The Underclass - Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Galaxy returned from the docks back to the gloomy sewers.
The mission was declared a success. Two days later, Rat King brought back a pile of new weapons, offering them as spoils for Galaxy to choose from.
From the pile, Galaxy selected a handgun, a laser dagger for self-defense, and a short electric baton.
The handgun was only the size of a palm, but it could compress air into bullets with infinite ammo. Once fired, the projectile traveled incredibly fast, capable of piercing straight through a target's heart.
The laser dagger was retractable and practically invisible when carried—it could even be worn as a pendant. But once activated, its laser blade was ten thousand times sharper than tempered steel, leaving wounds that were almost impossible to heal, guaranteeing the victim would bleed to death.
The final item, the electric baton, looked more like a perfume bottle. In reality, it could seamlessly switch within three seconds from a mild, paralyzing current to lethal high voltage.
Whether for long-range or close combat, Galaxy's choices were impeccable, earning an admiring look from Rat King.
Galaxy looked at herself in the mirror.
A somber face stared back, eyes devoid of any spark save for pure hatred.
She felt a little dazed as her mind suddenly flashed back to three years ago, when she was uninjured and full of youthful vigor.
Back then, she stood at the very front of the Federation's military formation, marching proudly as the President herself came to inspect the academy.
And now, she could only huddle in a filthy sewer, living under a genetic-overlay membrane to hide her identity.
She had lost her path forward; only the hatred to kill An Hua kept her going.
A few days ago, Rat King's little mouse, Lulu, brought news that An Hua had appeared in the nearby town of Lucia.
Lucia Town was situated between the core A-District and the remote B-District. It was a region of extreme cold. Due to the climate, snow covered the ground year-round, and its technological level wasn't particularly high.
Galaxy and Rat King both agreed it was a promising lead.
Unfortunately, even with the genetic-overlay membrane, Galaxy was still an undocumented ghost. She couldn't take the polar express train to Lucia.
How to get there became a major issue.
Rat King waited for an auspicious time and called her superior to solve the problem.
Half a day later, an air-cushion motorcycle designed for both snow and land was towed to a corner of the city.
It was obviously secondhand; the wheels contained integrated skis, and it powered itself by automatically synthesizing usable fuel from the surrounding air.
But Galaxy knew that the military had iterated on this type of hover-vehicle at least five times since. This was technology from three years ago.
Still, it was better than nothing. Rat King helped her put on heavy thermal gear, rambling, "The innermost layer is a one-piece thermal suit, but just in case, wear a few extra heavy coats so you don't freeze if the suit fails."
She had probably suffered the consequences of a broken thermal suit before and was particularly anxious about it, her eyes wide as she added, "My suit got chewed up by Lulu once. I didn't notice, and when I went outside, I nearly froze to death in negative fifty-degree weather."
Galaxy put on her helmet and nodded at her.
The small screen inside the helmet linked with her irises, allowing her to click through the navigation with her eyes. It would take fourteen hours to drive from here to Lucia Town.
She hadn't breathed fresh air in a long time. Rat King's sewer was incredibly stuffy, and the windowless hideout was heavily sprayed with multiple aromatics that overwhelmed the nose.
Galaxy took a deep breath. After driving for three hours, she finally neared the A-District border. The originally clear sky immediately spat a few snowflakes onto her visor, quickly turning into a heavy blizzard.
The further she drove, the thicker the snow became. She adjusted the motorcycle's configuration, easily gliding over the snowy terrain.
Her thermal suit also kicked in, continuously adjusting to keep her body at a comfortable 37 degrees Celsius.
She wasn't actually sure exactly where An Hua was.
Lucia Town was larger than she had expected. Rat King had said An Hua was here to conduct a special experiment, and that someone would guide Galaxy once she arrived.
Galaxy didn't know who this guide was, but Rat King told her to simply wait patiently in the alley behind the busiest tavern in town.
So, Galaxy waited under the cover of night by the tavern's back door for a long time, until a wanderer appeared. The person wore tattered clothes, had filthy hair, and held an iron triangle, chanting as they walked.
There were many such wanderers in the A-District too—mostly people who couldn't cope with life or had suffered mental breakdowns, roaming the streets.
They couldn't access the central urban zones or the wealthy districts; they could only scrape by in the sunless corners of the lower cities.
The newcomer wore a hood and chanted at her: "Are you the daughter of God? You were born when heaven and earth separated. I see endless desire and malice in you! You are a hero! You are also sin! How can so many expectations rest upon you?"
Galaxy was utterly baffled by the chant, but still asked politely, "Do you know Rat King?"
"I know her, of course I know her." The wanderer gave her a meaningful look. "Head into the snowy mountains, deep into the mountains. There you will find what you seek."
"What?" Galaxy wanted to ask more, but the person just kept striking the triangle, walking forward in a manic daze.
She stood expressionless in the shadow of the tavern's sign, clenching her fists. She took a deep breath, turned around, and got back on her air motorcycle.
Fine, then she would go into the snowy mountains and see exactly what was there.
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