Chapter 31
The Spearhead of Hope heads out to the nearest beacon and others before heading towards their destination. Team RWBY are gearing up in case something were to happen with Ruby checking all her ammunition, Yang polishing her gauntlets, Weiss sharpening her sword and Blake ensures that the mechanism of her weapon is still working after cleaning it.
"So," Weiss starts a conversation, "any ideas on what this new area might have?"
"Hope we get to go on a planet." Yang puts her Ember Celica on. "Being on a ship is cool, but I do miss the open spaces of a planet."
"Me too." Ruby agrees and puts her Crescent Rose away. "I really do miss the fresh air, forests, animals."
"We have been on this ship for quite a while now." Blake finishes and then put her Gambol Shroud away, "Would like to see a new world."
"Hey, might like to build a home on one of the worlds we visited." Yang leans on the wall with thoughts of starting a new home. "Maybe somewhere with wide plains, an ocean view. Would like to think about my next home once I get older."
Weiss says, "I'm thinking more of an island house. Fully automated with three stories that fits with all my needs and wants." She looks at Blake, "What about you, Blake? Any preferences?"
Blake smiles, "Being by the sea does sound nice. And I want to dine on every single fish species we encounter."
"I would like to have a house in the forest." Ruby adds. "Maybe I would fine a planet with gigantic trees that I can make a treehouse that is just like a normal house."
Yang chuckles a little, "You always want to be in a treehouse when we were little."
"What's wrong with that?"
The girls chuckle as they finish and head out. As they walk down the halls of this massive ship, they start to notice that some people set up some businesses in one certain corridor of the ship.
"What's goin' on here?" Yang asks.
"Looks like some people have set up some shops." Blake says. "Must be trying to keep busy as we try to reach our destination. To keep their minds off of the fact we're in space and to keep morale up."
They look down at the line of shops there are such as Bamboo Forest Laundry Service. A special laundry service that uses slime to clean-up the toughest of grime and stains. The next shop is, Ice Witch. A store that sells magical items yet have many flaws to them. The next store is, Kuzunoha Trading Company. A general store that also sell high quality medicine with Parallel World Pharmacy next to it. There are a few stores with a lot of variety from clothing to magical objects to even electronics. They even pass the cafeteria where the restaurants are still set up with the smell of various foods being made among a lot of commotion among the many people of various species.
"Things have gotten a lot busier lately." Ruby notices.
"They have." Weiss also notice. "But sadly, when New Year is over, everyone without the black boxes will be place in stasis."
"Oh yeah." Yang remembers, "I almost forgotten about that."
Then they see Sun and his team running past them.
Yang asks, "Whoa! Where's the fire?"
Sage answers, "We're reaching the next beacon any second and our team has been called!"
"But we didn't get the call." Blake states.
"We volunteered first!"
Sage then runs to catch-up with his team.
Team SSSN along with Ainz, Cocytus, Aura, Mare, Demiurge, and even Magnus are on a shuttle as the Spearhead of Hope exited out of warp space. The shuttle heads on over towards a planet with two moons. The planet is a terra world with forests, ice caps, deserts, every single environment that you can find on Earth.
Sun asks Magnus, "Hey, uh, Magnus? Have you been on this planet?"
"I'm not entirely sure." Magnus sounds a bit melancholic, "I just want an excuse to get away from my brothers. I mean, I'm glad they're back, but I keep forgetting how much of a pain they were. With Dorn's lack of understanding any metaphors and takes them literally. And Vulkan? Nice guy, but his hugs are unbearable."
Scarlet was about to say something, but is interrupted by Neptune.
"Dude, don't do puns. That's Yang's department. Unless you want these guys to shove you in an airlock, don't do any."
"Right."
Ainz look at Magnus, "How many brothers do you have?"
"I don't want to talk about it. I just want to do this, avoid any hugging, and find out what the hell is on this planet." He looks at Aura and Mare. "But you two though. How come you two are cross-dressing?"
The shuttle makes its landing close to where the beacon is. The shuttle lands in some pine forest in a clearing that scare away some deer-like creatures. Once landed, the ramp lowers with everyone coming out.
