OBLIVIOUS

Chapter 19

Whatever I was thinking about the real reason behind our existence, this was not it. I wouldn't have thought that we were actually 'modified' versions of humans and that the goal for us was to 'breed' with ordinary humans to produce offsprings that are stronger and resistant to whatever this Halosphere was. Everything that Bridgette had revealed to us doesn't even sound real.

"The world must have been in a sorry state for quite some time then. For this Wold Government thing to go this far, letting your boss make modified humans just so the future generations could resist the toxic gas, we must be in a real end-of-the-world situation. How catastrophic does the rest of the world look like now? Are there even enough people left out there? If this Halosphere can kill people in minutes, then surely a portion of the population had been wiped out?" I asked sincerely, now that I thought about it.

"That's a good reflection right there," Bridgette complimented. "You are correct. Ever since the mutations started and the Halosphere was formed, a lot of communities and even whole countries got wiped out. A lot of people died. A lot of places became ruins. And a lot of communities disappeared. No one was prepared for what happened. That's why it was estimated that three-fourths of the entire human population got wiped out in just a span of twenty years--- the first twenty years of the Invasion to be exact."

"Three-fourths," I repeated what she said. "That is a lot. And what happened to the survivors?"

"The lucky ones who managed to escape to safer places, or those who just lived far away from the concentration of the Halosphere and the mutated animals formed their own communities. Those who figured out what was happening build defenses and remedies to the current problems, but that still it wasn't enough. As we need food from animals and plants we have to live close to them, but then they are also the problem now. Most of the crops became poisonous or became animal-like in a way, making them inedible. Even the water changed, and people had to purify it before it can be consumed safely. It was the start of tough times, and you wouldn't have lived if you were born in that period. It's easier now because humans had gathered together and find ways to survive."

"So you're saying that we're lucky to be here rather than to be normal people?"

"In a way, yes. Because just think of it. Back then we had no concrete plans and solutions to the pile of problems we were facing. We were literally facing extinction. What we had back then were just remedies and not solutions."

"And now this is the answer?" Baron suddenly asked, but rather sarcastically. "Experimenting on us was the solution? treating us like animals is the answer to this whole situation?"

"You were already dying in the first place. What are you complaining about?" Bridgette snapped too. "Most people are not as lucky as you. Do you know how many people would have wanted to take your place just so they can resist the poison in their bodies the way you do? What you have is a gift. Your mutation is a blessing. That's why you have to stop this madness of yours and just go back to the Hive as soon as possible. Don't make it harder than it already is for us. You don't know what it cost just to wake you up."

"Wake us up? What does that mean?"

"The disease called Delirion that infected you had taken over your whole body that it put you on a comatose. Most of those who went into comatose don't ever wake up again, just so you know. The probability of someone infected with Delirion to wake up is incredibly low. Below one percent. Of hundreds of infected people, thirty of you were lucky enough to mutate in such a way that your bodies evolved to tolerate the bacteria that lives in you. Those who have woken up are the ones who successfully tolerated the mutation in their bodies, and it isn't possible if it weren't for the genius scientist that is Madame Robertha Espionage."

"Is that the reason why we can't remember a thing from our past?" I asked before Baron could start a full-blown word war with Bridgette as he looked ready for a counterargument. "Do you know who we are before we got infected?"

"How would I know about your identities?" Bridgette answered, which to me was hard to believe especially that she looked away when she said that. "I repeat, I'm just a nutritionist here. I only know you from your names the Hive had given you as a codename."

"I don't believe you," Baron said before I could even process my thoughts about that statement of this woman. "With the amount of effort you put on catching us, you should at least have an idea of who we are and why are we so important in your research."

Bridgette looked flabbergasted. "Because you are our future! Of course, we would do our best just to get you back!"

"You are lying. I know for a fact that you had already given up on me. You were already fine with me getting killed, in case you've forgotten about that already. But it's different when it comes to Axis. You are very careful when it comes to him. Why is that?"

"I don't know what you are saying."

"You know what I am trying to say."

"Okay, okay, I guess I can't win against you right?" Bridgette looked defeated but she was smiling. "Fine. Madame Robertha had decided to just let you go."

"Why?"

"Because you have a very rebellious nature, and to Madame Robertha that's like cutting off further losses."

"Was it not because I took Axis away from you?"

"Well, that was the last straw, I guess," Bridgette admitted. "Madame Robertha was afraid you would keep coming back to try 'rescue' the other GMO-SS. That's why she decided to just kill you."

"But it's different now, right?" I butted in. "Because your Madame Robertha wanted to capture Baron alive again. I heard her loud and clear."

"Maybe that's because he can use his acquired ability now. I don't exactly know what goes on her mind lately, but I think that my hunch is right. She had deemed it just right to spare your life after what you showed us."

"She is an interesting person for a scientist," Baron added, with a tone of mockery. "One day she decides to just kill just because he acts rebellious, which is a very normal reaction of a confused patient that just woke up, and then the next day she decides that she'll spare his life because she saw him do incredible things. Imagine, what if I am actually the key to the cure, and that I just haven't shown it yet but your boss had already decided to kill me."

