Chapter 52: Tree (6)
Clatter—clatter—
The vehicle heading toward the Heaven mining base shook each time it moved forward. It was because of the ice storm that had swept the surface for the past few days.
The ground had turned bumpy and uneven, and if left alone it might turn into reverse icicles, so a powder that prevented crystallization was being sprayed from the back of the orbital vehicle.
The orbital vehicle we were riding in had shown off a much better condition after being through the hands of mechanics, and even the cargo compartment had changed quite a bit.
They didn't just replace the broken window in the cockpit; they also installed a heater in the cargo bay and changed the interior structure so we could sit down during transit.
"... My tail hurts because my butt keeps getting pressed. Feels like someone's whacking me..."
"Just hang in there a bit."
Of course, it wasn't exactly comfortable. They'd merely fixed makeshift chairs to the floor and walls, after all.
Eric had gone to the cockpit in our stead, so we could relax, but the terrain had been altered so much that it turned out to be a mistake.
Nadia, unable to hide her annoyance, clung her tail close to her body, blaming the rough landscape. She was trying to reduce the impact transferred to her tail.
The only one who seemed comfortable was Carry. Carry acted as if what was really shaking was not the vehicle, but the hearts of mortals—utterly unmoved.
"Hyun-woo, are we really okay without the security robot? You're not going to regret leaving it, are you?"
"Regret... I don't know. But it should stay in town."
The news that we were heading to Heaven spread quickly, and several people, including Licorice, rushed over when they heard.
'I'll send you one security robot. Take it.'
'What about you if we borrow that? You have separation anxiety when there aren't robots around, remember?'
'... How do you really see me?'
'...'
'What? Why'd you start to speak and stop?'
'No, it's fine. The robot should stay in town just in case.'
Recalling that conversation, I had decided that was the right thing to do. It was because of the pureblood supremacist threat. If they suddenly attacked, the security robots would have to buy time.
The people heading for Heaven's waste disposal area were Eric, Nadia and I, Kyle, and Roxy—a total of five. If that many people left at once, there'd be a huge gap in combat personnel.
Though there were still people in town, the drop in defensive capability was factual. If something happened in the not-yet-fully-explored mine in town, we'd need more robots.
When I pointed that out, Licorice acknowledged it and backed down.
'Let me know when you arrive.'
Estimating the time left, I tried to help Nadia be less jostled by supporting her at my side.
Ba-dum ba-dum...
A leg-shaking sound from nearby tickled my ears. The culprit was Kyle, looking tense at the thought of heading into what had become a den of monsters at Heaven.
"How long are you going to stay like that? We still have a ways to go, so try to get some sleep. You look terrible."
"How can I sleep with all this shaking? And I'm too nervous anyway. You know that feeling—so tired you could die but can't sleep?"
"That just means you're not tired enough. If you really were, you'd pass out cold."
When I commented that even Roxy was sleeping well, Kyle shook him off, refusing to be compared to such a loafer.
"What a crotchety-talking old man thing to say..."
"..."
It was just an experienced opinion, but his eyes said I wasn't worth associating with, and it stung. As I lost words, Kyle scratched his head, betraying his nerves.
"The captain told me to get on, but now that I have, I'm going nuts. You've all been there, right? What was it like?"
"Why ask? It was hell."
"Right. The ghouls, they just play dead and then—come close, and... ggrrr!"
Nadia bared her teeth and growled in agreement, thinking she was making a scary face to frighten him, but oddly enough, the expression lessened the tension.
With a little color returning to his face, Kyle rubbed his face dry and asked,
"... Are there any precautions you can give? I know the basics of what not to do, but it can't hurt to hear it firsthand."
"Precautions... Sure. First, never take off your respiratory mask."
"I know that's my lifeline. It wasn't as harsh as here, but I have worked in similar environments."
That made the conversation easier. I added that the respirator would also block ghoul fluids, and recalled the superhuman strength of the ghouls as I told him the necessary cautions.
Don't let the ghouls get close. If you do run into them up close with no way to block them, you have to deal with them before they attack.
"They'll rip people apart. Even robots, even doors soon enough. Fighting up close is basically suicide—it's impossible to match their Strength."
"But you guys fight them with just power tools?"
"Only when absolutely necessary. Only when running isn't an option. We don't want to fight either. They're terrifying."
Kyle gave me a look, as if seeing something grotesque, at my comment that I could maybe handle one due to higher-than-average Strength. Before he could get the wrong idea, I added,
"The most important thing is: first, second, and third—stay as silent as possible. Sound causes a chain reaction. Ah, saying it like this probably sounds like I'm showing off, but I'm really not."
"Don't worry, I never thought that. By the way, about sound... Then this plan is inevitably dangerous, isn't it?"
Kyle furrowed his brow, already pale. His expression grew more grim.
"The cargo vehicle may be large, but the shuttle itself isn't small, so we can't load it; we'll have to repair it somehow on site and tow it back to town. Noise in that process is inevitable."
"Will there be loud hammering? I mean, loud enough to echo everywhere?"
"Hm? Uh... I doubt it. We'll skip anything like that, depending on shuttle condition."
"Then it'll probably be okay. At least in the waste disposal area."
"... Didn't you say they're sensitive to noise?"
Kyle looked confused. I knew my words were contradictory, but I wasn't lying. Our destination was the waste disposal area.
We'd been there from time to time enough to know how loud it was. Not just loud—engine noises that grated on one's nerves.
