Girls' Frontline: My Apocalypse with Dolls

Luo Fan noticed her unusual behavior and couldn't help but ask a question.

Pascal shook his head: "I was just thinking about the first test of this thing. Due to various equipment problems, it was far too outdated compared to what we used before. This forced us to keep it running throughout the connection process and amplify the humanoid pain module to a certain extent to confirm whether the connection was smooth and whether it would impact the cloud map consciousness."

"Is there a risk in using this?"

"Yes, and quite a lot. After all, it involves operating multiple drones simultaneously. Moreover, all the data collected by the Eagle Nest itself will be processed uniformly by the humanoid user and then fed back into the actual operation. To put it simply, you have a third eye with an extremely wide field of vision and ridiculously good eyesight suspended in the sky. You have to operate it to fly to where you want to see, see what you want to see, and then operate more small eyes inside to see, while launching an attack on the target at the same time."

As soon as she finished speaking, Pascal took a deep breath, picked up her coffee and drank it down. It seemed that she had thought of something frightening and had to calm herself down in this familiar way.

Luo Fan knew there was something she hadn't finished saying, so he remained silent, waiting for her to continue...

"People get tired from overusing their eyes, and so do humanoids. It's quite dangerous to use the current computing power to support Eagle's Nest. Currently, the only one who can do this without any risk is Dandre. She is the only humanoid who has a completely smooth connection process and has no discomfort even after the pain is amplified. She can even operate three Eagle's Nests and two Red Falcons at the same time without any pressure. Only her abnormal computing power can do that."

Luo Fan quickly interrupted Pascal: "You used her for experiments?"

"No, even if there were a need, I wouldn't want to do that. It's true both logically and objectively. First, I'm afraid something might happen to her. Second, her computing power is beyond the realm of ordinary computing. Experiments conducted on her wouldn't be of any reference value, since not every humanoid is Danderley."

......

Luo Fan was finally relieved. She was worried that Nieto and the others would force Danderley to conduct experiments, but with her abilities, she shouldn't have too much pressure dealing with it.

"But here's the problem..."

632 Failed Products

"Look at this..."

Before Luo Fan could react, Pascal lifted a curtain covering the table, and when the curtain was lifted, Luo Fan realized that it wasn't a table at all...

It was a rectangular, transparent capsule about the height of a person, lying quietly before the two of them. A black-haired girl waited quietly inside, her eyes slightly closed, her slender hands resting on her abdomen, like Sleeping Beauty in a fairy tale, waiting for the prince's arrival. If one could find a good angle in this laboratory and take a picture, the entire laboratory, including this capsule, could be regarded as a princess's palace.

But Pascal's next words contrasted sharply with Lovan's initial impression...

"She looks so beautiful, doesn't she? Lying here so peacefully, like she's asleep."

"indeed......"

Luo Fan nodded.

Pascal changed the subject, frowning, and said, "But guess why she's become like this?"

"Is it also in the experimental stage?"

"The experiment failed."

......

“She was chosen by Morido to conduct the first experiment at the Eagle’s Nest. At that time, the first model of the Eagle’s Nest still had many problems that needed to be tested, and we needed humanoids to actually use them to confirm the problems. That is, what I just mentioned, pain amplification, finding the problems, and solving them. And she was the candidate provided by Morido.”

Pascal raised his hand and stroked the transparent canopy back and forth, as if caressing it, but a hint of pity was hidden in his eyes, which puzzled Luo Fan.

"I remember when we first started mass-producing Nieto, Gray and I hit it off immediately, deciding to give these adorable little guys their own personalities. After all, we're often underground, and it's inevitable that we'd get bored. With them around, our days would be much more enjoyable. Based on this, almost all the Nieto we created have consciousness like humans. It wasn't difficult; Gray and I only needed to make slight modifications to the code to create a completely new, vibrant Nieto. And as we spent more time with them, it was inevitable that we'd develop feelings for them..."

......

Lofan could understand this feeling. He himself could be as inseparable from the girls as family, so how could Pascal not feel affection for his creations?

