Ch.138Chapter 18. Trust (8)

A few days later.

Cassandra prepared a ‘meal’ for the zombies. She mixed food waste with virus culture medium in a plastic container the size of a side dish box.

The Kro virus that ‘turns living organisms into zombies’ is different from the ‘hunger-inducing’ Limos virus.

When Limos has no organic matter to infiltrate, it covers itself with spores, suspends activity, and waits for an opportunity. But the Kro virus can’t endure as long as Limos.

So Cassandra had asked for “moist food rich in protein and fat to help the virus survive longer,” and Johan and Camilla enthusiastically recommended Cybele Company’s “beef stew with tomato puree.” Their reason was that “it smells fishy like seafood.”

Mixed with vegetable scraps and spoiled preserved food, it made quite a substantial amount. Enough for about two meals per zombie out there.

“Phew.”

The sealed warehouse was stifling hot, and the protective suit stuck to her skin. Sweat ran down her forehead and stung her eyes, but she couldn’t remove her gas mask to wipe it away.

The sealed warehouse was filled with Kro virus. Even though its activity had been reduced, with such high bacterial density, acute mutations could occur even for someone like Cassandra.

“Huff. Huff.”

Various parts of her body felt damp and itchy. The sticky feeling of her flesh clinging to itself was annoying. Cassandra endured patiently as she sealed the contaminated food container with plastic wrap.

Done.

Cassandra immediately opened the window. She turned on the ventilation fan connected to a rechargeable battery to circulate the air. The hot wind blew in, but it wasn’t as stifling as before.

She picked up the contaminated food containers and moved them one by one into the pickup truck’s trunk. With each step, her body made squelching sounds. The sweat pooled between her breasts felt particularly uncomfortable.

‘I want to take this off quickly.’

She had thoroughly frightened the others, saying, “The virus could spread inside the building, so gather on the roof, but don’t stand at the railing. You don’t want to inhale viruses carried up by the wind.” After all, the Kro virus couldn’t be transmitted through air, only through droplets.

Just to be sure, she glanced up at the building’s roof. Not a single gun barrel in sight. Cassandra was satisfied. She walked toward the screen at the corner of the building. A sponge, water mixed with disinfectant, and a sunbed were prepared.

First, she meticulously wiped down her protective suit with a disinfectant-soaked sponge. For the unreachable back area, she soaked the sponge in water, placed it on her nape, and slowly ran it down from her shoulders. Hoping the flowing water would sterilize everything.

‘Is there really no one up there?’

After checking one last time, Cassandra slowly removed her protective suit and tossed it aside. She wore nothing underneath. Though she felt somewhat self-conscious, she had no choice.

If this were a place with proper sterilization rooms and shower facilities, there would be no need for all this. But here, there was only a simple shower. She couldn’t wash in a communal space while covered in bacteria.

So her chosen option was UV disinfection.

She slowly poured clean water over her body. The day was so hot that the water was lukewarm rather than cool, but it was enough to wash away the uncomfortable sweat. She dried herself thoroughly with a dry towel and applied sunscreen all over her body. She glanced up at the building’s roof again, but still saw nothing unusual.

The sunbed was also heated, so she poured the remaining water over it. Cassandra lay down quietly. Though she was under the screen and the sun had moved slightly to the side, so it wasn’t blinding, she still kept her eyes tightly closed.

Hot wind blew, drying every inch of her body cleanly. It felt good. Just like when Johan touched her.

‘…What am I thinking?’

She wasn’t in that deep a relationship with Johan yet. Moreover, he seemed quite close with Camilla. Though she felt inexplicably wronged, she had thought it wasn’t a big deal.

But now with the new woman’s arrival, her feelings had become more complicated. Of all people, he had brought in a soldier from the National Gendarmerie. And it seemed like he had gone even deeper with her than… perhaps even deeper than with Camilla.

‘What about me?’

The idea of forming a relationship with someone frightened Cassandra. She didn’t know. She had no idea what such relationships were like. Before meeting Johan and Camilla, she barely even understood what friendship was.

‘Friends.’

It was fun being with them. Even watching the two of them bicker, though she didn’t show it, was enjoyable. But sometimes, when she was alone with Johan, she felt like she wanted to pour everything out.

‘Desire…?’

A vague concept came to mind, but Cassandra shook her head. This wasn’t a relaxed enough situation to be thinking about such things.

‘But Johan, and the other women, they fulfill it just fine. What about me?’

…I’m fat and ugly. Cassandra’s heart sank. With breasts so large they’re just in the way. Johan surely wouldn’t like me either.

‘…I’ll just be content with this much. Anything more is too complicated. The rest can wait until all this is over.’

The brilliant sunlight shattered across her body.

* * * * *

On the rooftop.

Camilla, Leticia, and I came up with a map and a can of beer each. The beer was quite cool as it had been kept in Cassandra’s research refrigerator. Of course, we didn’t forget to wash the cans thoroughly before opening them.

We needed to decide ‘where to go.’ The three of us knew quite a few places. So I expected that by exchanging our opinions, we could come up with a plausible alternative.

