Chapter 159
Chapter 159
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: Internal Sabotage
-----------------------------------------------------------------
'Engines neutralized earlier, and I just finished cutting off communications. Not a bad start.'
The wrecked communication equipment in front of me sparked one last time before shutting down completely. I scattered the cables and wire bundles clutched in my grip across the floor.
Thanks to Number 26 hiding out in the trash dump, I was able to bypass the comms room's security with ease. I slipped in during the moment when the guard androids froze from the EMP effect.
'Number 26 could have kept up the power.'
But I went through all this footwork because there's a risk the enemy could trace the psychic power residue it used. Even the APD has tracking as a secondary function beyond just psychic blocking.
They'll find the hideout eventually, but getting exposed this early wouldn't be good.
Having trashed all the machinery, I opened the comms room door and stepped out.
The androids, still not back online from the EMP, stood there with their heads drooping.
Number 26's psychic blast mimics EMP effects but isn't a true EMP. They'll be back to normal in a few minutes.
Of course, by then, I would be long gone. I set off toward my next target.
Originally, after wrecking the engines, I planned to hit the drone control center instead of comms. It's a Star Union-exclusive facility not found on ships from Mega Corp or the Cult.
'Star Union relies heavily on machines.'
On their ships—which look like rectangular boxes bristling with spikes—the longest cylindrical spike at the central top or bottom is the drone control center. As the name suggests, it's the control hub for managing drones and androids.
Destroying it won't shut down every drone and android. The ship's central computer ultimately controls them.
But it would disrupt their operations. Without the drone control center, seizing the ship becomes much easier.
I had it lined up as the next target after the engines, but the situation changed abruptly.
While crawling upside down along the ceiling toward it, I sensed the drones and androids shifting behavior. Machines from outside the hull were filing back in.
With combat raging, the only reason repair drones would return is if the battle had ended.
'It wrapped up sooner than expected.'
The moment I realized that, I veered toward the comms room and scurried there fast. Along the way, I signaled Number 26 to fry the ship's machines with another pulse.
'Perfect timing.'
Before mangling the comms gear, I checked the logs. The last entry was contact with the flagship—likely reporting the FTL engine damage.
'If I'd cut comms even a little later, they definitely would've called for backup.'
The uniform vibrations under my hands and feet, combined with the far more intense heat than before, told me the ship's thrusters were firing at full blast.
They'd clearly chosen to limp to the safest star system possible for self-repairs.
'That captain's biggest mistake.'
Not calling for repair ships or reinforcements, but opting to fix it themselves. That decision sealed the ship's fate.
'Cut off from outside contact, with limited mobility.'
The perfect playground for me to run wild.
"Can you see this? This isn't collision damage."
"Captain, looks like there's something else on board besides us."
"……."
Kainesque groaned as he reviewed the footage relayed through the cable.
'Engines, then comms, and now the drone control center—all neutralized.'
He knew exactly what that implied.
Ship 98 was under attack by an unknown entity. And not from outside the hull—from within.
"Can't we get anything back online somehow?"
"The circuits are completely melted by some acidic solution? Drone control will take at least six hours to normalize—maybe up to twelve."
"What about comms?"
"Same story here."
Worst case, they'd be blind and deaf for twelve hours. At least the thrusters were intact, so they could reach another system, but it was no cause for relief.
Whatever was on board had clear hostile intent, even if its motives were unknown.
'Damn, too complacent.'
He had a rough idea where it came from. The Nemea Fleet had come to the JP-99 system because of that bio-ship. It must have hitched a ride during the collision.
"Send whatever repair drones and androids you can spare for now."
"Thank you."
"And any hits on the surveillance systems?"
"Weirdly, no footage from comms or drone control—nothing caught on camera."
The Star Union officially espoused atheism. Androids, built from metal parts and muscle fiber modules instead of flesh, had no use for an afterlife.
Even cyborg Kainesque didn't buy into ghosts or superstitions, but right now, he wondered if it really was some spectral mischief.
"Ship 98, pinpointed the EMP source?"
"Insufficient traces and data. Confirmed internal origin only."
"Means it's somewhere inside. Mix cyborgs, androids, and drones for guard shifts."
