Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Chapter 1 - Bait
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The unexpected SOS transmission threw the crew into chaos.
This was partly because we had already sent, and then canceled, a distress signal five days prior, before entering the planet’s atmosphere.
It wasn't a signal to be sent repeatedly. It was meant for genuine emergencies, after serious deliberation. Yet we had already flip-flopped twice.
Headquarters, upon receiving these erratic SOS signals, would likely lose confidence in any future information sent from the Paradise.
“Lumi, calm down. What happened?”
Lumi had actually pressed the button. It was encased in glass, making it difficult to activate under normal circumstances…
“Ugh, hic…”
Her right hand was covered in blood. Robert, the medical officer, said that if the shards had gone in any deeper, she would have needed a prosthetic.
“You have to tell us. We understand it’s serious, and we want to help. But if you keep quiet, no one can help you.”
It was my job to calm her down and get information.
It should have been the captain's task, but he was furious with Lumi and likely to make an emotional decision.
He seemed deeply disappointed that she had acted impulsively without reporting to him.
Well, thanks to that, my workload just increased.
I didn't particularly enjoy counseling.
“I… I saw… I saw it. They dragged Vergo away. Those strange… lumps of flesh…”
“Lumps of flesh?”
A strange expression.
I carefully transcribed her words into my notebook.
“Were there many? How big were they? What did they look like?”
“I don’t know! I don’t know!”
I added notes about Lumi's condition: expressing extreme fear, refusing to recall the event, emotionally unstable…
“Hic… Ah, maybe… th-there were… at least two…”
“Good. Tell us everything you remember. That way, we can go and rescue Vergo as quickly as possible.”
The search party was already assembled. Five security personnel, including Dan, were armed and waiting.
“They were as big as me, with multiple legs… and… sob…”
She hesitated, as if struggling to speak.
“Stop crying and make a proper report!”
Dan scolded Lumi harshly.
Despite trying to appear strong, fear flickered in his eyes.
Lumi’s unstable state was spreading anxiety among the crew.
“Th-they jumped on Vergo and cut off his legs… and then…”
“Legs?”
I tried to maintain my composure,
But an indescribable unease settled over me as I transcribed Lumi's testimony.
“They dragged him away. Dragged him across the ground…”
I had a bad feeling.
But I could infer a few things.
“…They took him for a specific purpose.”
“They don’t seem to consider him food. Cutting off his legs suggests they intentionally incapacitated him…”
Reyes and I reached the same conclusion.
Vergo was still alive.
“Alright, then there must be drag marks. Let’s go.”
“Dan! Wait a moment.”
The rescue team prepared to depart,
But I stopped Dan and whispered to him.
“…It could be dangerous. Hunting in packs implies a social structure. If they’ve dragged Vergo back to their nest…”
Even without finishing the sentence,
Dan understood.
“…Okay.”
If the situation became too dangerous, they would have to abandon Vergo. If the security team were injured trying to save a crewmate with little chance of survival, it would severely hamper future exploration of the planet.
“Be careful and come back.”
“I know, man! You can drink my beer while I'm gone!”
As I saw the rescue team off,
I couldn’t shake the anxiety gnawing at me.
The phrase “lumps of flesh” bothered me.
Even if Lumi wasn't interested in biology,
Such a strange expression wouldn’t come easily.
“…”
“Juho, seeing them off with that expression will only make Dan more scared.”
“Don’t mind me and try to calm down yourself, Professor. Your leg’s been shaking non-stop.”
There were a few other things that worried me.
The bio-scanner had repeatedly swept the 10km radius, and Reyes’s team had explored the surrounding area.
Yet something that had left no trace until now,
Had attacked now, of all times,
Just when everyone was relaxing and trying to enjoy themselves?
“…You should refrain from going on expeditions for a while.”
“I suppose so.”
“They’re intelligent. They attacked while Lumi and Vergo were separated from the group…”
I chewed on my pen and scanned the notes in my notebook. The analog pages were filled with unsettling details.
Calling this place a paradise was a stretch.
A distinct sense of foreboding disturbed me.
