Chapter 94 – Boundaries (8)

The wall that stretched along the US-Mexico border had collapsed in several places in the dead zone, so radioactive that it hadn't been repaired for years, so that anyone wishing to travel unnoticed between the two countries often has to risk their lives by crossing this dead zone.

The wall, a dozen metres high, stretched like a thin line across the earth against the grey sky, dividing the two countries. All that remained of the destroyed part was a few fragments, like a gaping hole left by a knocked-out tooth.

They managed to cross the border without encountering any further anomalies. After a short break they travelled for another four hours or so, passing the iconic wall of the radiation zone and arriving at what looked like a dilapidated hospital at around eight in the morning.

Inside, the hospital was well-equipped, brightly lit and smelled of sterile water. Someone had been waiting for them after receiving Anya's message and sprayed them with a yellowish liquid for ten minutes before instructing them to take off their suits.

The moment Zhang Xun took off his helmet he realised how good it was to be able to breathe fresh air.

All the sealed radiation-protected bags brought across, and any weapons that weren't in the sealed bags had to be buried together and all their clothes had to be changed.

Zhang Xun took a shower in the room provided for him, watching the water swirl around his feet with the foam of the shower gel, feeling the hot water slide down his skin while in a sense of dumbfounded unreality.

They had really crossed the United States, even passed through the highly radioactive zone and had reached Mexico.

In just over a month, home was already as far away as if they were on another planet.

However, they had survived. He didn't know if their survival was also Adam and Eden's intention, but at this point, to worry about such things would only add to their worries and to fight against the gods would mean being played for fools.

They could only do what they could.

Zhang Xun knew there was more to be done and he had to be in good spirits. He looked in the mirror and shaved off the stubble that had grown on his chin, patted his cheeks hard and pulled on the cotton top and jeans he had prepared in the room. As he rubbed his hair, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Zhang Xun opened the door, only to be surprised to see Enoch standing outside, with that familiar, heart-warming smile.

"Good morning." Enoch said.

Zhang Xun blinked, realising that Enoch was back to normal. That certain, indefinable vividness in his eyes, in his words and between his movements had returned, something was subtly different from the man he had been before in the dead zone.

"Why are you still here?" Zhang Xun asked, somewhat numbly. For some reason, he felt a sense of relief at seeing Enoch back to his original form and even wanted to smile a little.

"They sent Cindy off to Feathered Serpent City in an aircraft first. I stayed to wait for you."

In English, the word "you" could mean you singular or it could mean you plural. Zhang Xun wasn't sure which one Enoch was talking about.

Enoch suddenly blinked and asked, "Can I come in?"

Zhang Xun thought about it and there was no reason not to let him in, so he sidled away. The robot walked into the room with even steps, turned its head neatly and finally looked at Zhang Xun again, with a smile that seemed innocent in the morning light.

When Enoch looked at him he had the odd sensation of his cheeks heating up. From time to time, he would have the illusion that the robot in front of him overlapped with Adam's face.

"Are all your programs still running normally?" Zhang Xun turned his eyes away and placed the towel back in the bathroom.

"Everything's fine so far."

"Is that so?" Zhang Xun leaned against the bathroom doorway and looked at Enoch inquisitively, "But you didn't seem to be in good shape in the radiation zone."

"What aspects were not performing well? I'll try to correct them." Enoch suddenly put away his smile and spoke seriously, as if he was admitting his mistake.

Zhang Xun was therefore a little soft-hearted, plus he was really too tired right now and only had one day to rest, so he decided to wait until they got to Feathered Serpent City to double-check Enoch's core module. With a long sigh, he went to the bed and flopped down on it without even lifting the covers, saying drowsily, "I'm going to sleep for a few hours. You're free to move around."

Half asleep and half awake, he felt vaguely that someone was covering him with something and heard a voice in the distance saying, "Sweet dreams, Ah-Xun."

note- OMG OMG IS THIS CONFIRMED!?

He was probably dreaming already.

Enoch didn't leave the room. After Zhang Xun fell asleep, he sat down next to him, his eyes slightly downcast, churning with emotions that were usually deeply hidden.

He stretched out his hand and brushed his palm against the edge of Zhang Xun's dark hair, but did not drop it. His palm was just less than a centimetre away from Zhang Xun's skin and the heat emanating from it seemed to be gently flowing through his palm.

Real, palpable heat.

