Chapter 20
"Impossible!"
"It's true. You can tell I'm a Federation citizen, right? Then you should also know I'm not lying."
"Damn it!"
Unlike the confused Divin, Gilbert reacted quickly.
He rushed to the retching Rebecca and lifted her up—not to help her, but to press a gun to her temple and glare at Kait.
For the current Kait, stopping a bullet was no big deal—even if the one being shot was Rebecca.
"You, are you really an Earthling?"
"Yeah. Just like you, I was out in space under exile."
"Oh, so we're comrades, huh? ...So, what lucky break got you picked up by aliens?"
Being lumped together with Gilbert was unpleasant, but from society's perspective, they were likely seen the same. Kait stifled a sigh and told the truth.
"I just didn't feel like going back to the surface, so I aimed for Jupiter's orbit. Like you said, I got lucky and made it there safely."
"You're nuts."
"I won't argue with that."
As Gilbert listened, he glanced toward the Divin. Still holding Rebecca, he slowly edged closer to them.
Watching carefully, wondering what he was up to, Gilbert suddenly shouted at them in a restrained tone.
"Calm down already, you're all a damn hassle! Hey, you—transfer me and this one to your ship right now!"
"What are you saying—"
"We're gonna kill that bastard! If we leave him alone, it's bad for both me and you, right!?"
"!"
Perhaps seeing some logic in Gilbert's words, the Divin operated their terminals without much hesitation.
In an instant, the Divin, Gilbert, and Rebecca vanished. Since they mentioned a transfer, they were probably moved to the Divin's ship.
There was no ship near the monument. Even before reentry, the Divin's ship hadn't been spotted. That meant it was either very far away, or—
"Was it hidden on Earth from the start...?"
Just as that conclusion hit, the ground suddenly shook violently.
***
Inside the massive ship that appeared in the sky, Gilbert shoved Rebecca roughly. He returned the threatening glares of the Divin with a fierce one of his own. He knew from experience that showing weakness in moments like this was dangerous.
"Why did you bring that woman along?"
"She's a hostage. Seemed like they knew each other, so just in case."
"M-Mr. Representative..."
Perhaps the pain from being shoved cleared her head a bit, as Rebecca looked up with a worried expression.
She still seemed half in doubt. Smart people who dealt with fools were a real pain to handle. Easy to use, sure, but a huge nuisance when time was short.
"What? You thought you were doing a good deed, but ended up helping sell out your comrades to aliens. That bothers you so much?"
"S-So then, you really—"
"Gonna say you didn't know? Among the first hundred thousand, there were ones who bought Earthlings as food. You think those sent there will forgive someone like you who claims ignorance?"
Despair plastered across her face, Rebecca collapsed to the floor, sobbing. Incredibly troublesome, but as a hostage, she couldn't be killed just yet.
Then, one of the Divin who had been silent until now spoke up, his voice filled with anger and urgency.
"Hey, Damos. What are you planning to do now? You said you'd kill that Federation citizen..."
"Calm down. Are we even sure he's really a Federation citizen?"
"That uniform was definitely Federation-made."
"Even so. Think about it—six months ago, he was in the same position as me. He aimed for Jupiter in half a year. With Earth's tech, how long would that take? Even if the Federation picked him up along the way, would they really make him a citizen that easily?"
"Y-Yeah, that's true. It is suspicious."
Gilbert's words carried a certain persuasive weight.
The Divin exchanged glances, mulling over Gilbert's argument.
"Being protected by the Federation and becoming a Federation citizen aren't the same thing, right? Worst case, if we just get rid of him, we'll have enough leeway to make excuses to the Federation. How about it?"
"...Alright. We'll go with your plan."
"Hey, Pikrashkaa!"
"Either way, unless we kill that Earthling, our dream will keep slipping away. But Damos, you're the one who'll take him down."
With the representative Pikrashkaa's decision, the Divin seemed to settle on a course. There were some objections, but they quickly died down. Still, the fact they had Gilbert do the dirty work as insurance showed how cunning they were.
They might need to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
"I don't mind, but how are we doing this? You gonna lend me an assault craft or something?"
"Fine. I'll lend you the latest model, so hurry up and finish it."
Pikrashkaa readily agreed to Gilbert's demand. Maybe they thought an Earthling couldn't handle it. Or maybe they were more afraid of the Federation's interference than they let on.
They needed to play every card they had. In the corner of his vision, Gilbert saw Rebecca. Since she seemed close to that man, she might know something.
"Hey, Rebecca. Is that guy's family still alive?"
"...Huh?"
"That face says yes. ...Right, you said you had family you were going to take care of yourself."
"Wait! Stop!"
Bullseye.
Gilbert twisted his face into a wicked grin and smiled at Pikrashkaa.
"Hey, Pikrashkaa. Tell the ones below to suck them up, even if they have to push a little."
"What are you—"
"Huh. Not as composed as I thought."
Even now, they thought they could keep prioritizing business? Denser than expected.
"When your evil scheme gets exposed, the only thing to do is erase the evidence, grab the profits, and run like hell."
***
Outside the building, a massive ship floated in the sky.
So that's the Divin's ship. No wonder they called it an Ark—it fit the name.
Everyone was looking up at the sky and kneeling.
Then, more ships of similar design appeared around the Ark. The prediction that they'd been hidden on Earth seemed to be correct. Dirt could be seen falling from one of the ships.
People began flooding out of the building. Staying here was no longer an option. If he were in Gilbert's shoes, his first target would be him. The clueless civilians would get caught in the crossfire.
Kait ran alone, heading out of the city. The fact that the residents were praying might be his only saving grace.
