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For a second, his fists shook, the sound of chitinous bracers clinking against his skin filling the corridor. A torrent of emotions he had locked up in a shimmering box for years threatened to break free and return to their rightful ce. However, he didn''t need them -he didn''t want them- especially when she possibly had a solution to save the world.
His eyes narrowed into slits as he clenched his fists to stop the trembling. Then, with an emotionless voice, he asked, "What''s your n?"
"Follow me first," Luna said, turning to leave the militaryplex. "I''ll exin what you were supposed to learn in that conference room and share the ideas I''ve developed. Oh! I''ll also tell you where I came from and why you should consider bing my partner."
Intrigued by the promise of answers, he travelled the long corridor behind her until a chilly breeze ruffled his hood and wide coat. He was out, his eyes finally witnessing the underground city built to preserve humanity.
The first thing that drew his attention was a bright ball of light hanging above it, illuminating the enormous underground''s every corner like an artificial sun. Squinting, he noticed many fuming pipes running along the walls towards it.
''It''s most likely powered by electricity.''
He marvelled at humans'' ingenuity for a few seconds before gazing at the punk-like city. Other pipes carrying water and gas ran along metallic buildings. In the middle of each neighborhood, he sawrge air filters sucking the swirling smoke filtering through chimneys. Further in the distance, outside the city, he noticedrge constructs.
''Probably oil wells.''
Upon seeing them, he wondered if they chose to build this gigantic city in the Permian Basin. After all, it was an area rich in oil, gas, and potassium. With those resources, the city would have energy, fertilisers, and chemicals.
Then, he gazed at the bright city center, his eyes bulging at the aberrations created in five short years. Fluorescent signs filled the district''s massive buildings. Casinos, bars, shops, and even brothels littered the ce despite the crisis.
His mouth hung open for a moment before he shook his head. They probably carefully judged those businesses as beneficial or even necessary. After all, wasn''t the saying going by bread and games? God knew they needed games to distract themselves from the Damocles'' sword hanging above their heads.
"We tried really hard to make everyone feel safe, you know. But living underground had a huge impact on everyone," Luna said, interrupting his observation. Her lips stretched into a bitter smile before she continued. "Deprived of sunlight, people became depressed after a few months. Many decided to end their misery.
That''s why we built distractions for them, hoping they would endure until we reim thends."
"I... see." A mutter escaped his lips as he lowered his face.
Despite his mask, Luna understood his emotions. Thus, she quickly added. "Don''t worry. Now, everyone does his best to support each other. Humanity has never been that united in history. Follow me.@@novelbin@@
I''ll show you around a little before we settle in a cafe."
After gesturing for her to lead the way, he followed her through the noisy city for fifteen minutes before they reached a ce of questionable taste. Pink filled his view and the meowing of kittens filled his ears. Even the waiter''s attire caused his eyes to slip to the side and his lips to curl downward. At least the pleasant smell, despite the animals, was a smallfort.
As he thought about them, a figure in a fluttering butler''s outfit approached their table.
"Miss, sir, what would you like to drink today?" He asked, bowing slightly, the gesture causing the original to frown.
''What butler? Are we in 2028 or 1828?'' He thought, gritting his teeth to keep the words in.
"It''s a theme cafe. It became popr after our friends from the east joined us."
Luna exined, cradling a kitten tenderly before ordering.
"A strawberry parfait, please. Bring the taciturn masked man a pot of mint tea."
The moment the butler left with another bow, the original said, "Start exining. I wasted enough time already."
"Sure. Basically, we had six mutants taking care of the various cities. However, our abilities are more suited towards utility. That''s why we invested without counting to find survivors amidst the dested continents. Since your lives were harsh, we believed you would have developedbat abilities and in the end? Surprise!
We found the six of you!"
She raised her thumb with a warm smile before continuing. However, her voice took a solemn tone.
"Even if we seal the city''s tunnels, those alien creatures asionally find our location. We don''t know if it is because of the smell, sound, or their instincts, but once we are discovered, they call for their entire swarm tounch an all-out attack."
As she continued, her smile vanished, and her eyes gleamed an otherworldly hue.
"We defended the city until now, but things are getting out of hand. And when I say they are getting, I mean really fast. With each passing day, those bastards evolve and grow stronger. New vortexes also emerge, and the terrors hiding inside are increasingly more powerful. At this rate, they''ll breach our defenses in a year or two."
The butler returned as she finished her sentence, respectfully ced the orders and left.
Upon seeing the parfait, Luna''s eyes lit up. Without a second wasted, she dug in before continuing.
"With you six, we might survive for a bit longer. Perhaps three or four years? But that''s all I need. Time! Because even if my ability is the most useless in general, I have the highest chances to survive... and to save Earth."
The original eyes sparkled. Intrigued, he asked, "What is your ability?"
"Humm. How can I exin it?" She tucked her fingers around her chin before guiding another spoon to her mouth.
"I exist, but not entirely? No, that sounds weird. Ah! I know. I''m a dream living in the real world!"
"???"
He gazed at her, raising his hands with palms turned upwards before shaking his head in bewilderment.