Gravity fluctuation (27)
- Lee Hyun-woo, are you crazy! What are you trying to do...!
As soon as Licorice, viewing through the Beta Series' eyes, saw me being flung away, she hastily connected the comms and shouted.
"What else could I do! I have to survive first!"
I shouted back roughly as I scanned my surroundings quickly. It wasn't like I wanted to fall off. The hull had suddenly been breached, and I'd been swept away.
The gravitational fluctuation saved me from plummeting straight down for now, but that didn't mean I could just keep floating in midair indefinitely. It wasn't negative gravity, just a fluctuation. The direction was unpredictable.
I suddenly shot upward, then lurched downward as if nothing had happened. My vision kept spinning from constant shifts, which made me dizzy.
'At the very least, if I can just make it...!'
To reach the landmass that had started floating from below, I kept firing suppression waves in the opposite direction. With the constantly changing angles, it wasn't very effective, but it was the only means of movement I had right now, so I had no other choice.
After using up two cartridges like that, I was able to approach the nearest floating debris. Though it was a bit high, at this rate, it seemed I could land safely. The floating chunk was as large as the Albatross.
So I thought—until, just before landing, gravity shifted again and I plummeted faster than expected.
'... Damn it.'
I bit back a curse and braced myself for the impending collision. Soon, my body tumbled hard. The solid ground wasn't moving, but I'd slammed right into it.
The impact was strong enough to knock the wind out of me. The sudden loss of breath made me cough repeatedly in the aftermath.
- Lee Hyun-woo!
"Cough...! Yeah, I'm alive!"
I landed atop the floating debris, which, while giving an illusion of stability, was better than nothing; at least I had something beneath my feet rather than running wild midair. I was grateful I hadn't fallen onto the chaos below caused by the Maker.
"So, now what. Licorice, what do we do?"
- What do you mean, 'what do we do'!
Licorice inhaled in exasperation, seeming at a loss for words, probably tugging her hair. I couldn't see her, but it just felt that way.
- Why did you send Roxy! You don't even have any equipment!
"That couldn't be helped. You saw it too, right? If the shuttle slowed down or turned back to rescue me, it really would've been over."
My reason for not calling for Roxy was simple: the pureblood supremacist ship's attack hadn't ceased. Dying by myself versus causing everyone else to die too—if forced to choose, the answer was obvious.
Not to mention, Nadia and Carry were aboard. Of course, that didn't mean I wanted to die. If I had, I wouldn't be struggling to survive like this.
- I know, but! Still...! Ugh...! Just, try to see if there's anything around you!
"Around me? Let's see..."
I did my best to stay calm as I glanced around, forcing my trembling hands to steady.
Chunks of earth frozen midair as if time had stopped, shattered pureblood supremacist ships from continuous battles, and tons of wreckage swirling in the fierce winds.
And the acrid fumes from explosions.
That was roughly what filled the area. If what I'd seen so far was an omen of doom, what I beheld now could only be described as apocalypse itself.
The Maker kept moving. Typically, if one thing was moving and the other was stationary, they'd get farther apart. But the Maker was still right below, smashing through the ground, sometimes getting closer or farther depending on the gravitational fluctuations.
Why didn't the Maker recede from sight? The answer was simple—the entire mass of floating debris was being drawn along by the gravity fluctuations centered on the Maker.
It felt like invisible chains were tethering each chunk to the Maker, one after another. That's why I could still see both our ships and the pureblood supremacist vessels locked in battle.
With the pursuit never ending, the battle couldn't cease. I was right at the epicenter of the storm.
"... To be honest?"
- ... Just say something. My head's going to explode because of you.
"I don't see an answer. There's nothing I can do alone. Really."
- ....
There was a slight sound as if she was about to speak, but in the end, silence fell over the comms. It seemed she'd gone from 'going to explode' to 'exploded'. I stopped talking as well.
Even with the gravity fluctuations, it wasn't like I could fly—my movement was restricted to the surface of this piece of debris I was standing on.
"We have to wait for Roxy to return. It's not like we can capture the Maker in this situation anyway."
- Can you hold out until then?
"I'll try."
- Haaa... Lee Hyun-woo, you're the only one. The only one who ever makes me feel powerless.
Even a fool could tell that wasn't a compliment. I was about to say I was getting a headache too, so let's not dwell on it, when—
"... Huh?"
A sudden flash of light blinked between the debris. For a moment, I thought the pureblood supremacist ship had fired a missile at us, but I instantly realized that wasn't it.
My instincts kicked in first, and seeing the drawn-out blue exhaust, I recognized it as the thruster of a power loader.
- Why! What's happening!
"... It's Nadia."
- What? Woof-woof? Why Woof-woof!
"Nadia's coming down here! This way!"
Without hearing another word from Licorice, I dashed toward where the power loader was attempting to land. The area was sizable, so it took me a moment to get close.
