Cold, logical data streams surged silently through the depths of his consciousness, analyzing the situation before him: This refuge, known as "Firefly," was loosely structured but maintained a basic order (the prestige of Scarface and Thorny Vine); resources were extremely scarce (simple housing, limited planting); the inhabitants were primarily elderly, weak, women, and children, with low combat effectiveness (relying on a few disabled young men); and they harbored a deep fear and hatred of the "Scavengers" (corporate forces). Accepting us would carry enormous risks (exposing our position, depleting resources, and potentially attracting powerful enemies), but the potential rewards were equally enormous—we possessed combat power they lacked, technical knowledge (even if it remained), and understanding of the "Scavengers" and the forces behind them. This was a game of survival within the ruins.
I took a step forward, calmly meeting Scarface's scrutinizing gaze. Without attempting to explain or plead, my voice was low and direct, as if stating a fact: "We can fight. We have intelligence you don't. About the 'chaos' up there, about the true master behind the 'mad dogs' chasing you." I paused deliberately, emphasizing, "'Raven.'"
"Raven?" Scarface's brow furrowed sharply, a flicker of doubt in his eyes, followed by a deeper sense of disbelief. This name clearly touched upon a blind spot in his understanding, but it also meant we possessed crucial information they didn't. A slight commotion rose in the crowd behind him.
"In exchange," I pointed at Leah and the battered but still valuable combat gear we carried in this devastated environment, "we need a safe place, some clean water, and... a chance to live." My eyes swept over Thorny Vine. "Her medicine is working. We need more."
Scarface's gaze lingered on me for a long moment, as if assessing the truth and value of my words. Finally, he snorted heavily, slamming the shovel in his hand to the ground with a thud, signaling a decision.
"Innermost! Near the exhaust vent! Clean up!" His tone was still stiff and reluctant, but he pointed to a relatively isolated corner at the deepest end of the space, near a huge rusty pipe. "Go get your water from the 'Water Condensation Wall'! Rules, 'Thorn Vine' tells you! Stay out of the way! Don't cause trouble!" He glared at us, especially the wrench and the hook, warningly. "Otherwise, don't blame me for being so unrecognizable with my shovel!" With that, he ignored us, turned towards the crowd, and began whispering to disperse the onlookers and maintain order.
The tense atmosphere finally eased a bit. Thorn Vine nodded, signaling us to follow. Wrench immediately picked up Leah, with the nurse following closely beside him. Under the gaze of dozens of still wary and curious eyes, we walked towards our temporary corner, nestled beneath the vast ruins and amidst the faint glow of fireflies.
After settling Leah down, the nurse immediately began treating her wounds with the herbs provided by Thornvine. Wrench, like a dragon guarding treasure, remained close by. Hook, Peregrine, and the others quietly began to organize our remaining supplies, check their weapons, and construct a makeshift defense for this small corner.
I sat down against a thick, cold, rusted pipe, exhaustion washing over me like a tide. The strange, cold feeling in the culvert, Leah's life-or-death struggle, the tenuous order beneath the ruins, the ever-present shadow of the Raven... countless fragments of information clashed in my chaotic thoughts.
Just then, a small figure, carrying an old bowl with a chipped edge, cautiously approached. It was "beans." The bowl was half filled with murky but still clear water.
"Here...here..." He handed the bowl to me, his large eyes flickering in the dim light, with a hint of curiosity and lingering timidity. "The water from the 'Water Condensation Wall'...is clean..."
I looked at his dirty little face and those pure eyes, and the cold haze in my heart, which was troubled by "heritage" and "oasis", seemed to be diluted a little by this bowl of turbid water. I reached out and wanted to take the bowl.
Just as my fingertips were about to touch the rough edge of the bowl—
Buzz!
A familiar, cold, and absolutely rational stream of data once again swept through his consciousness without warning! His vision shifted instantly! The "Bean" before him was no longer the timid child delivering water, but a rapidly refreshing stream of analytical data! [Target: Minor Human Individual (Tentative Designation: 'Bean'). Health Status: Moderate Malnutrition (Protein/Vitamin Deficiency); Immune Level: Low (Risk of Multiple Parasitic Infections); Survival Value Assessment: Low (No Direct Combat/Production Skills); Emotional Dependence: High (Towards 'Thornvine'/'Scarface'); Potential Risk: Possible Location Leakage (Probability: 37.2%); Logical Recommendation: Maintain Distance, Resource Allocation: Minimum...]
"Get out of here!"
A cold, harsh, metallic growl burst out of me completely uncontrollably! It wasn't loud, but it was like a stone smashed into calm water, instantly freezing the atmosphere around me!
Douzi shuddered with fear, and the bowl in his hands fell to the ground with a clatter, spilling the muddy water everywhere. He looked at me in horror, his big eyes instantly filling with tears, his face pale as if he had been stared at by the most ferocious beast. He took a few steps back, turned around and ran, hiding in the shadows behind a distant shipping container, only a pair of fearful eyes peeking over.
Not far away, Wrench, Hook, the nurse, and even Peregrine and Matrix, who were sorting things, stopped in shock and looked at me in disbelief. They had never heard me speak in such a cold, inhuman tone.
"Boss? What's wrong with you?" Wrench asked in a rough voice, frowning.
I slammed my eyes shut, forcibly suppressing the cold torrent of data and the relentless assessments emanating from the depths of my consciousness. My heart raced in my chest, not from emotion, but from a profound sense of dread and loss of control, rooted in existence itself! That cold command…it was trying to take over my actions! It was rejecting…humanity?
"It's okay." I opened my eyes again, my voice back to its usual calm, but only I knew what a turbulent undercurrent lay beneath that calm. I bent down and silently picked up the broken bowl that had fallen to the ground. The notch on the rim of the bowl was like a mouth that silently mocked me.
"Just now... a little tired." I explained in a low voice, placing the broken bowl beside me. My eyes swept across the shadows where Douzi was hiding, across the still-confused eyes of my companions, and finally settled on my slightly trembling fingertips.
Beneath the ruins, new "fireflies" are swaying, bringing a hint of order and warmth.
And within me, another war for "order," a cold tearing of code and humanity, has just begun its bloody prelude. Lu Chen's "Data Heart" is becoming his greatest battlefield.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com