Origin (17)
"I'll take a look at Blue Eye's exoskeleton. The basic sterilization is done, and it's so strong that if we can use it, its utility will be high."
"Can you handle it? Aren't you behind on other work too?"
"If it doesn't work out, I'll just die trying, whatever."
That was what Kyle said as he tapped the pile of exoskeletons stacked next to the workbench. He predicted it would be very difficult to work on, since not even a plasma cutter could slice through it easily, but said he'd find a way somehow.
Currently, except for the bits that Carrot had taken for research, the rest of Blue Eye's exoskeleton was all here. Since plasma reacted to it so strongly, making a backlash effect, it made a good fit for equipment material.
If the monsters used humans as materials, then we, in turn, used them for ours. It felt like, in its own way, a means of consoling the souls of those killed by the monsters.
With a final word of thanks, I left the workshop with Licorice. Outside, it was still bright. People were still hard at work constructing the facility, with the Alpha series assisting in the tasks.
The "bzzzzt" sound of lasers, and the "clank" of metals fitting into place. At first it sounded dissonant, but if you listened closely, it actually went together quite well. There was an order to it all.
The sequence of tasks, the split-second when materials and tools collided, the process of everything becoming one building. Everything was falling into place, and yet I suddenly felt unmoored. It was the price for facing something I had tried to forget.
It wasn't like I was thinking, 'I shouldn't be here!' or, 'Heh, what a dangerous forgotten past...' or anything like that. The time for those kinds of thoughts was long past. It had ended before I even noticed.
Anyway, all I felt now was a bit of awkwardness, and as Celestia had previously said, I just couldn't stop thinking. Even with this thick skull, if I kept it turning, maybe something would spark.
Licorice, not like her usual self, glanced at me carefully.
"Hyun-woo, you don't look well. ... Don't take it to heart that I pressed you earlier."
"I'm not."
I figured it was natural for Licorice to ask me about things. The weird message that was related to the pureblood supremacist group—I knew it, so her reaction was only to be expected.
Especially since it was out of concern, not suspicion. All the more reason there was no room for misunderstanding. It was better than if she had shown no reaction. I'd seen Licorice more than just a couple times now.
A smile escaped me before I realized it.
"Isn't Licorice the one holding onto it? Why are you so nervous?"
"Nervous? Me? Hah, don't make things up. I never do that."
Licorice reacted instantly, stomping the ground. Her cheeks flushed a little. For now, it was still cold enough that she could make an excuse for it.
"Oh, don't say I'm making things up. Hearing that suddenly makes me feel kind of bad, you know."
"I-I said just now that I'm not holding a grudge."
"You almost cracked open my head! The brutal way Alpha used to subdue its patients was... I still remember that sense of injustice and sorrow vividly."
"N-no, I..."
When I covered my face with both hands and pretended to sob, Licorice genuinely panicked. Her hands didn't know what to do, flailing around as if malfunctioning.
But only for a moment—then she put on a look like she had resolved herself to something. She looked determined.
"S-so..."
"So?"
"You madman! You're the one who screwed up! You should've said something earlier! You and I were alone together for two days! If you bring up something like that in front of everyone, how could I possibly cover for you?!"
"Uh, calm down."
As the fire suddenly flared up, I quickly tried to quiet her down. But far from putting it out, it only made it stronger. I guess my waving just acted like a fan.
"Telling someone to calm down only riles them up more, you know!"
"... Should I just let you be angry then?"
"Do you have a death wish?!"
"......"
What was I supposed to do? No matter what I said or did, there was only scolding waiting for me. My eyes drooped involuntarily.
"Why do you suddenly look like some abandoned puppy—so down and pitiful. Pfft."
"You're the one who 'killed' me."
"Do you really want me to? Just offer up your neck and I'll end it painlessly in one shot right now."
"... I'll pass."
Licorice scoffed, asking why I even said these things if I wouldn't stick by them. Childish bickering. Licorice and I glanced at each other and, as our eyes met, we both broke into laughter almost at the same time.
The cold, businesslike broker from our first meeting—up to the moment the mask came off—was nice too, but now I found that I weirdly liked this more honest, open Licorice as well.
It's not like she'd suddenly changed. She had always been like this. It was just a difference of whether it showed or not.
She'd secretly done things for me from behind the scenes, even when I didn't notice. There's no way I could be ignorant of that. Honestly, I didn't totally like being treated like a kid, but still.
I stopped walking aimlessly.
"Licorice, I'm really fine. Well, actually, maybe that's a lie, but there's nothing I feel bad about regarding you. Really."
"... Then I'm glad."
"This is a bit of a different topic, but... could you do me a favor? If you do, I'll grant you a wish. Anything."
Honestly, a wish from me didn't amount to much, but it was the best I could currently offer.
"Anything? What kind of request needs a wish as a reward?"
I'd worried she might not care, but Licorice flinched in surprise and looked up at me. Her ruby-red eyes were filled with both expectation and curiosity.
It was the first time I'd ever offered a wish as compensation. Usually, it'd just been running errands or paying in credits.
Compared to what Licorice had given and done for me, such payment was mere dust. But at least it gave the impression I'd offered something fair.
