Chapter 35
Ozawa Chisato (girls #10) fell asleep over waiting. She was sitting behind the bushes deeply in the forest somewhere in zone C9, with her chin on her palm rested. Suddenly the chin slipped out of her hands, causing her head to fall to the chest. As a result, her teeth clenched, thus Chisato woke up.
She rubbed her red, swollen eyes, then looked around at least twice and carefully, in all directions to make sure she was still alone. Alone with three other classmates whom she had to kill.
The forest became brighter as the dawn had passed, everything else remained as they were.
Chisato could see one of her victims in the opposite, Sonia Tenzai (girls #14), who was sleeping under a huge tree. Her back touched its trunk.
Chisato followed Sonia, Yaeka Sugiyama (girls #13), and the still unconscious Rumiko from the mansion, making sure to keep distance. So far everything went as planned.
They have reached this place for a few hours, when the two girls decided to take a break, so one of them will be on watch, while the other hid with Rumiko and took a nap. Both Sonia and Yaeka wanted to be the first guardian, like it would have been a heroic decision, but after a short - let just say - discussion Yaeka backed down.
Sonia acts weird as hell Chisato thought I wonder what's her sin.
Normally she would have found the situation funny, but she could not smile since she was about to send all of them to the afterlife.
It's about them, dammit! Sonia, Yaeka, the good girls! Kinda friends of mine!
Every inch of her body refused the idea to hurt them.
She tried to remember back to everyday life to find an excuse, so she can be angry at them, to see if this eases her guilt when it comes she had to kill.
She started with Rumiko, the thief, after that everything's going to be easy.
Yeah, thanks to her intrigue, Sonoko just forgot about me. We hang out less and less, no dilly-dally on the evening in town. No pranks in the supermarket, or making fun of the coach on the football training (funny enough, Coach Zenko thought that it was his skill that the soccer team of the Zentsuji Junior High kicked ass, but the truth was, that each of the members played in a local amateur or a professional club. Everybody was aware of that, except Coach Zenko.).
Recalling these memories made the opposite effect of how Chisato wanted to feel. Her adventures with Yaeka and Sonia also did not help at all. Pleasant events, merely positive things. These two bookworms, the best students of the class always took action whenever the boys bullied her, they never saw her as the black sheep of the 3/e no matter what others said. It became better a bit though, as the kids started to show interest against the opposite sex, she was not pestered that much as in the first two years.
That was something at least.
She could never comprehend how this school environment could be so different from her home one. Like heaven and hell, fire and water, etc., etc. As much as she was someone who the kids kicked into and spitted at here, she was treated as the center of the world in her home village.
Chisato's heart shrunk from sadness into the size of a walnut. What on earth should she do now?
She had two motivating factors left. Could not decide which was more superior, so she stopped being inquisitive about it.
Her boyfriend, Shoyo (his name was Baku by the way, but everyone called him Shoyo), whom she loved like no other. She also knew, that the girls laughed about her in secret, when she could not hear them because she called Shoyo 'my little one', but the boy was everything just not little.
The other factor she considered as a bit of a selfish reason; her own life. If she had still got a chance for survival, she had to try to go back to the grey, everyday life, no matter the costs. It was a must to do. She had to forget guilt, loathness, fear, or helplessness.
Chisato had to act.
Save her skin.
She wanted to feel the purple little cloud of love again, the butterflies, the rainbows, and the unicorns, the forgotten simpleness and happiness of a seemingly different lifetime.
She was not able to cry, simply stood up with a dry and burning throat like a machine and let herself be guided by an unknown force which forced her to come out from the bushes and attack the trio.
Aware of her action in time, she shook her dark and red highlighted hair and sat back to the ground.
It's not that easy to do as one might think at first. I need some time. Need time! Time!
She took a deep breath as she imagined a faceless football judge as he showed a T shape with both hands, shouting those words together with her. Time! Time!
Maybe it was no coincidence.
Kinji had told her the same not long ago.
"If you want time, work as a football coach."
Why did she have to meet Kinji...
She started to follow Sonia and Yaeka. Back then Rumiko hid together with Sonoko's party in zone E8. She had peaceful intentions but was afraid to speak to the girls, afraid of rejection and exclusion. How could she forget what happened in zone I6, in front of the villa, Katsumi Wakai's voice still echoed in her mind:
"We've already told you that you can't come in. You haven't earned our trust. Never will do. Capiche?"
Interesting, I'm still alive. Chisato thought with a bitter grin. Unlike you, my friends.
She was just about to reveal herself when she ran into the scary-looking twin.
Kinji Ryusaki simply stepped next to her and pointed his gun at her chest, quite a painful way.
Chisato expected to be shot, but Kinji offered a bargain instead.
"Do me a little task and you might get out from this shithole alive."
Chisato froze into one place, yet she asked.
"Little task?"
For obvious reasons, she did not trust Kinji. He acted too arrogant and superior for that.
Then she learned from the boy's monotonous and close-tongued report how he managed to massacre Kirika Kido's band and he did not forget to mention that he had got some intel to achieve that. Chisato had a sluggish mind, but this time she could figure out the connection quickly. Soviet help.