Nadia's sensitive reaction and tail pain stemmed from this. She especially hated that engine sound, likening it to someone scraping her eardrums with fingernails.
"I just said, it's safe in that area. So try to rest. Before our work starts, this is the last chance to do so. Even if you can't sleep, at least close your eyes. Once we arrive, you'll need all your focus."
Upon my reassurance, Kyle reluctantly closed his eyes, lay back in the jostling cargo compartment, tossed and turned a bit, and soon stilled. He seemed to have found a relatively stable posture.
With only the rattling to be heard, I leaned against the wall, let out a shallow breath, and rechecked a communication that Celestia had sent me right after departure.
- Hyun-woo, I confirmed the waste disposal area's facility is active.
- The facility's operational? How...?
- Not exactly. There are several damage logs. But the extent is low, so it doesn't look like terrorism. Still, stay alert. Don't let your guard down, you or Eric.
Unlike the other sections, the waste disposal area was working. More accurately, its systems were. That suggested there might not be any ghouls in the area.
Most of the area was run by unmanned machines. Even if ghouls were attracted to the noise, there'd be nothing of interest for them except scrap metal, so I guessed they'd have moved on elsewhere.
'It's unlikely they'd stay dormant there...'
Ghouls react to sound. Unless they break the facility, the noise will continue—hard to imagine they'd just endure the din and camp out.
I still thought my guess was likely, but if I was wrong and ghouls were actually dormant there, it'd be a real headache.
'If that happens, there's nothing for it. I'll have to reassess and decide what to do.'
Few enemies, we press through; too many, we retreat—no need to overthink. At least, with more people than just Nadia and me, there were more options. I'd just have to choose the best one.
- How's the rear?
Eric's comm came in. I glanced at Nadia, who was nearly leaning on me, ears perked, obviously wanting something. No, I knew what it was.
"Nadia's really suffering."
- Is it shaking that much?
"It's calmed a bit now. Why don't we switch shifts? We're about halfway."
The cockpit wasn't exactly a comfortable spot. Unlike the cargo hold, where one could relax until comms arrived, the cockpit required constant alertness. A shift was due for Eric's fatigue management.
- Understood. I should've suggested earlier. Come over through the upper hatch, I'll head out too.
"Nadia, let's go to the cockpit."
"Finally...! But what about Carry?"
Euphoric about escaping her suffering, Nadia pointed at Carry, who had cracked open his display from standby mode. Obviously, there was no room for him in the cockpit, despite the upgrades.
"Carry stays here."
【(；☉_☉)】
"No use giving me that look. Next time we use this, I'll ask them to make you your own seat. Just hang on, for today."
Despite my attempt to comfort, Carry, already sulking, switched off his screen with a click. We gave it a rough pat and opened the hatch in the ceiling. With a creak, cold air rushed in.
Kyle just hunched his body, showing no signs of waking, despite his claims of insomnia. Roxy was fast asleep as well.
Shivering a moment at the sudden drop in temperature, I saw Eric emerge from the cockpit, heading over. He glanced apologetically at Nadia, who was tending her battered tail, and coughed lightly. He might look stoic, but he wore his emotions like Celestia.
"I've set the route to arrive near Heaven. Now that you're in the cockpit, I'll leave finer adjustments to you."
"Okay."
"Anything noteworthy happen?"
"No. About the only thing is that both Kyle and Roxy are snoring."
"... That's nothing to note. Hopefully it'll be as uneventful at Heaven, too."
"Don't jinx us—get inside quickly, or all the heat will escape."
Eric, who was about to say more, shut his mouth at our urging and quietly entered the cargo bay through the hatch. We entered the cockpit.
"This is what life's about."
"Are you coming back to life now?"
I chuckled, watching Nadia melt onto the cockpit seat. There wasn't even any special cushioning, but her tail was finally comfortable, and she practically oozed with relief.
It had started to snow outside. The once-bright clouds had darkened, and thick snowflakes thudded against the windows, as if someone was knocking. Titan's caprice had arrived.
Visibility deteriorated, but it didn't matter. The route to Heaven was already saved.
The autonomously operated vehicle left deep tracks on the ground as it moved on. The marks were clear, but wouldn't last—the ice moon was dumping snow, as if to blanket its shame.
I looked up at the sky. It never rained on Titan. Only frozen particles always fell. Many yearned for blue skies instead of gloomy ones, for rain instead of hail.
Those who survived on this harsh ice moon believed, by enduring, perhaps their wishes would one day be granted. But now, that hope had nearly run out. This place could no longer foster hope.
Ghouls and pureblood supremacists. I still didn't know what link there was between the two. Honestly, I wasn't sure if what I was doing now was even the right thing. In the end, you never know until the results are out.
I slowly clenched and opened my fist. A hand with more Strength than most—yet there were still so few things I could actually do.
I'd lost so much. Even now, when I closed my eyes, the desperate pleas for help, the terrifying shrieks, rang vividly in my ears.
Since when, I wondered, had a strange pull begun to prod at me? The word 'Heaven' kept circling my mind, even though it was just a mining base's name.
'Maybe the Blue Crystal ore's influence isn't over yet.'
Ignoring the whisper—"why were you the only one to survive"—I kept my guard up. At least for now, I resolved to focus on the present.
After hours of carving through the snowstorm, we finally arrived again at the Heaven mining base.
Heaven stood, as always, tall amid the whirling blizzard.
Just as it always had.