TIC Extra 2

 100. Side Story: The Builders (Part II)

Unlike when they had first entered this warship on a mission, every node was now fully activated; pristine white light flooded the corridors, reflecting off the walls with the distinct sheen characteristic of metal.

Upon reaching the specific node that Casey had once shut down, Xiao Yan instinctively let out a soft sigh.

"You don't need to feel sad."

Xiao Yan turned his head to see Casey leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest.

"I wagered my legs on the bet that you would defeat Valentine—and I won, securing the life I’d always wanted. Besides, artificial prosthetics aren't nearly as hard to accept as one might think. My legs feel exactly the same as they used to—and as a bonus, I don't have to worry about phantom limb pain."

Xiao Yan lowered his head and smiled; Casey’s objectives were always crystal clear, and he understood—profoundly so—that achieving any goal inevitably demands a price.

"Let's go," Hein’s voice rang out, drawing Xiao Yan’s thoughts back to the present.

Walking side by side, the two ventured deeper into the ship until they finally arrived at what had once been Valentine’s main control room—now serving as the central hub for the data Charles was compiling in his research of the warship.

"I have to admit: in terms of technology, Valentine possessed capabilities that were truly far ahead of their time."

Shen Bing emerged from the vast ocean of data displays surrounding them.

"Are you absolutely certain that Valentine is dead?" Xiao Yan asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

Shen Bing gestured for them to follow him.

They descended to the ship’s lower decks, where all the clone specimens were preserved; some of them lay mutilated and incomplete—the aftermath of the violent battles that had taken place there.

"Why are you keeping these?" Xiao Yan asked, turning to look at Shen Bing with a frown.

"To study Valentine’s cloning technology. Replicating a complete, fully functional individual is an incredibly difficult feat; however, the underlying technology is a mature, proven method that could be applied to organ regeneration."

"Don't tell me... Charles intends to research Valentine’s so-called 'immortality' as well?" Xiao Yan’s guard immediately went up.

Shen Bing let out a weary sigh and gave Hein a light, exasperated punch on the arm. "Colonel Burton, what’s your take on this?"

"Whether this technology is utilized for medical treatment or for the pursuit of immortality depends entirely on the intent of the user. There is no such thing as absolute good or evil in this world—and scientific research is no exception."

Xiao Yan fell silent. “The pursuit of the unknown is an innate human instinct, Xiao Yan. The more you attempt to suppress it, the more it will fester in the shadows. It is far better to adopt an open attitude—to allow this pursuit to flourish in the light of day, openly and without concealment.”

Xiao Yan could not help but admire Shen Bing; he was a truly mature researcher whose perspective on scientific inquiry was far more objective.

When they arrived at the containment unit housing Valentine’s remains, Xiao Yan observed that Valentine’s brain had already been reattached to his neck.

“Jane destroyed his brain, so we are unable to extract any data from his mind,” Shen Bing remarked, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat as he tilted his head upward.

“Did you—did you yearn to understand his brain?”

“Before you came along, everyone was indeed fascinated by his brain. But you have surpassed him, Xiao Yan. Consequently, your brain has now become the primary object of everyone’s scientific curiosity.”

“If the day ever comes when I die, my body must remain intact. None of you had better even think about laying a hand on my brain.” Although Xiao Yan spoke in a half-joking manner, his tone was undeniably serious.

Shen Bing cast a sidelong glance in Hein’s direction and remarked coolly, “If anyone were foolish enough to harbor such intentions toward you, they would first have to get past Hein, wouldn’t they?”

Xiao Yan chuckled heartily, but then, as if suddenly recalling something, he asked, “In among all these bodies of the clones... did you happen to find Jane Wallis?”

“I anticipated you would ask that very question. Casey informed us that, utilizing Hein’s blood samples, he successfully synthesized the X-2 virus and confirmed that it was compatible with Jane Wallis—meaning the X-2 virus was indeed present within his system. However, among all the clone bodies we were able to recover, we found not a single one that contained the X-2 virus. Based on your account, Jane Wallis was trapped inside a sealed node; this leaves only two possible scenarios. First: when we triggered the release of all the nodes, seawater surged in through the breach at the ship’s hull, and his body was swept out into the ocean. Second: he managed to procure your terminal connector, and—once you had killed Valentine—he successfully utilized it to unlock the node and make his escape.”

