Chapter 42 - Human Calculator
It was Monday morning, and our first period was Weaponry Tutorial. As always, Professor Bao had us gathered in the sprawling expanse of the simulations room, the air buzzing faintly with the hum of holographic projectors. Each of us stood beside our partner WAIFUs, waiting as Professor Bao busily prepared something on her sleek, glowing tablet.
I was adjusting the strap of my utility harness when I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. Turning, I saw Gladiel, a classmate from the support unit course, flashing a wide grin.
“Hey, congratulations on making the Top 4 in the licensure examinations,” Gladiel said, his tone light but genuinely impressed.
“Oh, that’s right! Congratulations, Mister Callahan!” chimed in his WAIFU partner, Trish, her voice carrying a melodic cheerfulness that almost made me blush.
“Haha, thank you,” I replied, forcing a laugh and smile, though the sudden attention felt slightly overwhelming.
Before I could retreat into my usual low profile, Neil bounded over, his energy as irrepressible as ever. “Can you believe it? Zaft here is a beast! Top 4! He totally outshone the third-years with his genius! A first-year representing us like a pro!” Neil’s enthusiasm filled the room, drawing a few amused chuckles and murmurs from our classmates.
“Oh, Neil. Congratulations to you too,” Gladiel said with a polite nod. “I know you placed last, but hey, you still passed! That’s something to be proud of. Me and Trish couldn’t even make it past the written exam. It was brutal!”
At that moment, Trish stepped closer, her glossy eyes sparkling with sincerity as she reached out to clasp my hand. “I wish I could be your partner after the midterms,” she said, her tone somewhere between admiration and hopeful excitement.
“Ah…hahaha…” I stammered, my laugh shaky as I awkwardly scratched the back of my head. Her hand was soft, and her gaze made me feel like a deer caught in the headlights.
This wasn’t the first time today, either. In fact, it was the third time a WAIFU had asked to partner with me—before first period has even begun. I wasn’t used to this kind of attention. As someone who preferred to stay under the radar, it was both flattering and unnerving. Still, praise ? I couldn’t help but let myself soak it in, even if only a little.
Suddenly, Professor Bao strode over, her sharp heels clicking against the polished floor of the simulations room. Her sharp, no-nonsense gaze settled on me, though there was a flicker of approval in her expression.
“Oh, congratulations on placing in the Top 4 of the Licensure Exams, Mister Callahan,” she said with her usual crispness. “I expect great things from you.”
Before I could respond, Trish released my hand, her cheeks faintly flushed, and I turned to shake hands with Professor Bao. Her grip was firm, exuding authority.
“Thank you, Professor,” I replied, keeping my voice steady despite the butterflies stirring in my stomach.
She gave a curt nod before addressing the entire class. “Now, go to your respective lines. We’re beginning the lesson.”
“Yes, Professor!” we all chorused, snapping into a salute.
As the group dispersed, I stepped away from the crowd and noticed, to my surprise, that Myrrh had been standing beside me all along. She leaned slightly toward me, arms casually folded, a playful smirk curling on her lips. Her narrowed blue eyes glimmered with mischief, locking onto mine like she was about to pounce on a joke.
“That’s the third time you’ve been asked to be someone’s partner today, huh?” she said, her voice light but dripping with teasing intent.
“Wow, so you’re keeping track now?” I shot back with a grin. “Don’t tell me you’re secretly hoping to team up with me for the finals?”
Myrrh raised an eyebrow, her smirk deepening as she crossed her arms. “Oh, I won’t deny you’ve been a big help with my grades—so much so that I could probably skip the entire finals and still keep my spot on the Dean’s List.”
Her tone was casual, but the confidence in her words was unmistakable.
“But,” she added, her smirk fading into something more thoughtful, “the probability of us being partners again is zero. Complete reshuffle, remember?”
“Right. But hey,” I said, tilting my head slightly toward her. “Aren’t you going to miss me?”
“Wha—!” Myrrh’s face flushed instantly, a deep shade of red spreading across her cheeks. Her usually confident demeanor faltered, and her wide, startled eyes darted away from mine. “W-well, I wouldn’t say I wouldn’t… but…”
Before she could stumble further over her words, she suddenly raised her hand and ruffled my hair with deliberate roughness, as if trying to cover up her flustered state.
“Don’t let the compliments go to your head, you hooligan,” she said, her voice a mix of teasing and embarrassment.
“Stop it!” I mumbled, trying to bat her hand away while feeling my own face heat up.