***
“What’s the current situation?”
[We found Vergo’s leg.]
The captain, having regained his composure, took charge of the rescue operation. The remaining crew gathered in the cockpit, watching the rescue team’s camera feed.
[Damn, everything above the knee is gone. It’ll take at least a month to fit a prosthetic.]
Creating a bio-integrated prosthetic that connected to the nervous system required significant resources and time.
Fortunately, we had a 3D printer on board, so fabrication was possible, but creating one that included the joint would double everything.
“Bring that back too.”
[Roger.]
One of the security personnel opened a cylindrical container and placed Vergo’s leg inside.
The others continued to search the area.
[Look at this.]
Dan found a trail left by the unidentified lifeforms. Broken and trampled trees and grass suggested the path along which Vergo had been dragged.
“Captain, can I ask a question?”
“Go ahead.”
After getting the captain's permission, I asked a crucial question.
“…Dan, is there any blood?”
[Surprisingly, no.]
Dan looked around in response to my question,
But there was no sign of red blood.
“There should have been significant bleeding…”
Reyes relayed the information to the captain for me.
“These things, they’re not amateurs. They stopped the bleeding to keep him alive.”
[So these things, are they like, fucking aliens? I loved that movie.]
“Dan, please stop with the nonsense. How long are you going to keep bringing up a movie that's centuries old?”
I knew he was joking to lighten the mood.
But he should consider the situation.
Everyone was terrified.
“Aaaaaah!”
“What?”
Some of the women couldn't even look at the screen. One of them trembled, squeezing her eyes shut and covering the display.
“Something just went past…”
[Something went past, what?]
[Everyone, combat ready.]
We all fell silent, praying for the rescue team.
We had no way of knowing if our prayers would reach from this distant planet.
Still,
Humans must never stop praying.
[Oh, shit.]
A strange, fleshy mass appeared on Dan's camera.
[What is that?]
The rescue team leader placed a hand on Dan’s shoulder, trying to calm him down.
[Dan, easy. Secure the perimeter.]
Right in front of them,
A grotesque fleshy mass lay prone, breathing raggedly.
“What is that…?”
At first, I thought they were the creatures that had abducted Vergo. According to Lumi’s description, they should have been covered in peach or red skin.
But within seconds, I realized what we were seeing on the camera.
“That’s…”
Reyes, beside me, adjusted his glasses, unable to hide his bewilderment.
We were witnessing,
A bizarre and incomprehensible sight, up close.
[Hey, is that Vergo? Vergo!]
“What the…?”
Dan’s finger hovered over the trigger. The trembling of his camera betrayed his fear.
[Captain, I think it’s Vergo. But something’s wrong.]
The captain, staring at the screen, nervously stroked his chin and mouth. I could sense his eyes trembling.
[Ugh-]
[Vergo! Can you hear me? Vergo!!]
A wide, open plain,
Surrounded by trees.
[Something’s not right.]
The rescue team’s camera shook wildly.
The sight of Vergo sent them into a frenzy of fear and agitation.
[Snap out of it, Vergo!]
[He- Heree-]
One of the rescue team members, close to Vergo, ignored orders and ran forward.
He couldn't bear to watch his friend in pain.
[Hold your position!]
The camera shook.
In the middle of the alien grassland,
Vergo sat slumped over.
[Hold your position, dammit!]
[We have to get him back! He’ll die if we leave him like this!]
But the man’s steps slowed.
[Li- Ugh-]
The man, running to save Vergo,
Hesitated, unable to approach any closer due to the strange aura emanating from his friend.
[…Vergo?]
The camera focused on what was once Vergo.
“That’s not Vergo…”
Something that had been crouched, waiting for the arrival of a new human, finally rose.
[Here, here, here, heree- here- here…]
And at that moment,
[Aaaaagh! What is this…!]
[Fire! Fire!]
One by one, the rescue team’s cameras went dark.
The last thing they saw,
Were grotesque creatures, like humans twisted and contorted into monstrous spiders.
“Dan! Run! Dan…!”
Click-
[Signal lost. Attempting to reconnect.]