No30 Ch4

Her wavy platinum blonde hair was stained with fatigue, and her complexion was pale. Though she didn’t seem to realize it.

Aslan didn’t take his eyes off the woman’s dilated pupils as he replied.

“Someone who has seen human death for the first time.”

“……”

“I’m worried about that kind of person. We don’t know each other’s pasts yet, but at least Dylan isn’t that kind of person.”

Liella’s eyes flickered uneasily.

Excellent at first aid, sensitive to injuries, but has never seen a corpse. He judged her to be an inexperienced medical professional. The floor plan they had seen earlier, the seven humans wearing the same uniform. Each must have had a role to play.

“Can I ask you just one thing?”

“Ask away.”

“Why aren’t we going to the communications facility upstairs first? We might be able to call for help.”

“I plan to go. After arming ourselves first.”

They didn’t know what might be upstairs. It was too risky to recklessly brave the danger, and the possibility of the communications system working perfectly in an exploration vessel with the power off was too low. Besides…

Aslan stared at the black digital watch displaying the numbers 19:19. He remembered the company engraved on the metal, Andrei. It was a company famous for incorporating EMP¹ shielding in all its products.

“What’s wrong?”

Liella gave Aslan, who had suddenly stopped, a questioning look. He read the company name on the bottom of the Zippo lighter, then took out the pistol from his belt and checked the slide. ‘Andrei’ was faintly engraved on one side.

Before losing his memory, was he the kind of person to indulge in extravagance for no reason?

“I’m considering the possibility of electromagnetic wave interference. If we were hit by a very powerful shockwave like an EMP, it’s possible that the vehicle crash-landed.”

“EMP? Oh, you mean the phenomenon that makes all electronic devices go haywire? If it’s powerful, how bad can it get?”

“Large-scale military operations, natural disasters, or nuclear explosions are the worst-case scenarios.”

Electromagnetic waves like gamma rays could also affect the human body. Aslan didn’t bother to add that, as Liella’s complexion was already pale.

The woman was like a wax doll that would break if you touched it. She was beautiful and eye-catching, but at the same time, he was worried she would break. From the moment he met her eyes, he felt nauseous.

He definitely knew the woman. He was almost certain.

“Ah, um… let’s just… think of it this way?”

Liella lowered her rabbit-like eyes and then raised them again, looking straight at him.

“The exploration vessel just ran out of fuel.”

The simple assumption flowed out in a clear voice, as if she was trying to brainwash herself.

“There are no natural disasters, the world is boringly safe, and there are no military operations or nuclear explosions. What we saw downstairs is just an unknown life form we found while exploring a cave or something. Everyone outside is looking for us. My friends are crying during interviews, saying I was a really fun and lovely explorer, and when we get out, we’ll already be famous people, so we’ll be giving lectures or writing books for a while.”

The imagination was too specific to have just come to her. Liella’s eyes widened when he chuckled.

“Why are you laughing? I was even going to say that you protected me. I’ll make you a hero.”

Aslan stopped in front of a black hinged door with an honest sign that read ‘Food Storage’.

“Yes. I’m sincerely looking forward to it. I plan to live only for that day.”

“…Are you making fun of me?”

He only raised the corners of his lips without answering, and Liella, who had been staring blankly, made a wronged expression. Before she could say anything, he turned the doorknob.

Clang, creak, the door opened, and Aslan turned on the backlight of his watch, revealing the interior, which looked like a pantry, from left to right.

The shelves were lined with square biscuits like emergency rations, canned goods, retort foods, dried foods, honey, jam, and the like, and on the right were a huge water tank and a refrigerator. When he opened it, it was as expected, the cold air had long since dissipated.

“If we stay here for a long time, we should eat what’s in the refrigerator first.”

Liella, who had been admiring the vegetables and dairy products with her mouth open, said in a lighter voice than before. She seemed to have gained strength from the fact that they wouldn’t have to starve at least until the rescue team arrived.

“Wow, there are candies and chocolate bars too.”

“Sweets are important for morale and metabolism.”

“How long can the four of us survive with this much food? A month?”

“The biscuits on the highest shelf may look small, but one pack is enough for three days. Assuming a normal lifestyle, we could last roughly six months.”

“Six months, that’s really fortunate… no, we won’t need to go that far. We’ll definitely be rescued within three days.”

Liella, who had been nodding obediently, suddenly made a sharp turn like someone who had regained her senses. She shrugged and bravely emptied a small box, then began to fill it with a suitable assortment of foods.

