220: Hooked ※

This story is told from Vee's perspective.

Please note.

"Hm?"

The Carnival Viper has arrived at the Vanilla Sid system.

According to plan, we're supposed to approach the guide colony, undergo scanning, spend a day confirming whether Satu's presence in the Vanilla Sid system has caused any noticeable effects, and gather information from our side.

But Satu has already spoken up, suggesting something is amiss.

"Satu, is something wrong?"

"No, I think it was just a misperception?"

"Are you questioning it?"

"No, I can't see it now, so it must have been a mistake, but it felt unusually clear when I saw it."

It seems something strange was spotted.

Yet, the way he spoke sounded hesitant, as if he was struggling to find the right words.

Perhaps I should prompt him a bit.

"Satu, what did you see?"

"Um, there's a guide colony, right?"

"Yes, there is."

I thought I saw something pale blue peering at me from within its shadow...

...

I see, something inexplicable has come into view.

But I couldn't see it with my own eyes, nor could the notes from their perspective.

Though depicted in a drawing, it resembles a jellyfish with eyes that look as if drawn by a child, and is not something easily mistaken for an object on the guide colony's surface.

It's hard to describe—either a case of mistaken vision, or suddenly seeing something odd and out of place. Even Satu would be at a loss about this.

"?"

"Memo, what's wrong?"

Now it was Memo who seemed to have noticed something, tilting their head in confusion.

"No, I'm just looking at the 'Anisotropic Mirror'—it's reacting, but there's unusually high noise in the Vanilla Sid system..."

"Can't we just adjust and eliminate it? Once the guide colony scan is complete, Johalis should be able to help with Memo’s issue as well."

"Yes, that should be the case... but it's odd. It's definitely not a malfunction, yet it doesn't seem to be something that can be resolved by adjusting Memo alone."

It appears something strange is also happening with Memo herself.

After hearing more details, it seems the source of the noise might be somewhere within the Vanilla Sid system.

"Strange indeed. I can't imagine there being a different OS within the Vanilla Sid system that would react to the 'Hetero Mirror,' and if there were a peculiar entity like Satou mentioned, I'd have seen something similar before..."

"Yes, it's certainly odd."

"That's right. It's a peculiar situation."

For some reason, it seems the cause behind what Satou saw and what Memo is detecting through the 'Hetero Mirror' might be the same.

However, it's hard to tell whether this has been going on since before or only recently...

"Scanning of the Guide Colony has been successfully completed. That means the 'Carnival Viper' gets a full day off now."

"Good work. Lord Joharlis."

"Good work. Joharlis."

And with that, Joharlis approaches, having smoothly concluded the procedures for scanning and docking.

"No, it was quite a hassle. Something strange seemed to pass by the outside of the 'Carnival Viper' during the scan, and they were all in a panic over there."

"Strange thing?"

No, it wasn't nothing at all.

We were talking, so we delayed the report, but something unusual did happen.

When we asked for specifics... it turned out the scanning device detected an elongated, wavering object that appeared to pass through alongside the 'Carnival Viper.'

However, the object couldn't be seen visually, couldn't be captured by any mod, and simply passed by as if nothing had happened.

"Just checking, but this isn't the main body of Satā, is it?"

"My true body is in the Ether Space, and I'm not located at any coordinate overlapping with the scanning device. Right now, I'm monitoring the surrounding area from a slightly distant location, checking for any immediate threats."

"That's right. Hmm, there were also some strange reactions, weren't there?"

"Lord Johalis. There's also a report from the memos."

For now, we'll share information and have Lord Johalis enter the 'Hetero Mirror' to conduct more precise detection and adjustments than the memos alone could provide.

However, nothing was detected, no reactions were observed, and it ultimately ended in failure.

"...Could there be something like a space monster lurking in this Vanilla Sid system? Something so elusive that even the 'Hetero Mirror' barely registers it?"

"I mean, the idea of an unknown cosmic beast existing right in the heart of the Empire—this isn't just some gossip, it feels like a major scoop."

"But if we keep seeing such suspicious reactions, it's reasonable to consider that something is actually there. Do you have any leads, by any chance?"

I'm sorry, Mistress Vee. Given the circumstances, I've already reported to the Machine Intelligence's Great Mother, but she seems to be deliberately ignoring it. So...

Something is definitely there.

Something so profound that even the Great Mother, the ancestor of all Machine Intelligences, remains silent about it.

"... Just to be safe, should we bring Vee and the others when we go pick up Dr. Mizion from Seiryō Corporation? I don't want to be left alone, just in case something happens while I'm away."

"That's a good idea. Shall we do that? On the way back, will it be fine if I leave my hair ornament inside the Carnival Viper's ship?"

"Yeah, that'll be fine."

There's no immediate threat expected.

After all, there's no guarantee the other side even harbors ill intent.

Yet, the situation feels too unsettling to simply do nothing.

Although our time for gathering information has been reduced, it'll be safer to move together.

"Then let's open the gate to the greenhouse first, and then the gate leading to Seiryo Corporation."

"Understood. I'll proceed accordingly."

Once the memo activated the automated response program to conceal our absence, we stepped through the gate that Satā had opened.