Ch.55Chapter 7. Ice Is No Less Than Fire (7)

The car sped along the highway. Clouds in the sky. Wastelands and roads on the ground. Us and silence in the car.

It felt just like returning to my regular barbershop.

The barber in my neighborhood was a man who only said “How would you like your hair cut?” and “All done.” He didn’t cut hair particularly well or charge less than others, but the fact that he didn’t make unnecessary small talk was enough to make me a regular.

But with this level of silence, even that taciturn barber might say something.

No animal in the world can endure excessive tension. It must be released somehow. That’s why Camilla beside me slightly shakes her leg, the imposing woman in front sips her drink bit by bit, and the man in the driver’s seat nervously picks his nose and blows it out with a “huff.”

Eventually, the woman sipping her alcohol broke the balance.

“Handsome man. You seem used to this situation?”

The imposing woman glanced in my direction. Camilla answered instead of me.

“Working on it in many ways.”

“I was asking the handsome man.”

In response to the woman’s question, the man in the driver’s seat answered this time.

“Right side, 4 o’clock direction.”

Instead of scolding him, the woman picked up her rifle. However, she didn’t release the safety or load it. At 4 o’clock to our right, about 400 meters away, a motorcycle was following us.

The woman opened the glove compartment, took out a small hand mirror, and waved it outside the window. Camilla’s eyes narrowed as she watched the motorcycle. Fortunately, the motorcycle gradually moved away.

“What was that just now?”

I asked after everyone had put down their rifles and a good while had passed.

“It came too close, so that was a warning that we’d shoot if it came any closer.”

Maintaining rifle range distance. Apparently, it’s an agreement among people traveling on the road.

At the point where the split highway merged, another car ahead of us also flashed its mirror. The driver slowed down and only increased speed again after the vehicle had shrunk to a small dot.

For some reason, I felt a bit uncomfortable. Camilla seemed to feel the same, clearing her throat and twisting her body slightly. But that was it.

Afterward, careful conversation flowed. We didn’t pry unnecessarily, and they didn’t try to probe. Too much information was uncomfortable for both sides.

We only shared just enough information needed to safely reach our destination in the human protection zone by driving this old car on the highway.

In terms of sharing only what was necessary, I was much more skilled than Camilla. Well, anyone would find it difficult to talk in a situation like Camilla’s, with her chest tightly bound with cloth.

Still, the scenery gradually changed. First, there were more abandoned and burned-out cars. We saw worn-out containers, tent villages reduced to rags, and sandbag fortifications with dried blood.

<Hampton City, 10km>

After passing the guide sign, we saw an eerie warning sign. It was a normal sign painted over with spray paint. ‘Immediate execution for refusing inspection.’ ‘Hampton is hell, turn back.’ ‘Repent before the goddess of hunger.’

Eventually, a toll booth appeared. There were over twenty lanes. Soldiers with rifles were positioned everywhere. The driver entered the lane with the shortest queue. The flag of the <14th National Military Police> fluttered.

The barrier rose, and the car slowly moved forward. The car stopped at the ‘stop’ sign, and everyone got out at the ‘turn off engine and exit vehicle’ signal. Leaving the guns in the car, slowly with both arms raised.

“Driver, open all car doors, trunk, and hood. The rest stand in front of the thermal camera. Execute.”

The soldiers didn’t search our bodies. This was the first checkpoint. It only asked whether we were zombies or not based on body temperature. After passing here, the second checkpoint for specific identification would appear.

Camilla and the brokers said they had already made all the preparations. So there shouldn’t be any problems once we passed this point. Driver passed. The imposing woman also passed. Next was Camilla.

“Wait.”

Like a professional, Camilla didn’t show any reaction. She just obediently and slowly stepped back. The soldiers looking at the monitor were shrugging their shoulders and laughing.

“Hey, frog.”

“Me?”

Camilla’s voice sounded like a boy going through puberty. A forced higher pitch between delicacy and thickness.

