Story Reader / Hidden Story / 15 The Last Spark / Story
Lamia knows she is different from the others.
She is scared of death, pain and hunger. In fact, she fears everything. She is always full of emotions. Amongst them, she is like an alien from another world.
Are all the people ruthless like them, or is she just too weak?
This question often haunts her, making her question the purpose of her existence.
The medical director seems to be always busy writing things recently. The books and notes on his desk stack like a mountain.
Lamia has a deep impression on him because he has been taking care of her for a long time.
Maybe "feeding" is a more appropriate description.
To him, Lamia is probably just a collection of many parameters.
Height, weight, blood pressure, heart rate, vital capacity, basic metabolism. As long as these numbers are normal, he would not spend a little more time on Lamia.
Lamia once tried to scream and cry in front of him.
He had only one reaction: to diagnose if Lamia had any mental illness. After confirming that she was only throwing a tantrum, he immediately went back to work.
He is now busy working on his desk, writing some sentences that Lamia cannot understand.
What are you doing, uncle?
Working.
But your job is to treat patients, isn't it?
That was the old one. My mission has changed.
What do you mean that your mission has changed?
Soon, there won't be a medical director. I need to write down the instructions for my colleagues so they know how to use the medications.
I... don't understand.
To her surprise, he is not annoyed by her ignorance.
You know we are running low on rations, don't you?
Yes.
Our food supplies won't last too long.
What should we do then?
Easy. We just need to cut down on consumption.
H-how are you going to do that?
We can let some people starve to death.
Lamia opens her eyes wide.
B-but, who is going to die?
The order is determined by how important their roles are to our current research.
Starting from the admin department, followed by the logistics and then the medical department.
Are you... going to die too?
He sounds extremely calm.
Of course. As a member of the medical department, I am no exception.
...
The medical director never looks back. Lamia only sees his cold, distant back. He has not even stopped doing what he is doing.
But Lamia is overwhelmed with fear.
She can't help but raise her voice.
What about me?
What?
Am I... also going to starve to death?
Oh, you are quite special. Technically, you don't belong to any of the departments... The research director probably has other arrangements, but you won't stay long because you are of no use to us.
Now that you have asked, I can check with the admin department and see which group they will put you in.
I... I...
Tears swell out of her eyes.
The medical director finally turns around after hearing her cry.
Are you crying?
Lamia can no longer control her voice. She only sobs even harder.
I...
I don't want to...
I don't want to die.
You can't talk like this.
Get yourself together, then we can talk.
He focuses on his work again.
After some time, Lamia's temper finally calms down.
Her voice becomes hoarse and her eyes are all swollen.
Her sleeves are a complete mess from tears and snot.
After hearing she has stopped crying, the medical director turns back again.
Can you talk properly now? Say yes or no.
...Yes.
Why do you want to live?
Why would anyone not want to?!
Have you all gone crazy?!
There is no point in venting your emotions. You didn't get my question. Let me ask you in a different way.
Is there anything you must do?
...No.
Is there anything that cannot be completed without you?
No...
Then I cannot see any necessity for your survival, either subjectively or passively.
I don't know what you mean by necessity! I just don't want to die!
Control your temper.
There isn't anything I "must" do! But there are lots of things I want to do, but haven't done yet!
I want to go to the land.
Then? What are you going to do next?
I don't know.
You don't even know what you want to do. Why do you still want to go to the land?
I just want to see if the land looks like what the books say.
I want to see mountains and forests with my own eyes. I want to step on sand and soil. I want to smell the grass after rain and find out if the wind on land sounds different from the wind here on the sea.
There are sand and gravel samples in the sample room. Oh, and soil too. The land is nothing different.
No. It's different.
Why?
...I can't tell why, but I know it's not the same.
The medical director stares at her. His glasses reflect a cold white light.
After a long time, the light seems to have softened a little.
I understand. It's "curiosity."
I gave up a lot of things to join Atlantis and work here.
You are... amazing. You just reminded me of some things I gave up.
...Huh?
You want to live, don't you?
Lamia nods hard.
Then you need to become "valuable" to us. This is Atlantis' rule. We have no room for anything useless.
How can I become "valuable"?
Don't be so impatient. Let me think about it.
...Right, there's a way. Quite risky though.
I will take it.
Let me finish first.
Before the outburst of the Punishing Virus, the Science Council was working on a technology that could transform humans into modified machines.
The technology is not mature yet, but we can give you modifications based on it. Let me think... You don't have lower limbs, so I'd better give you some bionic ones that can help you adapt to the sea. That way, you can go out and collect information for us.
As a source of information, you will become valuable.
But I must warn you that in theory, only humans with sufficient Tantalum-193 affinity are qualified for such modification. We only have access to the prototype technology. Maybe it has been updated, but I don't know—our job was never to study or modify humans.
We have no idea what the civilization has become out there. Neither do we know whether the modification can protect you from the Punishing Virus. Do you still want to go out?
I will take it.
Lamia nods hard before he explains further.
