Volume 4 Chapter 3 (2/2)
There was red everywhere
It filled the large street which was as wide as a runway It was like a river of jelly We had known there were a lot of these things in Las Vegas, but wasn't this a little too many!?
”Perhaps they can ested Maxwell ”If so, you need to quickly learn the conditions behind it”
”No”
I audibly gulped
On a closer inspection, I could tell this river was not a single solidbars, X-shapes, and fat clue andfro block puzzle It was just hard to tell since they all had the same color and texture
”Apparent volume and actual mass doesn't always match up Like a chrysanthe volu skirt of a princess's dress There are several ways to increase volume”
That would mean this was a collection of thin membranesbut it was still a threat
The gels would dissolve and absorb anything biological they cae in appearance, the greater surface area was a threat
I couldn't tell the sidewalk apart from the road Not even a h there without touching a single drop
”They weren't doing this before,” said Anastasia ”Are they learning how to use their bodies?”
Whatever the case, we had to turn back
It was all over if they noticed us
I gestured to the Class Rep and Anastasia again and we sloalked back the e had come
Just then, the previous red gel returned to the alley through the broken
We could not go forward or turn back
There was no time to spare
”Run!”
With the main road and back alley both blocked, we had no choice but to run into the restaurant before even checking inside Just as I tackled the glass door open, I clearly sensed the entire city's atas That was how it felt
The red gel ih the brokenIf we just ran around on the ground, ould be killed Our only hope hat Maxwell had mentioned earlier
All three of us desperately jumped over the counter and entered the kitchen I had built up too much momentum and my back slammed into the oven door It was an industrial oven that could probably cook a full pig
And then the gel rushed in at me
I could not focus on anything else
I opened the oven door and rolled to the side The geldevice, so I slaainst the door to force it shut
I felt a squeeze at ainst the heat-resistant glass a centimeter away from me Fahrenheit? The units were unfarabbed the knob and turned it as far as it would go
The gas quickly ignited and began a merciless cremation
With no el could not scream, but I did not have time to worry about that Fro and in pain Whether this would kill it or not was another matter
A way to drive theh
I grabbed a few metal objects from the countertop, but the kitchen knife and fruit knife were too short and would leave me at risk I had no choice but to duct tape one to the end of a as burner Even if blades had no effect on the gels, they would probably fear heated metal
”Class Rep, there are sorab a few of them”
”S-sure”
”U to build a bomb?”
”In the culinary world, there are handheld burners used to add scorch marks to fish If we use one of those to periodically heat the end of this knife spear, it won't lose its effectiveness But a bo drinks with a high alcohol content If we mix that in a bottle with some liquid cleaner, it should work as a Molotov cocktail”
”Warning: Spreading fire in a disaster environment is not recommended”
”It's an eency Please”
Using the data displayed when I viewed the the alcoholic drinks lined up on a shelf
That hen a low tremor shook the entire restaurant
”What was that? An earthquake?”
”No,” replied Maxwell ”Rather than traveling through the ground, the vibration appears to be in the walls It is likely caused by an irregular disturbance in the air”
The Class Rep looked around worriedly with several gas cylinders in her arms
Anastasia gulped
”Hey, this is bad, Truth Your handht not be much help”
”You don't mean”
”Sure I have completed the air fluid dyna of the outer wall It see”
”W-wait That was only increasing its apparent voluht? So it should only be able to float around like a balloon or styrofoaht!?”
”Sure However, whether it is made of steel or plastic, there is no difference in the disturbance to the air - that is, the wind gust - created by a fan of the sareat volume is waved all at once, it can likely create the same force as a hammer of air”
I didn't even have time to scream
I abandoned rabbed my knife spear, and ran for the back entrance Just as we all ran out into the alley, the entire restaurant was flattened as if a giant hand had slapped down on it The force was so great that it felt like ere reading a surreal children's book
The oddity stared down at us like a brontosaurus s of water
It swung its head around If that hit us, ould become mincemeat even without the powerful acid effect It wasn't like it could help, but I still threw the heated knife spear
To that thing, it had to have been like a fairy throwing a toothpick
And yet
Nevertheless
As soon as the knife spear hit it, the red brontosaurus writhed in pain, failed to support its oeight, and flipped over I saw so into the sky It inal puddle-like body because it could not maintain the extra volu skirt
But that was all it took?
The effect was so drao of the knife spear
”Anye need to get out of here Class Rep, Anastasia!”
The saht not happen twice Since we hadn't held repeated experi other than the heat that caused it If we could run ae had to do so That had to be our funday
”What do we do now, Truth!?”
”The sandstorone, so the job for the rescuers will be the sa fro sonal near a heliport!”
”No,” said Maxwell ”The situation has changed in the past few hours I can detect no cellphone signals being sent out in vain The digital screaround, we should assume everyone has been killed”
I knew that
We had to assuas had been sed up If those things could increase their apparent volue between buildings and even break down a building wall using that air ha up in a solid fortress and waiting it out was no longer an option And if the outside rescuers decided the city was utterly destroyed, they ht not even send out any more helicopters
But
Even so
I had to bet on the possibility with the greatest odds of success After all, it wasn't just my life at risk here The Class Rep and Anastasia were here too I at least wanted to get them on a helicopter No matter what
Just then, the Class Rep threw a question my way as she ran behind me
”But are you really okay with that, Satori-kun?”
”Kh”
This was the best option
This was a hu that would most reduce the risk of death
But the Class Rep gently said more
As if gently stabbing me
”I mean, if you do that, you can't save Erika-san or Ayumi-chan”
The unfortunate debris accident during extravehicular activity the other day has raised a new concern If an astronaut does die during an experiment, where will their body be kept and preserved? How can we best preserve the shi+p's hygienic environment? We wish to prevent the spread of disease Both for the health of the astronauts and to reduce the risk of conta the lunar surface with bacteria from earth
The view of outer space as a great e technology increases If we continue building stations above a certain size, there is a risk of breeding our own greatest enemy out in space
It is possible we earthlings could create the aliens ourselves Even if it started out as perfectly normal intestinal bacteria, it is unknohat effects the coshtlessness, and other aspects of an extraterrestrial environnore this We reater level than the Spanish flu or the bubonic plague
Russia has suggested we solve this probley Similarly, we have contacted Herbal Science We have decided to begin experi some of the preservatives used for Archenemy development