Apocalypse Survival Guide

Chapter 12. Destruction of Daily Life (12)

"... I feel like I've lost ten years of my life."

Nadia shivered with lingering anxiety as she uttered those words. She had a pitiful expression, claiming that she couldn't unclench her grip on the crane control lever.

"Thanks to you, we're safe. Your skills from operating the power loader haven't gone to waste."

I reached out to pry open Nadia's clenched hand. Her hand, which was icy cold, finally warmed up when it touched mine.

Instead of the lever, Nadia held onto my hand tightly. Since she was holding it, she leaned into me as if to share more warmth.

"It might have been a bit different, but I'm glad it worked. I don't think I could do it again if you asked..."

"I don't want to experience something like that again, either."

The monsters appeared so horrendous that just looking at them made my heart pound, and facing them directly made my mind feel like it was breaking from sheer tension.

Whether it was from exposure to the blue crystal ore or accumulated fatigue, I kept getting headaches—an ache that felt like my brain itself was being squeezed tightly, making even my eyes throb.

Nadia made a whining sound, her tail drooping.

"My head hurts..."

"Mine, too. It's probably because we haven't had a proper rest since leaving the shuttle."

Even in an environment where we couldn't rest even if we wanted to, now that we were in a secured place, I was confident I'd pass out the moment I closed my eyes. That would be the same for Nadia.

However, it wasn't the time to completely relax just yet.

"Did we drop all the monsters?"

"I checked thoroughly with the external cameras. Since we don't see any inside the cargo hold, it should be clear. No, it is clear."

Nadia manipulated the external cameras here and there as she declared. She assured me we didn't need to worry even if a monster clung to the vehicle's undercarriage, as it would naturally get ground off on the rough terrain.

As Nadia said, Titan, Saturn's moon, had a fairly rugged landscape. Terraforming hadn't been fully completed, causing inconsistent hail or blizzards that piled up and cracked, making it impossible for the ground to level out.

Deep crevasses also formed unexpectedly, adding to the treacherous terrain. That's why travel was mainly done by shuttle, with this kind of orbital vehicle being the next option.

As the icy wind that came through the broken window battered our tired, swollen faces, a small knocking echoed from the ceiling of the cockpit.

Carry seemed to tap with its helper arms, checking whether we hadn't forgotten about it.

"Looks like it wants to be with us."

"Probably, since it's such a people-loving one."

Whether it was initially programmed that way or had learned that it was better to behave so over time, Carry didn't particularly like being alone.

"But there's no place to put it in here."

Nadia glanced around the cockpit with a troubled look. The space was so cramped that it was impossible to lie down. Carry wasn't small, so for it to come in, we would have to leave.

Carry wasn't like a greedy desert camel trying to occupy a tent, so it probably wasn't hoping for that.

'The cargo hold is spacious, but...'

But there was no heater there. While it could block out the blizzard, being in the empty cargo hold was a sure way to freeze to death.

While pondering how to be together, I lifted my head as the cold wind blew in from the broken window. And then, a good idea came to me.

"Carry, you won't fit entirely, but how about just sticking your head in?"

【BEEP-】

I couldn't tell if it liked the idea or not, but decided to proceed as I imagined. I borrowed the cutting laser from Carry's helper arms to tidy up the mess of broken glass in the window as cleanly as possible, matching the frame to Carry's size.

Though external cameras were equipped, the cockpit was mostly made of wide glass panes for the pilot's visibility. That meant, by moving over a bit, Nadia and I could make space for Carry to be with us.

Like now.

"See, how's this? Now it can join us with its head at least. Plus, it blocks the cold wind. Ah, it's finally getting a bit warmer."

I proudly looked at the scene I had set up with my own hands. Carry was filling in the space of the cockpit glass, with half its body still outside.

"... Is this okay?"

"Why not? It's killing two birds with one stone."

Although it was a bit funny-looking, there was no better solution.

"..."

Nadia looked at me and Carry alternately with a speechless expression. Seeing her hollow-eyed face made me wonder if something was wrong, so I looked at Carry again.

【(⩌_⩌ )】

Carry wore a curiously dissatisfied expression, as if saying it wasn't fine. Its lens caught my gaze, and quickly switched expressions.

【ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌ )】

"Looks like Carry is fine with it?"

"No, um. ... Yeah, since you say it's the best we can do, I suppose."

【(⩌‸⩌ )】

Having solved our issues, we decided to rest while heading to the residential area. As the heaters began functioning, the cockpit's warmth rose quickly.

With warmth embracing us, my eyelids grew so heavy that even moving a finger was a struggle. It felt like something invisible was holding my body down.

"How long will it take?"

"Taking the orbital vehicle means we'll have to go a bit out of the way. So about... three hours, Hyun-woo."

"Three hours..."

From the shuttle crash site to Base Heaven took roughly six hours. Unlike the airborne shuttle, the orbital vehicle was a ground transport influenced by the terrain.

Since it could only move given the relatively gentle terrain, the distance we needed to cover was long. We had to avoid crevasses and mountain-like formations.

"Then let's sleep right away."

"Both of us?"

"Yeah."

Given the situation at the base, it would be wise for one of us to remain awake and take turns sleeping. But that was a decision to be made only if we had enough strength left.

Three hours. Too ambiguous to call long, yet too short to call brief. Even if we slept right now, it was doubtful if it would be enough time to sufficiently recover our stamina.

"Carry will keep watch in the meantime. Right, Carry? I'll get you new parts when we reach the residential area."

【ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌ )】

"You're the best, Carry."

I could trust Carry's monitoring mode. It was the first to notice the monsters approaching near the tunnels.

