Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

"what?"

"You might be a little tired, so you can't hear what I'm saying?"

"No, I heard you very clearly, but could you repeat the last sentence?"

"...I understand how you feel, but let's postpone this for now. Come with me to Amiya's place; there are some things I need you to do."

Before the Doctor could ask any questions, Kal'tsit led him to the location of the transport vehicle where Amiya was resting.

At this moment, the people who had been watching the doctor from a short distance also watched the two of them get into the car.

"Didn't the Doctor say that Kal'tsit was going to eat him? How come they got into the car together?"

Thomas had seen the Doctor's despair up close before, and he really believed that Kal'tsit would do something unforgettable to the Doctor.

As he asked the question, Frostnova beside him suddenly twitched her ears, widened her eyes slightly, then covered her mouth and whispered:

"Could it mean 'ate'...?"

"Yelena, stop reading those weird books. I've told you before."

Patriot crossed his arms, and although Wendigo, with his exposed skull, had no eyebrows, his gaze suggested he was somewhat troubled by his daughter's cryptic remarks.

"Whatever it is, just don't bother them."

Tomat also didn't have much to do. Although his rudeness had previously provoked Frostnova and Patriot to prepare for a father-daughter mixed doubles match, he was now sitting in the crowd, chatting idly.

"After that, Rhodes Island didn't seem to have any major operations. The organizations that had clashed with them were gone, so they were pretty idle now."

Thomas said this simply because he wasn't a Rhodes Island technician. Rhodes Island is, after all, a pharmaceutical company, and fighting with other organizations isn't their job. Rather than saying they've become idle, it's more accurate to say they now have the opportunity to return to their core business and devote themselves to medical research. Combat-related operators have less work to do, but medical operators still have to keep busy.

"Even in a leisurely life, as a company employee, there is still a proper job. But I, my soldiers, cannot easily find a place where we can settle down."

The Patriot spoke haltingly, but he had already found a place where he and the guerrillas could temporarily take refuge: the Azazel underground clinic, which had survived the destruction of Chernobyl.

As an old friend of Patriots, Hrag is now leading that organization and is also active for the rights of the Infected. However, Patriots still hopes to reintegrate the old troops who survived the Reunion Movement and act independently again, marching across the land under the name of "Shield of the Infected" rather than "Shield of Reunion Movement". It is only a matter of time before that happens.

[Main Text] Chernobog, Amidst Ruins: Chapter Forty-One: Rhodes Island's Worries

Time: Late January, 1097 in the Terra calendar, nearing the New Year in Yan Kingdom.

Location: Yan Kingdom's mobile city of Lungmen - Rhodes Island main ship

More than ten days have passed since the Chernobog rescue operation ended, and most things have unfolded in a manner similar to what the doctor had previously predicted.

After staying in Lungmen and Rhodes Island for a period of time, the refugees from Chernobog were taken away by the belated Ursus forces. Apart from a small number of people who seemed to have settled in Lungmen permanently through some special channels, some others signed work agreements with Rhodes Island, becoming operators in exchange for a more stable job, and also to obtain relatively cheap but reliable medical treatment there.

Of course, the main reason why these Ursus residents living in Chernobog chose to stay in this company where they were surrounded by infected people was because the care they received over the past ten days or so made them realize that even if they became infected, they would not be discriminated against—but the doctors would still deal with disobedient people for other reasons.

This is much better than going back to Ursus and being thrown into a mine or executed.

However, even with treatment that was relatively better than in any other country for infected people, the vast majority of them still followed the people sent by Ursus back to their own countries without a second thought.

After dealing with the refugees, most of the people on the Rhodes Island were preoccupied with another matter.

That was Talulah, who was being held captive in the lower level prison of the Rhodes Island.

When this name, which many operators hated to the core, appeared at the meeting, almost everyone found the decision to detain her incomprehensible.

