CHAPTER 45 - MORE SURVIVORS IN HIDING

"No wonder the architecture looks so bizarre, it's alien!"

"But if even Cortana can't analyze it, that means this tech is seriously advanced!"

"The plot of Subnautica is getting more and more tangled, huh?"

"Wait, so are there aliens actually living in that building?"

Hearing the excited chatter from the livestream comments, Natalie's curiosity was instantly piqued. If there really are aliens in this game, I have to see them!

She circled around the mysterious structure and quickly found what appeared to be the entrance, on the opposite side.

The entryway was massive, at least five meters wide, and totally unlike any Earth architecture she'd seen. Strangely enough, there wasn't even a door. It was just... open, like it was silently saying: Welcome in.

"Wow, this building looks super tall and high tech... but there's no door?"

"Seriously? No security measures at all?"

While the chat room debated, Natalie didn't hesitate. With a grin, she charged straight into the open entrance.

"Haha, let's see what secrets this alien building is hiding!"

But the moment she crossed the threshold.

SLAM!

She smashed into something invisible and hard, like a wall of air. A massive force flung her backward with terrifying strength!

"What the heck?!" she yelped.

Natalie flew five or six meters through the air, tumbling across the ground before skidding to a stop.

"??? What just happened???"

"Yo, is that Shinra Tensei?!"

"LMAO! She just got ragdolled like a rubber ball!"

The whole chat room erupted in disbelief.

Dazed, Natalie sat up, wobbling. "Damn, this game is insane! The interaction, even the physics... That felt way too real."

That tumble felt like a real fall. Her head was spinning, her body ached, she was stunned by the sheer realism.

No wonder NeasJ felt like death after being yeeted around by Reaper Leviathan... this game does not hold back.

She glanced at her health bar, a whole third was gone!

"You lose this much health just from falling?!" she muttered, quickly pulling out a medkit from her backpack to patch herself up. "Guys... how did I even get thrown out like that?"

"No clue!"

"You just flew out like a pinball!"

"That was comedy gold, not gonna lie!"

Natalie pursed her lips. She reviewed what happened and realized, there must be something wrong with that 'entrance'.

This time, she approached it carefully. Looking closely, she noticed a faint ripple in the air. It was like an invisible barrier, some kind of energy field sealing the entrance.

She picked up a pebble from the ground and tossed it.

BZZT, THUMP!

The stone bounced off instantly.

"Ah-ha! There is something here!" she shouted.

Then, she spotted a panel embedded in the wall next to the entrance, clearly some kind of control console.

She pointed her wristband at it.

Ding!

[Force Field Console detected. This device regulates a nearby energy barrier. The force field technology far exceeds human understanding. Analysis suggests a key is required to deactivate it.]

The chat room exploded again.

"WHOA, it really IS a force field!"

"These aliens are not messing around!"

"Bro, this is their security door?"

"Human tech in 400 years is wild, but these aliens are built DIFFERENT!"

Natalie sighed.

"No key, no entry, huh... damn. All this alien mystery right in front of me, and I can't even get inside!"

Frustrated, she shook her head.

"Forget it. Let's explore the rest of this place. No way I'm going back into that cursed ocean. Land is so much better, humans were meant to walk on solid ground!"

Her curiosity about the alien building was strong, but her excitement about this newly discovered island was stronger.

Leaving the beach behind, she wandered into a lush jungle filled with alien flora. Vivid greens, brilliant reds, and glowing yellows, none of these plants looked familiar.

She eagerly scanned them with her wristband.

Ding!

[Thorn Tree. Covered in sharp barbs. Assessment: Not edible.]

Ding!

[Color Bloom. Bright and ornamental. Assessment: Useless, but pretty.]

Plant after plant... all scanned. All useless. None edible.

"Wow, this island is gorgeous!"

"The devs really nailed the visual design!"

"It's like watching a nature documentary in an alien world!"

Thanks to the Unreal Engine, everything looked breathtakingly real. The chat agreed, it was stunning.

But that beauty didn't last.

After about ten minutes of hiking, Natalie suddenly saw the glint of water through the trees.

"Huh?"

She broke into a jog and pushed past the last stretch of jungle, only to find herself standing on a cliff, looking at a vast ocean.

"...Are you KIDDING me? It's another damn sea?!"

"LOL! It's not a continent, it's a tiny island!"

"Takes 10 minutes to cross the whole thing! Haha!"

"You really thought the devs would let you chill on land?"

"Come on, the game's called Subnautica for a reason!"

Natalie laughed bitterly. Of course. Trust Tony to dangle land in front of her just to snatch it away.

Still, she pressed on. "Maybe I'll find that lucky NPC from the Aurora..."

As she wandered, she called out, "Hellooo? Anyone here?"

The chat roasted her.

"Sis, don't bother yelling. There's no one here!"

"Like the devs would make it THAT easy!"

They had a point. Since rescuing that woman in Pod No.2, it was obvious this game was designed to be a lonely survival story. But she kept searching.

Eventually, she came across a crab hopping cheerfully across the sand.

Ding!

[Waddle Crab. Amphibian. Edible, but barely any meat.]

"Man, I wish I could eat this thing..." she sighed. Too bad VR can't do taste yet.

Just then, one of the crabs leapt at her!

"Oh? You wanna hit me in the knee? Cute!"

With a flick of her wrist, she pulled out a dagger and sliced the crab cleanly in half.

Deeper into the island, she stumbled across a strange, round house, oval shaped and clearly made of metal, though rusted from time.

"Whoa... there's actually a house here?"

"Wait, were we wrong? The Aurora crew was here?!"

"This house looks OLD... not recent at all!"

She scanned it.

Ding!

[Human Shelter. Built from metal titanium. Blueprint for house construction acquired.]

"Nice! I can build a house now?" she grinned.

Titanium shelters, durable, waterproof, suitable for land or sea, very handy.

Excited, she stepped inside. It was dusty and worn, but there were still tables, chairs, and a small bedroom with a broken bed and a rusted wardrobe.

But one thing stood out, a pen like device on the closet.

She picked it up.

Ding!

[Voice Recorder. Can record/play audio even in extreme environments. Blueprint acquired.]

She turned it on and a woman's voice played.

"If you're hearing this, hello. My name is Emma. I'm the captain of the starship Intrepid. In 2423, our ship crashed on this planet due to an unknown accident. Two crew members and I managed to survive on this small island."

"We found a strange alien structure here, but the entrance was sealed with a force field, and we couldn't enter."

"We built a temporary shelter on this island, but resources were scarce. Eventually, we relocated to a mineral rich area under the sea."

"If you hear this message, please help us. Take us home. I've attached the coordinates of our new base."

Ding!

[Coordinates uploaded.]

Natalie's eyes widened.

"So... Emma deliberately left this message behind. She wanted someone to find them."

The chat was buzzing again.

"Wait... the Intrepid? So it's not just the Aurora that crashed here?!"

"What is this planet, the Bermuda Triangle 2.0?"

"Cursed world confirmed."

Natalie asked, "Cortana, what year is it now?"

"2433."

"...So the Intrepid crashed ten years ago..."

She glanced at her wristband. The coordinates were about 130 kilometers away, and 800 meters underwater.

"...Their second base is at the bottom of the sea?!"

1304 Words.