AutoTerra: Operating Systems

Chapter 75: Wirma Group

Black shadow clumps are silent at the end of the vent. The sides of it moved like irregular waves, both of its yellow eyes were staring blankly down, this position felt like it was waiting for something to happen.

“In your opinion, will something interesting happen later?” ask the heavy voice from within the shadow.

Another smoother-sounding voice replied calmly, “Whatever happens, Astan must be ensured congratulations.”

There was a pause just before the heavy voice said casually, “Yaaa…. That rancid bastard must be ensured congratulations.”

Those yellow eyes widened in shock, his body taking a wary stance, representing the subtle-sound's shock upon realizing the heavy voice sounded much more relaxed in his mind.

“What do you plan to do?” hiss the subtle voice was suspicious.

Even though they are in the same body, they both have their own minds. Too bad, the delicate voice could not figure out what the heavy voice was planning.

“Do you think?”

...~*~*~*~...

After the Edrick Group went to the Security Deck while trying to defeat some monsters blocking their way, the three finally made it to the front of a watchdog room. The room no longer had a door, its sides were broken like it had just been destroyed by something.

Feelings of anxiety increasingly enveloped them. The three hurriedly entered the room. Arriving inside, Edrick, Bery, and Astan are shocked to see what they have just discovered.

Farhan, Zered, and Wirma were already lying lifeless on the floor of the room. There was seepage and fresh blood on the body and around the room, the machine and some monitors were destroyed, there were electric sparks in every corner of the room, it looked very messy.

From the looks of things, there had been a bad thing happening inside the supervisory room. Something had attacked and killed these three soldiers.

“Wirma!”

Edrick rushed to Wirma's body. His body was completely scarred, blood seeped in his abdomen, the armor he was wearing was broken, and his helmet was off his head revealing his feet in death.

Bery and Astan also examine the bodies of Farhan and Zered who ended up the same. No breathing and pulse, some limbs even begin to feel cold.

“We're late,” murmured Astan lethargic.

“What happened here?” bery asked, not accepting. “What monsters managed to kill them?”

Edrick does not want to be soaked in grief, trying to think clearly again. Things like this will definitely happen when the mission they carry is quite difficult. There will be many lives at stake.

His eyes looked around the room and then at the broken door. “Something has broken through this room, attacking them blindly. Most likely a monster. And the monsters that attacked them were very strong.”

Bery grimaced in horror at hearing that. If it was true that the monsters that attacked the Wirma Group were that strong, there was a possibility that they would also become the next victim.

“Soal Group Tenma.” Instant talk seriously, “They have long been unable to contact. Did they also have the same fate as the Wirma Vice Group?”

Edrick tried to think. The incident that occurred in the Wirma Group resulted in communication being cut off suddenly. There was a high chance that the Tenma Group had also been targeted by this kind of monster from the very beginning.

The question is, what kind of monster has attacked them?

“We will know if go looking for the last whereabouts of the Tenma Group,” Edrick advises. “But before, we should check the evidence belong to Wirma Group.”

Edrick's hand tries to fumble around Wirma's armour. There's something weird. The existence of evidence contains important data such as flash is not around the body Wirma.

“This is weird...”.

“Why?” astan asked in astonishment at the chairman's puzzled reaction.

“Wirma does not hold a flash or evidence that he got,” said Edrick while thinking.

“Or actually, they have not found the evidence sought,” guess Bery anyway.

Edrick shook his head in response to the two of them. “Cannot be. Wirma had said that they had obtained the evidence of the recording. Usually, important objects in the system storage that will be handed over to others will be issued automatically when the user is dead. Supposedly, that important thing was around Wirma's body. But I didn't find him at all. Try looking around Farhan and Zered's body. If it is still not found, we search the whole room.”

“Good, Chairman.”

As per orders, Astan and Bery checked around the bodies of the two soldiers. The results were the same, nothing was found around them. The three also tried to find evidence obtained by Wirma around the room, but they also found nothing. Edrick also re-examined the AutoTerra System on the bodies of Wirma and his colleagues through Hack Ability. Unfortunately, nothing important was found.

“It seems, the item has been lost.”

“Lost?” ask Bery wonder, “taken who?”

Edrick let out a sigh. “Maybe accidentally dragged or swallowed by the monster that attacked them.”

“Aaah…. One other important piece of evidence is missing,” muttered Astan irritated. “What we try to re-collect important data in this room.”

“Cannot. All machines here are broken.”

Astan snorted annoyed. If this is the case, they will lack evidence to submit to the BioEmerald trial.

“There is no other option. We will go look for the whereabouts of the Tenma Group while finding out what creatures have attacked the Wirma Group. Who knows we can get the missing evidence,” Edrick's advice in the end. “If we don't find anything else. We had to go back to base with the evidence we have now. It was better than going home empty-handed or not being able to return at all.”

Astan and Bery sigh. If it's like that, what can I do. They also could not constantly force themselves to browse through this space shuttle. If you have got evidence even though it is not as expected, at least it is more mending than not getting anything.

But before leaving, they covered up the bodies of their comrades first using white cloths carried in the system storage, praying, and apologizing for their delay.

May Wirma and his two companions settle down on the side of the Almighty.

...~*~*~*~...

Edrick, Astan, and Bery are now on the Public Deck, precisely in the Administration section where the existence of the Tenma Group was last seen. As Wirma said earlier, the surveillance cameras around the office area were all damaged, even the road to some corridors looked dark.

While searching for a road that the Tenma Group might have crossed, Astan accidentally discovers that Zered's drone has been destroyed lying on the floor. He crouched down, checked the drone.

“This is not Zered's drone?” ask Astan when lifting drone debris.

Bery and Edrick approached him holding their respective weapons, taking note of the state of the destroyed drone.

“Wirma had said that Zered sent his drone to search for the existence of the Tenma Group,” said Edrick.

“Drone this ends here.”

The three turned their gazes towards one dark corridor before them.

“There is a possibility of the Tenma Group entering this corridor,” guess Astan.

“What we try to check?” ask Bery.

In the end, Edrick agreed. “We will go there.”

The three of them ran into the corridor. From this path, they would most likely find an answer as to why the Tenma Group had lost contact with them. Is it the same fate as the Wirma Group or is there some other reason?

I don't know what kind of danger lurks them. Ready or unprepared, they have to face it.

...~*~*~*~...