“There’s something I want to ask of you,” Heartman said, fiddling with his cuff link. The huge display on the wall showed a map. It showed the location of a number of shelters that spread out like a spider’s web from Mountain Knot City and Heartman’s lab by the heart-shaped lake. One of the shelters belonged to the Geologist, who Sam had battled through the blizzard to visit. He remembered how the man had told him that he’d discovered a fossil from the Beach.
Everything looked fine and dandy until his focus fell on a black belt of terrain that lay to the east of Edge Knot City. It ran north to south, almost like it was partitioning the areas that had already been connected to the Chiral Network from Edge Knot.
“This is the only area known to contain fossils from the late-Cretaceous Period—when the dinosaurs died out. The assumption being that the last ones lived here, and here alone. You see, hiding in the earth, then, are memories of a major mass extinction. The fossil Beach that the Geologist found appears to be authentic, as well. Now that his shelter is connected to here by way of the Chiral Network, we’ve been able to share some more detailed data. HQ has even been able to restore data from the past, and the data of mine that was wiped out in the terrorist attack.”
Sam thought he could see Heartman’s face brighten. It didn’t seem as heavy as when he was talking about his wife and daughter. His usual curious expression was back, too.
<Four minutes to cardiac arrest.>
Heartman muttered at the AED to shut up, and began to fiddle with it. The numbers counting down in the small window disappeared. Sam must have looked alarmed, because Heartman shot him a thumbs up of reassurance.
“Lots of us Bridges members used to be holed up in the shelters, excavating and researching the past, but thanks to the voidout terrorism and all the local destruction that number has dropped significantly. Luckily, we’ve been making a lot of noteworthy discoveries out here lately, but in an ironic turn, the more we discover, the more the tar seems to be eroding everything away.” Heartman pointed to the black belt on the map. “We call it tar because that’s the easiest thing to call it, but it differs from tar both in structure and in its properties.”
Sam had seen it up close and personal when he had thrown the nuke into the lake. He couldn’t forget how the tar absorbed the enormous energy of that blast.
“We set up some research shelters there before the tar started bubbling up, and even built a distribution center out there. Some relay equipment for the Chiral Network, too.”
The map displayed what Heartman described in chronological order.
On the map, the tiny black specks on the map that had been small only one year prior suddenly expanded into an extensive belt shape. It showed that when Amelie and the rest of Bridges I had first arrived, it could probably still have been circumvented. It was just after she arrived in Edge Knot City when the tar began to well up and the scale of the erosion expanded. Something about it felt intentional. In fact, the timing probably matched up with when Amelie was first captured. The only person Sam could think of who could pull off such a stunt was Higgs.
“Then how the hell am I supposed to hook the west up to the network?” Sam asked.
It seemed like Heartman had been anticipating Sam’s question, as he gave yet another thumbs up.
“I’m asking you for your help in building a new one. It won’t be much, given the handful of equipment we’ve managed to scrape together. Nothing like the Knot Cities, that’s for sure. But a knot is still a knot. Sam, I want you to use the Q-pid to put the scientists on the network, then go to Amelie. Afterward, we can get back to the important job of researching the Death—”
Heartman collapsed like the strings on a mannequin had been cut, and his body crumpled to the floor. Sam attempted to spring to Heartman’s aid, but the floor reacted first. It expanded to absorb the shock of Heartman’s fall and cushioned his landing. The AED on Heartman’s chest began to count down until resuscitation. Exasperated by the fact that he would have to wait another three minutes, Sam went to sit himself down on the sofa. But before he made it, Sam’s cuff link began to vibrate, indicating an incoming call.
It was from Die-Hardman, only this time Sam couldn’t see him. Sam’s cuff links had been set to sound only. Sam didn’t remember doing that. Then he remembered the look Heartman had given him when he took out the umbilical cord. When Sam checked the cuff link, he could see that the communications were going through the lab’s firewall. That meant that Heartman didn’t want Die-Hardman to see the cord. That could also explain why Sam had been made to bring it here in secret.
<Sam. You heard him. You can grab the order at a delivery terminal. We want you to activate the shelters where the Bridges staff are stationed, then we can get to work on replacing the lost waystation near the tar belt. Then you can head for Edge Knot. By connecting the shelters, we should be able to restore our research results and any past data that has been lost. That in itself is going to provide a huge boost to helping us understand the Death Stranding better. It’ll also bring us one step closer to saving Amelie and rebuilding the UCA. Lugging the equipment for the replacement waystation is going to be heavy work, though. I know that it’s a tough job, but you’re all we’ve got. On the Higgs front, he hasn’t pulled anything conspicuous for a while now, but I doubt that means he’s just sat there doing nothing. Take care.>
Perhaps it was because Sam knew Heartman was hiding something from Die-Hardman, and because of what Deadman had told Sam during their own secret discussion, but the director’s tone felt colder to Sam than before. It was a little late to consider now, but it seemed like Bridges had changed a lot since the Bridges he knew ten years ago. Deadman, Mama, and Heartman had all joined after Sam had left. And now that Bridget was dead, there weren’t that many members left who even knew America as it once was. Die-Hardman was probably the only member remaining who was there when Bridges was first established. Sam had been born some years later, so even he wasn’t sure how it was first formed.
Bridges wasn’t one thick rope, but rather numerous fine threads bundled together, each with their own motivations. Sam was one of those strands, too.
Sam descended the outer stairs of the snow-covered lab and turned around. He didn’t like leaving Heartman like that. It may have been routine for him, but to Sam, he was leaving behind a corpse that had gone into cardiac arrest. What if the AED didn’t restart his heart properly? Wouldn’t his body necrotize? Sam began to worry.
But Sam had his own routine to get back to now. Sam had to carry on doing his duty without letting on about his misgivings toward Bridges and Die-Hardman. As he began to climb a mountain, Sam activated the Active Skeleton that he had equipped in Heartman’s lab. It was a piece of equipment that attached itself to both of Sam’s legs, and improved his walking and stability. He felt so light! Once he had climbed the slope a little, the heart-shaped lake came into view.
Every time he took a step into the snow, the strap of his backpack dug painfully into his shoulder. Even though he was wading through sub-zero temperatures, he had to wipe the sweat from his face more than once. A whole day had passed since Sam had left Heartman’s lab. It was only one more peak and then the rest of the journey would be smooth sailing. His legs may have had the help of the Active Skeleton, but it didn’t do so much for his back. The weight of the cargo on it was making him want to admit defeat, but it was just a little farther. Once he had connected this area to the Chiral Network and made it to Edge Knot City, he’d be able to put this pack down once and for all. Then the UCA would be rebuilt, he could save Amelie, and he could free Lou. He would finally be able to confront his past self who had failed to save Lucy and Lou, and make peace with it. What’s more, once the whole Chiral Network was up and running, Heartman could make even more discoveries about the Beach and extinction. And once they fully understood the Beach, then maybe, just maybe, Sam would be able to set Lou free from the Beach and himself free from the Seam. If he could untangle life and death in this world then they’d finally be free.