Rust - Chapter 607



Only Krnovel

RUST [RUST]-607

Naru and Gisun, who were exposed to nerve gas, twisted their bodies like squids, but the results were different.

While Ki-soon, who had stabbed himself in the chest with a syringe attached to the end of a fountain pen, was moving little by little of his own volition, Naru’s body began to convulse like an aspen tree.

“Block the cabin and admiral.”

[Admiral begins.]

The artificial intelligence’s inorganic voice carried out Gi-sun’s orders.

Kreuk-kreuk-

As if reacting to that sound, Naru’s face tilted to the side. Naru looked at Gisun with her nose and tears streaming down her face.

Ki-sun didn’t avoid those desperate eyes.

ugh–

As the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear response system was activated, the sound of the exhaust fan covered the sound of the foaming.

Shh …

A strong mental wave spread from Naru’s body, which was gurgling and taking its last breath while soaked in cold medicine.

thud-

The waves of thought that shook the cabin reverberated and slowly disappeared without finding a place to go. Gi-sun gave an order in a cracking voice at the strange phenomenon.

“To Ottawa. When we get there, quarantine the clones…”

With those words, Ki-sun lost consciousness.

‘Really? Really?’

‘That’s right. I told you, that guy just gave your brother a chin-slap.’

‘Huh? Is your jaw turning? Is something serious?’

‘That’s right. Maru was really angry.’

Young Naru looked at him with eyes full of worry.

‘But hitting is still bad.’

‘I told you to stay. You have to tell the police when they come.’

‘yes-‘

Things from my childhood began to flash through my mind.

I was involved in Naru’s middle school entrance ceremony. I was also involved in her middle school graduation ceremony···.

‘Since when did you like Naru?’

Middle school? High school? Or maybe?

Thinking back now, I had a lot of good memories.

I didn’t know anyone at all who I thought I knew.

I couldn’t accept that I was a completely different person than I used to be.

If you yourself have changed, how could other people not have changed?

Why is that?

Financial problems?

How did it come to that?

Because of greed?

Poisonous eyes

A look that asks how this could happen

Eyes pleading for life

All those eyes slowly disappear into the darkness, and a sound is heard in my ears.

I heard a high-pitched sound that sounded like tinnitus or a machine.

beep———

My body, which had felt nothing, began to shake.

Boom- Boom-

I feel like someone is pounding my chest hard

beep———

Boom- Boom-

A sensation of hot liquid running through the arteries.

As my blood vessels began to burn, the sound in my ears changed.

Beep- beep— beep— beep— beep–

It was a routine for which the regular mechanical sounds were a lullaby.

The doctor welcomed Ki-sun, who regained consciousness after a few days.

“I am glad that you overcame the difficult situation and are doing well afterwards. You were able to endure it because your internal organs were strong and you had no other underlying diseases.”

The explanation was that it was fortunate that his body was clean. Ki-sun nodded slightly at the doctor’s words that if his body had been soaked in alcohol and chemical foods and mixed with various other things, he might have died.

“Your voice won’t come out well yet. The aftereffects are quite severe. Don’t try to force yourself to speak. Rest is absolutely the most important thing right now.”

As Ki-soon closes her eyes, feeling a hazy, grayish aura spreading behind the doctor’s head, the doctor quietly walks out.

After a few more days, Ki-sun was able to regain control of his body to some extent and immediately called the assistant AI.

“Bring me the quick fix.”

A unit combining a tablet PC, a robotic arm, and a drone brought the rapid cure. Although the rapid cure, which glowed pale pink, completely cured her, Ki-sun devoted herself to follow-up measures while guarding the hospital room.

The first thing he did was to cremate the body of the 4th clone possessed by Naru.

“Let’s burn it completely and dismantle the airship it came in on. Let’s melt down the cabin in particular.”

It was a coincidence that even the airship was destroyed. This was because it was feared that Psychometric Erica might be influenced by residual thoughts while investigating.

“Is Ki-sun okay?”

“thank you.”

“Are No. 4 and No. 18 dead?”

“We’re okay now, so once the weather clears up, we can go see the King, right?”

“······.”

The Naru clones, who had recovered their health thanks to the medicine brought from the empire, came to visit Ki-sun in the hospital. And next to them, Hee-yeon, who had come with them, glared.

“Are you trying to die there?” (Are you trying to die there?)

When Hee-yeon, who had come to the main office, heard that he had taken nerve gas and a syringe of decontaminant disguised as a fountain pen, she started nagging him.

Isn’t that crazy? He said he was going to meet the Emperor alone, and then he said he was going to die with him.

If it was because of the Naru clone problem, then he wasn’t in his right mind, and even if he said it was to prepare for the dangers of clone research, he wasn’t in his right mind.

“Why did you do that? Tell me to do it.” (Why did you do that? Answer me.)

As Ki-sun was about to explain that there was a reason, a light blue aura caught his eye. There was a slight blue aura behind Hee-yeon’s head.

“You crazy bitch. What if you get crushed there?” (You crazy bitch, what do you want me to do if you get crushed there?)

I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but there was clearly a light blue aura around Heeyeon’s head.

‘What is that?’

I rubbed my eyes, but the hazy light blue aura was still there. The clones next to me were a light orange-ish color.

“Really?”

“You tried to blow yourself up in the Empire of Gisun?”

