Gravity Fluctuation (22)
"The structure is unusual."
While we were following the route Nadia was guiding us on, Kyle commented as he examined the interior of the ship. He looked around with wary eyes.
It helped that I wasn't alone, but with everyone together, though that didn't mean the tension had disappeared entirely.
"Unusual? I can't really tell the difference."
"It's not like it's so different that it looks like a ship from another civilization, but the specs... hmm, how should I put it. Each standard feels a bit off. Well, that's about it."
Despite being beastkin, they weren't much different from us. While there are stages among beastkin depending on their degree of development, the overall structure is generally similar.
Sometimes there are beastkin with reversed-jointed legs, or less common features like horns or wings, but that alone doesn't significantly change the standard.
Why do standards exist? Why is the word "standard specification" even a thing? It's for costs and efficiency.
If those standards are off, then not only does production become more expensive, but repairs later on also skyrocket in costs. That's why standardized specs exist—to prevent that.
Nadia offered a partial answer to Kyle's question.
"The reason the specs are different is because this shell wasn't originally built properly—it was made by patching together discarded parts. If you look closely, you can see that some of the joints are odd."
"Ah, so it's not that some technology was involved, it's just plain junk?"
"Most of it, yes. Like I said earlier, this ship is a deception."
Deception. A word that means to deceive others. I asked what exactly was deceptive.
"They're hiding something. If my guess is right, when the sectors are divided—meaning, when we enter the critical sector—the internal structure will change completely."
According to Nadia, the cargo sector we were passing through could be purged and abandoned at any time.
The real core is hidden inside, while the outside is wrapped in shabby scrap metal. It's misleading to any observer—that was their intention.
"Even if it gets hit, it won't affect operations. It's basically empty anyway. That's why, even when you try to connect with the bracelet, there's no response. There is energy flowing, but it's not connected to the main system."
"... But aren't there beastkin inside? Then, those beastkin..."
There was clear evidence that beastkin had been living in this sector since before the ship crashed. The fact that this sector could be abandoned at any time meant that those inside could be discarded just as easily.
I scanned the area, wondering if there could be any evacuation route or escape pod we hadn't seen, but found nothing. Once again, the only choice here seemed to be death.
"They're left to die—not even knowing they've been discarded. But they're just clones, so killing them isn't really a concept here. It's less than throwing out trash. Maybe being jettisoned into space is for the best—at least it would be less painful."
Nadia's calm voice shocked everyone into silence. The tense atmosphere grew even heavier.
"Clones... Are you saying the Reformist group is abusing them?"
"Yes."
"... That technology is banned. Any group that abuses cloning tech is subject not just to public condemnation, but real sanctions. The military would have actively targeted them... If they'd known they were clones."
"You've never recovered any corpses intact, have you?"
"That's right, as far as I know. If a beastkin—specifically a comrade—dies, we try to recover the body, and if not possible, we make sure the remains are destroyed."
Kanna nodded.
"All beastkin in the Reformist group have bio-circuits implanted. Since it's a hard-to-reproduce technology, they're willing to die to prevent its exposure—and so info is naturally controlled in the process."
"I knew Roxy always called them crazy, but the more I hear, the crazier they get..."
Kyle muttered, clicking his tongue. Kanna seemed to understand on some level but remained visibly unsettled. Nadia added,
"Of course, even with all this, news of them being clones will eventually get out. Times are scary now. Just a drop of blood can reveal so much, and if any scraps remain after burning or stick to the floor or wall, it's almost impossible to hide the truth. The military leadership probably knows. AI has advanced, but in the end, humans are the ones giving orders."
"... So they turned a blind eye to a group abusing cloning tech."
"The Reformist organization has more money than you think. They also know how to cater to various tastes."
Nadia's words implied a single, obvious answer. Kanna squeezed her eyes shut and muttered bitterly,
"Some things never change, no matter how much technology evolves..."
Kanna did not press Nadia on why she hadn't told people about this, even knowing it; the answer was simple. She already knew. If the military top brass decided to keep something hidden, making a few people disappear without a trace wasn't even difficult.
A somber, gloomy mood now became mixed with complicated feelings. Only the clanking of metal echoed through the deserted corridor. Nadia said we would be able to figure out the mystery once we reached the ship's core, and hurried her pace.
Before long, we finished passing through the cargo sector and arrived at the core sector Nadia had mentioned. A bulkhead had come down—something we hadn't seen until now, making it obvious.
Whether it was a small mercy amid misfortune, or just more misfortune, I couldn't say. From the moment we spotted the bulkhead, the previous mood vanished, replaced by tension.
The detector started beeping, sensing presences beyond the bulkhead. They didn't seem interested in communication and were moving around erratically—definitely mutants.
"Nadia, can you open it? Or, if there's an alternate route, we can take a detour."
"We'll have to force it. Any way we go will be blocked; it's better to break straight through."
"I see..."
Before forcing open the bulkhead, I called Licorice.
– Have you already reached the engine room?
"Not yet. We're about to enter the core area, and things may get busy, so I thought I'd check in first. I'd rather know the recon status on your end before just barging in."