She pulled back with a grin, the earlier redness on her cheeks now softened into something almost playful. “How about you?” she asked, tilting her head and giving me a smile so radiant it momentarily disarmed me. “Aren’t you going to miss me as your partner?”
Her question hit harder than I expected, stirring an unexpected pang in my chest. The thought of the midterms ending—and with it, our partnership—made my heart ache a little. Sure, Myrrh and I had started on the wrong foot back in high school, but over these past months, I’d come to see a different side of her. She wasn’t just the competitive, sharp-tongued rival I’d known back then; she was thoughtful, clever, and, dare I admit it, a genuinely good friend. I would miss our banter during classes, the easy rhythm we’d found.
But before I could find the words to answer her, Professor Bao’s voice rang out, amplified through her mic.
“Attention, all WAIFUs and support units!” she announced, her tone crisp and commanding. “Today, I am upgrading your Clearance Level to Level 7. You will now unlock the final weapon for the midterms: the Rail Cannon.”
With a sharp tap on her tablet, the announcement was followed by a series of chimes. All of our smartwatches beeped in unison, projecting holographic screens into the air around us.
[Weaponry Enhancement Engineering Bios]
[New Weapon Unlocked]
[Level 7 – Rail Cannon]
“The Rail Cannon is a long-range, two-handed weapon capable of firing at distances of up to two hundred kilometers,” Professor Bao explained, her authoritative voice cutting through the hum of anticipation in the room. “It can also unleash an electric field with a voltage that scales to a million volts, depending on the distance traveled. Now, WAIFUs, awaken your Frame Units. Support units, prepare to activate the Rail Cannon once your partners are ready.”
The WAIFU students moved purposefully to the red line etched across the floor, their expressions a mix of focus and excitement. Each readied their morphers, the devices glinting under the bright lights of the simulation room. Then, in unison, they raised their morphers high, their voices ringing out:
“Frame Unit, Awaken!”
Beams of radiant light erupted around them, forming towering pillars that reached toward the ceiling. Within moments, the WAIFUs transformed, their humanoid forms melding into massive twenty-meter-tall mechs. The room seemed to shrink as the colossal machines stood on standby, their metallic frames gleaming and casting long shadows across the floor.
Meanwhile, we support units tapped into our Bios systems, navigating to the holographic interface to select the newly unlocked weapon. With synchronized movements, we all pressed the glowing [Rail Cannon] option.
“Rail Cannon, Equip!”
Our arms lit up with an intricate pattern of circuits, a radiant display of power coursing through us as we pointed toward our respective Frame Units. Beside each towering mech, an enormous cybernetic circle materialized, spinning with a faint hum of energy. The Frame Units extended their massive hands into the circles, and from the light emerged their ultimate weapon—a gargantuan cannon, nearly as long as the mechs themselves.
The Rail Cannons were monstrous. Their sleek, reinforced barrels glinted with a faint electric aura, and their immense weight was apparent as the Frame Units gripped them. Most struggled, their servos whining and legs shifting to maintain balance. The sheer scale of the weapon was intimidating—twenty meters long, its presence a statement of devastating power.
My eyes immediately darted to Myrrh’s Frame Unit. She was gripping the Rail Cannon tightly, her mech’s arms trembling as she adjusted her stance. Her struggles were clear, the mech emitting strained, mechanical groans as it attempted to stabilize.
“Hnnnngh!” Myrrh’s voice crackled through the comms, a mix of frustration and determination. Her mech’s massive frame wobbled slightly before locking into position, the Rail Cannon finally aligned and ready.
The Frame Units began practice firing their Rail Cannons, and the simulation room was soon alive with the thundering roar of each shot. Every time a cannon discharged, a blinding electric exhaust erupted from its tip, crackling violently before dissipating into the air. The rounds traveled so far and so fast that their impact points were little more than faint glimmers on the distant horizon, almost impossible to spot with the naked eye. The sheer force of each blast reverberated through the room, the sound deafening enough to make my ears ring despite the protective barriers in place.
Fifteen minutes passed in this storm of energy and noise, until a sharp whistle cut through the chaos. Professor Bao stood at the edge of the simulation floor, her commanding presence immediately drawing everyone's attention.
“For this examination,” she announced, her voice amplified over the comms, “I will spawn dummies at one hundred kilometers. Frame Units, your objective is to hit as many targets as possible. I will simulate wind resistance, vary the distance, and introduce obstacles to challenge your accuracy. Support units, you will rely on your [Minimaps] to locate the targets and guide your partners toward a successful hit. Prepare yourselves!”
