Evolve (2)
Gedric, who had been squawking, suddenly collapsed face down on the floor as if his power had been cut. The command center instantly went quiet. It had all happened with a single gesture from Nadia.
Judging by his chest rising and falling, Gedric wasn't dead. He seemed closer to being unconscious.
"Nadia, what did you do to him?"
"... I exploited the greatest strength and weakness of the biological circuit."
The nature of the bio-circuit: At the very top is the unique code, and the control of circuits below always belongs to the higher rank.
Nadia's bio-circuit was positioned not just at the top but beyond the apex of the pyramid. There was a good reason that the group leader, Neo, tried to retrieve her bio-circuit.
Since the Reformist group multiplied its numbers by producing clones, they were wary of possible betrayal. The reason why, to this day, their organization had never faltered from betrayal was that the bio-circuit allowed them to die on command, either without hesitation or by forcibly taking control of the body. Nadia revealed that she had made use of that function.
"Just wait a moment. Now that I've shocked the circuit and knocked him out, I need to finish the reset process."
Nadia produced a device and attached it to Gedric's chest. It beeped as it scanned and displayed his insides.
"Is it okay to do this here? If this ends up being a bloody job, it might be better to do it somewhere else..."
Kanna expressed her concern. Then, I realized it wasn't worry—she looked more like her hands itched for action. What in the world had happened on the shuttle after I was detached from it?
Kanna said there was a better space aboard if Nadia needed it, but Nadia shook her head.
"I'm not going to do anything like that. I don't have the expertise in that area, so if I messed with it carelessly, I wouldn't get any info and would just end up killing him. No need to complicate things when there's a safer way."
"Then what's that scanner for? I thought you were going to fry him from the inside."
"It's a bio-circuit connector. I whipped it up in a hurry this morning because I thought I'd need it. My own circuit is less than half a proper one, so I need this kind of auxiliary device."
Nadia activated the device. When the green light started flashing, she grimaced, as if enduring something. The way she bit her lip made her look like she was suppressing pain.
Startled, I grabbed Nadia's hand. Her hand, always warm, was now burning hot. Her body temperature had suddenly shot up.
Wiping sweat from her brow, Nadia managed to speak.
"... I'm fine. It just means the device is working properly."
"It's not dangerous, right? Don't forget your promise."
"I haven't forgotten. As long as I disconnect in time, there's no danger."
"So there is a risk."
"The heat's only rising because the circuit is under stress. That's all, really."
When I narrowed my eyebrows, Nadia averted her gaze. Before I could say more, she focused on her work. The others were waiting, and I didn't want to disturb her, so I just sighed inwardly.
Nadia only fiddled with the device for a moment. Then Gedric, who had been slumped over, slowly raised his head.
"Haa... His consciousness isn't fully restored—he's fallen into a trance. Now we can start extracting information."
With that, Nadia tottered. Since I was watching, I caught her before she could fall.
"Hyun-woo, I'm done now."
She was all flushed but flashed me a bright smile. Even though I felt like scolding her, I just held back.
"You worked hard."
"I'd do anything for you, Hyun-woo."
Nadia hugged me with both arms, rubbing her cheek against me as her tail swished from side to side. Her actions were bolder than usual, probably because of the heat to her head.
I laughed awkwardly under all the stares. I was happy, but I could easily see Nadia cringing and kicking her blankets in embarrassment in the near future.
"... Are you all just going to stand there watching? Did you gather just to see some lovebirds? We need to extract information. Information."
Licorice rescued me. Her sharp remark scattered everyone's attention. As I gave a sigh of relief, still supporting Nadia who refused to let go, Licorice shot me a glare.
She looked distinctly annoyed. Maybe she hadn't stepped in for my sake after all. She theatrically turned her head and started the interrogation.
"Name."
"... Gedric."
"No surname?"
"None. Because I'm not an Original."
"Affiliation and rank."
"Reformist group, Logistics Transport Squadron Ship No. 1."
Gedric didn't shout anymore. Instead, he answered quietly, his eyes blank.
"Should we ask one at a time? Woof-woof, how long will he stay like this?"
"Until I disconnect him..."
