Turning point (12)
At the same time. The darkness settled, and the still surface of the water was suddenly split open. Emerging from it was a man.
"Phew......"
The man let out a long breath, hastily replenishing the air he'd been holding back. The rippling surface signaled that something was lurking here.
Startled, the man dove back underwater, avoiding the beams of the searchlights sweeping the sky. Before much time passed, he poked only his face above the calm surface.
'This is the place.'
Cautiously observing his surroundings, the man's identity was none other than Gloxinia. People usually called him Roxy.
Why was he, who had been assigned by Licorice to scout candidate sites for the Archive, now floating in this mysterious sea, or to be precise, near what appeared to be the forward base of some faction?
The reason was simple.
'Of all things, I didn't expect the acceleration device to catch fire.'
The reconnaissance craft he'd been piloting couldn't withstand the intense maneuvering and fell apart. He loved the surge of speed and G-force when turning on the afterburner and had admittedly overused it.
While outmaneuvering the pureblood supremacist pursuit squad, he realized too late the engine had caught fire. His brother, Kyle, hadn't made any mistakes. In fact, it was thanks to Kyle's regular maintenance that the craft had made it this far.
If not for that, he wouldn't have even reached here, likely crashing somewhere nameless in the frozen mountains or a canyon, his life in danger.
'Still, something's off.'
No matter how much strain he put on the device, it hadn't exceeded what he expected. The stress was high, but it wasn't at its limit. Why did it suddenly blow up? And right near this base, at that.
Regardless, he was alive, which was something to be grateful for. Thanks to flying close to the ground to avoid the scan network, his presence remained undetected by the people here.
'It's a problem that I can't send out a communication...'
The communications device on the reconnaissance craft wasn't broken, but he couldn't use it. The scan network around here was so strong—perhaps because it wasn't an ordinary outpost but a gathering place for all remaining pureblood supremacist forces on Titan—that any encrypted signal would instantly give away his location.
Roxy hesitated, debating whether or not to sigh as he recalled his current situation. Instead, he grinned. Why sigh? His heart thumped with excitement; it felt like an adventure.
The feeling of exhilaration sprung up endlessly. Before he knew it, the chill from the icy sea had completely faded. His once-empty head was filling with emotions that seemed to have no ceiling.
"Robot friend, you can come out now. Looks like the patrols don't see this far."
Roxy murmured to himself. Although frankly, it wasn't just muttering; he did have someone in mind.
Several tiny lights suddenly appeared below the surface. Soon, a spider-shaped mining robot glided up above the water.
On its armored shell, the number "MR-07" was inscribed. For convenience, Roxy decided to call this spider mining robot either "Number 7" or simply "friend."
Roxy hadn't even known the robot was on the craft until just before the emergency landing. He had never brought it with him; the spider robots were supposed to stay in the storage bay, so it must have boarded the craft without his knowledge.
At first, Roxy was baffled, but he promptly decided to take it as a good thing. Thanks to Number 7, he'd been able to delay the spreading fire on the engine as much as possible.
"See that base over there? We're going to infiltrate it. Our target is anything I can pilot. A shuttle would be nice. Ah, I won't aim for a ship—they're too slow. It'd just crash during takeoff."
Click-click.
"As before, but this time we'll need to be even quieter."
Click.
"We need to be much, much quieter."
Click...click.
"All right, that's the briefing."
There was no need for a real briefing, but he did it anyway. He wanted to try leading a mission at least once. It was a moment when he could check something off his bucket list.
"Friend, you ready?"
Number 7 quietly clicked its pincers as if to say yes. Judging by its response, it seemed to understand him pretty well—though who knew how long that would last. To be honest, its focus was even shorter than Roxy's.
"Let's go. I'll lead the way."
Unruffled, Roxy parted the water and slowly advanced, thinking it was a good idea to get a custom suit when everyone else did.
The place he was now was somewhere in the Kraken Sea. Despite the depth, there were no lifeforms here, which meant nothing would snag his ankles or pose a threat.
'Or could there?'
Thinking about the presence of pureblood supremacists here, it was possible there could be monsters under their command. Creatures that mutated to adapt to the environment might have acclimated to this sea too.
'Whatever. I'll worry about that when it happens.'
Pre-worrying would only bring a headache. Finding a new means of transportation was his first priority.
'The defense system is down?'
As Roxy quickly approached the maritime base's outer wall, his eyes glinted. Perhaps because power wasn't stable, the turrets that should have stood tall with confidence now drooped weakly.
Tap-tap—
Number 7, naturally hanging on his shoulder, blinked its tiny eyes and began a simple scan. There was residual heat inside the turret. This meant it hadn't been offline for long.
'Hmm...'
Could this have something to do with the sudden malfunction of his reconnaissance craft? Oddly enough, the base was unusually dark. Typical forward bases were always bustling and on alert for battle.
However, the buildings here had no lights, and apart from the occasional presence of patrols, there was only silence. Almost like a blackout. Judging by the lack of chaos, it was likely they had anticipated this situation.
