Origin (41)
I took hold of Nadia's shoulders to calm her down. She must not have been seriously planning on acting rashly, because she relaxed her grip.
Nadia's now-loose hand was trembling slightly. Her fluffed-up tail fur slowly settled as she took deep breaths.
Even if we swung the laser installer at it, it wouldn't split in half, and even if it could, we couldn't act recklessly.
More accurately, we mustn't. We had no idea what object the Mimic might be disguised as.
We'd already seen several Mimics hiding inside the walls, mimicking holes in the wall. Plus, that cocoon-like thing Nadia saw could have been either a Mimic before full transformation or one in the process of transforming.
It was a strange and unfamiliar environment as it was, and it didn't feel wise to poke around without care.
On top of that, the newly learned Mimic didn't even trigger the sensor we'd built with great effort. If we cranked up the sensitivity to the max, maybe we could detect the movement of its core, but with the presence of the Creep, that wasn't an option.
Celestia, startled by Nadia's reaction, clutched her chest, frightened as well.
"It doesn't look like it plans to touch anything for now."
"It's already messing with us."
I shook my head and continued.
"It's been making sure we notice it for a while. It's saying, 'I'm here. Keep worrying about me. When you lose concentration, I'll attack.' It's an unspoken threat, really."
"... You know this well, don't you?"
Eric looked at me, a bit taken aback.
"It's exactly what those sector supervisors would do. They act like they aren't going to do anything but keep pacing around, distracting the workers, and on the day you get caught slipping, they thrash you thoroughly."
The outcome may be different, but fundamentally, I said, the nature was the same. Eric found himself at a loss for words for a moment and cleared his throat to change the mood.
"You can't catch a monster that's not intending to fight you with ordinary methods. Even if you engage it, the moment things turn against it, it'll bail immediately."
"So for now, there's nothing we can do, huh."
"Yes, Celestia. Even if we wanted to dig a trap and lure it in, the structure here is far more familiar to the mutant than it is to us."
While the overall layout hadn't changed, all the little details were completely different now. Unlike us, who had to rely on the facility's schematics, that monster that spread the Creep and could activate them with dangerous secretions likely knew the position of every hole.
That's how important information was. The difference lay entirely between knowing and not knowing, but the options at our disposal were as far apart as heaven and earth.
Next, Eric brought up another problem with the Mimics. Since we couldn't distinguish real objects from Mimics, our actions were becoming increasingly cautious.
Nadia tapped on Alpha. She stared off into the gloom and opened her mouth.
"That's what Alpha is for, isn't it?"
"Alpha? Why?"
"He's got the shockwave emitter, Hyun-woo."
"... You want to move while firing that? Isn't it a bit too much commotion?"
"They already know where we are. That's why we're moving around with our flashlights on, too. What difference does adding the sound of a shockwave make? I'm just suggesting we give it a try."
Nadia looked up at me and argued that if a monster got angry and charged at us, we could just take care of it. Now that I thought about it, I couldn't really say she was wrong.
Given the stalker-like creatures and pureblood supremacists likely watching us, hiding quietly or causing a ruckus probably wouldn't drastically change the current circumstances.
Eric hesitated, but Celestia agreed that it was a good idea, got a simple confirmation, and immediately gave Alpha the order.
"Alpha, attack the storage compartment 10 meters ahead. It doesn't look like a Mimic, but as a demonstration, it's a good target. Don't forget to lower the output."
【Command confirmed. Executing order.】
Alpha promptly raised his arm and aimed the shockwave emitter. The moment the web-like shockwave struck the storage unit and its surroundings—
A tightly sealed box, whose contents were completely unknown, suddenly rattled and sprang open, lunging at us.
【Screeeee—!】
"Argh...!"
I gasped as I saw a bundle of tentacles shoot out through the opening. Instinctively, I swung the plasma cutter I was holding, and Nadia started spreading laser launchers around us almost simultaneously.
Blue plasma struck the Mimic's core, sending it flying backward, and it was caught in the launchers Nadia had set up.
The Mimic couldn't withstand the successive attacks and was split in half. Through the cleaved storage unit, twitching tentacles oozed out listlessly.
Amidst the squelching sound, creep started writhing and slowly covered the dead Mimic.
"..."
Celestia froze in the same stance she had when she was giving Alpha the order. Only after a moment did she mutter in a barely audible voice.
"Sorry..."
"... It's alright. Actually, this is better. We had to pass through here anyway."
"Yeah... My heart almost jumped out, though."
At Nadia's quiet addition, Celestia hung her head. It wasn't as though this was something she'd done on her own without consulting anyone.
'That was scary.'
We'd chosen a small box, so I'd just figured we'd cause a bit of a commotion and push it out of the way. I hadn't expected it to transform into a monster and attack so suddenly. Thank goodness we'd been prepared.
If it'd gone badly, like with the immortal species, my upper body could've been eaten. If I'd been caught, I'd probably have screamed something pathetic about darkness and fear.
I wiped the Mimic's bodily fluids off my plasma cutter and sighed.
