(The helicopter descended slowly onto the Elmo, and the Dolls opened the cabin doors, jumping out one by one. Following behind them, Dier stepped onto the Elmo as well.)
(After receiving Dier's distress signal, Centauressi led Daiyan and a few others on a mission to retrieve him from the relay station.)
(Dier explained that he had also come to support the missing Squad 404. Upon arriving in the area, he discovered that all the relay stations had been destroyed, and the roads in and out were under the control of Magni Security.)
(Trapped in the region, he managed to repair one of the relay stations and used its equipment to contact us, thanks to Lenna providing him with the Elmo’s communication number.)
(No enemies were found at the relay station, and after picking up Dier, the helicopter returned to the Elmo.)
(The Dolls went back to the maintenance bay to rest, while Dier made his way to the command room.)
(I glanced up and down at Dier, scrutinizing him, which seemed to make him a little uncomfortable.)
Dier: Uh… What’s with that look, Commander? Why are you staring at me like that?
Commander: Well… It’s been so long since we last met. Hard to imagine you’d grow into this.
Dier: Uh… cough, I mean, I’m human, Commander. Unlike Dolls, humans grow pretty quickly.
Commander: Of course I know that.
Commander: What surprises me more is that you’re still assisting Squad 404.
Dier: Yeah, I sometimes wonder why I keep getting myself into this mess.
Dier: But since I’m already involved, I might as well see it through.
Dier: Besides, I heard the Elmo would be supporting this operation, and I’ve always wanted to check it out.
Commander: Well, it’s certainly...an impressive mobile base.
Dier: Impressive? That’s an understatement!
Dier: This is a top-tier masterpiece from I.O.P.
Dier: The last great creation of the Neo-Soviet heavy industry!
Dier: A one-of-a-kind model!
Commander: Uh… Sounds like it’s very… valuable?
Dier: Commander, you seriously have no idea how priceless this thing is, do you?
Commander: All I know is its monthly maintenance costs are draining me dry.
Dier: Well, you get what you pay for.
(Dier looks around the command platform and notices the outdated communication system.)
Dier: Mind if I upgrade the comms system while I’m here?
Commander: Go ahead.
(I stepped aside, and Dier got to work connecting an array of peculiar devices to the command platform. After a while, a new interface appeared on the screen.)
Commander: This is…?
Dier: I’ve upgraded the Elmo’s communication system and set up a temporary encrypted channel.
Dier: Didn’t you experience information leaks in your past communications?
Commander: What makes you say that?
Dier: Lenna told me about it.
Dier: She mentioned that Miss Kalina discovered multiple instances of the NOMFA’s communications being intercepted and suggested upgrading the encryption levels for Squad 404’s channels.
Dier: Lenna believed just encrypting the channels wasn’t enough, so she not only enhanced the encryption but also implemented a 'honeypot trap' into their intel system.
Dier: Whenever an 'uninvited guest' accesses their communications, Squad 404 sends them a little… surprise.
Dier: Unfortunately, the upgraded system hasn’t caught our mysterious visitor just yet.
Dier: The encryption method I just installed is similar to what Squad 404 uses. This should help keep both sides’ intel secure.
Commander: Sounds like Kalina might need to upgrade her systems too.
Dier: That’s… a bit out of my league. I wouldn’t dare meddle with the NOMFA’s tech.
Dier: Honestly, I think their system is where the biggest leaks are.
Commander: You think the NOMFA has issues?
(I paused for a moment, choosing not to respond directly. While I had unwavering trust in Kalina, I couldn’t easily judge the true stance of the organization she worked for.)
(After some thought, I decided to shift the conversation.)
Commander: By the way, you mentioned earlier that Lenna asked you to come here?
Dier: That’s right.
Dier: Clukay mentioned there were signal issues with the comms network, so Lenna asked me to investigate.
Dier: I thought it’d be a routine task, so I flew my own plane here and covered all the vehicle and equipment costs myself. Honestly, Clukay’s way too stingy.
Commander: You ventured into a Yellow Zone alone?
Dier: The danger level here isn’t that high, and my vehicle’s performance is top-notch. Even the Varjagers couldn’t catch up.
Dier: I figured I’d just repair a relay station, set up a fortified base, and be done. But it turned out every station I passed was completely destroyed, except for the one I managed to fix.
Dier: Then Magni Security blocked all the roads. If I’d tried to leave, I’d have been turned into Swiss cheese.
Dier: Luckily, I ran into you, Commander. Otherwise, this mission could’ve been a total disaster.
(Dier nodded to himself, as if affirming his own judgment, and continued updating the comms system.)