The crew moved in tense silence, the sound of heavy crates scraping against the ship's floor as we began unloading at Port Botanik. The smell of salt and rusted metal filled the air, mixing with the faint scent of the wet earth after the rain. I could hear Ash and Void behind me, lifting Kath's body off the ship, her small form wrapped in a tarp-like material that flapped weakly in the wind.
Ash's movements were stiff, her expression locked in a cold, distant gaze as she remained protective over Kath. I turned my head slightly, catching a glimpse of Ash's face as she carried her. Her eyes never looked in my direction, but I could feel her resentment from across the deck.
I wanted to help, to carry her body off the ship, to at least offer that much, but I couldn't. Not because of my guilt alone, though it gnawed at me every second, but because it felt like my very presence near Kath would be an insult. After all, I had pulled the trigger.
Even if I could somehow convince myself that carrying her was the right thing to do, I knew Ash wouldn't allow it. She was hovering over Kath like a guardian, protecting what little was left of her. Her disgust for me was palpable, her movements filled with an unspoken message: stay away.
As I went back to unloading crates, the repetitive task that my body was practically built for after all these years, I started to notice something odd about the port. I hadn't been to Port Botanik that often, but I knew this place handled a large amount of the western continent's cargo, it should be a hub of activities.
Today, however, there was an eerie quietness in the air. There were too few people moving about, too few workers, and the general bustle that should've greeted us was missing. It wasn't entirely deserted, but there was a noticeable stillness that set my nerves on edge. Something was off.
As we worked to unload the last of the crates, a young boy in a worker's uniform rushed toward us from the edge of the port. His name tag read "Daryll," bouncing with each hurried step. He was out of breath when he finally reached us, his face flushed with urgency. "There's been a change of plans for the operation," he said, his voice louder than necessary. Everyone stopped what they were doing, turning to face him as he continued, "The destination's been shifted. We're no longer proceeding with Edynis, it's not safe to do so. We're rebuilding in Kajarat."
An expression of sketch must have formed on my face, as one of the crew soon asks, "Why, whats so unsafe about Edynis?"
Daryll looked at her directly instead of our general direction, his expression shifting as if her question shouldn't have been necessary. "Have you not heard?"
He blinked, scanning the faces of the crew, growing more confused as the silence deepened. "The entirety of the Sivayas Archipelago is gone..."
The words struck us all at once, me, Ash, Void, everyone. Not a word was spoken between us all, but you could feel the information settling into our conscience as his words rang between us. Almost simultaneously, disbelief swept across all our faces.
"It wiped out by the biggest singularity event ever recorded." Daryll slightly stuttered, loathing to be the bearer of such news.
"What?" someone muttered behind me, a delayed response after their shock had settled, but Daryll was already nodding grimly.
"A singularity that large... usually, they only take out parts of a city at most. But this... it was almost ten times the size of any recorded event." He hesitated, as though even he was still processing it himself. "The theory going around is that it was a terrorist attack—people think someone leaked information about your operation, and that caused it."
"For how they were able to produce something that big, it's still unknown..."
Sivayas, that was where this all started. Everyone we met there, Sekiyo, Seraph, Craig, Jojo, every face that welcomed us, the ones that we walked passed, they were all gone within a single headline. Wiped off the map in an instant.
The idea of an entire archipelago being erased like that was impossible to fully comprehend. I glanced at Void, Ash, the others. They were all stunned, faces pale and eyes wide yet empty. They were never allowed a break, not even given enough time to mourn the death of Kath, before another dreadful news dropped on them.
Daryll's voice cut through the haze. "Most of Edynis has moved further west to get away from the site of the incident. That's why the port's so empty now. And our place of operation in Edynis, everything was moved to Kajarat." He scratched his head nervously. "I figured you all should know, especially since, well, you were just there."
Daryll shifted awkwardly and cleared his throat. "Look, I know it's a lot... but you guys really need to find a land transporter soon if you're gonna move everything. Kajarat's not exactly next door."
For a moment, I glanced around at the others. Void was moving the last few crates off the ship, but his movements were stiff, robotic. Ash and a few of the crew were still around Kath's body, too wrapped up in their grief and guilt to process anything else. Nobody was in a state to go out and arrange transport. Without many options, I sighed, stepping away from the group. Guess it was on me.
Leaving the quay behind, I moved through the port toward where the Road Transporters were usually parked. The port, which should've been bustling with activity, felt eerily quiet. It wasn't as obvious before, but once it was put into words, you notice it better. Edynis was evacuating westward, and it seemed like most of the RTs were already gone. As I scanned the area, I spotted one RT left.
Standing beside it was a person, their back turned to me, kicking at the front of the RT in frustration. When I got closer, I could hear they were muttering curses under their breath. "Damn thing... what the hell did they send me out here for if this junk ain't even working?"
They noticed me as I approached and quickly turned, their face twisted in annoyance. "Oi, if you're lookin' for a ride, mate, you're outta luck. We're not offering any bloody transport services today. Here for a specific job, and no, it ain't for you."
Since there weren't much operations going on around here, I figured they must have been assigned to fetch us. "Is there any chance that specific job actually does involve me?"
Their eyes narrowed as they crossed their arms, scrutinizing me. "Yeah? What's your name, then?"
"Zach," I stated with confidence.
The change in their demeanour was instant. The irritation on their face melted away, replaced by an easy-going grin. "Well, why didn't ya say so earlier, mate? Name's Nara. Been waitin' for ya." They extended a hand, which I shook, and a firm grip was returned.
"Hate to be the bearer of bad news, though. This ol' girl," they patted the RT, "ain't goin' anywhere today. Needs a bit of maintenance. Won't be ready till tomorrow at least. I know it's a pain in the arse, but these things don't move unless they're in top shape. She's gotta rest for a day, or we'll all end up stranded somewhere between here and nowhere." They shot me a look, clearly sensing my exhaustion from all these news. "Best you tell yer folks to stay put for a bit. Ain't no good tryin' to move her before she's ready."
