Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Chapter 2 - The Lake
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A thought, once conceived, refuses to vanish.
The human brain can't comprehend negation. A single sentence, amplifying my fear, echoed relentlessly in my mind.
Don't think about it.
No matter how much I repeated it, my mind conjured images of something lurking beneath the sun.
I couldn't sleep.
I knew I would have nightmares.
Still, I forced myself to lie down and rest. I needed to be functional during the day.
“Kyaa-”
As if sensing my unease,
Dan’s daughter, who had been playing with her tail, snuggled into my side.
She didn't have soft fur,
Or milk-producing breasts.
Yet she nestled close, closing her eyes.
Her claws and tail were a little intimidating. I considered adjusting my position.
“…Not nocturnal either. What are you?”
But I didn’t move, afraid of disturbing the little creature’s sleep.
I stayed awake,
Amy stood guard,
“Kahung… mumble…”
And the creature quickly drifted off.
Strangely,
Her body temperature was pleasantly warm…
Holding her close,
My anxiety slowly subsided.
***
Day 2 of isolation.
09:23, planetary rotation standard.
Overcast, 38% chance of precipitation.
18°C, slightly chilly.
Amy and I explored the wreckage in a different direction. The offspring trailed behind us, occasionally bringing back small prey and munching on it.
“I gave her a name. If she’s coming with us, she needs a name. We can’t keep calling her ‘offspring.’”
“I see.”
She seemed surprisingly agile, judging by the bird she had caught. She devoured the fist-sized creature whole, bones and all, then scanned for her next meal.
“Jenny!”
“Kyao-”
Perhaps due to the repetitive training I’d given her during breakfast, Jenny now responded to sounds similar to her name and came running.
“Isn’t she smart?”
“I believe Dr. Juho’s teaching abilities have a greater influence than the subject’s inherent intelligence.”
“Interesting. Does an AI have a flattery function?”
When she responded to her name, I gave her a small piece of a chocolate bar. She hopped around me, expressing her delight.
“Okay, Jenny. Too much of this stuff is bad for you. Go hunt something else.”
“Kyaa-”
I let her roam free and focused on the tasks at hand. While my mind was at ease, time was still of the essence. I needed to gather resources as quickly as possible.
Anything could happen.
I needed to expand our shelter,
Stockpile supplies,
And prepare for the unexpected.
The chilly air and cold raindrops hinted at the approaching winter. I needed to work diligently to prepare for the harsh season, when the number of plants and animals would dwindle.
“Kaht! Kyaat!”
“Jenny, I told you to hunt something else.”
Despite the urgency, Jenny, who had run far off, came rushing back, interrupting us.
She tugged at my clothes,
And nudged my body with her head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Fear response.”
Jenny was acting strangely. Just moments ago, she had been happily enjoying my chocolate bar, and now her tail was raised, rigid…
“…”
Raised and rigid, trying to tell me something.
“Kyaak-!”
Suddenly, she darted away.
A shiver ran down my spine.
I had a feeling I should trust Jenny’s instincts.
I ran after her, anxiety and fear prickling my skin.
“A-Amy! Is there something nearby!?”
“There are no anomalies in the vicinity-”
Amy, who had been calmly reporting our safety, suddenly stopped.
“…Negative.”
Having received new information, she fell silent, then scooped me up and ran twice as fast.
“What? What is it…!”
“We are being pursued. From the moment Jenny started running, entities located 3km away began pursuit at high speed.”
Amy hadn't yet found the components to repair her actuators, so she couldn't perform at her full capacity. We couldn't catch up to Jenny, nor could we outrun our pursuers.
“At this rate, they will overtake us in five minutes. Calculating optimal location for combat engagement.”
“How many are there? Huh…?”
“Three – no, five… no, nine. Too many to engage while protecting Dr. Juho.”
Protecting me…
I knew that wasn't a priority right now.
Nine.
I doubted even a fully functional Amy could handle nine of those creatures.
While Amy remained outwardly calm, her circuits were struggling to find a solution. She lacked the necessary data to make informed decisions in this alien environment.
“A-Amy! Forget that, just analyze their characteristics. They pursued us from 3km away? Did they track us by scent?”
“Uncertain.”
