Doomsday Wonderland Vol. 13: Sleepwalking in Dreamland [Complete]

1634: Disposal

When Xie Feng was sick, lying idle in bed, she replayed the short film and Dong Luorong's explanation in her mind at least a dozen times, weighing every detail. This conclusion seemed the most likely to her.

It had been the last message sent by Lan Lingte on behalf of Dawnstar—a message concerning the survival of the human race.

At that moment, the usual limitations on resources and rules for interstellar communication no longer mattered. If the message was too large, it could have been sent in multiple parts, even if they arrived at Noonstar in fragments. At the very least, the complete information would have been conveyed.

If the Empire had received more than ten minutes of footage and had stitched together an edited version... Xie Feng realized she wouldn't even be surprised. It was exactly the kind of thing the Empire would do.

What she didn't expect was Qiu Chantian's sudden reaction the moment she said it. His expression shifted sharply, as if she had stabbed him, and he nearly broke free from his restraints. The man who had been calm and collected up to this point now wore his alarm on his face for all to see. Even Ah Cheng shot to his feet in shock, his face going pale.

Everyone instinctively took a step closer.

"You really did edit the footage?" The boy with the headband asked slowly, word by word.

"No," Qiu Chantian snapped, spitting the word like a nail. Realizing how unconvincing it sounded, he clenched his teeth and added, "No, really. I've never even heard of such a rumor! The video we saw was exactly the same as the one you saw. Otherwise, how could I understand the situation well enough to do my job?"

The room went quiet for a moment.

"And besides," Qiu Chantian continued, "we've made significant progress in preventing the spread of posthumans. We've even identified individuals whose physical abilities have increased far beyond normal. How do you explain that if they haven't trained? It's because they're in the early stages of evolution. If we leave them unchecked, they'll destroy your Tear City."

He pressed on, using offense as a defense. "Where did you even hear such nonsense? Some conspiracy theory? Do you have any evidence?"

Xie Feng remained seated on the stairs, motionless and silent.

"Anyone would be emotional under those circumstances, especially Lan Lingte—she's a woman, after all. It's not surprising that she might have lost her train of thought or failed to be clear in the video." Qiu Chantian's voice took on a pleading tone. "If you have any questions about the video, I can explain them to you."

The more Qiu Chantian explained, the clearer the truth became to her.

Suddenly, Xie Feng yanked up the cloth covering her face, pressing it tightly over her entire face.

She squeezed her eyes shut as hot tears soaked through the fabric. Her breath became ragged, and soft sobs echoed intermittently through the cabin.

The darkness beneath the cloth was her only refuge. She didn't want to cry in front of Qiu Chantian, but she couldn't hold it back any longer.

What was the point of all this?

Two years of resistance, estrangement from her family, sleepless nights filled with anxiety, and a gnawing sense of guilt—none of it had mattered. It had all been a waste.

All those late-night arguments with friends, the debates over what they would do if they ever reclaimed Tear City's autonomy—whether they could survive the posthuman threat—had been over nothing. The entire idea of posthumans was a lie.