Going from the fast food place to the department store is nothing more than crossing the road. I can see power armors above attacking the urchin.
“Is there any reason why they’re shooting the urchin down?”
“It doesn’t hurt to kill them, and their instincts lead them to attack with their spines if you get close. They’re dull so they’re not that scary, but some of my coworkers were killed, probably because it’s dark.”
Now I have a good amount of battery for the laser pistol. I think I can shoot the ones falling from the sky.
I increase the output of the laser pistol, and adjust the aim so I hit the mouth like before or the center, as I walk and shoot them on sight.
“Scary… How can you shoot them so easily?”
“I’ve been training for over an hour a day, in VR games.”
I’m competing with Suzuri for the lower spot when it comes to anti-personnel, but I can hit targets… So don’t give me that suspicious look.
I start working to reduce future casualties, and see lasers being fired at urchin that I see in the sky here and there.
“Mercenaries… No, is that police or the army?”
“Great. How about we join up and increase our firepower?”
“It’s an emergency but… I could get arrested for shooting a laser pistol.”
“Even though you’re shooting those urchin!?”
We don’t know if they’ll listen. The more serious the policemen are, the higher the chances that they’ll react negatively. It’s an emergency, but since we can’t tell how reasonable they’ll be, approaching them isn’t an option. I’ll think about it if we need backup.
Anyway, since there’s still no gravity, I kick a wall and move to the department store.
What I see behind those transparent double doors reminds me of a mixer with how messed up it is, but these doors sure are sturdy.
“Is there a way to enter the maintenance area in this situation?”
“Not from the front, there’s an entrance for staff in the back.”
We pass by the entrance, and move about two hundred meters while clinging to the wall, until we finally reach the back. We’re careful not to step on the corpses that need to be cleaned, and reach the back entrance.
It’s the kind of door I’d see on Earth, made with only walkers in mind, two meters tall and not wide enough for two people to pass each other. And there’s no peephole.
“Can you open it? This must be electronically locked, so can I use the laser pistol?”
“It’s okay, I can open it with a physical key.”
He takes the kind of key I’d see on Earth from his breast pocket. The serrated type that’s rare nowadays. It’s attached to a lanyard, probably to prevent it from being lost.
It’s not one of those dimple keys with the round hollow parts… Well, I’m well past 2025, so it’s not really nowadays anymore.
He puts it on the doorknob, the serrated part wriggles, and it goes in.
“What kind of key is that?”
“A master key. It only responds to my magic energy, and the magic iron moves to take the appropriate shape.”
“So only you and your higher ups have it?”
“Higher ups don’t work underground like this.”
I guess people with authority on the job that aren’t in managerial positions.
The door opens, and I see a gray passageway. There are what looks like display boards… and a vending machine for the staff. Do these have their own power source? And it’s cheap.
“Can we use this… Get something to eat and drink.”
“In this situation?”
Because of this situation. I get block chocolate cookies with good nutritional balance, and a bottle of water… and they don’t come out! The gravity!
No, then… I buy another one, and the force propels it down. And since I want to eat too, I get another set. Sorry if this vending machine gets jammed later.
His master key doesn’t work on this vending machine. It’s from a private company.
“Buhe! The water’s got something weird in it!”
“Ah, it’s because of the lack of gravity. Push through old man.”
We walk through the staff passage, and go down the stairs connecting underground.
“I know I should’ve brought this up earlier, but the department store is connected to the colony’s maintenance area… Ah, is it managed by Lumomo Fourth?”
“It’s meant to appeal to visitors and sailors, so it was built right in the center of the shopping district, making it a good location.”
“Then I’d be here right now buying urchin…”
“That delicacy is the cheapest, so you can get a bottle for fifty puni, but…”
“I should earn three hundred thousand puni from iron and titanium alone today, if that’s done…”
Compared to spaceships, the pirate base had a lot of scrap stashed in the back, so I can expect good money. Stuff like rare metals and used turrets should increase the profit too.