The condition I offered now was like a blank check. It could even be called a slave contract. I didn't regret it. What I was going to ask for was that important.
"Please help me."
Finding my lost past. I didn't want to believe in untrue information just because circumstances pointed that way. Doubt was unfair, like stone—no matter how firmly you stood there, in the end, you'd be eroded by lies.
In that case, in that event, it was better for me to act first. No matter how harsh the storm, that was that, and this was this. If rain leaked in, you fix it—thinking wasn't enough, you had to act.
If all we ever did was lament the unfairness of the world, the situation around us wouldn't change. This was the perfect example of "if you do nothing, nothing ever changes."
Until now, all we had to do was get to Earth, so I just endured and persevered no matter what happened. But now, that was no longer enough.
"You said it. There are reasons information is hidden, and if you forcibly dig it up, it could endanger your life. That knowledge can be poison, not power."
"I did, yes."
"I don't think I can just sit still anymore. Like you said, this isn't the end—it's only the beginning."
My goal of reaching Earth hadn't changed. To be exact, it was time to move again to achieve that goal without compromise.
There was every chance this hell that engulfed all of Titan had already spread to other moons or to Earth itself. Maybe this moment was our one golden chance to prepare before moving into somewhere even more dangerous.
Maybe what I was about to do was opening Pandora's box—but it didn't matter. Rather, I had to open it. The box had already been opened by someone else—that's how the world had become this way.
Now, I would look for whatever hope was left inside that box. Even if it proved false.
"How would you like me to help? I'll hear the wish later, let's start with the current request."
"Let's start from the beginning. Let's go back to the day you and I first met, and review everything that happened then."
The place I'd suddenly come to my senses was Residential Area Sector D—more specifically, the back alleys considered its outermost part. Hardly anyone walked there, but for security, cameras had been installed.
"From the beginning... I see. So you want to see what happened before you woke up, right?"
"Yes. It's not like I'd just suddenly go 'waah' and be born in a back alley. Would there be records left?"
"There should be records from that time. Unless someone tampered with them."
"Then—! No, wait. Does that mean..."
"Unfortunately, those records were already altered."
"... I guess we're too late."
Well, of course. That was to be expected. It had already been three years. The pureblood supremacists weren't fools. Even if they now move openly, back then, they operated in the shadows. No way they'd leave evidence.
"We're late, yes. But that's regardless of how you feel now. The records disappeared before I ever found you. What do you think I did, just found you by chance?"
"... By coincidence?"
"Hardly."
Licorice said she detected something amiss and found me there, looking blank. Sensing something off, she had Alpha retrieve the data from the security cameras, but all that remained was doctored footage.
It made me think maybe it wasn't coincidence, but something manipulated.
"So there's no way at all...?"
"Why that expression? It makes me feel bad. Wait."
Lost in thought for a moment, Licorice suddenly seemed to recall something.
"Oh, by the way, do you know you'd need to go to the central tower of the residential area to gain access to the record archive?"
"Come on. Don't treat me like an amateur. With your skills, you could access it remotely, couldn't you?"
Reminding her of something she'd said before, Licorice folded her arms.
"That's only possible if the communications room is fully functional. They say the facility is more or less finished now, so that works out! Come on, let's go. This conversation might go long, so let's not just stand around."
"Okay."
Now we had a destination. My lost, directionless body finally had purpose again—toward the communications room.
Soon, we made our way past the crowds to the central plaza. The communications room, the most important enabler for the people in this town, was located in the very center.
Its appearance was much like the control room in Heaven's comm zone. Licorice approached the section that controlled the main antenna.
Watching her, I was suddenly overcome by unease, and spoke up.
"Licorice, Earth's safe, right?"
Eric had previously told me that Earth was classified as a "clean energy sector," so even if something like Titan happened there, it'd be resolved quickly.
"We'll see. Until we see it for ourselves, we don't know. It might look fine on the surface and be rotten inside."
"Then what do we do?"
"What else? If everywhere but here is ruined, then we sustain humanity right here."
"That 'sustain humanity' thing. Are you really going to do it?"
Her casual reply to my real worries made me lash out. Surprised, Licorice stepped back from the antenna she'd been fiddling with.
"I-I was just joking... Why are you making it so tense?"
"I was joking too."
"... Were you?"
This time, for some unknown reason, Licorice turned away with a disgruntled air.
"Now where did that core component go?"
"Here, I've got it. They removed it during final checkups yesterday."
"How do you know that? You were stuck in bed."
"It was written on the memo over there: 'Due to power shortages, core component removed from antenna to prevent wear. For future use, check town energy reserves before reconnecting.'"
I read out exactly what was floating on the holo-display. Licorice snatched the core component from me with a grumble, then strained to fit it into the antenna.
"Come on, Licorice, weren't you supposed to be the total brain here? Why is this so tricky for you?"
"Ugh, just wait! It should work if I do it like this, but... why isn't it working?"
We were bickering and wrestling with the antenna when—
"Hyun-woo?"
Someone opened the door to the communications room. Next, a pair of twitching animal ears peeked in. It was Nadia.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Oh, wait. The title is Origin, is it pertaining to Hyun-woo's origin? Are they trying to figure it out now?
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】