At the sounds of banging and screaming, Felix ran to the Computer Room, thinking that Edward was in danger. He arrived, seeing Edward with tears in his eyes.
"Ed, what's goin' on?!" Felix asks Edward.
"Clay is fucking dead!" Edward yelled, in a state of anger and sadness. "Kari fucking got him!"
"Hell no!" Felix says. "I refuse to believe that he's dead!"
"The damn doctors just said that he fucking died."
"Doctors are humans too, and all humans make mistakes." Felix asserted. "You haven't seen him in person. How do you know he's really dead?!" Edward wipes a few tears off.
"You're right, this guy can't fucking die." Edward said. "Let's go see him anyways." They both exited the room and ran to the Medical Room, where a crowd of people was blocking the entrance. They both pushed through the crowd and saw that Clay's room door had been swung open, revealing Callie, Marie, and Lela inside. Felix and Edward then faced the body on the bed. Clay's body laid motionless, giving them both the answer they didn't want to believe. Edward joined the girls, now including Pearl and Marina, in their screams of sadness, while Felix stood in silence. Many minutes passed, with doctors coming in and out to take back some medical equipment. Callie broke away from Marie's near unbreakable hug and walked towards Felix.
"D-Do you know who operated on Clay?" Callie asked. "I want to know if it's possible that there might've been a mistake."
"All the medical staff are also my troops." Felix responded. "I've trained them to never commit mistakes again, and have made no mistake. I wish I could check over everything, but I have no medical knowledge." Callie then lowered her head, but Felix's hand stopped her. "I know this is near impossible to do, but try not to be sad." Felix said. "This is exactly what Kari would've wanted. She wants us to suffer and to never move on, but we mustn't. Instead, we must make Clay's death a motive to move on with the Institution. This is what Clay would've wanted."
"H-He's right." Edward said. "While we c-can be in emotional pain now, it will be over eventually, but if we don't start Reconstruction, we will be in both emotional and physical pain, which will keep getting worse. This is the only place where humans can survive."
"Y-You could all come live in Inkopolis!" Callie said. "We would accept you guys!"
"But our children won't." Edward said. "They wouldn't know the struggle we went through like we do, and it will only go downhill from there until our descendants eventually try to take Inkopolis by force. It's in our blood to do so."
"Another issue is our gene pool." Felix added. "Right now our numbers will be good for now, but in a few generations, there will be a higher chance of genetic disorders, which will continue to grow. Not to mention the chance that some of us might succumb to diseases or manage to die."
"I mean, the Biological Team might be able to somehow genetically modify some offspring to resolve some genetic disorders by using bits of the genetic amplifier that we disposed off "correctly" way back before we were frozen. Although morally wrong, this might save us." Lela then walked up to them, being closer to Edward on purpose.
"This might sound odd, but what about breeding with other species?" Lela suggested. "Humans did it with Neanderthals before, so maybe there's another-"
"Another hominid species around 99.7% genetically identical just wandering around?" Edward interrupted. "I highly doubt that."
"Okay, I think it's best that we all leave the room so the doctors can finish removing the equipment." Felix said. "We should probably give Clay a proper burial too, to at least make him the first human to be properly buried, and not disposed of like the rebels did with the previously killed." With that, they all began to leave the room, with Callie giving Clay a kiss on his forehead. They all headed to the Assembly Room, where the crowd of people had now moved. Even with the large amount of people, there was nothing but silence. Felix then began to speak.
"Fellow friends, we have lost a great man. We had lost him to the same people who had killed our other friends. Now that those rebels had been vanquished, we must move on and rebuild the Institution. Let's do not not only for the people living, but also for the ones who aren't. We must rebuild to honor our fallen, as they are not just some other people: they are our family. We are all a family that has to look one after another, especially in these times where a single death is catastrophic. We had gone through hell not once, but twice, so let's not have to suffer again. We need all the help we can get to bring this place back up, and to make it better than it initially was. We will keep moving forward for our sake and our offspring's sake. We will overcome all other obstacles that cross our path. We will live in peace, and thrive on this planet with the rest of its inhabitants. We will survive!" Everyone began to clap at Felix's speech, raising their morale a tad bit.
"Well, you heard the man, let's get to work!" Lela ordered. "We need all people with technical knowledge to the far left, anyone with agricultural or architectural knowledge in the middle, and anyone with genetic or medical knowledge to the far right. Anyone who doesn't fit in these categories, stand in the back. With this, the groups began to be formed, with the exception of Lela, Edward, Felix, and the 14 soldiers. There were 13 people in the technological group, six in the agricultural/ architectural group, and five people in the back.
