AutoTerra: Operating Systems

Chapter 81: Shadow[an]

The system alarm went off loud all over Feron 072, the entire illumination turned into a blazing red wink. Suddenly a small shock was felt, indicating a disturbance in the engine components in the entire ship.

What the hell's going on? This incident made Astan and Edrick confused.

[Earth!]

[Earth!]

[Automatic Crushing System: On]

[Warning! The entire crew is expected to exit the ship in less than 15 minutes]

The alarm continued to sound repeatedly accompanied by a hard siren and flickering red lighting. Due to the leech from Tenma's darting corpse pressing a mysterious button, the ship's system now activates the Automatic Destroyer.

The two of them had seen the fake Tenma's body. The flesh on his body had now been transformed into a leech blob of various sizes, writhing slowly among the pools of fresh blood.

“Why can this be?” astan asked confusedly as he looked at the corpse and felt a shock on the floor.

“The button that the leech monster pressed earlier should only be the evacuation warning button— Gosh...”.

Edrick was stunned himself, realizing something odd. The button that should be used as an evacuation warning button instead switches functions as an automatic crushing button. Supposedly, this type of spacecraft has an automatic destroyer on the bridge.

If something as awkward as this happens, then only one cause, and it is closely related to all the bad acts of fake Tenma all along.

“Tenma also activates the generator in one of the booths, right?” ask Edrick about Astan.

“Sure, dia—.”

Astan pecked, realizing something. As he tries to protect Tenma from activating the generator, he confesses that he has fixed the engine, but cannot be active as well.

“As it is, the machine is still in trouble. Though, I have fixed it correctly.”

“Damn..!” Astan hissed annoyed when he remembered Tenma's words while activating the generator.

Now, Astan understood the situation. In fact, Tenma had already done something to one of the generators, so it triggered a disruption to the entire ship's engines, just as they were now experiencing.

“I let that savage sabotage the machine!” astan was upset.

Realizing that, Edrick slightly explained, “It seems, the fake Tenma has hacked the function until the performance of the entire ship system passes through one of the generator systems when we activate the Ship Core. It was possible, he randomized the general program formula, turning his formula into a trigger for the Automatic Crushing System. Not only this place that has a trigger button, button or even simple devices can trigger the destruction system.”

“Satan rancid it has planned this carefully,” murmured Astan seriously.

At this crucial moment, the communication on their helmets caught the call of the pilot of the transport plane still attached to the ship's bridge.

“Pilot on Chairman Edrick. What the hell's going on? Why is Automatic Crushing System suddenly on?”

Edrick replied, “Chairman Edrick on Pilot. Something beyond belief happened. You guys just focus on preparing for the plane departure! We'll be soon after!”

The call was cut off. Data has been collected, Chip System Re:Set is on them, automatic mission on this ship has been completed. Then it's time they went from there.

“There's no time! We must go to the bridge immediately!”

“Good!”

The two of them ran quickly out of the command room, leaving behind the fake Tenma corpse which was now completely a blob of many disgusting leeches.

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

The corridor was now filled with sirens and warnings, the atmosphere became much more gripping, plus the flickering red lights that almost disturbed their eyesight.

Astan and Edrick both had to remain calm so they could focus through the corridor of the ship to the bridge.

On their way, it was unexpected that many monsters gathered to come to them. Barkata, Illusionist-E, until the Poison Spider, all kinds of monsters came to attack them from various directions.

They were almost surrounded. The only way to escape the monsters is to shoot them open.

“Lewat here, Astan!”

The two again ran through the group of monsters while shooting. While on the turn, Edrick made it past him, while Astan was instead held back by the Leechesta Monster plotters who could not be shot at all. If shot, then the leeches on the monster's body will attack Astan.

“Sial! I'm keke—.”

Not yet Astan finished muttering, all of a sudden Leechesta disappeared drowned swallowed by the puddles of shadows on the floor.

“What's—.”

Sontak Astan was surprised to see the appearance of the mysterious shadow. From the form of a puddle like water, the shadow leapt to the ceiling of the corridor, creeping there until it arrived right before Astan's face.

A pair of flaming yellow eyes emerged from the shadow, curving upwards, a sign that he was happy when he saw Astan's form directly like this. While Astan himself is made tense, confused, and feels strange with the existence of this mysterious creature.

“Happy to see you back, Astan.”

Actually, what kind of creature is this shadow?