Normally Nadia would have glared at Woof-woof's voice, but now she just waved her hand weakly. She slumped further down. Carry started cooling her with chilled air.
"All right. So we have time. Answer this: Why did you come here? What's the reason?"
"To contact the pureblood supremacists inside the SSTC. We judged there was little chance that the Earth Government could win."
"You mean the Reformists were going to join forces under those lunatics?"
At my question, Gedric frowned. For a moment I thought he was snapping out of his trance, but maybe he was just wrestling with the question.
"... There were disagreements. The group leader took a hard line, while subordinate factions hesitated."
"They hesitated? Doesn't everything depend on the leader's word in the Reformists?"
"The leader's power is still absolute. But compared to before, it's starting to waver. Because the Original bio-circuit couldn't be fully recovered."
He continued.
"The Earth Government defined everything except distinct allies as enemies. To them, we are just a terrorist cell. Not even a place at the bargaining table. That's why I was assigned here. Since the Earth Government is our enemy anyway, we needed to link up with the pureblood supremacists for survival."
He tried to make it sound elaborate, but the truth was simple. He even admitted the reason for the "deception" mark came down to him, which was laughable. From my perspective, he didn't seem like a key player at all.
"So, you're just laying your belly bare in obedience."
"...."
This time, Gedric simply refused to answer. Even in that state, he wouldn't say anything that could disgrace his group or himself.
"The ship crashed due to a sudden gravity shift, right?"
"Yes. The ship, drifting in orbit, entered the atmosphere—it is believed that the creature you call the Maker caused this. However, that is not the whole reason."
Gedric explained that the ship hadn't intended to stop in Titan orbit. They had planned to go farther but, due to some cause, the ship sustained heavy damage.
"What was the cause?"
"... Throughout space, gigantic trees that devoured planets and indestructible objects appeared."
His answer didn't exactly fit the question—I found it odd, but decided to wait, since the information was already quite shocking. If he said 'devoured planets', maybe it wasn't just a metaphor.
If the giant tree Gedric mentioned was like the entity I saw in the vision, it might have really devoured planets, literally.
"My ship drifted in Titan orbit because its systems were disrupted by a wave emitted by the object that appeared in Saturn orbit. That's what caused us to crash."
"So it's not an ordinary object. Don't you have any pictures or data?"
"All data was deleted to give us better terms in negotiation."
"Ugh."
I almost punched him without thinking, but barely held back and asked again.
"Can you draw what you remember seeing of the object?"
"I can."
Beta released his restrained hand. Gedric, with one free hand, sketched in the air. Lines appeared on the holographic screen.
Once finished, I couldn't help but sigh. I could not figure out what the drawing was supposed to represent. His drawing skills were so poor that even sketching what he saw directly turned out incomprehensible.
"A mass of angular rectangular pillars... Do all the objects look like this?"
"No. Each object's shape is different. They react to things differently as well. Some emit a wavelength similar to the blue crystal's, but of course, far stronger—strong enough to destroy a ship's systems instantly."
"Objects like that are indestructible, huh..."
"At least, the Earth Government reached that conclusion. I know nothing beyond that."
While Licorice, arms folded, was lost in thought, Celestia asked Gedric a question.
"You said the Earth Government abandoned this place, right? Is that really true?"
"It is now."
"... Now? Then, did they try before?"
"Early in the crisis, the Earth Government even dispatched fleets to the outer galaxy. They saw this as full-scale war, not just terrorism. They sent powerful forces: destroyers and dozens of battle cruisers to support SSTC and planetary cleansing. But they were wiped out at Enceladus. Europa was destroyed completely by a purification protocol and no longer exists."
"...."
Each and every one of us fell speechless. Even knowing some of it vaguely, hearing the truth directly was a shock. The realization hit me with a dull headache even now.
Should I be happy the Earth Government hadn't given up right away, or just feel lost at the news they were annihilated? I wanted to lean toward the former; sending such a strong force suggested there might be follow-up measures.
Celestia hesitated then asked,
"... Is there any news of more rescue missions?"
"Not anymore. The warp gate was severely damaged in a terrorist attack by the pureblood supremacists and can no longer function. The Earth Government, with no resources to spare, drastically scaled back the front."
