Cat and Rose - Cat & Rose - Chapter 28 - No Meaning in Anchoring (4)

Chapter 28 – No Meaning in Anchoring (4)

Five Skeletons were positioned in the centre of the hall. They were fully-coloured in black and three-metres in height, exuding a powerful, mechanical aesthetic beauty, through which it could adapt to a variety of complex terrains and environments of exploration.

But no matter how peaceful the external environment was, Area 3 would never completely abandon the option of combat prowess, which was why the Skeletons were also attached with many weapons and propeller equipment. As a result, the power a single soldier held had drastically increased too.

As the brain implantation techniques had not yet matured, these Skeletons were accessed by the human body through inserting probes into the central nervous system at various points.

Several people from Area 5 arrived in front of the Skeletons, most of them mechanics who were responsible for designing the joints and the mobility system. They looked at the five Skeletons like they were appreciating an art piece.

“I was frozen for a whole century, then after waking up, it turned out you guys had already developed these high-end techniques.” One of the mechanics sang praises. “Back on earth, these things were only a sci-fi concept in the movies.”

“Technological growth is exponential, and it’s currently at its explosive period in our generation. It’s also because the research environment on the ship is simply fantastic.” Another mechanic joined the discussion. “That’s why, we can all become Iron Man now.”

“I say, you’d never be able to become a superhero.” His colleague laughed mockingly. “Only those who went through ‘limitless’ with altered nerve reflexes can activate the Skeleton’s functions. We’re all too slow.”

The other mechanic shrugged. “Then I’ll ask Dr Lin to make some modifications.”

“You can request the boss to talk to Dr Lin about it.”

They conversed exuberantly, as the “boss” they spoke of made his way over right then.

Zheng Shu was currently on a voice call.

“Madam, it’s been two years since the programme was submitted. I believe there is no such thing as a resource shortage.” His words remained courteous, only his tone was slightly less gentle.

The other side of the call spoke for a while, then Zheng Shu continued, “There haven’t been any foraging schemes recently? Although this may be slightly offensive, Madam, this is a grave mistake on Area 2’s part. Area 3, Area 5, and Area 6 have spent too much energy on the Skeleton programme, but you’re telling me there aren’t enough materials, so we cannot mass produce them?”

The few mechanics exchanged looks with each other; they all knew there was something wrong with the current situation.

Zheng Shu listened for another while, then said, “At this stage, we won’t move forward with batch production. Area 6 is currently proceeding with the neurochip project, I hope you can delegate us with the corresponding materials before it is completed.”

“Area 1? Why would they need to use large amounts of biological metalloprotein?”

It was unknown what was said on the other side, but Zheng Shu signed off with a few polite words, then ended the call.

He looked at his subordinates, frowned, then said grimly, “There’s some trouble with the programme. Area 2 insists that the entire spaceship has a resource shortage, especially with high-energy materials.”

“Then what to do?” said the mechanic. “Can’t they mine and extract them?”

His colleague replied sourly, “There’s only iron on this planet, even silicon dioxide is rare. Do you want our Skeletons to end up like armour from the Iron Age?”

“I’ll speak to Lin Si first. Area 2 also said that the budget for the microchip project will be cut down,” said Zheng Shu.

He called, but nobody picked up for a very long time.

It was not until the second time did Lin Si’s voice ring through.

“Zheng-ge.” The other party on the call spoke in a flat voice.

“Are you okay?” Zheng Shu could tell he sounded somewhat unnatural.

“Nothing much,” said Lin Si, “what’s the matter?”

“I was just notified by Area 2 that there is a material shortage, so batch production for the Skeletons will be difficult. Furthermore, a large portion of the metalloprotein has been allocated away to Area 1, which will impact the microchips as well.”

“What’s Area 1 doing?”

“Area 2 said that Area 1 had a high-energy physics programme that was reassessed, and its authority level rose directly from S to 3S, so they were able to override our budget when they applied for materials.”

“Please wait, I’ll discuss with Madam Chen about that,” Lin Si said. “I already submitted an application to Area 9 to defrost Su Ting. I’ll continue my project no matter what.”

“Your shimei?” Zheng Shu said a question, but it was not what he wanted to ask. “…Are you still good?”

“I’m still good,” said Lin Si. “I told Ling Yi yesterday that Ye Selin is his mother.”

“It’s about time he knew,” said Zheng Shu. “Even if you don’t tell him, in the end a child will want to look into his own background.”