"Baron's got a point," I seconded. "This Madame Robertha woman can't be a spontaneous decision-maker. That's not very scientist-like."

This caused Bridgette to cough, which to me was fishy. I know she's not telling us everything, but I just accuse ask her things that I have no basis in. That might anger her and then she'll possibly not talk to us anymore. I don't want that to happen, because I have a strong feeling that we still don't know everything that we need to know, especially with our identities.

"You over-analyze everything, boys," she finally said after that awkward pause. "There's a good reason for her actions. And if that makes you angry I can understand that. But remember, that woman is your savior---"

"I refuse to acknowledge her like that," Baron said fiercely. "I'll treat her as my captor because that's how we feel at the moment. Until she tells us exactly what we want to know, and if what she tells us satisfies me, then that's the only time that will change my mind."

"Do as you please, boys, but I tell you now, you got it all wrong. At least think twice before you do crazy things like climbing walls and trying to blow up all of us. You don't know what you are doing."

"Then tell me this so that at least we can consider if you are really trustworthy," I replied to her. "Where is Forte? And what kind of place is The Red Veil? What happens when we are sent there?"

Bridgette swallowed hard before replying, which to me was a sign of how trustworthy she is. "I'm surprised that you even know about The Red Veil," she said in a soft tone. "Everything about that place is beyond my jurisdiction, so I have no single clue about what it is about other than it's another facility, but on the next island."

"Next island?"

Bridgette nodded. "This island, the Blind Spot Island, is part of an archipelago. Then nearest island from here is that island called The Red Veil Island."

"And what about Forte? And Vista?"

"I already told you, Vista is still here. That Forte, however, should be on that island already. He was one of the first to be sent there."

"And that girl called Celeste. Why did you kill her? I will not believe you if you will tell me that she was rebellious like me, because I heard that she isn't. So tell me why did she have to die."

"Ah, that girl? Well, she developed a very dangerous ability. Everything she touches gets acquires a lethal skin allergy, a trait she got from certain species of frogs. She had caused us too much trouble too. In fact, at least ten of us had died from her ability."

"But she didn't want that to happen," Baron said sternly. "How can you kill someone who had no choice but to have an ability that she can't control? Why do you have to kill her?" I was shocked to witness Baron getting this emotional, but he was definitely right. Why on earth would they just kill someone because she was dangerous? And for that situation alone, she received a death sentence? Isn't it unfair?

"This is not a fictional tale that we are in boys, in which everything could be resolved peacefully and without sacrifices."

"Sacrifices? You just treat her as a sacrifice---?"

"Yes, sacrifices, because this is real life. This is how harsh reality can get. Take for example, if you encounter a venomous snake in the forest, what would you do?"

"I would try to avoid it as much as I can," I answered.

"But what if it attacks you?" Bridgette asked. "What if you can't avoid it? Would you just grapple it and defend yourself without hurting it? Knowing full well that it aims to kill you? No, because if you don't strike back it will kill you."

"You still have no right to just decide that a person should die---"

"This is how nature works! This is survival of the fittest! This is how you survive!" Bridgette was already yelling and I wanted to shut her up but she was relentless and emotional too. This is getting out of hand already but I can't do anything. I wanted this discussion to continue, because I wanted to get enlightened.

"Okay, since you think like that, how about I decide to kill you right now and then?" said Baron, who I think feels very sensitive and attached to the issue because he suffered from that harsh reality. He had been hunted down like an animal and at least I think he could accept that situation if not for me turning out to be someone that the White Shadows badly wanted unharmed. That made a mark on him and I can't blame him for that.

"Baron, calm down---"

"You have been trying to kill me so for me, you are very dangerous and I need to protect myself from harm, right? This is nature, so nature it is. I will just kill you before you can harm me further."

Bridgette's eyes widened with shock as Baron was dead serious with his sarcastic warning. "Y-You... I answered your queries, right? Why are you trying to kill me? I cooperated!"

"Baron---!" I was trying to stop her but Baron just silenced me with his hand, waving me off. That stopped me because I also became afraid of him.

"If you can do it to us, then why can't we do it to you?" he said to Bridgette who was already shaking with fear.

"No please, no! Alright! I'll tell you more things! I'll give you more valuable information! Just don't kill me! Promise you'll want to hear what I'm going to tell you! Just stop---!"

"Baron, calm down! She'll tell us something important!" I asked him. "We need every information that we can get! Remember our plan!" That cooled him down, and Bridgette took a deep sigh of relief as she just escaped her untimely death. I think Baron was planning to force-feed her the scales and the piece of the snake-like plant. That was a crazy way of killing someone, and even I got chills as if I was the one he was trying to kill.

"Okay, I'll hear you out. What are you going to tell us? You better tell us something good, because I'm itching for a good kill."

Bridgette gulped, then uttered what I heard as a whisper. "It's about y-your past..."