Xiao Yan lowered his head, a faint smile playing upon his lips; he knew Jane Wallis’s modus operandi all too well. “Let’s go, Hein. I have no more questions.”

“Mm.”

The moment Xiao Yan turned to leave, Shen Bing’s voice rang out once more: “Xiao Yan, understanding your brain never requires delving into your thoughts; we only need to know what you did, and how you did it. Therefore—with Char’s very first city—you must not disappoint us.”

“As you wish.”

Upon leaving the warship, Xiao Yan did not take a hovercraft back to headquarters; instead, he walked along the beach alongside Hein.

The shell-white sand shimmered with a soft, orange-yellow glow beneath the setting sun—devoid of the harsh, blinding glare that reflected the midday heat.

Xiao Yan took off his shoes and walked toward the waves, savoring the sensation as the seawater washed over his ankles again and again, ebbing and flowing with the tide.

He turned around to look at Hein, who had been following silently by his side the entire time. The man remained fully clad in his combat gear, wearing a stern expression that suggested he was ready for battle at any moment.

“Hey, I’ve been so busy dreaming up the kind of city *I* want to build, that I never stopped to ask *you* what kind of life *you* want.” Xiao Yan bent down, picked up a hermit crab shell, and—beaming with excitement—stepped right up to Hein.

The man’s gaze never left him for even a moment, yet he spoke with cool detachment: “Although your mind processes information hundreds—even thousands—of times faster than anyone else’s, you are not a rational person.”

Xiao Yan’s smile faded as he looked at Hein with exasperation. “Hey, do you *really* have to say something so completely mood-killing when the scenery and atmosphere are this perfect?”

“You will find contentment in the scent of a single green leaf; you will spend an entire day lying lazily on the beach; you will share in a richer, fuller life alongside others—a life no longer defined by battling assassins or resolving imminent crises. You also possess the ability to protect yourself. Before long, you will realize that I am no longer a necessary presence in your life...”

Hein had not yet finished speaking when Xiao Yan’s lips pressed against his. Xiao Yan’s hands grasped the collar of Hein’s combat uniform; the little hermit crab tumbled from his fingers in bewilderment, rolled a few times across the sand, and scuttled away. “I am able to enjoy a richer life because I know you are right by my side—that nothing can threaten my existence. I am absolutely certain of this! Yet, you are the only one who can constantly remind me of who Xiao Yan truly is. No matter what success I achieve—I could cease to be a researcher, I could lose everything I have now—but if you fail to keep your promise to me, I will drop everything and hunt you down, no matter to what ends of the earth you flee!”

“Once given, my promise is always kept.”

“That is good to hear.” Xiao Yan took two steps back, smiling as he unfastened the collar of his military uniform. “I’ve never really cared much for sunrises; on the contrary, I’ve been captivated by sunsets since childhood. A sunrise is merely a beginning, whereas a sunset is a conclusion. How about we make love at sunset?”

The very next moment, Xiao Yan was pinned beneath his partner amidst the seawater; the surging tides and the collision of their bodies intertwined, yet through it all, Xiao Yan felt the warmth of his partner’s skin and the rhythm of his breath with even greater clarity.

It was a sensation unique in all the world—one that, no matter how vivid his imagination might be, he could never hope to replicate: the utterly authentic sensation that Hein alone could evoke within him.

The first human city established outside of Char—the capital—had finally reached completion after six months of design work and a full year of construction.

As Xiao Yan and Hein stood atop the city’s central monument, gazing out over the sprawling metropolis below, a troubling report arrived from the Presidential Palace: fewer than a thousand citizens had expressed a willingness to relocate from Char to this new city.

