Gravity fluctuation (26)
"This is insane..."
No one could find their words as we watched the massive ship disappear as if it were a lie.
No matter how damaged and broken the Reformist ship was, its size wouldn't just vanish somewhere. Yet that enormous ship disappeared into the maw of the Maker.
A suffocating sense of dominance. The pressure from the overwhelming difference in size turned into urgency, hammering at us.
"Roxy! Step on it! Hurry up!"
— I'm already at max throttle! Hold tight!
The shuttle sped up. The roar of the thrusters pushing output was enough to be audible from inside. With the surge of acceleration, everything in the cargo bay was thrown backward by inertia.
Fortunately, the damage was minimal amidst the misfortune. Most of the cargo in the cargo bay was Beta Series and Power Loaders that could be fixed in place on their own, and thanks to the main engine being centered right in the middle, there was plenty to grab onto. We could withstand it, firmly secured.
"What the heck is that... What kind of monster could possibly..."
Reformist Gedric stared blankly out the window. Judging by how out of it he was, it seemed like this was the first time he'd ever seen such a monster.
Truthfully, we weren't much different. We had seen a few bud-type entities before, but a Maker of such surreal, nightmare-like size—this was as good as our first encounter.
Questions kept rising. How can something that big be alive? How can it move at that speed? Is it not restricted to living only in the Sea of Silence? Those doubts didn't stop coming.
━━━━━━━!
The Maker roared. The tremendous sound spreading in all directions shook the atmosphere. Dirt and dust rose, soiling the ground.
The Griffin trailed behind us, firing shells nonstop in an attempt to slow the Maker's advance, and the Albatross was even launching its precious few missiles for suppression.
But it was pointless. Shells couldn't penetrate the Maker's hide, and missiles couldn't do much damage to its fast-moving body.
With flashy explosions, they did do some damage, but it was barely enough to meet expectations—way below what we hoped for.
The Maker stubbornly chased us. Now that I looked, the ground was morphing in real-time. To allow its massive body to move, it was transforming into fine particles, much like the Sea of Silence.
We just couldn't shake the Maker's pursuit. Suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind.
"Nadia! The self-destruct nuke on the ship—can't we detonate it now?! You said it would blow up under shock!"
Two people reacted to my outcry: one was Reformist Gedric, the other was Nadia in the Power Loader.
While Gedric savored the name 'Nadia', she responded negatively.
— Since it didn't go off even when the ship itself was crumpled, maybe the nuke's seal is stronger than I expected. Or maybe the shock was dampened by being wedged in facility crevices.
"No way to trigger it remotely, right?"
— ... No. Not at the moment. That's why we entered the stop code directly, remember?
Though the Power Loader's cockpit glass had turned opaque, hiding Nadia's face, I could sense she gave Gedric a sideways glance.
Just as Nadia said, we had stopped the self-destruct nuke to prevent Gedric from threatening us with it. Unconsciously, I glared with mounting annoyance at Gedric.
If not for him, the Maker might have self-destructed on its own. For whatever reason, Gedric started muttering gravely to himself.
I almost shouted at him not to do anything stupid but decided to ignore him, thinking he might cause even more trouble. Even without Gedric, my mind was already a mess.
The Griffin sent an emergency transmission.
— Can't stop it! Our attacks aren't working at all!
"Still, aim for the central part as much as you can!"
Even though the stop code was input, it wasn't like it couldn't explode at all. With luck, an attack might trigger it. No, to be precise, we had to hope for that. Only then would we see a way out.
— Got it—Enemy warships ahead!
"What?!"
— Pureblood Supremacists! They're approaching with troops! Lock-on to our ship! Evasive maneuvers!
Right after the Pureblood Supremacist ships appeared, we received a transmission saying dozens of missiles had been fired. The Albatross and Griffin, providing support from afar, abruptly banked.
In quick succession, the defense turrets on the two ships fired at the incoming missiles and the explosions swallowed up the surrounding noise.
The cargo bay alarms blared almost simultaneously. Warning lights flashed and blared that the enemy was targeting our shuttle, snapping us to attention.
Several ships were in view, stationed between the sky and horizon. Flashes erupted from those ships—missiles.
"Roxy!"
— You don't need to keep calling me!
The shuttle swerved violently. We gritted our teeth and braced for the recoil. The pressure crushing our bodies disappeared soon enough, but another followed right after.
A missile we dodged exploded past the shuttle's aft, making the cargo bay shake violently. It rattled so hard it felt like we would crash at any moment, but the shuttle soon regained altitude.
Thoom. Thoothoom.
A fierce battle had erupted. The Maker's pursuit followed by the Pureblood Supremacist onslaught. Even a fool could tell they intended to eliminate us here completely.