"To me, they are like my children. Even though they are cheap, have limited functions, and sometimes disagree with each other, they are just like we know them. They will never betray us or disobey us. They are the ideal image of everything. If I were to use them for these experiments, I would still find it very difficult to do it."

Pascal raised his cup again, then, seemingly realizing he had finished his coffee, put it aside, sighed, and said with a wry smile, "AA12, do you remember that shotgun android next to you?"

Luo Fan nodded: "Yes, of course, a very shy girl."

"In our original world, before AA12 was modified for military specifications, her body had a highly realistic and unstoppable pain module. Ultimately, Life Inc. put her into a medical clinical trial, a project codenamed UL-50, to confirm the various reactions of drugs and surgery. As a result, she suffered great pain."

She paused, then continued, "After the 'Silver Flame' incident brought UL-50 to the public eye, human rights organizations and medical ethics institutions strongly condemned it. Under pressure from public relations and finances, Life ultimately temporarily shut down the project, disbanded the project team, and destroyed the UL-50 humanoid production line. However, AA12, aka Lind, has remained to this day, becoming the shotgun humanoid you see before you. Now we know that there really are human rights organizations, and that there are people who, like us, feel sorry for these mechanical lifeforms..."

"So..." Luo Fan seemed to have guessed something, turning his gaze to the girl before him, and said in a deep voice, "She is the second Lind..."

“That’s right. She was forced into this experiment as a regular operations manager, a non-combat Nieto. The final result was worse than expected. After Eagle Nest activated three small drones, the computational overload directly melted her cloud map, leaving her in a vegetative state with her body intact but her brain almost dead. Afterwards, Morido planned to abandon her, but Gray and I kept her.”

......

"You're trying to save her, aren't you...?"

Lovan understood everything, but he still had one last question about Pascal's attitude toward the matter.

"Yes, it's not a simple matter of changing the cloud map and consciousness data. It's about preserving all traces of her original existence, allowing her to come back to life in her original form. It's just a pity that when I tried to confirm her identity in the database afterward, I couldn't find any information. She was probably removed by Morido."

...As expected, Pascal is just like him in this respect. He finds it hard to accept individuals who are the same person but have completely different consciousnesses. It brings them an extremely strange and strong sense of alienation. In this regard, Luo Fan also has to thank the leader for not letting the girls use their puppet dolls. That would also make Luo Fan uncomfortable. He can't quite put his finger on it, but it just makes him feel uneasy.

Pascal felt powerless given the existing technology. The cloud map was almost completely destroyed, which meant certain death for a human, leaving them only a vegetative state, clinging to life in the ICU and requiring exorbitant medical expenses. It might be better to simply abandon them and offer them relief. But this was a machine, different from a human, and she had a possibility of turning things around...

Pascal thus became the "foolish one" who refused to give up and did everything in her power to preserve the last glimmer of hope, and she herself, including Lovan, was willing to believe that she had the ability to save her one day.

But Morito...

......

"I'll find time to bring this up with Moriarty later."

She had indeed gone a bit too far. Although this was still Paradis, given her ruthless and violent nature, continuing like this was ultimately inappropriate, especially since Rhinenshe had also mentioned her issues to him yesterday.

Pascal nodded, finally managing a smile: "Well, thank you. If I can wake her up, I'll let her meet you. All the Nieto here know your name and are hoping to meet you."

"Really? Then I'm quite popular."

Lofan's mood improved as well. Regardless of the reality, he was willing to believe that this was not a result of Nieto and his ilk being trapped by the underlying logic against their will.

It also stems from their beautiful aspirations, nurtured from seedlings to towering trees under Pascal and Gray's guidance...

633 Shrike.1

"Next, there's one last thing."

Pascal closed the curtain again, and after the girl disappeared from sight, he turned and left the laboratory, walking outside.

But as he left the cabin, Lovan seemed to notice something in Pascal's hand. He didn't see it clearly and had no intention of asking. Lovan slowly followed.

As you venture deeper into the underground facility, the more you go, the more life becomes apparent. Apart from the lush green plants and pale walls in the corridors, other colors finally appear here.

