The Underground City

07:49

So now, we found ourselves around the city, seeing LUK3 walking out from a building which seems to be C0NNER's place, as he takes the young man with him as well. C0NNER seems as he just woke up, forced to come outside at this time of day, and it is a reason behind his complaining too.

[LUK3]-Come on already!! Why are you so slow??

[C0NNER]-...LUK3, it's almost eight in the morning... People sleep at this time, you know...? What do you want?

[LUK3]-Just come and stop talking!!

When they finally exit the building, they are greeted by the people who have waited outside, as well as a strange "good morning".

[C0NNER]-*sigh* ...What did you do this time, LUK3?

[LUK3]-Oh, come on! Don't be like that! It's your day after all, isn't it?

[C0NNER]-...Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I told you two years ago, I told you last year and I'm gonna tell you this time as well: I don't care about this type of things and you are only wasting your time! Now... can I go back to my bed?

[LUK3]-Hard to get through as always, huh? Just look at all of us who came to make your day better! Oh, oh! And even your master came! Right, Boss? ...Boss?

They were looking at CHE5TER who was leaning on a wall nearby with His hands crossed. He wasn't responding, He was simply standing on His feet and looking down. LUK3 shouts at Him again...

[LUK3]-Boss!!

...only for Him to wake up suddenly. He looks at him a bit just to realise that He fell asleep while waiting for them to come.

[C0NNER]-...Or rather you obligated Him to come too. Just saying.

[LUK3]-Shut uuup!! He came by Him own will!

[C0NNER]-Then explain to me why does He look more tired than I am?

[LUK3]-Man, what's your problem? I'm just trying to do something nice for you!

[C0NNER]-...And I told you that I don't want anything, god dammit!

[LUK3]-Well, I don't care if you want something or not! I'm doing what I planned to do and you are not going to ruin it!

[C0NNER]-Are you serious...

They both start arguing a bit, while MY4 goes near CHE5TER, a bit worried after she saw how exhausted He is and tries to talk with Him on a lower voice so that the others won't hear.

[MY4]-...You didn't take a rest, did you?

[CHE5TER]-...I had to go back from where I came after I met up with you all. I thought that I might sleep for a while at the base after this is over... that if I will be able to keep myself awake for now. That being said... do you have any Energy Killers with you by any chance?

[MY4]-They will only make you even more tired than you are already.

[CHE5TER]-I know... But it is better than risking falling on the ground in the streets and revealing my identity by accident. Now, can you please tell me?

[MY4]-*sigh* I have... only five with me.

[CHE5TER]-It's better than nothing I guess... Probably they will be enough until I leave. If not... can you make some while we are at the bar? Or you don't have anything with you?

[MY4]-I don't think I can... The ore and all the things that I need are at the base. I didn't get ready for the next leaving at the shelter yet.

[CHE5TER]-*sigh* Alright. Hope M1NERV4 will go easy on me then...

She searches in her small handbag for the Energy Killers and hands Him over one of them. After He takes it with His left arm, CHE5TER takes off the needle used for the shots and starts drinking from it to regain a bit of energy and try to stay awake. Meanwhile, the boys are still arguing in the background, while N04H and KYR4 are spectators to the fight between them again.

[C0NNER]-...No, you are just a big idiot who doesn't understand what people tell him no matter the case.

[LUK3]-Well, you are dumbass child who refuses to stay with anybody! Do you think you are better than me!?

[C0NNER]-Yeah! 'Cause at least I can take orders seriously unlike you!

[LUK3]-...You little--

[CHE5TER]- --Alright, cut it out, both of you! Enough with the fighting! LUCAS, the hour you've decided is a bit too much any of us can handle, you have to understand that Mr. C0NNER is tired as well. As for you, C0NNER, Mr. LUCAS is only trying to do something nice for you. It isn't a bad thing to celebrate it after all. I understand that some people want to do so and others simply see it as nothing but another day, yet now it is a bit late to cancel anything.

[C0NNER]-But, Master, you don't see anything in them either.

[CHE5TER]-Doesn't mean you have to take my example. Right now I might be busy to even think about these things, but I did have days when I was doing something special in them. Please, for the sake of everyone present here, let him be until everything is over!

[C0NNER]-*sigh* Alright... I'm truly sorry for my behaviour.

[LUK3]-HA!

Yet as LUK3 does that vocal celebration, the Great Leader looks at him dead serious, enough to scare him for death.

[LUK3]-I-I mean... it's okay! I-I'm sorry too, C0NNER! I should've... listen! Yeah!

[CHE5TER]-I swear, it's like I'm babysitting kids now... What did I do to test me in this way, gods?

08:06

Now they are all walking together around the city. In front, C0NNER, N04H and LUK3 are chatting together, while the rest are a bit far from them. MY4 stood behind with CHE5TER so she can make sure nothing happens, but KYR4 only stood with Him because she didn't want to stay with the other boys.

[MY4]-...Where have you been all this time?

[CHE5TER]-In... the City of Above. I've encountered some problems there in which I had to dive deeper. And I might stay for a bit longer, just so you know. Seems like this time, they affect us as well from how it is going...