The power loader managed to land with a reverse thrust before I even reached the expected spot. The massive machine skidded but stopped just in time thanks to the huge shield absorbing momentum.
"Nadia—!"
"Hyun-woo!"
"Why—why did you come! Did the shuttle crash? Is that why you had no choice but to come here?"
"No."
"What?"
A simple answer, but I couldn't comprehend it. Even if the shuttle wasn't intact, if it was escaping safely, why would Nadia have left it?
My mind was overflowing with bad scenarios, I couldn't speak properly. Emotion, not reason, swelled up. I ended up shouting feeling I couldn't even clearly define.
"Then why on earth—!"
"I came to help—"
"I told you not to! I told you to return to the Albatross!"
How could she come here, of all places? I was about to scold her. Or rather, I would have—if Nadia hadn't suddenly shouted in return.
"Reckless—!"
"Shut up! Shut up! You're the one who tamed me! You! You became my everything! How can I just leave you!"
"Uh, what?"
"How could I leave you..."
Nadia, who'd looked so earnest a moment ago, now looked like a weeping, forlorn fox in front of me. It was a similar emotion, but subtly different.
A fox who felt she had to take responsibility for me looked at me. Even though she was in the power loader looking down at me, somehow it felt like she was actually looking up at me.
「( ´△｀)」
Carry, too, had a sullen expression. It wasn't that I didn't understand the two's feelings. Even knowing them, the worry wouldn't go away, so unintended words kept slipping out.
"We don't know if Roxy will make it in time. Even if he's lucky enough to shake the supremacist ship, it might already be too late by the time he gets back! ... That's why I came."
"..."
"If it's the end, I'd rather face it next to you, Hyun-woo."
Nadia and I gazed at each other in silence.
- ... How long do I have to listen to this conversation, and how long do I have to watch this scene?
Licorice spoke up on comms, pulling us out of it. She sighed as she continued.
- Haaa, well, this might be for the best. Since you're here, try using the power loader's thrusters. They're meant for orientation control, but they're strong enough that you should be able to jump to distant debris fairly stably.
"That's right. No telling when the gravity fluctuates again, but with the machine's output, we can at least hold out for a bit. That's how I got here."
Nadia opened the cockpit's front glass, telling me to get inside. Just then, another light flashed between the debris. This time, it wasn't an ally.
"... Licorice, it's about to get busy so I'll say this now—if you find anything that might be useful, activate it. We'll try to avoid it even if it's dangerous."
- What? But...
"The pureblood supremacists are here. And there are a lot of them."
- ...!
"Anyway, I trust you. We'll keep sharing our position, so judge as you see fit."
Even before I finished that sentence, the flashing lights struck down onto our floating debris. Pureblood supremacists in clearly marked combat suits landed.
"Impurities detected. Will execute immediately."
With no hint of negotiation, the supremacists aimed their guns at us. Nadia stepped in front of me, deploying the power loader's shield.
Standing naturally in front of me in a defensive stance, Nadia spoke, her pride mixed with tension and relief.
"Aren't you glad I came? How were you planning to handle all that alone?"
"Yeah, thanks for coming. I'm honestly so grateful, it makes me want to cry."
Sincerely, I focused on the equipment the supremacists wore. They were equipped with small thruster units attached to their combat uniforms.
They were also properly armed; all of it military grade. Everything they brought—including the ship—was stolen from military bases.
'I needed something like that anyway.'
I didn't know the exact name, but it looked like jump gear. If they were equipped like that, it meant the supremacists wanted us finished right here. Their intent wasn't good, but I appreciated that they'd brought it to us.
Even if we couldn't fly, just being able to stabilize midair in an emergency was helpful. Of course, I had no intention of letting my guard down against people who wanted us dead.
Not as tough as monsters perhaps, but probably harder to fight. Still, I didn't think we'd lose.
"Let's go!"
"Yeah!"
「(╯°□°)ຈ҉̛༽̨҉҉ﾉ̨」
The power loader charged forward behind its shield. At almost the same time, supremacist pulse rifles unleashed blue bursts.
Thud. Thud-thud.
Rounds sparked as they struck the shield. Most were blocked and fell to the ground, and those that hit the loader's armor did little real damage.
Stray bullets whizzed by me, a deadly feeling as they grazed past. Without blinking, I aimed at each one and fired in single shots.
Unlike the supremacists, my supply state was poor. I'd fallen unexpectedly and hadn't had a chance to resupply amid the frantic chaos.
Pzak! Clank–clank–
As expected of military grade— even when hit directly, it took a few shots to break through. Still, I focused on their helmets, as they were the thinnest-armored part of the suit.
"Nadia, push all the way through!"
"Got it!"
After checking my last rounds, I switched to melee weapons. Ranged attacks were convenient, but hardly ever packed the punch I needed.
