Two-Person Galactic Journey: Earth Was Destroyed While Imprisoned in Space Prison Chapter 256

Chapter 256

While blending into the night, Kait and Emotion searched for a place where intelligent life might dwell. As they flew around, certain things gradually beca visible.

"The desert is vast... Could this be the reason the Federation abandoned this planet?"

'Yes. It's believed that a sudden environntal shift drastically reduced the habitable zones for intelligent life.'

"Hmm...?"

A drastic reduction in habitable zones for intelligent life. Co to think of it, Earth, where Kait and the others had once lived, had experienced similar environntal changes. Kait still didn't know the exact reason why Earth had co so close to extinction, but perhaps without the Federation's intervention, Earth might have ended up like this planet.

That said, if Emotion was correct, intelligent life still survived on Mardila. Despite catastrophic environntal changes, the inhabitants of Mardila had managed to survive sohow.

Whether they could regain a civilization capable of reaching for the universe again remained uncertain, but at the very least, it was permissible to quietly root for such a future in one's heart.

"Oh? That sound is...?"

A whooshing sound, followed by a steady clanking, ca from the direction of the eastern horizon. It was gradually approaching. Kait thought for a mont, then searched for a place to hide.

He concealed himself near a suitable boulder and waited for the source of the approaching sound.

The sound, like a cry, continued without pause. Kait sohow found it familiar. It was one of the essential sounds when studying Earth's culture.

"A steam engine...?"

'Yes. It seems to be a steam engine. However...'

Even though it was night, the starlight made it not entirely dark. Once the eyes adjusted, it was possible to maintain a decent field of vision. Thanks to the results of body modification, it was incomparably better than when they were on Earth. As they waited, the silhouette of the source of the sound slowly ca into view. It was large. And unsurprisingly, its appearance didn't match anything from Kait's mories.

The part that advanced while pushing aside the sand resembled a swimr doing the butterfly stroke. Behind it, a large cloud of sand rose, suggesting so kind of propulsion chanism was at work. However, what was moving it wasn't sothing like the trains or steamships Kait had seen before.

"A house... No, an apartnt complex?"

'What a strange sight. A massive apartnt complex swimming through the desert sea.'

Simply put, Emotion's description was probably the most accurate. An apartnt complex was moving through the desert sea. That was the easiest way to understand it.

With a roaring sound and massive jets of steam shooting from both sides, the mobile apartnt slid past in front of Kait and the others. It was impressive, but he didn't feel any desire to ride it.

"...It seems more civilization remains than I expected."

Blocking the kicked-up sand with a barrier, Kait muttered. It was clear that the exterior was made of reinforced steel. Considering its size, it undoubtedly required advanced technology.

He had never seen such a massive land vehicle even on Earth. Perhaps the Federation had been too hasty in concluding that civilization had been lost.

'I don't think so.'

"You don't?"

'No. There were no signs of life inside that thing.'

"You an..."

'Yes.'

As they watched the mobile apartnt move away, Emotion made a whirring sound. It wasn't a sound of dissatisfaction, but rather one that suggested she was checking sothing.

'It's probably running out of control.'

***

Giving up on chasing the mobile apartnt, Kait and Emotion resud their journey through the desert.

Even so, the topic of conversation remained focused on that moving structure.

"No signs of life. Yet it keeps moving. Powered by a steam engine... How?"

'Well, I'm not sure. But there are a few things I do know.'

"Such as?"

'Without a doubt, the output of this planet's steam engines is not normal.'

"Huh?"

'It's definitely a steam engine, but the chanism that generates the steam—or the materials used—those are what's unusual.'

It was certainly strange. Enough output to move a building that looked like an apartnt complex. And at considerable speed. The materials were also intriguing. It was definitely so kind of steel, but still...

"I wonder how long that thing's been running. I doubt it's been going for five hundred cycles."

'Right. There's no record of such a bizarre machine in the Federation's archives. If they'd been observing, it wouldn't be strange for soone to have witnessed it.'

Emotion's response was logical. But that only naturally led to more questions.

Unfortunately, those questions didn't help resolve the situation.

"If that's the case, then it must have started moving after civilization collapsed. Does that an the inhabitants of this planet possessed so special condition that allowed them to maintain knowledge and technology independent of civilization?"

'Oh?'

If anything, it only deepened the mystery.

***

The questions had multiplied, but their priorities remained unchanged. They needed to find a settlent of intelligent life and update their translation interface to the language currently in use.

Investigating the planet's history and capturing Dangaresion would co afterward. Emotion was likely sending real-ti reports to the Federation, so even footage of the mobile apartnt was probably being transmitted.

Imagining how Asheid or Terapolapaneshio would react to that footage was oddly amusing.

'Captain. Detecting what appears to be intelligent life in the southeast. Likely a settlent.'

"Understood. Let's head there without being seen."

The horizon was beginning to lighten. It seed the night was nearly over. Kait deployed a barrier to hide them from view and flew southeast. Before long, sothing resembling a walled city ca into sight.

It was likely a sand barrier. A large amount of sand had piled up near the western wall, and it looked like it might soon spill over. However, the wall itself didn't budge even with the sand pressing against it. A massive steel plate was majestically holding back the sand.

An iron wall. And from within the city, several plus of steam smoke rose. It seed that steam engines were still in use here as well.

"A planet of sand, steel, and steam, huh? Mardila really is a strange place."

'Whether civilization still exists or they're rely operating what was left behind—the questions just keep piling up.'

"For now, let's get inside the city before anyone notices us."

There were no signs of intelligent life near the western wall. Despite the sand pressing up against it, there didn't seem to be any guards stationed there. In other words, the wall wasn't built to protect the city from external threats.

Landing on the western wall, Kait concealed both his presence and appearance as he descended further into the city. Until the residents began to stir, they would remain hidden. Just because dawn had broken didn't an society would suddenly spring to life. Until the surroundings awoke and the usual bustle returned, the two of them would have so idle ti.

'Captain. Regarding the state of this planet...'

"Yeah?"

'It seems the Federation's estimates were accurate. Based on the plant distribution and desert expansion from five hundred cycles ago, it's almost certain that intelligent life either went extinct or regressed to a point where they couldn't maintain civilization.'

"And yet, there are all sorts of strange remnants, aren't there?"

So far, neither Kait nor Emotion had encountered a living intelligent being from Mardila. While leaning against a wall in the shadows, Emotion continued to scan for information without letting her guard down. In tis like this, it was best not to interrupt her.

'That's what I find strange too. That mobile apartnt clearly started operating after the conclusion that civilization had collapsed. There's just so much we don't understand.'

"All the more reason to investigate thoroughly."

A report was already being submitted to the council of the Central Star Cluster. Before long, the Federation Congress would be inford of Mardila's current state.

What kind of judgnt they would pass on Mardila and its people—Kait had no idea.