New Beginning (8)
In the medium-sized mining base known as Heaven, there were three areas where it was believed the lights would never go out.
One was the Reactor Chamber. The enormous energy sphere, fueled by blue crystals, supplied energy to the entire satellite, so the reactor chamber room was always ablaze with radiant light.
Another was the Refinery. The refining process, which was absolutely necessary for the proper use of blue crystals, was inherently a time-consuming task, so it was always emanating a blue hue.
The last place was where we were presently located.
The Shuttle Station in the cargo sector, where all the by-products of Heaven converged. Freight shuttles came and went without distinction between day and night. As much as materials were being dispatched, a substantial amount was also brought in from outside, resulting in a workload that surpassed imagination.
Thus, we referred to this place as the graveyard of workers. Checking and approving the contents of containers was the duty of supervisors or those of higher rank; the workers' task was merely the loading and unloading of cargo repetitively.
However, given the sheer volume and substantial weight, falling into this work was as good as being deemed dead. The daily credit compensation was extremely meager as well, so few were fond of being assigned here.
For those who could operate industrial power loaders, the job was so easy that it was akin to paradise, but if you had that skill, you wouldn't even come here. You'd find better-paying jobs on another satellite.
The fact that the blue crystals rapidly shortened the lifespan of the equipment provided even less incentive to come. Though special coatings on circuits were a solution, the cost was a personal burden and the effect wasn't permanent. My case was special in this regard.
"......."
I glanced around the shuttle station, now littered with the wreckage of broken shuttles. No longer a graveyard for workers, it had transformed into a graveyard for shuttles.
There were thrusters separated from the main bodies, auxiliary armor plates lying around, shuttles crushed under one another, bloodstains in every direction one turned, equipment so broken that it was indistinguishable from the original form, and traces of snowstorms coming in from outside.
If there was chaos, this was it. Yet, the lighting, at least, remained mostly intact, casting an unfiltered light on the station's disastrous state.
If anything—beast or otherwise—were to hide, this place was ideal. Wrecked shuttles provided plenty of hiding spaces, and all of them were considerably large.
Was it my imagination? I felt like I could hear a rustling sound from shadows squirming on the ground amid the wreckage.
'Should we just pass by? Or...?'
Should we take the survival kit that is supposedly stored standard in shuttle vehicles with us?
Though components varied depending on the shuttle's purpose, survival kits generally contained intermediate-level medical supplies, emergency food, and various tools like flashlights. They would be quite helpful if obtained.
However, after mulling it over, I realized that was all it was. After a brief deliberation, I decided that squeezing myself into the gaps of the wreckage for a survival kit wasn't a prudent idea. The risks outweighed the return.
I looked at Nadia and Carry, who were awaiting my words. Their faces were wrought with tension. Seeing their hunched shoulders, I began typing rapidly.
- Carry, I have a clever idea. Want to hear it? It's something only you can do.
Carry displayed a question mark on the monitor, wondering what it was. It promptly lifted its auxiliary arm as if signaling me to just say anything.
- We'll stay here while you quickly go over there. Just switch on your thrusters, swiftly grab the survival kit, and return. How about it?
【(；☉_☉)】
Carry zoomed in on me with its camera lens, zoomed out, and then zoomed in on the shuttle wreckage. Its auxiliary arm slowly lowered. The look of being capable of anything had vanished without a trace.
Finally, Carry stared at me, expression deadpan. Nadia too sent a shocked look, as if to ask if I was serious.
Seeing how tense they were, my attempt to ease them up seemed as though it might get me seen as trash if left unaddressed. To clear up any misunderstanding, I hastily tapped at the hologram window.
- Okay, okay. That was a joke. So, don't make such a face.
Carry appeared relieved and smiled, knowing it was just a joke. Watching it, I typed again.
- But, Carry, sometimes I think you're a bit too smart.
- Hyun-woo, are you going to keep doing this?
Nadia glared at me, clicking her tongue as she comforted Carry and began to move. The Shuttle Station wasn't only the shuttles but the store was also destroyed, and from the signs, it seemed like ghouls, not humans, were responsible.
The crushed metal booth continued sparking and emitting warning messages endlessly.
【Warning. This store is a valuable asset of SSTC. Cease destruction immediately. Repeated warning for user Darren to cease destructive behavior immediately.】
The store seemed to have called in nearby security robots to contend with the ghouls by detecting abnormal shocks, as there were broken security robots scattered everywhere.
As expected, there were also ghoul corpses intertwined among them. Having previously encountered ghouls pretending to be dead, I felt compelled to prod each one.
With each poke of the immobile corpses, I felt my mental fortitude disintegrating in chunks.
The mushy texture at my fingertips,
the erratic heartbeat,
the ominous silence weighing heavily on my shoulders,
the effort to whisper my breathing as delicately as possible,
the fear of being attacked by what's poked suddenly rising up,
and the sticky liquid-soiled blue crystal ore and the pungent stench from forcibly torn surfaces.
The scenes left imprints on my brain every time I blinked open and closed my eyes again. Trying not to vomit from disgust, I swallowed hard.
I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to navigate the base precariously. But for survival's sake, it had to be done. I couldn't leave threats lurking behind me.
