Darling in the FranXX: Insurrection

Chapter 39 - Confrontation

Hundreds of miles from the production facility, an entity watches the battle unfold. Five minutes before the assault began, it noticed an unexpected network anomaly: all comm traffic to and from the factory complex had ceased, almost like it had dropped off the face of the earth.

This was the doing of the AI it had been warned about. Nothing else could mask the presence of an entire force while simultaneously running interference with APE's network and holding the entire facility hostage. Not only was this AI powerful, but it was intelligent. Not intelligent enough, however.

The moment Production Facility Echo-X-ray 11 failed to report, the entity knew what had happened. After all, it had installed failsafes in every APE facility on the island after the loss of the Third Garden. Each location would send a ping off their central server once every second. If one failed for more than sixty consecutive seconds, the cameras installed on the defense force's units and the facility itself would be utilized to assess the situation.

The camera worn by X-ray 11's defense team leader had revealed the truth. Forty FranXX had descended on the valley, each bearing unique weapons and color schemes. It was a sure sign of the rebels. In an instant, it had all the information necessary to formulate its next steps. A call was placed to the newly formed second class of Nines, under whose jurisdiction this facility belonged. They had almost instantly sortied but would be unable to reach the facility for approximately an hour.

With nothing to do but wait, the entity watched as the defense force was slaughtered by the rebels. They had attempted to take prisoners, but the new indoctrination protocols were strong. None of the defenders buckled, even under the insurmountable odds, even as their comrades lost life and limb defending the facility. Such was the nature of these new parasites.

So, as they fought and died the entity studied the rebels. It mapped out their tactics. It observed their command structure. It identified the notable units within their ranks and archived their combat data for use in developing counter strategies. Strelitzia, Delphinium, Argentea, Sylvestris, these were the truly deadly members of the assault force and those assumed to be in the upper echelons of the rebels' strategic command. Any piece of information about them could prove vital to stomping out the rebel threat later on.

After the battle was lost, it continued to observe as the victors ransacked the production facility. The buildings they left largely untouched, which the entity found odd. Wanton destruction was not the goal of the attacking force, but instead the collection of resources. Magma fuel, electrical components, material fragments, they took anything that could be used for the production of military hardware.

All the while it remained in contact with the Nines squad that was rapidly approaching, briefing them on the status and positional data for the rebel units. As the elites neared the facility, it took stock of what remained. Of the initial twenty FranXX that had defended the facility, all but one was salvageable for its purpose. The many FranXX were battered and beaten and the parasites that had controlled them had expired, but they were unnecessary.

"We will arrive in 120 seconds," a communication from the approaching hunters informs.

"Understood, Nine Psi," a deep, synthesized voice answers. "The rebels will be swiftly defeated, by APE's command."

At the same time, one of the rebel units had strayed close to the corpse of a defender. This would serve its purpose quite nicely, sewing panic and disarray into the occupying force.

The entity extends its influence. The facility's communications might still be jammed, but that would not stop a direct interface with each inactive unit over encrypted channels. Inside the broken FranXX scattered across the facility, something stirs.