's a private craft.

For Sui Bian, taking the private shuttle back to Earth is essentially just an international flight on Earth, and it doesn't interfere with his regular work or rest.

———————

…

December 26.

London, eight hours ahead of Los Angeles, is in the midday time slot.

Winter London rarely sees the massive blizzards of Los Angeles, but the sky is constantly overcast and the city feels cold and damp.

Yet at this moment London's streets are crowded with vehicles and pedestrians, especially at the entrances and exits of major malls.

It is the post‑Christmas holiday shopping day, and people enjoy both the vacation and the mall promotions.

Amid the congested traffic, one of the cars belongs to Umbrella.

(End of Chapter)