CHAPTER 63 - SUPER LEVIATHAN?

"Hahaha, Cortana just absolutely roasted Natalie!"

"This alien elevator's crazy! Is this some kind of extraterrestrial amusement park?!"

"Yeah, it's literally bungee jumping, but alien style!"

"Their design is so brutal! Just letting people free fall like that? What about safety protocols?!"

"You're asking the wrong species. Don't blame the aliens, blame the devs! "

"Letting the force field catch us at the last second is probably the only mercy we'll ever get from them."

"Hahaha!"

The livestream chat exploded with complaints and banter. "Do you guys have to be this extra?" Natalie muttered into the mic. But as she raised her head, she froze.

In front of her was a massive, open hall. At its center stood a bizarre looking machine. A towering glass tube, at least ten meters in diameter, extended from the machine straight up into the ceiling.

"Holy crap... this thing looks high tech as hell!" Natalie held her breath and approached cautiously, her eyes glued to the structure. Then, with practiced ease, she activated a scan with her wristband.

Ding!

[Alien Laser Cannon – Energy Core Detected. This unit contains a highly advanced alien laser system. Internal mechanisms are too complex to analyze.

Capable of targeting and eliminating airborne threats within planetary atmosphere.Current status: Online. Estimated continuous operation time: Six Hundred of years.]

"Tch, I knew it!" Natalie slapped her thigh. "This thing's the reason the Intrepid, the Aurora, and even the Sunbeam was shot down!"

As she examined the massive glass chamber, her eyes widened, it was packed with glowing ion crystals, each pulsing with energy. She quickly counted, at least hundreds.

"Goddamn... no wonder it's so overpowered. Look at all those crystals!"

The livestream chat immediately erupted.

"One crystal has the power of a small nuke... and there's hundreds?!"

"No wonder the turret's been running for centuries! This thing's juiced up like it's on alien steroids!"

"Yo, this is what happens when you chug 500 cups of espresso and call it a day!"

"Bro... can we not describe a massive death laser using ED medication metaphors?!"

"LMAO! Y'all are insane today!"

Even Natalie was speechless at the bizarre turns the chat was taking. The discussion had totally derailed... again.

Luckily, some viewers brought things back on track. "Natalie, see if you can shut it down!"

"Oh, right, right!" Natalie snapped back to focus and circled the massive machine. Beneath the core, she spotted a square platform with a structure that looked vaguely like a control button.

Naturally, she scanned it first, by now, she'd learned the hard way never to press things blindly.

Ding!

[Alien Laser Cannon Deactivation Button. Pressing this will completely power down the weapon system.]

"Looks like this is it," she said.

"Then what are you waiting for?! Hit it!"

"Yeah, press it!"

"Wait, wait! What if it's a trap? What if pressing it just kills the player? You know how the devs do things..."

"Yeah, true! This screams trap! Natalie, be careful!"

Natalie rolled her eyes, but honestly, they had a point. It was suspiciously easy.

"Fine, I'll use the Sea Mantis to press it." She moved the armored mech's right arm toward the button.

BZZZT!

Suddenly, a force field sprang to life, blocking the mech's arm.

"Huh? I can't press it..." she frowned.

Then, the machine hummed again.

Ding!

[Alien language detected. Translating...Inorganic entity detected. Activation of this switch requires biological interaction.]

"...Biological? You mean, it has to be pressed by a living being?"

The chat lit up again,

"Knew it! The dev's out here playing 4D chess!"

"We told you it was a trap!"

With a sigh of resignation, Natalie exited the mech suit. "Rules are rules," she muttered, stepping up to the button and placing her hand over it.

BZZZT!

This time, the force field didn't just block her, it trapped her left hand entirely!

Before she could react, a hidden panel opened in the floor, and a mechanical snake like robot slithered out. Its head glowed with eerie green lights, its body twisting menacingly as it scanned her.

"WTF is that?!"

"Snake robot! I KNEW there was a catch!"

Natalie's instincts kicked in, and she reached for her weapon, but it was too late. A sharp needle shot out from the snakebot's head, jabbing straight into her trapped arm!

"AAAHHHH!!!" she screamed, recoiling in shock. There was no pain, just an icy chill, but the scene was horrifying.

The robot gave a mechanical buzz and immediately retreated into the floor.

Ding!

[Message received. Translating...

Warning: Subject is infected. Infected beings are forbidden from deactivating the Pioneer Quarantine Enforcement Platform. This planet is currently under strict lockdown due to an outbreak of a highly infectious disease. No living being is permitted to enter or leave.]

The force field around her hand finally vanished.

Natalie pulled her hand back, heart still racing, and checked her vitals, her health bar was intact. Clearly, this was a mandatory cutscene rather than a real threat.

The chat was in full theory mode now:

"Wait... that robot was doing a COVID test!"

"Nah, it was a blood test, but same energy."

"So that's what the turret's for! It's not about war, it's about containment! They're preventing a planetary pandemic!"

"If anyone enters or tries to leave the planet, the laser cannon fries them. It's a quarantine turret!"

"Damn... that's deep. The aliens weren't evil. They were just trying to protect the galaxy."