[KYR4]-Really? Damn, I didn't hear about problems in that city that might affect us in years.

[CHE5TER]-Yeah... Me neither... The economy there is in a drastic situation. Only a few Novha are left in the entire city as they used them like there is no tomorrow. In the past days, in every missions, every single official document that I've found talks about this problem and it might be even worse than it appears at first sight. And I fear that it might affect us pretty badly as a consequence too.

[MY4]-How so?

[CHE5TER]-Since the money will disappear entirely in that city, and since they can be only made by the XANTH3 Clan, the people there are in desperate situations. A few days ago, the North Base Leader, M1SH4M, informed me that in each mission, no C borns were found in the execution rooms, absolutely none, and it's very unusual. After some time of investigating everything myself, I discovered that all the C beings that are found in the city are automatically put to slavery, rather than using only the survivors of the executions. Every single one, they are took by the M people with huge titles in the city so that they can create more equipment, like their researchers or military people in general. I even heard that the previous owners of the slaves put a price on every single one they have, up to about five billion Novha, but not even the high titles can pay for that. Now they are trying to pay them with something they desire in order to get them in their hands, so they can use them in whatever they need. I think even the General himself cannot afford one single slave without going in debts to his people. It's just... wild up there.

[KYR4]-So that's why we've encountered the problem with the fake money back then? The soldiers are desperate to get their hands on the money so they ask around the city for supplies to those that think they have? Weren't the crevaators giving them supplies though?

[CHE5TER]-From what I heard, the crevaators refuse to give them any money now, that's why this whole thing started.

[KYR4]-Ohh, and since they do not pay them anymore, the soldiers are willing to reward anyone who gives them money. Now I understand. So we will meet this problem with fake money again in the future, you say?

[CHE5TER]-Most likely. But there is another problem that I fear...

[KYR4]-Hm?

[CHE5TER]-...The M soldiers started patrolling around the whole city in order to find more and more C people that are hiding. They are very active during the night too, while the city is sleeping, a reason why I came back so late. If they keep this up, there is a chance that they might find at least one of the many entrances to our city or to the tunnels, which will put the city in danger. This is the problem that will affect us for a while, and I don't think things might get better soon out there... This will probably be discussed at the meeting today, KYR4.

[KYR4]-*sigh* This is more serious than I thought...

[CHE5TER]-And it will probably get worse.

[MY4]-So this is why you left us?

[CHE5TER]-I... didn't leave. I never did. I simply had to get more and more information about what's happening. If you want me to be honest, I... missed to stay at the base these days. I know in some days I even fell asleep on the roofs of some tall building up there as I was patrolling around the city... and I am only one versus three billion people. I couldn't even see the situation in the whole city. This is why I will ask the South Base for some help on this one. Maybe I will have some more time to stay in the Underground City this way...

[KYR4]-Dear M1NERV4, have mercy... I swear this one is tougher than any problem encountered since I work here. Maybe we could try to move our city entirely so that they won't get us? This way, the whole fear of being discovered one day will also disappear forever.

[CHE5TER]-I'm afraid there is no point... It will take us some good years to do so and we also have to find a place where we can move. Great Leader M1NERV4 found this place when she was plotting the whole revolution against General 4RTHUR. I don't even know how She managed to find the cave in the first place anyway. It is way low underground to begin with. The chances of us to find a similar cave outside the Great Walls are pretty low, considering that we don't even explore the outside world that much because of the problem of the creatures from the outside. And what the EZR4H Clan states is that the caves they find and use are very small compared to this one, so moving an entire city in one of those will be impossible. And I will not build a city above the ground, KYR4. The walls of it themselves against the creatures will take a long time to build, and if by any chance the M soldiers decide to go outside the Great Walls, we will get discovered and the true war will begin again like how it was 250 years ago. Our only way is to end this whole conflict sooner without the need of any other blood battles, though I'm not so sure we are that ready, not even me. I wanted it to end as soon as possible... but I never thought that it will be this soon. We either find a solution now and come victorious, or disappear entirely from this world and lose everything we've built. And I still believe that the only way out of this is to find the first descendant of the Renaissance Group. He has the answers that I search for.

[KYR4]-Then I... honestly don't know what to say... I guess we will depend a lot on Mr. R4YMOND from now on, huh?

[CHE5TER]-Something like that. But R4YMOND alone won't be enough. We all have to work together on this one.

[KYR4]-Oh, this is gonna be a good show! I don't think they will listen to you on this one though, Master. You can tell them even ten times that they have to co-operate, but not even the Great Leader will be powerful enough to make such a thing happen.

[CHE5TER]-I know that already, KYR4. I'm expecting to have some doubts from them the moment I say the word "co-operation", but they will need to understand that we are talking about our city here. I won't tolerate any more conflicts of theirs. *sigh* All I can hope now is that Mr. XANTH3 won't make the whole situation even worst for us...

He stops a bit from talking and looks in front of Him, seeing the three boys still chatting and having a bit of fun, but more exactly, He looks at little N04H, with regret.

[CHE5TER]-...Poor little thing. He came at the worst times to work with us.