Outside, a thick blizzard was swirling by now. Visibility was less than five meters.

If we hadn't secured the orbital vehicle, we would have been buried in this blizzard, wandering aimlessly until freezing to death. Or get surrounded and killed by the monsters.

'Battery levels are fine.'

The condition of the cargo orbital vehicle was, to be honest, far from perfect. Several minor malfunctions were listed in the system record.

It was a vehicle we boarded without knowing its condition. As long as it functioned, we didn't wish for anything more, and for that, it sufficed.

'Just need to hold on for one more day...'

Reflecting again on the thought I constantly had while mining in dark and damp tunnels, Nadia and I closed our eyes.

Then, the fatigue awaited, as if in ambush, pulled consciousness beneath the waves of sleep. Soon, all that could be heard was our breathing, which faded like a mirage not long after.

***

【BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP!】

Carry's alarm tone echoed in my ears, indicating the allotted time had passed. I could hear the sound, but my eyes wouldn't open.

"Ugh..."

It felt like I had only blinked, yet it was already time to wake up. The despair of that realization almost brought me to tears.

When I struggled to open my eyes, Nadia was in a similar state. Like me, she responded to Carry's alarm, pricking up her ears, but that was about it.

She made a feeble attempt to close her mouth, slumping as she mumbled something akin to "ugh," occasionally twitching her ears and tail as if she was shocked.

'This is tough.'

Though the splitting pain gnawed at us, it wasn't a bad feeling. To feel this pain, to be alive and experiencing it was perhaps a kind of blessing.

"... Carry, stop the alarm. My head's splitting."

I fumbled and tapped Carry's monitor, then rose with great effort. Checking the cockpit monitor, I learned we were nearing the residential area.

Though the sky was still dark and the blizzard fierce, making it hard to see the residential area, its light faintly glimmered. The storm hit the dome-like barrier, scattering light across the snow.

"Nadia, hang in there a bit longer. We're almost at the residential area."

"Urgh... I definitely slept, but it feels like I haven't... My back hurts from being hunched, my head aches, and my whole body feels like it's been hit with a hammer..."

"Same here. But we have to get up."

"Ugh..."

Nadia managed to sit up despite her creaky movements, unbecoming of her age. She looked at the blizzard blowing beyond the cockpit and asked.

"It's still relentless. Hyun-woo, we're not heading straight in, right?"

"Yeah. Let's leave the vehicle here and go."

The barrier surrounding the residential area didn't obstruct objects from crossing it, precisely only at the designated entrances. While we could've driven the cargo orbital vehicle directly into the residential area, we decided against it.

Mainly because we didn't know what condition the inside was in.

If the residential area was intact unlike the base, enduring a little longer would finish things up. But if it was hell, like the base had become, we'd need an escape means left behind. A beacon of hope.

Of course, the best outcome would be that the residential area was intact, we receive help, and safely board a shuttle to leave this icy moon.

Carrying more hope than despair in our hearts, we parked the orbital vehicle between the nearby rock formations. As the tracks slowly stopped, the engine noise that tickled my eardrums died away, and the vibration from below ceased.

As I was about to remove Carry from the window, it occurred to me to speak.

"Once we remove Carry, we won't have anything to fill that space."

"And that matters because?"

"It'll mean we can't immediately get back into the cockpit in a hurry if there's an emergency."

It's normal for it to snow constantly on this icy moon. Abandoning a vehicle with a broken window here would mean, before long, the cockpit would likely fill with snow.

Just as Nadia opened her mouth to respond, Carry opened a transport box faster. Wondering why, I peeked in, finding my tattered work suit inside. The one I discarded, now in rags.

Carry pointed an arrow at it on the monitor, suggesting we use it.

"When did you pack that?"

"I was going to think it over, but Carry solved it. We can use it to block the window."

Hoping not to return to find a cockpit filled with snow, Nadia and I disembarked the orbital vehicle. The harsh whistle of the wind and the soft crunch of snow greeted us as we adjusted our respiratory protectors.

The base was right in front of us. Bidding farewell to the orbital vehicle that brought us safely here, Nadia and I walked toward the faintly flickering lights.

Whoosh—

Ice grains, slightly thicker than snow, tapped gently against our bodies. Those spots melted from our breath on the protective glass, turning into droplets that spattered down.

Our white breath briefly dancing in the air dissipated suddenly in the gusting wind, so strong that Nadia's tail tucked between her legs.

Without a word, we braved the blizzard, leaving footprints behind us. Unlike the soft wave-like snow elsewhere, the distinct traces showed the passage of humans.

When we reached the barrier of the residential area, Nadia and I exchanged glances briefly before stepping through.

Honestly, I had long let go of the expectation that the residential area would be intact. If it were, communications would not still be down, nor would the barrier still be opaque.

As communication remained cut, the dreadful howls I never wanted to hear echoed in my mind. Our faces darkened naturally, but we hoped for at least a shelter; for us not to be the only ones left.

Finally, upon crossing the barrier, what greeted us was a burnt down and fiery residential area.

"... Of course."

As shattered hope loomed over us, I clutched my tools tightly. Charred figures scurried madly beyond the flames. It seemed unavoidable that we'd have to fight to find a safe place.

Should we retreat to the orbital vehicle and flee elsewhere, or endure here?

Not everything was over yet, as the option of a shuttle remained, so bowing to despair couldn't yet be justified. We believed that and braced ourselves to face the impending crisis.

Then, out of the blue, an incoming transmission alert from my bracelet shook the silence.

- Lee Hyun-woo? Are you still alive?

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
The broker is alive. She's probably the other girl in the cover aside from Nadia.