“But why does a phenomenon that eradicates all life on this planet occur in the first place? By what mechanism does it take place? And was the Death Stranding the sixth mass extinction event? I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of all these questions together with Heartman and my colleagues, but the only result that we’ve turned up so far is the discovery of a fossil Beach. Do you understand what that means? When an earthquake occurs, frictional heat at the fault line forms a stratum called pseudotachylyte. They’re known as fossilized earthquakes, therefore making this a fossilized Beach. We were looking at strata from the end of the Cretaceous Period, when we found this strange thing mixed in with dinosaur and ammonite fossils. But it’s not something that can be seen with the naked eye. The term ‘fossil’ is more of a metaphor here. We detected the chiralium and that chiralium is what first caused these symptoms.
“Speaking of chiralium, chiralium was only found after the Death Stranding occurred. It was brought here via the special dimension that we call the Beach. Some of us think that it always existed somewhere, just like the Higgs Particle and dark matter, and we just hadn’t found it yet. This fossilized Beach proves that. It also proves that this isn’t the first time the Beach has appeared on this planet. At the very least, there’s a chance that it also appeared during the extinction event that took place at the end of the Cretaceous Period. We haven’t been able to accurately verify this yet, but we can assume that there is at least some kind of relationship between the occurrence of the Beach and extinction events. By investigating the strata formed during other periods of extinction, we might find other fossilized Beaches, meaning that the Beach is involved in mass extinction events. Are you following me?
“Look, I don’t really understand the Beach. I know that it is linked to the spirit of each person and that it can be used as paths on the Chiral Network, and I kind of get that it is something that can’t be physically touched, but whenever I listen to the stories of people like you with DOOMS, it almost feels as if the place actually exists.”
That impression was correct. Sam knew that even he couldn’t explain his experiences on the Beach to other people. The words that people with DOOMS and people without DOOMS used to describe death were different. The way they imagined death was different.
The syntax they used to describe the Beach itself was different. A gap in perspective that Sam knew couldn’t be bridged.
The one thing that Sam had followed in the Geologist’s ramblings was that the likelihood that the Death Stranding was the sixth mass extinction event had increased dramatically. If the reward for finally solving the eternal mystery known as death was extinction, would everyone just roll over and accept that? Did death use the fate of extinction as a gag for those who found out its truth?
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to further clarify the relationship between the Beach and extinction, but that all hinges on you activating the Chiral Network for this area.”
Sam took out the Q-pid in response to the Geologist’s remarks. He pressed it to the receptor fitted onto the delivery terminal and activated the network. If the Beach had been connected to all those past extinction events too, then didn’t that mean that the Chiral Network, which used it as an intermediary, could have yet another use? Sam questioned as he replaced the Q-pid inside the breast pocket of his suit.
Immediately after Sam left the shelter, a call registered on Sam’s cuff links. It was Deadman.
<Thank you for waiting, Sam.>
There was no way that Deadman could have known about all the crap that happened within the BT territory back there, but his cheery tone still annoyed Sam.
<I’m all done. I managed to reset the BB without any problems at all. Now all I have to do is test whether it still functions properly, whether the amount of stressors it can withstand is up to spec, etcetera, etcetera.>
So, the new BB was complete. And Lou was gone. Maybe he should treat it as the new Lou. But just as parents could not replace their children, or other people could not replace lovers or friends, there was no replacement Lou. (Hey, Sam, is that true?)
<I’m going to take it out and test it. The Mountain Knot City staff are going to be helping, so there’s no need to worry about me. This whole area is covered by the Chiral Network now, thanks to you, so we’ll know where the BT territory is and we’ll be able to predict the weather. We should even be able to detect the movements of those beasts to some extent. So, once you’re finished with your job, all you need to do is come and pick the BB back up.>
Sam wanted nothing more than to punch the cuff link, but he couldn’t cancel the call from his end. That made him even more annoyed.
<We’re going to be testing out the BB in an area southeast of the Geologist’s shelter. It’s right next to the distribution center near Mountain Knot City. I know that you already went out west, and I’m sorry that I have to call you back this way, but at least you won’t have to climb over the big mountain this time. With your legs you should be able to make it in a day. Plus, once you’ve taken back the BB, you’ll be able to rest up in a private room at the distro center.>
Sam even felt annoyed at how Deadman was trying to make it sound like it was the most thoughtful suggestion ever. Sam was the one out here busting his ass, delivering the cargo and rebuilding America. What was he doing? Sam held back his tirade and simply switched the codec itself off. Then he proceeded down the gentle slope alone.
It was getting colder now that Sam had entered the long shadow cast by the high peak, but after the extreme cold of the blizzard that he encountered before, this was nothing.
Once he had climbed this slope he would be able to see Lou again. Or rather, the BB previously known as Lou.
Complicated feelings welled up inside him as he looked up at the ridge of the mountain. To put it bluntly, it hurt to think that even though he would be creating new memories with the BB, he would have to let go of the old ones.
Once he had climbed the slope, he could see the distribution center in the distance. He was almost there.
<Sam, can you hear me? Watch out!>
Lockne’s voice suddenly cried out from the codec transceiver on his cuff link.
<It’s happening again. The chiral density is rising.>
Sam scanned his surroundings to try and figure out what she was talking about, but there was nothing unusual to be seen.
The Q-pid that Sam was using was the one that Lockne fixed. Had there been some kind of mistake? As Sam questioned himself, a vivid upside-down rainbow appeared in the southern sky. Even though it was an evil omen that signified a bridge between the world of the living and the world of the dead, it was undeniably beautiful. Sam must have seen it a hundred times, so he was surprised by this feeling he was having. In reality, it was a terrible thing, but he was so captivated by it. He was feeling something that he couldn’t put into words. He wasn’t quite in awe of its beauty, nor was he fearful; it was something else entirely. Just as he found it impossible to describe his feelings, he couldn’t stop his tears either. This wasn’t his usual allergic reaction. For some reason he was really moved.
The transmission from Lockne cut out. Sam tried reaching her again, but no matter how many times he tried, no sound came from the transceiver. Even though he was in an area covered by the Chiral Network, he couldn’t connect. All of this seemed to back up what Lockne had said about the sudden rise in chiral density. Or maybe something had happened back at Mountain Knot City.
He felt a sudden warmth on his chest, and when he pulled out the Q-pid, its six shards were emitting so much heat it felt like they might burst into flames. What was happening? Sam tried to rip the Q-pid away from his neck, but the Q-pid began to float away as if it was a creature with a mind of its own. It floated off into the air as if it was taunting him.