However, the soft, friendly-sounding voice suddenly became a heavy, gripping and intimidating sound.

“It's time you paid for your actions in the past, damned man!”

Suddenly the shadow enveloped the entire body of Astan was not left, without a gap, to make him scream shock in one of the corridors.

“Argh!!”

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

“Astan?!”

Some monsters were defeated by Edrick by shooting them and using the ability to control iron through the Ability Program. Unfortunately, he only realized that Astan was separated from him.

There are still some monsters left. The Illusionist-E attempts to manipulate his mind, but Edrick can still attack with an iron stake attack. As a user of the Gold Rank system, he could still withstand all the illusory attacks from the Illusionist-Es.

All he thought about now was where Astan was. If until Astan was lost even to death, he would definitely never be forgiven Mavin.

“Damn it!” Edrick stopped shooting when it was confirmed that all the monsters that surrounded him were dead. “Time is running low, and Astan instead— Eh, goat bunting! Goat bunting!!!”

In the wrong moments, Edrick's talkative habits even crumpled when something black shot past him, right hitting the wall behind.

Edrick turned his head, jolted to realize that something black was a creature made of pitch-black shadows. The shadow almost resembles the shape of a human body, seems to try to stand on both feet, has two hands, but has three shadows form a black fire tail and strands of hair twitch like a shadow fire as well.

Edrick hurriedly cocked the rifle, pointing his snout right in front of the shadow. He almost pulled the trigger, ready to shoot until the creature shouted.

“Don't, Chief Edrick! It's me, Astan!”

Edrick recognized the voice. The voice of the shadow creature was very similar to Astan. The two shadow eyes are also yellow-silver heterochrome with a three-pronged stroke in the orange eye. The chairman was surprised, how could Astan be this? He still doesn't believe it.

“Don't claim to be my partner, Monster! He's human!” Edrick's still pointing his gun.

“This is really me, Astan, Chairman of Vangke! Trust me!”

Okay. From that tone of urgency, Edrick became convinced that the shadow was Astan. So, why did Astan become like that?

“So, are you Astan?” Edrick dropped his rifle a little. “How can you be begi—.”

“Chairman, beware!”

A straight shot was fired right at Edrick. Thankfully, with the ability of his shadow body, Astan was able to protect the chairman. He protects Edrick by forming a shadowy shield of his three tails.

When his tail was pulled back, both Astan and Edrick found the figure of an armored soldier pointing an assault rifle at them. Astan stared intently at the figure, while Edrick expressed disbelief.

The figure of the warrior he saw was now the body of Astan.

This shadow claimed to be Astan, while Astan's body was in front of them trying to kill Edrick.

What the hell is going on? Why did Astan become a shadow creature? Where is the real Astan? Is that soldier really Astan? But why would you shoot Edrick?

“Astan— or whoever you are.” Edrick shook his head in confusion. “Actually, what happened? Explain it! You guys are making me sick here!”

Astan's shadowy hands clenched tightly, staring more and more at the modern passionate figure with his two heterochrome eyes. While the figure began to lower his weapon, looking back at the shadow with his two yellow eyes behind the helmet.

“Now it is clear, Chairman Edrick.” Astan began to explain, “I remember everything, and I understood the situation I had been in. All this time, I had amnesia because part of my memory was left in this shadow. Half of my memory is stuck, and she's trying to reach me through hallucinations and dreams so I can pick her up on this ship.”

Astan watched his shadow palms. “Today I have fused with my lost memory. Everything is clear. But...”

Astan's hand immediately pointed at the figure within his original body.

“That creature..the creature that had been trapped in the shadows with my memory! He hastenedly snatched my body and inserted my soul into this shadow body!”

Edrick was surprised to hear that. That means, this shadow creature is really the original Astan, and the one inside Astan's original body is another soul. Their souls exchange bodies as a result of these creatures.

This is so illogical, making Edrick more dizzy to digest this incident.

“Astan, actually... who is the creature inside your real body?” edrick was still in shock.

Seriously Astan replied, “He is called Shadow. Creature created from a part of me as a result of interference with the unification experiment with the Re:Set.” System

The figure of the Shadow that had been residing in Astan's original body grinned widely. If only not hindered by the helmet, the grin would look terrible. A heavy voice from Shadow was heard, speaking in a paltry tone to Astan.

“It's good to know you, Soldier Astan Pradipta Cornell.

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