Chapter 57: Right and Wrong |
"Should I go buy some milk powder?"
The topic of childcare was a bit beyond Jack. Ultimately, the Sheriff climbed up to Shi Rang's ear to explain.
"No need. Breast milk is enough for them. These children grow incredibly fast. They are born after just three days of gestation, and they can help with chores only a day after birth. They are excellent fighters."
Microorganisms had short life cycles, which made sense in a way.
"Is this also a result of you being shrunk? Then wouldn't your lifespans be..."
"Look at those houses, Shi Rang."
Shi Rang raised the magnifying glass once again to observe the small town.
Through the curved lens, rows of small wooden cabins came into view—they were not hastily assembled from wood scraps, but constructed from genuine wooden planks. An artisan was holding a hand saw, stepping on a workbench to saw wood in front of a door. Noticing the magnifying glass looming overhead, he looked up and waved at the giant eye peering through it. The nearby residents also began greeting Shi Rang one after another.
Shi Rang did not know much about physics, but he vaguely understood that tools scaled down to the centimeter or even millimeter level would suffer from structural or functional issues. Yet, the entire miniature town looked exactly like a normal residential area that had simply been misplaced. There was absolutely nothing different about it compared to a normal-scale town.
"Yes, the Doctor in charge of studying us named it after himself. We possess greater speed and strength than creatures of our size. We can manufacture fully functional equipment on a micro-scale and grow wheat and potatoes just a few centimeters tall to match our living environment," the miniature Sheriff explained. "We have carpenters, electricians, and people who know how to operate lathes among us. If you give us the schematics, we can build a lot of equipment. If you could teach us how to build a nuclear reactor, we might just be able to whip one up. Our capabilities are far greater than you imagine. We are humans, humans affected by an anomaly just like you, and our children are naturally human as well."
Shi Rang pondered for a moment as he looked at the Mini-Humans scattered among the buildings.
"What should I call you?"
"Just call me the Sheriff like everyone else. I think the title sounds a lot more imposing than my actual name."
"Then, Sheriff, I want you to act as the leader of all the Tiny Ones. Organize a patrol squad to maintain public order, have them enforce the rules, and conduct a census of everyone's basic information."
"I would be honored, but is an enforcement squad really necessary?" the Sheriff asked, somewhat confused. "We all worked together to escape the Containment Room. Everyone is of one mind."
"Where there are many people, there will always be disputes. Human history has taught me that much. I am going to get some more sleep, and while I am at it, I will figure out how to contact the other companions you mentioned. If they also escaped by clinging to a Stitched Walker... I will try to think of a way."
Shi Rang waited for a moment. Only after confirming that the tiny Energy Source resting near his head had left did he grab a blanket and step out of the bedroom.
With the continuous use of his abilities, a tingling sensation surfaced deep within his brain, as if something was actively filling his mind. It was not a bad feeling; perhaps it was a sign that his power was progressing.
He lay down on the sofa in the living room and closed his eyes, pretending to sleep.
He could have chosen to rest in the bedroom, but he needed to confirm something first.
[CVA-C-888 - "Miniature Land"]
[Interview Log 888-A]
Doctor A██: C-888-2576, we have recorded the appearance of two new individuals between one and three millimeters in height. You promised me that you had implemented a one hundred percent sterilization policy among the residents.
2576: I have no idea how this happened. I thought studying unsolved mysteries was your job. Besides, this policy is completely inhumane, we are—
Doctor A██: You are anomalies, 2576. You are no longer residents of ██ Town. If I discover any new infants again, I will shut down all recreational facilities. Do not force me to consider more drastic measures, and do not think for a second that we will not do it.
2576: With all due respect, that will only make things worse!
[Interview Log 888-B]
Doctor A██: I warned you. From this moment on, all of you are in lockdown.
2576: Wait, I finally understand the infant mystery you could not figure out. Those surgeries you arranged were completely useless! For the ten-centimeter Big Guys... well... the Tiny Ones can easily... I mean, they can crawl right in without any effort because of their size, do you understand? All the sutures can be reopened.
Doctor A██: Tell me the ID numbers of all individuals involved in this operation immediately. Next week, I will subject all of you to radiation sterilization.
2576: You cannot do that, it is too dangerous!
Doctor A██: You are transmitting the Anomalous Effect to more lives. You should be glad we did not throw all of you into the Incinerator. For the sake of you once being human, we have endured a great deal of inconvenience, but we have had enough.
[Incident 888-K1]
[Click to play audio record]
"I cannot get out, the Containment Room is sealed...
"Can anyone hear me...
"I... cough cough cough... the oxygen tank is useless, I cannot...
"There is something in my eye, something is..."
What followed was a long bout of labored breathing, the sound of blood and froth bubbling from a mouth, and the desperate struggles of a dying man.
Ultimately, everything fell dead silent.
[Last month, Doctor A██ and Research Assistant C██, who had come into contact with C-888, were [DATA EXPUNGED]]
[Following Incident 888-K1, the biosafety level of C-888 was reassigned to Level 4, and a total quarantine was enforced.]
[Contact with C-888 is strictly prohibited pending further authorization.]
Lying on the sofa, Shi Rang quickly smoothed his brow, resisting the urge to open his eyes.
It was just as he had guessed. The Mini-Humans must have gone through considerably adept combat experience to master how to exploit the advantages of their miniature size.
They had deceived the Management Authority, leading them to believe they could produce a poisonous gas that damaged the eyes, lungs, and brain. They had bought themselves a reprieve from radiation sterilization and eventually staged a successful escape—all thanks to this critical advantage in information.
This was their rebellion against being imprisoned and treated as research subjects, but...
Was the Management Authority truly in the wrong?
Shi Rang knew he was an anomaly himself—even if he preferred to view himself as a normal human. Yet despite that, he found it hard to say whether the Mini-Humans' decision to recklessly expand their population was the right one. This might have been their way of fighting back, but lacking the ability to reproduce was not a life-or-death matter. All they were doing was dragging more innocent children into a tragic situation. If this unrestricted, rapid breeding continued, their numbers would swell to a terrifying degree.
The residents, who had been shrunk for unknown reasons, were indeed human in his eyes. But these newborns, who could run all over the place less than a day after birth...
But the Mini-Humans had done him a huge favor. He owed them a debt of gratitude, and they were his capable assistants...
A whirlwind of complex emotions made it difficult for Shi Rang to pass judgment. He simply could not untangle this messy dilemma.
He hurriedly skimmed through the recent reports regarding the manhunt for C-888. Sure enough, the other escaped Mini-Humans had mostly been recaptured. Many more had likely perished during the escape or had been separated from the group. A solitary Mini-Human possessed very poor survival skills, even worse than insects of the same size. Their chances of survival were grim.
Fleeing from a suffocating cage into a dangerous outside world—was it right or wrong?
'Forget it...'
'For now... I should just stick to the original plan.'
First, he needed to find a way to get enough money to support himself and his more than three hundred new roommates.
Sitting up on the sofa, Shi Rang opened his eyes. He realized that while he was accessing the Records, time had skipped forward by over an hour once again. He pulled out his wallet and rummaged through the slips of paper inside, browsing through his pathetically thin web of Connections.
Finally, he pulled out a laminated business card that was still stained with a few specks of mud.
[Headhunting Company Manager and Alliance Investigator, Scarlett]
He had an idea on how to make some quick money.