Beyond the heavy casualties suffered by operators during the rescue of the Doctor in Chernobog, this organization, whose footprints have spread to almost every corner of Terra, has actually clashed with Rhodes Island's branches or dispatched teams in many other countries and regions. Members of the Reunion Movement, who have always been instilled with the idea that "cooperating with non-infected is treason for the infected," always engage in battle with the intention of wiping out the enemy whenever they encounter Rhodes Island or other factions.

While some Reunion faction leaders may have slightly more moderate views, and some operators may even actively defend some Reunion members, overall, they still caused a certain degree of casualties and losses to Rhodes Island.

Whenever an operator is seriously injured or even killed by them, disgust and hatred will naturally spread uncontrollably.

Some people will openly hate the "individuals" who commit the murders.

However, some people transfer their hatred to "Talulah," who fools and controls these individuals to commit atrocities.

At that summary meeting, Tomat was also dragged over to give some brief explanations, along with Amiya, who seemed to have returned to normal, and a doctor who looked much thinner.

Surprisingly, Kal'tsit doesn't seem to intend to tell others that Talulah is being controlled by someone called "Black Serpent".

Perhaps she could foresee that the chances of people accepting this "explanation" were extremely slim, and that no matter how compelling the reasons, they could not change the fact that it had already happened.

“I don’t care about my own arm’s revenge, but my teammates, Bad Tom, Kog, Hard Brick, Wooden Spoon, Seventeen, Copper Nose, Green Bean… even those who died in the line of duty, those who died while carrying out a mission, were all fully prepared, and no one shirked their responsibilities—but their revenge is not something that can be avenged by simply executing that Talulah.”

From the moment ACE heard Talulah's name, the arm ACE had lost began to ache faintly, but no matter how fake the pain of the phantom limb was, it could not compare to the agony in his heart that was about to erupt.

"They sacrificed themselves to cover the retreat in order to rescue the Doctor. Now that the Doctor has also chosen to detain her and not take further action for the time being, I believe that you will one day make a judgment commensurate with their sins."

After saying these words, ACE took the initiative to leave the meeting room. This elite agent, who had always been meticulous even in clerical work, left the meeting without any hesitation.

"ACE! Sigh! Never mind, I'm leaving too!"

When Huang saw her longtime colleague expressing his inner turmoil through such unusual behavior, she couldn't help but worry about him, so she followed ACE and left as well.

"Our relationship with the Reunion Movement is self-evident. Even if we are not as radical as them, we still have normal feelings, we hate and we feel pain. Although I don't know what 'rational considerations' you had in leaving these high-ranking Reunion Movement cadres and even leaders on Rhodes Island... please consider the feelings of others more."

The meeting drew to a close in this atmosphere, and after everyone except Kal'tsit and the others had left, Tomat, who was also about to leave, seemed to deliberately throw a question at them:

"Even if Talulah is objectively controlled, those who have been hurt by her will still feel guilty. Just like you now, you have a valid reason to keep Talulah, which is to prevent others from using her and to prevent greater harm. But others will not understand you just because your reason is valid."

"I have also tried to persuade my compatriots not to do something with very good reasons, but they don't buy into reasoning. In the heat of the moment, they do something that is bold but also very stupid."

"Although nothing foolish has happened on Rhodes Island yet, how do you plan to prevent something like that from happening?"

Thomas spoke with his usual detached attitude, his every gesture conveying that he would not get involved in these matters.

During the meeting, the doctor, who hadn't spoken much—whether due to physical weakness or some other reason—suddenly said:

"Just like ACE said, people didn't protest directly because they were trying to believe us, to believe that we would deliver a result that people would accept, as promised, for Talulah—or all those who deserve punishment."

"In other words, Rhodes Island is qualified and capable of making a fair judgment, not only for the operators on Rhodes Island, but also for the entire Terra."

The doctor spoke with clear enunciation what would have been laughable to outsiders.

Rhodes Island, whose combat capabilities are at best comparable to the garrison of a small to medium-sized city-state, wanted to bring a unified order to Terra.

They are just a pharmaceutical company that is somewhat competitive.