“Well, that is certainly disheartening news.” Lieutenant General Averil approached Xiao Yan from behind, a bottle of red wine in hand. Xiao Yan turned around, a look of amusement on his face. "Showing up with a bottle of red wine—that doesn't look like you're here to comfort me; it looks more like you're here to celebrate a success!"

"I *am* here to celebrate a success," Lieutenant General Averil said, sitting down beside Xiao Yan. "No matter what His Excellency the President says to the people, it carries no weight. Do you know why?"

"Because he’s a politician?"

"It’s not that every word a politician speaks is a lie; it’s because he isn't the one who brought all of this about."

"But I wasn't the one who brought all of this about, either. It was many people. Like Wynn, Liv, Mark—even Maya and Sharon—and, of course, your Casey and Jane."

"But you were the one who developed the Sharon Virus, and you were the one who cut off Valentine’s head. You ought to offer your own personal assessment of this city."

Lieutenant General Averil slowly rose to his feet. As he exited the memorial plaza, he saw Casey sitting idly by the hatch of their airship, his legs dangling back and forth.

"Took you long enough!" Casey grumbled, looking displeased.

Averil placed his hand on Casey’s head. "Is that any way to speak to your father?"

Casey’s shoulders gave a slight twitch; he slapped Averil’s hand away. "Oh, spare me! Did you ever raise me? Did you ever teach me anything? Did you ever even treat me like your son?"

"From a biological standpoint, you are undeniably my son. That is a fact you cannot change." Lieutenant General Averil lowered the safety restraints, turning his head to look at Casey with an amused smile. "By the way, what day is your birthday?"

Casey huffily lowered his own safety restraints and retorted snappily, "How should I know? Why don't you go ask Valentine?"

"How about this?" Averil flicked a finger against Casey’s cheek. "Just for today, call me 'Dad.' I guarantee that even if I’m the worst father in the world, I’m still a hell of a lot better than Valentine Sheen. We can make today your birthday."

"Deal... Dad." Casey turned his head away, gazing out the window at the modern metropolis that looked like a veritable paradise; from the nape of his neck to the tips of his ears, he was blushing a deep, fiery red.

Averil lowered his head, a deep, knowing smile playing upon his lips. At the very top of the monument, Xiao Yan took the red wine that Aivel had brought and remarked with feigned regret, "Never mind the lack of a fine steak—there aren't even any wine glasses... Is Aivel expecting us to drink straight from the bottle?"

Hein calmly took the bottle, used his dagger to pry open the cork, and took the first sip.

"Hey, how does it taste?" Xiao Yan leaned in with an amused grin. "It hasn't even had a chance to breathe yet."

Hein suddenly turned his head and captured Xiao Yan’s lips; the red wine flowed from his tongue into Xiao Yan’s mouth. In that instant, Xiao Yan instinctively hunched his shoulders, gazing in astonishment at Hein’s downcast eyes.

"How do *you* think it tastes?" The breeze ruffled Hein’s hair, and in that moment, Xiao Yan’s heart began to pound wildly.

Damn it! If anyone ever dared to claim that Colonel Burton lacked romantic flair again, Xiao Yan would personally go and beat the living daylights out of them!

"You and red wine make a perfect match. Give me another sip!" Grinning foolishly, Xiao Yan held the bottle out to Hein once more. As Hein reached for the bottle, Xiao Yan seemed to recall something and asked with sudden seriousness, "Hey, I heard you turned down the Military Department’s promotion offers three times! Why? You’ve earned it."

"Sooner or later, you’ll be promoted to Major General, Lieutenant General, or perhaps even General someday."

Xiao Yan laughed. "I get it now. If you became a Major General, you wouldn't be able to stay by my side every day like you do now."

"Unless, of course, you’ve grown tired of me."

"I don't know about anyone else, but I’ll never get tired of red wine—or Hein Burton." Xiao Yan raised the bottle, took a large mouthful, and mischievously transferred it all straight into Hein’s mouth.

For the first time, Hein bent over and began coughing violently.

