Gravity Fluctuation (16)
Rumble...
The Griffin began to take off. The force generated from each thruster lifted the hull. As I watched the ship, which kept vibrating slightly, I muttered to myself.
"The ride got worse."
"It can't be helped. We've been hit by the defensive turrets nonstop,"
Nadia answered as she finished adjusting the power loader. She handed the remaining tools to Carry and then-nimbly jumped down.
Nadia used her tail to regain balance as the hull shook unexpectedly. I knew she was flexible, but she was also good at moving her body, better than I thought.
"Do you think it can go back to the way it was?"
Not all military ships are just clunky and tough. Especially the Griffin—being a special operations vessel, a significant part of its functions relied on stealth.
It could do assault missions, and had shown its capabilities, but its primary focus was always operational endurance.
Ever since it went to Keter, Griffin had been groaning in pain. All the resources were being funneled toward the Albatross, so it hadn't gotten any proper repairs.
"You don't need to worry about that," said Kanna as she finished recording the coordinates for the guard post and approached us.
"Griffin is a ship that has moved through countless battlefields. Every time it was on the brink of falling, it miraculously rose again. It'll do it this time too."
"Ah. It doesn't look it, but it must be pretty old then?"
"I believe it's around ten years old."
Ten years. Usually, anything used that long gets replaced. And that's not just for military use. Truly, ships seeing this much combat rarely last a decade, particularly in the solar system's outskirts, where giant pirate groups wage daily battles.
According to Kanna, there were substantial differences between the early Griffin and the current one. Since damaged parts are constantly replaced, almost none of its original components remained.
"Albatross is the Griffin's successor. It was built to soar anew, based on years of accumulated data. It might be grounded for now, but it'll fly properly again soon."
No wonder there were so many design similarities between Griffin and Albatross. They were branches of the same line.
While Nadia and I nodded at this new information, Kanna hesitated. She looked like she had something to say.
"What is it?"
"Uh, may I ask a question?"
"Of course. What is it?"
"It's about the bud."
"Oh."
Seeing my signal for her to go ahead, Kanna cautiously opened her mouth.
"You said the name of that giant deathworm we saw was the Maker."
"That's right."
I had told the others the name of the bud I saw. The awakened bud, Maker, had devoured the terraforming device and acquired environmental-altering abilities. We kept a close eye on its potential.
"If Maker is behind the Sea of Tranquility's change, and the gravity fluctuations as well, there's no guarantee that monstrous area won't spread, right? That worries me."
"You think the Sea of Tranquility could erode the surrounding terrain and reach here?"
"Yes."
"It's not impossible. I think so too."
I kept in mind the possibility that Maker might not be a single entity. Titan had five terraforming devices. Maker held one, and the rest couldn't be confirmed.
Maybe there were other Makers, or different, similar buds. Considering only the abilities we'd seen, it wasn't impossible that Maker could turn Titan's entire surface into a Sea of Tranquility.
Kanna looked grim as I shared these thoughts. I shrugged.
"Which is why we have to escape before that happens."
There was no need to kill Maker first. Our goal wasn't extermination but escape. We're not head-butting dinosaurs, after all—there's no need to charge in blindly.
"If we can just figure out the satellite deactivation code in the Archive, we can get out of this damned place."
Now that we had retrieved the Albatross, only the Archive remained—most likely our final battleground. The reason we'd been gathering as many resources as possible on rough ground was for that moment.
"... Back when I was in Heaven, it felt so far off, but now that's the only place left,"
Kanna murmured, realization dawning on her. Nadia agreed.
"I feel the same way. We're really almost done!"
At her declaration, both fists clenched, Kanna's eyes wavered just for a second. She quickly regained her military composure, but I saw it—her tail flicking behind her drew Kanna's gaze.
I stared at Kanna in disbelief. She could fool everyone else, but not my eyes. My guess was Kanna was part of the fluffy crew, just like me.
I decided to bring that up another time and wrapped up the conversation. Griffin arrived at the guard post, circled overhead for a look at the ground, then landed.
Once we disembarked from the Griffin, which landed near the base, we started with an assessment.
"The supplies are spread out, right?"
"Yes. I have a rough idea of where they are, so it shouldn't take long."
"Let's split up, then. Nadia, take the power loader and help Carry with the heavy stuff first."
"Okay. What about you, Hyun-woo?"
"I'm going to look around the base a bit."
The guard post was classified as small, but the premises were fairly large. Given all the extra land, everything around here was pretty much under security control.