"So that's why you two are cross-dressing." Sun says to the dark elf twins.
Magnus says, "To be honest, I wish my dad would make sisters. Because that would be better than dealing with half the asshole brothers I had to deal with."
"Yeah," Aura smirks, "some of our creators have some...'eccentric' tastes. But don't worry. Its something our creator, Bukubukuchagama, would like to have."
Ainz is a little embarrass on the inside. 'Please don't think of us like total weirdos."
Demiurge breaks the conversation, "Allow me to do some scouting. Best to ensure that there won't be any surprises."
"Excellent idea, Demiurge." says Ainz. "Please take extra precaution."
"As you wish, Lord Ainz."
Magnus says, "And I'll check any psychic energy to detect predators."
Demiurge sprout his wings and flies up in the air. He circles to see if he can find any threats until he founds some sort of cliff. Demiurge flies over and sees a twenty story building and the length of a sports arena. There is, well, was a tower at the top of it with multiple boulders and rubble. From the look of things, the building look like it suffered from a landslide on the ground it once stood and then another at the top of it. However, the lights are still on and the beacon is still active. He flies back to report what he had found.
"What did you find?" Magnus asks.
"A building of some sort." Demiurge reports, "It look like it has suffered from a collapse but the lights are still on. Which means the building, and the beacon inside, is still functional."
Neptune pulls out his scroll and points it at the direction where Demiurge found the building.
"Yep." he says when he sees a red blinking light. "There is a beacon over there."
"Allow me to handle our travel." Ainz says before casting a spell. "Mass fly!"
Everyone started to glow a bluish color as they are levitated in the air.
"Holy cow!" Sage is surprise as they all fly towards the building. "I didn't know you can do that!"
"That's magic for ya!" Sun smiles. He then looks at Cocytus, "By the way, Cocytus, is it? You look really cool. No pun intended."
"Really?" Cocytus looks at Sun.
"Yeah. Sorry I haven't mentioned it before. But you look like a badass with your exoskeleton like that."
Cocytus does feel a little embarrass, "Well, my creator, Warrior Takemikazuchi, made me like this. Yet I do appreciate the compliment."
Magnus says to Ainz, "You do realize I can FLY, right?"
"My apologies. I'm used to casting this spell on those who couldn't fly."
"I do appreciate the sentiment, so thank you. But I do have some questions for you if I may-"
"We've arrived!" Demiurge says to the others.
Everyone look down and see the building below at the bottom of the cliffs. They all flew down and take a closer look at the abandoned structure. Some of it is destroyed by rubble from rock slides and able to find pieces of satellite dishes. Upon closer inspection, the place is made of metal and some bit of concrete with the metal only slightly rusted.
"What was this place?" Aura asks.
"Think it might be a dungeon like the Tomb?" Mare theorize.
"No." Scarlet looks at the building. "It looks like some sort of research outpost. Or, used to be."
Sage stands next to Scarlet, "It does look like it despite being in ruins."
"Hmm..." Ainz takes a closer look. He place his hand on the door, "It does seem technologically advance and look like it has been here for quite a long time." 'It kinda looks like a failed research base on the moon I read in an article a while back. The materials used to construct this thing might be different, but it is rather similar."
Ainz later pressed a button and the door slowly opens yet stopped halfway through.
Sun says, "Guess being abandoned for centuries must've caused the mechanisms to seized."
Cocytus crack his knuckles, "Allow me."
He use all four of his strong, insectoid arms to force the door open.
"Got it."
Ainz pulls out his mace-like weapon and cast a spell, "Continuous light." and cause his mace to glow.
Team SSSN pull out some flash lights that help them see.
Aura smiles, "Should we split up?"
Mare is a little scared, "I don't think that's a good idea."
Neptune peek inside and scan the area with his flashlight. He sees a lot of debris and a hole in the ceiling in this once high-tech facility with some wires draping down, parts of the walls cracked, and many areas that look a bit unsafe.
"Yeah." Neptune realizes the situation, "I have to agree with Mare on this one. This place looks like it will fall apart any minute."
"Then we should stay together as a group." Ainz suggests, "Or rather, a party. But it has been a while since I've done a dungeon raid."
