Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Unfortunately, It Did Not Apply to Me
* * *
* * *
“Huuaa.”
When the cold that stabbed into my skin brought my senses back, I reflexively stretched out my arm. Soon, something like a thin membrane caught at my fingertips. That was not all. Even moving my body was difficult.
Only after lowering the zipper I found near the top of my head did I regain my freedom, and I was finally able to let out a sigh.
“A body bag?”
After checking the shell that had bound me, I looked around. Thin ice covering the ceiling and vapor spilling out every time I exhaled.
I had guessed it from the moment I woke up, but it seemed I had been dumped in a freezer warehouse.
I thought I had grown used to dying, but every time I thought that way, a new horizon opened up. The result of death was the same, yet the causes that led to it varied endlessly.
It was only natural that it became an opportunity to reflect on just how deep human malice could run.
The boy I had encountered just before could be considered one of those examples.
I clearly remembered seeing something fired from the tip of his index finger, but after that, my memory was not distinct.
Of course, if I had wanted to, I could have revived on the spot and counterattacked.
However, I deliberately slowed my regeneration speed and delayed the time it took to wake up.
There had simply been far too many witnesses to reveal what I possessed.
It was an era where bizarre technologies were mass-produced, so I could deceive people if I tried, but I could not hide the sense of incongruity. It had not even been a week since I obtained my identity, so how could I button the first step like that?
That was when another body bag caught at my feet.
I opened the zipper and checked inside, letting out a low groan. It was not because it was a familiar face. It was because there was yet another body bag beneath it.
‘Just how many people did they kill.’
Roughly five or six, at a glance.
This made one thing clear. To them, hijacking a space passenger ship was not a means to gain profit. It was probably closer to a tool for self-realization.
That they were not opponents I could negotiate with was evident just by looking at the last body bag.
‘Andrew.’
The space security officer who had died in vain. His absence was nothing but bad news for the passengers.
Still, it was not all disadvantage.
Right now, those bastards were surely caught in a huge misunderstanding.
That they had killed all the space security officers.
Since they usually operated in pairs, their assumption was not entirely wrong.
Yes, that was, if they had handled things properly.
Fortunately, I was not the only one aboard the space passenger ship who knew the truth.
‘The other space security officer will be aiming for an opening.’
It was a natural conclusion. The attackers would be letting their guard down.
Next to the freezer warehouse, after neatly burning my own body bag in the galley, I moved into action.
First, I needed to secure a weapon.
Only then would I be able to plunge a blade into someone.
* * *
The structure of a space passenger ship was not much different from that of an aircraft. Areas passengers could access were inside, while areas they could not were placed outside. On top of that, the boundary was clearly divided so that one could not pass through by ordinary means.
My target was the cargo hold.
If it was a place piled high with all kinds of equipment, it would not be strange to find one or two useful items.
Honestly, it was half a gamble.
There was no way dangerous items would be allowed inside.
That was why I had even been forced to leave behind my favorite folding knife. It was regrettable, but if there was nothing, I would have to fight with nothing.
At least one encouraging thing was that the bridge did not seem to have been occupied yet, as there were no additional movements.
‘Can’t I access the internet?’
Well, there was no way the bastards trying to hijack a space passenger ship would overlook something like that.
The short click of my tongue and the sense of someone approaching from the other end of the corridor happened almost simultaneously.
If things continued like this, we would inevitably run into each other at the corner, so I stopped and lowered my posture.
The fact that an unidentified group had taken over the passenger cabins was an undeniable reality.
At this point, there was no chance that whoever appeared would be friendly.
Once a judgment was made, what followed was nothing but an appropriate response.
Without hesitation, I tackled the opponent who had come right up close.
“Eek!”
With a soft cry, the hood came off, and ebony-like hair fluttered into twin tails.
What emerged from the blind spot was not an assailant, but a girl so beautiful that anyone would admire her at a glance.
A half-coat and black stockings.
It was a face I had never seen before, yet the suspicious outfit was familiar.
“You are?”
She was the girl I had seen in front of the booth and in the seat beside it. Come to think of it, she had already left her seat when the incident broke out.
Faced with someone I had never expected, I could not help but hesitate.
At the same time as my tension eased, an intense body scent rushed straight to my nose.
Should I call it a refreshing fragrance, like walking through a forest?
That comforting smell was so concentrated it could rival the passenger cabin itself.
It was hard to believe it was being emitted by a single person.
That was probably why she seemed to be avoiding other people.
“How long are you going to stay on top of me? Please get up.”
“Ah, sorry.”
After taking my hand and standing up, the girl brushed the dust off her half-coat. Then, as if afraid someone might touch her, she hurriedly pulled the hood back over her head. As a bonus, the scent flowing from her disappeared as well. That the clothing was made from a special material was obvious to anyone.
“What on earth is this? If you don’t have a legitimate reason, I’m going to report you.”
“Don’t tell me you don’t know what’s going on?”
“What situation? Did the in-flight meal come out already?”