“Your chest is bigger than most women’s. Do you exercise or something? And stop sweating so much. You’re steaming like sous vide pork. And why are you carrying a knife? Pass.”

They seemed to think Camilla was an overweight man who lacked exercise.

I stood in front, wondering if they were checking for zombie eyes.

“Wait.”

The imposing woman burst out in complaint.

“What is it now?”

The one who appeared to be the senior officer answered.

“His temperature is high.”

“Maybe he’s aroused.”

“By you?”

“Why? Are you aroused too? Want to spread out here?”

“I’m the type who focuses only on work during duty hours.”

While they were arguing, an officer with a mustache approached. He had a pistol on his waist.

“What’s going on?”

“This guy’s temperature is high, sir. We were about to check if he was bitten.”

The officer looked at the monitor, then at me again.

“You there. Step back and stand in front of the camera again.”

Instead of taking off my clothes, I did as I was told. The officer stroked his mustache.

“37.7 degrees? That’s ambiguous.”

I looked behind me. Cars were starting to back up. Every face showed irritation.

The option of shooting all the soldiers and reversing the car seemed like one I should erase. Or if I could hit the grenade on the belt of the guy standing in front, I thought, planning scenarios when he asked.

“You there. Your name?”

I gave the pre-arranged alias.

“Caesar.”

“Everyone back in the vehicle.”

We closed the trunk and got back in the car. But only one of the double barriers at the exit opened. The farther one remained closed.

“What’s this? They’re not opening it?”

“Turn on your hazard lights and move to the quarantine room on the left. All of you. Make any funny moves and you die there. And you, toad, put down that knife you’re hiding. We’ll notify the inside too, so don’t get any ideas. Next, move!”

The soldiers all aimed their rifles at us. I picked up my rifle.

“Ah, these bastards are being difficult again.”

Hopelessly, the driver started the car with a vroom. The woman downed all her wine. She only let out a long burp, “Urgh.” The woman turned to look at us.

“You two, this isn’t your first time, right?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Usually people go crazy at this point. Then my beloved husband and I personally shoot them dead. You’ll be reported as zombies, and we’ll return with the reward money. But you’re surprisingly calm.”

Well, the dead don’t speak, and the shooter can just firmly insist “I thought they were zombies,” so it’s quite a convenient excuse.

“Really? You’re not going to shoot now?”

“No reason to. If you were really infected, blood splatter would mean we’d have to abandon the entire car. If it unfortunately splashed on me, I’d become a zombie too.”

“So you don’t mind not receiving the rest of the payment?”

Camilla warned from the back. The woman shrugged.

“It’ll be nothing. Just endure the naked search and let them draw some blood. You two are fine, right?”

“You’re more composed than I expected.”

The woman snorted at my question.

“We’re not first-timers. And Milan, leave the knife behind.”

Camilla took the knife from her chest and placed it on the seat.

* * * * *

We followed the soldiers into the isolation facility. It was called an isolation facility, but it was no different from a prison cell. A room for four with only two benches. Not even separated by gender.

The soldiers locked us up but never came close. They didn’t search our bodies or ask us to surrender everything we had.

They even personally attached ‘biohazard’ tape to the handles, doors, and trunk of the car we came in. There were quite a few cars abandoned like that in the parking lot.

Body temperature.

37.7 degrees. Normally, it would be considered a slight fever. But I don’t have body aches or headaches. I did sweat a bit because the car was hot and stuffy, but that’s all. Just a slight discomfort in my stomach.

…Discomfort in my stomach?

Strange. A sensation I haven’t felt in a while. Yes. My stomach feels a bit uncomfortable. Like when you’ve overeaten and food is sitting heavily in your stomach, it feels a bit bloated.

My hunger has subsided.

I thought it was just tension. Or maybe because I ate more stew than usual last night. But no matter what, even if Cybele Inc. didn’t include any of their food in the cooking, I always felt a bit hungry.