"The restaurant... is quite exquisitely decorated. Why is there no one else here? Where are the Nitos?"

Only then did Luo Fan notice what felt off: in the vast underground facility, apart from the two of them, there was no other Nieto present, as if...

"They don't have any urgent projects lately, and besides, today is their day off. Nieto also has his own days to live. Just like the martyrs you see, they often come to your bar, but you're not here, so you don't know."

Sure enough... But this is really humane. They weren't exploited to the point of exhaustion just because they are machines. Although it's also possible that Morido hasn't been in the facility recently, so the overall atmosphere has become much more relaxed.

"But there are still people staying here today. They are the last thing I want to tell you."

Pascal suddenly turned around, his smile still very gentle.

"they?"

"Yes, a new squad, separated from Paradis, but belonging to the Martyrs' branch, a few very special individuals."

With the introduction given, the two arrived at the door of a lounge. This time, there was a nameplate indicating their affiliation...

Lanius

伯劳

Before Luo Fan could ask any questions, Pascal opened the door with the simpler fingerprint lock and strolled in, exuding the air of a dormitory supervisor checking rooms.

Lofan hesitated slightly, but followed closely behind. After all, Pascal was a manager in this facility, so it shouldn't cause any misunderstandings...

The room's overall layout is quite simple, with two wooden bunk beds covered by curtains, along with matching tables and chairs, a computer, a wardrobe, and even a considerable amount of cosmetics. On the corner table, there are even more than a dozen beautifully decorated vases and flower baskets, clearly the work of someone skilled in flower arranging, done casually in their spare time.

“Shrikes, this is your commander, Lovan. Come and say hello to him.”

Lofan was momentarily stunned. Pascal had suddenly mentioned his name, so he didn't react in time. When he looked around again to make sure there were other people in the room, the shrikes poked their heads out from behind the curtain and stared at him.

"...?"

The scrutiny in their eyes was a bit too direct, making Luo Fan feel uncomfortable, but Pascal's presence seemed to be the most powerful proof. The eye contact didn't last long before they all left their beds and came to Luo Fan.

In terms of appearance, they are somewhat similar to martyrs, but their attire and demeanor are more mature than those of the martyrs. All of them are over 170cm tall, and if an AK15 were to stand among them, it probably wouldn't look out of place.

Everyone has arrived, and Pascal has acted as a go-between for the two sides...

"Let me introduce you, Aphrodite, the captain, sniper, and decision-maker of the Shrike. He's not very talkative, but he's actually a pretty good person."

Although he didn't know what the significance of this additional paragraph was for someone meeting him for the first time, Luo Fan calmly extended his hand, showing respect to the other person.

"Hello, Aphrodite."

"Hello, Commander, I hope the Shrike will make a good first impression on you."

His answer was quite methodical, even more organized than Natia's. He was dressed in a black jacket with a white inner layer, and his slim-fitting trousers showcased his impressive curves in a clean and simple way. Compared to the inherent roguishness of the Martyrs, the captain of the Shrike was more like a mature and steady workplace leader. His decisive methods and composure in the face of adversity were evident in his words and actions.

After the greetings were finished, Pascal continued, "This man, Vulcan, or by his nickname among the martyrs, Hephaestus, is the vice-captain, a scout, and also an engineer by profession. He is a member with a proper job."

The girl known as Vulcan cheerfully placed her hand on her head in a greeting: "Hello, Commander. I'm not on a work order right now, so I'm available to be at your service anytime. If you have any problems, feel free to ask me. I can fix anything, from bricks and cell phones to server units. Oh, right, I don't fix humanoids, I don't do that."

"Uh... okay...?"

The other party was very enthusiastic, which was the type of personality that Luo Fan was least good at dealing with. It would be fine if it were someone like Xiao 9 who had known them for a long time, but it was really hard to handle an enthusiastic stranger.

A brown coat—it's really strange how that matches his personality...

Pascal noticed Lovan's discomfort and quickly changed the subject, introducing the next member: "Well, this is Juno, a bodyguard, a doctor who takes care of both physical and mental health, and also a cybersecurity engineer and technician."

