Chapter 27. On an Ice Satellite (15)
"Did you know? This satellite was originally a wasteland."
Carrot said this while gazing at the illuminated ice satellite through the forward lights of the orbital vehicle. He had insisted on joining me in the cockpit, which was largely due to his input.
As a result, the broker and Nadia had to remain in the cargo hold. It was my first time seeing the broker nod in agreement, suggesting that Carrot might be a more impressive person than I initially thought.
I felt a bit uneasy about leaving Nadia alone back there. Even though I knew she wasn't someone who constantly needed care, I couldn't help but worry. Nadia tended to be wary of strangers.
But since I left Carry with her, perhaps she wouldn't just stay secluded in a corner.
I inspected the old work suit used to seal the window gaps. Thanks to Carry's simple welding job with metal pieces, there were no gaps at all.
"A wasteland?"
"Yes, a wasteland. It had much lower temperatures than now, and its thick atmosphere even made observation nearly impossible. Compared to the entirety of its existence, it's only in recent times that it's become inhabitable for humans."
"I see..."
I was a bit puzzled as to why he was bringing this up all of a sudden, but I didn't show it. I pretended to fiddle with the controls while stealing glances at Carrot.
The pureblood supremacists' bombing, the monstrous assaults, and the plummeting shuttle—despite the chaos, his white research suit was still pristine, and his hair was neat. Others had disheveled hair or dirty suits by now.
That difference made Carrot seem like a challenging person to me. I fiddled with the seams of my suit or rubbed off stains. Luckily, he wasn't the type to impose his standards on others.
"The ice satellite only came to be less than 100 years ago. But it was a mere 100 years. An environment that remained unchanged for ages changed within that brief period of time. What wasn't white turned white, and the dust-like atmosphere changed to a gray sky."
"Oh, I see."
The terraforming of Titan accelerated with the discovery of a special mineral, the Blue Crystal. If not for its massive energy, an attempt to terraform the larger-than-the-moon Titan would never have commenced, given the colossal resources required.
Of course, terraforming is now progressing sluggishly, but at least that was the case back then.
Many conspiracy theories circulated, as SSTC never disclosed the reason. Some believed the government was conducting secret experiments, others thought they discovered intelligent life, or that they had found a source of Blue Crystal, prompting an urgent halt to terraforming. Among these, the latter hypothesis was the most prevalent.
SSTC, presumably having discovered the source during exploration, maintained the current state to mine as much of the Blue Crystal as possible from the ice satellite without further raising its temperature.
Why it could only be mined on the ice satellite, and what happens when the temperature of the satellite increases, remain unknown, even as numerous research groups, including corporations, dive in.
"Do you understand what I'm saying? Creating an environment conducive to oneself is something only humans can do. The act of dreaming of a future and creating that future is precisely the power of mankind."
"That's impressive."
"Everything has its distinctions. There was a leading corporation. Myosotis. Once called the guiding star leading humanity, it possessed the most advanced terraforming technology."
It was when Carrot mentioned "Myosotis" that I realized why he wanted to sit with me in the cockpit.
"... Did you want to teach me history here?"
"Heh, is that how it seems?"
Carrot burst into a hearty laugh. He neither confirmed nor denied it. I figured my assumption was probably correct. My face flushed, wondering if I appeared that ignorant.
'Myosotis...'
I rolled the familiar-sounding word on my tongue. Celestia had identified herself as Myosotis, and without much deliberation, we decided to follow her lead.
The emblem she showed was laden with security codes, making forgery near impossible, confirming her identity conclusively.
Of course, even with Celestia being Myosotis, it didn't immediately change anything. That name wasn't a magical spell to turn back time.
Still, we could trust the information she provided about the first-generation colony, which was why we were headed there—to a place where we could withstand until communications were restored.
Suddenly a thought crossed my mind, and I looked up.
"But it was in the past tense earlier? So it's not now?"
"It's a bit ambiguous to say 'right now'. Myosotis collapsed about 10 years ago."
"... Collapsed?"
"Indeed. The megacorp crumbled in an instant, without any apparent signs. At least, that's how it seemed to the public. That's how I felt too."
According to Carrot, Myosotis dismantled as if it had vanished into thin air. As Myosotis, no other corporation, disappeared like a mirage overnight, many grew suspicious and delved into it. Yet, no one uncovered the secret.
As those probing too deeply began disappearing without a trace, Myosotis soon became a name that was difficult to mention. That was Carrot's explanation.
"Not something you'd expect in today's world."
In this era of active communication, perfect secrets ceased to exist. While difficult to find, traces linger somewhere.
Yet, a perfect cover-up could exist. If all those involved are rendered unable to speak, it could effectively silence them. If the last person standing seals their lips, that would be sufficient.
I know that's a stretch. I'm merely contemplating possibilities. Moreover, Myosotis doesn't qualify as a perfect cover-up since Celestia Myosotis, deeply involved, is very much alive.
"Intrigues have always existed in every era. Don't think too deeply about it. And they're back up again now, though not to their former glory."
"If I were in that position, I'd be devastated."
"Wouldn't devastation be just part of it? Although I don't believe in souls, if they existed, they might have been twisted in agony."
Carrot added that Celestia, who survived the intrigue, gathered the fragmented Myosotis' assets, and is now in a revived state.
'Amazing.'
Despite her young age, the process of asserting her rightful claim and rebuilding the company must have been challenging. I'm guessing she faced countless threats to her life.
On the surface, she looked incredibly young. In fact, not only did she seem young, but she also appeared younger than me.
