NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: 012
–
The ship's hangar, which was always quiet, was crowded with technical team members.
The technical team members' workload had increased rapidly over the past few days, so even having two bodies was not enough. This was because an order had come from above to maintain all aircraft onboard.
"hey. Scott. It's dinner time. "Let's go eat quickly."
"uh. "Just finish this."
The blonde man called out to the black-haired man working next to the aircraft. The man named Scott put down the wrench he was holding and stood up.
"How much is left?"
"Enough to work overtime."
"Ha, fuck."
The two headed to the restaurant with other people.
"I still don't understand."
"what?"
"Why do you have to turn the plane upside down just because we have a fight?"
Fincher, a blond man chewing artificial meat with an eraser-like texture, frowned.
"Scott you bastard. "Do you really need to talk about work while you're eating?"
"No, isn't it? "Fincher, think about it too."
It's starting again.
Fincher sighed as he watched Scott unfold strange conspiracy theories without getting tired of it.
"What is it again this time?"
"I heard something. "They said they were doing it to catch the metallic gremlin above."
"Metallic Gremlin?"
Fincher snorted as if it made no sense.
"hey. If we meet a metallic gremlin, we'll get robbed right away, right? The upper-level capital guys are shit, but they're not assholes. "Instead of fighting, they will try to run away."
"You have to listen to what people say until the end. Actually, the Metallic Gremlin is already on board. "Even those above know this and are trying hard to catch it."
"what?"
"You know there's a strange smell in the air these days, right? "That's the smell of metallic gremlin."
"What nonsense…"
Fincher shook his head.
As Scott said, it was true that there was a strange smell on board these days.
However, if the air was really polluted as he said, the ship AI would have reported it long ago. Fincher has never heard of any air problems.
"I told you to listen. "A guy I know on the catering team said that since last week, people on the ship have been disappearing one or two at a time."
"her. "What bullshit."
I tried it just in case, but it was the same. Fincher was dumbfounded after hearing Scott's nonsense.
There are 222 people on board the ship. It's hard to say that this is a large number, but if the number of people decreases by one per day, it will not go unnoticed.
And is the person above an idiot? I can't stand still while my subordinates disappear. As Fincher said, the capitals at the team leader level were shitty guys, but they weren't assholes.
Fincher tried to dismiss it as Scott's delusion, but someone interrupted their conversation. It was Cameron who was sitting next to him.
"I heard something similar. "I heard that the material management team leader went missing."
"really?"
"uh. "Thanks to you, the cargo bay manager was promoted to become the temporary team leader."
"look! "Fincher, am I right?"
When Scott found a sympathizer, he was as happy as a child. On the other hand, Fincher's expression was distorted as if he had chewed something.
"okay. Let's say people go missing. Then why are the higher-ups staying still?"
"They said they knew it all from above, but they were keeping it a secret for fear the crew would be agitated."
"After all, it's because of the metallic gremlin!"
"It's metal and it's naked. "They are harassing people. What does this have to do with fighter jet maintenance?"
Cameron shrugged.
"You don't know that. "I only heard about people disappearing."
"Uh…are you trying to discipline the kids by making them behave?"
"Tsk you idiot. "You are like that."
Fincher clicked his tongue as he looked at Scott, who scratched the back of his head with a dumb expression.
After the meal period, the technical team members went back to work.
Time passed and it was already night.
Team members left work one by one, and the spacious hangar became quiet, as if the noisy atmosphere earlier was a lie.
Scott and Fincher were wrestling in the corner over an aircraft carrier.
"Scott. "I'm going to go get some late-night snacks. What do you want to eat?"
"I'm done. "If you have synthetic liquor, bring it with you."
Scott was loosening a screw with a wrench under the fighter. Looking at the quiet surroundings, it seemed like everyone else had left work except him.
"Scott."
"huh?"
While he was changing parts, someone called him.
"Cameron?"
"Come here for a moment."
"I'm working on it right now."
"It'll just take a moment."
