Chapter 30 – Roller Coaster
Whooooong-.
I glanced down and saw a terrifying sight.
“The car looks too small…”
The dump truck, which was made with bowling pins at once even for large infected, looked like a minicar, and the cargo drone was no different from a flying insect.
[There’s nothing to be afraid of. Because it’s perfectly safe.]
Artemis said casually whether she knew my anxiety or not.
The work of constructing rails all over the ceiling was completed in the first place, and it was not long ago that I was contacted to show the result.
Reaching the meeting place, I stand on the top floor of the central control room building, on the roof overlooking the entire shelter.
I thought I was trying to show the whole view, but I didn’t know that it meant that I would put it on a lift and give it a round trip.
Whii-.
The wind blows once again.
Since it is a closed city, the wind is soft compared to the height. If you were at this height in a building built outside, you would have had to face a formidable strong wind.
Of course, that doesn’t make the bloody landscape below any less frightening.
“Are you really riding this?”
The lift in front of me was open on all sides, so I could see the bloody scenery below.
I hated showing off intimidation, but I really don’t want to do this.
[Then, let’s look around and finish it on the far-off rooftop?]
“I can see everything from here, but what?”
[Would it look like this with your eyesight?]
The screen she displayed on her PDA was the same as the scene I was watching.
Due to the limitations of my eyesight, distant places looked blurry, and the rails on the periphery did not look right even if they were blurred.
I was about to get over it, but I was caught in one shot.
[Besides, you can’t see the rails that went in between the buildings]
“You know how to do it well.”
[Of course, I did it well, but wouldn’t it be 100% only if there was a final inspection by the manager?]
Her voice was armed with legitimacy, but tinged with some anticipation.
She was like a developer eager to show off her new mod.
“Wasn’t this a business that started out to have your hands play a role in the first place? There are no residents, so why did you install the lift?”
Next to the lift in front of me were several huge mechanical arms.
She will ride on the rails that stretch all over the city like a spider’s web, picking up or putting down whatever she wants wherever she wants.
Truly the hand of God. It reminded me of Black and White, a game I used to play in the past.
[These rails are not meant to be used simply to enforce my will. It’s also meant to serve as transportation. Because there are limits to cars and streetcars alone.]
“There is no one to wear it.”
[There is no reason to be satisfied with a 2% shortage just because there are no tenants. I want to make a perfect city.]
For Artemis, it seems to be a matter of pride before efficiency.
[It can be used by security robots or androids in case of emergency, and it is also useful for evacuating in case of emergency. If this had been built before, it would have been able to respond much faster in the event of an infection?]
That part was irrefutable.
“Then, at least make it sealed like a cable car. Even if you hit it well, it feels like a roller coaster.”
The appearance of the lift in front of you is more like a roller coaster in an amusement park that has been cut into two-seaters and then made more lightweight.
[You don’t have to worry about safety. I tried driving it 10 times with the security robot on board.]
A video was played on the PDA.
It was a video of a terrifying Wakku security robot riding around the city on a lift.
As if he hadn’t given the command to stay still, his head swayed back and forth every time he turned a curve, and his mouth opened and closed, creating an indescribable sight.
If I rode a guy much heavier than me and completed 10 safe driving runs, I think there would be no problem even if I rode it.
“I don’t know.”
Even whining more hurts his pride, and above all, he refused in front of Artemis, who was urging him with high expectations.
When I went into the lift and sat down, the safety bar came down automatically.
Unlike the lightweight exterior, the connection between the safety bar and each driving part and rail seems very strong.
[Safe status check completed. Shall we start then?]
She was excited like a child. She’s like a kid running with a gamepad to her father on holiday. It made me laugh for some reason.
[What’s funny?]
“No, nothing.”
Giing.
The lift moves with a dull drive sound. This is the highest point in the shelter.
The course unfolding in front of you continues in a straight line for about 10 meters, then suddenly bends downward.
The air time section descending in a straight line is unfolded. For quite a while too.
“You should be wearing long pants, damn it.”
The lower part wasn’t completely closed, so even though I was moving slowly, the wind came through the shorts. The sensation felt between the crotch is more of a chill than a coolness.
[My testicles have shrunk.]
“Don’t relay that.”
[It’s all here. Now descend!]
Woo woo.
It wasn’t like a roller coaster, it was a real roller coaster.
As I descended at high speed, a strong wind and a sense of weightlessness embraced me.
“Why is this so fast? It’s a ride, not a lift.”
It was windy at such a speed that we couldn’t have a proper conversation, but she understood exactly what I was saying.
