Chapter 46

Tick… Tiddidic… Tick….

The intermittent sound scratches the nerves as sand grains hit the helmet, blown by the wind.

Initially, those who were annoyed became busy guarding their surroundings, perhaps feeling the unusualness upon arriving at the accident scene and confirming its reality.

“…Engineer? Has the cause of the accident been identified?”

“…It seems the vehicle was old, and the automatic navigation system malfunctioned.”

This is one hundred percent certain information.

I personally drove the driver’s seat and accessed the vehicle’s navigation system, confirming this several times.

The command was entered to drive to a settlement located four hours away from the Harvest Planet Gate. It was only that the worn-out sensors were confused and could not distinguish between the road and the edges covered in sand, causing the crash.

Then… what was the uncertain information that tense the police?

Having completed their search of the surroundings and cargo hold, they reported to Helena.

“…There are no footprints or traces at all.”

“Are you sure you were watching live footage? Not a slightly delayed recording??”

“…”

A flustered Helena asked about the start of the incident.

It was glaringly obvious that the entire group was anxiously waiting for my answer, but it was hard to open my mouth easily.

The trailer lay as seen here. But where did the smugglers onboard it disappear to?

There are no blood traces, no signs of escape, and no footprints remaining besides the path we came.

Even if a sandstorm was not raging, if they could escape while disguising their destination in such a short time, they would not have been detected during entry in the first place.

If that many people did not vanish into thin air, it would be more reasonable to view it as a kind of mishap witnessed by a rookie engineer, just one month into the job, due to operational incompetence.

However, even if I were to assume I made a miscalculation…

It is logically difficult to explain how a large trailer could fall down the slope without a drop of blood spilled.

This feels as if it were an empty vehicle from the start….

“…Team Leader? How about we stop here and move on?”

“But we still need to find survivors or investigate the circumstances of the accident….”

“…That’s why I’m saying we should stop!”

The sudden loud voice silenced the entire room.

Perhaps I was not alone in reaching the chilling conclusion, as a rare police officer chimed in to support her opinion.

While wandering through countless communities on the network during leisure time, it’s often that urban legends overflowing with mere suspicion flood in rather than genuinely useful information.

If there were indeed real evidence, it wouldn’t just end as a simple urban legend, but testimonies about strange phenomena and conspiracy theories about corporations dominate.

And these creepy pasta-like anecdotes always come with the same advice.

‘If you’ve had your fill of fun, just go on your way. Don’t dig too deep.’

Even if the motive was pure curiosity or responsibility, if you reach out wanting to touch the monster under the bed… if you truly draw out its reality…

…there’s no guarantee that your sleeve or fingers will return unscathed when you pull your arm back.

“I’m sorry! I think I made a mistake.”

As soon as I judged that lingering here would yield no progress, I quickly lowered my head. It was obvious that quarreling among subordinates wouldn’t solve anything, so it seemed better to provide a reason to step back.

Helena, who reluctantly boarded due to my consideration, agreed with an uneasy tone.

“…If that’s the case.”

I understood. Even someone like me, hiding in the rear and having detected the smuggling, felt unsettled that they all vanished; how much more so for her, who had actually taken those people?

This will make the way home, and even upon arrival, rather tense.

First, let’s check whether I made a foolish mistake or not.

Kang, Kang, Kang…!!

While others brushed off the dust, I quickly dashed across the checkpoint and flung open the door to the control room inside.

I glued myself to the control panel and replayed the recorded video over and over again. From the moment of filming to the vehicle crashing, I meticulously checked in case there were any individuals who might have slipped away while we were rushing, but I only reaffirmed that I had not made a mistake.

Ultimately, no meaningful gains were made.

“…What the hell is going on!”

In frustration, I spun the chair I was sitting in.

At the very least, knowing whether the investigation regarding the smugglers was being directly overseen by the command structure, and whether their expulsion was considered, could have helped outline what happened….

“Uh…?”

Did I leave it earlier? Or did Anne briefly come back?

I was a bit hazy about my surroundings because I was focused on the camera. However, the device of hers resting on the corner table still caught my eye at this moment.

“……”

I really hope Anne understands that this isn’t a matter of invading her privacy; it’s just the temporary borrowing of her authority.

In a situation where dozens of people’s whereabouts are unknown, I’m sure she would overlook this to some extent. It would be even better if she never knew.

Just until Helena gathers herself…! Having made up my mind for a quick glance, I stealthily moved to snatch up the device with a good grip.

I cautiously injected signals into it, like a surgeon performing an operation.

Even if I managed to breach it after failing, since Anne is also an excellent cyber engineer, I wanted to avoid leaving any unusual records.

…But why is a holographic pad brought from outside, not supplied equipment, so thoroughly secured?!

The security system manifested within my imagination resembled a ticking bomb ready to explode. From the moment I attempted to connect, the countdown had already begun.

User ID. Temporarily patch in Anne’s records remaining in the control room’s access logs.

Password? Recall the values recently entered and slowly decrypt the encrypted data.

Just like thoroughly neutralizing an enemy, I dismantled the explosive that blocked my entry by twisting it this way and that.

With every correct value entered, multicolored wires were cut, scattering the gunpowder.

Connection successful…!

“…Let’s see, command structure… HQ….”

A staggering number of books and data appeared before me, so daunting that I dared not attempt to browse them.

What I needed were just the plans and information from the upper echelons.

Books carefully selected and sorted according to my intent floated towards me one by one, unfolding.

Wow… There’s a black box in the HQ area that can only be accessed via a wired connection due to security issues? I need to seize this opportunity wisely….

Is the Paradise company’s collection unit stationed there full-time? …That’s scary.

“…?”

What is this message?

[ Until the conclusion of the Reutilization Project, the disposition of all the unaccompanied and smuggled individuals captured at the gate shall be changed from expulsion to detention. ]

“Reutilization Project…?”

Just thinking about it, or saying it out loud, evokes a disgustingly unpleasant feeling.

Feeling something awry from the very sound of the word is indeed a really bad omen.

As I scrolled through the list of recipients of the message, it was a public notice sent to all military personnel with command structure access, a select few police officers, and collection personnel.

At least I found out that the missing people are currently detained somewhere at the gate, so one goal has been achieved. Before I disconnect, I will just read this much and wrap it up.

[ Due to an increase in recent shipments, there is a need for meticulous system maintenance and security maintenance……. ]

“Asha? Isn’t that my device…?”

“Wack?!”

Suddenly jolted by a deep-modulated sound ringing in my ears, I jumped on the spot.

At the same time, the device that slipped from my hands spun in the air before landing in Helena’s grasp and was handed to Anne.

The displeased expression of someone who was supposed to be checking the camera records now felt palpable even through the gear.

“No, um…! I was wondering if I should buy a device like this if I could….”

“Hmm… Is that so?”

Anne glanced at the return device, confirming its locked state was intact, and passed it over without further comment.

Or perhaps she was just too busy with the remaining business trip tasks to bother.

“So, have you found the people? They safely escaped from the accident scene, right?”

“Well, of course…?”

…Helena appears to be completely unaware of the suspicious public notice, so that raises a problem.

Did Anne simply forget it, or did she remember but chose not to tell Helena?

Staring at Anne’s retreating back without having sorted out my confused feelings, I… hope that my bad feeling is wrong this time.