Thick outer walls to block intrusion, inoperative radar, a base where all signs of life had vanished. Even with artificial lighting illuminating the ground, there was an inexplicable chill surrounding the base.
"That's good. I was planning to do that too,"
Licorice said, stepping up beside me.
"I'll head to the base control room and check the logs. That's why you're here, too. Right?"
'Yes',
Kanna nodded. The base's power was cut, but with Griffin's energy supply function, we could temporarily restore the facilities.
"When I give the signal, start supplying power. I'll take over the controls and transfer them right away. Let's go, Lee Hyun-woo."
With nothing more to say, Licorice grabbed my hand and strode off.
"Whoa, Hyun-woo!" 「Σ(°ロ°)」
Nadia and Carry, about to board the power loader, stretched their hands out in surprise as they saw me being dragged away.
"Keep working! I'll be right back after a quick look!"
Waving my free hand, I saw Nadia's dissatisfied expression. Licorice snorted at the sight, as if mocking me. Was she teasing me for not having a tail?
"Why are you acting so childish?"
"What?"
"Ugh."
"Ugh what?"
When I teased her lightly, Licorice shot me a sharp look—deadly serious. I decided it was wiser to drop the subject and get off that track.
"By the way, are you feeling okay?"
"Hmph, changing the subject... Well, I'm fine."
"Still, get a proper check-up from Carrot. It's not a big deal, right?"
"Alright."
Surprisingly obedient, Licorice's answer made me look at her in wonder.
"What now?"
"I just think that's a good idea."
Saying that eased my worries a little, and for a moment Licorice bit her lower lip. Then she activated the adaptive camouflage cloak draped over her shoulder. The semi-transparent cloak spread out, and her figure disappeared in an instant.
"What? And me?"
"It's single-use."
"That's cold."
My grumbling had no effect. She just scoffed. Behind us, the supply transport operation had begun in earnest.
Thud, thud. Each time the power loader moved, a heavy metallic sound echoed. Licorice and I entered the base's interior. As Kanna mentioned, there were signs of battle scattered about.
Unsorted tables, tossed-over furniture, corners thick with shadow from lack of power, splotches of blood on the floor and spent, misshapen bullets. And not a bit of presence to be felt.
"Doesn't something feel off?"
"Like what?"
"Well, the signs clearly show fighting happened inside, yet supplies are left. The power loader means there's a licensed operator. Judging by the numerous bullet marks, it was an intense battle. So why are new security robots still here, locked? Smells fishy."
I nudged over a mug on the table—it had a sticky, dried black liquid, probably coffee.
'The fight broke out during downtime, or when nothing peculiar was happening... but how could there not be any bodies?'
As I was theorizing, Licorice shrugged off the adaptive cloak. Only her head was visible, like she was floating.
"... If you're going to take it off, take it all off. If you're going to use it, use it properly. You look like a ghost, honestly, it's creepy."
"The one who can tear a ghoul in half is being picky?"
Nevertheless, she turned off the cloak and replied normally.
"So you think there might be a monster here, right, Hyun-woo?"
"Not a monster, just... something might be here."
"Same thing. There's no such thing as an 'unknown entity' that isn't a monster."
Stepping inside, Licorice headed for the control room on the upper level.
"Be careful."
"What's there to worry about when you're with me? Stop gabbing and hurry up. We'll find out everything once I take control anyway."
"Fine."
I followed her up the stairs. At first, I sharply scanned for signs of cryptids or mutants, but found nothing. All that was left was the sense of exploring an abandoned base.
With a nod, Licorice motioned for me to force open the control room door. She waved away the musty smell and checked out the blacked-out panels.
"How is it?"
"All intact. As long as it gets power, it'll be usable. Griffin, do you copy? If you hear me, begin power supply."
- Understood.
There was a buzzing hum from outside, followed by a chunk echoing as facilities, halted from lack of power, restarted.
Lights came on sequentially, sealed bulkheads opened, and a holographic window showed the facility's status. Licorice quickly scanned through it, then spoke.
"All doors blocked from external factors are open. Moving around won't be an issue. I've also unlocked the security robots in the storage area, so use those as you need. Anything I've set aside is mine, don't touch it."
- Confirmed.
"We'll check the data and come down soon, so keep that in mind. Oh, and don't let your guard down, just in case."
- Yes, understood. Proceeding with the operation.
With that, Kanna's comm ended.
"Now, let's see what happened here."
Licorice rolled up her sleeves as if the real work was just beginning. Every time she tapped the panel, another security prompt vanished.
