Apocalypse Survival Guide

Chapter 9. Destruction of Daily Life (9)

"Gasp... Huff..."

Nadia and I could only collapse to the ground, panting heavily, after the thudding sounds beyond the door finally ceased. Our bodies were completely drenched in sweat.

The dents that protruded inward from the external force on the storage door gave a terrifying impression. It was a genuine relief that the storage door was sturdy.

If it hadn't been, the door would have been utterly destroyed by the monster's immense strength.

Even as we sat there, we couldn't take our eyes off the monster that was severed at the waist.

The grotesque sight of it scattered into a slimy mess was so nauseating that I wanted to turn my head away immediately, but doing so made me fear that this seemingly lifeless creature might suddenly spring to life and attack.

Brave Carry tapped it with her auxiliary arms to confirm it was completely dead, and after jabbed it a few times, we finally sighed in great relief seeing it remain motionless.

"Whew..."

I grasped my head, feeling an intense headache triggered by extreme stress. I didn't understand what had just happened. The scenes flashed by too quickly, leaving no clear memory.

Nadia seemed to be in a similarly affected state. With a face barely suppressing nausea, she crawled over next to me and trembled.

I too had to suppress my stomach from turning inside out, as the stench of blood filled my nostrils with every breath. In the chaos, I hadn't noticed it entering, but the inside of the storage was a disaster.

Unlike the sporadic horrors outside, the inside had them concentrated, creating a grotesque atmosphere. It felt like the perfect setup for space insanity.

There was a lower-ranking worker with lifeless eyes leaning against the wall, likely from blood loss before us,
Viscera fragments made the area around the door slick,
Open storage cabinets as if others shared our desperate idea.

And an increasingly throbbing pain now that the adrenaline was wearing off.

My already depleted strength was now dragging to its absolute limits.

'... Pull yourself together.'

Fighting off the overwhelming fatigue, I forced my eyes open to check on Carry and Nadia's conditions.

"Nadia, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you, Hyun-woo."

For an ordinary person, the scene around us would be enough to spill their stomach contents, and yet Nadia, while visibly pale, was handling it better than expected. It seemed more like she wasn't disturbed but rather accustomed to it.

"That's a relief."

"How about you, Hyun-woo?"

"Me? I'm..."

The suit I wore was even more torn than I remembered. I guessed it got damaged during my struggle with the monster.

Thankfully, I had a new suit purchased from the store, so I didn't worry too much. I could just change into that.

But Nadia seemed to think differently. Sniffing cautiously, she eventually showed a dismayed expression and let her ears droop as she gently touched my shoulder.

"... I'm sorry. If only I had run faster..."

"There's nothing to apologize for. If anything, I should apologize."

I said this pointing to the firmly closed door. The method I used was indeed a last resort.

A door shut under such security procedures couldn't be opened with just a worker's clearance. At least a technician's rank was needed to revert it to normal operation.

【The door is forcibly closed. Please contact the tech team immediately.】

The message on the monitor confirmed this.

We were practically trapped. There was no telling when it might open again, and we couldn't break through a door that even the monsters couldn't destroy.

Tools were scattered around, but they were locked by safety mechanisms we couldn't bypass. What had protected us, the storage had now become a prison.

"It's because of me that we're trapped and might die here. If we're lucky, help from the base will arrive and we might get out. But honestly, it doesn't feel like that's happening."

"Living with Hyun-woo in one place isn't bad, but today isn't the day for that, so don't worry. I can dismantle the circuit."

"... Dismantle it?"

My puzzled look prompted Nadia to give a small smile. With a joking tone about knowing her real self, she mentioned she could manipulate the circuitry.

"I can't control the door's opening speed or how long it stays open. But manipulating whether it's open or closed, that I can do. So don't worry too much, Hyun-woo."

"You've got hacking skills too? Usually—... ah."

I stopped mid-sentence. Tampering with circuits without the base's approval was a serious crime, especially on a mining base. They were extremely sensitive about blue crystal leakage.

It would be foolish to ask again why she had such skills in a place like this.

If the base was even slightly recoverable, it would be wise not to manipulate the circuits regardless of the situation. But our lives were at stake here. Such circumstances seemed a justifiable reason.

Though I was curious why Nadia knew these skills, bringing it up wasn't prudent. That wasn't the immediate concern.

"It's not as impressive as you think, Hyun-woo. It's certainly not hacking. Just creating a bit of confusion, so you could probably pick up on it and open the door easily after a few tries."

Nadia tried to downplay my expectations, but my expression remained impressed, making her blush with embarrassment as she bashfully tapped the ground with her tail.

The blood pooled on the floor splashed, forcing us back to grim reality. Both of our expressions froze simultaneously.

A sudden headache caused us to shake our heads, deciding to focus on the present.

"Anyway, we won't die trapped here. Let's just think about the fact that we're alive and can continue to be."

"Yeah, I agree."

"Great. How did you come up with the idea to assault the door like that, Hyun-woo?"

"It wasn't anything difficult. If anything, it was a brute-force approach."

"Simple but not easy. That kind of force isn't easy to muster."

Nadia was right. The impact level that marks a system as abnormal is gauged by equipment output, not human strength.

Doors designed to withstand such forces wouldn't even budge. That's likely why the monsters couldn't break through and gave up.

"Hyun-woo, I told you before. If you have strength, you can afford to be a bit foolish."