She also noted that Kinji was not the type who played with shit. He was a butcher who killed without question if he had a mood for a little bloodshed. No, Chisato did not feel pity for Kirika and the others, if somebody asked her opinion they deserved to die. Chisato's problem was that she doubted that Kinji would plan to escape exactly with her.
"Guess you have a plan" Chisato said, she wanted to hear that before accepting anything.
"The only one who asks is me" Kinji answered without any expression. "And you answer."
Chisato knew that this works as it did in World War II dictatorships or in the Empire of the Rising Sun. You had to nod to everything if you did not want to wake up in the afterlife or lose your whole family in an... ahem... accident.
The worst death is a meaningless death, Chisato always said.
She accepted the bargain.
So Chisato continued following the Yaeka-Sonia-Rumiko trio from the mansion all the way to zone C9.
Such a shitstorm! At least I should kill someone I don't feel sorry for!
She could not delay her task more. She made a fist with both hands and closed her eyes for a moment.
By the time she opened them, she decided.
Sorry Sonia, sorry Yaeka. Even for you, Rumiko... After we've got to share the room in the student hostel, I started to like you. I guess...
At the very last moment she wanted to start the mission, she heard people whispering.
It was a very silent talking, came from the web of plants surrounding the grassy clearing.
Chisato caught a few words, but the only thing she understood was a name.
What the hell is a Tesla?
Although she was not much of a pro in English (according to the teachers she had the brain for it, if it was not for the lack of sedulity), she knew the meaning.
After a short time, she saw it as well.
Huge, yellow machines looked like fat robots appeared from the opposite. From the left soldiers came with dogs, while Terror Drones marched in from the right side like a whole army of high-grown mushrooms.
They were surrounded. Not only the trio, Chisato included.
WTF? Is this part of the game or what?
However, there was no explanation for the whys, deep in her heart she suspected something.
Chisato pushed her back into a tree, where the Russians could not see her.
You know what?
She cared no longer what was going on there. Or about Sonia's, Yaeka's, and Rumiko's fate.
Watching the leaders giving out marks silently, she just shrugged shoulders as she predicted something really bad for the three girls.
Only God knew how many more were lurking around in the dark.
It was time to go.
Chisato had a last look around on the clearing. Sonia did not wake up. Not that the troops were noisy, they moved like phantoms under the coverage of the night. No signs of life from Yaeka and Rumiko in their hideout.
Chisato took a farewell with a silent glance.
Yet she barely moved away, strange noises hit her ears.
She stared into the darkness of the woods, but kept walking, slowly and carefully, until someone stepped into her way. It seemed it happened out of the blue.
A yellowish, pale machine, at least two meters high, the soil which was soaked with water stomped under its robotic feet.
Chisato wanted to scream but she could stand.
She was shivering, but at the same time, she was fascinated by the technology of these people, of a completely different culture. Even though the Soviet Union was not at the same technology level as them, the Empire of the Rising Sun, she had got goosebumps by the sight of those dangerous infantry units she had heard only from rumors before. As they lifted their massive iron legs with a heavy motion, leaving an enormous footprint behind.
Chisato could barely return to reality.
She kept hearing those noises around, like the squelching of the mud and the dried pile of leaves rumbling or a branch crushing under someone's feet. Even the monotonous raining on the vegetation could not suppress anything.
The machine remained in place, only raised its arm into the height of the belly. It looked like a LEGO toy.
Chisato's heart started to beat extremely fast. It felt like an everlasting staring game.
Hi, I'm Chisato. And you?... Well, I'm the one they call Tesla. Nice to meet you.
After a short, fast electric noise, Chisato fell into a deep, everlasting unconsciousness.
The soldiers left three meters of space around the tree they surrounded. The leader of the group stopped his men with a handmark, then continued his way to Sonia. As he reached the girl, he reached the hand towards her to check the pulse. Even from that close, it was impossible to say if she was alive.
Not worthy of a soldier, his hand became frozen before the touch. The leader hesitated.
Sonia's eyes suddenly popped out.
Her golden-toned, floral eyes became rounded from the recognizing shock, the black of the eyes narrowed in a matter of seconds. The leader took a step back in his surprise, a moment later, Sonia screamed. Its sharpness echoed through the woods for long, before Yaeka stood up among the bushes.
Her braided, fluffy hair fell messy on her back.
She had a quick look around, that was enough to understand everything.
The next moment she disappeared into the bush.
As she reappeared holding a sickle in her hands, she threw the tool among the soldiers without hesitation. Which almost hit the leader if he had not defended himself by raising his weapon with a fast move. So the sickle glanced off while giving out a metallic clash and ended up in the first being in its way.
A war bear. The bear roared like a beast and charged blindly against the faceless attacker. At the last second, Sonia pressed herself to the trunk of the tree, the Russian leader did the same. The bear stormed past them, they felt some heat and air for a short time.
"Take Rumiko and go!" Sonia yelled to Yaeka, but that was the last time she could comprehend.
Everything turned into chaos in no time.
