Глава 7

Did he truly work so hard to ensure your survival, as he claimed?

What are you asking... What are you getting at?!

Did he and his Reunion element, or any part thereof, threaten your life or take any action to harm you?

I will deal with him in accordance with your response.

Are you threatening me with his life?! I... we... we had nothing to do with each other!

What about him, individually? Did he go along with Reunion and their crimes against humanity?

Doctor... Kal'tsit... I'm insulted!

I can only rely on the words of eyewitnesses and victims. Since you claim to have guaranteed her right to life, then I have only the young lady's testimony by which to adjudicate your claim.

You gave only your side of the story.

But what she says is also—

She's in a different position.

You have power. You can use violence. It doesn't matter what you did with that violence.

I felt it.

Amiya, it's the Sarkaz.

The targets are getting close.

Couldn't... but he...

Did he or did he not protect you from Reunion? Did he or did he not effectively keep you safe from their aggression?

Dr. Kal'tsit...! The patrol is here! It's not... it's not the guerrillas! You can't... Don't let them...

You're not making any sense!

I am confident our actions are well within the ethical parameters of Ursus. It was you who made the accusation against him.

He... he did go out regularly, about this time...

Dr. Kal'tsit! Let me... stop the Sarkaz! Or at least... let me get them to go someplace else!

I need an answer.

Speak. Or we will never know the truth.

Twenty-four meters out, in a straight line. Very close.

Twenty-two meters.

Mon3tr.

Dr. Kal'tsit!

No! He didn't! He didn't do anything wrong!

At least... at least nothing I saw!

Amiya, Doctor.

Huh?;......;You put on a good show.

Thank you for your time.

Darn it... Dr. Kal'tsit! I knew it...!

Let's go, Doctor!

Our next target is Reunion's Sarkaz patrol team!

I'm coming too.

Guard, was it?

You're wrong about me. But I'll protect you. I'll get your revenge for you.

They'll pay for what they did to you, and my family, and the common people. They'll all pay, for all of it.

The ritual has no affect on these Sarkaz... But our Sarkaz operators aren't immune? Why?

But they didn't look like they were with the guerrilla team. Strange...

Rosmontis...

Thank you.

I'm going on patrol.

Don't thank me. Like Amiya always says, you don't thank people for doing their jobs.

The effects of the Oripathy inhibitor will take a while to show. But for now, you should be feeling a lot less pain.

Take the medicine back to the others. There isn't much, probably only enough for one dose, but it will help with acute symptoms.

Did you really come to help us?

I'm sorry, but we can't help you much more than this.

We have to defeat the leader of Reunion before we can do anything else.

Also... if Reunion breaks into a full-scale riot again, I think we won't be able to handle them.

All those things I said to you... I... I wasn't like this before.

I used to hate you people. But now, I'm like you. Everyone hates me too.

I very nearly killed him. But without his help... we might already be dead.

But every time he let us go find supplies, someone died. I thought for sure that was proof he was working with Reunion, to toy with us.

Even though we're already Infected? Does Reunion... really hate the Ursus so much?

People don't need much to indulge in the ugliest side of their nature. Just giving them free rein can contaminate every part of a city.

Dr. Kal'tsit... you scared me!

Amiya, you shouldn't be letting these games get the better of you.

Just once or twice is enough...!

You'll spoil our plans if you waste so much time talking.

So... Dr. Kal'tsit, if she lied, were you really going to kill me?

I... I didn't lie though!

Just hypothetically. Not every Infected is so honest after they've been hurt. I've acted on impulse before myself.

Um... *sigh*...

Of course not.

You're a Rhodes Island operator. I trust you over all others.

Let's call it a form of psychological treatment for her. Naturally, the way you and she responded to it proved your innocence.

But I...

That look on your face was so dark and terrifying. I really thought you were going to do it... your act was way too convincing.

Sounds fine to me. I wouldn't do it, but I'd like to make people think that I would.

Dr. Kal'tsit, you really pushed it... no more terrorizing Guard.

Fine.

Don't worry, Guard. If she did go too far, I would've stepped in to stop her.

Did all that spike your emotional state? Should I help you recuperate?

Oh, no need. I'd be awful weak if I needed the Amiya treatment after just that.

After all... The one I really worry about is the little one standing by the door.

But even that's looking better. She and I sorted things out, and I think I get it... but I still can't let go of the time she split a person clean in half with the sweep of a claymore.

That's gonna be with me my whole life.

Oh... I know the incident you're talking about.

Guard... did you know she saved four civilian lives during that operation? That the military was testing weapons on them?

She killed an abandoned weapons-grade experimental caster they'd bought from a Sargon slaver. The entire batch of casters had their pituitary glands surgically removed.

The glands were replaced with an Originium device that kept them moving without input from their own nervous systems. They were already dead.

Only Rosmontis, with her unique fighting style, could destroy the experimental infected organs. She did nothing wrong.

...So that's what happened?

Guard, I think you misjudged Rosmontis the same way that young lady misjudged you.

What you look like, and any rumors going around about you, are anyone's first window into your personality. No matter what you did, they'd be looking at you as Reunion first.

But if we never got past the surface... we'd never know anything, let alone learn to trust.

If no one tries to find the truth, then no matter how hard we work to sow its seeds, they won't germinate.

And anyway, Rosmontis is right in front of you. Why don't you just... ask her?

A-Ask her?

What do you want to ask?

(Rosmontis sure is scary...!)

(Um, not like that... she won't know what to say...)

...Rosmontis, what are you here for?

My mission.

...And, like I said, getting revenge. For my family.

I'm done asking.

But... I don't even know what I asked.