Chapter 32. New Beginning (4)
Crunch, crunch—the sound of footsteps on snow, mingled with the faint whisper of the wind. Following it closely was the sound of faint breathing.
"Hoo..."
Hot breath escaped, turning the air white around us. Though most of it was blocked by my respiratory mask, it didn't frost up. In this day and age, it took more than mere breath to create frost.
Currently, Nadia, Carry, and I were making our way toward the mining base, Heaven. We had refused the broker's offer to lend us security robots, so it was just the three of us. They would be a help in battle, but during travel, like now, they were just a burden.
The direct distance from the first-generation colony town to the mining base was about 20 kilometers. It was a four-hour walk if it were a simple path, but since the surrounding terrain was quite mountainous, it took double the time. Naturally, the physical exertion also doubled.
The snow that fell overnight hadn't frozen properly yet, so there were spots where we occasionally sank deeply. The sensation of snow grappling at our ankles wore out not only our physical strength but also our eyes.
The repetitive white landscape, the shimmering ice undergoing crystallization scattering reflected light, the cautiousness from not being able to see the ground that's covered with snow.
I turned to look at Carry, who was struggling to keep up with us, and spoke.
"Carry, don't be stubborn. Use the booster if you're struggling."
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】
Carry gave a thumbs-up as if telling me not to worry. I felt guilty for promising to fix its booster and not doing it, but fortunately, Nadia managed to repair it.
'I guess that's why she was tinkering with the tools so energetically last night.'
That explained why she seemed unusually tired.
"What about Nadia?"
"I'm fine too! This must be a really expensive gadget!"
Nadia spread her arms wide with a cheerful smile. The thermal device we got from Celestia was quite effective, keeping the chill at bay.
"What about you, Hyun-woo?"
"I'm fine."
Normally, by now, my fingertips would be cold and numb. But the heat circulating through my suit didn't allow the cold to creep in. Thanks to that, my movements were smooth, and I managed to conserve some energy.
"I'm glad the weather's not bad."
"Yeah. I was worried it might snow."
It wasn't exactly bright or sunny. Such clear skies were not something to expect on the ice satellite, Titan.
Just the fact that the dreary sky wasn't turning ominously dark and that a snowstorm wasn't raging could be considered good weather.
We continued to press on toward our destination without stopping. We were already halfway there, and if we continued at this pace, we'd reach Heaven earlier than expected.
'... Though arriving there is a problem in itself.'
The mere thought of the mining base having turned into a monster den sent shivers down my spine.
"Hyun-woo, are you cold? Want one of my thermal devices?"
"... No, I'm fine."
Monsters are monsters; what's important now was progressing forward. Only then could we at least catch sight of the monsters' trails.
As we pushed on farther, we eventually faced a significant obstacle. It wasn't that a monster appeared or that we were exhausted. It was an obstacle in the literal sense: something blocked our path.
A massive ice wall of a bluish hue stood firmly in our path. The good news was that it wasn't a descent but a climb.
After yesterday's crevasse experience, descents, and sheer drops already made me squeamish. Though it was a singular experience, I hoped it would remain the last.
A towering icy cliff, extending to the horizon as if the crust itself was uplifted. Circumventing wasn't an option.
"How do we climb this?"
"Hm... Oh, there seems to be something—... It's broken."
Nadia brightened upon spotting a metal device buried in the snow but quickly turned sorrowful. It was a lift device, probably used by a mining team for local exploration.
But it was thoroughly cracked and couldn't withstand the harsh outdoor climate. The cliff's height was about 20 meters. It was a bit daunting to climb using just the suit without any additional equipment.
However, since we had no choice but to continue, I could only sigh.
"Carry, can you take Nadia up there with your current booster condition? Assuming we use up all the crystal energy."
Carry seemed to calculate for a moment and then nodded, signaling that it was indeed possible.
"What about me?"
In response to my question, Carry shook her head fervently, as if to say there was no need for calculations. Her emphatic dismissal left me a bit crestfallen.
While it could handle Nadia, it couldn't manage my weight. This meant I had to find a way to get over the cliff on my own. As I was pondering this, I noticed a rope within the metal device.
It was a steel wire for securing the lift, and though slightly worn, a single use seemed feasible. Given that it was frozen stiff, I took my time to carefully pull it out to avoid snapping it.
It was so stiff that I considered gently heating it with a tool but then decided against it. Applying heat to equipment like this often worsened its condition. I didn't know how long it had been unattended, but it must have been a considerable time. Assuming it was in good condition was a luxury I couldn't afford.
"Nadia, just take this and get up there. I don't need to explain to Carry since it's used to it, right?"
"Yep! Don't worry!"
Nadia, having assessed the wire's condition, seemed to decide it was adequate and nodded vigorously. Carry, with four boosters glowing blue, lifted lightly into the air. Nadia adeptly positioned herself on top of Carry.
Clutching an auxiliary arm aimed upwards as a makeshift handle, Nadia pointed to the target spot and shouted for takeoff. Then, whoosh, they flew.
As Carry whizzed upwards, the steel wire unfurled and grew taut. I worried it might fall short, but since it was originally part of the existing cliff mechanism, fortunately, such a mishap didn't occur.
Carry tottered slightly in mid-air with Nadia aboard, but quickly adjusted the boosters to channel the thrust upwards. Soon, a communication came from Nadia, safely landed atop the cliff.
- Hyun-woo, I'm up here, and there's another lift device!
"Oh? Is it operational?"
- Not entirely, but the motor seems to be working! I can probably use it to pull you up, wanna try?
"Hm... alright, let's give it a shot. I'll connect the wire to my suit, but be sure to control the speed. If it's too fast, I'm done for."
