Ch.74Work Record #014 – Unqualified Slaughter (1)

Reason and emotion, even instinct, can sometimes be capricious, but madness alone is always consistent. It is that terrible consistency that makes such obsession be called madness.

So I could trust only the madness of Mr. Günter, who first coined the phrase “efficiency is good and inefficiency is evil”—not something he learned, but a principle he created after deep contemplation and deliberation, that inhuman creed.

There would be no more betrayal. That alone was enough. Everything relates to efficiency and speed. There is only one command: Take the wheel. Accelerate. Faster. Even faster. There is no speed limit.

But I couldn’t fully surrender my mind to that command. Nightwatch must be in an anxious state now. One colleague had disappeared without knowing whether they were alive or dead, with only minimal contact established.

They would be worried that my actions might be against Belwether’s interests, possibly causing us to lose our status as an official partner company… There would definitely be a reduction in efficiency due to psychological factors.

I wanted to let them know I was alive. That I was perfectly fine and following what was most righteous among Belwether’s pursuits. I had to.

The HR representative handed me new equipment. One carbine—Belwether firearms with some Fitts & Morrison attachments mixed in—customized exactly like the one I used to carry.

It was a natural precaution, as the Chairman’s involvement shouldn’t be noticeable. I took it and checked the weight. It definitely felt lighter. The already minimal recoil would now be completely imperceptible.

And then, I was handed a Belwether standard-issue dagger, the same kind I had used to pierce Walter’s head. Mr. Herman raised his hand, lightly tapping his palm as he spoke.

“Neural circuitry has been implanted for wire functionality as well. Try activating it while holding it.”

I activated it with a light grip. It began to vibrate smoothly, like the multi-purpose blades attached to the forearms of Market Keepers or Shepherds’ enhancement suits. It would be useful for collecting heads. After confirming this, I tucked it at my waist.

Inside the gun case were a collapsible preservation tank and an injection-type preservation fluid container. There would be some inconvenience, but only a little. I didn’t want to be seen walking down the street carrying a brain jar.

“Equipment check complete. Could I borrow some disguise equipment as well? You said Nightwatch would have to manage on their own, but in the current situation, efficiency reduction due to psychological factors is inevitable.”

After putting the carbine in the gun case and organizing it, I continued speaking. It was just a repetition of movements I’d done countless times since middle school. Nothing had changed.

“If inefficiency is inevitable in such a situation, variables could exist. As long as there’s a colleague who came looking for me and witnessed the Chairman, that variable could be fatal. I will take care of it.”

Mr. Günter clicked his tongue in displeasure. This wasn’t what he wanted. What he wanted was simply to see me cleanly dismantle Belwether’s coup.

But this wasn’t something he disliked either. As long as there was a purpose—eliminating variables—rather than just wanting to see something, it was efficient work.

So it wasn’t serious displeasure. Mr. Günter answered like an old man grumbling at a grandson’s request that he was perfectly willing to grant.

“Young people these days know too well how to milk the elderly. Herman, give it to him.”

What Mr. Herman handed me was a helmet covered with a one-way display like a magic mirror. Posthuman Type IV can see through darkness, but not through displays.

I put it on. After connecting it to the computational assist device and filling the display with black as per default settings, my face wasn’t properly visible even in a mirror. It was similar to what Hollow Creek inquisitors wore.

It was inevitable that theirs would be cruder than what was used at Belwether’s frontlines. After finishing the settings, I gave Mr. Günter a short bow. As I lightly jumped out of the open trailer, something flew at me from behind.

I caught it with my hand without looking back. It was a key—not the house key in my pocket, but a bike key. Mr. Günter spoke warmly.

“Walking would make you conspicuous. Take this. Don’t worry, the procedure we did on your body costs more than thirty of these bikes. I expect maximum efficiency.”

He must have deliberately talked about productivity to appear like someone who had retired from Belwether long ago. After another short bow, I turned on my computational assist device, found the bike parked in a corner of the garage, and rode off.

Darkness is not night. The night of this late 21st century wasn’t that dark, filled with terrible light pollution. It was already almost two in the morning, yet the sky still had a deep purple tint mixed in.

It’s an era where you need blackout curtains and eye masks to barely enjoy darkness. So even the darkness cast over Belwether’s Los Angeles branch is just a blindfold someone put on. I rode toward downtown.

The branch wouldn’t think I’d healed my thigh in just one day. I should show myself hiding in the drug dealers’ streets, good for avoiding surveillance, then returning home. I accelerated.

I headed to the office, going around Farmers Corporation’s headquarters, which was designated as a restricted area. It was still working hours. Work would be winding down. I hid the bike behind the parking lot and found the back door to enter.

It was a fire emergency exit. I slowly climbed those stairs, lightly knocked on the partition wall where Ms. Nadia stayed, and whispered. I needed Ms. Nadia’s abnormally formed parts now.

“Ms. Nadia?”

“Mr. Arthur…?”