As her instructions sank in, the Frame Units shifted, raising their cannons into firing positions. Meanwhile, we support units activated our holographic minimaps, watching as data streamed across the displays. With a hum, the simulation room transformed into a vast, rocky plain. Jagged cliffs and sparse outcroppings stretched to the horizon, where the first target dummy appeared—a tiny speck against the expanse of simulated terrain, barely discernible to the human eye.
“Begin!” Professor Bao’s whistle pierced the air, marking the start of the exercise.
Without hesitation, Myrrh took her shot. Her Rail Cannon emitted a deafening crack as it fired, the electric exhaust momentarily illuminating her Frame Unit. The round streaked through the air, cutting across the simulated plain in an instant. The first dummy was obliterated on impact, its pieces scattering like dust before fading into the simulation.
Before Myrrh could celebrate her precision, another dummy materialized in the same position. Then, the system emitted a low chime, followed by a text notification on my minimap: Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by ɴovᴇl(F)ɪre.ɴet
[Wind Resistance Detected: 8 meters per second East]
The update made my heart race. Hitting a stationary target was one thing; accounting for wind resistance at a range of one hundred kilometers was a whole new level of complexity. The numbers swirled in my mind as I quickly calculated the necessary adjustments. Without the luxury of a scratch pad or calculator, I had to solve it mentally—and fast.
“Myrrh, aim two lines to the left!” I commanded, my eyes locked onto the minimap as I calculated the trajectory.
“Got it!” Myrrh’s voice crackled through the comms, steady with determination. Her Frame Unit adjusted its stance, the Rail Cannon shifting slightly. A sharp crack followed as she fired, the weapon’s electric exhaust flaring like a miniature storm. The projectile hurtled across the rocky plain and struck the dummy dead center. In a dazzling explosion, the target was obliterated, fragments scattering into the simulated horizon.
Before I could celebrate, a new dummy materialized, perched precariously atop a jagged rock formation. My minimap updated instantly:
[Wind Resistance Detected: 12 meters per second Northeast]
[Target Elevation: 12 meters]
I clenched my fists, my mind already racing through the variables. The wind, the elevation, the angle of the shot—it all needed to be factored in precisely. For a moment, the pressure gnawed at me. Myrrh, however, waited silently, her Frame Unit holding steady with unwavering patience.
Ten agonizing seconds later, I finally spoke. “Myrrh, third quadrant, three lines up, two lines left!”
“Fire!” she called out, her Frame Unit responding instantly. The Rail Cannon roared again, sending a glowing projectile arcing through the air. It sailed effortlessly over the rocky terrain before crashing into the dummy with pinpoint precision. The rock beneath it shattered, sending debris cascading down in a simulated avalanche.
The next dummy appeared almost immediately, upping the challenge further. This time, the target was hidden behind two enormous boulders, barely visible even on the minimap.
[Wind Resistance Detected: 18 meters per second Southwest]
[Obstruction Detected: Two Boulders, 10 meters and 12 meters tall]
I could feel the pressure building in my chest. The equation for this shot wasn’t simple. I had to calculate the projectile’s force, arc, and velocity, all while accounting for the strong diagonal wind. The obstructions added another layer of complexity, requiring precision so fine it felt like threading a needle with a cannon.
The seconds dragged on as I worked through the problem, numbers swirling in my mind. Every time I thought I had it, another factor surfaced, forcing me to start again.
“Zaft,” Myrrh’s voice came through the comms, cutting into my focus.
“Shut up, Myrrh. I’m computing in my head,” I snapped, frustration creeping into my tone.
“Use your head for once!” Myrrh shouted, her voice sharp with frustration.
“I am using my head!” I shot back, my hands gripping my device tightly. “Do you have any idea how much strain it puts on my brain to mentally solve equations ?!”
“You absolute moron!” she roared, her tone balancing between disbelief and exasperation. “There’s a WEEB System calculator built right into the device! All the other support units are using it!”
“W-What!?” My heart dropped, and I froze mid-thought.
Out of sheer disbelief, I glanced around the room. Sure enough, every other support unit was busy tapping away on their devices, their expressions calm and focused. Their minimaps displayed precise calculations, values instantly provided by the system. Meanwhile, here I was, treating this like a final exam for astrophysics.
The realization hit me like a freight train. Slowly, almost theatrically, I raised both hands and slapped them against my face.