Fortunately, there were no ghouls pretending to be dead. The only thing I gained was confirming just that.
After completing the inspection work, we got past the shuttle station in the cargo sector, trying to shake off the terrible sensation lingering in our hands, and arrived at a place packed with containers.
〈Cargo Sector〉
【Containers stored in the warehouse have unstable fixation. Re-secure them with anchors for safety.】
As soon as the warehouse, stacked with all sorts of supplies, came into view, Nadia and I couldn't help but gape. The volume was so immense that despite the gigantic hall, it seemed cramped.
Anchors for container fixation were installed all over, large and quite intimidating in appearance, looming threateningly. It seemed they could potentially be used as harpoons depending on their usage.
'They said the fixation was loose.'
The containers were disorderly placed, devoid of neat arrangement. Normally for safety, they ought to be aligned as straight as possible. That way, the weight center remained properly balanced, preventing collapse accidents.
There indeed had been instances of accidents caused by collapses. During sudden earthquakes, containers not properly secured collapsed, tragically taking the lives of workers laboring away.
As such, without noticeable equipment attached on them, a warning that you could die crushed under a container was not taken lightly around here.
- Hyun-woo, look over there.
Nadia gulped and pointed at the closest container. The panel for confirming contents indicated that gravity equipment was stored inside.
Formally named as the Industrial Artificial Gravity Chain Link Device, due to its enormous size and appearance, people often referred to it as "Big Hand". Having been miniaturized not long ago, its stability was low and its size was honestly questionable as small.
Because it could only be mounted with multiple auxiliary devices, it led some to question why it wasn't just made for power loaders instead.
Once, I had seen Nadia operating it, and despite its size, its output was enormous. If we could acquire a Big Hand, fighting ghouls would seem trivial as they could be crushed entirely.
But it was just a pie in the sky. Without a supervisor rank, opening the container was a dream.
Making any attempt to forcibly open it with a plasma cutter would synchronize its signal with the base, causing the alarm to blare uncontrollably.
Knowing that, she couldn't hide her dejected look, with her tail drooping down.
I felt the same regret. If I could rummage through the containers, I'd find new tools too expensive to even dream of buying. There could be parts meant for transportation robots like Carry. There might even be an unregistered custom suit!
Convincing ourselves those were sour grapes, we could only imagine and drool, coming to the conclusion of just finding the data board quickly.
As I turned away from the scene harboring such regrets, my head filled with other thoughts over what I could not take with me. It would have remained merely a wishful thought if we hadn't heard the voice at that moment.
【Wh-Who's out there? Is it a person?】
"......!"
A somewhat muffled male voice, seemingly coming from within rather than outside. Before I could direct anything, Carry picked up the voice's source, pinpointing it quickly. It directed towards a rest area hidden in dim shadows.
〈Rest Area〉
【This is a shared space. Organize all possessions before leaving. Current status: Forced Close.】
A holographic window displayed that the door had been shut from the inside.
【No, no. It can't be. Because everyone died, it can't be a person.】
The murmurings of one consumed by fear resounded from beyond. Merely by hearing the voice, it was evident that the man wasn't in a good state. His terrified voice erratically switched between spontaneous giggling and intense rage.
- What should we do?
Nadia, holding her breath, asked tensely, fear coloring her face. Her ears were pulled back, signaling a heightened state of alertness.
'... It doesn't seem like we can communicate.'
A person in a state of panic isn't usually receptive to communication. From experience, I'd seen people in mining, succumbing to delusion from forgetting to refresh after barely starting out mining blue crystals and getting overwhelmed by its waves. Quelling them wasn't easy. It as well required using force to suppress them or guiding them to a brighter place to naturally calm them.
It was challenging enough to settle them even when they stood right next to you. With an unreachable door in between us, how could I possibly manage with mere words? I wasn't capable of that.
- Let's withdraw. Quietly.
Not engaging seemed wise. At least until we reached the maintenance area.
'I should also inquire if there's a dot on his shoulder or a scar on his back, shouldn't I?' I thought, though it felt like utter insanity, so I refrained.
Being slightly exposed to the blue crystal ore had already seemed to affect my head. Weird notions were surfacing, things I typically wouldn't entertain thinking about.
【Ah, ah, okay. It's a monster, isn't it? You came back to kill me again! Get lost! Don't even think about opening the door! No one, absolutely no one can come in here!】
〈Notice: Abnormal shock detected in store. User Darren, cease destructive behavior immediately. Standby security robots are - ERROR - Standby security robots not available.〉
The brief sound of banging was followed immediately by a base announcement that there was a detected error, bringing about a scenario we didn't wish to unfold. Because, as if provoked by the broadcast, wails began echoing from afar.
〈Warning. Unauthorized lifeforms detected within the base. In accordance with security procedures, the area is to be quarantined.〉
"...... Ah."
I hadn't even asked whether there was a dot on his shoulder or a scar on his back yet. Such thoughts momentarily came to mind, then quickly vanished.
Our faces drained of color at the realization of sounds converging from every direction.
【Kyaaaaaaah!】
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=【(⩌_⩌ )】
Just when they got a little bit of break.