“How about here? It was used as one of the Central Liberation Army’s bunkers…”

“That place was raided long ago, miss.”

“Then what about here?”

Camilla pointed to a mountainous area. Leticia glanced at me while fiddling with her mobile phone. Asking if she could search it. I nodded.

“Hmm… that place has already been cleared by the National Gendarmerie. Detachment 113? Anyway, they’ve been there and gone. More than six months ago.”

“Then I don’t know any more places. Instead of just criticizing, why don’t you suggest somewhere!”

Camilla removed her hand and glared at Leticia. Indeed, ideals are just ideals after all.

“Shall I? Alright. Here. Here, and here.”

Leticia promptly drew circles on the map. They were all near main roads and away from villages. Camilla made a thoughtful sound, tapping her cheek with her finger.

“…What’s at these places?”

“These are military facilities.”

I answered before Leticia could. Both Leticia and Camilla looked at me with surprised eyes.

“An independent company barracks, this was a checkpoint, I think? And this one was some kind of supply warehouse, ammunition maybe?”

“…No. Fuel. It was closed before the zombie outbreak. How did you know all this?”

“Before that, could you tell me why you’re recommending military bases, Leticia?”

I hope she’s not thinking something strange. Leticia explained in a serious tone.

“These military facilities were emptied when the unprotected zones were established. So they’re likely to be very clean. And such places are well-equipped with defensive installations against external intrusions. Who was it that was so keen on blowing things up?”

Leticia muttered teasingly at Camilla. Provoked, Camilla didn’t stay quiet.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You people wouldn’t listen to words. Innocent citizens and their families, forcibly taken away, starved, beaten, and made to write false confessions!”

“Ah, so all those people killed by your improvised bombs were guilty ones? There were no accidental bombings at all?”

“Why you!”

Camilla tried to lunge at Leticia. I quickly stepped between the two women.

“Hey, why don’t you two just put on boxing gloves and fight it out?”

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Next time we go to the shopping center, I need to stock up on gloves. I’m going to kick that oversized butt of hers.”

Camilla growled, but Leticia remained smooth.

“The more I look at you, the more I feel it. You have such a pretty face. Makes me jealous. If I flatten that nose of yours, you might be more to my liking.”

“Instead of worrying about my nose, why don’t you take care of your sagging skin!”

“Hey! You’ve gone too far!”

The two women lunged at each other as if words were no longer necessary. It wasn’t just a simple lunge; they raised their guards and collided bodily.

As Leticia tried to sweep Camilla’s ankle, Camilla slightly rolled her foot and jumped. She extended her fist with her weight behind it in mid-air. Leticia blocked with her left arm and extended her right. It was a textbook straight punch, twisting her waist as she extended.

“Stop!”

I flipped Leticia’s right arm upward. “Eek?” My left hand stretched toward Camilla. “Ouch!” Unintentionally, I squashed her breast. Camilla crouched down, clutching her chest. It seemed quite painful.

“I’ll kill you!”

Leticia tried to shake me off. Pretending to misstep, I skillfully hooked her back leg, disrupting her center of gravity. Leticia, who had unconsciously stepped backward, finally reached the corner. Camilla was approaching, growling.

“Wait, look over there!”

I turned Leticia toward the corner and blocked Camilla’s path.

“Get out of my way.”

Camilla took a textbook stance. The kind of ready position often seen in fighting games.

“I’m going to settle this today. Either someone’s teeth get broken, or my nose gets flattened. Hey, where are you looking? I’m right here!”

The latter part was directed at Leticia. This is awkward. I’m pushing Leticia back with my body, but if she just slips out to the side and lunges at Camilla…

“Where are you looking! What, are you scared?”

Camilla’s neck made a sound like dinosaur bones cracking. But Leticia, who was back-to-back with me, wasn’t moving at all. Feeling something was off, I turned around.

Leticia was looking down.

With wide eyes and a slightly open mouth.

“…Wow.”

What is she looking at?

Camilla, sensing something was wrong, raised an eyebrow. Tilting her head slightly as if to say ‘I’ll go check,’ she followed Leticia’s gaze downward.

And then she couldn’t take her eyes off it either.

We couldn’t see everything. A translucent screen was covering it. But that made it, how should I say, almost like see-through.

“Wow.”

It’s the first time seeing it under such bright sunlight.

“What on earth is it?”

Camilla muttered as she approached my side. She seemed to be glancing at Leticia, but seeing that Leticia wasn’t moving, she too looked down.

“…Oh my.”

Camilla covered her mouth and stepped back.

“…I knew they were big, but. No, more importantly. What on earth is she doing? Was Cassandra into that kind of thing?”

“…She did mention disinfecting in the sunlight. I thought she was just talking about clothes.”

“I’m jealous.”

Leticia couldn’t continue. She finally tore her eyes away and stepped back. All three of us were silent. We felt solemn, as if we had seen something we shouldn’t have.

“…Let’s have the meeting.”

“Yeah.”

“Sorry.”

In truth, if we had known what would happen a few days later, we wouldn’t have fought like this.