Ch.150Episode 8 – Say Hello To My Little Friend

# The Radio Crackles

The radio began to crackle. Static noise flowed from the speaker.

“What’s this? Why is it ringing again?”

The terrorist tapped the radio in confusion, muttering to himself.

“Who’s transmitting? Is it the broadcasting room guys? Where are they now?”

“They’re in the basement, talking to the police. I just checked on them and they were fine.”

While the confused terrorists murmured among themselves, the doctor who had carefully bandaged Suin’s wounds stood up, fidgeting with his blood-stained hands.

“What’s happening?”

“Ah, doctor. The radio suddenly started ringing…”

“The radio…?”

The middle-aged doctor pushed through the huddled group to examine the radio. It was one of the few radios they had acquired long ago from hunters, paying several times the price of a cigar.

Examining the radio as carefully as if handling an orchid, the doctor turned to a nearby terrorist and asked:

“Who else has radios?”

“Um… the broadcasting room guys have one, we have one… Oh! We also gave two to the guys who went outside earlier.”

“You only brought four?”

“They’re expensive items. Hunters rarely venture deep into the no-man’s land. We left the important stuff in the village.”

“Then where are the friends who went outside?”

“Obviously, they went to move the cargo…”

The rest of his words trailed off. The terrorist froze mid-sentence, and the other terrorists stared blankly at the radio with similar expressions.

The doctor, with an indescribable look on his face, slowly lowered his gaze to the radio.

Just then, an unfamiliar voice came through the radio.

-“…Ah, ah, broadcasting to all forces on standby in the network. A 415 situation has occurred at the department store on Frigis Street. Repeat. Unknown armed suspects are causing a disturbance at the department store on Frigis Street. Any personnel on standby, please respond.”

# Episode 8 – Say Hello To My Little Friend

When the suspicious male voice came through the radio, the terrorists broke into chaos.

“Who’s talking? Is that Victor? Sounds like him.”

“Victor is from Kiyen, you idiot. This guy is speaking Abas.”

“What’s this bastard saying? Does anyone here speak Abas?”

“I know a little. Everyone be quiet! I can’t hear the transmission!”

As the clustered terrorists each spoke up, the area quickly became crowded. Some whispered to those beside them, while others shouted for quiet.

Meanwhile, the radio transmission continued.

-“Damn it. If anyone can hear this, police or whoever, answer me!”

“……”

Amid the surrounding noise, the middle-aged doctor who had been quietly listening to the radio extended his hand.

The rowdy terrorists fell silent at once. Those who had been loudly arguing became quiet, and the terrorist who had been stumbling through translating the Abas language handed the radio to the doctor. Though no one said anything, they all knew what the doctor intended to do.

Taking the radio, the doctor broke the awkward silence and spoke. He asked a question in passable Abas pronunciation.

“Who is transmitting now? Identify yourself.”

The response was immediate.

-“Who are you?”

“We are guests visiting this department store.”

-“What? So you’re the terrorists.”

Mockery flowed from the radio. It was more like the unconscious muttering of someone who sensed trouble than actual mockery, but that didn’t matter.

After a brief silence at the sudden taunt, the doctor brought the radio closer.

“It might appear that way. Well, I’ve introduced myself, so it’s your turn. Who is the gentleman I’m speaking with?”

-“…I’m John, a detective from Rockford Police Department.”

Detective? A look of bewilderment flashed across the doctor’s eyes.

While the doctor was momentarily lost in thought, a terrorist who had been eavesdropping spoke up. Southern-accented Kiyen language flowed from his mouth.

“Doctor, what’s this guy saying?”

“He says he’s police.”

“Police? Oh shit, we’re screwed. Why is a cop here?!”

While the third-year no-man’s land terrorist was cursing, another terrorist who had been born and raised in the no-man’s land awkwardly raised his hand.

“Um… what’s police?”

“Like a sheriff. Government-affiliated rather than community-based.”

“A sheriff? Why… why is someone like that here?”

“That’s what we need to find out.”

After conversing with the terrorists in Kiyen, the doctor picked up the radio again.

