Chapter 41. New Beginning (13)
- There was a reason for the communication failure. I expected it, but still...
Celestia sighed softly when she faced a reality worse than she had anticipated.
Nadia and I left Carry to monitor the area while we meticulously searched to see if anything remained intact. The information we obtained from this process was that nothing was left.
However, it wasn't a total loss.
'... Shell casing.'
An artifact from the old world—a gunpowder firearm. More precisely, we found traces of it. As I rolled the mangled brass shell casing back and forth, I considered the possibility that the pureblood supremacists might still be alive.
This wasn't mere speculation from finding their trace. It was because we found a pureblood supremacist who had collided with ghouls and perished.
The server room and control room of the communication area are not small; it's impossible to destroy them single-handedly in a short time. Moreover, unlike the server room destroyed with a bomb, the control room showed no traces of explosives.
With several array antennas in the control room, if they were to use bombs, it would have made more sense to deploy them here rather than the server room, to expedite the destruction.
"I'm going to take a look at the server room for a moment."
"You don't need me to come with you?"
At Nadia's question, who had been rummaging through the antenna wreckage. Although she's a great ally, I preferred to do this task alone, so I waved her off.
Nadia slightly pouted, her fluffy tail swaying discontentedly, indicating that it wasn't the answer she wanted.
Assuring her it would only take a moment, I returned to the server room and followed the distinct black scratches deeply etched on the floor. As I scanned around with my flashlight, my eyes gradually moved toward the center of the explosion.
From my past experiences using blasting explosives for expanding tunnels, I deduced:
'They aren't experts.'
That was what I thought. Of course, since I wasn't an expert myself, I could be wrong. I only speculated on the placement of the bomb, its power, and estimated quantities based on what I would have done.
The ones who installed the bombs were undoubtedly the pureblood supremacists. After all, if not them, why target the server and control rooms of the communication area amid the chaos?
Destroying this place, where people must have been scrambling to call for support, suggested a sinister intent.
'They threw a few bombs in the server room but painstakingly destroyed each control room antenna...'
The noise naturally attracted ghouls or security robots. In fact, traces of a standoff near a bulkhead were easily found. We also discovered piles of shell casings hidden in the darkness.
While there were few corpses, likely scavenged by ghouls over time, we could see a few security robots with severely battered armor not far away. It seemed they couldn't withstand a continuous barrage of bullets despite their sturdy casing.
'I thought they only killed people...'
These maniacs seemed to kill anything in their sight. It became impossible to tell who the real monsters were.
After wrapping up my investigation, I returned to the control room where Nadia promptly approached me. She was holding something in her hands, and it seemed like she might have found something. She spread her hands wide to show me.
It was a small, palm-sized module in the shape of a cube. The surface shimmered with an aurora-like sheen, suggesting it served an essential function without needing further explanation.
As I glanced back at Nadia, she wagged her tail energetically as if she'd found a treasure. Her expression was quite bright.
Celestia quickly spoke up as if she'd been waiting.
- It's a communication module installed under the central antenna. You can think of it as a core containing significant data. They broke all the antennas, but this module, the most crucial part, remained intact, which proves they are not experts. Fortunately, for us.
Celestia had come to a similar conclusion as I had. She mentioned that although other antenna-related equipment could be fabricated in town, it was fortunate that the communication module was undamaged, as it was irreplaceable, before exhaling a sigh of relief.
"So can we call for reinforcements now? Like summoning a shuttle in orbit or informing the outside world about our situation here?"
- It's not possible right now. Breaking through the communication jamming blocking the satellites would take some time, even with proper equipment. And to build that facility, we need a data board for store recognition to purchase materials.
The joy of obtaining the communication module was short-lived. With Celestia's subsequent comments, I internally sighed. There were too many concerns piled, causing a headache.
To find the data board, we needed to head to the maintenance area, avoiding ghouls or pureblood supremacists as much as possible, making returning later a looming headache. Only one task had just been completed.
The maintenance area is along the route back toward the cargo sector. After obtaining the data board there, we could return here and access the shuttle station in the cargo sector via the server cooling duct.
Transitioning from the maintenance to the cargo sector seemed safer. If I found something useful at the maintenance area's repair platform, we could even use that for transportation.
There was no need to venture beyond. Or rather, we couldn't. While passing through the recycling and disposal facilities could be negotiated with a mid-level laborer rank, the hydroponics and central nexus beyond were out of reach for that level.
With tasks assigned, as I prepared to move, Celestia cautiously suggested,
- ... How about taking a short break? You sound exhausted. It's been 19 hours since you two left.
"We already rested a bit earlier. Plus, the pureblood supremacists at the base could still be alive because there were fewer bodies than traces suggested. Before they manage anything else, we should act first."
- You heaven't removed your respiration mask, after all.
"It's because of possible infection. We don't know exactly how ghouls are created, whether it's a form of infection and if so, whether it's contact or airborne. Nothing's confirmed."
So, I couldn't afford to take it off, even if it felt stifling. Perhaps my worries were unfounded, and keeping the respirator was unnecessary stubbornness, but wouldn't that be fortunate? It's always better to err on the side of caution.
- Did you eat the sticks you took? And the water?