— It's really heavy to maneuver! This is why you shouldn't overload!
The biggest cause of overloading was the main engine. If we ditched it, the lighter shuttle would be more agile, but that would be throwing away our future—the Albatross's main engine had a limited operating time.
If we somehow got close to the Albatross, we could transfer cargo midair, but would the Supremacists or the Maker give us that chance?
The warning lights in the cargo bay wouldn't stop flashing. Our barely recovered altitude started to drop again. Any lower, and we'd be within the Maker's attack range. We had to maintain at least this height, but the Pureblood Supremacist attack was fierce.
Kwarrrak!
"Urgh...!"
At that moment, as I struggled to keep balance on the violently shaking hull, Roxy's voice fell for the first time.
— ... Oh, I don't think I can dodge this one. Guys, brace for collision. I'll try to minimize the hit, but just in case.
I—or rather, we—all quickly figured out why Roxy was flustered. A jolt of electricity ran through my whole body, followed by a sensation of floating.
I hurriedly looked out the window, and the entire vista was being swallowed by a gravity fluctuation phenomenon.
As if a massive earthquake had struck, the ground cracked open chaotically, revealing an unending darkness in the fissures. Then, massive chunks of earth mixed with ice began to float upward as if in a lie.
No matter how many times I blinked, the scenery didn't change. It meant this wasn't a hallucination—we were all seeing the same sight.
— The terraforming device in that area is down! So the Maker's power is in effect! With nothing to stabilize, this happens!
"......"
I couldn't open my mouth recklessly. Licorice couldn't connect through comms either. Since the start of the gravity fluctuations, the Supra-missile attacks by the Pureblood Supremacist ships turned wildly unpredictable.
Missiles generally follow a pattern, with onboard programs maneuvering by optimal routes to shoot down enemies. Roxy had been reading that pattern and piloting the shuttle accordingly—up until now.
With missiles' trajectories being realigned in real time by unpredictable gravitational changes, even Roxy's correct judgments were rendered wrong. Missiles we thought we'd dodged would suddenly shoot up or dive to target the hull.
It seemed Roxy's focus was at its peak—no sound came from the cockpit at all. The tension of a helpless situation made my palms sweat.
Still, one relief was that our side was holding out surprisingly well. With the onset of gravity fluctuations, the Pureblood Supremacist ships seemed wary of friendly fire and didn't approach recklessly, while the Albatross and Griffin supported each other and waited for us.
Cheering when we dodged a missile had stopped. Instead, the cargo bay was now filled only with tense breathing. Each time we evaded an attack, I would clench my fist. Everyone believed it wouldn't end here.
— Ah, a cluster bomb? That's just unfair.
Roxy's sigh was all I heard before communication.
Kwang—!
A missile detonated near the shuttle, scattering small bombs over a wide area. The shuttle banked hard right, nearly ninety degrees.
Evasive action so sharp the ground ended up above our heads. Thankfully, we dodged most, sparing the shuttle itself from being destroyed. But even a few of the scattered bombs were enough to blast open the side of the cargo bay. No wonder it was military grade.
Kwakwakwang!
The wall I was leaning against a moment ago was now gone, replaced by an open sky.
At this speed, even a small gap in the hull resulted in devastating shock. Armor seemed to have been ripped away by some force. Some Beta Series, previously secured there, vanished from sight.
The problem was I had been there too. Though I was myself, with nothing to hold onto, I couldn't withstand the wild whirls of the atmosphere.
'Uh...'
Just moments ago, I'd been in the cargo bay. In the blink of an eye, I was thrown into the air with no protection at all. The only thought in my head was, "I'm screwed."
But I wasn't plummeting—chunks of earth, floating at roughly our altitude due to gravity fluctuations, were scattered throughout.
— Hyun-woo━!
Nadia shrieked, extending the Power Loader's hand toward me. She clearly intended to leap down after me at any moment.
I felt the fierce wind pushing at my body and looked around in a panic.
The Maker closing the distance, battles raging everywhere, the wreckage of Pureblood Supremacist ships destroyed by the Albatross and Griffin attacks.
Land masses, floating in the air thanks to the gravity fluctuation, were rapidly approaching. It would hurt to hit one, but I could survive.
The surreal landscape made my mind go numb, as if I were dreaming. But only for a moment—when I saw Roxy's shuttle attempting to turn back, I quickly made a decision.
"Don't come!"
I stopped both Nadia, who was about to jump, and Roxy, who wanted to turn around. The shuttle was already moving away, so they were getting further by the second. If Nadia jumped now, there'd be two people to worry about.
Kanna and Eric seemed to realize this, too, and were restraining Nadia. I could hear their argument through the channel.
Nadia screamed as if she couldn't believe it.
— But...! But...!
