“Commencing investigation of the building interior.”
Kevin began operating the drones.
The spiders appeared to function semi-automatically.
The beauty of these things was that they didn't need to use the front gate. They could infiltrate through exhaust ports, ventilation ducts, and every other conceivable gap.
There’s just no way to defend against this...
I watched the feed, feeling a twinge of sympathy for the Zorks.
The moment they made it inside, over a hundred camera feeds flickered onto the display.
“We’ve lost about twenty units. Just as planned.”
The greatest weakness of these spider drones was likely their fragility. Just like actual jumping spiders, they would get lost to minor accidents—getting stuck in gaps, blown away by the wind, or simply stepped on.
They were prototypes, so that was only to be expected. We compensated for the attrition with sheer numbers. Once these things were more refined, they would become terrifying weapons. I felt like I might have just given birth to a technology that would turn the future into a living hell, but for the moment, defeating the Zorks was my top priority. If I let myself worry about the consequences, I’d already lost!
The drones, which made almost no operating noise, continued filming the interior. I had half-expected the inside to be made of flesh, but the floors and walls were an inorganic, metallic material. Based on the footage, the system immediately began constructing a 3D map of the internal structure.
Crustacean-types were swarming inside. However, they didn't notice the spider drones at all.
“As expected, they don’t seem to care about something this size.”
That said, quite a few were still lost as a result of being crushed underfoot. I suppose ‘not caring’ also meant getting stepped on. Judging that moving along the floor was too dangerous, Kevin directed the drones to navigate along the ceilings and walls.
As they proceeded, they found a room. It was filled with a multitude of round containers.
“Zoom in on one of those round things.”
“Roger... What is that? There’s something inside. Adjusting the focus... Whoa...”
“Give me a break...”
The things inside were humans. Within the round containers, they were gradually being transformed into Crustacean-types.
“A hatchery?”
But I had heard that the Crustacean-types were clones. In times like these, I had no choice but to consult Aoi and One-oh-one. When I sent the message, the two of them arrived immediately.
“This is an Outer Space Exploration-type Enhanced Armored Soldier Hatching Box, sir,” One-oh-one said innocently. The total lack of malice was what made it truly frightening.
“Uh, humans?”
“Inside the Hatching Box, unenhanced humans are converted into enhanced humans, sir. By doing so, they become enhanced soldiers from the moment they are born, sir.”
It was the absolute pinnacle of human rights violations. How horrific. Aoi also nodded in agreement.
“They are clones, after all. Their completed state is a Crustacean-type.”
I won't be able to eat crab fried rice for a while after seeing this. In other words, what? This production site was effectively a spawning ground? The absolute worst!
“I’m going further in...”
The spiders pushed deeper. Then, the signals from every single spider cut out.
“Signal lost. Was it a mistake to use old-standard communication chips to save on weight?” Kevin wondered aloud.
The newer chips were fast and stable, but they were power-hungry. This was unavoidable.
“What now?”
“The AI should automatically turn them back.”
After a while, the spiders emerged. Communication was restored, and they began transmitting the footage and sensor logs.
“According to the logs, the communication dropped because of radiation and electromagnetic waves.”
“That’s bad...”
One could gain a tolerance to radiation through Chlorella Treatment, but that didn't mean you'd walk away unscathed. Combat suits could block radiation to some extent, but it was a matter of degree. It was high enough to drop communication, after all. And as for electromagnetic waves...
“Are they taking X-rays in there or something?”
“I don't know. The footage looks like this.”
The video was a mess of static. Nearby spiders had stopped moving entirely; their circuits or chips had likely fried. Deep in the back, I saw a device and a silhouette. No, it wasn't a person. It was a silhouette identical to Massacre Night. It was likely one of the Despairs. As for the device... I couldn't tell.
For now, I sent the data to Wifey. Immediately, a dual communication came in from both Fairy-san and Wifey. What the heck, Fairy-san, were you over there too?!
“What on earth are they using?!”
“Wh-what? Why are you so angry?”
“It is an initial Warp Navigation Device!”
Huh? Why were they treasuring and displaying something like that? I didn't get it.
“Unlike current models, it is a piece of equipment capable of outer space exploration.”
“Is something wrong with it?”
“It is unstable and difficult to control, and its output is so massive that if an accident occurs, the entire planet will be obliterated. Furthermore... this is public information, but theoretically, it can generate a Gate.”
“A Gate?”
“It can warp space to create an entrance and exit at any desired location. Though if it fails, it will explode along with any nearby planets. Those Zorks... that explains how they appeared out of nowhere. To think they were operating such a dangerous thing!”
It seemed they were using a much crazier weapon than I had imagined.
“Furthermore, there is a greater problem. It is impossible to know if someone who uses this device is the same person they were before they entered.”
“Excuse me?”
“To put it simply, it uses a method where one is essentially turned into mincemeat and then reconstructed. Even though I say mincemeat, it does not mean the flesh is physically shredded, but rather that existence and time themselves are torn apart... In any case, it was prohibited because it could not be proven that the person before and after the warp was the same.”
Good grief! People from the past really did whatever they wanted, didn't they? It was an act of barbarity on the level of not even comprehending the concept of human rights, let alone ignoring them.
“It is also said that if used excessively, it will generate a paradox and destroy the universe.”
“Give me a break...”
“We must burn it away with missiles as quickly as possible... No... if the universe were to collapse because of a missile strike...”
Apparently, we had no choice but to go in there directly. I just had to steel my resolve.
“Anti-radiation equipment, please.”
Well then, this would be my first time seriously fighting a Despair.
...Heh, not if I can help it!
I’m fighting while dreaming only of a lovey-dovey life with Wifey and the others! And yet! What’s this about the universe collapsing?! I’ll seriously kill you!
I don’t think this strategy of dangling a Bad End over us is very fair! Besides, you Zorks! You guys always use such underhanded, villainous tricks! That’s exactly why you’re getting destroyed!
I was overflowing with more motivation than ever before.