“Alright. Let me ask a few things.”

The doctor closed his eyes briefly and composed himself. Then he recalled the casual talk his travel-loving professor used to share in every class.

“You said you’re from Rockford. I remember Rockford as a city in western Abas, with a port and beaches. Is that correct?”

-“That’s right.”

“You’ve come a long way. How did you end up at the department store at this hour today?”

-“…I came to buy a gift.”

“A gift for whom? A colleague? Or perhaps a girlfriend?”

-“…My fiancée.”

“Ah! An engagement! How romantic.”

The doctor let out a small exclamation.

Having been married once himself, he knew well what an engagement meant.

The middle-aged man recalled his wife, who was forced to divorce him and return to her family home as soon as his medical license was revoked. Though it had been well over a decade, he still worried that security forces might be circling around her and their child at night, looking for him who had disappeared.

After briefly indulging in nostalgia, the doctor returned to reality.

The doctor nodded to the crowd to indicate there was no problem.

“So you came shopping and got trapped. It seems we’ve inadvertently been rude. Were you buying an anniversary gift?”

-“Well, something like that.”

“What are your fiancée’s tastes?”

-“…She’s easy-going. She likes anything I give her. Doesn’t care much for expensive things.”

“She must love you very much.”

Just as the doctor was about to ask another question to the man on the other end of the radio:

“…It’s that bastard.”

A snow-white hand with distinct calluses grabbed the doctor’s hand holding the radio. It was Suin.

“The gun that Franz’s father left for Franz. That’s the voice of the guy who stole it. I remember it clearly.”

“……”

“Doctor, that guy killed Franz and took his gun. He also killed Vicente, Victor, and Yauhen.”

The fox Suin, called Morian, stared directly at the doctor with brown eyes reminiscent of a wheat field.

The doctor silently looked at Suin, then patted his shoulder with his thick hand in understanding.

“I understand, Morian. Get some rest.”

“This guy isn’t police. He’s definitely lying.”

“Hey, furball. What do you know? You didn’t even graduate from the academy before getting expelled for biting a teacher’s ear.”

“…Are you crazy, Marco? You want to die?”

Suin and one of the terrorists began to bicker. The terrorist with the rifle was afraid to approach the injured Suin despite being right in front of him, fearing his sharp fangs. Though his taunting mouth continued to run.

After teasing for a while, the terrorist named Marco approached Suin who had started to yelp suddenly, worried that his wounds might have opened, only to have his neck grabbed by Suin, causing him to flail his limbs.

While the terrorists gathered to watch the two performing their impromptu comedy with disapproval, one terrorist led the doctor away from the group.

“What should we do, doctor? If Morian is right, the guy you’re talking to is the one who killed our people.”

“…What do you think we should do? You’re one of the elders in the village, so tell me.”

“I know what you think, but… I don’t think the young ones will take it well if we let him live. Maybe not Victor, but Vicente and Franz had many friends…”

“So you’re suggesting we kill this person?”

“Yes.”

“That won’t do.”

The doctor firmly rejected the terrorist’s proposal.

“No matter if he killed our comrades, we shouldn’t kill people recklessly. Do you think killing is easy?”

“I agree with the doctor’s principle that innocent people shouldn’t be harmed, but this is different. He’s already killed six, no, seven of our people.”

“Still, we can’t.”

The terrorist looked at the doctor, licking his lips. But the doctor didn’t back down for a moment, looking directly into his eyes as he continued.

“What distinguishes animals from humans is rules. That’s the standard that separates us from them. Without them, we’re no different from animals, and thanks to those rules, we’ve survived in the no-man’s land for the past decade or more.”

“……”

“Isn’t that why we’re here now?”

“…Hah. Alright, doctor. I’ll try to convince the others.”

“Thank you. Really, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Waving his hand regretfully, the terrorist pushed through the crowd to separate Suin and the terrorist crawling on the floor. The doctor watched the terrorist’s retreating back, then sighed softly and spoke into the radio.

“Detective. Are you still there?”

-“Yes.”

“I had to discuss something with my friends. I apologize.”