"I'm not falling, so just stay put! Return to the Albatross! Drop off anything unnecessary and come back! I'll hang in there somehow! Got it, Roxy!"
— Heard you loud and clear, friend. Hang on for a bit. Even if I have to crash, I'll come back.
Roxy spoke in an unusually steady voice for him. Relieved by his reply, I began to look for a way to survive.
***
"Hyun-woo!"
With the abrupt end of the communication, Nadia instinctively reached out, but grabbed nothing but air.
Wind blew into the Power Loader's cockpit from the side where the shuttle's hull had been ripped open by the Pureblood Supremacist attack, her hand slicing through emptiness.
'Do I have to just watch again?'
Nadia withdrew her outstretched hand. Ever since seeing the Maker, her trembling hands couldn't be stilled, and she forced herself to clutch them.
Though she firmly believed Hyun-woo was still alive and would survive, just as he had said, she couldn't help but feel anxious.
The image of Hyun-woo being flung out kept replaying in her mind, making her clench her teeth.
That's when Gedric muttered in a low voice.
"Nadia. Nadia... I never thought I'd hear the witch's name again. Did you survive? How?"
"..."
Nadia glanced at Gedric. She muttered inwardly that he must have figured out her true identity.
Reformist Gedric. Nadia knew him. Or rather, she couldn't forget him. After all, "Gedric" was the name on the lips of those who had come to execute her.
'By Lord Gedric's orders. You must die here. Your death will nurture the future of the organization.'
Those words, spoken as a blade was plunged into her chest. More than the knife, those words were sharper, and Nadia could never forget that day and moment. Even if she wanted to, the memory kept resurfacing like a brand, tormenting her.
Memories, like gum, lose their original shape as you chew on them, distorted and warped the more you ruminate. That's usually the case.
But the name Gedric never dulled no matter how often she repeated it. Instead, it grew more tenacious, carved even deeper.
"Shut your mouth!"
Kanna swung a rifle butt to keep Gedric from causing any trouble. Gedric screamed as he took a hit to the head, blood trickling down his forehead. But even so, he couldn't hide a smile.
He burst out laughing like a madman.
"The witch survived!"
"... Why am I a witch?"
"You made something unnatural—that makes you a witch. We definitely retrieved the bio-circuit, so how did you survive? Ah, those idiots didn't finish the job!"
"I told you to stay quiet!"
Kanna raised her rifle butt again to subdue Gedric, who was sowing chaos in a dire situation. Just as she was about to strike again, Nadia stopped her.
When Nadia stepped forward, Kanna stepped back. Kanna had gotten involved because she sensed Nadia and Gedric knew each other, probably as enemies.
Lowering the morale of the team would only make things worse, especially in this bleakest moment after Lee Hyun-woo's sudden disappearance. No further chaos could be allowed.
That's why she didn't want to escalate things. But she decided not to get further involved, trusting Nadia to handle it.
Gedric, eyes reddened by blood, stared at Nadia's Power Loader.
"Have you become a dog of the humans? Just to get the attention you never had?"
"..."
Nadia couldn't reply. It was true that she wanted to be loved. But she knew now that was not everything. She realized it at some point.
Nadia resolved to no longer be tossed by her past. She learned to tell what were true emotions and what were fake.
Noting Nadia's lack of response, Gedric spoke confidently,
"You're seriously mistaken. Your thirst can't be satisfied by humans. The attention you're getting now can't soothe you. It's a fleeting, passing illusion. Humans and we can never mix from the start."
"What are you trying to say?"
"In the past, we made a mistake. Back then, we focused solely on preventing technology from leaking. Soon after, I realized that was a mistake."
Gedric stood. Since realizing Nadia's identity, he had acted completely differently. It was like he'd found a ray of hope in darkness. He even tried to smile, though it was twisted with pain from the rifle butt and the storm-like chaos. If anything, it was unsettling.
Nadia's face naturally twisted into disgust. She had zero lingering affection for the Reformists. Not even a shred. Even if she lost her memory, the result would be the same.
To be called "witch" by a group—falling for them would be stranger still.
'He doesn't know his place.'
Hyun-woo's words suddenly popped into her head. He doesn't know his place. Yeah, that was exactly it.
Unaware that Nadia was scowling, Gedric rambled on.
"We tried so hard to find you. But nothing turned up."
Of course. The broker hid the information for her. Nadia mumbled this too softly to be heard.
"But at least we found you now. It's a relief."
Relief for whom? Everyone knew the answer, though the direction differed by person.
"Come with us. Be with us again and reclaim your glory. I'll tell the leader myself—your daughter returned alive, wanting to help. He'll be happy!"
"..."
"Let's go back! To our home!"
"..."
"... Why aren't you saying anything?"