"Good thing all but one of my troops are doctors/medics." Felix thought. Felix then began to give orders. "In the far left, all who have knowledge about computing or networking, go to the Computer Room, with the rest going to the generators. For the ones who have agricultural knowledge, head to the garden room, and the rest stay here. For the ones in the back, I need two of you to take note of materials that we will need inside, and the other three to head outside to help get some of the robots inside." With that, they all went in their separate ways, with Edward heading to the Computer Room, and Lela heading to the Medical Room. Felix turned around to see Callie, Marie, Pearl, and Marina standing behind him.
"Is there anything that we can do to help?" Marina asked. "I could go help with the generators."
"And I could watch over the Agriculturalists." Marie added.
"And I could help Lela in the Medical Room!" Callie added.
"And I could watch outside for any threats!" Pearl added.
"Awesome!" Felix said. "Although there are not enough translators for everyone, so Marina will have to reach out to Edward if she needs to tell the workers something. Callie can use Lela for translation as well, and I'll give my translator to Marie since Pearl could just shout and point if she saw something." Felix then took his translator off and gave it to Marie.
"I'll stay here and help the architectural workers." Felix said, but without the translator, Pearl, Marina, and Callie didn't understand. Then they all looked at Marie for a translation.
"He said that he'll look over the architectural workers." They all nodded and went their separate ways.
In the Computer Room, Edward and the three others were monitoring all available readings of the Institution while giving instructions to the robots on the outside. With the robots, the five people began to make the entrance larger while Pearl looked around and occasionally sang to herself. In the garden room, Marie calmly looked over the agriculturalists, some of which had already begun working. In the generator room, Marina was seen checking up on generators while the technicians repaired other generators and checked the nuclear reactor for damages. In the hallways, Felix worked alongside other architects in checking up on the infrastructural damage, and getting the remaining workers to take notes off the damage and necessary materials. Felix and his group moved towards the entrance after a while to clear the path so the robots could have easier access to the inside. The robots were slowly delivered downward via an improvised heavy-duty pulley. Once a few of the robots had made it inside, the computer staff programmed some of them to automate the pulley while the others began to clean up the inside. Rubble was moved to designated areas in the Institution for recycling later on. In the Computer Room, Edward opened a large room in the back of the Institution, revealing a small factory-like room. He then opened another room, revealing pre-assembled support rods, wiring, etc. He finally opened a room containing power tools and cleaning tools. Some workers grabbed the power tools while the robots took the materials for construction. The robots focused work on the entrance and the area near it, leaving the Assembly Room as a material transportation area. The constant work cycle kept going through the entire day. In the Medical Room, Lela and Callie helped to store some medical equipment, and also helped to clear damaged rooms for reconstruction. While they checked inside every room, they avoided Clay's room, in which little activity took place in anyways. Near the end of the day, some medical staff finally entered the room in order to prepare Clay for his autopsy. When the medical staff got the equipment for the autopsy, they noticed that Clay's body had shifted to another position, but it was shrugged off, thinking that it might've been like that already. The staff soon realized that something was up with Clay's body when they heard faint breathing coming from Clay's body. A doctor approached Clay to see if it was him that was breathing. The doctor touched Clay's hand and felt it not cold, but warm. The doctor backed up a bit and told his findings to the rest of the staff. Suddenly, Clay's mouth began to move, as if trying to speak. Another doctor approached Clay and began to talk to him.
"Clay, can you hear me? If you can, say something or move some part of your body." Clay's mouth began to move more, now making understandable sounds.
"I-I-I-" Clay weakly said. The staff gasped at Clay's respond, shocked at what they have just seen.
"Clay, can you say anything else?" The doctor asked. Clay's left arm slowly began to rise.
"I-I'm n-not d-dead y-yet." Clay slowly began to open his eyes and looked around, not remembering the room. A doctor went to grab some equipment in order to check up on Clay's condition, while the rest were standing in awe.
"No Clay, you're not dead." Another doctor said. After a bit, the doctor that had left came back with some monitoring and stabilizing equipment. The doctors began to hook up the machinery to Clay once again and laid him on the bed. Clay reached his right hand to a doctor and pulled her close to him.
"C-Can I see C-Callie?" Clay weakly said. The doctor nodded and headed for the door. She looked around for Lela, which she later found to be talking in the medical storage room with Callie. Lela and Callie noticed the doctor and stopped talking.
"Callie, it's Clay. He's alive!" Callie and Lela went wide-eyed at what they heard. "And he would like to see you Callie." Callie smiled, with tears now forming in her eyes, and quietly asked Lela for her translator. Lela quickly handed it to Callie, for which Callie quickly put on. She and the doctor ran back into Clay's room where he laid, covered again in wires. Clay looked at the opened door and saw Callie, now in full tears of joy. Callie ran to Clay and tightly hugged him, for which Clay did equally. Callie closed in to Clay's face and passionately kissed him in his lips. The medical staffed left the room for a bit, leaving them both alone. Callie sat in Clay's bedside, resting her head on Clay's head.
