019 Beginner Training 5: Special Celestial Regions

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Day two of beginner training.

Commander Shiina begins the lecture on special celestial regions.

“Special celestial regions are mainly divided into three types.

Gravitational anomaly zones, dimensional anomaly zones, and subspace zones.

Gravitational anomaly zones are areas where space is warped due to gravitational anomalies caused by super-heavy planets, gravity weapons, or the operation of dimensional jump gates.

Dimensional anomaly zones are regions where anomalies occur near dimensional jump gates or exposed surfaces of spatial rifts in normal space.

Subspace zones refer to the interior of dimensional jump gates—this will be omitted for now.

For more details, enroll in advanced training.”

This exercise is long-range shooting training in a gravity anomaly zone.

Everyone into the simulators! Wait for instructions."

All personnel enter the mock CIC and take their seats in the cockpits.

A virtual screen unfolds before them, displaying the exercise target vessel in front-mode.

Here are the specs for this exercise ship:

『NPC Ship Model SN』

Class: Sniper Vessel

Hull: 200 meters long, cruiser-type, one arm

Main Engine: Type D Thermonuclear Reactor, Type F High-Speed Propulsion

Armament: Main Gun — 30cm Long Barrel Railgun, single mount, one barrel — Standard Rounds: 80 (remaining) / 80 (maximum)

Secondary Gun: None

Anti-Space Cannon: 10cm Laser, single mount, four barrels

Missile Launcher Pod: None

Defense: Beam-Resistant Coating Special Steel Armor Plate

Kinetic-Resistant Beam Shield Type E, one unit

Stasis Field (Barrier) Type D

Electronic Equipment Anti-Ship Radar Type B (with Fire Correction Device) Communication Device Type D

Empty Energy Slot 0

Sniper-specialized sniper ship configuration. A vessel designed solely for long-range sniping with a long-barrel, long-range, large-caliber Railgun.

That’s right—Tanpopo and Kirii’s specialty, isn’t it?

‘Yes, everyone’s aboard.’

A transmission comes in from Commander Shiina.

‘This sniper vessel is equipped with a battleship-grade Railgun, designed to destroy enemy ships from afar.

Right in front of you, an enemy ship with a target painted on its side is positioned.

Your task in this drill is to shoot straight through that target.

However, the space between you and the enemy ship is a gravity anomaly zone.

You’ll learn how the projectile behaves. For now, just try aiming directly and fire.’

We aim at the target and fire the Railgun.

The heavy recoil from firing the Railgun hits hard.

The virtual screen shifts to overhead mode, displaying the projectile’s trajectory.

Everyone misses.

My shot veers sharply to the right.

‘Everyone missed? Don’t sweat it. This is a gravity anomaly zone.

In our battlefield, gravity disturbances from gravity weapons are standard.

And if gravity weapons are used in real time, forget about consistent shooting conditions—they’ll never be the same again.

Alright, next round: shooting with the aiming correction device. Activate your aiming correction devices.’

Thinking it, a single virtual screen overlays right before my eyes.

It shows gravity field positions and their influence, with the predicted trajectory of the projectile displayed.

(Feels like putting in golf.)

Adjusting my aim based on the data, I fire.

My shot grazes the enemy vessel.

Prediction is prediction. Guessing, trial and error—might be the only way to hit the mark.

I got it on the fourth shot.

Kirii had already hit on the second.

Forest didn’t.

‘That last one was a stationary target. In real combat, enemy ships move.’

‘Now try hitting a moving one.’

The trajectory prediction went haywire the moment the enemy ship started moving. Difficulty spiked like a rogue signal spike.

Only Kirii and Tanpopo hit.

Forest boasted she’d nail it if she charged in.

That’s not long-range shooting, though. And enemy ships shoot back.

We pushed through another dimension anomaly zone, and the drill wrapped up.

So this is one of those… explanation-loop exercises?

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