- Did you hear that? - asked the first, looking at his comrade with bewilderment.
- Of course, I heard. Is this some kind of joke? - answered the second, clearly puzzled. - Someone asks about the library... But where does the voice come from? Styopa, aren’t you kidding me here?
- What are you doing, Pash?! It's not me! In general, some kind of mysticism!
They both looked around, but were still unable to determine where the question was coming from. They did not understand what it sounded in their heads. Meanwhile, Alexander, watching them from the window, was very surprised. He heard their conversation, in fact, which they were thinking about at that moment. He heard their thoughts.
- This is an ideal technique for reconnaissance! Suddenly…
Alexander, standing at the window, began a new phase of his experiments. He concentrated and blocked access to energy from one of the waves emanating from his soul. Having imagined one of the soldiers in his mind, he mentally cut off the connection with the other, leaving it active only for the selected soldier.
Then he sent a new mental message: “Don’t let it show it, but your friend pees at night...”. One of the soldiers suddenly froze as he heard an unexpected voice in his head. He looked at his comrade with bewilderment and mixed feelings.
- Are you okay? - His comrade asked carefully.
- Yes, yes... I just... I think I heard something strange. - the military man answered, trying to hide his confusion. - “This is clearly some kind of insanity...”
Meanwhile, Alexander, feeling tired from the effort, fell onto the windowsill. Wasting no time, he quickly gathered his remaining strength and, with maximum concentration, created a connection with another soldier. However, after transmitting the mental message “Atas! The authorities are coming!” he completely exhausted his strength and literally fell onto the windowsill, losing consciousness. The connection was then interrupted.
The serviceman who received the message shuddered and turned sharply, looking for his superiors.
- Quickly, hide your cigarettes, the authorities are coming! - he hastily whispered to his comrade. Both soldiers quickly put out their cigarettes and quickly walked away, trying to look as natural as possible.
Alexander, lying on the windowsill, fell into a deep and restless sleep, having exhausted his energy reserves after intensive experiments with mental speech. He dreamed of an excerpt from a movie in which he was one of the characters. The dream lasted only ten minutes, but two hours passed, after which Alexander felt a cold touch on his nose, after which the faces of the celebrities disappeared, the gray scenery of the film collapsed, revealing a view of Sonya. She is one of the Sisters, the one with whom Alexander fell in love stood very close to the young man.
Her gaze was filled with fatigue and fear, which immediately caught Alexander’s eyes. She looked at him with sadness, and her words sounded like goodbye:
- My strength is running out, he almost got me. He will soon be in my monastery and this will be the end of my life. I want to spend this time with you before oblivion.
Alexander felt acute anxiety. He was back in human form and held her tightly by the shoulders, trying to find out more.
-Who attacked you? Where are you? - he insisted, but Sonya only answered:
- You won’t have time, and you won’t have enough strength. You're too weak, but that doesn't matter to me. Come to me. I want to enjoy the moment with my loved one before oblivion.
Sonya easily took his hands off her and gently touched his lips with hers. The kiss was full of despair and love, and tears flowed from her eyes. Alexander felt the depth of her feelings, her fear and hopelessness. But suddenly Alexander’s sleep wavered, and Sonya pulled away, her body began to turn black from burns.
- Who? Who is doing this to you? – he asked in horror and powerlessness.
“Goodbye, my love...” she whispered, blowing him a kiss. Her body began to smolder and scatter into ash, carried away by the wind. After which the dream was interrupted and Alexander found himself in Sofia’s room, along with the girl who was hugging him to her in her sleep. But all he could think about now was that Sonya was dead and he couldn’t help her. Too weak. And the most offensive thing is that he did not know that he had done it.
- Who? In fact, only Charon wanted the Sisters to die, but how could he do it? Why did he then hire me to kill the other Sisters... It turns out that he found someone else on whom he placed his bet. And this person needs to be identified and his head torn off for Sonya! This means that we need to enlist Roman’s support in the near future, then regain our body, and then find out from Charon who killed Sonya.
Alexander approved a new plan for himself, after which he carefully settled on Sofia’s neck. She tried to push him lower, but the hare found the most comfortable place and lay down there, feeling warmth and care. Thoughts also flashed through his head about the upcoming medical examination and the promise of a thousand souls for this. This will be an excellent opportunity to strengthen yourself before heading to the Edge. The hare still felt tired, so burying his nose in Sofia's chin, Alexander fell asleep peacefully, determined to face tomorrow.