– Nothing unusual. The route's complicated, and I haven't seen any mutants or bulkheads like you mentioned.
"Understood. I'll contact you if we find anything."
It seemed the beta series, which had gone a different way from us, was having trouble with the recon. Not much to show for it. "No helping it."
The ship was too big for us to have expected more from the start.
We had it easier, being able to follow Nadia's guided route, but Licorice was basically wandering blind. Of course that took time.
"Nadia, open it. Everyone, get ready."
With the beta series here, we didn't have to take the dangerous front lines ourselves. Even so, if a "Spitter" type showed up, the rear could be in danger at any time.
Everyone was preparing themselves just in case. Kanna attached some device to the bulkhead and activated it. There was a loud pop, and an impact struck the bulkhead.
Thud! Thud thud thud!
Something on the other side sensed the disturbance and started ramming into the wall. Fingernails scraped with a chilling, eardrum-grating noise.
Nadia used the power loader to lift the now-damaged bulkhead. Creak—creak creak—the strength-enhancing mechanism hissed with steam as it worked.
Soon, having torn a gap, the power loader pulled back, leaving an opening just big enough for a head to squeeze through.
Mutants, recognizing this new hole to the outside, started stabbing at the gap with their claws, each trying to be the first out.
Ka-ga-kak. Ka-ga-kak. As if angered, an ear-splitting shriek sliced through us, and a pair of blue, glowing eyes thrust through the opening in the bulkhead.
「Krrr...」
Was it because these had mutated from beastkin? They had a different form from your standard ghoul. The mutant's eyes swept over us, as if observing, then disappeared, and a huge impact struck the bulkhead as their murderous scratching pried the gap further open.
「Kieeeeeeeek—!」
A furious scream. It was a sight and sound I had seen and heard many times, and had faced these mutants many times as well, but I could never get used to the tension.
"We all know the timing, right?"
"Yes."
Together with Kanna, the beta series focused their pulse rifles on a single point. At first, I'd wondered if we should avoid using firearms here, but since we were smashing through anyway, it seemed smarter to draw the mutants nearby and wipe them out, so we didn't restrict weapons. We'd brought explosives, but probably wouldn't need them until it was time to retreat.
Kyle, on my instructions, stayed back. If he got hurt, even if we reached the engine room, we couldn't recover the main engine, so his safety was especially important.
Creak...
The gap in the bulkhead widened noticeably. Suddenly, as if it were a lie, the mutant presences vanished. But we all knew—this was only the beginning. The detector was still picking them up.
They hadn't retreated; they were baiting us, seeing how we'd react so they could adjust their hunting tactics accordingly.
'Not gonna work.'
If this was the early days, we might have fallen for it, but by now we'd built up a fair bit of experience. We were no longer just drifting around a mining outpost without any equipment. We now had trusty security robots, reliable teammates, and above all, solid firepower.
"Open fire!"
At Kanna's shout, the beta series's pulse rifles crackled as they unleashed a barrage of rounds.
Do-doom. Do-do-doom. They weren't strong enough to pierce through the bulkhead, but rounds passed through the cracks and struck the mutants beyond.
「Kiiii...!」
Their agonized screams warned the other mutants. With the dying shrieks of their kin confirming that this wouldn't work, the ghouls, bracing themselves with their tough hide, started tearing through the bulkhead, pouring in.
They couldn't withstand our concentrated firepower, though, and began to get knocked back, chunks blown off, or limbs torn away.
"These things are almost Crampers! They're not quite as quick, but they're ridiculously tough!"
Kyle shouted, trembling. There were still plenty of barriers to breach before they could reach him, but he was already scared, understandably so. Anyone would, seeing monsters crawling at them as if crawling up from hell.
"It's because of the bio-circuits enhancing their bodies! Aim for their core first, then the head!"
Nadia snatched a ghoul that managed to break through the flames, her metallic hand crushing its struggling torso with a splat.
Crazy-fast regeneration is a hallmark of ghouls, but these mutants took it even further. Unless a limb was completely severed, their wounds would heal up as if someone had turned back time.
Even after destroying the heart containing the bio-circuit, they kept moving for several minutes. Enough said.
Their sharp, exposed fangs, beastkin fur matted together with foul bodily fluids, their mutated bio-circuit organs, claws sharp enough to look like sickles.
And flesh that had curled away from the bone, leaving it starkly revealed wherever the fur was peeled back—every detail was brutal.
The beta series, working together in the front line, kept repelling wave after wave of mutants. Being newer and military-grade, they showed much higher base output than the alpha series.
Whenever a mutant's claws tried to scratch at the armor, they raised their shields. If it had been the alpha series, they'd have been pushed back, but these stood their ground. This was the payoff for all the modifications that Licorice and Nadia had worked so hard on.
「Kyaaaaaak—!」
A small disturbance always begets greater ones. While pulse rifles are quieter than gunpowder weapons, they're still not what you'd call quiet. The reverberations along the corridor attracted more ghouls from nearby.