"These things can be small, too."
"We really can't let our guard down for a second."
"But their combat capabilities drop with size."
I stared quietly at the Mimic carcass now covered in Creep.
The Creep, spread like a net, was digesting the de-mimicked corpse from the outside in. It was a bit smaller than a human torso.
It was even smaller than the monster tram we'd seen in the residential area, or the emergency storage door at Licorice's secret warehouse. It didn't even have the ability to shoot black spikes. It seemed the smaller units had to choose and focus their specialization.
'So maybe there are Mimics specialized specifically for shooting black spikes?'
Even if their disguises were sloppy, they could be nearly invisible in dark places. If they attacked our vitals from there, we'd be defenseless.
Then it happened. Nadia reached in and pulled the Mimic, rapidly being digested by Creep, away.
Taking up the plasma cutter, she dug into the dying—no, already dead—Mimic, as if searching for something.
As she spread the inside open, Nadia seemed to find what she was looking for and muttered quietly,
"... As expected."
What she held in her hand was a fingernail-sized blue crystal ore. Its energy was almost depleted, as the shard barely gave off the faintest of waves.
Nadia studied the sensor and the crystal alternately. The way she fiddled with the equipment was familiar; she often modified gadgets on her own.
Still, perhaps because of the dissected Mimic carcass before her, Nadia looked strangely unfamiliar to me for a moment. The whole scene felt out of balance.
Finally, Nadia stood up, retrieving the laser launchers she'd scattered around.
"Hyun-woo. Sorry to say this after suggesting it, but I don't think this is the right way," she said.
"Is it that bad?"
"It's not just that—it's much less efficient than I thought. Instead of brute-forcing it, I think we should tweak the sensor a little. Is that okay?"
Nadia suggested that we disassemble equipment here and upgrade the sensor. The current detector could only pick up vibrations. She wanted to add an ore-detection feature to it.
"I think we can use one of the metal detection principles we used back in the mines. Of course, we don't have one here, but we can find substitute parts."
"Where would we find those?"
My gaze drifted naturally to the supply room. It was meant to be stocked with equipment related to the raw ore pulverizing area, or miscellaneous spare parts. Now, though, it was occupied by some strange cocoon.
'That was why we gave up on entering...'
With things as they were, it seemed inevitable that we'd have to go in and check. Lost in thought, I heard Nadia say cautiously,
"It doesn't have to be in great shape. It's only a temporary fix anyway."
"You want to make another detector, right?"
"Yeah. It'll definitely be worth it."
"What do you think?"
Since it was Nadia and she knew her equipment, I didn't really have an opinion. She'd always handled hardware as a real pro.
Besides, given the situation, it was too risky to simply move on. If even a small storage unit could be a Mimic, then even smaller things could be too.
That meant we had to pay attention to everything, and our stress would only increase.
"We could just send Alpha in, but if we lose it pointlessly like at the entrance, we'd lose most of our power, which is concerning,"
Eric pondered.
After some thought, Eric decided to go with Alpha at the head, following up himself as backup to the supply room.
I was about to suggest that I go with them, thinking it wasn't right to send just them, but Nadia beat me to it.
"You're going in yourself?"
"I was the one who suggested this, Hyun-woo. Plus, if I don't tag along, it'll just waste time. I know exactly what's needed."
"I can't say you're wrong..."
I trailed off, then nodded. Part of me wanted to object, but then I'd have to admit that, between Licorice and me back in the residential area, we really could be too overzealous at times.
So, it was decided: Alpha, Eric, and Nadia would go into the supply room, while the rest of us would stand guard outside.
"Carry, switch the nozzle and spread it as wide as you can. No need to fire for long—we need to save fuel, and we just need a path to the supply room."
【(⌐■_■)-︻╦╤─】
Carry obeyed immediately. It aimed the flamethrower into the air and fired, sending out a fan of blue fire. The Creep shriveled with a piercing scream.
The firepower was just good enough to weaken, but not fully incinerate, the Creep. There were no further Mimic reactions along the cleared path to the supply room.
We moved down the corridor, still flickering with flame, straight to the supply room. Our suits would block most of the heat, and the fire would deter any Mimic preparing an ambush.
"I'll be right back, Hyun-woo,"
Nadia said, giving a small wave before heading inside. She skirted the cocoon in the middle, and without hesitation, tore the Creep off one of the storage cabinets. Eric and Alpha assisted in the search.
Meanwhile, I observed the cocoon.
It looked like an egg made of membrane sitting atop a Creep nest. It throbbed as if alive, but really, only the Creep twitched. The cocoon itself showed no movement.
Inside, about half full, was a suspicious-looking liquid, quietly sloshing.
'What is that?'
What could be inside? When I shined my flashlight on the cocoon, the membrane became semi-translucent, showing part of the interior. The Creep inside formed delicate, vein-like structures throughout the cocoon.
Listening closely, I thought I could hear bubbling, as if gas was rising. A swollen bubble burst with a loud pop.
