Chapter 244

"Eden. Officially, New Eden. We simply called it the Facility. I might have mentioned it before."

Phantom stared into the middle distance from the cabin of the Stardust—a high-speed ship recently reinforced with an obscene amount of surplus cash. In the cabin, which was just barely large enough for six people to sit without rubbing elbows, were Taro, Marl, Koume, Bella, Phantom, and the Etta from the Rising Sun. Through the doorway leading to the cockpit, they could see Alan’s back as he gripped the control stick.

The Stardust was currently pulling maximum Gs, and Taro felt a wave of nausea as the relentless acceleration tried to rearrange his internal organs.

"Etta and Big Sister Yotta called it 'home.'"

The words came from Etta, who was curled up on one of the cabin's built-in seats with her knees tucked against her chest. Taro stole a glance at her face, but she remained perfectly expressionless.

"I see. Then perhaps we were the minority," Phantom said softly to her before continuing.

"Eden was Coleman’s private research laboratory, spread across multiple stations. There were likely quite a few branch facilities as well, so it’ll take time to track them all down... I suspect the research was focused on the artificial evolution of living organisms. That’s just a guess, though. I don’t know the 'why' behind it."

Phantom tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. Bella let out a sharp, disgusted snort.

"Judging by you and that girl, I’m guessing 'living organisms' is just a fancy word for humans. It’s not hard to imagine what kind of sick games they were playing there. That Facility boss is a real piece of work."

A chorus of low groans followed Bella’s remark. Since the Mercenaries’ Etta had inherited Coleman’s legacy, it was only logical to assume the Facility was another one of Coleman’s projects.

"The name 'Coleman' has been around for thousands of years. It doesn't seem like a title people inherit, so maybe he’s a series of clones? But a clone is still a separate person from the original, right?"

Marl looked deep in thought. Koume nodded in agreement.

"That is correct. For example, the natural world contains clones known as identical twins. Both possess identical DNA; however, they form distinct personalities as they develop. In short, they are different people."

I didn't know that! Taro thought, internally reeling at the fun fact.

"It’s hard to believe there’s such a thing as 'Mad Scientist DNA' that forces you to be evil from birth," Phantom said, looking toward Taro. "However, considering Garuda Station has been maintained for eons, it implies every single Coleman was a total scoundrel. It’s... logically unsatisfying."

Taro pondered the meaning behind Phantom’s gaze for a moment until a realization struck him.

"...Wait, for real?"

Taro’s face twisted in disgust as the unpleasant answer took shape. The others turned to him, their eyes demanding an explanation.

"No, I mean... it’s gotta be that, right? The Override."

Taro offered the answer with a total lack of confidence. After a beat of silence, Marl’s voice shot him down.

"That’s impossible. I mean, think about it. An Override Device that can copy a whole personality? That’s... well... maybe Plum has something like that, but I’ve never heard of it anywhere else..."

Marl’s voice trailed off into uncertainty. Taro let out a thoughtful grunt and looked toward the cockpit.

"What about those pirates made by overriding the people from Garuda Station? Does that count as a personality override?"

Alan, who was looking bored now that the ship didn't require any fancy maneuvering, turned around in his seat.

"That wasn't anything that high-tech. It was more like a 'modification' at best—stripping away certain senses or cranking others up. You dull their judgment, you brainwash them. That’s it. The other Etta’s confession and the data we pulled say the same thing."

Alan looked up at the ceiling as he recounted the details. Taro gave a distracted "Right," and fell into a silence that lasted for quite a while.

"...Well, no point overthinking it here. Let’s just hope we find some answers on the ground."

Wrapping up the discussion for himself, Taro left the group to their debate and hopped into the co-pilot’s seat next to Alan.

"Autopilot’s already engaged. Now we just watch the gauges and pray nothing breaks."

Alan spoke as if he expected Taro to actually help with the flying. Taro waved him off, signaling he had no such intention, and instead scanned the 360-degree monitors showing the void outside.

"That’s Alba over there... and I guess that’s Alpha? Honestly, this was a surprise."

Taro shifted his gaze to their heading. Far beyond their destination, distant stars twinkled, but the objective itself was still invisible to the naked eye.

"You mean the location of New Eden? Yeah. It makes sense when you think about it, but it's definitely a curveball."

Alan agreed, staring straight ahead.

"Who would've thought it was right here in the Delta Star System Interstellar Space... Talk about 'darkness at the foot of the beacon.'"

Taro muttered the old proverb. Alan looked at him with a puzzled expression. "There’s no 'underneath' a beacon, Taro. It’s a light in space."

---

"Well, it looks exactly like every other 'Evil Science Lab' station I’ve ever seen."

That was the first thing out of Taro’s mouth when they stepped onto New Eden. The place was built for function over fashion—dim, bleak, and industrial. No matter how much you squinted, it didn't look like anything worthy of the name "Eden."

"If all the bad guys lived in places that looked like skulls, we’d have a much easier time," Marl said, standing beside him. Taro gave her a wry smile.