“Forget it! They’re tracking us by smell. Run towards the nearest river or lake! Is there one within five minutes? The deeper, the better…!”
“Yes.”
I made the decision for her. With so many unknowns, I had to rely on luck.
We ran through the forest and reached a large lake. The water was blue, deep, and colder than I expected.
“We’ll wait here, for now…!”
If things got desperate, I would jump into the lake. Land-based predators were rarely effective in water.
If I couldn't rely on Amy’s combat capabilities, I would have to resort to a war of attrition.
“We’ll go into the lake and wait until they give up. You understand…?”
“Yes. However, movement has been detected within the lake. Large entities exceeding two meters in length are present.”
“But there aren’t nine of them…! Just do as I say!”
At a crossroads,
We waited for the new monsters, poised between water and land.
The bushes rustled. They had arrived at the lake’s edge, concealing themselves, watching us.
“Hey! D-Don’t come any closer!”
I yelled, hoping to intimidate them. But the creatures hidden in the bushes didn’t react.
But there were many of them. The bushes trembled and swayed with their movements.
The lake water was cold against my feet. Small fish darted between Amy’s and my legs, oblivious to the life-or-death situation we were in.
“Dr. Juho, please sit on my shoulders.”
Amy offered me a piggyback ride.
“Your physical condition will not allow you to remain in the water for more than two hours. However, my body can withstand submersion for over 24 hours.”
I knew this was our best option.
A long wait was better than certain death.
“Don’t worry.”
Amy remained calm.
“I have anchored my feet to the ground to prevent collapse in the event of system failure. Remain on my shoulders until it is safe.”
An hour passed,
Then two,
Four,
Five,
Eight,
The sun set,
And darkness enveloped us,
But,
Rustle-
Movement continued in the bushes.
I remained silent,
While Amy continued to provide information.
“…”
“You must remain here. Based on my analysis, there are no aggressive lifeforms within the lake. Large entities are present, but none are aggressive.”
I was grateful, but my ears were numb, and I could barely hear her.
The cold seeping up from the water had lowered my body temperature, affecting my physical functions.
“…Doctor, my functionality will cease sooner than anticipated, but I will activate thermal units in my shoulder area.”
Amy, noticing my distress, took immediate action.
From my groin to my thighs and legs,
Amy’s warmth slowly spread.
“…Mmm…”
Feeling her warmth,
I spent the night floating in the lake.
***
Day 3 of isolation.
06:47, planetary rotation standard.
Overcast, 90% chance of precipitation.
13°C, very chilly.
Ripples spread across the lake. It had begun to rain.
In the cold autumn rain that soaked the forest,
I shivered, staring at the bushes.
Rustle-
Movement continued within.
It almost felt like they were taunting me, reminding me of their presence.
We wouldn't give up.
-Just come out of the water…
That's what they seemed to be saying.
Strange sounds emanated from the bushes. Like barking, or whispering.
Or perhaps, with my body temperature dropping, I was hallucinating.
Ding-
Amy entered power-saving mode. She needed an energy source to reactivate.
The usually tireless AI,
Seemed to have overexerted herself supporting me.
But there was no need to worry.
Amy would reactivate with sufficient UV exposure and an energy source.
The problem was me.
I could no longer feel Amy’s warmth.
How much longer could I last? An hour? Two?
My fingers, then my toes, would start to lose feeling.
And it was colder than usual today.
Just my luck.
“…”
After spending nearly 30 hours perched on her narrow shoulders, I wondered if death would be a welcome relief.
I tried to hold on,
But it was getting harder.
“Ah…”
My body gave out.
Splash-
I couldn’t hold on any longer. I fell backward, floating in the cold lake.
The water felt warmer than the air. It was almost comfortable, like lying on a luxurious bed.
“…”
This was it. Perhaps it was for the best.
Rather than being captured by those grotesque monsters and begging for death like Dan,
Freezing to death from hypothermia seemed preferable.
I was seeing things now.
People. Human faces.
Beautiful. Like angels descending from heaven.
Angels, descending on this rainy morning,
To witness my death.
They studied my face,
Gently touched my body,
And sank into the lake with me.
…A surprisingly beautiful hallucination for a dying man.