Alexander felt the first rays of morning light softly caressing his fur. He woke up, still lying on Sophia's neck, whose breathing was calm and even. The gentle warmth of her skin and the cozy feeling of security made him delay the moment of awakening, wanting to remain in this state for as long as possible.
But the morning idyll was disrupted by a knock on the door, which then sounded a second time, more insistently and louder, as if calling for the start of a new day. The girl, barely opening her eyes, as if having difficulty separating herself from the embrace of Morpheus, sighed and reached out to reality.
She stood up and, with the grace inherent only to her, threw a robe over her naked body, creating an aura of warmth and comfort around her. Approaching the door, she opened it, and a military man with the rank of sergeant appeared before her. His knocking on the door was an urgent reminder that beyond these walls, life continued, full of responsibilities and tasks.
The sergeant, standing on the threshold, was clear and concise:
- Private Businka is awaiting a medical examination. - after which, without waiting for an answer, he left, leaving behind him the coolness of the morning air.
When the door closed, Sofia turned to Alexander, her eyes sparkling with discontent and determination.
“If they treat you badly again...” her voice sounded confident and furious, “I’ll rip the heads off these eggheads!”
After these words, she went to wash her face and then got dressed. Taking the hare in her arms, she pressed him to her with ease and tenderness, as if trying to protect him from the whole world. Leaving the room, they headed down a familiar path. Sofia decided not to go pick up Ivan and Andrey, since they also needed rest.
The path to the underground laboratory already seemed to Alexander a familiar route, leading to new discoveries and, possibly, tests. Walking through the military camp, with its austere and functional architecture, they turned into one of the administrative buildings. Inside the building everything was as usual. Vanity, military, bureaucracy, but they were interested in the way down to the underground laboratory.
Approaching the elevator, accompanied by military guards, they descended to the underground floors. The lights in the elevator were dim, and each of them, immersed in their thoughts, was preparing for the upcoming examination. Like last time, they were met by doctors, men and women in scrubs, but this time their meeting was distinguished by special attention to the hare. Apparently, the previous skirmish and the influence of the head of the military camp had done their job: the hare was treated with noticeable care and respect. This was also facilitated by the head of the military camp, who was also there.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Following the scientists, they headed down a long corridor that seemed to come out of the pages of a science fiction novel. The walls, many of them glass, offered views of the advanced laboratories, where the silhouettes of other researchers flashed by. Everything around was surprisingly clean and sterile, every item and device was in its place, creating an atmosphere of strict organization and high technology.
While they walked, Sofia, despite her outward fortitude, could not hide her excitement. She turned to the boss with a hint of concern in her voice:
- Are you sure that this time everything will go better? I wouldn’t want Businka to experience anything bad again. He can run away if he senses danger, you understand?
The boss, looking at her with understanding, answered quietly but confidently:
- We have taken all measures to ensure his safety and comfort. And your friends gave them very important reminders about how to treat such special... Patients.
Sofia nodded, trying to gain confidence in his words. She looked at the hare, who seemed to be carefully observing the world around him. His eyes reflected curiosity and perhaps a small spark of hope that this time would be different. Although in fact, it was a slight greed, from future souls for the examination.
As we approached the examination room, the atmosphere became increasingly tense, at least Sofia was tense, but everyone else was simply collected.
In a separate room, where the scientist walked with a hare in his arms, thorough research began. This room was equipped with the latest technology, where each instrument and device had its own unique function for studying the most complex phenomena of living nature. Sofia and the head of the military camp watched the procedures through a special one-way glass, which allowed them to see everything that was happening inside, while remaining invisible to the scientists and their amazing patient.
The first procedure was to scan the hare's brain, using a device similar to a compact MRI machine, but much more advanced. Scientists sought to understand how his brain works and which areas are activated when using his unique abilities. During the procedure, images appeared on screens showing the activity of various parts of the brain, which aroused keen interest and discussion among the researchers.
This was followed by a series of tests of cognitive abilities, including problem solving and symbol understanding. Scientists were amazed to see how the hare copes with tasks supposedly only accessible to human intelligence.