I quietly watched Licorice continue the hack with a serious look on her face. For someone who coughed up blood yesterday, she looked good—her complexion, too.
She had said she was fine, but honestly, I was still worried. As I observed her back, I noticed a piece of equipment on her suit I hadn't seen before.
"Licorice, did you make a new gadget? That's not a bracelet... never seen a ring-shaped device like that."
"Eh? Uh, yeah... I made it just in case."
Despite it not being a big question, Licorice was visibly startled. Her graceful fingers kept pausing, so I worried I was disturbing her. She didn't seem about to explain it, either.
So I simply nodded and waited quietly. Then, Licorice turned to me.
"Lee Hyun-woo, you said you had something serious to talk about last time. Can we do that now?"
"Now?"
"It's just the two of us right now. I mean, I wouldn't care if you snuck over at night, but we don't know what'll happen later."
She muttered the excuse.
'Is that so?'
Neither of us was the type to care about others' eyes, so I could have visited her at night, but her point was fair.
"I was just curious about something—actually, it's related to Nadia—"
"Woof-woof? Why bring her up now?"
Wait—did I say that wrong? Licorice stopped working and looked at me, her gaze wavering with strange betrayal.
"Why bring her up...? I was originally going to ask about Nadia's past."
"Not me?"
"Licorice? Uh, not really..."
At my hesitation, Licorice lost all energy. Her disappointment felt contagious. Her face reddened. After a pause, she shot me a sharp look.
"Ha, I knew it. That's just like you."
"... Should I bring up something else?"
"It's fine. Say what you wanted to say."
Apparently, our ideas of a "serious conversation" differed.
"Of course, I can't tell you about Woof-woof's past."
"Nadia told me herself."
"... Really? That's a surprise. I thought she'd hide it longer or never say anything. So what are you curious about?"
"First, I just wanted to say thank you. Thanks, Licorice—for helping Nadia."
I bowed my head slightly. The sincerity of my gesture made Licorice flustered.
"You didn't know?"
"Of course not. Neither I nor Woof-woof mentioned it."
That was strange—I had wondered about that, and Licorice seemed to sense my question. She resumed her work and kept talking.
"I hid Woof-woof for no big reason. Part sympathy, part seeing myself in her. Ah, and honestly, it was her eyes. I liked her eyes."
"Her eyes?"
"That little thing had a decent eye for people—she could see my power."
She smirked, showing off. A simpler reason than I'd thought.
"You didn't take any credits?"
"No. Do I look that heartless?"
You kinda do. I nearly said it but swallowed the words. In my world, if there are credits, there's a broker. For her to help without taking any...
I tried to keep a straight face, but apparently Licorice saw right through me. She shot me another sharp glance.
"... Now I see what you think of me."
Her face looked so hurt I hurried to comfort her—or would have, if I hadn't heard something explode outside.
If not for that not-so-loud bang, easy to pick up given my elevated senses, I would have said something.
I immediately shielded Licorice. She startled, shrinking and widening her eyes.
"Eeek?!"
"Shh. Stay here. Didn't you hear that?"
"W-what are you talking about..."
Licorice remained tense, blinking. Apparently, she hadn't heard it. I told her to wait while I checked and called Kanna.
"What happened? Sounded like an explosion."
- You heard that? It's not dangerous. While searching for a new clue, we found an abandoned container with gas inside.
"The cause?"
- ... All the missing bodies are here.
Nadia's horrified voice blended over the comms alongside Kanna's explanation.
- All burned. There are signs of mutation, but seems the guards killed them all before the change completed.
"Got it. We'll head down soon."
As a soldier, Kanna could handle it without me. Thankfully, it wasn't as dangerous as I'd feared.
I started to relax, when a strange sound reached my ears. Looking down, I saw Licorice hiccupping.
She clapped a hand hastily over her mouth, but the sound escaped anyway. Her eyes roamed in embarrassment, then finally met mine. Her gaze sparkled like jewels—charming. Thump, thump. I could hear my own heartbeat.
"... Lee Hyun-woo, actually—there's something I couldn't say yesterday—"
Right as Licorice looked determined to say something, an urgent transmission interrupted.
- Warning! Unknown shuttle sighted above the base! Presumed pureblood supremacist group!
"...!"
I quickly released Licorice and switched to combat mode. Licorice dusted off her cloak and stood before the control panel.
Her hiccups had stopped, replaced by eyes that burned with fierce resolve. She muttered coldly about killing them all, and I dare not say a word.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
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