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[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 408
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“When the hell is this damn rain gonna stop?”
In the research complex attached to the commercial city, two security personnel tasked with guarding the facility were staring out the window from a tall watchtower.
“Damn T&C bastards. They’ve got more credits than they can count, and they still won’t fix the terraforming system.”
“Can it”
“I mean, am I wrong? I've been stuck in this dump for four years now, and there's never a dry day. Fuckin’ T&C assholes.”
“Are you drunk again? Ease up, will you?”
The one ranting unbuckled the hip flask from his belt and took a swig. With every movement of his throat, the stench of cheap, sharp liquor filled the air.
“Ugh, you actually like that crap? That’s junkie-grade rotgut.”
“What, you want some too?”
“Piss off, junkie.”
The other guard gave his companion a disgusted look as he watched him gulp down synthetic alcohol laced with narcotics. Clicking his tongue, he pulled out a metal stick from his jacket.
“Hah. Coming from the guy who’s always vaping something stronger.”
“Hey. What I’m smoking is a legal cigarette. Government approved and all that.”
“Approved, my ass. Drugs are drugs.”
A soldier drinking on duty and another puffing on a drug-laced e-cigarette—this was a common sight at the research facility’s watchtower.
“Did you hear? Those new pirates that showed up brought in a ton of Wolf slaves.”
“Wolves? You mean those hairy, stinking bitches? What’s the big deal?”
“Pfft. You’ve clearly never tried their thighs and hips. One taste and you’ll never forget it.”
“Ugh, gross. Just thinking about it makes me wanna puke. I’d take a cyborg girl over that any day. At least they look human.”
“You’re nuts. What’s so good about those tin cans stinking of oil?”
“You clearly don’t know. If you detach the top and bottom halves, you can—”
Right then, the guard high on vape chemicals suddenly cut himself off mid-sentence.
“What? You can do what?”
“……”
He took the e-cigarette from his mouth and stepped closer to the window, shining his flashlight out into the storm.
The beam of white light illuminated nothing but curtains of falling rain and the enveloping dark.
“What’s wrong?”
“I swear I just saw… a huge shadow out there.”
The research complex sat isolated, surrounded by wide-open plains with no nearby buildings. From the top of the tower, anyone approaching would normally be visible to the naked eye.
“Pretty sure it’s just your imagination. That whole field’s a minefield.”
“Maybe…”
Just as he put the cigarette back to his lips, lightning flashed outside. A blinding white light tore through the night, followed a beat later by a thunderous roar.
“…Wait. No, for real, I saw someone.”
“Huh?”
“There’s someone out there.”
“What!?”
The one still drinking pointed at the rain-speckled window.
Another flash of lightning cracked through the sky.
For a brief instant, the field was bathed in light—and in that moment, both of them saw it clearly.
Hundreds—no, thousands—of people standing silently in the rain-drenched field.
“Shit! Don’t tell me one of the mines went off?”
“None of them did.”
The fields surrounding the facility were rigged with mines and patrolling combat drones. Anti-aircraft turrets designed to shoot down enemy ships were positioned all over the facility interior. Only the military personnel stationed here knew the safe paths in and out.
“…Are they still outside the perimeter?”
“Fuck, it’s too dark—I can’t see a damn thing.”
Even with their faces pressed to the glass, the darkness made it impossible to see clearly. The two men hastily put on their helmets.
Once the thermal cameras attached to their helmets activated, the shapes hidden by rain and shadow became visible. They scanned the field—and their eyes went wide.
“…What the hell? Where did they go?”
"Surely they were there?”
When the camera switched on, the thousands of humans standing on the field, motionless, were nowhere to be seen.
Only a shadowy black patch of water remained in their place.
***
At the same moment the security staff of the research complex's guard tower confirmed the presence of an unfamiliar visitor.
A clandestine deal was underway inside the office of the head of security.
"You want me to disable the lab’s security system?"
Empty liquor bottles and garbage littered the floor. Dust covered old weapons and power armor, left unattended for ages. And yet, in the middle of it all sat a luxurious mahogany desk and elegant furnishings—an ironic fusion of filth and excess.
A middle-aged man lounged back with his feet on the desk, speaking through a communicator.
"Hmm? Oh, I’m not rejecting the idea or anything. There are just a few things I need to consider."
His name was Alex—the head of security for the research district, and one of the pillars guarding the facility.
"I'm not in charge of the entire lab. My authority has limits, you see. Yes, just as you said, I’ll need a bit more time."
Ever since T&C lost interest in this disputed zone, every soldier stationed at AG-01 had gone rotten. Drugs, booze, women—that was just the baseline. Many were also lining their pockets by secretly selling off leftover equipment from the planet.
They were little better than pirates now, and among them, Alex was particularly extreme.
He smuggled high-value assets like gene samples and secret data left behind by T&C administrators. Thanks to his rank, he had free access to the sealed-off lab, making it all too easy.