"Greetings, Commander. The room has not been cleaned yet. We hope you will forgive our oversight."

She greeted everyone with a very proper bow, and her expression was more approachable than her companions. After Pascal introduced her as a psychologist, Lofan seemed to understand that she was a member who represented the captain in foreign affairs negotiations. However, compared to Vulcan, she did not elaborate on her abilities, suggesting that she was probably a reserved person as well.

She was also the only member wearing a long black dress.

However, like MDR, it possesses hacking skills, yet it is much more composed than MDR. Luo Fan had always assumed that people skilled at surfing the internet were inherently more aggressive...

"The last one is Freyne, an intelligence agent and infiltration worker with multiple specializations, but she doesn't talk much."

...It's obvious.

"Hello, Commander."

The introduction was very brief, that was it, but that suited Luo Fan's taste perfectly: "Hmm, hello."

“That’s just how she is, Commander, don’t take it too seriously,” Vulcan laughed, then nudged his teammate beside him. “She thinks more than she says, but she’s actually quite easy to get along with.”

Freyne glanced at her, frowned slightly, but didn't say anything, then looked away.

Wow, this is quite a unique group of Nitos...

634 Shrike.2

But considering their professions, Luo Fan seemed to notice something was amiss...

“Hey Pascal, these professions don’t seem to be suitable for our operation, do they? There’s a real firefight over there; wouldn’t it be a bit dangerous to involve them?”

It's understandable that the captain is a sniper, but an engineer, a doctor, and an infiltrator don't seem like the right people to help in the quarantine zone. They are more in line with Paradis's job requirements, common professions, infiltrating to obtain intelligence, and encountering far fewer dangers.

If the shrikes were to operate under their command, what help could they offer?

Pascal seemed to have expected this, and smiled, "It is quite dangerous, so they won't go to the quarantine area with you."

"Then what are their responsibilities?"

This puzzled Luo Fan even more.

Pascal did not answer immediately, but instead took out a photograph and handed it to Lovan.

After taking it, Luo Fan examined it carefully and found that it contained several middle-aged men with their hands tied and eyes covered, all lying on the ground. The bruises on their bodies indicated that they had been beaten, and the scene in the background of the photo...

"Isn't this the warehouse in the back alley of our house?" Luo Fan asked in surprise.

“Yes, this was taken by Morido inside,” Pascal nodded, his expression gradually becoming serious. “A group of people came to the bar to cause trouble earlier, trying to take Yingque away. Their purpose was very clear: they didn’t want money or goods, they just wanted the person. But they intercepted him, tied him up, and took him to the warehouse. Morido has already dealt with him, but as for how she dealt with him, I don’t know.”

......

Upon hearing this, Luo Fan began to understand the situation...

"Therefore, the shrike and the others are responsible..."

"Yes, regarding Yingque's safety, they will provide her with close protection from now on. Wherever Yingque wants to go, they will accompany her at all times, both openly and secretly, to ensure her safety. After all, we can't prevent her from going out, can we?"

Lofan raised his eyes again, scanning the four women in front of him. They seemed to agree with Pascal's words, nodding in response to Lofan's guess.

To be honest, their composure was reassuring, but Luo Fan's worries didn't lessen much; on the contrary, it might bring even more uncertainty...

Luo Fan frowned slightly, looking troubled, and said, "I don't doubt their abilities, but the problem is, if we just assign them to Ying Que's side like this, won't it arouse her suspicion? What if she thinks I'm in danger because of the shrike's approach, and we have to send someone to protect her?"

“That’s why I arranged full and proper jobs for them,” Pascal said calmly, as if she had anticipated all the risks. “They will tell Yingque that I sent them here as friends who are staying temporarily. Yingque never refuses friends, and it also allows Juno to take care of her health. That’s probably what you’re most worried about, isn’t it?”

"......indeed."

Luo Fan had indeed not inquired about Ying Que's health for a long time. Not only did he lack the means to ask, but he was also worried that these matters would affect him. After all, only by completely ignoring them could he pretend that these things had never happened.