"How far?"
"They held out on Mars, but now have been pushed back to the Moon, as far as I know."
"But Mars had the strongest military—how did they get pushed back?"
"An uncountable number of monsters spread across Mars. Traitors emerged, rebellion broke out. The power struggle never ended, and Mars was split in half. The last I heard, remaining forces are gathering on Earth."
"All because of the objects and the giant tree?"
"As far as the available information suggests, yes."
"... This is crazy."
I muttered quietly and slumped back in my chair. I still had no clue what those objects really were. I recognized now just how strong the pureblood supremacists must be.
But the information suggested even our worst expectations hadn't measured up to reality. Preparing for a hundred years wasn't enough to explain it. It must have been because of the existence of the mutants.
If an infection occurred, the Earth Government would have to kill even friends they'd laughed with moments before. On the other hand, the pureblood supremacists grow exponentially stronger the more mutants they gain.
No matter how much new technology the Earth Government had, in a war of attrition, they'd be at a disadvantage.
'And there's no guarantee even the new tech isn't leaked. Nobody knew who the traitors were until war broke out.'
What should I do? Suddenly, I straightened in my chair.
"You said earlier that we won't be able to escape Titan. Why is that? What did you see from orbit? Does it have anything to do with the stars disappearing a few days ago?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"I don't know. I have no memory of the situation when the ship crashed. The external camera malfunctioned for a moment and there's no remaining data."
After all his cursing and bluster, it was just bluffing.
'You said the ship crashed from a pulse emitted by the object, not from an attack by a military satellite.'
Maybe it's not military satellites blockading Titan after all. That thought passed through my mind.
'There were battle scars, though.'
Military satellites existed. Or, I had to believe they did. The Reformist battleship hull was covered in battle damage. It wouldn't have those marks just from being exposed to a pulse.
Everyone looked grim and lost in thought. We were getting lots of answers, but a sense of unease still lingered.
"Gedric, did you see Myosotis near Titan?"
"No."
"I see."
It was a denial, but Celestia actually looked relieved. When I asked if she was okay, she looked at me confidently.
"If he didn't spot me, it means I haven't been exposed. I hoped he wouldn't say he detected me. If even the Reformist ships picked up my presence, the pureblood supremacists would know too."
Thinking about it, that made sense. Of course, that only applied if Myosotis did have a presence near here. I hoped Celestia's expectations wouldn't be betrayed.
Celestia gave a slight smile and stood up, apparently satisfied with the Q&A.
"I'm done with questions. Anyone else?"
"I'll go next."
Kanna came forward, notepad out, as if she had plenty to ask. Just as she was about to begin, Nadia called out quietly and whispered something to her.
Kanna's face shifted from confusion to understanding and she nodded. Kanna started with trivial questions and gradually moved on to important ones.
She even asked questions that had already been covered, digging into any inconsistencies to find differences.
After holding Gedric hostage for a good while, Kanna seemed satisfied and closed her notepad with a snap.
"I never expected to get Reformist internal info this easily... If I report this when we get back, a promotion is as good as mine."
"Uh, are you planning to stay in the military?"
" 'Once a soldier, always a soldier!' ...isn't really my motto. I never liked that old saying. But all the same, I'll keep at it as long as I can. I could claim it's for comrades' revenge or my own regret, but that's not all."
"Then why?"
"Unprecedented chaos is upon us. Even if we return to Earth, we probably can't avoid battle. I don't even know if the shelters are still safe. Rather than drift from one uncertain refuge to another, it's better to stay on the front lines where supplies keep coming in. That's just my personal opinion."
Kanna slyly suggested that I'd be able to start out at the top if I joined up. When I grimaced, Kanna grinned and waved it off as a joke.
But I didn't believe it was a joke. If I'd shown the slightest sign of considering it, she'd have thrown a loaded contract at me in an instant.
Celestia pulled me close. Though she grinned playfully, there was a wary undertone to her words.
"Hyun-woo, don't let her tempt you. Even if you leave, you're going to Myosotis."
"Oh, is that already arranged?"
"... Not exactly, but I'll make it happen."
"Then it can't be helped. It's a shame, though. If you joined us, my dream would come true in a flash."
