Chapter 2, Surface tension
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& 53%
& Data radiation detected in proximity, patter unknown
& Activate data extraction and datamass conversion
O& Starting firmware self-repair...
O& Load OS identity
"Dr. Mercer, we saw an energy surge in the stasis chamber holding... Subject H." Anne reported, "Vitals all remained the same yet. The surge happened just after..."
"Yes, I know. When the Marker was lifted onboard. Its esoteric substance has many unique properties, disturbing the magnetic field is not a major concern."
"Permission to leave Subject H for now, sir? There are a lot of requests from colonists for mental counseling." Nicole sighed. Aegis VII has deteriorated from Planet Anxiety to Planet Aggression. Industrial accidents, suicides, fights, murders, they were snowballing. The Marker ship came with a few violent Prisoners and two dozens of flatlines.
"Sure. I don't see any further progress with Subject H until we're back on Earth. Just keep your chats onboard."
Nicole had to agree with Mercer even though he was dismissive towards finding out anything that could help their not-quite-human patient. Hair and blood sample taken from Subject H, Hoshijiro Shizuka - or as Nagate sometimes concernedly calls her Benezuzme - all appeared to be fully human down to the DNA level. Though, under closer inspection, the molecules from these samples didn't reflect light from a spectrometer the normal way, and their atoms were bonded in a homogenous system never seen before. The cells seemed to store energy all across the spectrum once exposed to, from artificial sunlight to X-ray.
To the average crew member, even most who watched the pod being opened, Nagate's story of a parallel universe was covered up: The two kids simply had an unlucky Shockpoint malfunction in an unidentified private spaceship.
"Hey, do you think her eyes are glowing a little after the power surge, or was it just me?" As they left the observation room, Anne asked Nicole.
"Maybe. You sure it's not just the stasis field?"
"She's giving me very weird feels, not creepy, not like the organ babies... Just very off." Once the door closed she lifted her voice a little, "I can't imagine what's going on with the guy she showed up with. She's dead, she's cloned by aliens, he thought she's alive again, but Mercer doesn't allow him to see her for more than an hour a day."
"You're really picking up a lot of information, Anne."
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
"I can't help it! We're the first people to see visitors from another universe and they got a fucked up love story. You should come too tomorrow Kyne have me check on Nagate."
"I will, if the workload allows me.... He's reminding me of Isaac a little."
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The captain has declared a no-fly order for the duration of planet cracking. There were arguments about whether it was reasonable, and one small commuter shuttle has left the surface apparently just to debate him on it.
"The craft is registered with Colin and Jen Barrow onboard, guess they want to let Earth know they're the ones who found the Marker first." Mike Johnston briefed Nagate, who was lending a hand to the security team, "You know what is the Marker, right?"
"Yes, like the Kabi." Nagate answered, the RIG attached to his old pilot suit translating for him, "The word Kabi isn't mold or wheat germ... Alien artifact."
"Barrow said his wife has a medical emergency." Zoe, another security officer, reminded them.
"If he's lying, I will brutalize him." Mike tapped his knuckles together, "I've always wanted to beat up a planet cracking foreman. I got an uncle who used to be a rock cutter, he kept getting beaten by foremen. You good with fistfights, pod boy?"
"...No. But I'm trained with spears and sticks." Nagate held up a rubber mop he borrowed from the science department.
"That will do, this should just be a shouting match. I've got the Johnston family special here if we need a bluff." Mike pointed to an old SCAF relic weapon, two electromagnetic submachine guns arranged in an over-and-under system, "It's not loaded, but heavy enough already. Don't use Zoe's pulse rifle if you need a blunt object."
"Roger that. Wait, is that..." They can see the rapidly approaching commuter shuttle racing to squeeze through the hangar doors before cutoff.
"He's gonna make it, thumbs up! Oh shit." Mike commented; the shuttle lost control and slammed into the hangar floor, sending debris and sparks into every corner.
Zoe grabbed a fire extinguisher and started running towards the cockpit: "Lying or not, I'll save him and then shove this up his ass."
The other two followed her to the spacecraft's door, running with magnetic boots; it was scratched and jammed, the whole shuttle almost in even worse shape than Nagate's Type 17 Guardian. In their helmets, they heard the bridge crew quarreling about what to do with the Barrow couple after this reckless flying.
They opened the door with a few extra slams and kicks, then began searching for signs of life. The interior was completely unpowered after the crash landing.
Woosh!
In the pressurized interior, something pierced the air and sailed at Zoe's forehead. She turned reflexively barely in time, the sharp object glancing off her helmet and made her tumble back. Had she not activated zero-G mode on her suit, she would have lost balance and slammed into the floor.
"Huh?" Mike looked around, "Don't get up!"
Another sharp, pointy object emerged from the dark, dashing towards the center of her torso. Both security guards cursed CEC's choice of small linked armor plates over large articulated ones.
Clang! Just before impact, the blade was knocked off its path, bouncing onto the shuttle's interior wall. Nagate floated into view, fully utilizing the long reach of the mop. He sank to the floor, deactivated magnets, then leaped like a released spring, pinning whatever was hiding the shadows onto the ceiling. The rubber tip of the mop snapped from impact, and the broken handle stabbed deep into organic tissue. He has pushed the thing to a relatively safe reach when the other two regained their posture and brought their gun flashlights over.
"Kill it! Answer questions later!" Mike dropped the family special and reached for his standard issue machine pistol, while Zoe flipped off the safety on her pulse rifle.
Once Nagate dove down, pressing himself flat onto the floor, they opened fire in full auto. Blood, skin, bone splinters and scrapes of cloth rained from the heavens. Both guards emptied their magazines before checking on him.
SPLAT!
The pulverized torso of the attacker fell and colored his white space suit blood red. He tried to push it off, but it disintegrated into sickening chunks.
"It looked like a corpse, even before you killed it." He spoke from his split-second firsthand observation, "A corpse. It even looked like a human sized Gauna."
"Gaunas have these things for hands?" Zoe picked up a bone blade that nearly punctured her.
"Not all of them, some have beams and tentacle missiles." He stopped himself before adding that Benisuzume had a massive bone lance, although he wanted to. Kyne and Nicole told him not to bring any unwanted attention to the demi-human girl.
"Jesus fuck, Altman fuck. Boss, command, we have a shitshow on hand. A living corpse with knife hands jumped us." Mike called the bridge, "Wait, we need a repeat on that. Medical deck?"
Nagate's first reaction was to fear for Shizuka's safety. And then, one instance later, he thought he heard a whisper of doubt from himself: Could she have anything to do with the thing in the shuttle?