Chapter 12
It is a big mall, It has only one bigger window-front, which is heavily barricaded right now. A quiet good choice for a building to turn it into a fortress. I can also see five guards on the roof of the three story building. I don't think that I will get in there unnoticed, so I slowly walk towards the guarded entrance.
The guards detect me soon after I leave my cover, but they aren't on edge like the guys at the military base. They just lazily look towards my direction, it seems they don't think of me as a threat. When I draw even closer I notice that there is actual electricity running in the building, seems like the mall has an emergency generator. There are lights burning in the corridor behind the guards.
“State your business and your name and you may come in, but be aware that we ain't the welfare.” I am greeted by one of the guards. “I just need a place to rest from my travels, but if I like what I find I also might stay here.” I say. “If that is all you need you may stay for a day free of charge, but if you stay longer you will have to contribute.” he replies.
Up till now I didn't get a too bad impression of this place, but I guess I look rather independent to others, so I won't be target with discrimination instantly. But if the information I got is true the innards of this group may be beyond rotten. I will have to thread with caution and judge without being blinded by prejudice. My moral will have to be my guiding light.
I enter the building and begin to take a look around, there are a lot of people here, it looks like there are over 300 people here and that is only the first floor! It seems like every survivor gathered in this place. When I try to go up to the second floor I am rebuked with the words that only authorized personnel is allowed there, but if I could pay the fine I could also be one of those lucky ones.
Returning from the staircase I begin to wander around, looking for an opportunity to gather some intel. Something I notice after a short time is the lack of weapons, only some guard lookalikes in military uniforms are armed. That strikes me as strange, since I know of the weapons they stole from the military base. I expected that there are a lot of weapons around, considering the number of soulless I noticed while crossing the city.
I quickly learned how the mall survived the initial feeding frenzy, one of the employees withstood the storm and drove every changed out and locked the door. Three days later the military arrived here. He is a resident of the upper level now. This term alone taught me that they established a caste system. That isn't necessarily bad, but it stops growth and can easily lead to cruelty.
There are three castes here, the refugees, which came here to find protection, the guard, which mostly consist of the rogue soldiers and have the privilege to be armed and the elites, which lead the group of survivors. It is an easy system and has the potential to be rather successful, if the duties, numbers and privilege are shared fairly. There would also has to be a institution to judge the people without taking their rank and titles into account.
But I soon got to see the ugly side of this community, I found the injured and weak, some of the wounds were clearly caused by guns. I could have bribed my way into the upper level, but I wanted to judge this system and the best way to do that is by seeing how it cares for its 'lowest' members.
It didn't care for them at all. In this makeshift hospital there was only one person caring for the wounded. The only one around that helped them, was a woman in nurse clothes. “What do you need to help those poor fellows here.” I ask the nurse. “You are new here huh? Better leave as long as you still can. But since you asked. Multiple miracles, to be honest, the three with the bullet wounds won't survive the next day and I have some guys with badly set broken bones, sadly I ain't a doctor, I did what I could. At least we don't starve.” she replies “ Not thanks to our 'great' leaders though.”
That was quite a mouthful, but I decide to first help the ones I can help. “Lead me to one of the guys with the broken bones, maybe I can help. Ohh I will need some food for that though.” I say. Mumbling something which I couldn't understand, she leads me towards a bed with an injured person.
As soon as the nurse left I talk with the person about what I will do. “First I will push your soul away from the area I have to treat, that will scare the shit out of you, then I will fix you up, although I can't heal you completely.” I say to him then I cut myself to show him that I can in fact heal myself. The boy on the bed watches me with big eyes, not saying a single word, only flinching when he sees my blood.
I begin the treatment, it is the first time I do that, I always avoided touching a foreign soul, fearing that I would harm them, but at the moment I have enough trust in my abilities. I begin to push away the boys soul, at first he struggles and takes a sharp breath. His defence is like a water hose spraying against a tidal wave, it has no effect, my soul pushes him away without harming it.