[If you go slowly, it’s not fun and it’s not efficient, right? I don’t know, it’s good to have fast means of transportation. We chartered this road, so there is no risk of an accident.]
A subtle sensation that starts in the chest and spreads to the abdomen. It wasn’t even an unpleasant feeling, but a third sensation that was different from orgasm bounced back and forth in my chest like a bouncy ball.
[It’s safe, so why don’t you let go of that hand?]
Looking at me clinging to the safety bar, she said.
“I was originally sick of this kind of thing! I barely even rode a Viking. No, why is the descent so long!”
[I’m halfway there now. Come on, if you ride like that, you’ll have to lose. Don’t be afraid and live! Flash your hand!]
There was no malice in Artemis’s giggling words. However, those who are good at screaming machines cannot understand the hearts of those who are not.
Of course, there was no course that rotated 360 degrees, but it came down from a very high floor and the speed was faster than any roller coaster I have ever ridden.
“Aaaaa!”
[Ahahaha!]
Screams from embarrassment and screams from delight.
Artemis showed an emotional side that was rare, but I couldn’t afford to be aware of that.
Goo Woong.
Finally, the descent was over and the speed and height that had been bothering me a while ago were gone. I was in the middle of the city before I knew it.
It was still floating at a considerable height, but it felt like nothing compared to the far-off high-rise from before. It also slowed down.
[Can you calm down now?]
“It is much better.”
[I wish you enjoyed it more, but I’m sorry.]
“You can ride the robots instead of me and have fun.”
[Oh, that’s not it. Burning cans like that is no fun. What should I say if I pick you up and run on the rails? Do you feel like you are accomplishing a challenge? I feel that way.]
It’s a challenge… I’ve done the same labor countless times because of one trivial achievement.
[If your reaction had been a little more enjoyable, I would have achieved S rank, but from the previous reaction, it’s about B grade. I miss this.]
“Please don’t push me to retry.”
[Well, what can I do? Whoops.]
After that, more business hours followed.
While traveling around the city on rails, they were briefed on the repair of damaged parts and new facilities being built.
Looking at it like this, I definitely get the feeling that the city is being rebuilt.
There is always a big difference between what you see through a report and what you see on site.
Artemis also slowly slowed down the lift in the middle.
It was time to explain important facilities or point out places I had passed during the previous infection normalization operation.
Following the footsteps shed blood and sweat like this, I feel deeply moved.
“It’s all been cleaned up. There is no sign of infection.”
There were still many collapsed buildings and damaged roads, but at least organic matter such as corpses, bloodstains, and pieces of flesh were neatly arranged.
[Because the first thing I did was clean. I’ve used up most of the stockpile of acid solution. If the hydroponic cultivation facility is restarted, manpower will be required for cultivation and post-processing.]
In one corner, sidewalk block and road repair work is in progress. Mixer trucks and rollers were busily passing by.
“What about those buildings?”
He pointed to the shops in the commercial district.
According to the regulations, signboards of a certain size are lined up in an orderly manner.
Restaurants such as Korean, Japanese, Chinese, light food, snack food, chicken, and pizza shops.
Shoes, apparel, hairdressing, hospitals, day care centers, mechanical repairs, and other service providers.
Stores that would have started actively operating when all the residents scheduled for the lower area moved in.
[Indefinite hold. The cost of demolishing everything is also a problem, and it is not necessary. I just leave it empty.]
“It’s bittersweet.”
It was a strange experience to ride a lift through empty streets and cities.
No matter which road I enter, whether I walk through an alleyway or dig between buildings, only silence and wind greet me.
After going through all the courses, Artemis dropped me off in front of the main entrance to the upper area.
It seems that she thought it was too much for herself to torture me by sending her slowly up to the top, which was her starting point.
“It was a nice change of pace.”
[This is just a temporary course. I’ll call you when it’s done properly. It will be much more enjoyable.]
“I’ll wait without expecting too much.”
[No, you can look forward to it as much as you like. Next time, I’ll show you a lift combined with a VR machine.]
“Five!”
Honestly, I’m looking forward to this a bit.
The city you stop and look around before entering looks different. Under the leadership of Artemis, it is changing day by day.
As if the tragedy of not too long ago was a lie, the residents felt as if they would rush in at any moment.
The lift slowly goes up to the roof.
I was terrified, but it might have been a fun pastime for someone. Whoever it was, it won’t happen anymore.
[Come in.]
“Yes.”
Did he catch my thoughts or was it for some other reason? I didn’t see the lift go all the way up at her urging.