"Ah."
It turned out that I hadn't consumed any emergency ration sticks or even a sip of water due to the respirator. Realizing this, intense hunger and thirst suddenly struck.
A loud growl echoed, but it wasn't my stomach.
"... Oh."
Nadia blushed deeply, covering her belly with her hands and slightly curling into herself, as if thinking this would muffle the sound.
Nadia's lips were very dry, indicating thirst. She could've mentioned it, but it seemed she was holding back since I hadn't brought it up.
Supposedly, if the respirator were an integrated suit type, it would feature a special inlet for inserting emergency ration sticks or water packs for such situations. However, since ours was detachable, we had to remove it if we wanted to eat or drink anything.
- Regarding infection concerns, you're fine. It's hypothesized that it's not airborne.
"Who says so?"
- The elderly researcher would be that person. I think his name was Carry.
"... Did he say it's okay to remove our respiration mask?"
- He didn't specify it like that, but he sort of implied it. Basically, he said if it were airborne, we would've already been exposed and turned into monsters.
"......"
Gambling on something uncertain with our lives is foolish. However, refreshing is essential to avoid becoming too absorbed in the surroundings.
It can't be resolved simply by moving quickly. To move, our bodies require energy, and to replenish that energy, we must consume the calories that generate it.
She was right. If it were airborne, we would've turned by now. Even if briefly, we had moments out of our respirators.
Examining Nadia's complexion one more time, I removed the respirator that had been covering my face all this while. Nadia was startled, immediately grabbing my arm.
As I slowly inhaled and exhaled, she anxiously shuffled her feet.
"Ssshhh—Ha."
The cold air filled my lungs. Though not pleasant due to the lingering smell of gunpowder and blood, it felt much easier to breathe.
I repeatedly clenched and unclenched my fists and moved my body lightly. A good 10 minutes passed, but nothing unusual happened to my body.
"It's fine to take it off. We should wear it again when leaving, but we can remove it for now."
"... Are you sure it's alright?"
"Yes."
"I'm asking about Hyun-woo's condition, not the mask."
Nadia gave me a chastising look as if dealing with a disobedient child, delivering her remark with sarcasm. I silently remarked how there couldn't be such a big child, then chuckled while taking out an emergency ration stick.
With a crinkling sound, the wrapper was peeled away. Nadia followed my lead, slowly removing her respirator. Like me, she took a few deep breaths and sat and stood repeatedly.
Deeming herself fine after moving a bit, Nadia took a huge bite of the stick I offered. She swiftly snatched it from my hand and devoured it rapidly, suggesting she had been very hungry.
She tore open the corner of the water pack with her teeth, quickly draining it. Though it didn't taste good, she devoured it skillfully.
After drawing out every last drop from the pack, Nadia finally regained her normal complexion, displaying a relieved expression as if she could survive. Her tail wagged vigorously.
"You're not eating?"
"I will."
I retrieved a stick from my belt bag and bit into it. The characteristic dry texture of emergency rations quickly sapped the moisture in my mouth. It already felt like it was blocking my esophagus, although it hadn't even gone down yet.
'... So dreadfully tasteless.'
They say hunger is the best seasoning, but the emergency ration stick outright denied that claim.
While Nadia and I noisily chewed without bothering to shake off the dust before sitting down, Celestia spoke up.
- Eat while you listen. While you two are dining—
"We've finished."
- ... Huh? Already? It hasn't even been two minutes...
After we quickly finished the emergency rations, we rinsed our mouths with water while responding.
"There's no time to leisurely dine. It's not like they're tasty enough to savor, and there's no benefit in staying at one place too long, so we just crammed them."
- Th-that's true...
"So what did you want to say?"
- Ah, I tried to gain more system permissions, but there's a strong lock on the system itself, so doing more right now is tough. If I had direct contact with the circuits, it wouldn't be an issue, but I'm using a workaround...
Celestia suggested that the system had automatically locked several functions after detecting the destruction of the communication area. She further mentioned finding traces of someone artificially distressing the system.
- Perhaps the pureblood supremacists you mentioned are disrupting the system. Though, they aren't connected to the base, so we can't track their signal.
In essence, she couldn't help at the moment.
- Still, I will keep trying. Not giving up, I'll find a way to bypass the locks.
Not feeling disappointed would be a lie, but we had little choice.
After regaining some stamina by consuming calories, Nadia and I adjusted our respiration mask while speaking.
"Got it. Reaching this point is sufficient—although not really, we'll manage from here on. Ah, if you find anything suitable for transport while going back, let us know."
Frankly, I was hoping to find some mode of transport in the maintenance area. It wasn't called the maintenance area for nothing. Everything needing repair ended up there.
Though most would likely be destroyed, there could be something relatively functional amidst it all.
- Of course. The last location log of the data board is the maintenance area warehouse. Good luck. Be cautious.
Concluding her words with a promise to call if needed, Celestia's communication ended. When her voice was no longer heard, a strange emptiness surfaced.
With resolute expressions, we lifted our heads.
〈Approach to the Maintenance Area〉
【Welcome to Mining Base Heaven. Energy supply is currently unstable. Some areas are in partial blackout.】
A flickering hologram message greeted us from above.