Chapter 38
Alpha's life began in a grave made of glass.
Later, it was said that Alpha's birth had been nothing short of the byproduct of a miracle, according to private conversations overheard among the corporation's researchers.
- Wow, at this level, we could call it a new paradigm in the enhanced-human industry.
- The body's perfection is almost a problem in itself. We just need to compensate for its low cybernetic compatibility. Let's make plenty of other samples first.
Eventually, the transparent glass walls became enormous iron bars imprisoning Alpha.
A culture capsule 1.5 meters in diameter.
That was Alpha's only world.
- Hey, be more careful. Can't you see the words R/B(Risk-Benefit) written here? Are you slacking off just because this is maintenance work?
- Yes, yes, understood. ……Jeez, what's so fucking hard about replacing a culture capsule? You fucking white trash. But I can't find my driver. Did I drop it somewhere?
Both arms were restrained by thick shackles, and Alpha wasn't even granted the freedom to move.
Because the experiment was being conducted in secret, there was no such thing as the 'ethics of life' or 'safety regulations' that should have existed in a normal research process.
The experiments grew more extreme with each passing day,
and Alpha could do nothing but watch the other test subjects die inside their culture tanks.
- What do the higher-ups say?
- What do you think? The funding's been cut, and it isn't profitable. I hear they're changing the purpose of the experiment to assassinating personnel.
- Ah, it feels like we're almost there….
- Well, it's a shame, but it can't be helped. Alpha's capabilities varied too wildly between the highest and lowest points. I thought the keyword 'artificial psyker' would sell, though. Maybe the risk of getting caught by the city government was too high. Anyway, dispose of all but a few Alpha samples. For the next Betas, let's develop them with the goal of matching the average ability level.
The discarded test subjects were all used in subsequent experiments without leaving behind even a single fragment of bone.
Alpha had never learned concepts such as humanity, ethics, or morality, but could easily tell that what was happening here was not normal.
However, Alpha did not act rashly.
Alpha watched the corporate researchers laughing and chatting beyond the glass walls, quietly waiting for the right moment.
According to the figures displayed on the monitor, Alpha was always asleep, so as the experiment dragged on, it was inevitable that the researchers would become complacent, careless, and lazy.
- …What's the name of this project? IMP? Wow, they've been working on this for years? No wonder the entire staff was replaced.
- They even just left the first test subject alone. Tsk, it's in the way. Let's move it first. Right, replace the culture capsule. Drain the contents before calling the maintenance team so we can save some time.
Thanks to the replacement researcher's complacency,
Alpha escaped from her prison.
“W-what…. What is this? How—her arms were definitely restrained tightly. …Where the fuck did that driver come from!!”
She did not bother answering.
The corporate researchers had not answered the test subject's questions, either.
Alpha drew a deep breath.
“…Ah.”
Air that had not been blocked by a special solution was so clear and cool.
Her entire body felt light with the freedom.
But Alpha was not satisfied with this alone.
It had only just begun.
To save the comrades trapped in the prison,
and to discuss revenge.
Just before leaving the laboratory, Alpha unconsciously looked at the remains of the culture capsule she had emerged from.
[R/B E·R·A……]
Alpha's name was not there.
There was only a warning engraved on it, unreadable because the glass had shattered.
And that was enough for Alpha.
‘……Rivera.’
It was the moment the girl who had lived her entire life as test subject Alpha received a new name.
* * *
Rivera continued speaking quietly.
“If it hadn't been for Kanf and Runrun, it would've been difficult for all of us to get out together. I might have managed alone, but there were a lot of other children there.”
“……”
“And of all places, the corporation's secret laboratory was located in the District 10s…. You have no idea how much trouble we had getting out.”
“……”
“Nothing particularly unusual happened after we came down to District 49. …Ah, I met Hotdog Man. Come to think of it, not everything that happened was bad.”
I nodded several times as I listened to Rivera's story.
“So how old are y─.”
“Along the way, we also entered into some sort of contracts with other corporations, but there were confidentiality clauses, so I'll stop there.”
No, I mean, how old are you?
Rivera ignored my question to the very end.
No matter how many times I asked, she would not answer.
Anyway.
Since I had only asked the question to change the heavy mood, I decided it would be better to ask again later.
I crushed the empty cola can flat.
Listening to Rivera's story, there had been more than a few parts that made my throat tighten.
I needed carbonation.
The refreshing fizz of an ice-cold soda.
“The District 10s…. Where exactly is it?”
“…Pardon?”
Rivera answered my question with a bewildered expression.
I asked again.
“The corporation's secret laboratory.”
As I naturally rose to my feet, Rivera's gaze moved upward along with me.