-“Hey, even terrorists have friends, I see.”

“Everyone has friends. But there’s one thing I’d like to correct. You call me a terrorist, but we’re not actually terrorists.”

-“You barge into a department store and start shooting, and you have the nerve to say that. Fine. Then what are you? And why are you here?”

“We are, shall we say, a kind of petitioner. Petitioners who have come to protest to the Abas government.”

-“…Do petitioners come with guns these days? What kind of petitioner is that?”

The doctor spoke to the person on the other end of the radio.

“A few months ago, Abas Kingdom forces and Kiyen Imperial forces entered the no-man’s land and engaged in combat. It was a night when the crescent moon rose. As soon as the armies encountered each other, a gunfight broke out. Shortly after, a rain of shells fell from the sky, turning the area into a wasteland. The shells that fell then hit nearby civilian homes, killing people.”

-“……”

“I remember. The flares lighting up the night sky like daylight, the flashes gleaming in the darkness and the ear-splitting gunfire, and the moment a shell pierced through the roof of a house where a family was staying and exploded. And the soldiers who calmly left the scene despite witnessing all of it. I’ve never forgotten it for a moment.”

The doctor said.

“Yes, that could be seen as an accidental tragedy. Like stepping on a landmine, or being bitten by a monster. Such terribly unlucky disasters. But in the no-man’s land, that’s not all that happens.”

-“……”

“Over the past few years, various companies have ventured into the no-man’s land with adventurers. Mining, construction, agriculture, security… Their reasons differ, but their purposes are similar.”

Money.

Though their nationalities differ, a corporation is just a corporation. No matter how different the languages and cultures may be, there’s no one in the world who dislikes money. And whether it’s a government or a corporation, what operates it is not machines but people.

The doctor said.

“At first glance, there seems to be no reason for companies to be interested in the no-man’s land where monsters roam, but the Parabyte or Zerodium hidden underground, the fertile soil, the vast land—all are attractive to both governments and corporations. Moreover, how convenient is it that there are no landowners to claim ownership? There are even several places in the no-man’s land where facilities can be maintained stably because monsters don’t frequently roam there.”

-“……”

“Of course, there are people living there, but for corporations, such trivial matters are not an issue. They can just give them a pittance, scare them away with adventurers, or if necessary, push them out with the military. What matters is time. They need to make money as quickly as possible to satisfy shareholders who would make a fuss if stocks fall.”

The doctor’s tone was calm and composed, but it was so calm compared to the meaning behind his words that each word he uttered seemed strangely eerie.

But the doctor was not a person who was easily excited, so he continued speaking into the radio in a calm voice, as he had always done.

“For corporations, all of this might just be a profitable business, but it’s different for us. The moment we leave the relatively safe areas, we don’t know when we might be eaten by monsters.”

-“……”

“In short, it’s a matter of our right to survival. That’s why we’re here.”

After those words, a brief silence fell. It was short yet sufficiently long.

The first to break the silence was the man on the other end of the radio.

-“You’re from the no-man’s land?”

“Yes.”

-“You’ve come a long way.”

A small sigh was heard from the radio. Although the doctor was separated by the radio, he could sense a lot from that sigh. Perhaps this was an occupational habit developed from dealing with patients and people.

After the long sigh ended, as the sound of lips parting was heard, the man on the other end of the radio spoke.

-“Look. I understand what you mean. But I’m sorry, that’s not my concern. I’m not high-ranking enough to solve such problems. The same goes for the people held captive here.”

“I know. But the Abas government can solve this problem. Whether it’s corporations or the military, all groups operating in the no-man’s land are under government control.”

-“Even if that’s true for Abas… what about other countries? It’s not just Abas companies doing business in the no-man’s land.”

“Not only Abas people live in Abas territory. Coincidentally, there are foreign embassies gathered just two blocks away.”

-“The Abas government can’t dictate the activities of foreign governments. That would be interference in internal affairs.”

“That’s not your concern, but an issue for us to resolve with your government.”

The man on the other end of the radio made a proposal to the doctor.