The bears had gone wild, some of them simply ran over their masters. Loud cries and animal roaring filled the air. Sonia, taking advantage of this, jumped into the thorny bush, their hideout. She hoped that no one noticed.
It looked like a small igloo form inside, the tendrils and branches formed a roof above her head.
Yaeka was not there, just Rumiko, laying weak while swallowing like she was thirsty and sometimes whimpered something that sounded like "Iku".
Sonia took a knee beside Rumiko and laid her palm on the girl's forehead, then swept aside the brushy locks of hair covering the eyes.
"Everything's gonna be alright." she said in a smooth tone. We'll get this through just like the brainwashing physics."
She had no idea why did she say that, because they were surrounded, Yaeka vanished - could she do that against so many machines, guns, claws, and teeth? - and now she said prayers in herself, maybe she was trying to accept the inevitable.
And what about Rumiko?
The soviets will find them if they keep staying there but if they try to run away, they will see them and gun them down.
An aggressive dog barking could be already heard so near like it would have stayed right next to them. Sonia's instincts tingled.
Then, suddenly something tore inside the hideout like a bullet, but it was bigger and had eight shiny, cold spider legs.
The machine squeaked like it was screaming, then threw itself on Sonia with its legs spreading. The girl caught it along the body, the head, or whatever it was, thus, she managed to keep the attacker away. For now.
She remembered Moskvin saying that these Terror Drones were programmed to execute their prey in one motion if they wanted to.
The enemy's goal was different. The robot probably wanted to immobilize her.
Sonia got tired from the fight, her arms began to tremble. She panicked, yet, she did not scream. She refused to give up, even though she started to lose hope as more Terror Drones appeared inside the hideout.
She could not win this fight. The other Drones jumped on her, their cumulative weight pressed the girl onto the ground.
Still, Sonia managed to stay on her feet and drag herself out from the hiding.
Damn you all!You can get me, but you won't get Rumiko!
Her voice was shaking, but she cried out as loud as she could.
"I'm here! You want me, right? Come and catch me!"
Some of the soldiers turned toward her.
That was the moment her legs gave up the fight under the pressure of the Terror Drones' weight.
For Rumiko.
She gathered all the strength she had left and forced herself to the feet. She continued dragging herself toward the forest, far away from the soviets. Although the Terror Drones held her back with their weight on her shoulders, they could not stop her.
She heard the leader shouting something in Russian.
She did not want to look back.
She needed all her energy not to collapse from exhaustion. She closed her eyes from the pain, as something hot, like crystal shards bedded themselves into her leg. Blood, warmth, and burning.
Sonia fell to her knees, she sank into the mud.
I can't give up now.
One of her shoes stuck.
With the help of her arms, she was on her legs again. Despite the cloak of Terror Drones on the back, despite the injuries, the loss of one shoe, the unbearable pain, the exhaustion, she continued. The only sound she gave out was angry, silent hissing.
Finally, something pulled her to the ground. A few more Terror Drones joined the others in this funny and bizarre climbing game. Sonia could no longer bear that weight. She fell onto her stomach, thanks to the soaked soil at least that was not painful.
She was at the edge of fainting. Her senses faded away, but before it happened she heard the leader sounded from very far.
It was followed by familiar but very dull gunfire.
The leaves covering Sonia were riddled with bullets.
At least Rumiko is alive. Maybe Yaeka, too.
The soldiers lowered their rifles. Some of them looked confused.
The attack dogs jumped for command of whistleing, growling and snarling, then knocked down their prey from the feet before she could open the mouth. Yaeka got horrible bites on her neck.
The action was watched silently by the Russians. Some time later one of them broke the silence.
"Now what? We shouldn't have killed them."
"At least not all." another added. "He needs one."
"No worries, ladies." this time the leader answered. "The Teslas reported another one. She seemed shocked but healthy."
"Eh, Comrade?"
The radio operator interrupted them.
"What?"
"The Tesla Troopers just reported that... the subject... did not survive the meeting."
The leader ruffled his already fuzzy eyebrows.
"And how did that happen?"
The radioman pulled a weird face. It was not clear he wanted to make a mouth or just laugh hard.
"They planned to scare her for fun. Imitating as they're going to frizzle her with electroshock."
A few men laughed.
"Well, it literally scared the shit out of the kid."
The leader covered his face with one palm.
"Fucking idiots." he sighed.
Rumiko's senses opened up to the outside world, the distant, soft speech took form more and more clearly. At the same time, a bright light bothered her eyes, so she opened them up. The first thing she caught sight of was a blurry image of a person, whom she found very familiar.
As if this had happened to her in the past.
In an anime called Iku, a girl named Kazumi found a hidden cave in the rot of a hundred-year-old cherry tree that is not visible to everyone. The light that sparkled at the end of the path led to a completely different world, back in time, to medieval Japan. Then the light was covered by a shadow, a silhouette, and when Kazumi first entered this era, she saw eyes that were so blue like a pair of glittering diamonds.
[Number of students: 10]
Chisato Ozawa eliminated
Yaeka Sugiyama eliminated
Sonia Tenzai eliminated