"Insufficient cyborgs on hull."
"...Tch, fill the gaps with screamers."
"Acknowledged."
Just hold out twelve hours. That's what Kainesque thought.
He realized it was a miscalculation three hours later.
All cameras and lights in the ship's corridors went dark.
"Damn it! Just cameras and lights out? The reactor hasn't been hit, has it?"
"Reactor nominal. Wiring faults detected. Suspected external cause."
"And still no camera footage? That make any sense?"
He couldn't wrap his head around it.
The ship had hundreds of cameras—not just standard surveillance, but high-end ones with thermal imaging and multi-spectrum vision.
Critical areas had overlapping coverage to eliminate blind spots.
Evading all that was impossible.
He strained to make sense of the inexplicable crisis, but the real disaster was just beginning.
"Cyborgs 31 through 35 in wiring sector—contact lost. No vital signs."
"What?"
He pulled up their biometrics in a hurry. Ship 98's report was accurate.
Five cyborg signals showed blacked out.
The intruder had launched a full assault.
"All guard units, brace for attack! Use every weapon you've got—kill that thing however you can!"
"Damn it!"
"Vision switch complete."
"Defense ready."
The six combat androids reacted instantly to the order.
Far more mechanical-looking than Mega Corp models, their performance was top-tier too.
Unlike Mega Corp's fears of machine uprisings that stifled robot development, Star Union faced no such limits and kept refining them.
Quadruped walkers, five-armed dual-headed models, and more—optimized for combat beyond human form. They powered up their weapons.
All equipped with heavy launchers: stormgun upgrades boosting firepower and rate of fire exponentially.
Resembling multiple rocket launchers, they unleashed devastating barrages from clustered barrels—but at the cost of accuracy. Even unmodified cyborgs struggled to control them, so Star Union androids handled them primarily.
In a straight corridor like this one-way killzone, though, low accuracy was hardly a drawback.
"Shoot on sight!"
"Affirmative."
The two cyborgs, each controlling three androids positioned on either side of the corridor, manned drone terminals. They'd normally join the fight, but with drone control down, that wasn't feasible.
Precise drone control required monitoring via terminals like this.
As they operated, spherical drones with three gun barrels lifted into the air.
Star Union support drones—perfect for detecting invisible foes or augmenting android vision.
Finally, they tuned their special camera eyes to thermal mode. The pitch-black corridor offered no visibility otherwise.
Preparations complete, the two cyborgs tensely watched front and rear.
The thermal grayscale corridor showed no sign of life—not even an ant. It was so eerily still, hard to believe they were being hunted.
Only faint hull creaks and static. In this atmosphere, even those sounded alien.
'Static?'
The rear-guarding cyborg tried focusing but the noise nagged. His augmented brain flagged it as critical.
He finally tweaked his auditory systems.
Sounds amplified—like something soft slapping solid metal.
'What the...?'
It reminded him of barefoot steps on deck before his leg mods. As his gaze shifted toward the source, his forward partner slapped his shoulder.
"What?"
"Shh."
His partner pointed down the corridor. Where only darkness should be, faint heat bloomed from a living thing at the end.
Then dozens of small heat signatures rushed toward them.
"Damn! Open fire!"
"Heavy launcher active."
A torrent of depleted uranium rounds erupted from the grotesque androids—hundreds per second, each packing serious punch, shredding the horde.
"Beep—evading enemy detected."
"Countermeasure complete."
The things—no, they—clung to walls and ceiling to dodge.
But that's why the support drones were deployed. They relayed real-time movements to the androids amid the barrage.
The fight ended swiftly. Confirming enemy annihilation, the androids ceased fire, and the cyborgs stepped forward.
"Wanted to see what they were, but this..."
"Yeah."
Heavy launchers vaporized heads and torsos on humanoids. Few left identifiable remains.
The largest remnant was half a torso from one.
"Fucking ugly bugs."
"For bugs, those teeth are overkill. Look at those chompers—not human, that's for sure."
"Creepy enough for nightmares."
Repulsed by the mangled corpse, they spat curses.
"Might be more of these bastards. Report to the captain first, then..."
The cyborg froze mid-sentence.
That noise again. His gaze snapped to the ceiling.
