NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 39: Puzzle Pieces.
September 2184. Bunker 00. Corridor 02. Near Yeva's Room.
Walking down Corridor 02 of Bunker 00, Uzi and N followed closely behind the SEAF soldier, their footsteps echoing faintly in the dimly lit passage. They were en route to Yeva's room to see if Doll would join them. For Uzi, the freedom to act without Martin—or anyone else—holding her back was liberating, especially with all she'd already accomplished alongside Jason.
"Say, um... we didn't catch your name, sir. Mine's N," the cheerful voice broke the silence, directed at the soldier leading them.
"Name's Ryle," he replied, his tone gruff but not unfriendly. "Sorry, it's been a rough day. I'm running on limited sleep—out of a damn cryopod and straight into these dark tunnels. At least there's no Terminid trying to eat my face this time. Had a bad encounter with these little things we call Scavengers once. Cut me up pretty bad, face and chest, while I was in a tunnel."
"That sounds terrible," N said, his expression genuine. "But I'm glad to see you're still walking around."
"Let's hope we don't run into anything like that today," Uzi added, glancing at the narrow corridor ahead. "Yeva's room isn't too far now."
Both Uzi and N observed Ryle carefully. For Uzi, this mission wasn't just about navigating tunnels; it was a chance to learn more about Super Earth, the galactic war, and Jason. For N, after a century of dormancy, it was all new. Uzi, however, had only known life in this chaotic era.
As they approached Yeva's door, Uzi stepped ahead of Ryle and knocked three times. The metallic sound reverberated through the corridor as the group waited.
"Yeva stays in her room most of the time," N said conversationally to Ryle. "Come to think of it, I rarely see her anywhere else."
Ryle nodded silently as the door opened a few seconds later. Yeva appeared in the doorway, her gaze moving from Uzi to the unfamiliar human before settling on N with a hint of surprise.
"Uzi... why are they here? Has something happened?" Yeva asked, her tone laced with concern.
"Nothing's wrong," Uzi reassured her. "Ryle here needs help navigating one of the tunnels we explored before. We were wondering if Doll might want to join us for this little adventure."
"There's no immediate danger, as far as we know," Ryle interjected. "We've got a full team, but your daughters' expertise in these tunnels would be a huge help."
Yeva's optics narrowed briefly as she assessed Ryle, then turned to glance back inside her quarters. After a moment's pause, she called out, "Doll, come here, please."
Doll emerged from a side room, her gaze shifting between Yeva, Uzi, and Ryle as she approached.
"Yes, Mother?" she asked softly.
"The human here, Ryle, needs help in the tunnels," Yeva explained. "It seems your little excursions with Uzi might prove useful."
Doll tilted her head slightly, her expression thoughtful. "Is Uzi coming too?" she asked, her gaze lingering on her friend.
"Of course," Uzi said with a smirk. "The two of us, plus N, are heading out on a new adventure."
"I wouldn't turn that down," Doll replied, her voice tinged with curiosity. She turned to Yeva. "Are you okay with this, Mother?"
"It's fine," Yeva said after a moment. "Just be careful—all of you. And Ryle, I expect you to bring them back safely."
Though her tone wasn't threatening, there was an unmistakable weight behind her words. Ryle nodded firmly.
"Trust me, we'll be back in one piece. This should only take a few hours. After today, we'll handle things ourselves, but Jason might have other plans for them afterward."
Satisfied, Doll stepped out to join the group, while Yeva's optics locked onto Uzi one last time.
"When you return, I'd like to speak with you privately," Yeva said, her voice quiet but resolute. "For now, stay safe."
As the door slid shut, Uzi turned to Doll with a faint grin. "Doll, no offense, but your mom's starting to creep me out."
"She just wants to discuss personal matters, Uzi," Doll replied evenly.
"Does it have to do with my mom?" Uzi asked, her expression sharpening.
Doll hesitated, her silence filling the air until Ryle cleared his throat to break the tension. "Not to interrupt, but we're on a timetable. The Helldiver will be back soon, and he'll need our report immediately."
Doll finally spoke. "Your mother and mine were friends, Uzi. Good friends."
"I know," Uzi said softly. "We used to visit here when I was little. It's just... unsettling."
"To be fair, I have to agree with Uzi on this one," N chimed in.
