KSGU:Volume 10 Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The metallic walls kept sliding, covering the sky. After a relative distance of 2km, the space colony no longer resembled a building. The silver cylinder that had a little cyan to it flashed numerous warning lights, forever maintaining itself as a self operating planet--the 'world' that encompassed millions of lives within exerted its presence, on a similar level to the Earth and the moon, upon the people viewing it. Unlike the typical space colonies that are usually opened to the outside, this 'Industrial 7' space colony, shielded by a metallic wall, exerbated such a presence. A quarter length of this sealed colony was covered by a colony builder unit called the 'Rokuro', and the cylinder it was building floated in space silently, as though the chaos that happened within the past hour never existed. The zero gravity industrial area facing Earth was completely silent, with nary a transport ship nor a space shuttle to be seen. There were no lights of the linear cars traveling by, only the solar panels surrounding the space colony reflecting some light upon the cylinder.

"Even the subway's down...?"

To the people living within the inner walls of the cylinder, the linear cars that run underground--the outer walls are the easiest way for the residents living inside the space colony to connect with the outside world. The linear cars stopped moving for some unnatural reason, and surely it had to be related with the current predicament. Feeling somewhat startled, Otto looked at the outer walls of 'Industrial 7'. Though located within the shoal region, the area around the space colony was cleared, and there were no signs of space debris to be seen from the bridge. The thoroughly battered 'Nahel Argama' silently wandered through the space that had no ships around, welding lights flashing as emergency repairs were made all over the ship.

"Port management remains silent. I'm guessing it's way more likely that the comms system are blocked by some way rather than them being hushed up. The residents living there are completely sealed inside."

Liam held the straw of the nutritional jelly with one hand as she commented, looking at the outer walls of the colony. It had been ten minutes since the air pressure within the ship was maintained with the assistance of the emergency response teams, and that orders were made for rations to be given to the entire crew. The mobile suits escorting the ship returned, and the relief after the prior perilous events left the atmosphere in the ship relaxed, but the abnormal situation of 'Industrial 7' isolated from the outside world triggered a new wave of uneasiness. Mihiro faced the communications panel, her petite body quivering, "Is it the work of Anaheim...the Vist Foundation?" she muttered, her face showing an anxiety completely different from a battle.

"It's possible...but it feels like there's a stronger force at work. Maybe it's the 'Magallanica' controlling the systems of the space colony."

Liam answered as she directed her stare beyond the ‘Rokuro’, where the colony faced the Moon. If the self-rotational residential area was the shell, and generated its own gravity through self-rotation like a colony, then shape of the ‘Magallanica’ itself could be described as similar to a horned snail. Otto finished the tasteless nutritional jelly as he stared at the rocky cliffs gathered upon the shell of the colony builder. The colossal structure extracted materials from the rocky plates formed upon the rotational residential area, along with the space debris floating nearby, creating a massive structure from the ‘Rokuro’. This structure, possessing the power to create a ‘world’, remained silent along with ‘Industrial 7’. The docking bay within the cylindrical core remained in lockdown, and there was no response despite many calls. Warning lights at various places continued to flicker regularly, but there were faint lights blinking at the windows of the bridge located at the head of the snail, and one could not dismiss the notion that the shell was completely empty.

Previously, they managed to enter through Alberto’s word, but it seemed not to be the case this time. If it did contain the ‘Laplace Box’, there might be several traps or defensive installations designed to fight off intruders. Otto’s eyes drifted towards the Type-94 Base Jabber approaching the docking bay. Conroy and the ECOAS vanguard were riding upon it, managed to meet the ‘Unicorn’, the latter merely a little speck compared to the ‘Magallanica’ as it drifted in a corner of the screen. The white frame of the ‘Unicorn’ was kneeling there, looking down at the massive gates of the docking bay, and to a bystander, it resembled a heavily-armored knight of the Middle Ages facing the gates. This master of the city had passed through many tribulations, and finally returned with the key to open the ‘box’—

“Return of the King, huh…?”

He blurted out, and Liam turned to look at him in surprise, “Is there any movements from the ‘Magallanica’?” Otto asked Mihiro,

“Nothing. The ECOAs tried to enter, but it seemed the airlock was shut off. They said it’s likely they’ll have to burn it down with a burner.”

“No other choice. Can’t turn back now when we’ve come this far. What about our pursuers?”

“Density of the Minovsky particles is decreasing. No signs of the Neo Zeon fleet approaching on the optical sensors.”

The sensor operator answered. “Our friendlies?” Though knowing it sounded sarcastic from him, Otto asked,

“It appears the fleet stationed by the Moon has taken action. Also, while beyond our range, we have detected trackers coming from the Moon. The forces that sent in the second ‘Unicorn’ unit.”

The intentional voice from the sensor operator caused Otto, who was exchanging looks with Liam, to look over to Mihiro. “Any response from Ensign Riddhe after that?” Otto asked, “Nothing.” And Mihiro answered with a softer voice.

“A communicator can probably reach him. Keep calling…Ensign Mihiro, reach out for him with your words.”

After adding on to his words with his look, “Yes…” Mihiro softly responded, and went back to work on the operator. The wireless signal from the ‘Banshee’ was not the only thing she received. She heard his ‘voice’. Otto repeated the many ‘voices’ he heard, once again experiencing a surreal feeling he was unsure off, stood away from the Captain’s seat, and looked towards the window.

That ‘voice’, turbulent like a storm, was no longer around. After a torrent of madness, a terrifying silence of space engulfed the ‘Nahel Argama’. The vacuum of endless darkness engulfed Lieutenant Marida, along with the lives of many. Ensign Riddhe, who had lost his way and was drifting around, was also in this darkness—

“Is that alright? He is an enemy who attacked us.”

Liam stood by Otto’s side, asking with a volume only audible to him. He turned his eyes towards her,

“Vice Captain, you did hear it, didn’t you? That ‘voice’.”

“…It sounded like he’s crying.” Liam immediately averted her eyes sheepishly, only to posture a hardened stance back at him, “But, that has no—”

“I know.