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“……It’s not here either.”
Crash…!! Thud!
Leonar, who was staring blankly at the results displayed on the system monitor, raised his arm and smashed the transparent panel.
Shattered reinforced glass fragments poured down, and as the entrance door attempted to forcibly close upon confirming the damage to the interior control device… it was blocked by the humanoid heavy-duty droids that had been handed over from Anastasia.
An uncharacteristic outburst of anger.
If only some blood would flow with the pain to alleviate this irritation a little, but this maddeningly expensive and intricate artificial body merely converted the applied pressure into touch signals and communicated to the brain pulsating within the artificial fluid, ‘Contact between finger joints and the wall occurred.’
Nerves triggered by the situation not going according to plan, anxiety for the failed objective despite the risks taken, and wrath from the betrayal that stabbed at his exposed side.
Even in such circumstances, he tried his best to maintain composure, even though he was punching things, it felt as if he was showing why he was nicknamed Sir Léonard.
The reason he found himself in such a predicament could easily be explained by the emotions he was currently feeling as described above.
First and foremost, it was certain that a friend he believed would somewhat understand his position had other intentions.
The absence of a frozen capsule containing his original body in the storage, and the fact that the warehouse he had no idea still existed was precisely attacked, both felt extremely dirty, but explained naturally.
…But why, despite bypassing the access route and checking the facility with a considerably high admin account, was there no trace of the intended capsule or even past documents mentioning his name?
“On to the next warehouse…!”
Even without anyone to listen to his inner monologue, he murmured to himself, trying to erase the ominous feelings and moved the well-coordinated mixed forces of front row, rear support, and air support.
Leonar did not immediately flee after landing in this body.
Who would voluntarily become a wanted fugitive? At the very least, he had to go through several months of adaptation and receive care from specialized management equipment, and he protested to the higher-ups through official procedures… He even asked other staff members or subordinates he was familiar with to gather information on what the situation was.
He wasn’t particularly affable enough to form amicable relationships with everyone, yet there were certainly many who admired him for his clear distinction between rewards and punishments.
– Huh!? Identification code EDF-0752 encountered an intruder! It’s moving towards the research building! Be cautious of fierce counterattacks even if you corner it……! –
“If I had known there would be resistance, I should have been a bit more cautious.”
Yet, in just two years, all documents related to him had completely vanished, and now nobody even recognized him while he was rummaging through the building?
No matter how much organizational restructuring and personnel changes took place, this was abnormal.
Gibson was not only picking up lies but clearly hiding many facts from him. There had always been vague elements in his narrative, but… he firmly believed it was because he felt burdened by maintaining a close relationship with a fugitive!
Tukakakak!
– Kuh!? Damn…! –
In an instant, soldiers were swept away by a pack of beasts.
Taking advantage of the moment a defense robot revealed itself to the concentrated fire, the hunting dogs that had darted through the corridor reached their targets.
Though nobody showcased a performance of inserting sensory tendrils like a trained hunting dog, they thoroughly dismantled and crushed the enemies using their claws and teeth, fulfilling their designated tasks.
However, it was not only the hunting dogs but all troops, including Leonar, who were moving urgently, kicking against the ground.
Droids that had received control authority, as well as drones that had been conserving battery, all flew up, forming a mass of military power and advancing.
Why the sudden rush? Even though he didn’t know exactly what situation his companion Anastasia, who had yet to return to the communication channel, was in.
With the facility lockdown she was maintaining loosening, it wouldn’t end with just one or two scattered (Two-man cell) appearances.
The position of their forces, which would need to be verified directly with their eyes, would be reported in real-time, and the entire building would likely stir around like one gigantic steel monster, chewing up the bothersome swarm of bugs that intruded from the inside.
“Damn…!”
Thus, Leonar quickly opened the nearest warehouse and ran.
Though the meanings had been significantly corrupted, he genuinely wanted to see Gibson’s face after a long time. It wasn’t easy to joke about not resolving the fundamental issue without confronting the source of all the trouble.
– Cease weapon operations and halt! This is a clear act of hostility against Exatech… Wack!? –
“Why don’t these middle idiots understand? What the hell are they idly demanding while treating guests so poorly?”
With the network, excluding independent circuits, cut off, the organic inter-departmental cooperation was also severed, and a ridiculous robot that recited internal regulations was swallowed by the wrathful tide.
Given the unwanted guest status, there was no need to adhere to disinfection protocols, nor any obligation to go through the time-consuming purification facilities, so he should dash through in one go. …Or, more accurately, he attempted to.
But stopping him was none other than that notification.
[ …All personnel within the facility are advised. As of this time, network security has been restored. The indiscriminate data hacking threat has vanished, and thus the alert level changed from code black to red. ]
[ Future notifications will be made according to department-specific announcements, not public broadcasts, so please focus on intruder exclusion and area defense. ]
“!!”