I heard her voice full of puzzlement. I naturally sat where the partition wall opened and removed my helmet. This was a place free from surveillance concerns—enough to hide a mutant.

I made a small joke. Soon the partition opened, and she, with an anxious heartbeat, slowly peeked out. She trembled slightly when she saw the voice module attached to my neck.

It was a component often used by Belwether’s assault corps. I apologized with a slight nod and zipped up my jacket all the way to cover it.

“I didn’t want more unauthorized absences piling up, so I came back. I’ll show my face briefly after everyone leaves, then go. Right now, I’m in a position where I need to hide where mutants hide.”

Ms. Nadia’s thin, pale fingers pointed at my neck, already covered by clothing. Overcoming her fear, she said:

“Because it’s an implant that Belwether assault corps uses… I’m sorry.”

“I should be the one apologizing. It’s been so long that I stuck my head in first without consideration. When will everyone arrive?”

Ms. Nadia quietly closed her eyes and began to focus on sounds and stimuli. Her abnormally formed heartbeat became temporarily more anxious.

“They’re almost here. I can hear the sound of Tina’s van. I’ll let you know when everyone comes in…”

“And please wish me luck not to get scolded too much by Senior Eve. I need about twice as much of that.”

After dismissing it with a light laugh, I stood up. I approached the wall of Tina’s night duty room and gently opened the door hidden by the wall, proceeding into that room. Shortly after, I too could hear the van stopping.

After that came ordinary noises. The sound of everyone climbing the office stairs together without a single person missing. I could distinguish individuals by their weight. That noise naturally gathered inside the company.

I heard blackout curtains being drawn. The sound of trivial conversation was heard only until the curtains were drawn, then ceased. I heard the office door connected to the reception room closing.

The trivial conversation that had been going back and forth until then stopped with the sound of the office door closing. Only then did I open the door of Tina’s night duty room and go out… my colleagues were there.

There wasn’t much time for conversation. Officially, I was a wanted criminal of Belwether Corporation—a fugitive wanted for killing two Legal Assassination Team agents and an assault department head, and attempting to murder Walter.

Just as I was about to say something, Eve approached with a fierce expression. Seeing her clenched fists, I considered whether I should dodge, but… Eve simply embraced me.

I lightly patted her back as she wrapped her arms around my neck with tense fists and arms. Due to our height difference, her toes slightly lifted off the ground when I stood straight, but she didn’t seem to mind.

As I smiled helplessly at Kay, who shrugged as if to say “what did I tell you,” I heard Eve’s voice muffling from within my embrace.

“You came because you have something to say… Go ahead. I just… need to stay like this for a bit.”

What should I say? In the end, Nightwatch was the place I would return to. But before that, there was something I needed to say first, so I gave a slight bow to Mr. Enzo while still holding Senior Eve. It wasn’t a good position for bowing.

“First… I’m alive thanks to Mr. Enzo. I would have had to use two grenades, but thanks to the incendiary bomb and grenade rifle, I’m basically still alive and here. They really seemed to drop out of nowhere.”

“My embarrassing nickname, ‘Shy,’ isn’t for nothing… I’m just glad you’re alive and well…”

After that, I turned my head toward the CEO. If I could just let him know that I was properly alive and could return to Nightwatch, there might be nothing to worry about.

“Ah, CEO. Um… how many months of vacation days could I use in advance if I used all my personal and annual leave? I think I’ll need to use everything available before returning… you know what I mean, right?”

“I take it you don’t need to worry about the wanted notice from Belwether. I’ve had suspicions since I saw the security team leader acting against the branch’s wishes—is that it? Who are you working with?”

CEO Yoon was still a thorough person. Even in that moment without becoming emotional, even in this mentally exhausting situation, he was making the right judgment. I nodded briefly… and kept my answer minimal.

“That’s it. And I’m working with someone who hasn’t been appointed. Is that answer sufficient?”

Even CEO Yoon clicked his tongue at my answer. He seemed about to laugh wryly, but then composed his expression and nodded.

“I thought Kay was talking nonsense… damn. I’ll consider it employee lending. I was planning to hold a strategy meeting, but you’ve thrown the conclusion at us like this. Nightwatch will keep silent. Any objections?”

No objections were heard. Before putting on my helmet again, I firmly embraced Eve, who clung to me as if not wanting to let go of my neck.

During the nearly thirty seconds that passed, my heart beat seven and a half times, and Eve’s heart beat exactly sixty-two times. As if telling me not to use any more time, Eve was the first to release her arms from my neck.

She tried hard to maintain a fierce expression, but her eyes were completely softened, so her gaze wasn’t that intimidating. As I wiped her eyes, Eve spoke with a moist voice.

“Ahem… Come see me when you finish your job, Arthur. And don’t die again.”

“It’s not like it’s my hobby… Anyway, I’ll return after completing my assigned duties properly.”