Scott was busy, but Cameron calling him was annoying.
He escaped from under the aircraft, promising that he would curse me if it wasn't important. In the open space, only fighter jets and tool boxes were visible, but Cameron was not visible.
"Where did you go after calling someone?"
"It's here. "Please come quickly."
Cameron's voice came out at just the right time, as if he was trying to inform Scott.
"Maintenance room?"
He was a friend who really bothered people. Scott grumbled and headed to the maintenance room.
When I arrived at the maintenance room, the lights were off.
'I heard you here?'
I was tilting my head, wondering if it was an illusion, when I heard Cameron's voice from inside.
"Scott. "This way."
"What are you doing without turning on the lights?"
"It's because I'm looking for something. "Please help me quickly."
Scott pressed the switch in the maintenance room, but it didn't turn on. Because it was late, it seemed like I got off at the central management office.
He had no choice but to take out the flashlight from his belt.
A bright light illuminated the dark interior of the maintenance room. He entered the maintenance room, relying on the light in his hand.
The dark maintenance room did not have a very pleasant atmosphere. The iron shelves were piled high with parts and tools, so much so that it seemed as if they would spill out at the slightest shake. The floor looked extremely unclean, with cigarette butts that had been secretly smoked and traces of dried synthetic alcohol.
Plus, there was a smell in the maintenance room. All kinds of unpleasant smells permeated the entire space, including the smell of oil stuck to tools, the smell of lead from irons, and the smell of men's sweat that had not been washed properly.
Scott felt something unfamiliar in that familiar yet disgusting smell.
'What is this smell?'
I was able to recognize it because he touched metal parts every day. The air in the maintenance room was similar to the fishy smell of iron, but there was something else mixed in there.
"Where the hell is this guy?"
"This way. this way."
It was strange. The voice that was heard from the doorway a while ago is now coming from inside.
Following the voice, he passed between the steel shelves. Perhaps because it was outer space without a single light, I couldn't really see anything without a flashlight.
He almost fell as he walked, relying on the light coming from his hands.
"What the fuck?!"
What Scott stepped on was a screw rolling on the floor. After barely gathering himself, he realized an important fact.
Even he, who is holding a flashlight, can't see clearly because of the darkness. So what is Cameron doing in the dark?
I remembered the conversation we had at the restaurant earlier.
A metallic gremlin roaming around the ship. And missing people.
Scott unconsciously called Cameron in a trembling voice.
"Ka Cameron?"
No answer came back.
The moment Scott turned to run away, it popped out in front of him.
–
"Scott?"
Fincher, who had brought some late-night snacks with him, found it strange that there was no one around the aircraft.
Although Scott was a bit strange, he was a friend who did his work honestly. There was no case where I had to leave even though there was work left to do.
"Scott!"
Fincher called out to Scott. My colleague's name echoed through the quiet hangar.
"Here."
His voice came from somewhere over there, as if he was replying.
"Where are you? "I brought synthetic liquor."
"I'm in the maintenance room. "Please come this way."
"Maintenance room? Why did you go there again?"
"I need to find something. "Please help me."
I will correct it. Scott was good at work, but personally he was a very annoying person. Fincher grumbled and headed to the maintenance room.
"What are you doing without turning on the lights?"
"I have something to move. Help me."
"Wow, you really are an idiot."
Fincher entered the black maintenance room with a flashlight. There was a faint light beyond the shelf.
It was the light produced by Scott's flashlight.
"Hey, what are you doing…huh?"
Scott wasn't there. The only thing left was the tool that had lost its owner.
"Why is this here?"
Fincher grabbed Scott's flashlight. There was no sign of Scott anywhere around.
At that time, water fell on the back of his neck.
"what?"
He caressed the back of his neck, wondering if there was a leak. The liquid that fell from above was hot and sticky.
He checked the liquid on his palm with a flashlight.
"blood?"
The palms were bright red and wet.
The liquid that fell from the ceiling was blood drops.