Celestia and Kanna were talking right in front of me as if I wasn't there, but never actually included me.
"What dream?"
"I'm going to grant the captain's wish. I'll climb as high as I can, and change things bit by bit. After hearing about the connections between the Reformists and the upper military command, I made up my mind."
Kanna, who often said she'd make things happen herself, smiled determinedly. The 'captain' she referred to was Edward.
After Kanna was done, Carrot and Eric asked a number of questions. Most had already been answered, so it didn't take long. With no further questions, we all just looked at each other blankly.
Nadia, looking somewhat recovered, propped herself up on both arms and asked,
"Anything else to ask? Ask now, or there may not be another chance."
"No. He's a clone, so he really doesn't know anything critical. Are you going to ask that question now?"
"Yes."
Nadia and Kanna exchanged knowing looks, clearly expecting this. I soon found out why.
"Gedric, where is group leader Neo right now?"
Reformist group leader, Neo. Come to think of it, Kanna had refrained from asking anything about him. That whisper from earlier must have been Nadia requesting her not to pursue that line of questioning.
At her question, Gedric flinched. He opened his mouth as if to speak but no sound came. It wasn't simple obstinance, but something like conflicting commands fighting inside him.
Soon, Gedric coughed up blood. Carrot, who had been waiting, checked him immediately. He injected a stimulant, but Gedric died in the end.
Carrot shook his head.
"The bio-circuit melted. Looks like some sort of failsafe reacted to the keyword. Even special ops rarely use such methods. Ruthless bastards, truly."
"... It's all right. I expected this. That's why I saved that question for last."
Nadia looked down at the dead Gedric in silence, her green eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions for a moment.
She closed her eyes, then opened them again. Her eyes no longer regarded Gedric, not even when the Beta series carried his body away.
Instead, she turned to look at me. Her fluffy tail swished gently.
***
Gedric was dead. It didn't really affect me. The same was true for everyone else in the command room.
Maybe it was because we knew from the start that Gedric was a villain.
We just frowned at his corpse. There was too much to do right in front of us to waste energy on anything unnecessary.
It wasn't because we felt uneasy about his death, but just that the sight of the body naturally provoked discomfort.
Once his corpse was taken away, we quickly divided up the urgent tasks at hand. The wounded got some rest for quicker recovery; those who could move even a little helped with the remaining work. We dispersed to fulfill our roles.
Carrot said he'd check the patients as a priority, but if I wanted, I could leave the sprout with him and he'd watch over it whenever he had spare time. But I couldn't hand it over. The sprout hated going alone, only following reluctantly when I accompanied it.
Of course, I couldn't follow Carrot around all day either—I had to help with the mining operation that would soon depart. So I could only say I would ask for his help later.
"Haha, that's fine with me anytime. Maybe it's my age, but I don't sleep much these days."
"Thank you. Oh, by the way, how's the portable shield generator you showed me last time coming along?"
"Unfortunately, I don't think I'll finish it in time. The power source needed for a real shield is too big for portable use. Perhaps we can discuss the details in my lab when I have more time?"
"Sure."
I nodded, and Carrot waved goodbye as he hurried off. Truly a diligent man. Among the living, he probably ranked near the top.
Naturally, first place would go to Kyle—or rather, Kyle and his team. Even with the Beta series joining in and the workload reduced, there still remained a pile of tasks, especially with so much damage to repair.
I could already hear Kyle shouting somewhere. I wished him the best—may he rest in peace...
"Hyun-woo, do you really have to go? Can't you just rest today?"
"I'm not doing any hard labor, just watching nearby. I'll be back soon, so get some rest. Next time, we'll go out together."
"... All right."
"Carry, same goes for you. Take good care of Nadia. I trust you the most."
I reminded Carry, who seemed to glare at the sprout following me everywhere. Though reluctantly, Carry nodded at my words.
「ヽ(•̀ω•́ )ゝ」
I'd just finished shutting Nadia and Carry in their room and changing into my suit for outside work when—
"Lee Hyun-woo, could you talk with me a moment?"
Licorice approached, saying one of the scariest phrases imaginable out of the blue.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】