- You really think I'd let that happen? Trust me, Hyun-woo.
Ending the short-range communication, I hooked the wire to my belt to test the tension with my weight. The wire stretched taut under the pressure but held firm. Hurray for technology.
- Connected! Hyun-woo, ready when you are?
"Yeah, go ahead."
- Here we go!
"Whoa!"
As Nadia said that, the wire abruptly jerked upward, slamming me into the cliff. Luckily, I braced myself by pushing against it with my hands; otherwise, I might have ended up with a huge bump on my head.
- Gosh! Sorry, Hyun-woo!
"... I'm fine, keep this speed, it's okay."
Hearing that I wasn't hurt, Nadia managed to properly control the motor. My view rose slowly. Glancing down, the ground already appeared distant and diminutive.
The wire's pull meant I didn't have to climb on my own, only maintain my balance. Given the wire's condition, I stayed as steady as possible to avoid any unnecessary jolts.
Grinding... grinding...
My boots slid against the icy cliff, shavings gathering and scattering below. Occasionally, parts of the ice wall cracked and chunks tumbled down, skidding along the steep slope and shattering as they hit the ground. The sight of pieces exploding as if from an internal detonation sent a chill through me. Swallowing a dry lump in my throat, I looked around.
The wind whistled past, unsettling my stance, adding tension to my limbs, and inducing vertigo despite my logical awareness of being securely tethered.
Before long, Nadia, waiting above, took my hands in hers. She strained with a "heave-ho," pulling me with all her might, her tail lifted in effort.
Thanks to her support, I managed to safely plant my feet atop the ice wall. Truth be told, I could have managed on my own, but how could I reject a helping hand from someone straining with such determination that her face turned red? I didn't want to see a crestfallen expression on her face.
"Made it!"
"My heart was racing."
I unhooked the wire from my belt and coiled it to set it aside. We might need it on our return from the mining base, Heaven.
"Thanks to you, it was easy. But, what about Carry..."
"Oh, gotta wake Carry!"
Having exerted itself pulling me up, Nadia sat but then leapt to her feet. She neared the lift device, extracting a fragment of blue crystal from its compartment. The familiar form startled me, widening my eyes as Nadia laughed awkwardly.
"I needed a power source to run this thing. The original was completely drained, just a rock."
"... You had Carry's consent, right?"
"Of course! What do you take me for, Hyun-woo!"
Apparently, it was Carry herself who spat out the blue crystal rather than being coerced, as Nadia defended herself. Her lips pouted, she inserted the refined blue crystal into Carry's slot, reviving her.
【♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡】
"It's back!"
"It was never gone, just napping."
After thanking Carry, I dusted off the snow clinging to my suit. I made a mental note to acquire spare refined blue crystals at the base if possible.
Honestly, Carry wasn't exactly energy-efficient. As an early model transport robot, it boasted numerous features but drained energy swiftly as a consequence.
Besides that, there was no such thing as too many refined blue crystals. Nearly all facilities ran on them.
While suggesting we take a brief rest before resuming, I decided to take the opportunity to review the data Carrot had sent me by accessing my wristband.
It was then. My wristband rang with an incoming call.
"...?"
I thought Nadia might be playing a prank, but she wasn't. She was engrossed in playing with Carry. Hence, the call wasn't from her.
"...!"
Abruptly realizing, my eyes widened. With the residential area collapsed and the mining base Heaven overrun by monsters, all communication except short-range was cut off. I'd confirmed this countless times.
Yet, defying that, a call came through from beyond the communication range.
'Who could it be?'
Should I answer or not? Allegedly, merely receiving a call could allow one's location to be tracked or information to be siphoned. Thus, I hesitated at the thought of answering the call now.
Torn between the two choices, I leaned towards the former. I thought it right to answer. Here, our location being pinpointed was tolerable, and perhaps it was a call for help.
- Ah, you picked up.
The moment I accepted the call, a somewhat familiar female voice spoke.
"... Celestia?"
- We're calling each other by first names now?
"Ah."
Hearing my discomposure, a soft chuckle came from across the line.
"What's going on? This isn't supposed to be within call range. You aren't following us, are you?"
- Correct. I'm at the town. The reason this call is possible is due to the thermal devices on your suits.
"... Thermal devices?"
- More precisely, communication devices disguised as thermal devices. I reached out now since you must be nearing the base. I have a favor to ask.
Ah, the saying goes: there's no such thing as a free lunch. I didn't expect a request like this from the head of Myosotis. I couldn't even begin to guess what she might want from me.
"Can this favor be refused?"
My discomfort radiated through my voice, making it sound curt.
- Would you really? You heaven't even heard what the favor is yet.
"I'd appreciate a simple yes or no."
- It's not my intention to impose. Ultimately, it's your choice. But if you refuse, um...
What could she be stalling for? How heavy must this favor be, how insistent would she—
However, contrary to my expectations of her making threats, I heard a faint voice.
- I might be a bit upset. Not just a bit, maybe very. ... I might even cry?
Celestia added playfully as if striving to appear nonchalant. Yet, the tremor in her voice wasn't concealed.
Aware of having been noticed, she cleared her throat and continued.
- I realize this must seem odd. But I have someone I absolutely need to find.
Celestia mentioned searching for a man with blonde hair and blue eyes like hers. Estimated to be around her age, resembling her in appearance.
'... Family?'
Analyzing the details, the thought emerged. Instinctively, I felt delving deeper was ill-advised. As the broker once conveyed, knowing sometimes leads to unfavorable outcomes.
- My request is simple. Should you find someone meeting those criteria during your external endeavors, please rescue them. He's the only family I have.
Defying my considerations, Celestia disclosed everything.