"But seriously, isn't this method of disease containment way too crude? I mean, blasting anyone who tries to land with a giant cannon?!"

"It's literally physical isolation, hahaha!"

"I mean... it's effective. If no one gets in or out alive, no germs spread. Grim, but it works."

"If you can't cure the disease, then just get rid of the infected. Brutal, but... technically a solution."

The viewers in Natalie's livestream flooded the chat with sarcasm and laughter. The alien quarantine methods were absolutely ruthless, but undeniably effective.

At that moment, Natalie finally pieced it together. This entire planet's epidemic prevention strategy boiled down to one thing, shoot on sight.

She quickly initiated a self scan using her wristband.

"Scan complete. Warning: Infection detected. Symptoms worsening. Early signs of immune system compromise and abnormal skin reactions observed. Additional analysis required to identify bacterial strain."

"Oh no... it's getting worse!" Natalie panicked. "Cortana, how long do I have left?! Is there a countdown to my death or something?"

Cortana's voice replied calmly:"At the current rate of infection, you are expected to survive for approximately 2,400 hours."

"2,400 hours... that's 100 days!" Natalie sighed in relief. "Okay, whew... still plenty of time to mess around before I kick the bucket."

Looks like the devs, well Tony, still wanted players to have time to explore and enjoy the game.

Relaxing slightly, Natalie left the laser cannon's control hub and wandered deeper into the massive hall. Soon, she discovered a strange, box shaped metallic device tucked away in one corner, covered in alien symbols.

As always, she scanned it with her wristband.

Ding!

[Alien data terminal detected. Terminal contains encrypted Pioneer data. Do you wish to download and analyze?]

"Yes, download it all!" she responded eagerly.

[Download complete. Analysis in progress... Information recovered. The creators of the laser turret identify themselves as the 'Pioneers.' The terminal contains research notes and records related to a disease they refer to as Kharaa Disease.]

"Kharaa Disease?" Natalie frowned. "So that's what's tearing this place apart. What does the data say?"

Instead of a voice explanation, Cortana projected a virtual holographic document into the air.

[Kharaa Disease Archive

Origin: First identified during a massive war between the Pioneers and the Zerg. Suspected to have originated from the Zerg.

Spread: The infection rapidly jumped from the battlefront to the Pioneers' homeworld, spreading uncontrollably and infecting 78 billion individuals.

Mechanism: Kharaa bacteria destroys the immune system, leaving the host defenseless.

Response: The Pioneers relocated to Planet 4546B to establish a research facility in hopes of developing a cure.]

Cortana's voice followed. "Coordinates for the Disease Research Center have been retrieved."

The chat exploded.

"Wait... 78 billion infected? These Pioneers aren't a small force, huh!"

"Yeah, Earth barely has 8 billion people. These guys colonized the stars!"

"The Zerg are insane, wiping out a civilization that large, AND giving them a planet killing disease? No wonder the Pioneers built death cannons for defense!"

"Do you think we'll actually see the Zerg later on? That would be epic!"

"Natalie! Check those coordinates!"

"Right, let's see how far this 'research center' is..." she muttered, pulling up the map.

As soon as the coordinates loaded, her eyes went wide.

"200 kilometers away... and 1,200 meters deep?!"

"What kind of crazy deep sea bunker is this?!"

"Haha! These Pioneers are just like gamers, they love digging deep into dangerous places!"

"Hey hey hey, are we really the same kind of people...?"

Even Natalie felt overwhelmed. Just looking at the map gave her a sense of deep, suffocating pressure.

Cortana chimed in again, "Given the extreme distance and depth of the facility, it is strongly recommended that you construct a large submarine with docking capability for both the Seamoth and Sea Mantis. Additionally, a deep sea refuge will improve safety and efficiency."

"Ugh... we need a big sub too?" Natalie rubbed her temples. She could tell this wasn't just a suggestion, it was Tony telling players, get ready before diving deeper.

She recalled only having scanned fragments of the Cyclops and Sea Shark back when she explored the Aurora.

"Guess I have to start collecting blueprints now. But in such a huge ocean... where do I even begin?"

"I've marked potential debris zones for exploration," Cortana responded.

"Alright, fair enough," Natalie nodded. She had rushed the main quest so far, this was the perfect excuse to slow down and enjoy the survival and crafting side of the game.

She gave the giant alien hall one last sweep but found nothing else of interest. Yep, this artillery tower was nothing more than a giant cosmic gun.

"Alright, brothers and sisters, we're done here! Time to follow Cortana's advice and start building our underwater base!"

With that, she hopped into the alien elevator and whooshed upward.

No matter how many times she rode this thing, it always felt like a terrifying freefall, but this time, going up was a lot more fun than coming down.

As the platform rose, Natalie began to consider where to build her deep sea base. Location mattered, especially in waters this dangerous...

Then, something strange happened.

"Om..."

A low, resonant hum echoed in her ears, vibrating through her bones. Time seemed to freeze. Her surroundings slowed to a crawl, and space itself twisted unnaturally before her.

From within a swirling, vortex like distortion, an immense creature emerged.

