Lean gently patted 10-01, watching as the glider, with it onboard, steadily ascended towards the quarantine zone.
His plan was to create a commotion with the glider, drawing the crowd and diverting the attention of the One-Eye 12s. He confidently looked at his fluorescent remote-control wristwatch on his wrist and activated the [Entertainment Mode].
The moment he pressed the button, he realized it might have been a bad decision.
Thunderous music instantly filled the skies:
♫
Can you teach me how to fly (C'mon)
See, I'm scared to die (C'mon)
...
On the glider, vibrant lights flashed crazily, syncing with the rhythm of the music.
Although it continued along its predetermined path, it began performing a series of stunning and dramatic stunts in the air. Following a rapid ascent and a sudden flip, 10-01 was left hanging upside down in mid-air, and two objects slipped out of the clothes wrapping it.
Lean closed his eyes, his heart nearly stopping – his plan had failed before it even really started.
The "Entertainment Mode," highly recommended by the store clerk, was far more intense than he had anticipated. This overly flashy entrance not only attracted onlookers but immediately alerted the One-Eye 12s, which started to lock onto the glider and converge on it.
Lean frantically tried to shut it off, but pressing the watch's buttons desperately, he was notified that the mode couldn't be paused until it ended, unless he directly hit the forced shutdown button on the glider itself. This design felt like a joke. He stared at the prompt helplessly, noting that there were still 10 minutes and 18 seconds until the Entertainment Mode would end.
Meanwhile, an even more shocking scene unfolded.
The glider's holographic projection feature suddenly activated, and a menacing green-armored figure appeared above it, bending down to perform exaggerated movements along with the music, eliciting cheers from the children:
"What's that, a cool green monster!"
"Mack Waskey?! Wow!!"
The children were thrilled, tugging at adults' hands, rushing toward the glider. Suddenly, the area near the quarantine zone became bustling again. This unexpected shift distracted the One-Eye 12s, busy trying to maintain order, while other robots attempting to approach the glider were slowed by the jostling crowd, struggling to reach their target.
Lean watched anxiously as the glider, resembling a drunken bird, began to wobble and lose altitude, veering off its intended flight path. His face turned pale, and his heart sank as he noticed the rapidly declining battery indicator on his watch. Despite his meticulous check of the glider's components earlier, he hadn't anticipated that the "Entertainment Mode" would drain the battery so swiftly. He silently prayed that the glider would make it back safely before causing any further chaos.
The glider's movements grew increasingly erratic, losing stability. During an attempted upward spiral, it faltered, freezing mid-turn with 10-01 hanging upside down. Just as it seemed about to fall into the arms of its intercepting companions, a One-Eye 12 robot swiftly extended its mechanical arm, catching the glider's edge. Another joined in, and together they stabilized the glider mid-air. However, the standoff was short-lived; amid the tug-of-war, the glider's wings snapped, freeing it from the robots' grasp. Miraculously regaining its balance, the glider continued its lopsided dash towards the quarantine zone.
In a few seconds, if nothing changed, 10-01 and the glider would crash into the sealed-off area. Lean stood there with a hopeless, defeated smile on his face.
Inside the quarantine zone, a brief moment of calm finally descended.
The GenShell's emotional outburst had subsided, bringing an end to its agonizing wails and cries.
Anmu's muscles, tense from the ordeal, slowly relaxed, though his vigilance remained undiminished. He watched the GenShell closely and soon noticed something amiss. The GenShell's limbs, previously wiping its eyes, now gently dropped to its sides and began caressing its amber-colored belly, encircling the empty nest bag. Its movements were incredibly tender, even the rough limbs seeming soft, as if soothing some internal loss.
Anmu's heart raced with a sudden realization: could the GenShell be pregnant? Despite assessments and reality indicating no signs of life, a strong intuition nagged at him. Though the probability was slim, what if it were true...
As two module robots attempted to approach the GenShell again, the bio-minerals in their hands ignited with intense patterns. The GenShell's recently calmed emotions flared up once more, its limbs thrashing wildly.
"Wait! Hold on!" Anmu reacted swiftly, his voice loud and decisive, "Pause the operation, don't move!"
The two module robots immediately halted in their tracks, enveloping the quarantine zone in a tense silence.
Anmu hurried towards the boundary of the zone, intending to directly contact the Order and Survival Bureau for clearer instructions.
As he approached the translucent gel walls of the boundary, a faint melody began to drift in from outside:
♫
Lananana
LANANANA
...
The volume of the melody gradually grew more distinct, signaling something rapidly approaching.
Realizing the anomaly outside, Anmu's fingers slid across the wall, curious about what could be happening beyond their critical situation.
The towering gel walls of the quarantine zone gradually turned transparent from top to bottom, revealing the dim evening clouds and the bizarre kites flown by nearby tourists. Suddenly, a grotesque green face with a tilted head and a swaying body barged into his view, followed by a figure wrapped in a loose grey-black cloth bundle — Anmu recognized it as the supposedly "recycled" 13-31. They seemed like part of a prank, rapidly approaching on some flying apparatus while dodging pursuers from behind.
Barely able to believe his eyes, Anmu was quickly yanked aside by the two module robots next to him, cautiously shielding him.
♫
Can you teach me how to fly (C'mon)
See, I'm scared to die (C'mon)
...
Amplified by the resounding music, a narrow beam of light emerged through the gel walls, gradually outlining the silhouette of the aircraft. Inside the wall's layers, the projection of the green armor flickered and ultimately vanished the moment it entered. The light then skimmed over the loose bundle of cloth, outlining the shell of 13-31 in golden contours and finally casting peculiar patterns of light upon its tattered head.
Those few seconds felt like an eternity. As they made their entrance, the entire quarantine zone seemed to vibrate with the thunderous music.
Module robots swiftly converged, forming a tight formation around the unfamiliar aircraft and 13-31 below. The two robots carrying the biominerals quickly moved aside, making space and slowly retreated to the side of the GenShell.
Instantly, the GenShell's torturous wailing resumed, merging with the thundering sound system to create a nightmarish auditory assault.
"Damn it! What in the world is going on?" Anmu clenched his teeth in frustration, feeling as if his nerves were being shredded.
Now, everything had come full circle, arguably worse than before.