But now, even that is gone. Food doesn’t ‘appeal’ to me.

“Is this Hampton?”

The driver answered my question.

“That’s what it’s supposed to be.”

“A human protection zone.”

“That’s right.”

Beside me, Camilla was breathing heavily, huff, huff. She was sweating quite a bit too. The smell of canned mackerel grew stronger. She was playing her role well as a short, foul-smelling, overweight man.

But what if they ask her to take off her clothes? Then… well, we’d just have to kill everyone and leave. Somehow seize a gun and get out of here…

“Excuse me.”

A tall woman in a white gown and gas mask approached, pushing a cart. Next to her was a soldier in a CBRN suit, aiming his rifle at us.

“You need to stay seated there. Disobey and you get shot. I don’t want to see that. You don’t either, right? Let’s finish this quickly. We need to check for infection, so take off your clothes one by one. We’ll examine your body, do a blood test, and you can leave after staying for a day.”

I could hear Camilla breathing heavily. Sssip-huh. Sssip-huh. It seemed like clouds might form. I gently touched the back of Camilla’s hand.

“We’re busy people.”

The driver complained. The man in the gas mask and gown nodded.

“Yes. Yes. So is the Disease Control Agency.”

Disease Control Agency? I was surprised and looked at the woman’s gown. There really was an agency mark. Camilla, who was sitting next to me, stood up.

“…I’ll undress first.”

The driver and the imposing woman frowned simultaneously. They probably thought Camilla was a fat, smelly man.

But if she takes off her clothes now, her incredible figure will be revealed. A figure that could never be mistaken for a man’s.

The Disease Control Agency doctor and soldiers don’t matter. The problem is those brokers. If they find out that someone they thought was a man is actually a woman, they’ll definitely be suspicious.

Then I’ll be in danger too.

No choice. I didn’t want to use this, but… I gently pushed Camilla back and stepped forward. Carefully, I took off my top and flexed my muscles.

“Excuse me, but don’t you remember me?”

Everyone froze at my words. Even the soldier aiming the rifle blinked behind his mask. But the woman in the Disease Control Agency gown remained indifferent.

“I don’t know you. Who are you?”

Before taking off my pants, I carefully examined the woman’s gas mask. Of course, I couldn’t see her face through it. It was important just to give the impression that I was observing carefully.

“I’m sorry. I was mistaken. I thought you were the person I was introduced to when I was on a date with Cassandra last time.”

I could see blood vessels appearing in Camilla’s eyes. The brokers looked at us strangely.

But what’s important is the reaction of the Disease Control Agency person.

“…Cassandra?”

“Yes. That woman who refers to herself in the third person.”

“I know her. She works in the department next door. Everyone in the Disease Control Agency knows her. But you’re saying you’re her boyfriend?”

I could see the blood vessels in Camilla’s eyes. The brokers looked back and forth between me and the doctor, trying to understand the situation.

“Well. It’s a bit too early to say that… It’s hard to say after just one passionate date.”

I pretended to be a bit embarrassed and unnecessarily stroked my neck.

“Are you close with Cassandra? Oh, what am I thinking? I need to take this off, right?”

One chance.

I need to show this woman my ‘beauty’ and ‘masculinity.’ Enough that she’ll recall my ‘beauty’ every time she meets Cassandra or hears her name.

Behold. My allure.

I lifted my chin arrogantly, placed one hand on my waist, and grabbed my pants with the other. Moving just my thumb to undo the top button of my pants…

“Um, w-wait a minute! You really know Cassandra?”

The woman waved her hands, quite uncomfortable.

“As I said earlier, rather than ‘know,’ it might be more accurate to say ‘getting to know.’ Ahaha.”

Now, slightly twisting my waist, making what’s between my legs more visible…

“I, I need to make a phone call!”

What a shame. I didn’t even get to show “half” of my sincerity.