“Then today I took Ling Yi to do some tests, and we went to Area 9 on the way.” Lin Si’s voice was slow and steady. “I seldom involved myself with them, I didn’t know that they…”

He spoke up to that point, then paused for a moment. Zheng Shu turned to leave the main hall to a quiet, secluded area and patiently waited for the rest.

Lin Si did not finish his sentence, but rather said, “He probably knows by now.”

“Ling Yi?” Zheng Shu said. “Lin Si, remember when you just woke up, I told you back then—it was not your fault. You need to learn how to forgive yourself.”

“I let Ling Yi go see Su Ting,” said Lin Si. “At that time I went a little out of control, so now I don’t know how to face him.”

“The incident with the virus was just an accident, Lin Si,” Zheng Shu’s voice lowered. “It had nothing to do with you.”

“If I sent a message to Ye Selin that day, she wouldn’t have come to my lab to say goodbye,” Lin Si said. “I always thought…”

In the corridors, the protruding security cameras obscured the cool white lights above. Standing there, half of him was in the light, while the other half was in the shadows.

***

At the same time, in Area 9.

Su Ting’s face was pale. She looked like she was struggling to recall her memories.

“You were the first batch of people who underwent cryogenic freezing, so of course you wouldn’t know what happened right before we set sail. Majority of people currently on the spaceship didn’t know either, only I did,” said the woman. “The virus broke out on the ship.”

Su Ting said, “Why would the virus appear? Our selection process was so strict, and everyone went through quarantine.”

“Every possibility could be ruled out.” The woman shrugged. “Except for one—Ye Selin went to the Wilkins Laboratory to say goodbye to her beloved student.”

“The laboratory’s protective equipment is of the highest level!” Su Ting shook her head.

“Indeed, the laboratory’s protective equipment was perfect, but if Lin Si really wanted it, what could he not do?” The woman laughed coldly. “The virus broke out on the ship, while he held the most effective way to combat it. No matter how fake his rejection was, the Voyagers would still open their doors wide for him.”

“But he didn’t need it to begin with,” Su Ting argued. “The Voyagers invited him at first—it was him who actively rejected it!”

The woman’s voice was piercing. “Naturally, it was because he already knew how to combat the virus, so when you all left, he would take out the vaccine and become the saviour of the entire Earth. Too bad the virus had already undergone its fourth mutation and could not be destroyed completely, so he changed his mind, pulled some tricks, and planted the third-generation virus on Ye Selin, allowing her to get infected along with the others who weren’t frozen, so that he could get a fresh—”

“Lin Si isn’t that kind of person.” Ling Yi’s pretty eyebrows furrowed. “He’s a doctor.”

A doctor only knew how to save people, not hurt them.

Su Ting also shook her head. “Shixiong…”

But an even greater sorrow pierced through her, rendering her unable to speak another full sentence.

“Ye Selin…virus…” Her gaze became unstable and erratic, and her entire body began to tremble.

Ling Yi knew how much she loved Ye Selin. He had heard from Lin Si that she only needed to see a cut on Ye Selin’s hand to start crying.

She, of course, also knew how painful it was to contract the virus.

Originally, she waited happily to see Ye Selin once again, but was suddenly told that Ye Selin no longer existed in this world, and furthermore, died in a way that was beyond belief.

How much pain was she in?

Even so…

She loved Ye Selin, but did it mean that Lin Si did not?

Ling Yi knew—whenever Lin Si mentioned Ye Selin—how calm his eyes were, and how this calmness was on the verge of gentleness.

That was why, no matter how irrefutable that woman’s words were, he could not believe them.

Because no matter what, a person’s eyes could never lie, and a person’s conduct could never be obscured.

Or, to explain from another perspective, he instinctively believed Lin Si, as Lin Si was his most important person within his very limited memories. He could not believe in such cruel things just because of some surface-level words spoken by a woman.

Therefore, in this very instant, towards everyone that was situated in this mortuary, he could not empathise with their emotions. Towards Ye Selin’s death, he still felt that strange unfamiliarity all the same.

He only knew the pain that made Su Ting fall apart must have also tormented Lin Si, and it likely still tormented Lin Si at this very moment.

He only wanted to embrace Lin Si like how Lin Si embraced him, so at the very least, in between all the pain he was in, he could catch a breath.

*

The author has something to say:

I had some things to do today, so I wrote until very late. Afterwards there should be a very important interaction between the two qwq but I have a bit of a headache so I can only go to sleep

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