-“If you want to negotiate with the government, why not release the hostages? From the looks of it, this won’t be resolved in a day. If you release a few hostages, the government might be more willing to talk with you.”

“Thanks for the advice, but it’s our decision, not yours.”

-“I’m not saying release all the hostages. Just some. Children, the elderly, patients—people who would struggle to survive outside even for a day.”

“We already discussed that with the government. We’ll release the hostages we choose, at the time we choose.”

-“Government…? Are you in contact with the outside…?”

For a moment, the doctor made an expression as if he had made a mistake. He had said too much.

The doctor was momentarily flustered but soon took a deep breath and calmed himself. He closed his eyes briefly, composed his voice, and then proposed into the radio.

“Yes. We are negotiating with the Abas government. That was our purpose from the beginning.”

-“……”

“Why don’t you come here? I heard you’re injured. As it happens, we have an injured friend on our side too, and we’re planning to bring in medical supplies when we release hostages. Wounds shouldn’t be left untreated for long.”

-“Me? Are you asking me to surrender? That’s crazy. Look, I’ve been shot. A piece of bandage won’t do. I need surgery at a hospital at the very least.”

“That’s fine. I was a doctor, you know.”

The doctor spoke into the radio in a gentle voice. In fact, he was indeed a doctor, so it wasn’t a lie.

While he was waiting for a response, the man on the other end of the radio suddenly asked a question.

-“Doctor…? You say you’re a doctor?”

“That’s right. I was once a doctor.”

-“Where did you practice? Tell me your specialty and workplace.”

“I specialized in emergency medicine at Sejonov Medical University. I worked as a doctor at the Imperial Hospital and served as a military doctor in the north for three years. Although much time has passed, I treated many gunshot patients then, so I can still treat them adequately now. If I have the tools.”

-“…Sejonov. So you were from the Empire. A graduate of the Imperial University becoming a terrorist in the no-man’s land. What a tragic life. No wonder your pronunciation seemed off.”

The doctor laughed at the response from the radio.

“Isn’t that just how life is? Since you know about Sejonov, I think you’ve answered sufficiently. So, have you made your decision?”

-“Doctor. I killed your comrades. Do you think I can survive by surrendering to you?”

“People always die. Especially in a world like today’s, it’s inevitable. Death is not something humans can avoid.”

-“……”

“But I am a doctor, and a person who knows etiquette. I won’t harm you. I promise.”

-“…How can I believe that?”

“In my homeland, there’s a saying. Do you speak Kiyen?”

-“…No.”

“After a fight ends, one cannot swing their fist. It’s a proverb meaning that even if you want to correct something that’s already over, it’s impossible.”

-“……”

“I don’t want to harm you. And you have no reason to bleed either. I understand your feelings as a police officer, but isn’t there someone waiting for you to return safely outside?”

-“……”

“I believe you’re wise enough to understand what I mean.”

The doctor removed his mouth from the radio and waited calmly.

While waiting for an answer, the doctor spoke to the terrorists surrounding him.

“Bring this detective here. Alive.”

“…Doctor, do we really have to?”

“Of course we do. We are civilized people, not barbarians. And there’s nothing to gain by losing more people here.”

The doctor checked the radio, ignoring the sour expressions of the terrorists. There was still no answer.

After waiting a long time for a response, he spoke first, wondering if there might be a problem.

“Detective. Are you still there?”

-“Yes. I’m here.”

“Good. So there’s no problem. Have you decided? Let me hear your answer now.”

The doctor finished speaking, awaiting a positive response. The surrounding terrorists also waited for the answer from the radio.

After a brief silence.

The man on the other end of the radio answered.

-“Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.”

*

-Click.

I ended the transmission and leaned back in my chair. Then I reached out and stopped the recorder that had been diligently recording the conversation.

“…Phew.”

I let out a sigh as if releasing a breath I’d been holding, and smiled at the group huddled around the table listening intently to the radio.

“Good. I think we’ve found out pretty much everything we can.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“Why are you all looking at me like that?”

“Well, Die Hard is a masterpiece, but openly cursing is a bit…”