“Yes, of course I remember. …But why are you asking?”
“Why do you think? We should get revenge at some point.”
As a rule, favors and grudges should be repaid twofold.
Sometimes, Hammurabi's Code was right.
I felt my head begin to boil, just as it had when I stormed the Bogus gang's hideout.
Even if revenge was impossible right away,
I could start preparing now.
“……”
Rivera let out a dazed response to my unexpected answer, then scratched her head and added one more thing.
“…The revenge is already over.”
“?”
I sat back down on the sofa.
Rivera laughed softly.
“We assassinated that corporation's chairman together…. In fact, that's exactly why we ended up making contracts with other corporations.”
It was quite a shocking fact.
The revenge was already over.
I never expected to hear someone say so casually that they had assassinated a corporation's chairman.
This time, Rivera stood up from the sofa.
Though her movements seemed weighed down by many thoughts, she did not stop halfway.
“We are Project IMP.”
She brushed her shaggy hair to the side.
She stared at me with golden eyes that shone like gold.
“…because we're test subjects created for assassination.”
This was the first time I had properly seen Rivera's face.
I had seen it briefly when we first met, but that had been little more than a passing glimpse.
Pointed ears were naturally set on either side of her face.
Honestly, her appearance was closer to an elf's than an imp's, but Rivera herself seemed to have a serious complex about her appearance.
“Even this disgusting face is because of that….”
“It's cute, though. What's the problem?”
I replied before I knew it.
Rivera seemed unable to understand what she had just heard.
She blinked her large eyes repeatedly.
A brief silence passed.
The black hair fell like a curtain, hiding the blush that had reddened her face.
“W-what….”
I reached out and stroked Rivera's hair.
The girl who couldn't accept herself.
Just as I had when I knew nothing.
…….
Still, she couldn't be older than me.
“You haven't done anything wrong.”
You weren't at fault for being called an imp, for having to seek revenge, or for coming to care for children in District 49.
‘An imp, huh….’
Still, it was a relief that she spoke normally.
If she had spoken like an imp from some game or a nymph from some novel, it might have been a little awkward.
Since Rivera had covered her face with her hair again, I couldn't see her expression.
“…Is that so?”
At least, she did not seem to dislike it.
That was enough for now.
And then.
“Is Hotdog Man really the captain's boyfriend…?”
“I told you I was right. Tch, if it weren't for Hotdog Man, I'd take him out right now….”
“I finished all my popcorn. Can someone go get me some more?”
“Hey, wait a second…! I can't see anything from my spot! Someone move out of the way!”
“It's the latecomer's fault.”
“…Ah! I really fucking hate Runrun!”
Noisy voices could be heard from beyond the doorway.
Rivera had apparently noticed that as well, because she quickly took several steps backward.
Her sharp gaze turned toward the children.
“……You guys.”
“Oops, we've been caught!”
The children scattered in all directions at the sound of her frightening, growling voice.
Just by looking at them, I could tell that their daily lives were not unhappy.
‘Still, living together in a house without even a door is a bit much.’
The house where Rivera's family stayed was quite spacious, but that was all.
The weather would only get colder from here on out, and spending winter in a house without proper heating was no easy task.
“……”
Fortunately, I had an all-purpose solution capable of solving all these problems.
* * *
Inside the peaceful grocery store.
Michael spotted me and waved.
“Hotdog Man! I was just looking for you.”
“Why.”
He took a sheet of paper densely covered with writing and diagrams from inside his clothes.
“Leaving a large sum of money sitting idle in Risk City, where inflation is accelerating, would be a waste. I've found a few good places to invest it, but….”
“I spent it all.”
“……Pardon?”
Michael's movements stiffened.
Michael always maintained a poker face, but he looked extremely flustered this time.
It was no less than $500,000.
His reaction was understandable.
“…May I ask where you used it?”
I sat down at the grocery store counter and answered nonchalantly.
“I donated it to an orphanage.”
“…An orphanage? There was a place like that in this city?”
Apparently, there was.
It wasn't an official orphanage, but it was still a place that cared for children.
Besides, even if I had had money left over, investing in stocks just because someone told me to would have been a little much, wouldn't it?
What a scary guy.
A dejected Michael left the grocery store.
Just as peace was about to return.
[……Dyu.]
A turret slowly emerged from the ceiling of the grocery store.
Its mechanical voice sounded terribly sad.
I hurriedly offered poor Nova, who couldn't even speak properly without a speaker, a string of excuses.
“…I really didn't spend all the money there, so don't worry too much. I told you I'd ask Walter about it later.”
[Dyu….]
“No, it's not that I forgot….”
I had my reasons.