“Are you crazy! You killed him, you fucking killed a man. Not counting, that he’s the highest authority in this tower right now, but you killed another human. Shit!”
Roon’s voice was filled with hysteria as he yelled at August, his voice becoming hoarse by the end of it. But strangely he didn’t feel the urge to vomit as he’d felt when he’d been killing zombies. Maybe it was because he didn’t do it himself, or maybe it was his body adapting to death, that he didn’t have a biological response for this manslaughter, but his mind was a whole different story.
He’d been killing since morning, and despite how appalling the sensation was for him, knowing that it was for his survival gave him some relief. But August, this man who he’d been considering his guru, his guide, the nice ‘Old Man’ character from movies, had just committed a murder, and his only reaction was a smirk. His eyes didn’t hold the slightest of malice or killing intent as he stabbed the knife through a man’s throat, like he was cutting cabbage.
This nonchalance made Roon’s hear grow cold, which in turn gave birth to fear, a lot of fear.
Roon kept yelling at August, but all that energy was wasted, as the culprit was immersed in his inspection of the victim’s body.
August splendidly ignored Roon and lay the Haba’s body on floor. Then he started stripping him, and checked each pocket each fold of his clothing. When it appeared that his search attempts were futile, he gestured Takeo, who was just as relaxed as August, to help him.
Takeo, pushed aside Roon, who was getting more frantic every second, and as if him and August had discussed previously, like a play, and as if it was the most natural thing to do, held the body’s head firmly to the ground. After which, August slashed at its neck a last time, after which the head came apart, the esophagus along with it. This made Roon pale, and he ceased his cursing and looked away.
And the Dr. wasn’t done yet. He continued with his dissection, till he managed to rip the body’s lower jaw off, and with a delighted expression separated something like a bead from its molar, and ate it, without any qualms about its previous location.
After he was done with this improvised post mortem of the murder he committed, he turned to the only gloomy person in the room,
“So lad, you were saying something. I was occupied previously and didn’t pay much attention to it, I beg your pardon for my rude behavior.”
His voice contained a hint of delight and a mocking tone, despite polite dialect which he was speaking. Roon didn’t answer him, as he continued to stare at the floor, the carpets design acting as a good distraction for his disturbed mind.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I had to do what I just did, and it was urgent as well. If you drink that wine, you’ll understand.”
“What are you trying to say?”
Roon asked in an aggravated tone. August’s actions had left him vexed, while this computer like man was certain to be of help in this precarious situation, after his last act, Roon didn’t know if he could trust him. But the answer to his question didn’t come from August,
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“It means that the wine was poisoned and if he didn’t eat the antidote by the time he did, he would be no more than a vegetable, and we’d have a bullet in our heads as a gift from Haba.”
This answer shocked Roon, although he knew that Haba had bad intentions against August, he didn’t think that he would go as far as to kill him. To him, willingly killing a man without any reason was something unimaginable. Despite all the brawls he got in, or the recurring conflicts, this boy who was born in the 22nd century, couldn’t possibly think of a scenario where a person would kill another.
“Don’t sweat over it, your life experience is shallow. Just trying being chill about everything, and stop giving a fuck about every little thing that happens. You behave like a wuss, MAN UP.”
Dr. August’s voice contained a lot of mockery, which made Roon feel insulted. Yet, he couldn’t find the words to deny him. Yes, he had been killing, and sometimes he even took pleasure in it, so he couldn’t judge others.
While Roon sat there dismayed, Takeo was vigilant of August. Despite his fluid actions in aiding August, he wasn’t in on the murder, it was only after August started searching Haba’s body, that Takeo with his IQ of 180, understood that poison was at play. But the reason behind the poisoning was still unknown.
So, despite August being the potential victim, he was still wary of him. Thus, with a doubtful mindset, but in a knowing tone, he asked August,
“Won’t you tell us the other reason for his death.”
To this sudden inquiry, August replied in a praising manner,
“Ah, head of IT, wonderful deduction. Yes, there were more than one reason for his death. Two. First, he is a pawn of the people who would stop at nothing to cause me harm, Second, he is an idiot.”
August’s tone was merry, as if he was listing reasons to buy a car. But this didn’t fare well for Roon. It only caused him to become more depressed, as he said in a weak manner,
“Heh, so he had to die because he was an idiot. Is that all?”
But August, seemingly unaware of Roon’s spiritual predicament, continued in an apathetic voice.
“Yes, him being an idiot would be very detrimental for us. You see, when I met him in the evening to give a rough outline of the city’s situation, he dispatched a team to report the situation to the HQ, and given how he was planning to dispose of me, he probably didn’t inform the HQ that I was in this city.”
When August was finished, Roon and Takeo were staring at his face. They didn’t understand what he was trying to convey. Even Takeo, who knew a little about the governments inner and secret workings of the government, didn’t get what August was trying to imply. And seeing, that the two were still perplexed, August in a patient manner explained,
“Well, do the two of you know about the first Artificial Virus Epidemic that occurred in 2056?”
This sudden question lit a bulb in Roons head. He was an avid reader of historical texts; thus he knew, that the epidemic August was talking about, happened in 2056 in China, now a part of the Orient Union.
Thus, as he began to speculate the meaning behind August’s words, Roons throat ran dry and in a hoarse voice he answered.
“In 2056, the Chongqing province was hit by a hyperactive virus which had the symptoms of HIV, but was more easily spread, with simple touch. At first the government were hesitant and confused about the situation, but after one year, when they couldn’t find a cure, they panicked. One of the generals suggested a nuclear strike, but was immediately rejected and deemed crazy. After another year of the province’s lockdown, one of the generals carried out a nuclear strike, after which he committed suicide. The epidemic ended, there were a few stragglers but they were immediately isolated. The cure was found, but it took five years. And 30 years later, the scholars estimated, if the nuclear cleansing had been done earlier, the loss to life would have been much less.”
After Roon finished recalling history, he fell quiet. Now he understood, and so did Takeo, if the government know that they are facing an epidemic, they wouldn’t send a rescue team. Their only logical response should be a nuclear cleansing for the whole of area, and they would prevent any possibility of a huge epidemic.
But what they didn’t understand, was how did August come into picture, thus they asked, Roon still in a dazed manner,
“But what does it have to do with you?”
To this question, August maintained a teasing smile.