Yet, here she was, claiming to be the head of Myosotis. The sense of distance that existed doubled, growing even further.
"So it's complete chaos over there now."
Regardless of her youthful appearance, she is the head of a corporation. The fact that communication with her was severed hints at potential trouble.
I may not know much, but when a VIP is in danger, there must be some sort of protocol, and it implies that being with Celestia might expedite a rescue. At least, that's what I thought.
'That's why people followed.'
The reason I had vaguely speculated about became more specific. Once a megacorp, Myosotis' name held weight, even if it once collapsed. I recalled the image of the broker chiding me for not knowing Myosotis, asking how I could be interested in Earth without knowing it.
"... But why did she have the pureblood supremacist symbol?"
Carrot reacted when I absentmindedly muttered those words.
"It's better you ask her directly about that."
"Uh? But, um..."
When I flinched in surprise, Carrot laughed. He offhandedly mentioned that she and I had a similar look in our eyes, but I had no idea what he meant by that, so I could only stare blankly at him.
Crrrrr...
As things grew quiet in the cockpit, the sound of the orbiting vehicle's wheels became background noise. I entered standby mode, staring at the monitor's blackened screen.
Black hair, black eyes. Unlike Celestia's sky-blue eyes, mine were eternally dark.
'We don't resemble each other at all.'
There wasn't even a slight resemblance, making a comparison almost a disservice.
While Carrot was gazing out at the landscape, he tapped the window sill and spoke up.
"Actually, the reason I wanted to ride with you wasn't for a history lesson, but rather, I found you intriguing. I have a personal curiosity."
"Intrigued? What do you mean by..."
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine, and I rubbed my arms. Thankfully, there was nothing creepy in his tone. Had there been even a hint of sleaze, there would have been another hole in the cockpit.
Carrot continued as if he didn't notice my reaction.
"When you faced that mutant fused with a tram, you held a black spike, didn't you?"
"Uh... Yes, I used it as a weapon since I didn't have anything better at the time."
"How did you hold it?"
"... I just grabbed it."
"Judging by how you speak, you seem unaware. The black spike you touched has expansion properties."
Carrot asked to see the hand that held the spike, and since it was no trouble, I showed him promptly.
The Mark II work suit gloves. The Mark II wasn't notably different from the Mark I. It was just an ordinary work glove.
"Huh, your hand is fine. How can that be?"
"Could you explain it to me? What do you mean by expansion properties?"
"Instead of explaining, seeing will make it clearer."
Carrot took a small glass vial from a side pouch. Its surface shimmered with a rainbow sheen, suggesting it was made from a special type of glass.
Inside, there was what I assumed to be a fragment of the black spike, but its appearance greatly differed from what I remembered. It branched out in all directions like a twig.
For now, it seemed confined, unable to penetrate the glass, but that likely depended on scale. Realizing this, I jerked my head up. Carrot returned the vial to his pouch, commenting casually.
"This time it was inevitable, given the urgency, but in the future, refrain from touching it carelessly. You can't predict what adverse effects it might have."
I managed minimal contact this time, avoiding apparent effects. Until we determine the composition and contact effects of this black spike, exercise caution. That's what Carrot said.
His desire to sit with me was to issue a warning. Such a topic would be unfit for discussion in the cargo hold with the others present.
Even if that wasn't the intention, fear gnawing at people's hearts paralyzes reason. Had such a conversation occurred, I might have been ostracized as a monster.
Thinking about that black spike poised to engulf the inside of the vial made a shiver creep up my spine. It was fortunate we removed all the ones carried in Carry's transport box. Otherwise, it might have met the same fate by now.
'I'm indeed an ignorant fool.'
Like a fool trying to dismantle a tool, defeating its safety mechanism, I acted thoughtlessly. Without knowing how the monsters emerged, I needed to exercise more caution in my actions.
Just as I was about to thank Carrot for his consideration, grummmmmmble...!
The ground suddenly quaked. It wasn't a typical tremor from an avalanche in a nearby mountain range. An abnormal vibration detected by the external sensors projected the image of the cracking ice surface onto the cockpit monitor.
The fierce crackling was alarming, prompting me to apply the brakes at once. With a screech of pressed metal, inertia propelled my body forward.
As the sudden jolt startled me, the broker from the cargo hold initiated communication.
- What the hell! What's happening?!
"There's been a minor quake. I think the ground here is a bit unstable."
- Any problems?
"Problems...? Hold on."
I carefully scrutinized the holographic display showcasing data from the external sensors. They provided a wealth of information, but all I could discern was the status of the vehicle.
"For now, the vehicle hasn't sustained damage. However-"
"There's a crevasse."
Carrot succinctly explained the situation on my behalf. Remaining calm, he manipulated the holographic display. With each gesture, the display revealed more, culminating in a 3D map.
"It extends quite a distance. It's difficult to navigate around due to the interjecting mountain range."
- ... That's not good news.
It was enough to make the typically deferential broker sigh.
"We're not entirely in the negatives, though. We've nearly reached the coordinates provided by Myosotis' child."
Indeed, it was as he said. Amidst our varied discussions, the orbital vehicle had nearly approached the location Celestia mentioned for the first-generation colony.
"So, what will we do?"
- Hmm...
Through short-range communication, we held a brief meeting with those in the cargo hold and decided to proceed on foot from here onwards. Only select individuals would advance.
It would be Nadia and myself, along with Eric and Celestia—a total of four people.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=【ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌ )】
Unsurprisingly, Carrot is alive.