45. Crime and Punishment
Dmitri was dead. Found hanged in his cold cell. On his desk was a suicide note containing apologies for his actions. People fell into emptiness as if losing their way before the great deed. They never imagined this terrible incident would end with one person's death. The protesters lowered their pickets. The city hall square that had continued festival-like protests daily was left empty with hollowness, not even an ant visible.
***
Southern hunters returned home. Points were exchanged and deposited into personal accounts, and hunters spent their winnings relieving fatigue. 'Old Alley' was bustling with hunters appearing after so long. Banner handed beers to Pringle and Bracket. Hunters each recounted their heroic tales from Murmansk.
April returned to her apartment, thickly covered with dust from the owner's long absence. As soon as she opened the door, she put down her luggage and collapsed onto the sofa. It felt like returning from a long journey. She sat silently for a while staring at light seeping through the blinds. Madmen screaming and rushing. A child's face crying for help. Such scenes flashed by like film frames. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.
Then her satellite blinked.
"Incoming call."
The satellite screen showed Supremer's face.
"April! Hey, what are you doing cooped up at home on such a great day? It's a total festival here! Oh! Max! You survived too? Ahaha. Your face looks ten years older. Look here. The atmosphere is crazy right now! Banner's treating us to beers for our return! Look there. Hey Obi!"
The screen moved showing O'Brien chugging a 3000cc beer with other hunters in one shot. After finishing, he slammed the beer glass down roaring like a beast, and people cheered at him.
"That bastard's totally lost it! He's going all out with drinks today! Hey. Come quickly! This is a privilege only those who returned alive can enjoy! Uhahaha"
Supremer's call ended. April smirked. She leaned her head back against the sofa and closed her eyes. She decided to enjoy this moment alone after so long.
***
Southern hunters were hailed as heroes by society for rescuing civilians trapped at the landfill. Various media showed footage of the bombing site and interviews with rescued people. Their voices trembled as if tension hadn't faded. They said without the hunters' rescue, they might already be dead, transformed into madmen.
Hunters also appeared in interviews. They answered proudly as if rescuing people was natural. April was also requested for interviews but she declined. However, people knew she had led hunters to rescue civilians, and her face appeared on front-page news making her an overnight star. Her mailbox filled with emails from broadcast production teams trying to recruit her. But she responded to no calls.
***
Victor's office.
He sat on the sofa deep in thought. The news reported brave heroic tales of southern hunters. Dmitri's death was also reported. Though Dmitri died, investigation of Mayor Victor should continue, they said. He indifferently turned off the TV.
Knock knock.
A knocking sound came from the mayor's office door.
"Come in."
When Victor spoke, a young female secretary appeared. She seemed to be a new secretary hired recently. Holding a basket of flowers in one hand, she couldn't meet Victor's eyes properly and trembled like a rabbit before a predator. Victor found this very enjoyable.
"Someone asked me to bring this to the mayor."
"Who was it?"
"They didn't give a name but looked like a priest."
"Ah! I see. Put it here."
She carefully moved step by step toward Victor. A sweet fruit fragrance came from her body. Victor inhaled deeply smelling her scent. The secretary bent down placing the basket on the table. Victor looked with lecherous eyes at the skirt clinging to her body and black stockings behind her bent figure. The secretary quickly put down the basket and moved away from Victor. Then she bowed her head and tried to turn and leave.
"Ah! Wait!"
Victor stopped the female secretary. She turned to Victor startled.
"Sorry, but could you wipe that glass? It has stains all over it, quite a mess."
Victor pointed at the glass wall behind his desk. She looked back and forth between the glass wall and Victor, then seemed to regain her senses and looked around for a towel. But no towel was visible anywhere in the office. As if noticing her search for a towel, Victor took out a fine fabric handkerchief from his left chest and waved his hand at her. She carefully received the handkerchief and went to the glass wall, starting to wipe the glass.
She seemed tense about what Victor might do, watching Victor's reflection in the glass wall. But he turned on the TV as if forgetting her existence. When the TV sound came, she seemed relieved and began wiping the glass.
Where her hand passed, the beautiful golden night view of Golden Tower still shone. The lights shining in the dark night looked like sparkling jewels, and she was quickly enchanted by that beauty, losing herself. The most beautiful city in the world. And the place where that beauty was best visible. If God existed, perhaps He spent time looking down on humans like this. The city's lights danced randomly.
Then she felt a huge shadow covering her from behind. The moment she thought 'oh no,' Victor's huge hands embraced her suddenly. She desperately resisted but couldn't escape Victor's huge embrace. Victor brought his large face near her right cheek and inhaled deeply.
"Ahh. This smell. My soul feels purified."
Victor continued moving his huge nose to various places on her face and nape, smelling. She desperately struggled to escape. But Victor's arms squeezed her body tighter than iron bars. Victor kept groping her body.
"Please. Stop. Please."
She pleaded pitifully to Victor. But Victor seemed already lost to the woman's body, continuing to explore her. She kept struggling until Victor concentrated on one spot, then quickly freed her hand and escaped his embrace.
