Story Reader / Floating Record / ER04 The Floating Reverie / Story
...But why?
Is he still alive?
The leader at the time... Villier... wanted him alive.
After the incident, all other Cradle members that had infiltrated the ship were caught, save for the few associates who committed suicide.
Villier asked us to imprison them but never to execute them.
It's been almost twenty years now, and only their leader, the hacker, is still alive.
Why did Villier spare them...
We can't be sure, but after their arrest, they openly confessed to Pulao's and your involvement.
We wouldn't have believed your identity so easily had he not been so forthcoming about the truth.
A few knocks sound on the door that has been left ajar. The visitor swiftly whispers into Chaofeng's ear—before disappearing once again into the shadows.
"The Cradle" says that he would like to see Pulao again.
It would seem like he does not know that Pulao isn't on the ship, but I can't guess his intentions at this point myself.
...For revenge, perhaps?
...
...A machine is always going to be a machine. They exist only to fulfill humans' desires...
...This time, we must take back what we lost from Villier—and more...
...Think, and remember why you exist...
...
May I see him?
Huh?
If Yoyo left the ship because of something he'd said, then we should be able to get some clues out of him.
As if pondering the idea proposed by Hanying, Chaofeng grows hesitant—something that rarely happens to him.
...If you so insist.
Thank you.
But I make no guarantee that you will be able to get anything out of him since you were the one who thwarted his plan twenty years ago.
And the guy is well aware that he doesn't have much time left.
Chaofeng gestures for Hanying to follow him and, together, they leave the secret room of the Kowloong Crew.
Just outside the room is a dim but spotless hallway. Giant words written with red paint can just about be seen in the faint xenon light, many parts of the paint having fallen off.
After passing through the well-lit deck, Hanying follows Chaofeng down into the gloomy prison ward. She spent years living on this ship, but never once has she been this deep down.
Except for the flickering signage in the corners, the only source of light around is the faint light coming off the lantern in Chaofeng's hands.
Light from the lantern traverses the rows of prison cell bars, casting lines of shadows on the back wall of the empty cells.
This is the prison on the Nighter?
Correct, though many prisoners have been released since we docked.
Criminals with the worst offenses have all been thrown overboard, so the ones left in here are nothing more than petty thieves. It doesn't hurt to give them a second chance after teaching them a lesson.
What if they revert back to their old ways after being released?
Well, we don't keep loafers around—not on the ship, nor in the city, because it takes resources to keep them locked up. Better to give them a chance at a fresh start. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
If they still have trouble keeping their hands clean, it won't be us dealing with them. The residents will personally kick them out of the city.
Anyhow, no crime in this world is unredeemable... We're here.
Before them stands a metal door different from that of the rest of the cells.
Chaofeng sways the lantern in his hand and carefully opens the lock on the cell door.
I'll be on the watch in the control room next door.
There are no electronics within reach since we've got a hacker in here. If you need anything, just yell.
The heavy door grinds open slowly. Hanying walks in without any hesitation.
I said I wanted to see the kid, didn't I? Now, get this little...
A faint ray of sunlight slipping through the porthole into the pitch-black cell gives the convict a chance to make out the face of his visitor.
Oh? It's you.
I see you remember me.
Of course, and I see you haven't changed one bit over the years.
Time has taken his strength and looks and changed his voice, but the cunning tone in his words remains unchanged.
Twenty-four long years have passed and I am left with nothing but a body of old bones. You, on the other hand, haven't aged a day—and I see you got a makeover, huh...
Totally thought they would have thrown you off the ship. Fancy seeing you still here in one piece.
I'm not here to chitchat about the old days.
You should know why I'm here.
Huh? This can only mean that the kid has left the ship. Ha.
...
I heard that you'd told Villier and everyone on the ship what happened that day.
So if you tell me exactly what's happening now, maybe there is still room for you to salvage...
"The Cradle" bursts out laughing, which quickly turns into a violent coughing fit. It takes a while for the coughs to die down.
Oh boy... this is just great. Did you sizzle your own memory shell when you removed your collar?
Salvage? There's nothing... nothing I should be salvaging or seeking forgiveness for. The only regret I have now is that I wasn't there to witness Villier's death.
Or you can say that I deeply regret that I was not able to end his life with my own hands.
It is obvious that The Cradle is intentionally provoking and aggravating Hanying.