'If that's so, then now's the perfect time.'
For someone trying to infiltrate, this was an ideal situation. He didn't have to worry as much about getting caught by the defense or security systems.
The smile on Roxy's lips grew wider. Even if circumstances turned in his favor, entering dangerous territory was still just as risky; one mistake could still get him killed.
Roxy gave a signal. The building he pointed to looked like a warehouse or some kind of temporary structure. He had no idea what was inside, but it was the fastest place for concealing himself.
Shhh...
Taking advantage of the disabled defense systems, Roxy began infiltrating the base. He cautiously slipped out from the water and scaled the outer wall, which jutted out as if the construction had been abruptly halted.
'I'm rusty.'
When he was younger, he could emerge from the water without making a sound. Only a handful of years had passed, but already his skills seemed to have dulled a lot. If he'd made this much noise back then, he wouldn't have survived here—mercenaries would have beaten him senseless.
He didn't let his guard down. While Roxy enjoyed risk, that didn't mean he sought danger for danger's sake—he just preferred to walk the tightrope.
Number 7 was climbing the wall with its slender legs. It looked precarious, but surprisingly, it was stable. As expected of a mining robot, it adapted well even to rugged environments.
Finally, with a faint clack barely audible to even the keenest ear, Roxy succeeded in infiltrating the base. Now the real mission began. He lowered his stance.
"... The core will soon...restart..."
"Cystus said...but for now, continue..."
The voices of pureblood supremacists patrolling the base were getting closer. From how faint they were, he guessed the group was still a fair distance away. Roxy hid in the shadows, heading for the warehouse he'd marked as his destination.
Every movement sent droplets of water from his suit onto the floor, but he didn't mind. The night and sea mist kept the floor damp, so his tracks wouldn't matter.
Number 7 had already arrived at the warehouse ahead of him. Roxy had sensed something scurrying and realized it was Number 7, not the wind.
At this point, Roxy decided not to get in Number 7's way. He gave a quick thumbs-up as he chuckled. Number 7 clicked its pincer back.
There were no windows in the warehouse—at least, none Roxy could feasibly enter or peek through. There was a vent near the ceiling for ventilation, but scaling the outer wall to reach it wasn't possible.
Nor could he risk opening the door without knowing what was inside; making such a conspicuous move wouldn't be wise, not yet.
At that moment, number 7 signaled to Roxy, raising its pincers and nervously scratching at the air. Roxy guessed it wanted to try climbing up the wall.
Could it or couldn't it? He didn't ask. If it could do it, great; if not, too bad. Roxy nodded, and Number 7 ran a simple scan to estimate the climb.
It didn't use a precise laser scan, which would have increased its chances of success, but the bright beam might have been noticed by someone else.
Click.
Having gotten a rough estimate, number 7 carefully took its first step, wedging its legs into minute crevices in the wall and slowly climbing up.
'Smart.'
Its center of gravity shifted fluidly instead of remaining fixed. He wondered if all mining robots had such sense, or if Number 7 was special.
At last, number 7 reached the top. It pressed its head near the tiny window, snapped an image of the interior, and stored the data on its chip. Having finished its reconnaissance, it tried to retrace its steps and climb down.
Just then, it slipped on a groove made slick by condensation. The startled Number 7's legs curled in, and Roxy was ready—he caught it before it fell.
Luckily, it was light, so catching it was no trouble and made little noise. This time, number 7 clicked its pincers first, and Roxy grinned in response.
Number 7 shared the image it had taken with Roxy. The warehouse was filled with nameless equipment whose purpose he couldn't guess. Loot from military bases, perhaps? Boxes stuffed with what looked like weapons.
Roxy wasn't greedy for those. They definitely looked powerful, being military-grade, but that wasn't the point. Pulling a trigger a few times and then dying in battle wasn't his goal—escape was. So he didn't pay the military gear any more attention.
'Dud.'
Still, there were several warehouses around. If he checked them one by one, he might stumble across a storage bay with an armed shuttle or reconnaissance craft.
Any regrets about the first warehouse were brief—Roxy moved on in search of new targets. Or rather, he would have, if not for a pureblood supremacist patrol that had arrived while he'd been peeking in.
"I see the line..."
"There you go again. What line? You don't even have hair."
"... This is the end of our patrol sector."
"Ah, that line."
Two pureblood supremacists moved about lightly armed. They didn't seem particularly on edge; maybe they'd look around out of obligation, but clearly didn't expect enemies here.
They didn't notice any sign of Roxy, simply turning and heading back the way they came. Complacency was always an enemy on the inside.
Roxy gave the departing men a little wave. Number 7, curious, also crept out and waved its pincers with him.
Only after the patrol completely left his field of vision did Roxy resume his actions. He and Number 7 began inspecting all the nearby warehouses.