I didn't touch it, but brought my hand close. I felt a faint warmth.
'It's boiling?'
Maybe the Creep was transmitting heat. The next sector was the melting zone, after all. The heat probably came from there.
Was this heat being used for something? I recalled the special mutant bud I'd seen in the waste disposal area.
Before being named Blue Eye, that thing endlessly craved heat from the engine. It had run away after Eric and I fought it.
If heat was necessary for evolution or mutation, maybe this cocoon was absorbing heat to mutate as well. I couldn't be sure—not yet.
I remembered the bloody pool in the residential area and wondered how the melting sector had changed. Since the raw ore pulverizing sector was still operating, chances were the melting sector was running too.
It was where the blue crystal ore was melted down at extreme temperatures—definitely a furnace.
If we wanted to save time, we'd have to cross the melting sector. If we wanted more safety, we'd have to detour around it. Either way, both options were dangerous.
'No tram here.'
The pipework was so tangled there was no tram crossing this facility. That's why we were forced to move like this. There were small electrical vehicles for internal use, but they were now useless, all covered with Creep.
Celestia suddenly poked her head out.
"Should I take a sample of that?"
"What, the stuff inside?"
"Yes. If we gave it to Carrot, maybe he could analyze it."
I didn't answer right away, unsure about messing with something that dangerous, nor was it a priority in my current thoughts. Celestia tilted her head at my look.
"Do you have a container for that? A regular one wouldn't work."
"I have one. For important items."
Celestia took out a device from her belt—smaller than a palm-sized box. She tapped it and the box opened, revealing a second, smaller container inside.
"It's small, but it can store things securely. Unless the box is completely destroyed, nothing inside can leak."
"Hmm... Well, let's try after we finish here in the supply room. The cocoon could explode at any moment."
"Okay."
Celestia and I waited outside for the others to finish, and soon enough, the search was done. Nadia came out carrying a makeshift circuit board from one of the devices, Eric following, while Alpha emerged holding something.
I blinked in disbelief as I saw its familiar form. It was an industrial artificial gravity chain device—nicknamed Big Hand.
That was in the supply room? If we'd avoided this room because of the cocoon, I would have missed out big time.
But its form was a bit—actually, quite—different from what I remembered. It seemed rather incomplete.
Nadia noticed my gaze and spoke up.
"I got what I needed for the sensor, and as you see, grabbed the Big Hand from inside. But we can't use it as is. The load-relief device has completely corroded, so using it now would only destroy your body with the recoil. The core that powers it is also missing."
"... Really? That's a shame."
I clicked my tongue regretfully, still glad we'd at least salvaged a half-broken Big Hand.
Nadia said she'd get to work immediately and started tinkering with the sensor and circuit board. I stepped back so as not to disturb her and asked Eric,
"Eric, did you see anything odd in there? Besides the cocoon."
"Besides the security robot buried in Creep, nothing to report. The cocoon didn't react when we went in either."
"I wonder if it would react if we opened it?"
"... Open it? You mean the cocoon?"
"Yes. I want to take a sample of the liquid inside."
When I showed him the container Celestia had given me, Eric glanced at her briefly. She looked away, feigning ignorance. That box must be worth more than I thought.
"To be honest, I wouldn't recommend it, but Carrot specifically requested samples, so it can't be helped."
"So you agree?"
"Yes. In case that liquid is toxic, I'll bring something to shield the floor."
Eric covered the slanted supply room entrance with a panel. Once I finished prepping, I sliced the cocoon's top with the plasma cutter as though opening a lid. A hissing sound escaped as the air inside rushed out.
Almost simultaneously, the hologram on my respirator turned red, warning of poison gas. Good thing the mask was holding; I hesitated a moment, then kept going.
Or I would have, had the contents not suddenly spilled through the widening gap.
SPLAAASH—!
As the stuff gushed forth, Eric and I both leapt back. If Eric hadn't covered the floor, we would've gotten drenched.
"...!"
Celestia startled at the ruckus and started to rush over, but Alpha stopped her. Nadia jumped up too.
Before we could say anything, the liquid pouring over the Creep-coated floor immediately made the Creep grow wildly, as if forced.
Stifling heat, toxic fumes, and activated Creep. It was far worse than the liquid spit up by the lurking mutant.
"... Good thing we never messed with the cocoon until now."
"Quite."
"Maybe best we don't touch any more of these, huh?"
"A wise idea."
Eric shivered, saying that if the cocoon had burst while we were inside, it would have been a nightmare. Quickly, I bottled up the remnants still pooled on the floor.
"Hyun-woo, the sensor upgrade's done! It doesn't detect vibrations anymore—it tracks blue crystal frequencies. The vibration detector worked better in general, but it can't be helped. Situation's changed."
Nadia showed me the new sensor display. The improved device scanned the surroundings periodically, like a radar.
A sensor that could detect blue crystal ore frequencies—it had opened up a new field of vision for us.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
I think they should destroy the cocoon.
【(⌐■_■)-︻╦╤─】