...That is truly unfortunate.
What was that?
I guess you can only carry that regret with you to the grave. Must be an insufferably painful reality to live with.
The mere meters between Hanying and The Cradle is the boundary between two vastly different worlds.
Hanying still cannot discern the expression on his face, which is concealed in the shadows—while he can see every detail of Hanying's face, having been lit up by the sunlight beaming through the porthole.
It was not an expression he expected to see.
Interesting... Let's talk, shall we? If I feel like it, I might even spill the rest of the story and the girl's whereabouts to you.
I am not about to strike a deal with someone like you, neither will the Nighter.
You don't have to, of course, but you will.
We've got plenty of time.
Hanying clenches her hands slightly, which The Cradle fails to notice.
I heard that you led an assassination attempt on the leader of Kowloong before pulling another one on the Nighter.
That's what we get paid to do.
After the incident at Kowloong, Villier destroyed our organization and for this, he shall brace himself for the price of retribution.
What goes around comes around.
Everything I have done, I have done on the grounds of justice, which is why I don't feel sorry.
Villier murdered my friends, destroyed my home, and took everything from me, so fat chance I'm going to make peace with the guy.
...You are right.
But the destruction of your organization was only a fair price to pay for what you had done. That was Villier's revenge against you.
Let me guess. You're not about to start lecturing me about how "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" now, are you?
We both know that getting rid of your enemies once and for all is the only proper way to carry out revenge.
Hanying's reply sends The Cradle into a bout of silence.
Well, well... Ha. Very intriguing.
Never thought I'd hear words like those from that mouth of yours.
I would have died a long time ago had Villier ever had your resolve, and you wouldn't have lived to see another day had we carried out our revenge.
In a world such as ours, forgiveness belongs only to those who respect it.
I take it that you're ready for your revenge, then?
You've hurt not just me, but also people I hold dear—and for that, I'll not forgive you.
Oh? You mean that bastard who cut the little girl twenty years ago? He was executed the day he was brought in here.
Serves him right.
So are you going to kill me now? Go ahead. You don't get a chance like this every day.
A fitting act for a tool built to kill.
The Cradle shakes his head. For an instant, Hanying sees his face clearly.
The disheveled pale hair and wrinkly skin do nothing to divert one's attention away from the crazed grin around the corners of his mouth and the bone-chilling gleam in his eyes.
...And you think I came to do what you did, huh?
What do you mean?
Well, I'm not going to lay a finger on you.
The Cradle freezes in his grin.
Huh?
I am not a machine that lives for revenge. You are.
Get this—you're dying a lonesome death with a heart full of regrets.
And that is my revenge against you.
...
Wonderful. Wonderful indeed.
The Cradle lets out a sneer. In the noise of heavy metal chains, he recedes back into the darkness.
Never mind. I'm tired.
Mt. Huaiwu, 50 kilometers northwest of the Metropolis. That's where she's heading.
Mt. Huaiwu?
Ask a Kowloong Crew for a map and you'll find it.
What business does she have there, though?
That mountain is our last base.
The girl came to me with the coordinates of that mountain, so I told her. That's all. Apparently, people have disappeared in the vicinity and that's why she went to look into what had happened.
Do you know what's going on there? It's your base after all.
How on earth would I know? I've been in this lightless, soulless cell for twenty-odd years without ever getting my hands on an electronic device.
But I guess... this is revenge being done right, no?
You, the city, and this ship are all still here, right?
I told you. Neither I, nor the Nighter, nor Kowloong, will give in to your demands.
So are you still going to insist on your "revenge"?
In this time of survival of the fittest, everything warrants revenge.
But I'm no expert when it comes to what kids think nowadays.
Keep in mind that I had no obligation to tell you any of this.
This is as much as I know, anyway.
The Cradle lets out a few violent coughs before turning his head to gaze into the tiny porthole on the wall and falling into dead silence.
Knowing that she will not get anything else out of him, Hanying gets up to leave.
Time... has yet to leave its heart-wrenching mark on you.
So?
I don't see a reason to doubt them.
You are going to trust her?
Do you have a reason not to?
...No.
There we go. Let's go. We've got things to do.
Don't worry, I won't go too far. Everything so far is still going according to plan.
A plan, huh...
It's nothing more than a high-stakes gamble.
