"The old couple's original plan was to imprison the dozens of people until they became ill and then release them all together - but the shocking stench in the basement alerted the neighbors in advance, and the security police soon discovered the place. By that time, the old couple was already dying in the apartment. They had reached the end of their lives as chelates and were unable to resist.
"It was only then that the authorities realized that chelation disease had quietly spread in Askia. The Askia government immediately launched the highest level of defense preparations, and finally found that they had lost contact with habitable places. So they The cavalry was dispatched and rushed to the neighboring wilderness and habitable places as quickly as possible - not only to inform them of the danger here, but also to seek rescue.
“At the same time, the entire Askia—five urban districts—are all under lockdown.
“Every household took out their spare anti-epidemic spray and sprayed it on people and furniture – this batch of spray was left behind by AHgAs. They said that this strong fragrance can arouse the disgust of chelates to a certain extent. "
"...Is it really possible?" Hesta asked.
Liz shook her head, "Actually, no, the sense of smell of chelates is indeed very sensitive, but they have no likes or dislikes about scents - the real purpose of these sprays is to protect the undiscovered mercury needles in the crowd.
"Do you remember the trap I just told you about? After encountering chelates head-on, most mercury needles will awaken at once. Without cover, they can easily be partially chelated due to their own special smell. Locked onto the target, it becomes the earliest victim. That's why Mercury Needle uses the excuse that "spray can cause aversion to chelates" to allow people to take the initiative to take these interference measures when they discover signs of chelation.
"We did everything according to the chelation disease response manual. At first, we hung white ribbons on the door to indicate that no one in the family felt the signs of the disease yet;
“After a few days, we changed to yellow ribbons, indicating that a member of the family was feeling lazy and depressed, and might be a suspected chelation patient;
"After half a month, we replaced it with a black ribbon, indicating that a member of our family had signs of chelation on the arm."
Liz told her past with a calm expression, as if she was telling a story about a stranger.
In Askia's last days, she and her family quietly waited for the rescue of the mercury needle.
However, they did not know at that time that all the horses and cavalry sent to inform the people were intercepted by chelates on their way south. Those infected people who fled in a hurry before the city was closed were already sick and had already spread around the countryside. Wandering for a long time.
The whole of Askia slowly died in waiting. As more and more people get sick, the city turns into a horrific hell. The chelates not only enjoy hunting down civilians, but they also engage in extremely fierce battles with each other.
Liz's family moved into the dark cellar of their home early, and they could often hear the faint and dull banging sound coming from the ground, which was the chelates having fun in the city.
Although food and water were stored in the dark cellar, they could not stop the attack of chelitis.
The first person to develop limb changes was my grandmother. She has been calmly directing everyone to deal with this disaster. After realizing that she might be attacked, she immediately isolated herself, but melancholy and despair have long fallen on everyone's heads, and no one can be spared. .
Grandma told them that after discovering that someone has pincers, they should not be lenient - either let the person commit suicide, or others can work together to eliminate the threat. Everyone must not sit still and wait until the end.
As long as you survive long enough, until the mercury needle arrives, it will be over.
Later, the grandmother cut her own carotid artery with a sickle.
After many tears, my father and brother dragged my grandmother's body to a storage room in the dark cellar, a place far away from the vents.
Next up was Liz's mother, who followed in her grandmother's footsteps after a farewell she would never forget.
Next, bad luck struck again... In extreme despair, Liz hid from everyone and locked herself in the storage room where her grandmother was.
In that dark underground secret room, she cuddled up against her grandmother's putrid body and stayed together for another three days.
When the door was opened again, all the bodies in the dark cellar had disappeared - they had all been moved out of the ground and buried together.
The whole of Askia is a dead city.
"Everything is just as my grandmother said," Liz said softly. "The mercury needle has arrived and everything is over."
Hesta stretched out her hand and gently pressed the back of Liz's cold hand.
"When I first came to the base, I often had nightmares, but I don't have nightmares anymore. But sometimes I also think, if someone had been looking after the old couple and their children that year, if everyone could pay more attention For people who are still alive, or maybe Askia did not take into account the ban on the death penalty in the third district, but insisted on our own laws... Isn't that right, things would not have reached the final stage."
Liz's clasped hands gradually tightened, and the curved knuckle bones turned white.
"Is it possible that...Askia as a whole can avoid that tragic ending?
"After all, there have been accidental infections in Askia before. Everyone reported it early, arranged for the patient to go to a livable place for treatment, checked and isolated all close contacts... and everything got through."
The wind in the forest blew over their bodies, messing up their hair. The sound of the forest stroking each other was like the waves of real ocean waves.
Liz looked at Hesta: "Ms. Morley said before that I was too obsessed with punishment itself, which may be true. When dealing with these things, I always inevitably bring in my personal emotions... That's why I feel, I am not suitable to be this assistant officer. Especially..."
Liz looked down at her hands, "I'm afraid I'll hurt you again, just like this time... I lost my sense of proportion."
"this is not your fault--"
"However, I don't want you to go to extremes, and it's not all for this reason." Liz adjusted her breathing and tried to make her voice smooth again. She whispered, "Sean is a more cunning opponent than expected. You It would be easy to suffer a loss if you directly confront him now. If necessary, after I step down from the position of 'assistant officer', I can also help you——"
Before Liz finished speaking, Hesta had already shaken her head.
"Have you ever heard a saying like this? 'The so-called revenge, not only must punish him, but also must punish him without being punished. If the avenger himself is punished, it cannot be regarded as revenge. If so Even if the avenger did not let the perpetrator know who was seeking revenge, that would not be considered revenge.'"
"...Who said this?"
"Edgar," Hestad said, sitting on the bench, swinging her feet leisurely, "he wrote it in "A Cask of Monteria."
Liz laughed again at the name Edgar - she should have guessed it.
"So...you already have your own plan."
"Yes." Hesta nodded, "I may not be able to do it to this extreme, but I must do it myself."
"Then... I wish you good luck."
Hesta hesitated for a moment, "If in the future, you are no longer my assistant officer... we can still be friends, right?"
Liz laughed softly.
"My grandmother used to say, give, receive, tell secrets, ask questions, eat together - these are the five signs of friendship," Liz said. "We are already friends."
She held out her hand to Hestad, who looked at her and held it firmly.