Scarlet shrugs, "It would work." But peeks inside with his expression changed from optimistic to realization, "Just have to watch our step."
Everyone head inside and see that the state of the place is worse than it is outside with everything looking like it is falling apart. They walk until they made it to the lobby area that has a large boulder in the center of it and can see the hole where daylight is coming in. Some of the lights are on and some wires are live.
"What is powering this place?" Sage asks as he looks at the fluorescent lights, "The only known power sources I know are solar, wind and Dust."
"Could be nuclear." Ainz suggests.
"Forgive my ignorance, Lord Ainz, but what's nuclear?" Mare asks.
Scarlet says, "I have heard and used some generators by that name along with some materials, but I have no idea what it actually is."
Neptune asks Scarlet, "Did you guys read the Big Book of Science?"
Everyone continue to search some of the rooms as Ainz explains what 'nuclear' is along with their capabilities. Some of them founded a few photos but are too moldy, faded and/or torn up to help identify the people who worked here or their families. There are a few documents but are barely legible. From what little there was, they piece together that this planet was suppose to be a research colony from centuries ago. What they were researching is still a bit of a mystery yet found some notes on the wildlife and the flora. They checked the computers but all data is corrupted and some of them are damaged beyond repair. Neptune continues to search for the beacon as they make their way towards the basement. And Ainz just finished up explaining what nuclear is.
"That was an incredible yet long detail about what nuclear radiation is." Scarlet says. "But never thought it would be that dangerous."
Aura rubs the sides of her head. "Man, my brain hurts."
Demiurge makes a mental note, "I'll try to keep it in mind when we develop weapons for our new nation."
"Hold up!" Neptune says to everyone.
He shine his flashlight on a metal door with a strange symbol on it. It is faded, but there appears to be a symbol of a blue star of some sort.
"The signal is coming from behind that door."
"Any ideas on what the hell is on the other side?" Magnus is curious.
Demiurge has some theories. "It could be people that took shelter and hid. It could be some sort of artifact that is yet to be discovered."
"Hold on." Magnus approaches the door, "Let me try something."
Magnus disappears in a flash of light. He teleported on the other side to see if he can get the door unlocks. Then teleported back after a few seconds.
Magnus starts coughing, "FUCK! *cough, cough* There is DEFINITELY something on the other side! *cough* AND IT STINKS! BRACE YOURSELVES!"
The door opens and a huge, unbearable smell comes out in a wave that Team SSSN started chocking on the bad smell. The smell is putrid and rotten like dead flesh before the lights turn on on the other side.
"FUCKING HELL!" Neptune coughs.
"I DID WARN YOU!"
Aura holds her nose, "That reeks even more so than the first three levels of Nazerick." She look at Ainz, "No offense, my lord."
"None taken. At least we now know what...to...expect?"
Everyone see inside and look at all the dead bodies all over that are completely decayed with rotten flesh and mold clinging onto the large number of corpses. All the bodies are in destroyed test tubes are so decayed that they are barely recognizable. However, there are some that are deformed or look a bit mutated with some having disfigured limbs, some having a few horns on their heads or antlers, some of them have more than the one usual body part. The whole place is filled with them.
Neptune runs a few feet away and starts to throw-up.
"DUDE!" Sage is holding back his bile, "WHAT THE FUCK!?"
Scarlet says, "I think we should be wearing masks."
"Such an indecent sight." Cocytus look at the 'test subjects'.
Demiurge push his glasses, "I wonder what they were experimenting on."
"Seriously?" Sun looks at Demiurge. "I think the less we know, the better."
"I don't know which is worse." Aura looks at the scene, "The smell or the threat of mold."
"Our black boxes should grant us immunity." Mare states, "But maybe we should also clean ourselves before heading back onto the ship to prevent any contagion."
Neptune gives a thumbs up, "I second that."
"This actually reminds me of some experimental Nurgle shit." Magnus remembers the followers of Nurgle, "And they really did experiment with their excrement."
Neptune then throws-up again.
AN: Hey everyone! Hope you guys enjoy the new chapter and if you want more information of what is going on with my life, check my new chapter of An Isekai in RWBY. Until then, later and stay healthy and safe.
