Глава 16

Sir... Could you allow us the chance to talk things through?

Amiya steps forward, stretching her right arm out towards the miners, exposing the Originium crystals on her wrist that were hidden under her sleeve.

As you can see, I am Infected. Most of my team are too.

We mean you no harm. Please believe me.

Infected... You're Infected like us.

And with some amazing Arts, too...

You... You must be those 'Reunion' guys!

Whuh?

No. We are not Reunion.

We are from Rhodes Island, a pharmaceutical company.

Oh... My mistake. I thought you were the legendary Reunion Movement.

I knew it... A bunch of Infected coming together to form an organization? It's a fantasy, no matter how you look at it.

May I ask...?

Where did you hear the name Reunion?;What have you heard about this Reunion?

Rankin. It was Rankin who told us about it.

To the south, real close to the border with Kazimierz, there's a group of Infected who founded a place of their own, who take in all Infected who ask for help, and drive out anyone who wants to do harm to the Infected too.

Rankin would never lie to anyone, and I really hope it's true, too! But... Kazimierz is so far away. How are we supposed to get there?

This Rankin, is he a member of Reunion?

Maybe? I'm not too sure, to be honest.

But he's our hero. When he's around, the Patrol Units won't dare mess with us. I heard he rescued those guys who got dragged into the research institute—

Hey, blabbermouth! We still don't know what these people want!

Oh... Right.

So, why're you here?

We lost contact with our friends in the area.

Have you seen a mobile medical team? There are nine of them, wearing clothes with the same logo as ours, and they would have been handing out medicine here.

Handing out medicine... What, like Santa Claus in the fairy tales?

The miners look at each other, as if they have just heard the worst joke on Terra.

So, what was going on here earlier?;(Point at the cowering Patrol Unit)

<i>Poshel nahuy!</i> They are murderers who wanted to kill us! They locked us up and gave us no food, trying to starve us to death!

It must have been because we couldn't dig up anything, so they didn't give us a single bite to eat, right? Stupid bastards! Who the hell even knows what happened to the vein, the Originium just disappeared all of a sudden!

We couldn't take it anymore! We had to run, or we would all die!

Is this true?

Wh-Why are you looking at me like that? What're you going to do to me?

The mining district has had a supply shortage for a while now, more than just a couple of days! We got given about, what, a few loaves of bread this month? We want to know what's going on too!

Don't believe me? <i>Gosudar-batyushka</i>, who even has the time to bother with this rabble? If we killed them, then what, are we supposed to go into the mines ourselves to dig?

Eek—! What are you doing?! Okay, I'll shut up, I'll shut up now!

This isn't just happening in one or two mines... All the Far North, the entire mining district, all of us in it... We've been abandoned.

We heard Rankin was the first one to step up. He got rid of all the soldiers, and led several hundred people on an escape.

And now we've escaped too. We wanted to find his group and leave with them, but they're far away by now.

Okay, we've told you enough. Since you're Infected too, you should get out of the way and let us kill these bastards!

Sorry, but if I may be brutally blunt for a moment.

I can overlook the reasoning of why you have left your mine, and treat you as asylum-seekers for the time being.

But if you actually do kill these unfortunate souls, then things will <i>not</i> go well for you.

(Eloysius! You can't speak to them like that!)

What's with the officer in the pretty clothes? <i>Blyat!</i> I never should have trusted you people!

The appearance of an Imperial Guardswoman relights the flames of the miners' ire. They lift up their weapons once more to fence you in, but in fear of your Originium Arts, they dare not act rashly.

As for the routed Patrol Unit, the moment they see Eloysius, it is as if they have met their savior. They huddle behind her, cowering.

It is altogether a rather awkward, irreconcilable scene.

It looks like if we don't resolve this situation, we cannot continue onwards, can we?

Things being what they are, we have no choice.

Very well...

The Guardswoman pulls out some paper from her coat pocket, quickly writing down a few words on it before sealing it within an ornate envelope and handing it to the head miner.

Listen up. I have a suggestion that will make everyone happy.

Take this letter. The seal on the envelope will ensure that no Patrol Units harass you, so long as you do not provoke them.

Head north, to Bresk's sentry post. Hand the letter to the soldiers there, and they will find temporary shelter for you. As for what comes next... discuss it only after getting there.

Believe me when I say this is the only way to a peaceful resolution. In exchange, can you find it in your hearts to let these poor whelps go?

N-No! You can't!

If we don't bring them back, we'll be disciplined!

Enough. You're lucky to be alive as it is.

Why should we trust you?

Do you have anyone else you <i>can</i> trust?

Eloysius!

We...

If we go to this shelter you mentioned, will there be enough bread for everyone?

Rest assured. If bread is what you need, then bread you shall have.

The head miner takes the proffered letter, then turns to discuss the offer in hushed tones with the other miners.

They quickly come to a consensus, and with no hesitation whatsoever, the miners form one long line and start heading north, as if entering the mine, just like any other day.

The long stretch of miners slowly funnels through a gap between the huts. All the while, Amiya keeps looking towards the north, the procession fading into the distance.

This is the best outcome we could hope for under the circumstances.

I understand, Doctor.

We can't save... can't help everyone we meet.

But Rhodes Island will keep pressing on... until the last of our strength has left us.

You turn to look at the Imperial Guardswoman behind you, seemingly frivolous yet always able to take the initiative.

We never heard of any supply shortage in the mining district.;This is no ordinary control measure.

Yes, I know what you are about to ask me. Believe me, I know about as much as you do. We are of like mind when it comes to these misgivings.

The research institute is not far up ahead. Let us go and find answers there.

Let's go, Doctor.

<p=1>Central Far North Mining District Laboratory, Ursus</>

As you walk along the corridor, the echoes of your footsteps are swallowed up by its unending length.

Its stone walls lean inwards, as if their grave majesty were about to smother everything upon the ground. Those who walk along it find themselves lowering their voices, then lowering them further.

(Whisper) It's so quiet here...

Rather, it seems there are no Infected here. Or anyone, for that matter.

Which means...?

I've been to several Army research institutes before. They tend to be places of chaos, with plenty of people coming and going. Sickbeds that don't fit in the wards are put in the corridors, not too different from a battlefield hospital.

There is yelling, wailing, screaming from the Infected, but at least they live, at least they struggle on. But here...

Hmph. Nothing.

There are traces of fighting in the corridor.;Was the institute looted?

The entire district appears to be in terrible disarray.

If all the abnormal Infected from the institute have escaped...

The soldiers of the district have been gravely derelict in their duty. Their leader will not shirk responsibility.

Who knows, there may be great change coming to all of Breskenoy...

If the miners have been here, there must be some clues to find.;We need to find out what happened here.

While we have no accurate blueprints on hand, these sorts of buildings usually follow a standard layout.

If things are as expected, this hallway should form a loop, with standardized linked rooms adjoining. Every floor will also have an enclosed observation deck, for easier viewing of what's going on in the mining area.

Are you able to detect any of those 'biosignals' you mentioned earlier?

(Silence)

Sorry, ma'am, but if you were hoping we could trace signals to a specific room in here, then no can do.

The best we can do is confirm signal waves are coming from a certain area. You'll need to go there and inspect things yourself if you want to find the source, like we're doing right now.

Alright, I was simply asking.

This is a big institute, so I'll head down to the basement to have a look. In the interests of efficiency, how about we split up?