Once he'd figured out the patrol circled every hour, Roxy's actions grew bolder. He rummaged through warehouses at his leisure and even made explosives from the parts there—not because he needed them, just because he could.
Number 7, at first protesting, soon joined in and actually enjoyed making things alongside Roxy. It was the moment Roxy led a robot—if not a person—down a mischievous path. It was an inevitable outcome for anyone around him.
How many warehouses did they go through like that? Roxy, unchanged, whistled inwardly as he eyed a properly constructed facility rather than the makeshift buildings.
It wasn't a place where he'd likely find a vehicle, but curiosity got the better of him. He had a feeling it'd be quite—or even ridiculously—fun to go inside.
'There's no point in checking warehouses anymore.'
The storage bay with reconnaissance craft seemed to be in the central area, not on the outskirts. He'd wandered along the periphery, but aside from expending his stamina, found nothing. He left the explosives he'd made behind in a warehouse—it was too heavy to carry.
Roxy justified entering what looked like a research facility. He figured passing through here would be the quickest way to the center of the base.
The defense systems seemed to be coming back online, but they hadn't yet detected an intruder inside. It made moving around easier.
'Let's go, friend.'
Roxy gestured to Number 7. Unlike before, number 7 had changed. During their time in the warehouses, it had knocked over a barrel of paint. Now it was all polka-dotted—and seemed to quite like the look.
One robot with new circuitry beginning to whir, and one man gone completely wild. The two moved covertly in the shadows cast by darkness.
The guards were scattered throughout the building. Compared to the warehouse, the facility was much better constructed, and security was visibly tighter.
But there weren't actually no gaps. It was just that there was no way up—the path was below.
They felt along the floor and found a hole leading to a drain. In a ground-based facility, the hole might have been too small, but being at sea meant the drainage here was well designed and roomy.
The guess was correct. Since the pureblood supremacists had brought in modules to construct the place, the basement was clean and bright with embedded lighting and safety rails along the corridor, and bulkheads that could be closed to seal off sectors at any time.
Roxy stopped for a moment and listened for any sounds. Apart from the rush of water coming in and out, there was nothing out of place.
'Doesn't look like anyone's here.'
Security based on sensors—it seemed to be motion sensors, and Roxy liked that better. Sometimes, precision sensors were easier to bypass than people.
He tapped his bracelet. Instantly, a nearly transparent film emerged from each joint, covering his suit. Soon, Roxy was practically invisible.
It used a lot of energy and couldn't be maintained for long, but he had always saved this vital survival function for occasions just like this. If you had something, use it.
'If I move too much, I'll get caught. But as long as I don't, it'll be fine.'
Grinning, Roxy strolled along the corridor as if out for a walk, even stretching his back to relieve the stiffness from crouching so much.
"Robot friend, I'm counting on you. I have no idea how to get around here."
Number 7 clicked its little pincers in protest, as if saying it didn't know the way around either—but obeyed all the same.
While hanging on Roxy's back, number 7 began a precise scan. Before they came down here, it had seen how buildings and corridors connected and plotted out a route.
With no obstacles or hindrances, Roxy moved without hesitation. Following Number 7's guidance, it wasn't long before he spotted a ladder leading somewhere.
He couldn't see what was above, so checking meant risk. After a moment's thought, Roxy grabbed Number 7 and gave it a big thumbs-up.
"I'm counting on you"—Did the message get through? Number 7 couldn't hold back and lightly smacked Roxy. It stung, but Roxy decided to treat it as a high five.
Muttering, number 7 took a quick look outside through a slightly open hatch, then darted out, eyes flashing.
Soon Number 7 waved its pincers rapidly—the all clear. Roxy followed and climbed up safely. He quickly scanned the area.
This area appeared to be an emergency evacuation room attached to a lab. Beyond what looked like an emergency exit, several hologram screens were deployed around a central monitor.
There were traces left from a recently vacant occupant, but no sign of anyone present.
「Energy reserves: 74%.」
He couldn't fully relax; just during that brief time, the energy had dropped noticeably. Roxy prepared to reactivate stealth mode if anyone approached but, for now, deactivated the camouflage. The faint shimmer faded almost instantly as his form reappeared.
'Crap...'
Searching for a way out of the lab, Roxy suddenly turned his head. He spotted some very unwelcome data on one of the screens rapidly compiling information.
「The orbital cannon that directly hit the Sky Whale was identified as a gravity cannon. The gravity cannon's effect has reached Titan's core. Core status: unstable.」
「Undergoing detailed analysis by simulation......」
「If the terraforming device is activated, it could maintain the current state, preventing a shift from unstable to extremely unstable. Total satellite collapse is not expected.」
「This variable could change at any time. Since the gravity cannon's influence has reached the satellite's core, the situation can shift suddenly at any moment.」
「It is highly likely that Titan's terrain has already changed.」
Roxy sifted through the flood of letters and retained only the most obvious conclusions. What was clear was that none of it was good.
'Be careful, friends. I'll be back soon.'
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New Terms/Nouns: