[But isn't this quarantine method a little too brutal? I never expected them to just blast me with a giant cannon!]
[Talk about literal social distancing! Lmao!]
[I mean, the logic tracks. If you just obliterate everyone coming and going, the bacteria can't spread. Dead men carry no germs.]
[If you can't cure the disease, just eliminate the infected. Can't argue with that logic. It's definitely a strategy.]
The Twitch chat was actively roasting the alien quarantine protocols. It was a bit ruthless, sure, but damn if it wasn't effective!
Jenny finally understood the planet's epidemic prevention measures. She quickly tapped her wristband to run another self-scan: "Self-scan complete. The bacterial infection in your system is worsening. Abnormalities in skin and immune system responses detected. Further data is required to identify the specific strain."
"I'm doomed! It's already getting worse!" Jenny cried out. She quickly asked, "Gaia, when am I going to die? Do you have an exact ETA?"
"Based on the current rate of infection, you will likely perish in approximately 24 hours," Gaia replied.
"Twenty-four hours... so that's one real-life day!" Hearing this, Jenny instantly breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew, alright then. We're good. I've still got plenty of time to mess around!"
Looks like Lucien was generous enough to give players a decent amount of playtime.
With that in mind, Jenny left the massive cannon hub and continued wandering through the cavernous hall. Soon, in a corner of the room, she discovered a cube-shaped metallic device covered in mysterious, glowing glyphs.
She scanned it with her wristband, as usual.
"Ding! Alien Data Terminal. Analysis indicates it contains extraterrestrial data. Would you like to download and analyze it?"
"Alien data? Hell yeah, analyze it!" Jenny urged.
"Downloading and analyzing..."
"Ding! Data from this terminal reveals that the aliens who constructed this facility call themselves the 'Precursors.' The records contain information regarding their research and attempted treatment of the 'Kharaa Bacterium.'"
"The Kharaa Bacterium?" Jenny frowned. "That's gotta be the name of the plague ravaging this planet. Read it to me!"
Luna didn't read it out loud. Instead, the wristband projected a holographic text file in mid-air:
[Kharaa Bacterium File:Discovered and contracted during a large-scale species war between the Precursors and the Swarm. It is hypothesized that the Kharaa Bacterium originated from the Swarm.Outbreak: The Kharaa Bacterium quickly spread from the military frontlines to the Precursor homeworlds, expanding rapidly. Total infected: 78 billion.Infection Mechanism: Kills the host by causing complete immune system failure.Countermeasures: Precursors traveled to Planet 4546B to establish a Disease Research Facility and conduct research for a bacterial cure.]
The document ended there. Gaia voice followed: "Ding! Coordinates for the Disease Research Facility have been acquired."
After reading the file, the entire chat was shook:
[78 billion?! Holy crap, the Precursors were that advanced? We barely have eight billion people on Earth right now...]
[Makes sense if they're an interstellar civilization. Precursors spreading across the universe is normal. But the Swarm is the real MVP here. Going toe-to-toe with the Precursors and weaponizing the Kharaa Bacterium to wipe out so many of them? No wonder the Precursors got scared enough to build a giant gun to lock this place down!]
[Tsk, tsk, I wonder if we'll get to see the Swarm later in the game!]
[Jenny, hurry up and check where the Disease Research Facility is!]
"Oh, right." Jenny nodded. She brought up her wristband, which had just updated with the facility's coordinates.
Taking one look, Jenny nearly jumped out of her skin. It was an agonizing two kilometers away from her current position! And if the distance wasn't bad enough, the depth marker was a terrifying 1,200 meters!!!
[Damn, those coordinates are way too far and way too deep!]
[1,200 meters? What kind of psycho developer comes up with that depth?]
[Lmao, these Precursors are even crazier than us. They really love burrowing into the absolute depths, huh!]
[Makes sense, who doesn't love exploring the deep end!]
[??? Oh, so that's how it is? Didn't expect the Precursors to share my... hobbies.]
Jenny sighed softly. Just looking at the coordinates gave her an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"Ding! Considering the extreme depth and distance of the coordinates, if you intend to travel to the Precursor [Disease Research Facility], I recommend constructing a large submarine. This will allow you to dock the Seamoth and Prawn Suit. Additionally, establishing a secure underwater shelter would ensure your safety and convenience," Gaia advised.
"I really need all that?" Jenny furrowed her brow. She knew exactly what was happening. This was Lucien, the lead developer, using Gaia as a mouthpiece to warn players to prepare thoroughly before diving down to the Disease Research Facility.
But a large submarine? She had only scanned a few fragments of the Cyclops and Seashark near the Aurora.
Looks like it's time to go on a scavenging hunt.
"But the ocean is massive. Where am I supposed to find submarine fragments?" Jenny asked.
"I will mark potential fragment drop zones on your map for exploration," Luna replied.
"Alright, sounds good." Jenny nodded in understanding. It was true—she had been rushing the main storyline this whole time, making incredibly fast progress. But this game was also meant to be played as a base-building survival sim.
Jenny searched the massive hall a bit longer but found absolutely nothing else. It seemed this alien structure really was just a giant weapons platform.
"Alright, chat, looks like we've seen everything this alien gun tower has to offer. Now, we're gonna follow Luna's advice and set up an underwater base!" Jenny said excitedly. She stepped onto the Precursor elevator and whoosh, she shot straight up.
No matter how many times she rode this alien elevator, it always gave her a heart attack. Still, shooting up felt a hell of a lot better than plummeting down...
Jenny mused to herself while pondering her next move. If I'm going to build an underwater base, I need a prime location. Where should I put it...?
Just as she was deep in thought, a bizarre, deafening noise echoed in her ears.
VMMMM!!!
Accompanied by the sound, Jenny's peripheral vision warped violently. Time itself seemed to freeze; everything around her crawled to a halt. In front of her, a massive, swirling spatial anomaly ripped open in the air.
And then, a colossal, grotesque creature phased out of the vortex.
The creature had a head resembling a praying mantis, and its sheer size was staggering. It completely consumed Jenny's field of vision, she couldn't even see the edges of its face.
Jenny had once been jump-scared by a Reaper Leviathan, so she immediately had a point of reference: this thing was easily bigger than a Reaper!
But what happened next blew her mind even more. The creature actually spoke.
"What... are... you?"
The monster spoke perfect English, its voice echoing with the gentle, resonant tone of a mature woman.
But the terrifying visual of it all scared the absolute living daylights out of Jenny!
"WHAAAAAAT THE FU-!"
Jenny shrieked, stumbling backward several steps in pure terror.
Just as suddenly as it appeared, the creature vanished. The surroundings returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.
But Jenny's face was still plastered with shock and horror. "Chat, did you guys see that?! A literal monster just phased into existence right in front of me!"
[Saw it! Saw it! That thing looked way bigger than a Reaper Leviathan. Definitely another Leviathan-class!]
[Not just that, it actually talked! And it spoke human language. That's insane!]
[Yeah, and judging by the voice, it's female. A total mommy voice, too. Kinda soothing, not gonna lie!]
[For real, I'm feeling things right now.]
[??? When I type a question mark, it's not because I have a problem, it's because you have a problem!]
[Can you guys wake up? That's a giant alien sea monster!]
"Hey, hey, hey, stay focused, chat!" Jenny groaned in exasperation. "What the hell just happened?!"
Forget it, asking these degenerate viewers is useless. Jenny quickly turned to Gaia.
"Please execute a self-scan," Luna's voice prompted.
Jenny hastily complied.
"Ding! Self-scan indicates that an unknown biological entity likely transmitted telepathic electromagnetic waves directly into your brain."
"Unknown biological entity?" Jenny gasped. "What kind of creature can transmit electromagnetic signals and communicate with humans...?"
"Insufficient data. Unable to provide an answer," Gaia replied bluntly.
[Whatever it is, a talking Leviathan is definitely somewhere on this planet!]
[Bigger than a Reaper, highly intelligent, capable of human communication, and uses telepathy? Tsk, tsk... could this be the final boss of the game?!]
[Highly likely!!]
The chat enthusiastically analyzed the encounter, and Jenny agreed that the odds of it being the final boss were incredibly high. Regardless, they were bound to meet it again eventually.
Over the next stretch of gameplay, Jenny spent her time freely exploring the ocean, constructing her underwater haven while scouring the seafloor for large submarine fragments, hoping to helm her own sub as soon as possible.
And it wasn't just her. Streamers like Benjamin and the massive wave of players following in their wake had all boarded the Aurora, explored Pod 2, and eventually uncovered the truth inside the alien gun tower.
On Twitter's trending page, the hashtags for Subnautica were changing daily.
Day one was dominated by: #AuroraReaperLeviathan, #CadillacsAndDinosaurs, and #PrawnSuit. Netizens lost their minds over the sheer terror of the Reaper, joked about playing retro arcade games inside a VR title, and reveled in the omnipotence of the Prawn Suit.
Day two saw new trends: #Crabsnake, #CaptainOfTheIntrepid, and #StasisRifle. Players mourned the sacrifice of the Intrepid's captain and marveled at how busted the Stasis Rifle was.
By day three, it was: #AlienLaserTower and #KharaaBacterium, with players furiously theorizing about the game's future lore. For a while, it seemed like the entire internet was hooked, their emotions completely played like a fiddle by Lucien.
It was safe to say that Subnautica had achieved a true mainstream phenomenon status.
However, alongside the players who faithfully followed the storyline, there was a whole subset of gamers dedicated to breaking the game.
For instance, a YouTuber named Bugogo suddenly uploaded a video titled: [Subnautica: From Lifepod 2 to the Alien Tower in 10 Minutes Flat!]
At first, viewers scoffed at the clickbait title:
[Lifepod 2 is miles away from the alien tower. You got there in ten minutes? Yeah, right.]
[For real. Who are you kidding? Obvious clickbait.]
[Everyone report this guy for clickbaiting, alright?]
Despite spitting fire in the comments, the viewers' fingers were honest, and they clicked the video anyway.
"What's up, guys! Today, I'm gonna show you what a true Drift King looks like!"
In the video, Bugogo was strapped into a Prawn Suit, standing atop the caves of Lifepod 2, making his bold declaration.
Then, the viewers watched in awe as he combined the Grappling Arm with the Jump Jet Upgrade, turning into an underwater Spider-Man, swinging rapidly across the ocean floor.
It was the exact same trick Jenny had initially dubbed the "League of Legends Hookshot" strat. But the difference was, Bugogo was a pro gamer. His execution was butter-smooth. He maintained breakneck speeds while seamlessly weaving around obstacles, never once slamming into a wall!
In the video, the only thing the audience could hear was the roaring rush of the ocean currents. The scenery whipped past them so fast it eventually blurred into a smeared, unrecognizable streak of colors.
[Holy shit, holy shit!]
[Bro?! How are you not hitting any walls?]
[Excuse me, why are you flying underwater?!]
[With mechanics like this, it's a damn tragedy you aren't out killing Titans!]
[Hold on, are we even playing the same Subnautica? Why can't my Prawn Suit do this?!]
[Damn. His Prawn Suit is a rocket ship, and mine is a snail. My self-esteem is completely shattered!]
The audience was utterly blown away by the god-tier mechanics. This was a completely unexplored playstyle!
Who knew the Prawn Suit a vehicle they constantly tripped over themselves trying to walk in could move this smoothly?
In the end, Bugogo absolutely delivered, rocketing from Lifepod 2 to the front door of the alien tower in under ten minutes!
What else could the viewers say? They could only bow down to the gaming god!
Unsurprisingly, the video went mega-viral, effortlessly hitting the top of the YouTube trending page.
But it didn't end there. Later that evening, another YouTuber named GrapeCat uploaded a response video: [Subnautica: Lifepod 2 to the Alien Tower in NINE Minutes!!!]
In his video, GrapeCat also piloted the Prawn Suit, but his pathing and grappling were visibly tighter. His final time was 9 minutes and 54 seconds, shaving over a dozen seconds off Bugogo's run.
The madness didn't stop. A few hours later, Bugogo uploaded a revenge run, lowering the record to 9 minutes and 46 seconds.
The very next morning, a new challenger, SlickK, threw his hat in the ring, shattering the record with a blazing 9 minutes and 23 seconds!!!
Bombarded by these speedrun videos, the community was absolutely dumbfounded.
[Good lord, the sweat is real!]
[You can actually sweat in this game too? Am I the only scrub playing Subnautica?]
[Stop tryharding, guys! All this sweating is just making the rest of us look like useless garbage!]
[Where's the developers? Get out here! Your game is being completely broken by these freaks!]
[Did you fucking know that you can read 30 advanced chapter at Patreon .com/EdgyReader]