"The Mercenaries... or rather, the other Etta, I suppose... they seem to have been very dedicated to keeping this place pristine. It’s exactly as it was back then," Phantom remarked, looking around with a hint of nostalgia.

"Is it safe?" Taro asked.

"It’s fine," Alan replied. "We’ve already seized the Central Control Room Core. I’ve got a few Intelligence Department guys on guard. All the automated defenses were pointed outward; they didn't seem to expect anyone to actually get inside. There are piles of guns everywhere, but they’re all handheld stuff for humans or Cyborgs."

Alan glanced toward Phantom.

"I wouldn't try to break in here even if a supermodel begged me. I’m guessing there used to be a whole swarm of guys like you in here?"

Alan looked exhausted just thinking about it. Phantom merely shrugged.

"Our sector was dedicated to researching how to build more powerful Cyborgs. We had everything from ancient, clunky models to types like me. Only a handful of us are still around, and my entire squad was born here. I’ve already sent them out as scouts to the key areas. I doubt we’ll find any surprises, but better safe than sorry... Come on. No point standing around."

Led by Phantom, the group set off. They hiked through several cluttered blocks, hopped on a High-speed Moving Lane, and eventually reached the Central Control Room Alan had mentioned.

"Yo, Intel guys! Everybody still breathing?"

Taro poked his head through the door and called out, earning a chorus of "Good work, sir!" from the half-dozen staff inside.

"Boy, it looks like our destination is further in. The guide isn't stopping."

Bella called out from behind him. Taro blinked, said "Huh?" and jogged out of the room to catch up with Phantom.

"Teiro, I’m staying in the control room to scrub the Data Bank. I’ll ping you if I find anything interesting," Alan shouted from behind.

"Ping me immediately if you find any beautiful women!" Taro shouted back, finally pulling up alongside Phantom.

"So, Phantom, where are we actually going?"

It was the obvious question on everyone's mind. Phantom didn't answer; instead, he cast a sideways glance at Marl.

"Marl? You okay?"

Taro noticed Marl looking uncharacteristically gloomy. She just muttered "It's nothing" and went back to being a silent shadow.

They walked in silence for several more minutes. After passing through a cramped Experimental Block, they entered what looked like the Living Quarters. This area was much more spacious, with wider hallways and more moving lanes, but the complete lack of people made it feel incredibly eerie.

"The vibes here are getting spooky... Sorry, everyone. I hate to do this, but I am currently being hit by a massive, urgent wave of gastrointestinal distress. Does anyone know where the bathroom is...?"

Taro spoke up, feeling terrible for ruining the somber atmosphere. Phantom started to raise his arm to point the way, but then hesitatingly lowered it.

"Now, where was it again...?"

Phantom looked genuinely stumped. He patted Etta’s head as she looked up at him in confusion, then began looking around like he was lost in his own house.

"Are you serious? I’m at code red here... My lifestyle has been a wreck lately..."

Taro joined the search, but the long, narrow Sector Connection Path offered no signs or maps. Desperate, he lunged for a nearby door and bypassed the lock in a heartbeat.

"...I think we might need this room for plot reasons later, so I can't do it here."

Taro backed out of the room, which was filled with medical equipment, and performed an awkward, butt-clenching waddle toward the door across the hall. His companions had scattered, all of them frantically trying to find a toilet for their leader.

"A question, Mr. Teiro. You just stated 'I might use this place later,' but what exactly would you have done if the room served no purpose?" Koume asked, standing perfectly still while Taro suffered.

"I don't know! I can't just do it in the suit! ...What is this place? It’s all ducts. Is this the HVAC center?"

"Affirmative, Mr. Teiro. However, this is specifically the distribution hub. The intake for filtration is likely in the connection sector on the far side."

"I don't care! What about that door over there...?"

"With all due respect, Mr. Teiro, none of the doors in this immediate vicinity are airtight. The air conditioning appears to be managed by zone. It is my projection that if any... pollutants... are introduced near the exhaust facility, the entire zone will be contaminated."

"Listen to me! This suit... vacuum sealed... safety locks... and I’m NOT wearing the special diaper today! Aaaaargh, that’s it! I’m doing it right here!"

"You must not, Mr. Teiro. That is an act unbecoming of a human being. Please, remember your dignity as a member of society. You will be ruthlessly mocked for at least six months."

"Then I’m throwing away my humanity, Koume! I'm done!"

"It’s over there, Taro. Just around that corner."

A voice called out from behind the screaming Taro. He turned around like a man seeking a savior and saw Marl pointing down the corridor.

"I’M SAVEEEEED! I LOVE YOU, MARRRRL!"

Taro took off at a blinding speed, moving with the terrifyingly efficient stride of a high-fashion model trying to hold back a flood. But then—

"...Wait. How did you know that?"

Taro skidded to a halt and looked back. Marl was standing there, her face so pale she looked like she was about to faint.