Story Reader / Main Story / 23 Wintry Shackles / Story
23-1 Her Traces
>10:00 a.m. 8 kilometers outside Oasis.
～In the desert is a lone traveling wolf...～
～Without a pack or a sense of direction...～
～Tired it may be, there is no stopping now...～
Catch it! It couldn't have run far! We can't let it inform the Forsaken!
Sand flies as a car adorned with skulls and twisted letters charges across the desert, the sound of its engine covering even the music it is playing.
Ahead of the vehicle is a gray wolf.
One can imagine what it has gone through just by looking at it: wounds deep enough to reveal the bones and black sludges composed of dirt around its exposed flesh dyed red by fresh blood spilled.
There is no way to know how an animal this injured can run this fast.
Dammit! I didn't expect Watt to pull a stunt like this!
We can't let his pet spill the beans! If people find out that we were the ones who kidnapped those "Scarlet Revelation" members...
He spits angrily at the thought of that.
Watanabe won't let us off the hook. Those guys from Kurono are only going to cover their tracks.
****! This bastard surely is a fast runner!
It's stopping! Wait... Is that a person there?
The stray wolf is just flesh and blood after all. As it runs, it stumbles...
And it falls next to a lonesome figure, no longer able to stand.
The figure looks drastically different from the armed bandits. The only weapon on her is the blade on her back.
Doesn't look like a Forsaken to me...
Observing through the dust storm, the leading bandit on the vehicle finds the figure alone without the uniform and gears of a Forsaken soldier. He figures she must be a Scavenger who got separated from her group.
Go over her!
He quickly gives his order as he did in the past.
The wind from the car sweeps up the tattered cloak on her body, revealing her silvery hair.
Is that... a Construct with heterochromia...?
Suddenly, the white light reflected by her blade blinds them all.
The severed vehicle flips and rolls above Alpha's head before falling into the yellow sand.
Alpha looks down at the dying wolf. With blood-stained foam in its mouth, it shivers as it tries to stand, but it can barely move a leg.
There is a pale blue collar around its neck, suggesting that humans have tamed this beast of nature.
Stubbornly, it looks ahead, its cloudy eyes glistening faintly.
～The wolf suddenly hears a song from afar...～
The wind carries the music to them. Perhaps fate has saved the music player from being cut in half like the vehicle was.
～Folks from home singing a song of yore...～
～And a life is saved by a connection made...～
The wolf turns to look at Alpha. In its mind, Alpha is someone who is willing to help it.
Even though it has never known her scent.
...
Alpha reaches out to the dying creature.
Ugh...
But before she does anything, she sees...
Broken guns mingle with flesh and blood. A shattered dagger is embedded in vital fluid-covered sand.
In the center is a crimson figure, eerily reminiscent of a demon from the abyss, sheathing its long blade and casting a provocative gaze her way.
▅▃▆▅▂▄▁▅▇
Shut up!
The phantom vanishes as quickly as it appears, leaving nothing but a faint sting on Alpha's left eye like a ripple in the water.
She covers her left eye with her white hair. Ignoring the wolf's mournful plea, she continues toward her target.
She was just a passerby. Getting involved will only lead to undesirable consequences.
Not to mention that the commotion just now is enough to alert some people around this part of the world.
～Let go of the past, the present, the future... Put them in the hands of others...～
～Lah-la-la... Lah-la-la... Lah-la-la...～
The wolf's heavy breathing slowly quiets down in the wind.
Half an hour later...
Boss, we've looked around. There is still a faint hint of Punishing Virus on the scene, but we can't locate the source.
Good job, fellas. Whoever did this must have left already. Notify the other camps to stay alert for the next 24 hours.
Roger!
Did we find Watt?
We found him in the trunk of the car... Should we let his family know?
Watanabe shakes his head.
The only family Watt had died in the previous conflict.
...I-I'm sorry. I didn't know.
It's not your fault. He never mentioned it to anyone.
Watanabe takes out the chip from the wolf's collar and clenches his fist.
Let's cremate Watt and Walker together. That was his last request.
Pack it up. Ask the smelters to collect the wreckage of the vehicle. We still have a few things to discuss with Babylonia alone.
The disappearances and these people... are connected to Kurono, aren't they? It's happened before, but they always covered their tracks very thoroughly, leaving only inconsequential pawns in their wake.
Do we really need to work with Babylonia? Perhaps it'll be cleaner if we do it ourselves.
Some things are more effective if we work with them. Right now, our priority is to stop these kidnappings from happening again.
And there are still a few decent people on Babylonia.
Sure, there are a few good eggs in the new generation, but you're trying to contact the gang that ordered the Great Evacuation.
Will those selfish bastards really care about these disappearing cultists?
They'll be interested in the information. After all, it's no secret that the Parliament and Kurono don't see eye to eye.
And we need them to verify this intel anyway.
A long and slender figure appears near the wreckage not long after the Forsaken has left.
She fiddles with the sand with her umbrella.
Gotcha...
With a light flick, the small music player lands in her hand.
A red spark flashes in the air before the silent machine sings again.
