ตอน 43: Test Flight
The original Glider underwent three major changes, and it's now completely unrecognizable from its initial design. Dr. Hoffman probably wouldn't even recognize this as something he developed.
The main body had changed from a flat shape to a V-shape, with the front being larger than the back. The operator was situated in the front, and when in flight mode, a fixed frame would pop out from the body to secure the driver's legs and waist. Theoretically, performing various aerial maneuvers was entirely feasible.
Green Goblin is an enhanced individual, and he operated the Glider mainly relying on his agility. Initially, it might have been due to being forced by Spider-Man, but later it became second nature. He would occasionally show off with maneuvers like separating from the Glider, which Thea found too dangerous. It was pure recklessness, akin to bungee jumping, where one wrong move could result in a fatal fall!
As an ordinary person, Thea cherishes her life and had specifically customized this fixation device to securely stay on the Glider. Despite restricting the movement of her lower body, safety came first.
The Glider's base was made up of distributed ferrochrome magnet arrays. Once the main control was activated, it would emit a repulsive force opposite to the geomagnetic field, causing the entire craft to levitate. With increased repulsion force, it can ascend to over a kilometer in altitude.
Adjusting the direction of the repulsive force allowed for long-distance flight, utilizing magnetic power with minimal energy consumption and no pollution. Of course, if the Earth ever lost its magnetic field, Thea would definitely fall from the sky, and she would just have to accept her fate at that point.
As for the weapon system, Thea found that an arrow released from her compound bow could fly at a speed of 300 feet per second (approximately 91 meters per second), with an effective range of around 150 meters. She could shoot a maximum of 30 arrows per minute.
While high-tech weapons were essential, they were currently strapped for cash, so they continued to use bows and arrows. It's low-carbon, environmentally friendly, and noiseless, so the bow and arrow still have their benefits.
Late that night, the two of them went outdoors. Thea put on the anti-gravity suit and secured herself in the driver's seat. Suppressing her excitement, she silently whispered "start" as Felicity eagerly looked on.
The entire Glider smoothly levitated without making a sound.
"Yes!" Thea exclaimed, punching the air towards Felicity.
"Thea, the monitors show that your blood pressure and pulse haven't changed much, but your heartbeat is a bit fast. You're probably too excited. The initial test is complete; let's check other data," Felicity said, holding a tablet that displayed various bodily data of the operator in real-time.
First, they tested the levitating height. Due to uncertainty about the number of radar stations in the city, Thea's Glider was coated with a layer of radar-absorbent materials (RAM). These materials work by absorbing or diffusing radar signals, effectively reducing the radar cross-section (RCS) of the object and making it less detectable to radar systems. However, Thea herself, being a living person, had nowhere to hide. While theoretically capable of ascending to a height of one kilometer, they chose to limit their altitude to a hundred meters to avoid potential complications or detection.
A hundred meters was sufficient; an average floor was only three meters high, and 100 meters is equivalent to the height of thirty-three floors, which was more than enough for fighting crime in the city.
Next, they tested the maximum speed of the Glider.
"Accelerate, Thea! Speed 80km, no apparent discomfort."
"Accelerate again, speed 150km, the situation is good."
"Speed 220 km, blood flow increases, heart rate is still stable."
"300km, Thea stop! Don't accelerate anymore; your body is approaching the danger line."
Since they reached the limit, there was no need to risk their lives further. Thea slowed down gradually. It seemed that around 300 kilometers per hour was her current limit. She believed that with improvement in physical fitness and increased training intensity in the future, there should still be room for improvement.
It was exhilarating! Thea enjoyed the sensation of speeding through the air in the gentle breeze, her mind devoid of any thoughts or calculations. There were no worries or considerations, which explained why so many people enjoyed racing. It was truly a great pleasure.
Hovering around the city at a low altitude of 50 meters for half a circle, Thea was ready to take Felicity for a slow flight. Unexpectedly, Felicity was a little afraid of heights, which led to some teasing from Thea.
Next, it was time for them to act as vigilantes for the righteous and robbers for the villains.
Thea wore a red leather jacket over her anti-G suit. There was no other way; the anti-G suit was too conspicuous, and someone determined could easily find her.
Initially, she wanted to add a bulletproof vest inside, but after wearing both layers, she looked terribly bulky. Even for someone as risk-averse as Thea, it was unbearable. So, she decided to remove the bulletproof vest and added two fiber protection plates to the chest and back.
Pulling her hair up, she actually thought cutting it short would be better, but she sincerely couldn't bring herself to do it. She lowered the hood of her coat, took a look in the mirror, and couldn't help but think that she really resembled the original Thea 1.0 in the show.
Well, of course, they were essentially the same person! She didn't wear an eye mask; that was too old-fashioned. Instead, she wore windproof goggles with infrared functionality, and the lenses were made of bulletproof Lexan resin.
With her bow and arrow on her back, and holding her usual katana and dagger, she set off under Felicity's excited gaze to find her hunting target.
Despite all the mental preparation and consideration of various scenarios, she soon realized she had over-thought things. Star City in the middle of the night was like a dead city, with not a single pedestrian in sight. With no pedestrians, there were naturally no robbers either. Although they could have robbed each other, she figured their boss must have prohibited such behavior.
This was Thea's situation now. With no pedestrians, there were no robbers either, and consequently, her Robin Hood mission had vanished into thin air.
'Damn it,' she cursed inwardly. Had she really spent all that money just to go for a joyride? She should have done some market research beforehand!
Just as she was at a loss, Felicity's voice came through the earpiece. "Thea, there's activity with Frank Bertinelli, whom you asked me to monitor last time. His three henchmen are currently chasing a young man named Michael Staton. Do you want to check it out?"
Could this Michael be Helena's fiancé? It was quite amusing to stumble upon the scenario of her own father sending men to kill his future son-in-law. Let's go take a look. "Where are they?" she asked through the earpiece.
"They're at the intersection of Cypress Street heading west. they're driving fast. Be careful; they're all armed."
Could they be faster than her? She was taking the shortest route. Thea raised her altitude to one hundred meters, confirmed her direction, and began to move at full speed. Soon, she spotted two cars racing—one in pursuit, firing shots.
The thugs should be in the car behind, right? Thea judged that this Michael guy wasn't a metahuman or a special forces soldier; he couldn't possibly single-handedly chase and fight against three people.
She pulled a freezing arrow from her quiver, a term she coined for its unique function. The arrow shaft contained liquid nitrogen gas, a substance known for its extreme cold temperatures. With a concentration ten times higher than that typically found in thermal nitrogen pressure tanks, the liquid nitrogen would rapidly vaporize upon release. This vaporization process absorbs heat from the surrounding environment, causing a significant decrease in temperature. Theoretically, this extreme cooling effect could induce frostbite, with temperatures dropping to well below minus one hundred degrees Celsius..
She had no intention of killing anyone; neither side had any connection to her. She was simply out for a stroll, helping out wherever she could. If she recognized someone, she'd lend a hand; if not, she'd move on. So, she targeted the rear car's wheel hub.
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