“Ahh… You know I make eight hundred puni a week…”
“But isn’t that a lot compared to the common person? Ah, by the way, I’m Genma, a Highway three mercenary.”
“I’m Dwight, and I’ve worked in maintenance in this colony for two hundred years. I’m a dwarf by the way. Ah, Highway class! I guess you would make a lot.”
“I was thinking that was strange because you look like a middle-aged man, but you’re not human. Nice to meet you!”
I saw him as a middle-aged man because of his rough beard, but he’s about my height and not stout. I guess dwarves can be taller in space. Not that I’d know.
“Good grief, cocky guy. How did you get all that metal?”
“I destroyed a space pirate base, and took it all because it was only my ship.”
“That’s not possible… We should be reaching the maintenance area, be careful. There’s gonna be urchin.”
“Got it.”
After passing through a few doors, we reach what looks like a water tight door in a submarine. Dwight approaches it and asks for light, so I use my smartphone.
“Okay, there’s still air on the other side of the hatch. But I hear a scratching noise…”
“My laser pistol is ready. Okay, hide behind the door as you open it.”
I hold the laser pistol with my right hand, and put my left under its wrist, pointing the smartphone light in front of me.
I can use night vision magic, but I don’t want Dwight to trip on something.
The hatch is an oval door and a handrail. Dwight grabs the handrail, pushes it down with a clunk, and pulls it this way.
As the hatch opens, I slowly peek over there… And see urchin.
“I’m shooting, close your eyes!”
“That much light is nothing for a dwarf guwaah!?”
Well, you’ve been in the dark all this time…
All the urchin there are about a meter and a half tall and two meters wide. Their spines are short, but still thicker than my middle finger. I’d die if they pierced me with those, wouldn’t I?
The maintenance area has mostly a linoleum floor, and it’s about four meters tall. There are pipes all over, and the walls must be concrete.
In terms of width, it’s also big enough for races with big lower bodies’ like Vasilisa’s to pass by each other. It’s nice that it’s easy to walk here.
“This smell of shit and piss is terrible. Is there a way to make the shield block it…”
“Tch, the pipes to the reprocessing plant are leaking. I dunno if they’re under more pressure than anticipated because of the lack of gravity, or the urchin broke them…!
As he says that, a middle-aged man with a headlight helmet enters the scene.
“You’re here?”
“I’m borrowing this. Might as well use the headlight too.”
He puts it on after seeing there’s nothing inside. Some things don’t change even in a space age.
“What’s the route?”
“Straight ahead.”
I move ahead, clearing the way like everyone except Suzuri drilled into me.
VR training really is useful. Everyone except Suzuri is like special forces you’d see in movies or games. What kind of training do those girls do?
A lot of the urchin tend to wait around corners. They suck on some liquid I don’t know, and it’s scary so I shoot them on sight.
“There’s a big difference in size between urchin…”
“They are living beings…”
“I don’t want to recognize things living in space as living beings.”
“Their spines and outer shell are like space suits. And the mouths are airlocks.”
“I guess they fit in with dragons and eels. Do they have natural enemies?”
“Apparently eels prey on them. Urchin are pretty weak.”
Eh, so urchin… Another hatch. It’s in front, where there’s a forked path. That will be a hassle to clear.
“Are we really heading for an emergency power generator…?”
“It’s like the backup of a backup, so it’s far.”
After clearing everything, I ask Dwight to open the hatch, but then I hear a loud ripping sound, and what I think are the remains of a hatch fly from the right to the left.
They make a loud clunking noise as they fly towards what I think is the right passage, and then there’s silence.
I don’t know what happened, but the air isn’t venting yet and I don’t feel like anything is pulling me, so we silently move forward. But then something slimy appears on the right passage, and goes back for some reason.
“That tentacle… That was an octopus.”
“What are you talking about?”
There’s something other than urchin here!!! What’s with this colony!!? Did they leave the defensive mechanisms unfinished!? Is it managed by idiots!?
Join my patreon to support me and read ahead.
<<Previous Chapter Index Next Chapter>>