After wiping Eve’s eyes, I gave a clean Belwether-style salute. CEO Yoon returned the salute, then clicked his tongue and began to command.

“Kay. Delete all the recorded footage stored in the drones. If the highest levels are involved, there would be no evidence that Legal Assassination could use to catch us, since there would be no record of Nightwatch receiving contact.”

It was exactly as the Chairman had said. I put on my helmet and activated the one-way transparent display to blacken the face area. After watching CEO Yoon giving instructions to the end—something I hadn’t seen in a long time—I decided to leave.

“Mr. Enzo might have to speak directly face-to-face with the Legal Assassination team. Since you were the one who directly requested the delivery, Mr. Enzo. Preparing won’t be difficult. Let’s prepare cleanly.”

After seeing that scene, I left the office building. I went out through the back door, pulled the bike, and headed for the street full of drug addicts. I hid the bike and helmet in a CCTV blind spot, took off my jacket, and walked out.

I pretended to limp deliberately, exposing my face to CCTV, and headed toward the apartment complex. At this pace, it would take 10 minutes to walk, but that didn’t matter much. If anything, a slow pace would be welcome.

I entered the apartment I had purchased in the complex and got on the elevator. Pretending to limp is much harder than one might think.

Ah, damn. Come to think of it, how many days has it been since I paid off the deposit for this house? Almost all my hard-earned credits poured into it would have been wasted again.

I bit my lip. Thinking about it naturally brought a painful expression to my face. I got off the elevator, tore off the no-entry sticker, and entered the apartment.

I had no intention of feeling sorry for the house. I deliberately left all the doors slightly open instead of closing them completely, took only the preservation tank from the bag containing the gun, and threw the bag in a visible place near the entrance.

It was just bait. I lightly jumped up. I grabbed the rim of the ceiling light embedded in the entrance ceiling and hung upside down from the ceiling right above the entrance. While hanging with one hand, I held the standard-issue dagger in the other.

I couldn’t hear the elevator moving, but I could hear something coming up the stairs. I waited without reducing my hearing. I heard the sound of enhancement suits with noise reduction features stepping on the stairs.

The footsteps approached gradually. Even the whispered voice for reporting reached my ears. They seemed to have replaced sensory organs as well.

“Reached target point. I can see the door is open. The suspect is currently on the 10th floor and cannot jump down. I will focus on preventing him from jumping and retrieving the body below the neck.”

Seems like our jobs are opposite. The door I had deliberately left slightly open was flung wide, and a silhouette wearing Belwether’s distinctive white closed enhancement suit entered.

I could see the top of their head. The Legal Assassination Team’s principle was to operate in pairs. If they came alone in this situation, they were likely high-ranking, as I had expected.

I shouldn’t be certain. In their minds, I was meat trapped with a hole in my leg, unable to resist.

“Nightwatch’s Arthur Murphy, general employee! Surrender. I don’t know who’s helping you escape, but doing this won’t benefit your company or you…”

I turned on the radio interference module with my hand on the side of my face. All modules except that one turned off, and even the augmented reality overlaid on my eyes blurred.

The Legal Assassination Team agent, suddenly noticing the communication cut, shouted. Quick reaction. The modules equipped were also different from the riffraff I had seen so far. The rank was definitely high.

“Damn, a jammer too… Finding the source of the interference signal! That…”

When it was indicated that the source was 1 meter above his current position, he… made a terribly frightened expression. The kind of expression protagonists in horror movies make when they look for a light switch instead of shooting into the darkness.

Our eyes met as he looked up, not even thinking to raise his gun. I released my hand from the light rim and fell. As I fell upside down, I reached out and grabbed his helmet.

The blade of the standard-issue dagger, vibrating smoothly as if rippling, swept across the nape of his neck as his head was pulled back, fully exposing his neck while his helmet was held. The cutting sensation was smooth.

I lightly shook off the helmet and took out only the head inside. The bleeding was severe, but the life support system began to operate, and there was strength in his eyes.

He wouldn’t be able to speak. Speech is exhaled air from the lungs processed through the vocal cords. He still had vocal cords but no lungs.

I placed that head upright in the preservation tank and filled it with preservative fluid. He would live. Until I decided to kill him, that is.

Everyone at Nightwatch has a chance. They have qualifications. They have the opportunity to prove their efficiency, the qualification to work, and the value to live. It was something everyone had.

But these unqualified people, who tried to take what Belwether had accomplished and make it appear as their own achievement, threw away that value, that efficiency. They discarded it themselves! So, there was no need to care.

I threw the remaining body of the Legal Assassination Team manager out the apartment corridor window. A loud impact sound rang out, and some of the apartment residents walked out of their homes after hearing that sound.

People’s curiosity moved much faster than Belwether’s attempts at censorship. By the time I went down to the apartment entrance via the stairs, several gang bikes had already arrived.

I hid in that crowd. I went to find the bike and helmet I had hidden in the drug addicts’ street. The assigned task was successful.