Crossing the World
XLV - Shelters (Karen)

A week has passed since I told AI to erase my memories. Yeah, one week. A wasted week I spent just erasing memories.

"Why can it take up to a week?!" my protest to AI against wasted time. "You said it would only take three days!"

I got up from the treatment capsule and directly cursed at the AI.

"There's too much data to delete. It's very difficult to sort out that much information and delete it accurately."

I'm sure that's just an excuse he made up. However, there was not a single piece of evidence that I could use to justify my judgment. My inability to blame her really pisses me off.

"Then, what about the subject we talked about earlier?"

I tried to suppress my emotions and shift the topic to a problem that I thought was much more important.

"Subject number three died four days ago. Meanwhile, the remaining two subjects were already about 30 kilometers closer to the bunker."

Hitting 30 kilometers on foot for one week is not an extraordinary distance. Even earthlings can do it in just about two days. However, if I add to the fact that they are not heading to the bunker, then there is a big difference between the distance they are traveling and how far they are from the bunker.

Their distance is now 30 kilometers closer. However, I believe the distance they traveled over the past week was not just 30 kilometers. They can walk sideways or sometimes even away from the bunker. Yeah, it must be like that. Because honestly, 30 kilometers in a week is really a very short distance.

Ah ... why should I care about the distance they travel?

"How are the two remaining subjects?"

"They were severely dehydrated, but still had enough strength to move. Their toughness in survival was extraordinary when compared to those of the shelter."

Oh?

We can survive without water for fourteen days and one month without food. Yes, about two or three times when compared to earth humans. Although this is already remarkable, these two subjects are even on different levels.

"All right then. I'm going to go see them now."

The curiosity that piled up made me want to immediately make direct contact with these two subjects.

"Ah, prepare also the food and drink they need. I don't want them to die fast" I added, wearing the green jacket I've been wearing all this time.

After equipping all the equipment needed to protect myself just as a precautionary measure, I teleported twice in a row to head for the storage room. In the spacious room that stretched before me, several packs of food and mineral water were neatly stacked. The robots are still busy stacking other food packs on top of the small pile.

"Isn't this too much?" I asked while watching the pile in front of me.

"They need enough nutrients to cover the severe nutritional deficiencies they are currently experiencing. With this much, they should be able to get to the outer limits of the bunker safely."

"Hm?"

I slightly tilted my head after hearing the AI's explanation. There seems to be something interesting and curious about me here.

"Why talk about the edge of the bunker? Do you intend to bring them here?"

"We need them as research subjects. Keeping their lives as long as possible is necessary. However, feeding them food at regular intervals is inefficient. In the next year, the hills around the bunker will start to become forest. Letting them be the early inhabitants of the ecosystem there is not a bad idea."

Well, that doesn't mean I have plans for them in the future. I was just curious about them and wanted to just make a little contact, then give them food as a form of gratitude. After that, I intend to let them just like that. So, I don't mind at all if the AI has a plan for them after this.

"I'll accompany you as a bodyguard. It's too risky to go there alone."

That's a good idea. Instead of going alone while controlling cyborgs, it would be much safer if the AI controlled the cyborgs. His observations and actions were very accurate. Therefore, if our internet network has already reached a place I want to visit, entrusting guard to AI is the most appropriate choice.

Then let's go straight to where they are.

I teleported twice in a row, taking me away to the coordinate point given by the previous AI. One AI-controlled cyborg and a pile of pre-prepared food were sent to where I was going.

Now around noon. So, the weather was quite stinging and the dust from the fine sand blown by the wind slightly reduced my visibility. However, even so, both my eyeballs are still able to see two humanoid-shaped figures standing staring at us while putting on a face full of shock.

Clearly, who would not be surprised by the sudden appearance of a mysterious figure of nothingness?

I ignored them and instantly activated the language pack, intending to duplicate their ability to communicate. However, when my concentration was diverted to the language pack, the adult male subjects made sudden movements. From behind the simple metal crate that they had always dragged all this time, he took out a curved metal rod that was bound by a thin wire thread at both ends. His left hand now took out a small one-meter-long metal spear, placed it on a stretched metal thread, then pulled it back to make the metal rod in his right hand even more curved.

Hm? The shape ... isn't it similar to an arrow? However, instead of a simple arrow made using wood, the arrow he was holding was made of metal. I'm sure it takes a tremendous amount of power to be able to use a metal arrow like this.

Either because there were AIs here or because I considered them not as a threat .. which obviously I failed to activate the shield when the man actually released his arrow towards me. Yeah, he shot me without even warning!

Our distance was less than ten meters. Of course my brain can't make the right choice in a situation like this. Moreover, I am not in a state of alert.

I who was shocked immediately reflexively blocked the trajectory of the arrow with just my right hand. Unfortunately, the carbon primorial jacket I was wearing was slightly exposed from my arm when I lifted it to block the trajectory of the arrow that was meleeing right into my chest.

Just before the arrowhead touched my skin, the AI controlled its cyborg to capture the arrow. Indeed he managed to capture it perfectly, but due to his speed that might break through the speed of sound, the cyborg palm was unable to stop that rapid movement at once. As a result, the pointed surface penetrated my wrist unprotected by the carbon primorial jacket, piercing it deep enough to crush the joint.

The pain that radiated at once felt hot, like a glass of boiling water splashed directly into my wrist. However, before I reacted due to the excruciating pain, a cold sensation instantly spread where the arrow pierced through my arm.

Ah, how unpleasant this feeling is.

Cold and tingling sensations replace the previous pain. My hand is now numb.

Nociceptors - pain sensors - recognized the tissue damage to my arm right after the arrow struck. Then, these pain sensors send signals to the brain through the spinal cord. As my brain processed it, the stinging pain in my right hand was a form of self-defense. However, not until a second later, my brain would paralyze the pain receptors in the injured part with the intent to prevent me from losing concentration.

Yes, the form of self-defense of our race is slightly different from that of the earthlings. This is why when I had such severe injuries while fighting the pirates before, I did not lose consciousness and managed to teleport to the shelter without any problems.

"The damage received is still at a minimal level. Your wound will freeze in less than a minute."

The AI speaks through a humanoid cyborg controlled by it. He removed his hand grip from the arrow that was still stuck on my wrist.

Blood still continued to drip, but there was no pain accompanying it. Only a chill and tingling sensation lingered on my wrist, the real sensation remained uncomfortable, but it was still better than the pain.

I ignored the wound on my wrist and turned my eyes back to the two subjects before me. When I looked at them a second time, the look on their shocked faces was even more intense than before.

Is it just my feelings or are they even more surprised after shooting me?

While I was still speechless and preoccupied with my own thoughts, the arrow-holding man muttered with the language I had just managed to duplicate. His slightly puzzling words made my curiosity increase.

"It ... blood .. red. Evidence .. ancestral blood ... "