As the group moved away, Yeva reopened the door slightly, her gaze trailing after them. A flicker of unease crossed her face. She whispered to herself, "Nori... I'll do everything I can for our children."
It had been four years since Nori left Bunker 00. Yeva still blamed herself for showing Doll how to use abilities they'd worked so hard to hide. Every time those abilities were used, strange whispers and unsettling visions followed—like something buried deep within them was trying to escape. Worse yet, it seemed to have passed to their children.
Bunker 00: Hidden Observation SystemsUnbeknownst to Yeva, she was not the only one monitoring the group's return from the Vital Fabric facility. Tessa, accompanied by her two AI companions, watched silently through the hidden observation systems. The sight before them was unprecedented: humans and drones cooperating without Helldiver Jason's direct involvement. For the first time, a human had taken the initiative to seek the drones' assistance. Viewing the scene through cameras and other surveillance feeds scattered across the bunker, Tessa allowed herself a moment of hope. This fragile alliance hinted at a better future for the colony—and perhaps, for herself.
"Things are changing," said one of the AI companions, its voice soft and distinctly feminine. "It appears someone other than their leader has reached out to the drones for help. And, Tessa, N is among them."
Tessa's gaze lingered on N's holographic image, her hand rising reflexively toward it before faltering mid-air.
"Tessa, you know the rules," the second AI interjected, its tone male and firm yet understanding. "I know this pains you, but we cannot intervene—not yet."
"I know," Tessa replied, her voice heavy with longing. "I just want to be with them again… But you're right. Things are changing. A human seeking Uzi and Doll for help—that's significant. Still, something doesn't sit right with me about Yeva. Her quarters remain a blind spot in our surveillance, and we weren't monitoring when Nori left…"
The feminine AI responded, her voice tinged with concern. "Whatever happened, it was cloaked in secrecy. And after four years of silence, they've suddenly found that black choker. From what I've gathered, it was discovered in the heart of the Bugs hive. Those creatures... They've evolved. The humans call them Terminids now, and it seems the last century has only made them more feral, more dangerous."
The male AI's voice was somber. "I've been monitoring galactic reports. The Terminids and this 'Gloom' are wreaking havoc. Super Earth is stretched thin, fighting to keep them at bay. The situation is escalating."
"It's troubling," Tessa admitted, her tone measured but resolute. "But for now, our priority remains the same—observation. This cooperation between humans and drones is a pivotal moment. We must document its outcome before reporting back to Vital Fabric."
The two AI companions fell silent, their directives clear. This event was critical—a delicate thread in the larger web of galactic turmoil. As Tessa's eyes remained fixed on the screen, her thoughts strayed to what might come next, to what role she and her companions might ultimately play in shaping this fragile alliance.
Copper 9 Surface. Outpost 10.
After setting up the defenses, Jason made his way back to the Pelican. The hour was drawing near for his scheduled talk with the Ministry of Defense, and being late was not an option.
"As I mentioned, a SEAF vehicle will arrive soon to drop off ammo and supplies. If you need anything else, I assume you can get in touch with V or Martin?" Jason asked, standing near the Pelican as its engines hummed to life.
"We can, and once again, we thank you," Alia said, her voice steady.
Satisfied, Jason gave a curt nod and turned, stepping up the ramp of the Pelican. Moments later, the craft lifted into the air, its engines switching seamlessly out of VTOL mode. It climbed swiftly through the atmosphere, rocking toward the sky and disappearing above the clouds, heading back to Bunker 00. On the ground, Alia and Isaak stood watching until the Pelican faded from sight.
"Helldivers haven't changed, even after all this time," Alia said, her blue optics fixed on the empty sky. "Hard people to deal with, but they stay true to their word."
"Are you sure it's wise to work with them again?" Isaak asked, his tone uncertain.
"I don't know," Alia admitted, turning to look at him. "So much has changed."
"Alia…" Isaak began, concern evident in his voice.
"It's alright, Isaak," she interrupted, her tone resolute. "Something to think about, yes. But one thing is clear: the humans are here to stay. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."
With that, she turned and began walking back toward the outpost.
Isaak sighed, trailing behind her. The added layer of protection around the outpost was reassuring, promising better days for the colony. But the question remained: would it be enough?
Copper 9 Low Orbit. SES Columbia-Class Ministry of Science Ship.
