Chapter 29 Signs of Life

Shujinko crouched beside Akarui and whispered, “Who do you think it was? Military? Mercenaries?”

Akarui shook his head.

“I don’t know, but they were in a hurry. Look at the bullet casings—they were firing at something. And whatever it was, it’s not here anymore.”

Makiko joined them. 

“Do you think they’re still inside? Or did they… you know, not make it?”

Shachiku, who had been silently observing the scene, finally spoke.

  “Only one way to find out. But we need to be careful. If they were shooting at something, it’s probably still in there.”

Akarui stood up.

  “I’m going in. My dad could be in there. I’m not waiting around.”

Shachiku adjusted his grip on his briefcase. 

“Let’s move. Stay close and keep your eyes open. If any of those creatures show up, I just whack them with my good old briefcase.”

After they entered, Shachiku took a moment to assess their surroundings.

  “I think we’re on the top floor. Helios-9 has fallen into its concrete coffin, so we’re starting from the top. Not gonna lie, I’ve only been on the top floors once or twice, but when we go lower, I’ll know the way to Ichiban’s lab. Well, I assume she’d be there, right?”

Shujinko nodded, though his eyes darted nervously around the corridor.

  “Let’s go with that. If it doesn’t work, we’ll improvise. But just look at this place… it’s like stepping into hell.”

The corridors were engulfed in red crystal formations that pulsed with an eerie, blood-red light. The vines seemed almost alive, shifting and growing as they moved, sometimes blocking their path and sometimes opening new ones. The group could hear distant gunshots and shouts—clearly, the people who had entered before them were still fighting the creatures, drawing their all attention. 

Makiko clung to Shujinko, her usual confidence replaced by quiet unease. Shachiku took the lead, his briefcase clutched tightly in one hand, while Akarui walked at the back, his eyes scanning every shadow for movement. Despite the eerie surroundings, they made steady progress.

Shujinko turned to Shachiku, “Wow, you really know the way, huh? We haven’t even run into a caved-in corridor or heard any of those monsters.”

Shachiku’s expression was grim, his steel nerves thinning under the weight of the oppressive atmosphere.

“Yeah, we’ve gone down a few levels, but I think we’re on the right track. Her labs should be about ten more levels below. If we—”

Before he could finish, a crystalline vine burst through the wall, blocking their path. The jagged structure pulsed with red light, its sharp edges glinting ominously. The group froze, panic flashing across their faces.

“Oh shit!” Akarui shouted, turning to run back. But their exit was already cut off by another vine that had grown behind them. They were trapped in the corridor, surrounded by several labs.

“Try the doors!” Shachiku barked, "Now!”

They scrambled to open the doors, but most were locked or jammed. Only one door creaked open, and they didn’t hesitate to rush inside. The room was dark and cluttered with broken equipment, but it led to another hallway. This one was less destroyed, with flickering lights still casting a dim glow. The spread of crystals here was minimal, almost as if something was keeping them at bay.

The group moved cautiously, their footsteps echoing in the eerie silence. At the end of the hallway, an emergency light flickered, casting a long, distorted shadow on the wall. The shadow moved slightly, unmistakably human.

Shujinko’s breath caught in his throat. 

“Someone’s there…” he whispered.

Makiko tightened her grip on his arm.

 “Do you think it’s… one of the soldiers? Or… something else?”

Shachiku stepped forward, his briefcase raised like a weapon.

“Stay behind me,” he whispered. 

“If it’s hostile, we run. No hesitation.”

As they approached the figure standing in front of the broken monitors, they could see it was human. Slowly, they walked closer, their footsteps echoing in the dimly lit hallway. The figure turned around, and their hearts leapt with relief—it was Dr. Ichiban.

Her white lab coat was riddled with claw marks, old blood stains marring the fabric, but she appeared unharmed. Shujinko was the first to react. He burst into a run and leapt at her, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. Tears welled up in his eyes. 

“Professor Ichiban…!” he choked out, his grip tightening as if letting go would make her vanish again.

 “I thought… I thought I lost you forever. When you disappeared, it felt like the world just… stopped. Every day without you was agony. I kept blaming myself, thinking I should’ve done more, been there for you. No one would let us near this place, and I… I couldn’t even say goodbye. But you’re here… you’re alive!”

 He buried his face in her chest, his tears soaking into her torn coat.

 “I can’t believe it’s really you. I don’t know how you survived, but I’m so… so grateful. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost you for good. You mean everything to me, Ichiban. Everything.”

Shachiku gave his usual friendly wave, “Hello there, Dr. Ichiban.”

 He scratched the back of his head, his usual gesture when he was trying to lighten the mood.

 “I’m sorry, but today I didn’t come to give you your delivery. No boxes, no packages, not even a stray coffee order.”

 He paused, glancing around at the group. 

“Though, uh, I did bring a whole lot of emotional baggage. Hope that’s okay.”

He chuckled awkwardly, his eyes darting to Shujinko, who was still clinging to Ichiban, and then back to her. 

“But, uh, seriously… it’s really good to see you, Doc. You had us all worried sick. Anyway, welcome back. We missed you. And, uh, next time you decide to take a vacation, maybe leave a note or something? Just a thought.”

Akarui stepped forward and gave a small nod.

 “Hello Professor, it’s good to see you. We weren’t sure what to think when you disappeared. It’s… a relief to know you’re safe.” 

Makiko, standing beside him, crossed her arms and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. 

“Yeah, we were all worried about you. Like, really worried. Shujinko over here was practically useless without you—” 

She gestured toward him with a half-hearted wave, though her teasing lacked its usual bite.

 “—and the rest of us weren’t much better. You’ve got a way of keeping him together, you know? So, uh… don’t scare us like that again, okay?”

But as they spoke, Dr. Ichiban just stood there, her eyes dull and unresponsive. Her cold gaze slowly shifted from face to face, as if she were seeing them for the first time in her life. There was no warmth in her expression, no recognition—just a hollow, distant stare.

Finally, she showed some signs of life.

  “Ah, yes, yes. Hello. I’m alive, as you see, Shujinko. You can stop hugging me.”

Her voice was flat, almost robotic. She turned to Shachiku.

  “And… um… Sha… Shachiku… ummm… what delivery?”

Her gaze shifted to Makiko and Akarui. 

“Also, hello… you two.”

Shujinko jumped back, his face flushing with embarrassment.

  “Oh, yes, yes, I’m sorry for hugging you so suddenly. I’m sorry.”

Shachiku forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood. 

“Umm, don’t worry about it. I was just joking. There’s no delivery. Tried to lighten the mood, that’s all.”

Makiko and Akarui exchanged uneasy glances. 

“Huh? She doesn’t even know our names,” Makiko whispered to Akarui. 

Akarui nodded, though his expression was troubled.

“Give her some slack. She’s been stuck here for two weeks. Looks like she’s lost a few marbles. Can't blame her though, look at this place. I would go nuts if I had to stay here over the night. Can't imagine horrors she saw over these two weeks.”

Dr. Ichiban tilted her head slightly, her gaze distant. 

“Lost a few marbles… yes, perhaps. It’s been… difficult here. The experiments… the crystals… it’s all so much.”

She paused, her eyes flickering with something—fear? Confusion? It was hard to tell.

“You shouldn’t have come. It’s not safe.”

Shachiku stepped forward, his tone gentle but probing. 

“Dr. Ichiban, what happened here? What are these crystals? And why is the facility in this state?”