Conversation can't be one-sided. Input brings output, output brings input, and back and forth it goes.
"Well, of course, you must have been happy at first. You were always seeking love."
"..."
"That's something we—or rather, only we—could give. Many miss you. Truly. The Pureblood Supremacists outside aren't the problem. I can take care of them. I came here to talk to them! Bring me out there to show our willingness to talk! Then that crazy monster and the Supremacists will back off!"
"..."
"Say something! Anything! Tell me what you want, what you're thinking—how else can I meet your needs?"
Gedric shouted, unable to contain his frustration.
"... Pft."
After all his words, all he heard was Nadia's scoffing laughter. She turned the Power Loader's cockpit glass clear.
Gedric saw Nadia's face for the first time, and saw the clear emotions burning in her green eyes.
"You people—or rather, you—haven't changed at all."
"... What?"
"You haven't changed. Still trapped in the past, arrogance, and your delusion of superiority."
"You...!"
"Don't you know your place yet? Caught up in fear and anxiety, spewing nonsense—look at yourself, Gedric. You're nothing but a beast. No, even 'beast' is too good for you."
"You damn little bitch! You would throw away your own kind for a human! You're not a human, you're a beast-person! You're fundamentally different from them!"
Gedric raged, almost convulsing. He realized Nadia and Lee Hyun-woo were close. In his mind, it was because of Lee Hyun-woo that Nadia was acting uncooperative.
Remembering Nadia always looking for support as a child, Gedric assumed that was what she still longed for.
KWA-BANG!
The hull lurched violently. Gedric's vision spun. He toppled over, unable even to try and regain balance, screaming.
"He's human! Different from us!"
"Yeah, he's human. Just like us."
Nadia said that, suddenly realizing something. As Gedric said, she had been tamed by Hyun-woo. But it wasn't a negative thing. It wasn't a one-sided relationship.
Hyun-woo was the first person who truly saw her. Nadia never forgot the moment he saved her. That presence grew ever larger, eclipsing her past and banishing her fear.
"You call me a dog? A human's dog? Don't talk crap. The ones who treat me like a dog are you. That's how you see me, how you see us. Do you even see us as fellow humans? I don't. To me, you and the Pureblood Supremacists are all the same."
Nadia no longer craved fake love. Having known the real thing, she could judge which relationships were right or wrong. The girl trapped in a dark room was gone.
The outside world was terrifying and dangerous, but that fear didn't last. The warmth in her fingertips made even the dangerous world seem full of color.
Nadia looked beyond the gaping hull. Debris was being drawn toward the Maker. If she jumped now, she could reach it in time.
Ironically, Gedric's words hadn't oppressed her but, in fact, had helped her shed lingering frustration. With a bright expression unbecoming the situation, she smiled. She was still tense, but her smile was not dark.
"And for your information, idiot, I'm not a dog. I'm a fox. Kyeng kyeng!"
"You cursed witch...!"
Gedric glared at her with murderous intent at her taunting fox cry. Nadia wasn't afraid. Not even a bit—she smiled in relief.
'I'm Hyun-woo's fox. Addicted to his gentle hands.'
Nadia liked the sound of being tamed. Not a common human from the streets, but the only partner in the world she'd chosen since stepping out into it. Every moment together felt like part of being tamed—thus, Hyun-woo became precious to her.
"Aren't you afraid? Out there is only death."
"I'm not afraid."
She wasn't afraid of dying—she loved Hyun-woo more than death.
It wasn't fear, but Hyun-woo, that had captured her.
What she truly feared wasn't the unknown, but the end.
Now she understood—nothing was scarier than knowing everything and being powerless to act.
Thinking of her past self crying alone in a dark room, Nadia spoke,
"When you can't do anything, you want everything to end, but when you can't do anything, it doesn't end. Maybe, as you said, this is my end. Even so, I'll walk forward. To where my partner is."
Even if it means my death. Nadia, swallowing the last words, walked through the rocking shuttle. Beyond, the world looked like it was ending.
But Nadia's hands no longer trembled. From the moment she chose her path.
She moved the controls. The Power Loader responded, releasing its locks and preparing to jump at any moment.
"You're crazy..."
Understanding Nadia's intent, Gedric stared in shock. Nadia no longer cared about him. He was insignificant.
"Hyun-woo told me to stay put, but I don't want to. Running whenever it gets dangerous isn't what a partner does. So, Carry, help me out, okay?"
「ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)」
Carry gave her a big thumbs-up, as if that was what she'd been waiting for. Nadia smiled faintly, reassured as she worked the controls again. The Power Loader soon jumped out the torn hull.
No hesitation in her movement.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
It was actully worse than I thought.
Gedric's the mastermind on the attack on Nadia.
I'm glad Nadia is finally free of her trauma, if only by a bit.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】