When he realized that fact, he swallowed his saliva. The flashlight in his hand trembled and pointed upward.
There was a guy there.
A man who must have been about 1 meter tall was hanging from the ceiling, holding Scott.
It looked like Gallagon, the so-called space dragon. The mythical dragon was now eating Scott.
His last memory was of the dragon reaching for Pincher.
After that day.
No one saw the three members of the technical team.
–
'Was I good at fishing?'
I was sitting in a dark maintenance room chewing on a person's leg. The owner of the bridge was lying on the ground with his neck ripped out along with his spine.
"Imitate. "It's so convenient."
The voice of a man named Fincher, the owner of the bridge, came out of my mouth.
To imitate.
Among the creatures the material management team leader tried to smuggle, there was a larva called a red worm.
Redworms are super-large earthworms that only live on desert-type planets and have extremely rare characteristics.
It is the ability to imitate the voice of another living creature. It is said to be the result of evolution to effectively hunt other creatures in a barren environment.
I ate a red worm larva stored in a container and was lucky enough to obtain its genetic essence. Thanks to this, a very complex new vocal organ has taken root in my throat.
'The downside is that my abilities are inferior compared to the original.'
Unlike Red Worm, I couldn't imitate any voice. I could only imitate the voice of the last creature I ate. It was impossible to imitate the voices of Scott or Cameron, which I had heard before.
Also, complex sentences cannot be said, only short sentences or words can be spoken. If the words last a little longer, they become mixed with growls, creating a strange sound that is neither human nor monster-like.
'Well, it's still a good enough ability.'
It's somehow strange and awkward because instead of a low-pitched growl, a husky adult male's voice comes out of the mouth.
I tried my voice a few times and came up with my next target.
'Tomorrow I will have to eat someone from the cooking team. Was his name Pierre? I don't think he's close with Fincher, but it probably doesn't matter.'
Even if someone you don't know calls you, you can't help but be interested. Tomorrow I will have dinner with a friend named Pierre.
He might not know. That he died because he said something useless to Scott.
After finishing my meal, I went out onto the runway and entered the vent on the wall.
'Shall we stop by for a moment before going to the nest?'
While crawling along the passage, I turned around and headed toward the laboratory.
It was to see the bubble amoeba I call No. 26.
As I got closer to the lab, its waves reached me.
"Hello."
The tentacle on the back of my head rang. Until now, I thought that superpowers were useless to anyone, but that wasn't the case.
Unexpectedly, I was able to communicate with creatures that communicate through wavelengths through a psychic organ.
Since I only pursue efficient play every time I play a game, I don't pay any attention to features that have small effects like this.
'There's no way I would have the trait that allows me to talk to a bubble amoeba in the first place.'
It was a characteristic that was more necessary for bubble amoeba enthusiasts than for me.
Anyway, since the other side said hello, it's this side's turn to respond. I concentrated on the back of my head. The tentacles wriggled, gathering invisible energy.
[Zuzuzuz (Hello)]
｢Hello. I'm hungry today too. "Bob."
There is something new I learned after being able to talk without looking at No. 26.
'My vocabulary has increased compared to before.'
As far as I know, bubble amoeba was not an evolving organism. When they became adults, they only grew in size, but there was no change that could be called evolution.
However, this guy goes beyond the limits of his species and conveys impossible, complex messages. Moreover, whenever I meet him somewhere studying, his speaking skills are improving day by day.
'I heard they were conducting psionium experiments. 'Is there an effect I don't know about?'
I'm not sure if it's a Psionium issue or if this guy is special. In any case, I wouldn't be at a disadvantage if he became smarter, so I decided not to worry about that issue.
[Zuzu zuzuzu (sorry, having trouble eating today)]
｢What is difficulty?｣
[Zuzu zuzuzu (not being able to provide food)]
A wave of sullen emotions came from him.
It wasn't that I didn't understand. For a guy who was subjected to experiments all day, the only pleasure he got was eating the calorie bars I brought.
'You can't give them calorie bars after they get bigger.'