She wasn’t as weak as he had worried. As he was about to turn around, a trembling white finger suddenly caught his eye.

“If my body rests, I’ll have more time to think, which will only make me more anxious.”

She wasn’t okay. She was just moving to be okay.

He turned back to face her, and Liella flinched and dropped a can when he grabbed her wrist. Her red lips, which had parted to say something, only let out a small breath as Aslan took out disinfectant from the medical bag he had placed on the shelf. He took out a thin bandage and wrapped it around each of her fingers. They were small. Small enough to be completely covered if he clenched them tightly.

He lowered his head and bit off the bandage, and their eyes met. She was looking at him. As if detached from the flow of time. Holding her breath.

Icy eyes slowly scanned the woman submerged in the dim darkness. Clear brown eyes and delicate eyelashes, peach-colored cheeks and a small, pert nose. Platinum blonde hair, as if holding the sunlight, curled and flowed down her back like golden thread. Dust floated in the light.

“I’m okay…”

Liella lowered her head and muttered softly. Her hair flowed down, and the delicate fragrance that had been bothering him all along brushed against the tip of his nose.

“Tell them that when you do the interview.”

“Yes?”

“That you also took delicate care of my injuries.”

As he finished bandaging, Liella, who had been staring blankly, smiled faintly. He felt his heart clench. And at that moment.

Tap tap tap.

“Ah! You were here.”

Urgent footsteps were heard from the hallway outside the door, and the middle-aged man shouted. The faint tension shattered, and the two of them turned to look at the doorway at the same time.

“I thought we’d need an extra pair of hands to carry food or weapons.”

The middle-aged man who had come up first, Anton, pretended to look at the groceries and admired them. He seemed to be deliberately giving the two of them time.

“How is the injured person?”

As if responding to his consideration, Aslan naturally released her hand and asked. Liella felt an indescribable emptiness as the warmth left. What was that just now?

The man who had had intense, piercing eyes had returned to his expressionless self.

“She was rolling around in bed, saying she was in pain… but honestly, she didn’t seem that serious. Oh, and there’s a window in the room, so I made sure to close it. If we’ve got all the groceries, let’s hurry up and go see the weapons.”

Anton revealed his real purpose later. The word ‘weapons’ suddenly felt very real. Liella, who had only been blinking, looked down at the half-filled box.

“I think we just need to grab some more vegetables and dairy from the fridge. Just a moment.”

Before she could move, Aslan took out lettuce, carrots, cheese, yogurt, and smoked meat from the refrigerator.

“We can take this with us on the way back from the armory.”

He picked up the box and strode out, placing the load in front of the black door.

It was more efficient that way, so they agreed and started walking down the hallway again. Anton led the way, with Liella and Aslan walking side by side behind him, keeping a distance that was almost touching. Unlike before, there was no small talk. Perhaps because of what happened in the food storage, a different kind of tension rose, making her self-conscious.

Liella almost sighed in relief when Anton stopped in front of the armory. The black door, labeled ‘Weapons and Equipment Storage,’ was different from what she had imagined. It was embedded in the wall like a safe, with a purple padlock.

“It looks like it’s locked. What should we do?”

“Oh, wait a minute. Could it be?”

Anton feigned surprise and rummaged through his pockets, pulling something out.

“It was in my pocket from the beginning, and I wondered what it was. It’s the armory key. I guess I’m in charge of equipment.”

He turned the key smoothly, and the lock clicked open with a cheerful sound. As Anton was about to open the door, Aslan, who had been observing silently, asked.

“Was that the only thing in your pocket?”

“Huh?”

“With a group of about seven people, there would have been someone in a leadership position. Since you’ve been entrusted with the important responsibility of managing the armory, I was wondering if you had any other items that could be clues.”

Anton turned his head and stared at Aslan. Liella thought his face looked strange. Not kind, not scary, neither smiling nor expressionless.

“There was a recorder, but I was going to listen to it together in a safe place when things calmed down a bit.”

With that, Anton creaked open the heavy vault door. Liella reflexively stood on tiptoe to see past the large man’s shoulders.

Inside were two rifles, two pistols, a machine gun, about six grenades, and various ammunition. There were also tools like hammers, axes, saws, knives, and equipment like ropes and fishing lines. For a place called an armory, there was less than she expected. She was about to relax, feeling both relief and anxiety, when a strange static noise suddenly flowed into her ears.

“… .- .-.. .-.. -.— —.–”

A radio next to the rope was flashing a red light.

“… .- .-..31.-.. urgent- … .- .-.. .-.. -.— —.–help me!”