It was all going as expected, but seeing our side slowly being pushed back made me feel uneasy.
"Switch!"
Kanna shouted, and the first and second lines swapped positions. The beta series at the front were battered, their armor shredded from fending off the mutants.
As long as the frames weren't wrecked, they could replace the armor and keep going, so avoiding total destruction was vital.
The switch happened quickly. Any unavoidable gaps were swiftly covered by Nadia's power loader, and Carry briefly took the controls to cover for any breaches, buying time with a makeshift big hand.
Nadia, merely riding in the power loader, showed the prowess of an army by herself. Bittersweet, when I recalled that just a few weeks ago, praising someone for their killing skill was unimaginable.
Every time I killed a ghoul, I still felt a revulsion. But survival instincts overpowered that revulsion, so we pressed on, suppressing our disgust as we fought.
Before we knew it, mutant corpses had piled up so much that they blocked the corridor.
"Cease fire! Cease fire!"
Kanna raised a hand, wanting to determine whether we'd finished them all, or if the passage was just blocked. She ordered the security robots at the front to check around the bulkhead.
The battlefield was thick with smoke from the countless volleys. The beta series, registering the order, advanced into the smoke with shields up. As the smoke thinned, it revealed—
Piles of mutant corpses, starkly exposed. The walls were not so much stained as saturated with blood. The iron scent was so strong it seeped through the respirators, numbing our noses.
The bulkhead wasn't just breached—it had come off entirely. That's why you can't underestimate a mere ghoul. Without the beta series, we'd have been overrun before we could even respond.
The beta series crossed the line and scanned, but nothing was detected.
"... Looks like everything nearby has been dealt with."
"Let's take a moment to recover, then move."
"Got it."
While the beta series switched out their battered shields, we caught our breath. Even though all we'd done was pull triggers, the fatigue was already setting in.
"Nadia, are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
She nodded with a face that said she wasn't fine at all, and left before I could say more, murmuring something about looking for anything that might help with exploration.
While I stood there at a loss, Licorice requested a comms link. I let out a short sigh before answering.
– Lee Hyun-woo, we've entered the core sector here too. Thanks to your distraction, we were able to figure out the route.
"Kanna will send the battle data soon. Their bio-circuits make them as tough as or tougher than 'Cramper' class, so avoid combat when possible."
– Can you recover any bio-circuits? I want to see how they operate.
"I'll grab a few samples. For testing. But honestly, they aren't much use anymore—the circuits have completely fused with the body."
When I sent a preview photo, Licorice recoiled in horror.
– Lee Hyun-woo, are you crazy? Terrorism, out of nowhere... Looks like irretrievable samples are meaningless. But bring them anyway. Carrot just requested it.
"Will do."
I rummaged through the corpses, looking for something to put in the sample case. The disgusting, sticky sensation made my skin crawl. I felt nauseous. My face twisted instinctively.
I managed to find something that kind of looked like a circuit and tried to put it in, when a metallic hand from the power loader blocked part of my view. I paused and looked up.
"Hyun-woo, not that one—take this instead."
"What's that?"
"That one's as intact a bio-circuit as you'll get."
"That is? What about the one I've got here?"
"That's... just fascia, probably."
「(ᝪᨓᝪ)」
Nadia frowned as she spoke, and Carry urgently shook its head, signaling not to bring it any closer. Their strong reactions told me I'd collected the wrong sample.
"It's not a bio-circuit?"
"Nope."
"Then did I just endure that feeling for 10 minutes for nothing...?"
Shuddering at the lingering tactile memory, Nadia gave me a sympathetic look.
"Just 10 minutes of discomfort, I'm afraid. You should have asked me."
"... Yeah, I probably should have."
I kept the excuse to myself that it hadn't felt like the right time to ask. After some quick repairs, we moved past the bulkhead. Every step brought an unpleasant, sticky noise.
Nadia pushed on, still without hesitation. The only difference was that now we weren't going straight, but taking a more roundabout path. With no signage, there was no way to know if we were going the right way.
'Is this the right place?'
Since we didn't know the layout at all, we just quietly followed Nadia, relying entirely on her guidance. Taking down occasional ghouls that tried to ambush us from vents or dark corners, Nadia finally stopped before a certain section of wall.
"I'm going to access the main system. The window for access won't be long, due to internal security, but it's better than going in blind."
"Yes, please."
Nadia detached a panel from the wall. Though it had looked like a seamless stretch of wall, there had been a very thin opening. Inside was a complicated-looking circuit.
"A specific signal is about to be sent. Remember it well—you might need it later."
– Are you saying that to m—
"I'm starting."
Cutting off Licorice mid-sentence, Nadia pulled out a long wire from the strange circuit box and linked it to her bracelet. At almost the same time, a connection was established with a Reformist member somewhere on the ship.
– ... Who—who is this?!
At first, he sounded unsure anyone was even connected; then, a moment later, he shouted furiously.
Nadia's face, listening to that voice, took on an expression I'd never seen from her before.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Is it her father?
Are the reformists on their last legs as well?
【「(°ヘ°)?】