Its head resembled that of a mantis, massive, alien, and utterly surreal. Its sheer size was overwhelming. Natalie's entire vision was filled with just its face, she couldn't even see its edges.

Having once been face to face with the Reaper Leviathan, Natalie had a reference point... and this thing was definitely bigger.

Then, the unexpected happened.

The creature spoke.

"What... are you...?"

It was speaking...

Its voice was soft and serene, almost motherly, spoken in a gentle woman's tone.

But this bizarre scene scared the hell out of Natalie!

"FUCK!!!"

She screamed, stumbling several steps backward in pure fright.

And then, poof. Just like that, the terrifying creature vanished, and everything around her returned to normal. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

Still pale and wide eyed, Natalie turned to her viewers. "Did you all see that?! A monster literally appeared right in front of me out of nowhere!"

"I saw it! I saw it! That thing looked even bigger than a Leviathan, definitely some kind of Super Leviathan!"

"Not just that, it spoke! In a actual human language! This is beyond crazy!"

"Honestly, from the voice, I swear that monster was female. Kinda had that cool big sister vibe. Weirdly soothing, actually."

"Yeah, I heard it too."

"Wake up, bro! That was a MONSTER!"

"Hey, hey, can we please stay on topic?!" Natalie snapped back to reality. "What the heck is going on here?!"

Realizing she wasn't going to get any real answers from her chaotic viewers, she quickly turned to Cortana.

"Please perform a self scan," came Cortana's calm response.

Natalie obeyed immediately.

Ding!

[Self-scan complete. Results indicate unknown electromagnetic signals from an unidentified lifeform have affected brain activity.]

"Mysterious lifeform?" Natalie blinked. "What kind of creature can emit electromagnetic waves and speak human language?!"

"Insufficient data to provide an answer," Cortana replied blandly.

"Well, that talking Leviathan must be on this planet too!" Natalie muttered, half-shocked, half-excited.

"It's even bigger than a Reaper Leviathan, can communicate with humans, has some kind of psychic power? Tsk, tsk... sounds like the final boss!"

"Could it be the true endgame!" the viewers quickly chimed in.

Natalie had a feeling they were right. Whatever it was, they were definitely going to meet again someday.

---BREAK---

In the days that followed, Natalie swam freely through the deep sea, constructing her underwater base while searching for the large submarine parts needed to unlock advanced submarines.

She wasn't the only one. Other players, like PureWhite, had also boarded the Aurora, explored shelter, and uncovered the secrets behind the alien canon.

On social media, Subnautica was on fire. Every day brought new trending hashtags.

Day 1: #Aurora #ReaperLeviathan #Seamoth

People raved about the terrifying Leviathan, the thrill of VR combat, and the all-purpose Seamoth vehicle.

Day 2: #SeaMantis #Sunbeam #DinoArcade

Players buzzed about new biomes and mech.

Day 3: #Crabsnake #IntrepidCaptain #StasisRifle

Players buzzed about new biomes and gameplay mechanics.

Day 4: #AlienCanon #KharaaDiseaseEveryone began speculating about the main storyline's ultimate direction.

It wasn't just a game anymore. Subnautica was becoming a full blown cultural phenomenon. You could practically feel the world collectively holding its breath as they explored the ocean's depths.

But of course, while some players followed the story diligently, others had different priorities, like speedrunning.

One particularly content creator, Sharno, uploaded a video called:

[Subnautica: Reaching the Alien Canon in 10 Minutes from Interpid Shelter]

The people were skeptical.

"The shelter is like 100 kilometers away from that canon. Ten minutes? My ass."

"Straight up clickbait."

"Report this guy for false advertising."

Still, despite their grumbling, everyone clicked.

In the video, Sharno stood atop the cave by the shelter, fully suited inside the Sea Mantis.

"Today," he announced confidently, "I'll show you what true speed looks like!"

Then, using the grappling hook and a high thrust propulsion upgrade, he rocketed through the sea like a torpedo. His movement was fast, fluid, and absurdly precise.

It was reminiscent of Natalie's early swinging style, but this... this was on another level. Sharno never even brushed a wall.

The ocean currents howled past. Scenery blurred. Everything turned into streaks of blue.

"WTF!!"

"Dude's actually flying underwater?!"

"My Sea Mantis feels like a shopping cart in comparison..."

"Bro's moving like a damn missile! What game is he playing?!"

"Mom just walked in and asked why I'm kneeling in front of the screen."

"New World: 'Wait, even I didn't know it could do that!'"

And the craziest part? Sharno actually did reach the alien canon in ten minutes flat.

The video exploded overnight. Trending page, top 50, it was everywhere.

But it didn't stop there.

Soon after, another player, GrapeCat, released a follow up.

[Subnautica: Reached the Alien Canon in 9 Minutes from Interpid Shelter!]

This time, the run was even smoother, clocking in at 9 minutes and 54 seconds.

A few hours later, Sharno struck back, shaving his time to 9 minutes and 06 seconds.

Then, at dawn the next day, a new challenger entered the arena, Saiki. His time?

8 minutes. 43 seconds.

The community lost its mind.

2645 Words.