The Underclass - Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Galaxy slept fiercely for three days and three nights in the inn Caleb had arranged for her.
In her dreams, she seemed to see many people. Rat King's face, Fula's face, An Hua's face all flashed by, and even 8824's face. It had only been two months, but it felt as if she had lived two separate lifetimes.
Before handing those items over to Caleb, she had managed to hold on by sheer willpower. But once she sank into the soft, comfortable mattress, the delayed exhaustion and sorrow she had so tightly suppressed shattered its shell and completely engulfed her.
She curled up on the small bed, lost in some long, drawn-out nightmare, somewhat unwilling to wake up.
Waking up meant facing new things.
In this moment, she felt she finally understood the meaning behind 8824's words—that avoiding real names and using cold numbers protected oneself better.
She didn't plan to engage in too much communication with Caleb, nor did she intend to let Caleb stay by her side the way Fula had.
Being alone was perhaps a safeguard for her own sanity, as well as a protection for others.
Someone like her wasn't suited to building new, intimate connections. When 8824 claimed her name might kill her friends, Galaxy had scoffed. But now, she suddenly felt as though she too had fallen into that bizarre logical trap.
Don't let anyone know your name.
It's an ominous omen.
After three days passed, Galaxy finally got out of bed. She pulled back the curtains, revealing a nice patch of sunlight outside.
The sunlight stung her eyes, which hadn't seen brightness in so long, bringing tears of soreness to them. She wiped them away expressionlessly, only then noticing an antique parchment scroll resting on her desk. Written on it was an address.
The manhunt for Galaxy in District C had grown even more intense recently. Even the mechanical enforcers had multiplied several times over. Yet, wearing a bio-camo suit, a mask, sunglasses, and a baseball cap, Galaxy strolled boldly through the streets without a care in the world.
Holding an unlit cigarette between her fingers, she followed the address to a hot spring resort in District C.
A server at the door smiled and greeted her. After she stated the hot spring room number written on the parchment, the server politely led her to a changing room. She changed her clothes before proceeding to the innermost room.
Amidst the swirling steam, a single figure leaned against the far end of the hot spring. The server tactfully closed the door behind them. Galaxy, now wearing a comfortable bathrobe, slowly walked down the steps. Caleb was tying up her black hair, leaning against the edge of the pool. Seeing Galaxy arrive, she simply gestured 'please' toward a spot beside her.
Caleb's appearance right now was vastly different from the first impression she had given Galaxy a few days ago. At this moment, she looked languid and relaxed, exuding an effortless mastery of enjoying life.
"This is the real me." Caleb seemed to read her thoughts and smiled. She picked up a bottle of sparkling wine sitting nearby and poured a glass for Galaxy.
The bubbling liquid settled into the highly transparent crystal glass, turning into a clear, sweet drink. "Try it. It's a new release, the taste is excellent."
Galaxy took it expressionlessly and downed it in one gulp. Then, she asked, "Where is what I asked for?"
Caleb chuckled. She tilted her head slightly. "Do you have an information interface?"
The information interface was something every student in any Federation Academy possessed. Human brain capacity development was inextricably linked to intelligence. In reality, up until now, how to develop the brain at high intensities remained under research, and there was still no definitive answer on how to fully unlock it. However, for students who already possessed superior genetics and physical constitutions, there was a new solution for mastering knowledge.
The information interface was that solution.
Everyone received an information interface upon entering elementary school, uploading foundational knowledge and some advanced concepts directly. As they grew older, they would digest this knowledge. Some could absorb it all, while others could only bury it deep in their cerebral cortex, never to be unlocked.
There were limits to this data upload. If it exceeded what the human body could endure, it would completely destroy the brain. It was highly dangerous, but every student entering the Federation Academy was indoctrinated with the idea that 'danger paves the way for a better tomorrow'. They had no right to refuse, and most even took pride in it.
This massive knowledge upload happened only once, during elementary school. After that, no matter how difficult the curriculum became, secondary uploads were legally prohibited. Human intellect is humanity's greatest treasure, and relying entirely on information uploads would be detrimental to cerebral cortex development.
Even now, Galaxy had only unlocked about eight percent of the information uploaded during elementary school, but that alone encompassed the majority of basic and advanced knowledge across all fields of life and survival.
After elementary school, the interface was only used to transmit small packets of data, and strict caps were placed on the transmission capacity of a single transfer.
Galaxy hadn't used her information interface in nearly ten years. Of course, that wasn't the most important point—
The most important point was that the information interface technology had always been a highly classified Federation secret. Only those who had studied in a Federation Academy possessed one.
Which proved that Caleb, too, had once been a student at the Federation Academy.
Noting Galaxy's expression, Caleb revealed her own interface. "I really used to be a student at the top academy in District A. I was just kicked out later."
"Of course, not because I suffered some injury, but because my best friend died in the school and no one cared. And when I tried to save her, I was severely punished."
Caleb showed no emotional fluctuation when bringing this up. She simply leaned her head over, tapped her information interface against the one Galaxy exposed, maintained contact for two seconds, and then pulled away.
Galaxy no longer had the mental energy to dwell on what Caleb had been through. After all, how many people joined the rebel army without carrying a few scars of their own?
She simply focused on the information regarding President Karen that had just materialized in her mind.
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