She breathed roughly as if exhausted. However much Victor was mocked by the public, he was a huge presence to her. Tears suddenly welled in her eyes. Overwhelmed by embarrassment and shame, she fled out the door.
[Bang]
The door closed. Victor stared blankly at where the secretary had left. Then he suddenly smirked, then began laughing as if amused. He knew. However much humans mocked and ridiculed God, they were ultimately weak beings. Only he with superior genes resembling God could continue staying in this position. He laughed heartily as if the sky would leave.
After the laughter subsided, he collapsed back onto the sofa drained. His gaze staring blankly at the ceiling slowly descended toward the basket on the table. The rattan basket contained baby's breath mixed with red and yellow roses. And between the flowers was placed a dark green champagne bottle.
He placed a glass and champagne bottle on the table. He spun the tightly sealed cork with an opener, then lowered the lever lifting the stopper more than halfway. And pushing the remaining part with force, the stopper came out with a refreshing sound.
He slowly tilted the bottle pouring liquor into the glass. The liquor in the glass had a transparent yellow color. It looked sweet at a glance. He tilted the glass watching carbonation bubbles rise, then brought the glass to his lips.
When he took a sip of wine, a cool sweet feeling reached his throat. He seemed satisfied with the liquor, gulping down the glass and emptying it. Then he put down the glass and leaned back on the sofa again. He smiled as if this moment was very satisfying.
He thought. However much people pointed fingers and cursed him, that too was ultimately just a moment. This incident ended by Dmitri's death would soon be forgotten by people, and he would again be praised as a hero by people through good deeds. The world is truly simple. For people, only what's visible is everything.
He again raised his body, filled the glass with liquor, then stood up with the glass and headed to his favorite place. Standing before the glass wall, he smiled contentedly seeing the golden sparkling night view beyond.
He would look down on the world from this position forever. If another danger arose, he could always create a scapegoat and remove the danger as always. He alone would always stand firmly in this position. He toasted to his proud future. And brought the liquor to his lips.
[Crash]
The glass Victor held fell to the floor shattering noisily. The spilled liquor slowly seeped into the fine carpet. Somehow the strength in his hand wouldn't release. As if bound from within, his hand stiffened rigidly. Cold sweat flowed on Victor's face. Victor instantly turned his head looking at the champagne bottle.
He remembered.
'Venom harvested from the body of a viper inhabiting Southeast Asia in the past. A component called "bungarotoxin"—even a tiny amount can kill a person instantly. We divided this venom into very minute units and viralized it. This venom never disappears through any pathway. And once it enters the body, the venom is instantly transmitted to the brain destroying nerve cells. That was what we originally intended. But during clinical trials, something amazing happened. This venom not only destroys brain cells but also implements new self-cells. And that influence disturbs the person's mental system causing hallucinations. Soon they become insane. Quite naturally.'
In Victor's mind appeared the face of that priest who smiled purely at him. He didn't show his eyes. The long, thinly drooping eyes made it impossible to know what he was thinking. He thought it was truly a strange appearance. That frail delicate appearance with white face—thinking about it now, it seemed like a black demon was sneering at him from behind. Victor's vision gradually blurred. He lost consciousness with rising pain.
***
The city's night view.
Cold wind blows in the dark night. Streetlights shine and cars pass emitting light smaller than fingernails. The glamorous city also turns off lights one by one after late night, and pedestrians return home lonelily on the streets. The top floor of Olympus City viewed from afar still had lights on. That light like the city's control tower would always shine brightly looking down on the city.
"Kito. How is it? This place is also just as I said, right?"
The man in black clothes muttered. The white-faced man smiled shallowly on his face watching the city's lights fade with desolate eyes.
In the man's distant gaze appeared images of people who had passed.
「Get lost. You dirty refugee bastards. Why should we shoulder the remnants of a ruined nation! You abandoned society yourselves with your vain beliefs and tiresome fighting, so why come to us living well asking to be taken in? Karma. That your country disappeared. That you live miserable wandering lives. All of it!」
「Teacher. That child smells. Seems they don't wash well at home. They reminisce about their non-existent homeland and carelessly talk about this place. Seems shameless. Why should we protect such children?」
「Those refugee bastards made the city utterly terrible. Wherever they live, crime and theft never cease. They make existing residents leave the city they're attached to. I saw those bastards selling their bodies cheap and urinating in food yesterday. Really despicable bastards I don't want to associate with!」
「Get lost. You pig-like bastards. Go back where you lived!」
He also recalled Mayor Victor and executives.
「Mayor. Core has requested refugee relocation again. This time the scale is much larger. Two million, they say.」
「Dirty refugee bastards. Why don't they die trapped in their ruined nation instead of wandering like ghosts. Why does Core dump refugees on us? If they're so precious, they should care for them directly themselves. They isolate themselves from the world behind huge walls and dump such burdens on us. I can't watch my precious city be defiled! Send the refugees to the most troublesome regions. No, send them anywhere. Remove them from my sight!」
"Humans are ugly animals knowing only themselves. God's failed creation. To sacrifice your life to save such failures. You are truly foolish."
He seemed finished with his reverie, slowly turning around. With the sparkling city behind him, he disappeared into darkness.
Episode 3 『Mass Infection』
End.