He retracted his hand, the mask of a smile on his face beginning to crack. A hint of pain, a pain triggered by the endless battling conflicts in his mind spread from his emotions all the way into this cold, senseless, mechanical body.

This fragile, soft, yet scorching body......

He wanted him......

He wanted to see his blushing smile, his serious expression as he forced himself to be calm and his sharp gaze when he was in a fighting spirit. He wanted to hold him close and go into dreamland with him as he had done before. He wanted to shield him from all danger, wanted to bury his head in his chest and listen to the vibrant sound of that heart beating. He wanted to take his hand, to kiss his lips, to fly with him to the stars and see the endless world.

But he couldn't have him, for one day he would destroy him, destroy this vivid body that radiated heat, destroy this unique soul.

The soul...... He had actually begun to use such vaguely defined words.

These desires, these irrational emotions, were much harder to navigate than he had expected. Even at this moment, his consciousness wasn't even in a human body, yet he was still affected. He had been infected.

By humanity, by emotion.

By a virus that he couldn't destroy.

note-BECOME INFECTED WITH LOVE!

............................................................

James had showered and changed into clean clothes but when he lay in bed he didn't feel very well.

It was as if a sluggish file was scraping under his skull and it hurt with a throbbing pain. His body felt as if it had been run over by a tank and he had never been so tired before, even when he had been caught and tortured by the Feathered Serpent City people previously. He wanted to sleep, but the headache prevented him from doing so.

At that moment someone pushed open the door and a red head poked in.

"You're still awake?" Todd asked.

James was in bad shape but still hooked his mouth up, "I'm sleeping."

"...... Then I'll go and have this bottle of whiskey to myself."

"Hey! Wait!" James sat up immediately and felt dizzy for a moment but recovered quickly. He waved at Todd, "We're now friends who have gone through life and death together, don't be so petty."

Todd walked in with a flourish and lifted his foot to kick the door shut behind him. He was wearing a black vest that showed off his muscular arms and honey-coloured skin reflecting the pale light. The dark grey cotton trousers looked comfortable, but his bare feet were on the black ground, the tops of his feet much paler than the rest of his skin, probably his original complexion.

Todd, carrying only the bottle of whiskey but no glass, sat naturally on James' bed. He removed the cork from the bottle and took a large swig into his mouth, his face scrunched up slightly from the spice or the rush, while handing the bottle to James.

James raised an eyebrow, took the bottle and took a swig of the same from the mouth of the bottle that Todd had been drinking from.

The spicy liquid slid down his throat and smothered in his stomach.

"What are your plans when you get to Feathered Serpent City?" Todd asked as he took back the bottle, tilting his head and taking another sip with a comfortable sigh.

"Ah-Xun wants to make new AIs," James' tone was a little dry, like he wasn't quite confident, "He wants to make AIs that can take on Eden."

"Your nerd who can't even hold a gun?" Todd sneered, cocking his head at James, "Do you believe him?"

"What Ah-Xun wants to do, he always ends up doing." After a pause, James shrugged his shoulders, "But sometimes the price might be a bit too high."

"Aren't you afraid you'll be the price he has to pay?"

"He's family, he's my brother, I have to help him." James took the bottle and gave Todd a look, "You should understand that the best."

Todd knew he was talking about his relationship with his sister and grinned, "Help to what extent? Even if you end up dead?"

"It's already a miracle we've survived this long."

"Heh, that's true." Todd grabbed the bottle and took a few gulps, then suddenly leaned forward and kissed James on the lips.

James froze, but didn't push him away.

The choking liquor was sent flowing between his lips and teeth, spilling out along the corners of their mouths. After a long while Todd moved back slightly, his red hair falling over his brow as he licked the corner of his mouth gently, "If you don't know how long you'll live anyway, want to have some fun?"

James stared into those dark blue eyes, the colour of his own eyes growing deeper and deeper. He lifted his fingers, tracing the black pattern that snaked beneath Todd's eye, his Adam's apple slid up and down as his throat seemed to dry up more and more.

Having experienced two near-death experiences in the dead zone, James found himself desperate to feel alive. He wanted to feel the body heat of another human being, to dispel the soul-crushing cold sensation of death.

So he grabbed the red hair on the back of Todd's head and kissed him again, almost greedily, on the lips. Todd also showed no weakness, biting back like a gladiator.

Diego was startled by the loud noises coming from inside the room as he passed by James' door and thought it was James tearing into someone. It wasn't until a few moments later that he started to hear something else......

Diego rolled his eyes, cursed and continued on to his room.