～Lah-la-la... Lah-la-la... Lah-la-la...～
This power is surely convenient. How intoxicating...
Says the slender figure delightedly as she holds the music player up.
Having altered the signal of the music player to let that human "accidentally" discover the information on that group, she suspects the humans will continue investigating.
Her mission has gone smoothly just with the push of a small coincidence.
Looking up, she gazes at where Alpha is headed and sticks her purplish-blue tongue out.
And an unexpected catch as well.
Humming alongside the tune from the music player, the slender figure joyously makes her way in the same direction.
I surely hope I'll pass this "internship assessment"!
～Lah-la-la... Lah-la-la... Lah-la-la...～
～The departing lone wolf has gained the courage to go on...～
～For a new home...～
～Lah-la-la... Lah-la-la... Lah-la-la...～
...Huh?
A familiar voice interrupts the faint music in the background.
Nothing. I just thought I heard someone singing.
You look into the near distance and see a crowd working inside the large conservation area.
Some of them are Scavengers trying to escape the Hetero-Creatures, and some are the Cargo Crew from Akdilek...
And some are Babylonia personnel like Lucia and you.
It's probably the Scavengers singing. I couldn't tell.
Oh! Here you are. Here you are.
A Construct walks in and interrupts you right as you are trying to listen to the song Lucia mentioned.
I thought you'd be here since you weren't with the Engineering Force.
We were trying to help, but the Engineering Force kicked us out...
There's nothing you can help. And if someone sees you here...
This place will be packed with people again. You better find somewhere to stay out of sight, I say.
You let out a sigh.
After the Hetero Tower was reversed, the situation on the surface changed drastically.
The blue spire indicates the first genuine safe zone on Earth.
A place that does not have to rely on giant Central Purification Filters or worry about attacks from waves of Hetero-Creatures.
Like the color of the spire itself, it has given humanity a haven with blue sky and clean air.
Most conservation areas were built away from the frontline in the past due to many factors: the concentration level of the Punishing Virus, the movement of Hetero-Creatures, the location of water sources, and so on.
Before the appearance of the Hetero Tower, there were only a few small conservation areas nearby that also served as supply stations and lookouts near the frontline.
Most conservation areas are far from the Tower, relying on CPFs to sustain the basic requirements of survival.
The resources required to keep CPFs running are nothing to scoff at. After a long discussion, the World Government decided to relocate the existing large conservation areas into the clean zone of the Inver-Hetero Tower.
The monitoring facilities surrounding the Inver-Hetero Tower have been more or less set up. Overseeing the new tower day and night, they are also equipped with Omega Weapons on standby.
Humanity is treating this rare "miracle" with utmost caution.
But the relocation has not gone well from the very start.
You're asking me to move to a place that doesn't need CPFs anymore. What happens to my job?
Can you guarantee that I'll receive the same treatment in the new place? And what about the serums I've stockpiled?
A "Clean Zone" without Punishing Virus? Can it be real? You're not trying to move us there as test subjects, are you?
I bet they're trying to work us to death to fix up the place before kicking us out. Why wouldn't the top brass on Babylonia move there right away otherwise?
Anxiousness, uncertainties, distrust, manipulations... The exhausted people prefer the "stability" of now instead of the unknown "beauty" of the future.
The conservation areas are not owned by Babylonia. The residents of these places cannot be ignored.
Wells told me you're willing to do the promotional work?
Ha. There's no need for that expression.
You know full well how the situation on the surface differs from the past as a commandant on the frontline yourself.
The "Clean Zone" created by the Inver-Hetero Tower. The awakened machines from Constellia.
The Punishing Virus is no longer humanity's only obstacle. These two new phenomenons have presented us new challenges but also new opportunities.
The quicker we can decide on a way to address them, the more likely we can decide the shape of the future.
Don't underestimate your influence. What you have achieved on the battlefield is nothing short of a miracle. The people are not the only ones who trust Gray Raven's judgment.
Hassen chuckles.
Obviously, some also consider your lot an uncontrollable factor. But even those people can't lay a finger on you now.
Trust is built over a long period of time, but it can be destroyed in an instant.
The Great Evacuation was such an instance. There's no way of knowing if we made the right call.
But there's no doubt that it was a betrayal to the people remaining on the surface. It's unlikely for my generation to reestablish trust with them.
Luckily, there's a new generation now. You, in particular, Gray Raven Commandant.
That's why I want you to assist in the conservation areas.
Yes. We came up with that conclusion after thorough investigations. You can read the report from the Science Council whenever you want.
This will be our first step to reclaim Earth and our first step to rebuild trust with the people on the surface.
We won't rest until all risks are eliminated.
You'll offer other jobs with the same compensation and a safer environment...? Fine, I'll trust you.
I'll help you persuade the others... It's fine. I'm sure Babylonia wouldn't send their wonder child just to trick us.
After all, I'd rather trust someone who walks the same earth than those who sleep soundly in a space garden.
Alright. Business can take place anywhere.
But I imagine only soldiers like you will need these serums in the future. Do you want to buy some now while you can?
