306: Thorough Analysis and Investigation

"Let's start by thoroughly examining this medical pod. Sata, memo, Joharis."

"Got it. I'll check the medication fluid and... the insect from earlier."

"We'll analyze the software installed on the pod. There's a high likelihood it contains something unusual."

"The hardware is our end. I don't know how long it'll take to produce, but I don't think it's something we can handle with just software and mods."

Following Vilijanira's instructions, we begin examining the medical pod.

Just as we started moving, the doctor—presumably the responsible party—began frantic resistance, but was quickly silenced by imperial soldiers who injected him with two shots.

Probably the sleeping drug and my ink.

If it's Funaka, he'd likely turn someone in his own faction into a space monster if they were about to be captured, so this countermeasure makes perfect sense.

"Analysis complete. There is software that can only be activated under special procedures. It's used for manufacturing artificial humans."

It seems to be software used for control... Remarkable, even though it's an enemy. Also, there are several records that aren't normally saved in the history log. I'll begin decoding the content... Almost certainly related to the Imperial soldiers' reproduction.

Mekokushi was the first to finish the analysis.

Well, it's all pretty much as expected.

Still, if there's a device that involves Funaka's involvement... there are likely many other documents worth uncovering, so Memokshi is in for a busy time.

Um, comparing it with the specifications, these three—this one, that one, and this other one—seem to be extra devices. Ah, and this one too. Sat, could I ask you to disable it? If this one has a mod, we might end up summoning a cosmic monster from it.

Got it. I'll set out the ink.

It seemed Johalis had finished laying out everything in due course.

There were things hidden in the gaps, additions made with feigned innocence, embedded objects—various items, apparently—but as a nucleus-less slime species, Johalis used its body and knowledge to locate and retrieve them all.

And just to be safe, I’ll use my ink to disable mods to the point where Funaka can no longer interfere.

I'll document exactly how I disabled it later, so there shouldn't be any issues with analysis.

As for what was extracted... probably something like cell division promoters, or the hardware component responsible for outputting the effects of the software that Mekoshi found, something along those lines.

Still, it's coming out as if it were hidden somewhere really well.

"Hmm, hmm..."

Vilijanila is... nodding while looking at some kind of information terminal.

Probably doing something.

Then again, there's no guarantee that the device related to the imperial soldiers' reproduction is only here, so that's a reasonable move to make.

"Sata. How about you over there?"

"First off, it's certain that the liquid used in the medical pods contains several mods only used in the artificial human manufacturing equipment. The same applies to the parts Joharis extracted. So, there's no doubt that this medical pod is involved in the imperial soldiers' reproduction."

"Then, does that also confirm the doctor lying there is on Funaka's side?"

"I think it's safe to say that. Though, to Funaka, he's probably just a disposable pawn."

My analysis of the mod I was working on... well, the straightforward parts went smoothly, so I reported it normally.

Still, that mod could almost be called artistic, really.

It's so much faster than ordinary android fabrication devices, and yet it doesn't show any obvious defects—so if no issues arise during future inspections, it wouldn't be surprising if it gets reused in various places.

Then again, given that Funaka's involved, it's probably rather suspicious.

"What about those insect-like cosmic monsters?"

"Hmm, judging by what I've seen of the OS, it seems to have a unique alternate space that's neither the Ether Space nor Magatsuki's realm, and it appears to be using that space for teleportation. As for the rest... it likely possesses something capable of interfering with human consciousness, willpower, and such elements..."

"What's the relationship with Funaka?"

Can't be read from the OS. Probably the same as Magatsuki's origin—an innate cosmic monster. And since it's not a single type of cosmic monster... there must be a huge number of them in the alternate dimension.

Regarding the insect-like cosmic monster... it seems to be a natural phenomenon.

As for the connection with Funaka, I don't know exactly, but they likely formed some kind of cooperation, or perhaps Funaka studied its ecology and put it to use... either way, that's probably what happened.

"Ah, this box is the one the space monster was in, right?"

"Hmm, I see. So, this box prevents reactions from other operating systems—like 'Vanilla OS'—from leaking outside. If that's the case, then the same technology might have been used in the Magatsuki incident as well."

At that moment, Joharis seemed to have found something else.

This box is about the right size to fit the insect-like space monster I crushed.

After a quick check, I found some kind of mod that seems to block the OS—probably what kept it hidden from the 'Hikyōkyō' all along.

Yeah, I should look into this mod more carefully later, for future reference.

"Still, that's an alarming number... Sata. Any observations yet?"

"Please wait a little longer. If we're invaded by the Ether Space, things could get out of control. I want to make sure we're fully prepared first."

"Understood."

Now, all that remains is to examine what this insect-shaped space monster is like...

Let's take a peek at it, just as one might peer from Ether Space into Real Space.

Insect-shaped Space Monster: "By the way, after I was squashed, I was carefully wiped clean and placed in a storage box. After all, I'm valuable documentation."