"Can you do it? Can Rhodes Island do it? You can try to conquer the world, and then set up a court that no one dares to speak out against, to try anyone you want to try—maybe even me."

Tomat's words emphasized that with enough power, one could accomplish many things.

However, it also constantly implies that Rhodes Island does not possess such power.

Despite possessing sufficient power, he still doesn't seem to see himself as part of "Rhodes Island's power."

"Alright, alright, although I don't really know what you've been through to become so harsh and depraved."

Two crisp knocks rang out in front of the conference room door. Nian, leaning against the door frame, had been listening to their conversation for some time now.

She tapped on the doorframe with her fan, drawing everyone's attention and interrupting the pressure that Thomas was putting on the Doctor with her words directed at him.

"However, I still hope you won't 'bully' them too much—after all, aren't you one of those people who 'lacked the strength' and couldn't accomplish anything?"

Even more so, Nian took the initiative to retort to Tomat with unfriendly words.

These words made everyone present hold their breath.

The surroundings were so quiet that everyone could hear their own slightly quickened heartbeat.

"......Too."

But nothing actually happened.

Thomas acknowledged the year's statement with just two words, then stopped talking, walked past her, and left the conference room.

Everyone, including Nian, breathed a huge sigh of relief only after his figure disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

"Thank you for helping me out, but..."

“I know, I know, his petty anger is enough to easily erase Rhodes Island from Terra’s history. Don’t provoke him, but don’t worry, he’s not a bad person, I can tell.”

A few drops of cold sweat clung to her fan, perhaps she herself found it hard to believe these claims.

"Hmm... Mr. Tomat's mood doesn't seem like anger. I can sense it too. He... actually seems worried about us?"

Amiya clutched her chest; her rapid heartbeat made her face pale.

However, upon reflecting on Tomat's words, Amiya felt that they seemed to be blaming Rhodes Island for taking on a task that they might not be able to accomplish given their current strength.

Such an event would inevitably lead to unpredictable and serious consequences, just as Tomat himself referred to in the “story of his own kind.”

"I'd rather use annoying words to remind you than actually help you. What's that, being arrogant?"

Instead of explaining why he was there, he went along with this suddenly inserted topic and started criticizing Tomat's personality.

"Although in a sense, he did point you to a reliable but difficult path."

"Uh, conquer the world?"

The doctor thought for a moment, then asked tentatively.

"It's about becoming stronger, although I think becoming as strong as him seems even more difficult than conquering the world. Besides, you should eat more to recover your strength."

While Nian and the others were in the conference room, Thomas had already returned to his dormitory.

His roommate greeted him with his usual tired expression and half-open eyes, but unsurprisingly, his dorm room was ambushed by several familiar faces again today.

"I'll definitely get you to teach me how to become stronger today!"

I had just lain down on my bed in the dorm and picked up the necklace next to me that could display projected photos when I heard the sound of jogging footsteps and the chill of winter outside the door.

Another group of Ursus girls followed closely behind her and entered the men's dormitory without permission.

"Have you finished your training? You didn't skip it again, did you? Not only will you have to train twice as much, but Lin Guang will also nag me for leading you guys astray."

Thomas gradually got used to this, and even Jie stopped complaining as much.

"Actually, you should only have corrupted Sonia. We were just dragged here by her. Oh no, Gummy too. She's been obsessed with that 'Fighting Pose'."

As Truth explained, he turned back to another Ursus girl behind him who looked somewhat familiar but whom he hadn't seen in a while:

“Absinthe, this is where he lives, he is inside.”

The gray-haired, red-eyed Ursus girl looked somewhat timid and hesitant. After confirming that everyone else was casually visiting the boys' dormitory, she slowly walked in and handed a small black gift box to Tomat.

Only when he was close enough did Tomat look at her face and remember something.

This is the daughter of that Ursus police officer, except that she had long hair when she was translating tactical language for Tomat's inexplicable appearance.

It now appears that she was one of the small group of people who remained on Rhodes Island, becoming a prospective operator like Winter and the others, and cutting off her long hair in the process.

"This is?"