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The mining vessel, Gigacracker, a two-kilometer-wide sphere, is massive enough to be one of the top five largest ships owned by Megacorp.
It's not only enormous in size but also differs vastly in structure from typical spacecraft. For one, there are hardly any facilities for the crew. Most of the vessel’s interior is dedicated to systems supporting the ion cannon and storage vaults for mined minerals.
Due to the sheer volume of facilities that need management, roughly 80% of the ship is under mechanical supervision. The crew’s role is to oversee, maintain, and control these machines.
In truth, while it may appear like a spaceship from the outside, it’s essentially an automated floating factory.
Given the extensive facilities each individual must oversee, the crew needs specialized knowledge. Noble Capital’s Saint-Kei division doesn’t rigorously select Gigacracker’s crew members without reason.
They may not belong to the upper classes like Noble Capital or Prime Capital, but they are comparably well-educated.
Now, the ship’s supervisors were patrolling a limited residential zone.
In the darkened corridor, large figures moved diligently. Each wore high-grade exosuits—a blend of reinforced exoskeleton and spacesuit—and carried plasma rifles in both hands.
The plasma rifle, developed as standard equipment for Earth’s Defense Force, was the lightest plasma weapon until the pistol was introduced. Though its firepower is weaker than the plasma bolter, it’s favored for its safety and light weight.
The rifle’s sleek, silver design, with a translucent green energy gauge, glowed faintly in the corridor's shadows.
“Is hyperspace travel still impossible?”
The person at the front of the heavily armed group spoke up. In response to Gigacracker’s Captain, Tyrun Saint-Kei, the team leader checked the computer pad on his wrist.
“Yes. Unidentified electrical signals from the outside are blocking remote controls.”
“So we have no choice but to go in person.”
After being ambushed in the conference room, they had retrieved essential gear from the emergency armory and were now heading to the engine room.
Since the emergency broadcast just before the collision, all communication had been cut off. Remote control of facilities, as they could see, was also completely disabled.
This was an unprecedented crisis for the Gigacracker.
“What do you think the cause is? A magnetic storm?”
“The phenomenon resembles one, but the range is far too narrow. The trajectory is unnatural, and the origin is unclear.”
“Given the malfunctioning electronics, it could be a horde of metallic gremlins.”
“Doubtful. Metallic gremlins wouldn’t have the power to shake a two-kilometer vessel.”
As they moved, each team leader shared insights based on their expertise, speculating on the cause of the incident.
“Could it be Outsiders? Some of their larger units are as big as warships, aren’t they?”
“Now that you mention it, there have been rumors of a massive assault brewing on the empire’s borders. Outsiders might be...”
“I doubt that’s the case,” Tyrun interjected, dismissing the possibility of Outsiders.
“Outsiders cannot achieve hyperspace travel like conventional warships.”
“Is that so?”
“They corrupt planets and construct specialized devices that allow hyperspace jumps between star systems. They can only travel with that device in place.”
“The captain has a point. Historical records of large-scale assaults show that they emerged from contaminated colonies.”
Lower-class divisions, like those below Noble Capital or Prime Capital, had restricted access to Megacorp databases, leading to occasional disparities in knowledge.
For example, the Outsiders' unique transportation method—the Bio Portal—is classified information, tied directly to their nature.
Captain Tyrun was a member of Saint-Kei, and his rank allowed him knowledge surpassing that of the team leaders present.
“Navigator, when was the last communication with the nearest base in this star system?”
“Two hours ago.”
“Our communications are on a three-hour schedule. Within the next hour, the base will realize something’s amiss with the Gigacracker, so let’s all hold on to hope.”
Tyrun deliberately reminded them of a fact any team leader would know—that a rescue would arrive in an hour—to keep their spirits up.
‘Unless, of course, there’s a Bio Portal hidden on a nearby dwarf planet or asteroid...’
In truth, Tyrun hadn't shared all the information he knew with the team leaders.
