Editing Amaryllis in the Ice Country:Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 5===

With the dazzling ‘sun’, I proceed forward slowly. The ice blocks obstructing the tunnel evaporate with a fizzle once they touch the sun, and white steam fill our vision, so much that visibility is no more than 3m.

“Ahh~hhaa, how boring.”

Less than 15 minutes through the tunnel, and Eisbahn is already complaining. He’s lying flat on the cargo rack behind the icemobile, looking really dejected.

“How long more?”

“Hm—3 hours?”

Viscaria responds tersely. “Tch—” Eisbahn voices out in annoyance.

“Can’t we go faster?”

“We can’t. There may be a second collapse if this happens.”

Viscaria coolly notes, and all Eisbahn can respond is, “I really can’t take this…”

“Hey, where are you touching?”

“Just some skinship.”

“Stop it.”

“Ow.”

Viscaria pinches hard at Eisbahn’s sticky hand that’s fondling her butt.

“Tch. Why are the Senator girls not cute at all?”

“Enough with the useless talk already.”

“And that’s why you can’t find a lover, Viscaria.”

“For me, machines are my lovers.”

Viscaria extends the feelers in her right hand out.

—Seriously, that idiot.

I keep on driving the icemobile, observing the cargo rack through the rear-view mirror. Behind me is Viscaria, who’s watching the surroundings quietly; Further back is Eisbahn, lying down straight. Götz’s right at the back, completely quiet like a knight about to depart. This is a scenery that hasn’t change in a hundred years.

“Nn, the landscape’s low here. Slow down.”

“Got it.”

Following VIsercia’s instructions, I lower the speed by 3 rotations. The speed is finally at 1km per hour, and we’re moving really slowly.

Melting away the tunnel quickly is forbidden here. Given the capabilities of the little sun, we can open a path by melting the ice, even if we are moving just a little faster, but this might cause the roof, already loose due to the earthquake, to collapse on us.

“Just lower the output a little more. Yes yes, at this speed.”

Viscaria continues to calculate and gives me instructions. At this point, she probably has numerous calculations going on in her head. Direction, sturdiness of the ice, output of the heat, speed of the icemobile. Nobody else can come up with some calculations.

Tremors reach my hands on the handle from time to time. The ice blocks that collapsed contain rubble of various sizes, so whenever I crash into an ice block, it’ll cause a tremendous recoil on the hands holding the steering handle. I continue to steer the vehicle that’s berserking like a crazy horse, moving at a constant speed.

And so, an hour passes.

“Wait!”

Viscaria yells, “What is it?” I pull the brake.

“—Pulse detected!”

“Eh!?”

“It’s coming!”

Right when Viscaria shouts out, a loud rumble trembles.

—An aftershock!

“Amaryllis!”

Someone calls for my name, and so—

 

The world has shattered.