The third part of the study used specialized sensors to measure the energy fields around Alexander, trying to capture the moment when he used souls or made mental contact.
Watching all this, Sofia felt tense, because each procedure was a reminder of how unique and vulnerable Businka is
- What if they take him away from me? They will understand that it is unique and take it away...
- We are doing everything possible to understand and protect Alexander. Your concerns are understandable, but I assure you that the knowledge gained from this research will be used for his benefit.
At this moment, biological material was taken from the Hare. As a result, after completing all the procedures and taking the necessary tests, the scientists carefully returned the hare to Sofia. She immediately pulled him close to her, feeling the tension slowly leave her body. The scientists exchanged glances and retired to another room to collect and analyze the data obtained.
The time has come to get ready for the road. In the next couple of days, the transfer of military personnel to Vladivostok will begin, where the Far Eastern Forum awaits them, where the presidents of different countries will meet and discuss the current global situation.
They left the laboratory and then, at the direction of the group’s curator, they began collecting things for the upcoming flight. Ivan also came to them to find out how it went, and then Andrei joined. There was tension between the partners, but the guy eventually apologized. And he apologized directly to Businka.
- You're a big lad. - Sofia was happy and hugged Andrei tightly, and then, without letting go of her comrade, hugged Ivan. And to top it off, on the girl’s shoulder stood a hare, who was also happy.
Towards evening there was a knock on the door. Sofia expected to see just another routine visit, but to her surprise, standing on the threshold was the head of the military camp and a lieutenant holding a metal case in his hands. The atmosphere in the room instantly became serious. The Colonel, whose presence always added seriousness to the situation, was today the intermediary of an unusual gift.
- I promised the private a kind of bonus for his research. - he said, as if emphasizing the importance of the moment. The lieutenant, receiving a nod, moved forward and carefully placed the case on the floor. - This is all that is due to him, help Private Businka with this. Otherwise, don’t delay, departure is at five in the morning.
After these words, the visitors left and when the door closed, Sofia, filled with curiosity, approached the case. Her movements were cautious, as if she was afraid to disrupt the magic of the moment. Opening the case, she found glowing flasks containing a living substance inside, which made her eyes widen in surprise. Alexander, attracted by this spectacle, jumped closer to examine their contents.
- Souls, there are about a hundred of them here. - Sofia whispered, as if afraid to break the silence created by this revelation. Her gaze moved to Alexander, looking for an explanation in his eyes.
- How did you manage to come to an agreement with the colonel? - the question remained unanswered, because the hare was silent, but his gaze was full of expectation. - Every time you surprise me more and more.
At this moment, the process began when each flask was carefully examined, and then, one by one, it was poured into the hare. In this matter, the girl’s help is not really needed. Sofia watched every action, feeling how the bunny became stronger with each absorbed soul.
- I wonder what else you can do, the name is the supply of souls... - but as always, the hare was silent, although he could answer. I had the necessary skills and reserve of souls for unhindered communication.
As a result, by five in the morning, the souls were finished, things were collected, and there was a knock on the door. Opening the door, the girl saw Ivan and Andrey.
- It's time!
They, like other supers, were put on a bus. At the moment, in the military town there were twenty-eight combat-ready and free military personnel with abilities, the rest, some remained on missions in the Border, and some in a hospital bed. Following the buses, there were a couple of trucks with military personnel who also participated in the transfer. The supers had better conditions, but there was one goal, the Far Eastern Forum.
The road to the airfield was quick, since it was located thirty minutes from the military camp. Many were sleeping at that moment, but as was said before, they arrived quickly.
Arriving at the airfield, the group was greeted by the cool morning air and an impressive sight met their eyes - a row of military cargo planes, ready for long flights. One of them, massive and inspiring in its appearance, was intended for their group. The Il-76 military cargo aircraft stood out for its size and power. The silver-gray color of the body in the morning rays of the sun gave it an almost mystical appearance. Its open cargo hatch was already waiting to take on board not only super aircraft, but also military equipment.
Before loading into the plane, the group paused for a moment, looking around at the huge turbofan engines, ready to develop incredible thrust and take them to the farthest point of the country. Soldiers and officers of the airfield were bustling around, completing the final preparations for the flight.