High above Copper 9, stationed amid the Helldiver fleet, the Columbia-Class Ministry of Science ship had just received shipments from the planet's surface. These included the drives recovered from Outpost 24, the grotesque fused mass of human corpses from the city bunker, and the corrupted servers salvaged from the communications hub. Inside the main lab, a dedicated team worked tirelessly, dissecting and cataloging each item down to the finest detail. Watch Dogs hovered silently above them, recording every moment of their grim research.
In the center of the lab, a man stood before a holographic screen, his arms crossed as flickering static and fragmented audio feeds looped endlessly. This was Wirth, the head of the research team. His current focus was on the data recovered from Outpost 24, though extracting anything of value from the corrupted drives proved futile.
"Wirth, sir, I think we've got it. Sending it through now," a voice called from behind as a technician hammered away at a keyboard.
"Put it on the main display," Wirth ordered without turning.
The hologram flickered before resolving into a patchy, static-filled feed of a man's face—bloodied, scarred, and radiating desperation.
"This is Sergeant Caloman, security officer. We're fucked. If you're planetside, you're as good as dead. Just radio up and order this place nuked," the distorted audio stuttered, but the message was clear. Static returned, engulfing the screen, only to be abruptly replaced by Caloman's face once more, now filling the frame. His wide, terrified eyes stared out, and his expression was a raw mask of fear.
"I'm serious. You're going to die down here. The least you can do is save the rest of humanity." His voice cracked with despair before the screen cut to black, leaving behind one last, chilling utterance: "Nuke it…"
Wirth exhaled heavily, absorbing the weight of the recording. It was likely this desperate plea that had precipitated Copper 9's catastrophic destruction. Yet, the true horrors that led Sergeant Caloman to such desperation remained shrouded in mystery.
"Anything else?" Wirth asked, breaking the silence.
"Nothing substantial, sir. There's the audio we reviewed earlier, but I don't think it's wise to revisit it. Beyond that, there's nothing else of note," the technician replied.
Wirth nodded grimly. He didn't blame them—listening to that earlier recording was harrowing. The voice on it, agonizing and synthetic, seemed to capture the moment of someone's unspeakable death outside the outpost. Even so, they continued testing the audio, trying to make sense of its origin.
Walking across the lab, Wirth approached the grotesque mass recovered from the city bunker. The fused human bodies were a macabre tangle of flesh and metal, with mechanical tentacles tipped with human hands extending from the abomination. One detail stood out: the corpses showed no signs of decomposition.
"What's our progress on this?" Wirth asked, addressing a woman who was busy analyzing the mass through a tablet.
She turned, visibly perplexed. "Sir, we're baffled. We're running DNA tests, but the data is corrupted beyond recognition. Super Earth maintains detailed DNA records of all its citizens—even after a hundred years, we should be able to identify someone. But not here. The lack of decay is equally inexplicable. Bacteria and microorganisms are present but appear uninterested in breaking it down. As for how these people ended up like this—or the origin of these tentacles—there's no record of any of Super Earth's enemies, the Cyborgs, Bugs, or the Illuminate, conducting experiments like this."
"Hmm..." Wirth muttered, his gaze lingering on the horrifying structure. "Continue your research. We need to understand what caused this. Begin dissections once the external analysis is complete."
He moved to another station where technicians were working on the servers salvaged from the communication hub. Some had been rendered irreparable, damaged beyond recovery when Jason had disabled them. However, a few still held promise of revealing something significant.
"Any progress?" Wirth asked.
One of the technicians brought up a hologram in the room's center. "We've recovered a partial list of Copper 9's main facilities. There were twelve major ones, all under the Ministry of Science's control, along with several dozen smaller sites. These are the last status updates before the missile strikes. Additionally, we uncovered a corporate logo—JCJenson. Apparently, they funded all of this."
The hologram displayed a descending list:
Facility 1: Weapon Development. Status: Unknown.
Facility 2: Agricultural Studies. Status: Destroyed.
Facility 3: Material Research. Status: Unknown.
Facility 4: Weapon Testing. Status: Active.
Facility 5: FTL Development. Status: Unknown.
Facility 6: Armor Development. Status: Destroyed.
Facility 7: Bug Studies. Status: Unknown.
Facility 8: Bug Testing. Status: Active.
