Chapter 7

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Translator: Silver Dragon

Chapter: 7

Chapter Title: Freaky Shenanigans (2) (Revised)

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A few more days passed since then.

I've started getting used to life aboard this ship.

"Time to rise and shine."

Every morning, Orca comes to wake me up.

Right after getting out of bed, I get a report on anything unusual that happened while I was asleep.

If there's nothing out of the ordinary, my daily routine kicks off.

I take a stroll through the ship's corridors or hit the onboard gym to pass the time.

Once that's done, I head to the mess hall for chow.

Well, calling it a mess hall is generous—it's got one fatal flaw: nothing but pre-packaged rations.

Still, eating with a bit of atmosphere wasn't half bad.

After scarfing down the rations, I head to the gallery to catch up on posts.

I chat with the gallery folks all day long until nightfall, and that's when my routine wraps up.

I've been repeating this cycle for days now.

Then Orca dropped some seriously bad news.

"Captain, we've got an issue with the ship's resource stockpiles."

"Resource issue?"

"Fuel reserves are down to just seven days' worth."

"Fuel shortage? I thought this ship ran on infinite power."

"The law of conservation of energy says infinite power isn't possible."

It was a straight-up resource crunch.

And it turned out fuel wasn't the only problem.

"Spare parts are at about one month's supply too."

The components needed for ship repairs were starting to dwindle.

On top of that, my everyday consumables were running low as well.

At this rate, the ship could grind to a halt right in the middle of deep space.

The more I read the comments, the more bewildered I got.

Space convenience stores were shocking enough.

But casinos, hotels, and stock exchanges too?

What kind of world is this?

I immediately asked Orca.

"Orca, what's our current funds situation?"

"Right away, Captain. Your current balance: 0 gold."

"...So I'm flat broke, huh?"

As expected, my pockets were empty.

I headed back to the gallery.

I'm a total penniless bum... not a single coin to my name.

So now what? Just starve?

I searched Space Engineer's post list.

Before getting supplies, there's something you gotta know.

Brutal truth: us humans count as Anomalies, so even scavenging racks up Anomaly stacks.

That's why even grabbing a meal means sweating whether it'll stack or not.

So pick your supply methods carefully.

Main ways to get supplies:

1. Raid

2. Tribute

3. Buy

4. Rewards

1 and 2 stack Anomaly like crazy per go, so not for newbies.

Most go with 3: buying.

But you're broke, right?

Leaves you with 4: rewards.

How? On the bridge panel, there's an "Anomaly Status Board."

Use that to pick up Anomaly extermination quests.

Reward items don't stack Anomaly, so most folks sustain on these.

Me included.

Bottom line: Take an Anomaly quest and clear it.

Note: Can take days to months, so start ASAP.

After reading the whole thing, it finally clicked—a path forward.

'No such thing as a free lunch, huh.'

No choice.

Grab a quest before rations run out and snag rewards.

Decision made, I got moving.

"Orca, pull up the Anomaly Status Board on the main screen."

"Yes, sir."

Looks like I pick one of the three options at the bottom.

'Which one?'

When in doubt, ask the crowd.

I tapped the crystal to open the gallery.

◎ [Lv.1] Infected Entity Alert

◎ [Lv.1] Ether Contact

◎ [Lv.1] Faint Rescue Signal

First one's like the mission with those things I beheaded yesterday.

No clue on Ether Contact.

Feels kinda tough?

Last one pulls me in personally.

Just go with the last one?

I couldn't decide easily and kept mulling it over.

Maybe my hesitation frustrated them?

The gallery started flooding with advice.

Soon they split: easy #1 camp vs. juicy-reward #3 camp, kicking off a full-blown flame war.

Unable to stand the gallery burning, I stepped in to calm things with a decision.

Manly choice: going with #3.

Accepted the quest, brb.

The gallery erupted in cheers.

I hit the event accept button right away.

Right then, ship AI Orca spoke up.

"Captain, a faint rescue signal has been received on the comms terminal. You can check it on the panel."

I replied instantly.

"Play the signal."

"Yes, sir."

The main screen switched to the comms panel.

It showed two signals detected.

"Play the signals."

Then playback began.

The message was full of garbled bits.

Heavy static made it cut out constantly.

Still, I could piece together the gist.

"Analysis: Ship attacked by unknown entity. Final message from crew to homeworld."

I agreed with Orca's take.

But the end was puzzling.

Why beg them not to rescue?

Under attack, you'd call for help.

But the guy said don't come.

"Possibility of lethal pathogen spreading aboard."

If Orca's right, it fits.

Some fatal infected entity got in.

Overran the ship after desperate last stand, crew perished gloriously.

Telling rescuers to stay away to prevent spread to homeworld.

"That seems the most logical for now."

Infected entity invasion.

Familiar territory for me.

Happened right when I boarded.

Then Orca chimed in.

"Captain, new info."

"New info?"

"Yes. Another signal from the same point."

My eyes went wide.

Orca said,

"Play it?"

"Yes."

"Roger."

I crossed my arms, waiting.

'First message said ignore all further rescue signals. So second's probably one.'

If right, monsters who took the ship sent it.

"Playing message."

This one was from a woman.

Longer than the first.

But static was brutal—hard to parse.

Still, got the broad strokes.

"This is from the survey ship's chief researcher. Analysis: Team found something in Room-Mriya sector, contacted unknown intelligent life. Got hit with lethal microbes, leads into first message."

I nodded.

Second had worse static, tough to nail details.

But overall picture emerged.

"Something off though?"

"What do you mean?"

"The rescue teams."

One oddity stood out.

First message: no rescue, emphatically.

Second: send rescue.

Direct contradiction.

That's what bugged me.

"Why warn to ignore the second in the first?"

First seemed to predict the rescue request.

And it did request.

"How'd the first aliens know?"

Natural question.

Why no rescue?

"Don't send rescue. Ignore rescue requests. Sounds like 'trap, stay away.'"

Anyone'd smell a rat.

Don't know exactly what went down.

But one thing clear.

"Something's waiting for us."

Regretting my pick.

Atmosphere's too creepy.

Should've gone easy #1.

"Sigh. No choice if I don't wanna starve."

Decision locked.

Whatever swallowed that ship.

Gotta see its face to settle this.

"Orca, time to signal origin?"

"Estimated: 1 day, 3 hours, 35 minutes."

"Set course now. Let's check it out."

"Aye aye."

Engines roared to life.

Stars ahead warped into a point, swirling like a storm.

The point grew.

Ship plunged into the wormhole.

Bow vanished first, then the rest followed.

Whoosh!

Inside: a breathtaking, majestic vista like heaven itself.

"Whoa..."

Awe slipped out.

Wanna show the gallery too.

Snap!

Waiting for comments, grinning.

What'll they say? Probably love it or call it cute.

Notifications pinged.

I beamed, opening comments.

The comment section was pure chaos.

What the hell?

What happened while I was gone?

Here's what went down.

After I accepted the quest, gallery expected quick return.

Made sense, based on my usual pace.

Issue: I spent over three hours analyzing messages, no gallery visits.

They thought minutes tops, got bored when I didn't show, started meme-ing.

Proof in hot posts.

Scanning the list, I could only laugh dryly.

What a spectacle.

Started as joke bait.

But rolled into real "Anomaly" theories.

"These punks turn me into a freak just cuz bored?"

I hit post button pronto.

You wanna die?

Came to post quest analysis, but you couldn't wait and torched the gallery?

Bad kids need punishment.

Got ship distress signal, but not posting today.

Reflect hard till tomorrow.

Be good boys by then.

The gallery lost its mind.