With ghouls and other mutants, their hide blunted my attacks, and now with the armored supremacists, their high-grade combat suits absorbed most of the rounds—just like my own suit could withstand a few shots.
Thud! Thud-thud-thud!
A hail of bullets rained down. Bullets struck the surface, kicking up thick dust. Since we were on debris being dragged alongside the Maker, the dust didn't settle, but dispersed into the air.
The power loader accelerated. The thruster in its rear glowed bright blue, picking up speed. The supremacists realized their rifle fire couldn't break through the shield.
A good call. But it came too late, because I was already right in front of them, following the path the loader broke through.
Slash!
A supremacist whipped his gun toward me at point-blank range, but my blue blade slashed a vivid line. It was a plasma cutter modified to kill mutants, so even military suits couldn't stand up to its raw power.
As evil as the supremacists were, in the end, they were human. Seizing on the moment they hesitated from pain, I cut the enemy's throat. In a blink, one supremacist was dead.
Melee was still my strong suit. If I'd stuck to just peppering them, I wouldn't have killed a single one yet.
"Grunt!"
I didn't discard the limp, decapitated supremacist but instead yanked him forward. At nearly the same instant, the others, enraged by his death, squeezed the triggers.
A heavy impact came through the combat suit, though not mine—theirs. I'd tried to leave the suit as intact as possible to salvage the jump gear, but that volley damaged the gear in the process.
"Rrraah–!"
Operating the loader, Nadia stomped through the chaos. She grabbed at fleeing supremacists' legs and slammed them into the ground.
Crash! Crash-crash!
She didn't let go but swung them over and over. Another supremacist's life ended right there.
"You filthy impurities...!"
"Where do you think you're looking, idiot? I'm right here."
"...!"
A supremacist flinched, clearly not expecting me to pop up. I grabbed his gun and shoved it under his jaw. He didn't even look willing to pull the trigger, so I did it for him.
As the round fired, his head blew apart. Chunks of flesh flew, but as I'd crouched down, I didn't get splattered.
Now, only five remained. They surely had us outnumbered and outgunned, but were completely overwhelmed.
It was odd, but inevitable—they'd never faced anyone like us.
They always relied on ambushes and an overwhelming advantage to sap enemy strength first. They'd never squared off against an irregular like us. That was the root of the supremacists' defeat.
"Nadia, catch!"
"You know I'm out of ammo! Thanks!"
Nadia caught the military pulse rifle I tossed her. It was not built for the loader, but since it was standardized for armored suits, she could use it.
She embedded the shield in the ground and held a rifle in each hand. With fire control systems assisting, she started picking off supremacists who were urgently calling for backup.
Once the muzzles flashed, four of the five fell, riddled with rounds and dropping to the ground below. The last one was knocked away by some randomly moving debris and sent flying. He probably also fell down.
"Enemy neutralized! Hyun-woo, put this on, quick!"
Nadia handed me the mostly intact suit with the jump gear still attached. The suit still had a headless body inside—it must have been the one I'd finished off as cleanly as possible.
"..."
Even for me, I hesitated. Yes, I'd killed him, but I wasn't heartless.
As I looked up, I met Nadia's earnest, innocent eyes. She hurried me, reminding me time was running out.
"Hyun-woo, hurry and put it on! We have to get out of here!"
Now that I looked, supremacist teams were searching everywhere. The debris kept moving and sometimes even collided with other chunks.
When such gigantic masses crashed, the aftershocks were enormous. Dust clouds billowed and vanished repeatedly, like meteor impacts.
This area could become just as dangerous at any moment, so we had to rush our escape.
Right then—
━━━━━━━━━━!
The Maker slowed, then stopped suddenly and let out a roar. The thing, half-buried in the ground, rose up to its waist, radiating immense pressure.
The floating debris tethered by its gravity powers abruptly halted. We didn't even have time to brace ourselves, tumbling across the ground.
"What's going on? Licorice, what's happening with the Maker?!"
- How should I know?! I'm not a magical talking seashell that gives you answers when you pull a string!
"I—I have no idea either!"
Everyone was so flustered they couldn't even continue speaking. It felt like my eardrums would burst—maybe they already had, since ever since hearing the Maker's shriek, my ears were ringing nonstop.
At first, I thought it was just a monstrous roar. I hoped it was. But it didn't take long to realize it was something else.
- The sky! Look at the sky!
"... The sky?"
Nadia and I both looked up at once—then recoiled in horror.
The sky was opening up. To be more precise, through the ragged clouds, debris from space was plunging into the atmosphere.
It was another shock entirely. The Maker's gravitational powers were strong enough to affect even outer space, beyond the atmosphere.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
I'm not sure if there are other magical seashells out there, but I am guessing this is a spongebob reference, specifically the magic conch shell.
Also, we know the Maker's power is strong because it was the one to pull the reformist's ship to crash.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】