39: Tifreeze Corporation Mod Factory

"……Installation complete. From now on, I will guide Lady Vee and Lady Sata according to the installed data."

The next day.

We moved within the First Prime Colony and arrived at a certain factory.

There, Memoqsi received the data for guidance and will now serve as our guide, following the instructions provided by the data.

Probably, they separated him because Vilijaniara clearly looked like a noble, and it would cause trouble if he were mixed in with ordinary visitors.

From our side, there are various advantages—being able to move at our own pace, avoiding incidents, and making private conversations easier—so we have no objection to this arrangement.

Yeah, this kind of thing is only possible thanks to the technology unique to androids like Memoqsi.

There's no reason we couldn't just install it on a terminal and play it through audio, but explanations by Memoqsi are much clearer and easier to understand.

"Then please follow me this way."

"Understood."

"Got it."

Now, let the tour begin.

First, the company we're visiting is called Tefriz Corporation—a firm specializing in the development, manufacturing, and sales of mods for specific fields.

Although the headquarters is located in a different star system from the Glogrobeta system, due to high demand within the Glogrobeta system, they've not only established a manufacturing plant in the First Prime Colony but also secured a direct access passage straight to the lower docks… and the cargo exit.

First, a quick reminder: although I may have mentioned this before, the First Prime Colony here is essentially an orbital processing station built for the purpose of supporting Planet Glogrobeta 1's focus on agriculture, and its primary industry involves producing what is needed for Planet Glogrobeta 1.

Hmm, I do recall hearing that before.

Planet Glogrobeta 1, as we saw yesterday, is almost entirely devoted to agriculture, with the remaining space occupied by housing, minimal processing facilities for crops, and infrastructure necessary for launching goods into space.

As a result, fertilizers, farming equipment, entertainment, and other essential daily necessities must all be imported from outside the planet.

"And among these, one essential item needed to minimally process crops... is the freshness preservation mod. Satā-sama, do you know what the freshness preservation mod is?"

A question flies in from Mekoshii.

Well, how should I answer this?

I suppose I'll give a general response.

"The freshness preservation mod developed by Teefriz Corp here is a type of mod that grants effects to specific organisms. It's cartridge-based with a set number of uses. The effect works by halting the chemical changes occurring in the target's atoms and molecules, thereby preserving the Sw of the Groglobeta system..."

"That's more than sufficient, Master Sata. Continuing further would defeat the purpose of the tour, so please stop."

"Hmm? Oh."

"Master Sata really does belong to the expert category, doesn't he?"

Wait... did I just go beyond the usual scope?

But still, that's how I was taught at Seiryō Corporation, and my own palate perceived it that way...

"Ahem. Mistress Sata, from the perspective of an ordinary citizen of the Empire—not a specialist—understanding of the freshness preservation mod is simply this: it prevents spoilage, loses effectiveness after several uses, requires a special device to operate, and as a secondary effect, makes items slightly more durable. Exactly how the freshness preservation works, or its interaction with Sw, is unknown to the general public. There was no such information in the data memo received. Within the Groglobeta star system, this mod is considered essential for harvesting and transporting crops. That’s about it."

"Ah, yes... sorry about that..."

Mekoxi blurted out in an unusually rapid pace.

Ah, good thing there aren't any general visitors around.

I'd probably get grilled by a Teefriz employee right now.

"Shall we proceed, then?"

"Yes, let's."

"Got it."

As we moved a bit further into the factory, we could see through the window glass a scene of machinery parts being manufactured.

Yeah, it's a freshness-preserving mod.

About ten centimeters long, three centimeters wide, and less than one centimeter thick.

Exactly like the cartridge-type I described.

Also, the part that fills the mod itself is kept private.

Probably because showing it could lead to disaster if someone tried to copy it on the spot.

"Note: How is this mod generally used?"

Generally, this mod is used during harvesting. By using the freshness preservation cartridge simultaneously with harvesting, it prevents any changes from occurring. This allows you to wait until the crops are fully ripe before harvesting, and the harvested items can still be transported smoothly to the next stage without issue.

The created machine is inserted into a large basket-like container, and as these baskets stack up to dozens of layers, they are transported somewhere else.

Likely, once enough of these have accumulated, they’ll be shipped down to the surface of Planet Glogrobeta 1 by ship and put to use.

Without this mod, the fruits of the Glogrobeta system’s Sw influence would ripen in an instant—so quickly, they’d spoil before they could even be used. That’s why they must be sent in massive quantities every single day.

No wonder they’d get a direct passage in return.

Incidentally, as far as we know at this point, the mod’s usage is restricted only to 'plants'—nothing else has been specified.

It's more reliable and convenient to let the local harvesters decide which crops to target.

"Anyway, this factory also produces other mods. There's a minor update version of the freshness preservation mod, a mod removal key, and even freshness preservation mods and removal keys for everyday use by ordinary citizens."

Now, the explanation of Memox continues.

Meanwhile, the items being made outside the window are subtly changing shape as well.

The first one is used during processing—it's something that suppresses only specific reactions within a designated space.

Since the freshness-preserving mod we discussed earlier also increases strength, such a feature is necessary.

The deactivation key refers to the official method for removing the freshness-preserving mod.

Without it, you'd have to exert full force as an adult just to crush a single ordinary tomato.

The level at which ordinary citizens use these on a daily basis... well, given that they're essential for living within this star system, it's only natural.

Most of their diet is plant-based, after all.

Also, regardless of the specific product, the process of actually applying the mod remains shrouded in secrecy.

Given that, it's likely that only specialized employees handle that particular step.

"I see. It looks like TeeFreeze Corporation isn't suspicious at all. Their employees seem to be working normally, and there aren't any particularly odd details in the manufacturing process."

"That's true. But if they're acting strangely right out in the open like this, it's already a sign of terminal symptoms."

"If it's that far gone, we'd probably have already seen some interference before Vee arrived."

Well, whatever the case may be.

What matters to us is the fact that Tifreeze Corporation is a white company, fully supports civilian life without flaws, and does not deceive the Empire in any way.

With that said, today's factory tour concluded without any issues.