Глава 15

'Time'.

You asked me why the first 'language' I shared with you after our thoughts resonated was 'death'...

I really don't know either.

Aboard this strange, colossal vessel called 'Rhodes Island,' the Cautus can barely feel the passage of time.

It makes her uneasy. Ever since the day she became Infected, time has meant everything to her.

Time will bring her death—and perhaps, liberation.

However, the beings who dwell in this strange place—yet deny they are gods—seem utterly indifferent to it.

Maybe it's because I've never been afraid of dying. Death is nothing more than a passage to a new environment.

(Rim Billitonian) Pessimist.

That's how they would describe you in your own language, yes?

A pessimist? I don't think so.

The Cautus blurts it out, and regrets it—just a little. She had agreed with many of the clergy's arguments back during those debates… but now that she's here, does she still need to think in those terms?

Does she really care about everything she experienced before the collapse?

After all, even time has forsaken her now.

I once worked in a mine that seemed to be endless. To maintain efficiency, the overseer would kill or drive off any bothersome Originium slugs.

Originium slugs? A mine?

Yes. Those Originium slugs are even weaker than me, and the mines... the mines were once my home.

But the overseer didn't expect that the kindest worker in the mine was secretly feeding and caring for the Originium slugs they were trying to drive away—which only drew more of them into the mine.

Eventually, the slugs disrupted the mine's foundation, leading to a collapse.

But you survived?

The slugs' secretions fed me.

In such a harsh environment, many of them lived short lives, yet new ones kept being born. They gave me strength—

Miners, Originium slugs, and yourself—but your story ignores the 'death of Terra,' Hierda.

You do not treasure your 'Terra'.

That's not true at all! In our language, 'Terra Bless Us' is a phrase that invokes something almost divine—

Hmm... you still have a very limited definition of 'life'.

I don't understand. You've shown me so many individuals, each starkly distinct from the next… You all feel love and hate just as we do—and yet, are still vastly different from each other.

'Salvaging death from the grave'—you all live united by a purpose that I can't understand.

But why have I come here?

The Cautus ponders this question, but her intuition tells her the answer lies with the person who just extended a hand to her.

She looks out the porthole at the top of the cabin into the cold, silent, endless expanse of space. The light from the distant, giant sphere once again passes over the dead planet, piercing the Cautus's eyes.

However, despite her blurry vision, she spots a small silhouette within the light.

There is... someone out there, in deep space?

Is that the one I'm looking for?

Someone out in the depths of space seems to hear the Cautus's voice—a shadow within the light stirs ever so slightly.

(Unknown language) You're looking for me?

One circle, two circles, the little dots are spinning in the darkness.

They're accelerating, coming closer and closer.

They rip a hole in the darkness, and a bright, blazing beam of light shines through.

I extend my arms and embrace them.

Core body temperature is elevated; nerve blocker has already been administered.

Body temperature rising rapidly. Prepare to administer muscle relaxant and replenish blood volume.

Repeat the medication again, and let's start the operation—

Dr. Warfarin?

Did I doze off again? Maybe I'm just really exhausted.

Don't try and speak now. Your throat is badly injured.

You feel like you went to sleep?

Yes, and I had a long dream.

You didn't feel any other discomfort?

Erm... no. Did something happen just now, Dr. Warfarin?

Nothing major. Did you dream about anything... special?

Anything special? That's hard to say.

In my dreams there were balls of mud spinning around each other on black velvet...

They are now big, now small. One moment they were smaller than children's marbles, the next larger than the whole of Victoria.

Someone picked them up and flung them back out. They started smashing into each other and bursting like fireworks, but the whole time, I didn't hear a sound.

Anything else...?

I also saw threads—stretching from one ball of mud to another, each one made of light. And on every thread, there were people—running outward, racing along the light.

I followed them. I ran to a white patch of earth. It was completely empty...

Save for a single stone tablet standing there.

Stone tablet? What was written on it?

Nothing, Dr. Warfarin, and that's when I woke up.

What a strange dream, but then again, you remember it quite clearly, which means your brain's memory module is still functioning properly.

The more clearly you remember your dream, the closer you were to waking up when you dreamed it. As I see it, the fact that you were able to remember your dream is a very good thing.

Say, I haven't seen Dr. Touch today...

She has other matters to attend to. She told me to give this to you. Look.

Huh? The spring, the gears... the hands... all the parts that make up a clock!

She said it would help relieve your stress.

Dr. Warfarin, is Rhodes Island in some kind of trouble again?

Little one, you've come to the wrong place.

(Unsurprisingly, Beepy got lost.)

(Hiding in fear)

It seems like Closure failed to examine your program modules.

Little one, this item here should definitely not be on your maintenance list.

The Goliath lifts it gently and examines it curiously in his hands.

(Angrily spins treads)

What a huge change. It was empty when Her Highness left.

Now, there are so many interesting people and things here, right?

Ascalon.

Tell them not to worry. I'll take care of the mobility layer.

Okay.

Ascalon, you seem in poorer spirits than you were when you returned from Victoria.

What about all the people working under you?

They have been dispatched to create the Isolation Zone outside the ship. I'm remaining on this ship, and that's sufficient.

Rhodes Island does indeed need a blade that moves through the darkness, but that doesn't mean that you need to consciously remain silent.

Come chat with me when you have time. I have liquor here.

Besides, I want you to tell me about Theresis.

I witnessed the beginning of that heroic epic, and you witnessed its end. What we saw was very different.

Okay.

I will convey your thoughts to the Doctor and Amiya when they have time.

The Goliath places 'Beepy' in front of the exit passage.

Stop wandering around—the mobility layer is dangerous. Don't underestimate what high-concentrations of Originium can do to someone like you.

I'll keep my eye on the work here, and that'll be enough.

(Runs away in a panic)

Dame Kal'tsit, what could've gotten you this tense?

PRTS Operation Record: [Confidential] Escort Catastrophe warning system and medical center core components

Executor: [Confidential] Mechanist, Logos, Raidian

Contact: (Records erased)

Situation abnormal. Enemy weapons technology exceeds mission parameters. Risk of exposure present.

Possible enemy signal detection capability. Shutting down drone transmission temporarily.

Logos, I'm counting on you for the drone's live feed.