"Now do you realize there are at least two things in your world that you simply can't handle?" Xiao Yan patted Hein’s shoulder triumphantly. "Coughing... and the act of loving me."

"Don't get too cocky, Colonel!" Hein suddenly seized Xiao Yan’s wrists and pinned him down beneath his own body. Xiao Yan laughed heartily, lifting his knee and deliberately letting it slide across Hein’s waist. "Not a Colonel—a Major General."

"In that case... I’m going to take you, Major General."

Before Xiao Yan could utter another word, Hein’s kiss overwhelmed everything else.

Two weeks later, Char held a simple yet solemn investiture ceremony for Xiao Yan.

Before stepping up to the podium, Xiao Yan turned to look at Hein and asked, with a hint of nervousness, "How do I look?"

Hein adjusted his collar, ensuring there wasn't a single crease, and replied in an incredibly steady voice, "Perfect."

Xiao Yan ascended the podium and took the oath of office as a Major General of the Central Academy of Sciences; he was engulfed by a wave of applause.

The President ceded the floor to Xiao Yan, who let out a steadying breath and began to speak—calmly and clearly. “I know that many of you still harbor doubts about the world outside. Yet, we have triumphed over the Comet Virus; we have defeated the Surge. There is no longer any reason to fear the world beyond these walls. You have all been inoculated with ‘Sharon’; to the zombies, you are now effectively invisible. My companions and I have built a city together—right there, on the surface. It is a city without a dome. My beloved and I sat atop a mountain peak, gazing out over nearly the entire metropolis; the wind swept over our heads, carrying with it the scent of boundless open space. I knew that even if I stood tall and stretched my arms toward the heavens, the sky would still remain vast and distant. Just as I was on the verge of drifting off to sleep on that mountaintop, my friend Maya told me he was opening a coffeehouse in the city below. The location, the decor, and the roasting equipment were all ready; he invited my beloved and me to come have a cup. To be honest, I am not much of a coffee drinker, but I went anyway. We were only halfway there when the sky suddenly opened up; we were drenched to the bone. When we finally arrived at Maya’s coffeehouse, dear Maya was already waiting for us, having brewed a batch of exquisite coffee. I felt a chill run through me, but as I cradled the coffee cup in my hands and took the first sip of that dark liquid—which I had always imagined to be bitter and harsh—it proved to be far more aromatic and warming than I had ever anticipated. The water had yet to dry from my clothes, yet as I sat there, holding that cup and gazing out the window at the gentle patter of the rain, it sounded like a symphony—now near, now distant. And right there beside me sat the person I loved most in the world, listening with me to the voice of this new world. I cannot make you any promises, for the world outside—whether bathed in sunshine or shrouded in rain—is something entirely beyond our control. But ask yourselves: are you truly content to remain forever satisfied with the system-generated daylight, the mass-produced, identical flowers, and a sky that presses down upon you, always just an arm’s reach away? My companions and I have merely constructed the lifeless framework—the buildings, the transportation networks, the water purification systems. It is up to *you* to breathe life into this place and make it a true city. Today, I stand before you to extend an invitation: who among you is willing to join me in venturing out into the world beyond—to embrace the ‘unpredictability’ that Nature has bestowed upon us?”

Xiao Yan raised his hand.

Whether in the Central Plaza or before the countless holographic screens scattered across the city, millions of citizens looked on with bated breath. Xiao Yan’s breath caught in his throat, met only by a profound silence.

Then, from within the crowd, someone raised a hand in response to his invitation. Xiao Yan followed the direction of that hand and saw a fair-complexioned man smiling with an air of utter ease—his features exuding a free-spirited, uninhibited grace, highlighted by the mole at the corner of his eye.

The anxiety and bewilderment that had shrouded the populace suddenly dissipated; countless others followed suit, raising their hands as well. Just as the man’s smiling face was about to be swallowed up by the sea of ​​upraised arms, he pressed his fingers to his lips; blowing a distant kiss, he quietly slipped away.

Xiao Yan could not help but let out a smile of relief.

On this day, humanity broke free from its cage.