“Kisun who is not afraid of death.”

“But why is that?”

When he heard that Kisun almost died in the Empire, the Naru clones nearby started to seethe.

“Wait a minute. I’m a bit like that right now, so let’s talk again tomorrow. Tomorrow.”

Suddenly, Ki-soon, who had a headache, sent out the little Hee-yeon and Naru clones and called the doctor.

“It feels like color and light are spreading out.”

“Do you feel the color and light spreading? I will examine you right away.”

I had an eye exam because I was concerned that the color bleeding and light bleeding could be due to a crystalline lens problem, but the results were normal.

‘Is this normal? No way.’

Ki-sun began to observe.

Most of the nurses I encountered at the hospital, like the doctors, had a pale grayish tint to them, with the occasional nurse having a faint red or blue tint.

‘I decided to go on a date with Erb.’

‘Someone said they were going on a date, but I don’t know what this is.’

And we were able to see that the thoughts and emotions a person has inside differ depending on the color.

Ki-sun had awakened the ability to visualize people’s thoughts and emotions.

======

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The news of Ki-sun was soon transmitted to Detroit, as it was now possible to send regular messages using micro-drone airships.

“You crazy kid.”

Maru swore at Gi-sun after seeing the data he had sent. He made excuses, saying that he had tried to negotiate on the edge with a nerve gas fountain pen, but it was clear that he was lying.

If he had seen it for himself and thought it was not good, he would have thought of dying with Den Brown like a fool. He probably thought that even if he died, he would be resurrected as a clone.

If that was the case, Maru thought that he had to correct his mental state even if it meant hitting him.

I don’t know about anything else, but I could see that his way of thinking was changing a little from before. In some ways, he was a guy who thought of people as a standard to the point of being frustrating, but it seemed like he was going in the direction of thinking that it was okay to use him as a means or tool.

“Then how do I deal with the aftermath?”

“I knew it. I mean, you tend to be a bit extreme.”

Kim Yang-do also meddled from the side. Unlike the two people who were chewing out Kim Ki-soon side by side, Hood and PD just handed over the data in silence.

While the Holy Kingdom was beginning new research using quantum computers, grape clusters, and artificial intelligence close to singularity, the Empire was conducting research in various fields through famous universities and their affiliated laboratories.

The diversity and continuity of research fields was one of the empire’s strengths. The empire was interested in rapid changes in the global environment.

“There is a definite need to organize research data on environmental change.”

The PD, who is effectively in charge of administrative affairs, spoke in a serious voice.

“This year’s high temperature was 40 degrees and the low was 50 degrees, but next year it is likely to rise above 45 degrees.”

If the summer temperature rose above 45 degrees, it was virtually certain that crops would fail.

“Even if we continue to add factory-type smart farms, if we cannot use general agricultural land, the agricultural industry will be at risk.”

“Temperature is a problem, but we cannot overlook the fact that plants are also starting to mutate.”

Modified plants were quite common. Think of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), which are simply crops that have been genetically modified to resist certain herbicides.

The story is that if you plant genetically modified crops and spray herbicides, the weeds will die and the crops that are resistant to the herbicides will survive, making farming easier.

However, mutations occurred in the plants, and the amount of herbicide absorbed and accumulated gradually increased.

The problems with genetically modified plants do not end here. They are vulnerable to the effects of mutant viruses, resulting in crops mixed with the genes of mutant viruses.

“These are the results of a simulation using a quantum computer and a bunch of grapes.”

The idea was that a mutant crop discovered in some area would spread in all directions over time, and in a few years, it would sweep across the empire and even North America. And people and animals who ate it would be affected by the mutant virus, whether they liked it or not.

Maru instinctively sensed that the situation was serious.

Medicines such as Berserker Fall and Crystal were made by extracting specific ingredients from mutant viruses, and rapid treatment drugs were also included.

Whether it’s zombified humans, people with anger management issues, or completely transformed mutants, it was all due to the mutated virus.

The same goes for animals that turn into monsters and cannibals. But plants, especially crops, are affected by the mutant virus.

Hood uploaded the following material:

“Large monsters are a problem, but the biggest problem in the Empire this winter is said to be monster rats.”

The mice have mutated so much that they now have thumb joints. This all happened in just one year.

As thumbs grew, rats began to use human objects. Some even began to set traps like humans, and some even began to use sharp objects like iron bars or blades.

They were blocking it by mobilizing troops armed with exosuits, but the exchange rate was gradually decreasing after the rats began to remove the soldiers’ helmets.

“If the Empire is in this situation, other regions won’t be in good shape either.”

PD also agreed with Hood’s words.

“It’s a problem not only in Canada, but also in northern Michigan, where wild rats are starting to appear.”

The southern border of the Holy Kingdom has been free of trouble so far, as the Flame Rat Tribe has kept the other rats from invading.

“Then why don’t we release the sacred rats into the north?”

At Kim Yang’s words, the PD made an embarrassed expression.

“The generational shift is so rapid that groups that have lost contact with each other have begun to emerge among the independent rat groups. Even in the South, it is virtually impossible to manage the North as well.”

Maru responded to the PD’s story about a group of rats that broke away from the ones that were being controlled with drugs and fire.

“I guess the rat pups concept has lost its effectiveness.”

It was a time when education was needed.