How incredible... People were barely surviving just a while ago, and now we've got the "Clean Zone", a place beyond our wildest dream...
We'll cooperate. After all, we would have died in that basement if it weren't for you.
Even though you were unconscious the whole time...
It's good to have you here. Leader was hoping to take this chance to meet you.
The Cargo Crew's preparation is almost done. What about you guys?
This is Wanshi. The reconnaissance in Area FD-12 is complete...
At that moment, Wanshi notices Changyu standing next to you.
Hiya!
Hm... Are you discussing something else? I can report later... It's nice to take a nap first...
If that's what the person in charge is saying...
The recon team members from Babylonia stare at the twisted creatures crawling by their feet in the ruins.
It keeps moving, one of its limbs probing forward like a worshipper trapped on the road.
Area FD-12 is the last reconnaissance location in this direction.
Although the concentration level of Punishing Virus now is much lower than what's recorded in the files, it hasn't dropped to zero. I suppose the reach of the "Clean Zone" ends here.
Still, we'll have to wait for the results from the detectors we deployed to get an accurate reading of the actual concentration level.
In order to confirm the area cleansed by the Inver-Hetero Tower and the situation within the Clean Zone, Babylonia has sent out almost every recon team and formed a joint reconnaissance company.
The company heads out in twelve directions around the Inver-Hetero Tower for an extensive recon mission.
As their investigations progress, more and more "Clean Zones" absent of the Punishing Virus are discovered.
The Support Force that follows them has since recovered many supplies that the Hetero-Creatures kept them from retrieving in the past, especially industrial supplies in large warehouses.
Because of that, requests for supplies from Logistics have also become easier.
But the joint reconnaissance company has also brought back many concerning discoveries apart from good news...
Yeah. Although there isn't a pattern of how they are spread, all these Hetero-Creatures were heading for the same destination.
As he speaks, Wanshi turns and stares at the blue spire that requires a visual aid module to see.
You guessed it. They're all heading for the Inver-Hetero Tower... which is a pretty lazy name, don't you think?
After all, we can't get inside it now, no matter how hard we try.
Lee is still the only person who has gotten inside, right? He still doesn't remember the crucial parts?
The memory data obtained from Lee's M.I.N.D. replicated the sequence when Lee entered the top of the tower from his transport craft, and the length of the sequence matched the length of your connections.
But it did not contain the key moments when the tower reversed.
The time recorded in his M.I.N.D. also reverted to zero at one point. Asimov said that it could only happen when memory data exceeded the storage capacity.
It sounds like the tower used to look like a figment of the imagination.
Whatever you say. Just let me continue my report...
Wanshi looks down and inspects the new Hetero-Creature again.
It has a snake-shaped body with eight arthropod legs. Crystals with sharp edges cover its surface, acting as aggressive spikes that serve as both armor and blade.
We've discovered 12 undocumented types of Hetero-Creatures this time. We've uploaded all related images and data to the General Staff.
I wonder how many more there are we have yet to see...
Hetero-Creatures have been relying on their endless numbers to annihilate humanity's bases.
Whether by some unknown design or evolutionary instinct, all Hetero-Creatures seem to end up with hedgehog-like bodies.
It forces human forces to waste their finite ammo to attack the creatures from afar while inhibiting Constructs' advantages on the battlefield.
Once human forces are out of ammo, only the number of one side will be dwindling in close-quarter combats.
Thanks for all the attention you've given us lately...
Wanshi grumbles to nobody before kicking the now colorless crystals on the Hetero-Creature.
Hiss...
The crystals crumble into white sand, carried into the distance by a gentle breeze.
These Hetero-Creatures also experience a certain level of weathering. As the Science Council expected, they are not as weathered as the ones nearer to the Hetero Tower.
And the Corrupted... No, that's not what they are now... The intelligent machines here have all stopped moving. All of their logic circuits are heavily damaged.
We haven't found anyone on the list of missing personnel...
Wanshi pauses for a second.
I'll still keep an eye out.
We've inspected all underground tunnels, bunkers, storage facilities, and more. There's no sign of the Red Tide anywhere.
But there's one place that's concerning.
Wanshi enlarges the visuals on the terminal. You can see a Construct in red with white hair dashing by in the corner of the footage.
This was five days ago. We paid extra attention to that location after we detected some unusual concentral levels of Punishing Virus there.
It was an abandoned factory. We spent quite a while to find a functioning camera that gave us this footage.
There are many possible reasons. I'll let you guys figure that out.
I wouldn't mind borrowing your sleeping pod a little bit longer. Wanshi out.
Commandant...
Lucia and you look each other in the eyes. Both of you know full well who that figure was.
But why would she show up after disappearing for such a long time? And why did she leave such an obvious trail?
You temporarily ignore the questions you have in mind and concentrate on the work before you.
I know, I know. Notify those in charge and come up with a new security plan, right?
First, it was the Hetero-Creatures, then it was the weird tower. I almost forgot about the Ascendants at this point.
What are these sneaky bastards up to?