"That's a compliment, right?"

"..."

"What? Why aren't you answering? Hey."

"First, change into a new suit. I'll check on Carry's condition."

Evading my question, Nadia handed me a work suit carried by Carry's transport box. With my body still shivering, I postponed seeking an answer, focusing instead on changing out of my damaged work clothes.

There wasn't any need to worry about being seen. The only things inside the storage were a corpse, one beastkin, and one transport robot.

I thought I saw Nadia's ears twitch, but she continued examining Carry. Not planning to remain undressed near a corpse, I quickly put on the new suit.

Dressed properly for once, replacing the bloody, torn rags with intact clothing, I let out a satisfied sigh. As the temperature control kicked in, warming my chill-stricken limbs, I felt alive again.

'... Not what I'd expect to be doing next to a corpse.'

I picked up a stick from the ground and turned my attention back.

"How's Carry?"

"The wheels are slightly worn, and some parts of the box are damaged, but it's in good condition overall. No special repairs needed."

【(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧】

Carry displayed its capability on the monitor. Having fed it refined blue crystals from the store, it seemed to be in excellent condition.

"That's good. Nadia, can you disengage the safety on the tools?"

"Are you talking about the glowing pickaxe you're holding?"

"Anything. It wouldn't be wise to go out unarmed."

If the safety mechanisms could be disabled, dealing with the monsters outside would be much easier. Whether they were truly human or some afflicted individuals in need of help wasn't my concern at the moment.

Our primary concern was our safety. You can't reason with something attacking you; sitting and taking it isn't an option.

"Uh... I've never tried that. But we'll only know if I do it! If I can't, at least I'll make sure you get out safely, Hyun-woo, somehow...!"

"We're going out together, so don't say that. Don't even think it. That goes for you too, Carry."

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌ )】

"Yep!"

Nadia wagged her tail. She soon took out a small box filled with basic tools from her belt bag and began the task of disabling the tool's safety mechanism.

In the meantime, I approached the corpse and removed the bracelet from its wrist. What I sought was the record stored within the bracelet.

With any information recorded, there might be some insight into what had happened at the base.

These bracelets everyone wore served not only as identification but also had various functions. Most regularly used were the authorization for facilities and communications, followed by storing audio and video records.

The bracelet had a feature to automatically record the situation based on the wearer's condition changes. From what I heard, it was primarily to discern responsibility during accidents, with access to those records unrestricted. However, transferring credits stored in the bracelet was impossible.

When I placed the free bracelet against my own, a holographic interface appeared.

【One most recent audio and video record found. Would you like to view?】

I pressed 'Yes', and an unfamiliar voice began to play.

『—Playback start-』

'What's going on here?!'

'Don't just stand there, run! Those pureblood supremacist bastards planted a bomb...!'

'Nobody's leaving here alive—! Everyone must die here!'

'What?! All of a sudden—'

The startled man's voice didn't continue. A nearby explosion drowned it out.

His attention shifted to the urgent base announcement following the blast.

〈Alert. Base-wide emergency protocol activated. All personnel currently working must proceed to the nearest refuge immediately. Looting is not permitted.〉

〈Caution. All shuttles for and from the residential area are out of service due to damage. No spare shuttles available. Following emergency evacuation and security procedures, mining area shuttle stations are closed.〉

〈Warning. A large number of casualties reported. Security teams are being deployed. Sit tight; the situation will be brought under control soon.〉

The onslaught of concurrent broadcasts seemed to make the man anxious. Soon, sounds of heavy breathing and running could be heard.

It was then the hologram from the bracelet expanded. A person—or rather, a monster—emerged from a crashed shuttle, lunging at the man.

【Screech!】

'Shit...! What the hell is that! Hey, don't come any closer!'

【Shriek!】

In his panicked flight, the man found himself pinned by the monster. Instinctively, he flailed his arms to thrust it off, accompanied by loud clattering and static noise.

The monstrous attack was short-lived as the man, seemingly saved by someone, shouted desperately.

'Here...! Over here! I need help!'

【The current state is an emergency. Follow evacuation protocols and seek refuge. Looting is prohibited.】

The mechanical voice came from the base security robot. It seemed to perceive the monster as committing a looting act and pried the monster and the man apart with its metallic hands.

The security robot confirmed that the monster was running away and then forcibly stood the wounded man.

【Unreturned equipment detected. Please return all borrowed items before proceeding to evacuate.】

'What? You crazy tin can...! Can't you see the situation here? Can't you see I'm injured! Cough! Cough! I'll return it later, just send me to medical!'

【Denied. Failure to comply with equipment return request is punishable under SSTC penal code 2. Furthermore, the medical district is currently at full capacity and cannot accept additional patients.】

'Th-this...! Fine! Fine! But you have to guard the entrance to the storage! Everyone's dying out there, so at least do that!'

【Agreed. Follow me. I'll lead you safely.】

'This is madness... This is absolute madness...!'

—Playback end—"

The man's voice, which had been shouting with harsh coughs and venting, abruptly cut off. Although the recording didn't continue, I knew well how this man had ended. My gaze turned to the corpse positioned in the corner of the storage.

"... Ah, I failed."

Nadia's attempt to disable the safety mechanism had failed. The tools, now disassembled beyond recognition, were scattered carelessly around.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Nadia failing to disable to safety mechanism is hilarious and despairing at the same time.