'Drones... gone?'
The three drones that had been there vanished.
He whipped around to alert his partner.
The instant he turned, warm liquid splashed his face.
"Cough?!"
His partner's cough followed. In thermal, the figure floated up, then split into thirds.
"K-Kill it!"
Horrified, the cyborg backpedaled behind the androids.
But they didn't react. Unbelievable for the killing machines that had just unleashed hell.
"Shoot it! Kill the damn thing!"
"No enemy detected."
"Fire... arghhhh!"
The androids met the same gruesome end. Invisible claws rent them apart mercilessly.
A five-armed one's limbs tore free, synthetic oil spilling. The quadruped's body split, slamming into walls and ceiling.
The vast corridor, once reeking only of metal, filled with blood and petroleum stench. The acrid mix snapped the panicking cyborg awake.
'R-Run!'
He bolted down the corridor, desperate to escape. Distant gunfire echoed faintly in his ears.
Similar carnage elsewhere.
'H-Hide!'
A door caught his eye—supply closet for cyborg rations. He yanked it open, dove in, and huddled in a corner.
'This should be safe!'
Cyborg rations had a tire-like stench matching their taste. It'd mask him.
Crouched and silent, outside noises sharpened. The gunfire from before still raged.
Not going well elsewhere. He swallowed hard.
'Someone, please come!'
As if Great Leader Jubaka heard his prayer, the door creaked open. He glanced over—nothing visible.
'Why can't I see... wait.'
Dread hit him. Cautiously, he switched from thermal to vibration-linked vision mode.
A new world unfolded.
Spilled rations from his frantic entry. Neatly stacked crates. And a forked tail.
'Tail?'
His eyes traced up to pincer-tipped claws.
Four sturdy legs propping it, armored in chitin and fur.
A thick torso and four arms—ripped muscle under hard shell, ending in four razor claws that had shredded androids and cyborgs.
And atop it, a head.
Elongated cold-blooded maw like a reptile's, massive cranial crest extending back, six massive horns—"it" glared down.
"Impressive. Can't hide from vibrations, huh."
Despite the ordinary woman's voice from its mouth, he found no comfort.
What he saw was splitting its jaws wide, closing in.
After devouring the cyborg in the storeroom in one go, I picked up a fallen ration pack.
'Cyborgs don't taste great.'
Meat's decent enough, but all the metal bits make it gritty. Like gnawing bare-boned ribs.
'How's this?'
I popped the unopened ration pouch in my mouth whole.
'Hmmmmm. Subtle.'
Star Union rations were thicker and harsher than pure cocoa I'd tried before. Better flavor than Mega Corp calorie bars, but worse texture.
'Save these for after I take the ship.'
To dominate the ship, I'd implant parasites in the captain and useful-looking cyborgs first.
Why the hassle? Two reasons. First, prep for any cyborgs from other ships contacting this one. Detached for repairs, the flagship might check in midway.
'Mainly because I can't use assimilation tendrils.'
That's the real crux. No tendrils means no Nightmare Horizon to assimilate the ship wholesale.
'Can't even confirm assimilation viability.'
To control it, I'd need to drop 'Intelligent Weakling' state and use tendrils. 'Organic Evolution' cooldown is a month—not quick. So minimize risks before then.
'Time to clean up elsewhere.'
Exiting the storeroom, I moved down the corridor. Distant rampages from Number 26, Adhai, and Heaven's Mother echoed.
'They must've been bored.'
Once corridors are cleared, regroup and seize key facilities.
As I thought that, a presence stirred ahead. Heavy breathing heralded its arrival.
｢Kuuu｣｢Kuuu｣
'Screamer.'
Prior combat showed androids and drones couldn't detect me. But that last cyborg had sensed me pre-fight.
'Can't mask sound or vibration.'
'Fur Pelt of Unknown Creature' disrupts sensors via fur, but not noise or vibes.
Enhanced suckers let me move quietly, but biology has limits.
'Wonder how screamers handle it...'
｢Kuuu｣｢Enemy detected. Eliminate.｣｢Kuuu｣
'Oh.'
Unlike hoped, the screamer fixed bloodshot eyes on me.
Half-human, half-machine monstrosity lunged on six metal legs.