"Is that...!?"
From several of the Arks, bluish-white beams shot down to the ground. People caught in the light floated upward and were sucked into the ships.
So they were taking hostages. Kait ground his molars in frustration.
The city's exit came into view.
"Come, Queen Bee!"
He shouted with intent. Words weren't necessary—what mattered was the strong will for it to come.
East. From beyond the horizon, a green light flew toward him. Fixing his gaze on the light, he projected a strong will to board it.
Sparks danced from Kait's hair.
'Sorry to keep you waiting, Captain'
"Gilbert Jane and the Divin have clearly turned hostile. This ship is now entering combat mode!"
'Understood. How shall we notify the Federation?'
"Tell them Earthlings have been taken hostage. Not a single ship is to escape the solar system—we request their cooperation."
'Message sent. Engage at will, Captain'
"Yeah."
***
One step too late. It seemed that man had summoned his ship too. Ideally, he would've been taken out before that.
The attack order didn't make it in time, but Gilbert had his piece. As he racked his brain, he questioned Pikrashkaa.
"Hey, Pikrashkaa. Do you know what that ship is made of?"
"Wait, checking now... The exterior is metal made on Earth. No clue about the internals. Maybe it's been modified by the Federation."
"I see. That's all I needed to know."
"What?"
"So that means it's not a Federation-made ship, right?"
"That's right? Yeah, that's right...!"
Pikrashkaa seemed to realize it too. With a twisted grin to match Gilbert's, he began giving orders.
"Break away from the gravity zone."
"Some ships haven't loaded the mortals yet."
"Doesn't matter. Once we're out of the gravity zone, destroy the ship to be sure."
"What if they don't follow?"
"Then we destroy this planet and flee. Either way, it's probably impossible to take any more Earthlings."
"It's what you'd call a cut-loss," he laughed, and those around him let out similar laughter.
In the worst-case scenario, to avoid Federation intervention, they just needed to destroy everything and cover it up. Pikrashkaa was finally starting to get the picture.
While receiving instructions on how to operate the combat ship, they gathered Rebecca and the other hostages in one place.
The scenery was changing. Half a year ago, the bleakness of space had been unbearable, but now Gilbert felt an inexplicable sense of nostalgia.
***
"Out into space, huh. They really want to kill me here no matter what."
'Then wouldn't it be better not to go into space at all? I just think it's inefficient.'
Emotion countered Kait's murmur.
But Kait was certain. Gilbert Jane was the type who trusted his instincts to survive.
"If they want to kill me and cover everything up, it'd be easier to do it after getting into space."
'Considering Divin's level of technology, I don't think there's much difference between doing it from the ground or from space...'
"If they destroy this ship in space, I'll die instantly, right?"
'Hah. I don't think they can pull it off, though.'
"But I think they believe they can. They probably don't even believe I became a Federation citizen."
People only believe what they want to believe, and they only believe it the way they want to.
Within just a few days of being taken in by the Federation, Kait had undergone modifications, obtained citizenship, and even bought a ship. Even Kait himself wouldn't believe it if it weren't about him.
The Divin people and Gilbert probably preferred a more plausible expectation than believing in such miraculous facts.
"I'm glad I didn't bring Emotion. Your presence would've been impossible to explain away."
'...If I was able to assist in the Captain's camouflage, then I'm glad.'
Following the Divin ship, Queen Bee also ascended into space.
Watching Earth beneath his feet, he faced off against the Divin ship.
There were more than he expected.
"Emotion, how many ships are there in total?"
'Thirty-seven ships.'
He was about to ask about the Earthlings' life signs, when a transmission came in. It was from one of the Divin ships.
As he focused on connecting, part of the wall transformed into a screen.
'Yo, Kait Crouch. You made it.'
"Could you back up a little? That scruffy face of yours is unbearable to look at up close."
'Tch! Don't worry, you won't be seeing it for long anyway.'
Gilbert clicked his tongue in annoyance and shifted slightly out of frame.
Several people in the back came into view.
"Rebecca. And... that one there is—"
'Kait! I'm sorry. Your parents and... even your little sister—'
"Alisa, huh."
His much younger sister. The girl he hadn't seen even once since their parents sold her to the cult was now staring at him with a frightened expression.
'You get it now? Don't even think of resisting. Go ahead if you want—your poor family will just die with you!'
"I see. So the lowest of the low truly deserve no sympathy."
He became aware of the veins bulging on his forehead.
Yet despite his emotions, his tone remained calm. Quietly, only quietly, he spoke the facts.
"As for my parents, they sold me off for a hefty sum. I consider our ties severed. Rebecca, I know you're the kind of person who would rather be shot than used as a hostage. But Alisa certainly holds value as a hostage."
'Right?'
"So, what now? Am I supposed to just let you shoot me?"
'Exactly. Just hold on a sec.'
"I see. So you people really intend to be my enemies to the bitter end. Got it."
Gilbert's face disappeared from the screen. His parents, pale-faced, stared at him. Rebecca and Alisa clung to each other, crying.
Kait turned off the screen without much concern. He did feel a slight urge to reassure them, but more than that, he didn't want them to overhear his next orders.
"Emotion, here's the order. Identify the ships that don't have Earthlings onboard."
'Understood. Right away.'
From the central ship, a small vessel about the same size as Queen Bee flew out.
The front glowed, and something came flying. It was so obvious what it was that Kait smirked and issued the next command.
"Queen Bee. Purge fifteen percent of the hull plating."
The moment the light projectile touched the barrier and vanished, the steel plating that had been clinging to the ship peeled off as if it had burst from an impact.