As soon as I have control over the wounded area I shut down some of his nerves, effectively numbing the area. Then I begin to rearrange the bone fragments and hasten the regeneration. It doesn't take long but it tires his body. As soon as I am ready I motion for the boy to eat what the nurse brought to me. She gave me a surprised look at that not only did I apparently succeed in treating him, but I also gave, what she assumed I wanted as payment, to the patient.
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“I am confident now that I can treat the more critically wounded.” I say, “I am sorry I had to use this tough fellow here as a guinea pig, but he won't have any complications. But make sure he doesn't strain his arm too much, it is still weak. Could you move the three in critical condition together?”
Soon I began my operations on the other three. Since they were unconscious I easily overpowered their soul and collected it to small balls in their heads. Now with full control over their bodies I began the operations. I couldn't use the nutrients of their bodies, it would have to many detrimental side effects. It took me two hours and when I awake from my deep meditation and release their souls, I am greeted by what I guess are the families and friends of the wounded.
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“What a strange day.” Ellie though to herself. It started so horribly when three guys with bullets in their bodies got carried into her makeshift infirmary. She lost all hope when she saw those wounds, but nonetheless tried her best to safe treat them to her best abilities. It didn't take long to make a strange turn around, a strange stranger arrived, clad in his pitch-black and intimidating armour and armed to his teeth he asked her what she needed to help her patients. He offered his help with some of the lesser serious wounds and all he wanted was something to eat.
It dumbfounded her that she met a person in this harsh world, who doesn't want his payment and even more someone who could work miracles. She had given up on the boys arm long ago, it was a complicated rupture located near the elbow. The boy was healed and her saviour asked for more, not payment but work.
With amazement she watch how he treated the three she gave up, he just sat there, but when she moved aside one of the bandages she applied, there was no blood. She could see the flesh grow and heal. It was like an angel descended to heal the people god apparently had forsaken. She hurried to gather the people acquainted to the healed to share the miracle. Fearing no one would believe her she didn't say why they had to come, but they still followed, since they just returned from their work anyway. Most of them fearing for the worst.
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What they saw washed away there fear, the wounds were gone only scars remain. They wanted to shout out in joy but a gesture from 'their angel' made them stop. “I have other things to achieve here, I would appreciate it if you could keep this a secret for a few days. But could someone tell me how it came to those wounds? And how your live is?” I said.
Filled with a new-found hope they did as I said. The wounds were inflicted when the three returned from their work, which consists of scavenging the nearby houses. They were chased by some of the changed, the panicked guards opened fire and some stray bullets hit the fleeing people.
But what really shocked me was their everyday live, they would rise early to scavenge, mostly weaponless as they were forbidden from being armed, only a few used some simple meele weapons, most simply ran. The guards only protect the building nothing more. And for that protection they took a hefty toll of what was scavenged.
That lifestyle was simply suicidal and to make matters worse, some of the 'elites' had some nasty habits. The most harmless build harems with every person they wanted, but the more wicked enjoyed mindlessly hurting others and other sinister pleasures. They hide behind terror and the fear of being outcast from the 'only' save haven. Most didn't know of the manned base outside the city at all.
The only one, who had fought the injustice was a guy named Steve, which currently was nailed to a cross, that stands in the atrium of the second floor. Everyone had been forced to watch this torture. As far as they knew he is still alive.
From what they told me, that Steve seems like quite a likeable leader and even more importantly one whose visions were compatible with my own. The currently existing system relies strongly on isolation and suppression, the current leaders won't risk loosing their followers while interacting with other groups of survivors. It is more likely that they would enslave them.
If I want to help these people I have to achieve three tasks. Firstly free Steve, secondly free the guards of the influence of the elites and lastly eliminate those rotten beings on the top. After that I could lead them to safety. The people I helped provided me with a list of corrupted individuals.
Another thing I learned while I healed the four people was that everybody had a different looking soul. Could I differentiate between the wicked and the good by reading their soul? Maybe. I will have to test it. And I will have the opportunity for that.
For my first job I leave the mall, once again greeting the guards. Once I was out of sight I climb up a building next to it nobody saw me. Night has fallen over the world. No moon could be seen, it is almost pitch black. But soon the moon will break through the clouds. It was the perfect night for shady things. It was a night for murder.