"I-I thought you were gone." Callie quietly said. "How did you survive?"
"I-I don't know." Clay answered. "I too thought the same. In fact, I don't remember this room at all. The last place I remember being is in the outside, trying to crawl to the Institution. After that, I remember seeing something in my mind, but I don't recall what it was. After it dissipated, I began to open my eyes, and realized that I was not in the outside. I'm just glad to see you again."
"Same. But I should probably leave so the doctors can finish whatever they were doing." Callie got up and gave Clay another passionate kiss on his lips. "I love you Clay."
"I love you too Callie." Callie left the room, letting the doctors back into the room. Callie then looked for Lela, but saw that she wasn't in the Medical Room anymore, thinking that she went to tell everyone else.
Lela is seen sprinting to Felix while trying to talk to Edward on his communicator. She then mamaged to get in touch with Edward.
"Ed, Ed, you hear me?!" Lela said, getting Edward's attention.
"Yeah, what's going on?" Edward asks. "Is everything okay?"
"Clay's alive! He somehow came back!"
"What?!" Edward yelled. "I'm going there now!" Lela continues to go to Felix, which she finds in the entrance, holding a red clipboard. Lela taps his shoulder to get his attention. Felix turns around to see the panting Lela behind him.
"What's the matter Lela?" Felix asks.
"Clay's alive!" Felix looks at her with a bit of doubt.
"You sure, 'cause when I went over, he was gone." Felix says.
"I'm sure!" Lela asserted. "A doctor came to tell Callie and I that he was alive!" Felix placed his clipboard down and followed Lela. The workers look at Felix leaving. Felix notices and begins to speak to them.
"You guys keep on working, it's just that Clay is alive." Felix responds, gaining cheers from the workers at knowing that Clay's alive. Lela and Felix meet up with Edward, and head to the garden room to tell Marie.
"Wait, what about Pearl and Marina?" Lela asks.
'Don't worry." Edward said. "I messaged Marina on her laptop, and she responded to me, telling me that Pearl has a communicator, and Marina had just told her. She said that they'll be in the Medical Room quickly." They all reached the garden room, to which they saw Marie organizing some of the agriculturalists' equipment. Marie noticed them enter and placed the equipment down.
"What's wrong?" Marie asks.
"Clay's alive!" Edward responds, making Marie smile. The workers begin cheering at the news, but continue to work. They all finally reach Clay's room, seeing Pearl and Marina sitting outside, talking to a doctor. Marina saw them coming and waved at them.
"Oh, just in time." The doctor said. "There's some news that I have to tell you."
"What are they?" Lela asked.
"Well, luckily for Clay, he's doing really well, and we are now finishing his previously halted operation. This should takes us a few hours, and you'll be able to see him tomorrow. I know all of this sounds really crazy, hell, I couldn't believe it! Well, I need to go back and help the other doctors now." The doctor stood up and went back into the room.
"This guy is just full of surprises." Felix said. "Twice we thought he was dead, and we were wrong."
"I'm glad that we were wrong." Callie added. "I just hope that he'll be better by tomorrow."
"With what we've been seeing, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd fully healed by tomorrow." Marie said.
"Okay now, Clay isn't a god." Edward said. "But he should be far better by tomorrow though, at least at the pace that this is going."
"But how are the doctors managing to heal him this quickly?" Callie said. "Us Inklings heal fast, but not when we get blown up. That's just crazy!"
"Well, Clay had helped the medical staff previously with better medicine, they also had advanced 3-D organ printing, and some nanotechnology, so I could see how this could've happened so fast." Lela said.
"We should probably head back to work." Marie said. "This place isn't going to fix itself."
"For now at least." Edward added. They all proceeded to head back, working until nighttime, where they all slept in their own separate rooms. The machines still continued to work automatically, making as little noise as possible. In the middle of the night however, Edward's door to his room was opened. Edward noticed and rose from his bed, still half-asleep. He then saw a familiar figure in the darkness of his room.
"Marie, what are you doing here?" Edward whispered. "It's-" Edward glanced to his alarm clock, reading 12:07 "Twelve O' seven." Marie slowly approached Edward, not saying a single word. She then climbed on top of Edward and began to remove her clothing. Edward, being half-asleep, did the same.
"You know what I'm here for." Marie whispered. "How about we start now?"
"Just try not to make noise." Edward whispered, pulling Marie close to him, and deeply kissing her.
You can imagine the rest...