Current laboratory security was second only to the reactor cooling room. After the research team leader went missing, the security team leader increased the security of the laboratory to the maximum.
Thanks to this, the ventilation shaft above the laboratory, which had been safe until now, became dangerous. There was a vibration sensor installed inside the laboratory, so it was clear that if you moved too hastily, you would get caught right away.
Because it was a situation like this, there was nothing I could do other than talk to No. 26 from afar.
[Zuzuzu (Are you okay today?)]
｢It's hard. "It hurts."
After Kisaragi died, the psionium experiment was at a standstill. Although my subordinates were conducting experiments every day, they did not inject large amounts as ignorantly as before.
Of course, that doesn't mean that No. 26 is okay. Even in small amounts, psionium is a toxic drug to the body.
[Zuzu (leaves)]
｢Hello. Goodbye. '
Tsk, cheer up.'
It wasn't that I didn't want to help, but the risk was too great. Even if I had powerful characteristics in my hands, it was impossible to engage in an all-out war with the crew of this ship.
Guerrilla warfare is possible only when the animal is at least a sub-adult. When it becomes a sub-adult, it can easily annihilate even squads equipped with reinforced clothing.
'The problem is that the conditions for subadult evolution are difficult.'
To evolve into a subadult, the user must kill 10 people from each of the two playable sapient races and eat their genes. Since humans are the only subjects in this ship that satisfy the conditions, subadult evolution is impossible.
'There are pirates, but we don't know what will happen to them either.'
Whether or not I can evolve depends on which cartel the Space Dog around here is. There are cartels made up of only one race, so if a human cartel gets caught, it is of no use.
'A few days at most.'
Looking at the atmosphere inside the ship, there was not much time left to encounter the Space Dog. The technical team members I captured were also staying up all night working on the fighter jet.
As I was walking towards the nest, a group of people passed below me. He was the leader of the soldiers and crisis management team.
"I have some business to attend to."
"Loyalty!"
The crisis management team leader separated from the soldiers and walked somewhere alone.
'The crisis management team leader also needs to be caught.'
I was putting it off because it wasn't an easy match, but it turned out well. Even if you don't eat it right away, it wouldn't be a bad idea to know its weaknesses and lifestyle patterns in advance.
I followed the crisis management team leader.
The place he headed to was the fitness room. Inside, soldiers and crew members were diligently taking care of themselves.
'what? 'Were you trying to exercise?'
After quickly changing clothes, he sat down in front of the exercise equipment and began working out hard. I watched for 10 minutes to see if anything would change, but he was just working hard on the metal.
'Tsk. 'I'll have to go see someone else.'
There was no need to watch the prey exercise. As I was about to leave, he put down the device and took something out of his pocket.
'cellphone?'
It was a small phone in the form of earphones. He held it in his hand and looked around. After confirming that no one was paying attention, he put the phone to his ear and started exercising again.
Seeing that, I became interested and focused my auxiliary organs on him.
"I…contact…you." …is C…near…."
His voice, which had been heard sparsely, became increasingly clear.
"yes. Things are going according to plan. yes. yes. yes?"
'Plan?'
"An order came from the family? Oh no. "How could I question it?"
For a moment, confusion flashed across the crisis management team leader's eyes, but he quickly recovered.
"Anyway, it worked out. Lady Kisaragi has already been eliminated. The ship will arrive at C-08 as scheduled. yes. All of Yoosung's commands have been recorded."
'what?'
"yes. yes. it's okay. Everything is to follow the will of the family, or Jungwoo Eugene. I'll take it. yes. All right. then."
After hanging up the phone, he focused on exercising again. Although he was clearly a sports fanatic, my guard against him rose to the highest level in my head.
'I thought this was a bear-like person, but it turned out to be a complete fox?'
I knew that the crisis management team leader had encouraged the captain to make contact with the space dog.
But looking at the content of the call now, it seems like he may be planning a lot more than that.
Will it be of benefit or harm to me?
I watched him quietly in the dark.