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

Chapter 111

Yeah, they really do look like a school of tuna.

Looking at the space tuna shown on the monitor, Kait had that impression. He had no experience aboard a fishing vessel, but he casually observed the school heading straight toward them.

While admiring the Corporation's technology for displaying such a clear image, he proceeded with preparations on his end.

It would still take some time before they arrived. Space was vast, after all.

"The fishing rod is Queen Bee, and the bait is me, huh?"

"The original plan is in shambles. You really are impossible to control."

Ignoring Emotion's grumbling, Kait issued various instructions for the Corporation's preparations. Naturally, the Corporation's staff had no knowledge of Earth's fishing practices, so Kait was the only one who could give directions.

"You say that, Emotion, but do you really think Fulgadonga would just let us approach?"

"The possibility isn't zero. If we hadn't been hostile, there was a chance Queen Bee could have docked."

"And how exactly were you planning to write that into a manual?"

"Ugh."

Manuals required reproducibility. Especially this time, there was no guarantee that the Fulgadonga copies commanding each space tuna weren't sharing information. To verify that, failure was absolutely unacceptable. They had to capture the ship carrying Fulgadonga without a scratch.

Chibbahe was likely there, too. Was Chibbahe truly an independent machine intelligence, or just a cover for Fulgadonga? There were still many things they needed to confirm.

"Besides, if there's even a hint of suspicion, the surrounding Aguares will fly at us like living bullets. I don't have the confidence to get through that unscathed while isolated."

"We could just deploy a barrier and block them."

"So you're saying we should abandon the lives of the unlucky Aguares near us? Please don't start talking about how some sacrifices are unavoidable."

Emotion fell silent at Kait's rebuke. Kait didn't believe they could save every Aguares, but that didn't mean he would neglect efforts to minimize casualties. Emotion's words sounded like she had given up on even trying.

"Are you saying that with the Captain's method, we can resolve this without letting the Aguares die?"

"If it goes perfectly, yes. At the very least, it's not a gamble."

"I'll be watching closely."

Emotion was sulking. Though Kait found it endearing, it didn't change the fact that she was at the center of this operation.

"Well, take it easy until it's your turn. I'll make sure to get us there."

"......I'm counting on you."

That she couldn't stay sulking to the end was one of her cute qualities.

***

The distance between Eanipol and the space tuna was shrinking by the second. Kait, aboard Queen Bee, was timing the moment.

Space tuna were fast. If the timing was too late or too early, they wouldn't get the desired result. On the other hand, Kait had no doubt that the enraged Fulgadonga would come flying at them. That's why Queen Bee was equipped with communication devices—to make sure the enemy didn't mistake their target.

"Almost time."

"Yes. Starting the countdown now."

Numbers appeared at the edge of his vision. As he waited for it to hit zero, he had to make Fulgadonga aware of their presence. Kait activated the communication device.

"Hey, Dr. Fulgadonga. Looks like you finally made it—I've been waiting."

'You! Which ship are you on!?'

"Isn't it obvious? I'm properly prepared to welcome you."

'......Are you insane?'

What a harsh reaction. All he did was wave from atop Queen Bee.

However, it seemed this one had the ability to see them, unlike the other space tuna. Why hadn't it paid attention when they captured the first one?

'I wish you'd say more. This bad habit of yours is really just...'

"Hey, hey, Emotion, don't go siding with them in the chaos."

'Don't mock meee!'

The countdown started speeding up. Apparently, being spotted had triggered acceleration.

The hostility aimed at them felt like it was prickling at the back of his neck. Reflecting some distant light, the lead space tuna glinted sharply.

The countdown continued. Kait took a deep breath. Zero.

"Activate!"

In an instant, Kait's entire field of vision turned yellow.

***

An energy fixed net.

If it needed a name, that would be it.

It wasn't exactly a net. More accurately, it was a directional mass of energy. But once you were in, you couldn't get out—just like the fixed nets once used in Earth's fisheries.

The space tuna that had charged toward Kait and Queen Bee rapidly decelerated. Just as it reached Kait, it completely lost speed and came to a halt.

To prevent it from being hit by the ones behind, the energy itself flowed and pushed the space tuna to the side. Waiting there was a hidden fleet from the Corporation, ready to capture it before it could move again.

The great thing about this fixed net was that it only slowed them down, making it hard to realize they were trapped. Since the charging behavior didn't change, it seemed Fulgadonga still hadn't noticed the trap.

The number of charging space tuna far exceeded those being captured. Right before Kait's eyes, countless space tuna lost speed and stopped before reaching them. Floating in the yellow field, they looked almost like fish in a tank.

"Emotion, where's Fulgadonga's ship?"

'Slightly behind the center of the swarm. It's inside the field, so its speed has dropped significantly.'

"Oops, maybe they're finally noticing something's off?"

'Seems so. There's a reaction indicating they're issuing some kind of orders to the surrounding space tuna.'

The fixed net had been deployed over a wide area. If Fulgadonga had noticed from outside the trap, it would've been a problem, so they had to make it large. As a result, it required a massive amount of energy to deploy and maintain.

Everything had gone just as Kait had predicted. It was safe to say the energy fixed net worked perfectly.

Fulgadonga's ship was also losing speed. Re-acceleration within the field was impossible. They had to capture it before it blended in with the other space tuna. If it made contact, it might be able to move again.

"Alright, now it's our turn."

Kait teleported Queen Bee into the fixed net. They appeared right next to a large space tuna that was about to stop moving, and Queen Bee extended its arm.

'Impossible! W-Where were you hiding!?'

Of course, Fulgadonga likely didn't know about teleportation.

The voice coming through the communication device was clearly panicked. He must have been shocked by Kait's sudden appearance.

Queen Bee extended its arm and firmly grabbed the space tuna. Then Kait activated the secret weapon he held in his hand.

"Alright, Fulgadonga. I'm going to extract you now."

'What are you doing!? Stop! Stop it—!'

When the egg-sized device was pressed against the ship's surface, it forcibly copied the hidden internal data and erased the original. It was only useful against outdated machine intelligences, but in this case, it worked like a charm.

The space tuna, having lost the machine intelligence known as Fulgadonga, ceased functioning—and then immediately rebooted.

'W-What? What's happening!?'

"Operator Chibbahe, is that you?"

'Y-Yes. What? How do you know my name? What happened while I was offline...'

With Fulgadonga gone, Chibbahe seemed to have regained functionality. Emotion displayed a message reading 'Confirmed forced containment of Fulgadonga's data. Also detected internal thought patterns of Operator Chibbahe,' allowing them to avoid the blunder of accidentally extracting Chibbahe.

"There's a lot I'd like to explain. Will you hear me out?"

'...I don't really understand what's going on, but if you're willing to explain, I've got no reason to refuse. Go ahead.'

Would Chibbahe break down after hearing the truth?

That was Kait's only concern.