Chapter 1038
What do you mean by "they crashed again"?
In the command center, whenever the topic of the Victory Team's daily plane crashes comes up, everyone's eyes will instinctively drift to the "Flying Swallow Maintenance Record Board" hanging next to the screen—it is densely filled with records of the number of crashes, most of which are marked "Daigo/Shinjo pilots".
These two are truly formidable in combat. Daigo's fighting prowess after transforming into Tiga goes without saying, and Shinjo's shooting accuracy and on-the-spot reaction are top-notch in the GUTS team. However, it's as if they've been cursed by "causality." Whenever the two of them team up to pilot the Flying Swallow, at least three out of ten missions will involve "close contact" with the ground.
On one mission, the two were ordered to track a small space monster. The monster only grazed the wing of the Flying Swallow without causing any real damage. However, for some reason, the spaceship's navigation system suddenly failed, and the engine inexplicably shut down. In the end, the two managed to make an emergency landing in a vast desert by manually controlling the ship. Afterwards, the navigation and engine were found to be without any problems. Even the technicians scratched their heads and said, "This is a cosmic coincidence."
Over time, the word spread throughout the team: "Daigo and Shinjo, when they're apart, they're like stars in the sky, when they're together, they're like... the plane crash duo." — This was only said in private. If you were to bring it up in front of them, Shinjo would definitely slam his fist on the table and refute it, while Daigo would scratch his head and laugh sheepishly.
There was nothing they could do; the reputation of these two plane crashes had already spread from the Victory Team to the entire TPC. Even the maintenance workers in the logistics department had to sigh helplessly when they saw the two of them coming to pick up the new Flying Swallow: "Here we go again? This time we'll have to be careful; the last one was just repaired and hasn't even been warmed up yet!"
But if you say they're bad food, you'd be wrong.
Every time a black box is recovered after a crash, the data is jaw-dropping—the operating steps displayed on the screen are precise to the millimeter, and the responses to emergencies are even more standardized than the procedures in the training manual. Once, a technician reported to Sawai with the black box data: "Director, these two have done an amazing job! Any other crew member would probably have been killed in this situation. They not only managed to land the spacecraft, but they also climbed out unharmed—it's a miracle!"
Just like the last battle with Gazort, when the Flying Swallow was struck by the monster's electric current, the fuselage instantly went out of control and plummeted downwards. While Daigo was controlling the spaceship to adjust its attitude, he was also able to coordinate with Shinjo to launch tranquilizer darts that hit the monster. In the end, the spaceship crashed heavily at the foot of the mountain, and the two of them only suffered minor scrapes. After crawling out, they were still able to joke with the team members who came to provide support: "This spaceship is not of good quality. We need to replace it with a more crash-resistant one next time."
That's why everyone feels both helpless and admiring towards these two "crash specialists"—they seem absurd, always managing to survive dire situations and complete their missions; yet, despite their skill, they always seem destined for crashes. Every time Zei sees their mission reports, he first checks "whether a crash occurred," then "whether the mission was completed," and finally shakes his head and laughs, saying, "These two, even God doesn't want them to have any accidents, so He always uses crashes to remind them."
The conversation about Daigo and Shinjo's plane crash in the command center hadn't even finished when the communicator suddenly beeped, shattering the brief moment of relaxation. The staff member responsible for liaising with the GUTS team answered the phone, his expression quickly turning to a mixture of amusement and exasperation. After hanging up, he cautiously looked at Sawai and Yoshioka: "Director, Staff Officer Yoshioka... We've received news from the GUTS team that Daigo and Shinjo have crashed again."
"Another accident." Sawai and Yoshioka said almost in unison, their voices filled with undisguised helplessness, and their expressions simultaneously collapsed—they were numb, truly numb. They had just finished discussing their "legendary plane crash," and now another message had arrived. This frequency was more punctual than the daily patrol of the Flying Swallow.
"What was the reason? What absurd situation happened this time?" Yoshioka rubbed his temples, his tone tinged with a weariness that suggested he had expected it. He could already guess that it wasn't due to operational error, since the black box always proved that their operation was correct. The problem was most likely related to those "force majeure" events. "They said... during takeoff, they encountered a special magnetic field disturbance, and the Flying Swallow's navigation system and engines instantly went out of control. They had no choice but to make an emergency landing on an open field in the suburbs," the staff member explained, suppressing a laugh. "Fortunately, neither of them was injured, but the Flying Swallow's wing was damaged again, and logistics have already sent people to handle it."
Upon hearing the reason of "disrupted special magnetic field," Sawai couldn't help but sigh: "Special magnetic field? Their luck is a bit too 'good,' isn't it? Things that others might only encounter once in their entire lives, they encounter several times a month." He looked at Yoshioka, his eyes full of amusement and exasperation, "Do you think these two are just born to clash with the Flying Swallow?"
Yoshioka pushed up his glasses and shook his head helplessly: "Who knows... First it was interference from cosmic monsters, then the system malfunctioned inexplicably, and now there's this special magnetic field disorder. Who knows what we'll encounter next?" He paused, then added, "But thankfully, they both manage to come back alive every time, which is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."
Upon hearing this news, the others in the command center couldn't help but discuss it: "My God, this is too outrageous! How could they encounter a special magnetic field?" "I think we should do a divination for Daigo and Shinjo before the Flying Swallow leaves the factory to see if the day is suitable for flight." "The logistics staff are probably going to cry again. They just finished repairing one, and now another one is waiting to be repaired."
Hearing everyone's discussion, Sawai waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet: "Alright, it's good that the two of them are okay. Let the Victory Team comfort them properly, and also have the technical department check the magnetic field in that area to see if there is really anything abnormal, or if it's caused by something else."
"Yes, Director." The staff member immediately went to carry out the order.
Looking at the Flying Sky One still beating up the Manon aliens in space on the screen, Yoshioka thought of Daigo and Shinjo who had just crashed and couldn't help but sigh: "They are all piloting spacecraft, but Cui Ming pilots the Flying Sky One like it's nothing, while Daigo and Shinjo pilot the Flying Swallow like they are undergoing tribulation. The difference is too big."
Sawai nodded in deep agreement: "Who says otherwise... I hope they'll be luckier next time and not crash again, otherwise the logistics department will really have to complain."
Even so, both men knew in their hearts that with Daigo and Shinjo's "causal-law-like luck with plane crashes," they might have to make an emergency landing next time for some even more outrageous reason—after all, their flying careers were never short of accidents. (End of Chapter)