Judging by how calm she was, she really seemed unaware that chaos had broken out.
I briefly explained what had happened in the passenger cabin, but the girl only clasped her hands tightly and took a step back.
“So you’re telling me to trust the words of someone who suddenly attacked me?”
“If you don’t believe me, check your device.”
“Huh?”
A question mark practically popped above her head as the girl quickly grasped the situation.
“There really is no connection.”
“I told you.”
“Wait, then it doesn’t make sense for you to be here, mister. If what you’re saying is true, all the passengers should be trapped in the cabin.”
It was an unexpectedly sharp question, but I answered calmly.
“I managed to avoid it because I happened to be in the restroom.”
“Do you really think that counts as an explanation?”
“You too just came out after playing games in the booth.”
“I told you, I don’t play Lost Saga.”
Realizing that her voice had risen without her noticing, the girl cleared her throat and changed the subject.
“Anyway, I’ll believe you. I could also speculate that you approached me on purpose just to see me despair, but that’s something only a criminal capable of truly perverted thinking would do.”
“That’s very kind of you.”
“……So what are you going to do? If you’re planning to hide, I know a suitable place.”
“The booth, right?”
“Please, let’s move away from that topic.”
The girl narrowed her eyes in displeasure, but I did not even pretend to look at her.
“Sorry, but I have a debt I need to repay to those guys.”
“You’re not thinking of fighting them, are you?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
The girl reflexively grabbed my collar and shook her head.
“Wait until the Mars Defense Force arrives. You could lose your life if you step in recklessly.”
“Unfortunately, that doesn’t apply to me.”
After all, I had just lost my life moments ago.
* * *
I glanced at the girl following behind me. We had exchanged words several more times after that, and the result was exactly what it looked like.
It felt like the order of things had been reversed, but there was no helping it.
Escorting her to a safe place would have been ideal, but there was no peace to be found on a hijacked space passenger ship.
At this point, going back to the cabin was not an option either. If things went wrong, she could be subjected to something awful.
Weren’t those guys the type who killed anyone they found annoying?
Even if something happened, it felt like shoving her into a ventilation shaft would somehow work out, so I accepted the girl’s company.
“Miss Phytoncide.”
“What is that nickname? Just hearing it makes me feel like I can smell it.”
“It’s memorable. What can I do.”
The girl understood my words a beat late and jumped up.
“Do you even realize what you’re saying right now? That’s sexual harassment. Sexual harassment.”
She could not bring herself to raise her voice and only stamped her feet in protest, but I did not even pretend to listen and simply said what I wanted to say.
“I’m asking now, but are you really okay with following me?”
“Judging by how you’re trying to intimidate me, it means you at least have some skill. In that case, it’s better for me to stick with you. By now, they’ve probably noticed that I’m not at my seat.”
“That’s very logical.”
“Nothing changes just because I’m scared.”
At the girl’s impudent reply, I made a declaration.
“A distance where I can get to you in five steps.”
“What?”
“As long as you stay within that, you’ll never die.”
“Yes, yes, I understand. Just hearing that is comforting.”
I had felt it since we met, but it was an absurd level of confidence. Still, she was not unaware of the goodwill contained within it, so the girl reluctantly accepted it.
Not long after, the two of us reached the cargo hold.
Since it was a place that was only opened after docking, access during flight was extremely limited.
The only way in was a crew-only entrance used in emergencies.
It was a structure that forbade access to anyone but authorized personnel, so no manipulation worked. But from the start, I had never intended to approach it by orthodox means.
After checking the joint, I nodded.
Fortunately, there was a gap wide enough for my fingers to fit in.
It was enough to force it open.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m thinking of tearing off the hinges.”
“Are you a caveman? And do things even come off just because someone pulls them with their hands?”
Of course, there were people who could do that.
But to the girl, I looked like an ordinary human. There was no distinctive scent unique to enhanced humans, nor were there any noticeable slots. I was not even equipped with a ‘unit.’
Is he a bit lacking?
Pushing aside the thought that suddenly crossed her mind, the girl stepped forward.
“Seriously, just wait.”
She placed her palm on the control pad. Needless to say, the security of a space passenger ship was no different from an iron fortress. It had randomized processing, and it was not an environment that could be interfered with artificially.
But—
“It’s done.”
There were exceptions everywhere.
Seeing the door open in less than a few seconds, I let out an exclamation. This was not a level one could reach just by having related knowledge.
“A tuner?”
If Divers were the type who used their own brains as computation devices to swim through the sea of information, then Tuners were the type who could influence all kinds of electronic devices.
They shared the common denominator of being hackers, but their tendencies were clearly divided. It would not be wrong to compare it to the difference between office work and field work.
Only then did I realize what kind of talent the girl’s body scent originated from.
“You do know it’s polite to pretend you didn’t see that, right?”
I was curious about the girl’s background, but as she said, prying into it here would be discourteous to someone who had just revealed her abilities.
“Don’t worry. I’m a gentleman who doesn’t pry into a lady’s secrets.”