NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9: Chapter 9: The Tactical Doll in the Factory
"The air is getting worse and worse, but this place was really trashed. With all this destruction, who knows if we can still find that hard drive."
Standing before the gate of the Sangvis Ferri Manufacturing, Renault surveyed the mostly collapsed SF Factory and sighed.
The factory was only a few kilometers from the town, and with his motorcycle, he arrived in five minutes. Although Griffin's commander had blown up the factory, the road leading to it was still in good condition. Unlike infected people who might pickaxe the ground, these Dolls didn't tamper with the road, leaving it completely smooth and unobstructed.
Suddenly, a Dinegerate in the open space before the factory stirred, sensing someone approaching. Its camera flashed a few times before dimming again.
"It seems not many SF Dolls are here, and there are no defenses. The damage on these wrecks is mostly on top."
Apart from the factory fence, the only vantage point was the roof. Even if the Griffin commander who destroyed the factory had bad taste, he wouldn't have entered, occupied the building, and then stood on the roof using these Dinergrates and Prowlers as target practice, right?
While pondering, Renault picked up a Dinergrate's remains from the ground and knocked on it with his knuckles. The sound was dull, indicating the unit was still quite sturdy. Although its shape looked unstable, it was definitely stronger than M1911 and the others.
"At least the shell is made of metal and won't crumble like a cheap Autonomous Doll. The structure is simple. I'll take two back with me later."
Tossing aside the completely damaged Dinegerate, Renault walked towards the half-collapsed factory door.
Inside, the ground was littered with the remains of SF Dolls, all clearly taken down with close-range gunfire. Renault could almost visualize the Griffin commander swaggering in with his dolls and ruthlessly gunning down all the SF Dolls in the factory.
Not far from the entrance stood the production line used to build Dinegrates, now completely blown up, alongside several other production lines in the distance. There was no other equipment in the factory, indicating that even the Sangvis executives didn't care much about this place. They simply threw together two production lines and called it a day.
On the other hand, flickering flames still burned in the warehouse behind the factory.
"Control center or something? I doubt such a thing exists in this factory anymore. Even if it did, it was probably destroyed by the previous Griffin commander."
Of course, if it didn't exist, it didn't. Even if he failed to complete Helian's request, Renault wouldn't regret it, as it just meant less money.
But there was the old mayor, a collector. How could a collector not have any treasures at home? The M30 he gave M1911 before could probably be sold for a good price in the Green Zone.
Not to mention the mayor had other collectibles, like the motorcycle Renault just rode over.
The R75 three-wheeled vehicle was well-preserved and had various accessories attached. Selling it wouldn't just make him rich, it would ensure his needs were met for a short period.
Humming a brisk tune, Renault rummaged through the wreckage, picking out parts that seemed salvageable and putting them aside to take with him later.
It was a pity that the materials used for Ripper parts here weren't much better. As a mass-produced model, Rippers weren't built with high-quality parts for strength and precision.
Like IOP, just adding a fire control core and selling it as a tactical Doll was already considered conscientious.
Following the destroyed production lines, Renault easily found the control rooms. Thick cables, impossible to miss, lay sprawled on the ground. This SF factory had no intention of hiding anything, and Doll production wasn't considered a shady business. Additionally, this factory was merely a dispensable workshop, so there was nothing to conceal.
Rippers and Dinergrates, these autonomous machines, had already been dismantled and analyzed by the military and IOP, so there was no need for secrecy.
However, the main control room in front of him looked sturdy. At least it had a thick armor plate protecting the exterior. Even if the factory roof collapsed on it, this room would remain "stable as an old dog."
"It's fortunate I brought the Holy Sword of Physics." He wasn't sure if the control room door's switch was broken or locked.
Whatever the case, pressing it yielded no response. This was where "retro methods" came in handy.
With a loud crunch, the heavy door was pried open by Renault, his crowbar officially reaching the end of its usefulness. It transitioned from the "Holy Sword of Physics" to the "Stick of Physics." In the crack of the open doorway, a dark muzzle pointed out, following the seam.
"Oh! You scared me!" Startled, Renault took a step back and used his arm to pull out a Doll wearing an electronic camouflage cloak from the gap. It was a mass-produced Jaeger Doll.
She had a few minor wounds, the bullets passing through without causing significant damage. However, it seemed her gyroscope or a similar component was malfunctioning, preventing her from standing upright.
Clearly, she was still operational, but lacked the ability to attack him. This was likely a drawback of mass-produced SF Dolls. Without a higher-level commander present, most followed pre-programmed actions. In this case, the Jaeger hadn't received instructions to attack humans.
However, upon being pulled out by Renault and almost falling down again, the Jaeger saw the factory in ruins. Apparently, with no pre-programmed response to a destroyed factory, she became inactive, leaning against the wall with minimal movement.
Renault shrugged and fully opened the control room door, only to be met with an even more confusing scenario.
It wasn't unusual to find a deactivated SF Doll here, but why was there also a Tactical Doll?
A Rifle Doll wearing a military green coat slumped against the console, her long golden hair cascading down. If not for the bullet holes on her forehead and the dried tears on her cheeks, she could have been mistaken for Sleeping Beauty.
This... Renault couldn't shake the feeling that things were getting increasingly bizarre. Was the previous Griffin commander suffering from delusions? It was simply a fight against Sangvis, why attack their own people as well?