Support from the rear had finally been cut off.
Had she been harmed? Given her type, who piled protective layers around her, he thought it could be okay… but perhaps that was too optimistic? If she had heeded the advice to retreat, he would prefer to feel relieved, but if not…
Until now, the only reason he could move frantically while only smashing minimal resistance was thanks to Anastasia, who had assumed the supportive role even while sounding off her woes.
Although Exatech was overflowing with expensive equipment, due to the nature of a research facility, intangible intellectual property often held more significance than tangible material assets.
Moreover, unless the intruders managed to steal something and successfully carry it out, the theft wouldn’t count.
Clunk… Clunk, Clunk. Bang!!
As soon as the red lights dimmed slightly, small turrets and patrol drones sprang from the opened ceiling, yet they were calmly dismantled under Leonar’s command, who was already aware of the defense protocols and that sequence.
However, there was no way to avoid the all-encompassing area scans, making it impossible for him to remain idle in one place now.
If the damage accumulated from sluggishly being dragged around by the enemies exceeded the asset value, they could potentially isolate an entire section of the building and blow it away.
Now that it had come to this, even if he had to die instantly, he would pour out this hatred with abandon… when suddenly, a piercing sound similar to a tinnitus tone rang through Leonar’s receiver.
It was a different signal tone than what was used for work contacts or directives from the market, a sound intentionally designed to be irritating to ensure no signals were missed—characteristic of the satellite communication service.
“……I never realized your face was so thick that you’d dare to call back first in this situation. If that was your intention, congratulations on making me feel utterly wasted.”
“Damn… who made this situation blow up? Ridiculing someone who’s suffering alone like that…! No, anyway. I was trying to capture just one person for confirmation, and all I found was this kid, so I caught her… You did hire a hacker team, didn’t you? This girl is included, right?”
He had prepared for the mockery that would follow, filled with a rage vowing to find them if they were still somewhere here.
Gibson, however, sent a brief video as if he were entirely unbothered.
A chaotic indoor scene, a familiar office floor.
There lay a girl sprawled on the ground of that place riddled with bullet holes and soot from what looked like a bombing.
Her face seemed to have been strongly struck, with blood streaming down, encroaching upon her eyes, clouding her vision, but it appeared she had no consciousness to care about that, with her pupils unfocused.
A tragic and pitiful sight, resembling a piece of renowned art, she raised one arm, reaching out desperately to somewhere… but soon lost strength and completely collapsed.
……What lay in that direction was the office computer she had borrowed to work on, the comrade who had supported her reckless plan up until the very end was now utterly motionless.
Since the video contained a few seconds of frame left, he watched until the end, yet nothing changed.
Anyone present, unknowingly, might assume that if certain company executives had seen it, an entire city could have been engulfed in flames.
“………Did she die?”
Knowing it was not a live recording but a pre-recorded screen, Leonar forcibly suppressed the bubbling hot and cold sensations within him and spoke.
He pondered why Gibson would show this, and how he could dare to show his face again after betraying him at the most critical moment.
For now, he would play along with his wishes. Assessing the situation came first; revenge would come after.
“Ah, that’s my problem to handle. It seems that the mercenaries you hired are indeed in line with what you’ve shown me….”
There, Gibson momentarily paused, letting out an obvious sigh.
It felt less like a malicious play meant to get under his skin and more like an act of choosing words before delivering some sort of sermon or admonition… a customary act really.
“Get your head straight. How long will you keep living like this with that good head and body of yours? Given your continuing research, it’s not like you lack aspiration as a researcher.”
“I thought I told you I wouldn’t listen to that argument…!!”
“Have you ever considered that an argument will never end if one party leaves the scene? Anyway, now that the network is operational again, the… director knows you are back. So come on up. Instead of throwing around terms like ‘killing’ and ‘tearing,’ let’s have a proper talk, shall we?”
At the far end of the corridor where soldiers had been stationed earlier.
The reinforcements allocated to guard the research building lowered their weapons slowly at Gibson’s gentle persuasion. Though they likely hadn’t eavesdropped on the satellite call, they were simply executing orders received from above, regardless.
Since there hadn’t even been a request not to move this side’s forces or to disarm, if they weren’t trying to corner him, it meant they truly believed they could resolve everything through dialogue even at this point.
“……”
Are they the enemy to be destroyed or allies?
Leonar moved slowly inward without a particular response, reassuring himself that if he was considering a rescue mission along with the self-destruction, it was best to act in sync with the rhythm here.
……Meanwhile, at that moment.
In a state of fear that she might never awaken or experience something she absolutely wouldn’t want to in a conscious condition, Anastasia finally managed to open her eyes.
If she lived, she had a chance for another opportunity, a positive thought lasted only for a moment.
“What the hell is this…?”
Why was she seeing the scenery of a repair shop filled with hazy sand dust, without knowing how she had ended up here or the principle that made this possible?