Even now, from his own workplace, he was attempting to sell classified information.
"And, well… if I end up in a tricky position later—Ah! Thank you for understanding. Haha. I’ll go ahead and send over the map and security codes then. Haha, yes, of course. See you in two days."
Alex maintained a soft, pleasant smile until the call ended. But as soon as he set the communicator down, all traces of it vanished from his face.
“Insane bastards. Asking me to disable the security system? Some nerve for a bunch of pirates.”
He clicked his tongue while glaring at the powered-down device.
The person he had just spoken to was a high-ranking officer of the infamous Shino Group. They were trying to plunder the lab, and had reached out to Alex to make it happen.
Though Alex himself broke the law on a daily basis, handing over the entire lab was a different matter altogether.
Even if T&C had turned a blind eye to this place, they wouldn’t just let the lab be destroyed. If word got out that this facility had been looted, they’d unleash hell on the pirates responsible.
The Shino Group might be a powerful cartel, but T&C belonged to Noble Capital, a force with untouchable influence across the galaxy. If they decided to exact blood vengeance, Shino would be wiped out in an instant.
“…Not that it’s my problem.”
Alex sneered and turned on the computer on his desk.
The pirates had offered him an absurd amount of credits for the lab’s security data. Just handing over the map of the complex and the security codes would earn him more than he’d made in his entire career.
With that kind of money, he could immigrate to the Cult Empire and live comfortably for the rest of his life.
“Honestly, it’s for the best. I can’t keep doing this job forever.”
Everyone knew that the separatists had been engaging in terrorist activities using funding from the Star Union.
But lately, signs of reconciliation had been appearing between the Star Union and the Megacorps. If a peace treaty were signed between those two, stabilization of Zer-11 would become a real possibility.
‘And if that happens, I’m screwed.’
If T&C came back, everyone responsible for the facility’s security would be reduced to mere contractors. And for someone like Alex—who had taken more than his fair share—the punishment would be far worse.
So better to sell it off and vanish now. The pirates would take care of any trace he left behind.
The only regret he had was his connections.
“Losing my contact with Daily Mars… that’s a shame.”
He thought of the famous journalist with whom he’d maintained a good relationship until recently. She had been a regular buyer of the data left behind by T&C’s officials, and they had done business for nearly two years.
It never hurts to be on good terms with a journalist—especially one backed by Prime Capital. Alex had made a point to cultivate that relationship.
But once he left here, that connection would disappear.
“…Tch. Nothing I can do.”
He had invested quite a bit into that relationship, but it ended here.
Resolving himself, Alex got back to the task at hand. He activated his communicator and called a subordinate from the security team.
“Has the Safe Route been updated?”
｢The update is already complete. I’m just reviewing it before forwarding it to the system admin team.｣
“Then it hasn’t been sent to them yet, right? Send it to me first—I need to review something.”
｢Understood.｣
A moment later, a file arrived from his subordinate. Alex opened it on his computer and copied the updated Safe Route into his personal terminal.
“Oh, and what about the security code updates for the complex?”
｢They’re scheduled to be completed today.｣
“Delay it a bit—push it back three days.”
｢Excuse me? But in that case, we’d need authorization from the admin team…｣
“Changing security codes too frequently can actually compromise security. It would be better
to increase the renewal interval.”
｢Still…｣
“Hey. What if terrorists attack during the code update? Are you going to take responsibility?”
｢N-no! I’ll push it back three days!｣
Alex ordered the delay of the code update and ended the call.
‘Perfect. The map and codes are ready.’
The admin team might get suspicious, but he wasn’t worried. They were so depraved they hosted parties in their offices with smuggled women. They wouldn’t care whether the codes changed or not.
All that remained was sending the map and security codes to the pirates. Alex moved to transmit the files.
That’s when the lights began to flicker.
“Hm?”
AG-01 had been suffering from erratic weather ever since its terraforming equipment broke down. Sometimes storms caused power instability.
Alex didn’t think much of it—until the lights flickered again.
Moments later, the lights went out completely. The computer, which had been transmitting the files, shut down at once.
“Wait, wait—dammit!”
The upload had cut off right at the critical moment. Seeing it happen with his own eyes, Alex slammed his fist on the desk.
A few moments later, emergency power kicked in and the computer rebooted. He tried sending the files again, but another problem cropped up.
The facility’s internal network was malfunctioning. The files wouldn’t send. He tried reaching his subordinates via communicator, but that was dead, too.
‘Fucking terraforming machine…’
He had to get the files to the pirates soon. If he stalled too long, they might find another contact.
And that would mean no reward.
‘Like hell I’m letting that happen.’
Alex stood up, grabbed his weapons and computer, and made for the exit.
He’d head to the admin team—there had to be a way to transmit files externally from there.
Suiting up in power armor, he stepped out of the room.
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[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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