Facility 9: SES Ship Systems Development. Status: Unknown.
Facility 10: Backpack Testing & Development. Status: Unknown.
Facility 11: Sentry Testing & Development. Status: Unknown.
Facility 12 caught Wirth's full attention:
Facility 12: Classified by Order of the Super Earth President. Status: Unknown."Now that is interesting," Wirth murmured. "And this JCJenson—it's the first I've heard of them. How did they fund something on this scale?"
"We don't know, sir," the technician replied. "JCJenson seems to have bet everything on Copper 9, but whatever happened here ended them as well. None of us have encountered their work before."
Wirth contemplated this before activating his wrist communicator. He needed to speak with Jason. Within moments, the face of a Democracy Officer aboard the Super Destroyer Aegis of Integrity appeared.
"This is the Aegis of Integrity. How can I assist you?" the officer asked.
"I need to speak with Jason. Patch me through," Wirth replied.
After a brief pause, the screen changed to display the Super Earth symbol before Jason's face appeared.
"This is Helldiver Jason. What's the situation, Wirth?" he asked, his tone brisk.
"We've recovered a facility list. Facility 7 involved Bug studies, and Facility 8 was dedicated to testing—whatever that entails. Two things stand out: first, the name JCJenson, the corporation funding everything here. Second, Facility 12 is classified at the highest level by the Super Earth President," Wirth explained.
Jason's brows furrowed. "Facility 12's classification isn't new to me, but what was happening there remains a mystery. We'll need to locate it and uncover what's inside. As for JCJenson, I've never encountered them either. Do you have coordinates for these facilities?"
"Only partial data," Wirth admitted. "I'll send what we have. It's clear that Copper 9 hosted projects far beyond our understanding. These drones—advanced as they are—might not even be the pinnacle of what JCJenson was working on. We'll keep digging."
Jason nodded, ending the call. Wirth returned to his work, knowing the days ahead would yield even more disturbing revelations.
Copper 9 surface. Forty miles from Bunker 00. Two hours until nightfall.
After receiving their orders from Jason, the four Helldivers deployed to Copper 9 sped across its frozen wasteland. Each rode an ATV, making rapid progress through the desolate terrain. Meus followed a long, snow-covered road, weaving around the husks of vehicles scattered along its length like remnants of a forgotten exodus.
"This is Meus to SES Super Destroyer Titan of the Constitution. I'm approaching the checkpoint on my map," Meus reported, his voice steady. "No hostilities or hazards encountered so far, but I can confirm extensive casualties. Lines of civilian and SEAF vehicles are frozen in place… These people must have been caught in the nuclear blasts." He guided his ATV back onto the road.
"We've received similar reports from the others," replied the officer aboard the Super Destroyer Titan of the Constitution. "Saber just passed through what appears to have been a town. Did a quick sweep—looks like the inhabitants died where they stood. This entire planet is one giant graveyard."
"Agreed…" Meus muttered grimly. "Dammit. What in the name of Super Earth could have pushed the SES to do this?"
"Unknown," the officer responded. "We're working to uncover the truth. Stay on your current path; the area Jason marked isn't much farther ahead."
Meus acknowledged the orders with a nod, though unease gnawed at the edges of his thoughts. Something about all of this felt deeply wrong. As he rounded a bend in the road, his grip on the handlebars tightened, and his breath caught at the sight before him.
"Bloody hell…" he muttered, bringing the ATV to a halt.
Ahead, three tripod wrecks lay scattered across the road, partially entombed in snow and ice. One had toppled into a line of dead, frost-coated trees. The other two leaned against each other, their mangled forms stark against the pale landscape. The scene told a silent tale of a battle fought here—one of many between the SEAF and the Illuminate.
"Got something here," Meus reported, his voice now tinged with unease. "Three tripod wrecks. I'm not sure if it's of interest to the Ministry of Science teams, but it's definitely worth studying." He dismounted briefly, pulling a beacon from his gear and tossing it near the wreck in the middle of the road.
"Understood, Helldiver," the officer replied. "We'll alert the science teams. For now, continue toward your destination."
Meus climbed back onto the ATV and resumed his journey, the hum of the engine blending with the whispering wind. Yet, unknown to him, he was moving closer to a nightmarish situation that no one could imagine.
Edited thanks to ELE73CH.