For instance, the fact that bio portals aren’t inherently tied to contamination. Portals are created by the Outsiders’ queen entities, not by contamination itself. It only seems like the two are related because planets where the queen resides tend to become contaminated quickly.
If there happened to be a queen nearby, creating a bio portal on something like a neighboring asteroid, the Outsider hordes could pour through even without a contaminated planet.
Moreover, there’s a rumor among the Noble Capitals, although it's not in the official database. They say that certain Outsiders have evolved to travel at hyperspeed.
‘No need to bring that up here,’ Tyrun thought.
The team leaders walking through the dark corridor maintained their composure only because of the extensive, intense training they'd undergone. If their hope of survival faded, the fragile order would crumble instantly.
Unaware of Tyrun's private concerns, the team leaders moved swiftly.
"Which direction would be best to reach the engine room?"
The bolts flew toward the white and red ghost. Just as the energy projectiles neared, the red hues on its wings spread like paint, enveloping the impact points. The energy bolts dissipated upon contact with the red wings, as if absorbed.
“It’s not...working...argh!”
The Crisis Management Team Leader yelled, only to have his arm wrenched into an unnatural angle. Some invisible force had twisted it. He quickly activated the shield built into his advanced armor, narrowly protecting his arm.
However, he hadn’t realized that the entity’s invisible force was powerful enough to nearly overwhelm his shield.
“I’m alive...!”
Just as he was about to exclaim his relief, his limbs were torn apart in every direction. Like a marionette whose strings had been yanked violently, his shattered remains scattered across the Mess Hall.
“Aaahhhh!”
The Facilities Team Leader, a seasoned veteran, screamed at the horrifying sight.
Amid the chaos, Tyrun struggled to maintain his composure, scanning for the source of the invisible force that had torn apart the Crisis Management Team Leader.
‘There it is!’
Tyrun’s gaze locked onto a massive pink jellyfish perched atop the corpses. He aimed his rifle, praying at least one shot would land, and fired wildly.
As if his prayer had worked, one green plasma round struck the pink creature’s tentacles. It flinched, seemingly in pain. Other energy rounds followed, raining down on its body.
But as if mocking their luck, the green energy orbs melted away midair, as though repelled by an invisible barrier.
「■■■■」「■■■」
「■! ■■■!」
The pink creature, which had dissolved the energy rounds in midair, didn’t retaliate. The ghost with the crimson wings, too, reacted differently, as though it had lost its earlier agility.
‘I don’t know what’s going on, but...!’
“Retreat! Fall back!”
“Yes, sir!”
Tyrun and the team leaders quickly retreated down the hallway they’d come from.
The two monsters didn’t pursue them.
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「Just now」「what was that?」
「I don’t know! I just thought of it and it went pow!」
「Pow?」
「Yeah.」
「Do it」「again」
At Adhai’s request, Number 26 scrunched up in concentration. Suddenly, a purple energy stream appeared in the air, flowing around it like the gentle waves of the deep ocean.
Adhai tapped the rippling purple streak with her armored forepaw. A repulsive force deflected her, pushing back like a shockwave.
「This」「similar to star force」
「Star force? What’s star force?」
「Powerful」「chief’s」「symbol」
「Wow! Studying really paid off!」
「Disagree」「star force」「not related」「to study」
「No way! Big One said that studying makes you smarter and stronger!」
Proudly, Number 26 waved its tentacles, sending out new ripples. Adhai, who’d heard similar tales, couldn’t argue. Instead, she puffed her facial tendrils, grumbling in resignation.
「With this, we can protect Big One, right?」
「Probably」
「Great! Then I’ll keep eating lots and lots to make sure Big One never hurts!」
「Agreed」「Big Elder」「if hurt」「egg」「suffers」
And with that, the two resumed their feast, gathering strength once more.
The reason they hadn’t bothered to chase those who’d fled was simple.
Big One, also their Great Elder, had declared it.
This ship was now her own.
Their wise leader never let prey slip away.