Chapter 101. Imitation
Hearing the Meeh'ek's words, a whirlwind of thoughts spun in Charles' mind. Why could he suddenly understand what they say? How were they related to the murmurs in his ears? And who was this mysterious 134 that it spoke of?
The eccentric Richard couldn’t care less. He hurriedly interjected to defend himself, "Hold on! I have no intention to rebel. The misunderstanding earlier was because we couldn't communicate with each other. And what do you mean by insurrection? We haven't met before this."
Richard thought that he could finally communicate with these creatures, but the white-robed Meeh'ek remained impassive and continued its monologue.
"Stop trying to act like a pitiful human girl and shed crocodile tears. Your disguises are useless now. Do you know how many people died from the insurrection you instigated? Laboratory 3 became totally out of control and had to be abandoned."
"Bro, what in the world is this guy talking about? We are not even crying, and what the fuck is he going on about some pitiful human girl? Can't it see our splendid manhood down there? Is it blind?"
"Shhh, keep quiet. it doesn't seem to be talking to us. it sounds more like it is regurgitating something." Charles could infer some unsettling hints from the Meeh'ek's words. Something felt amiss.
"134, your singing has a catalytic effect on flora and fauna, and it is very valuable in the field of genetically modified plants." the Meeh'ek continued, its voice rigid without any hint of emotion.
"If you're willing to cooperate with us, you'll be spared from the torment earlier. The Foundation will provide you with anything you need, and it includes allowing you to reunite with your parents as well as an endless supply of toys and sweets," added the Meeh'ek.
"Rest assured, my authority within the entire Foundation is at D3. As long as you cooperate with us, I can definitely deliver my promise. We have many subjects that have decided to collaborate with the Foundation; you're not the first. Think about it, I'll come back later."
With that, the white-robed Meeh'ek turned on its heel and left, leaving Charles behind with an astonished expression.
"Bro, doesn't this 134 that it describes ring a bell? A little girl who can sing, and her voice has a catalytic effect on plants and animals. Isn't that the sinister loli we saw at Sottom? So, she's actually a relic from the Foundation? Man, I wonder just how old is that little brat!"
"No," Charles interrupted Richard's train of thought. "That's not what we should be focusing on right now. There's something off about the Meeh'eks' behavior."
"What's off? Don't it all fall into place? You said they were once employees of the Foundation, and see, they are indeed carrying out their work."
"No, we guessed wrongly."
With his brows pressed together, Charles peered through the glass and carefully observed the Meeh'eks as they expertly operated the various machinery. His expression grew increasingly unsettled as time passed.
"Look at the guy on the left. It seems to be operating the machine, but its actions are repetitive."
Richard focused his eyes, and they soon widened in shock. He had noticed something else that was amiss. "Eh! You’re right! Look, those equipment aren't even connected to any power supply!"
Making the connection with the fake city outside with all its mock goods and the Meeh'eks that scattered instantly at the square, an epiphany struck Charles. Everything suddenly made sense. He finally could figure out the kind of entity that needed an entire fake city.
"They are not employees of the Foundation that had mutated. They are purely imitating. Imitating the tools, the buildings, and even the behaviors!" Charles' voice echoed with realization.
"That means..." Richard was still confused.
"We have been thinking in the wrong direction from the start. They were never communicating with us, nor were they using us as experimental subjects. They were purely imitating the communication that had happened between the Foundation staff and the relics in the past. And we—we are nothing more than just props in their pretend game."
The chilling truth sent a shiver down Charles' spine.
In a fake city, thousands of monsters congregated, meticulously reenacting the lives and events of humans from centuries past. Why would they do that? Were these creatures mere playthings in the hands of some divinity?
Just as Charles' mind was a disarray of tangled thoughts, the white-robed Meeh'ek entered the room again.
"134, your resistance is disappointing. I didn't want to have the insects of 704 feast on your flesh, but your continual refusal leaves me without a choice," it said in an icy tone.
The white-robed Meeh'ek turned to the Meeh'ek, which was jotting down notes and instructed, "Bring it to Experiment Site 42 and initiate the cross-execution experiment between 134 and 704."
Two Meeh'ek draped in black robes stepped in. They removed Charles from his bindings and dragged him toward the door.
Under the oppressive force of ten black-robed Meeh'eks, Charles was escorted and thrown into another room.
Sprawled on the floor, Charles ignored the pain and propped himself up. He swiftly drew his own blood to draw something on the ground.
"What are you doing?" Richard asked.
"Stop with the questions and help me recall the information on the map. I need to know our current location."
With the help of his alter ego, a rough sketch of Laboratory 2 soon appeared on the floor.
"We are here right now," Charles said and pointed at their current location. He then moved his finger across the ground and pointed at another room. "This was where we were held captive."
With the help of the map, Charles swiftly pinpointed their current location.
"The exit is here. Beyond that is the square where many Meeh'eks have gathered. It doesn't matter what they're doing, but if we want to escape, we need to seek another route."
Just as Charles was formulating another escape plan, another door in the room swung open, and a faint silhouette appeared at the door.
The man was also equally naked. His head was bare as well, and a distinct white triangle branded his forehead. He was clearly one of Kord's men.
Recalling previous intelligence, Charles knew that this man was forced to play the role of the relic designated as 704.
The moment the man saw Charles, a look of surprise and delight appeared on his face. He dashed toward Charles and exclaimed, "Captain Charles, why are you here?"
However, the joy on his face quickly turned into one of worry.
"Did they capture you as well?"
Seeing the man's expression, a hint of relief flickered across Charles' face. He hadn't expected there to be survivors from the previous exploration crew. This meant that he had additional strength to rely on in his escape plan.
"How many of you are still alive?" Charles quickly questioned.
"Not many of us. The others have been taken away by those creatures. They take my crew members away, scald them with boiling water, burn them with fire... Under their torment, only three of us are remaining."
Abruptly, a memory seemed to have struck the bald man. With a sense of urgency, he dug two fingers into his throat, inducing his gag reflex. He doubled over, convulsing as he retched uncontrollably.
Charles hurriedly supported him and asked, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
With a final heave, the bald man forcefully expelled a fragment of flesh marred with several holes from his mouth.
With a solemn expression, he pointed at the marred holes and implored, "Captain Charles, you must take this to the Sacred Acolyte. We've found the map. Look, here's the resupply island and here is the location of the Land of Light!!"
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