Can Ci Pin/Imperfections(残次品)BL by Priest

Chapter 4

1300 Universal Time

It was late in the night in Venus Harbor on Beijing-β.

Venus Harbor was a nearly abandoned interstellar harbor. Only a few workers were left, living on low wages paid by the government.

It was cold tonight, and there was no one in Venus Harbor. Large tracts of wasteland were covered with dying weeds taller than an adult human, rustling, waving in the howling wind. It was a ghost town, run-down and somber. The antiquated buildings and launch pads in Venus Harbor were reminiscent of a setting in an old science fiction novel, indescribably unsightly.

Homeless people were walking up a narrow path lined with weeds designated for the workers to enter and leave the harbor. Workers would drive them away during the day, however, they still used it to take shelter from the wind at night.

Among them was an old man, and on his back was a child in shabby clothes like his. Suddenly the old man collapsed on the ground, taking the child down with him. The kid rolled over stiffly, revealing his blue face— he had already been dead for some time.

A nearby waste bin detected the corpse of carbon-based life form, and the cleaning protocol started automatically. It moved closer, reaching out a cold robotic shovel arm to dispose of the corpse. The old man covered the kid's body with his own right away, as if he could share his vitality with the dead child.

Unfortunately, the waste bin, although outdated, wasn't fooled. It kept shoveling, engaging a cruel tug-of-war with the old man.

Naturally, the waste bin won.

Beaten by the senseless waste bin, the poor old man kneeled down, crying out loudly for all he had suffered. His companions moved on without even a second glance. They couldn't give a shit. After all, disposing of a corpse as if trash was not unusual here.

The homeless men walked away. Then a pair of boots appeared in the pale weeds, going straight to the waste bin after hesitating for a few seconds.

It was a tall man with flaxen hair and pale skin. There was something mechanical about him; his facial features seemed too perfect. Every step he took was of exactly the same length, which gave him the air of a soldier even though he was casually dressed.

He hacked into the waste bin's background program silently. After he was done, the waste bin reached out the shovel and gave back the small corpse.

The man was not bothered by the dirt. He gave the corpse back to the old man, who was still sitting on the ground.

"Condolences."

The old man looked at him in shock. The man then pointed a direction. "At 3 o'clock, about 200 meters from here, the soil texture will make the best place for you to bury your child. Again, I'm sorry for your loss."

Not only his stride, but his voice was also monotonous like a machine. After talking as if he was reciting lines, he put his heels together and bowed, starting to leave.

The old homeless man could not help his curiosity.

"Are you..."

He regretted speaking the moment he had asked. The man dressed so well, emitting richness from head to toe, like a member of the upper class. According to his life experience, he had better stay as far away from the upper class as he could, or he'd only receive suffering. But the man stopped, and answered him quite seriously.

"My ID is encrypted data. Access denied. You may call me Zhanlu."

The old man panicked even more now.

"Do you have any more questions?" The man called Zhanlu asked.

The nervous old man shook his head, blowing his nose. The light-haired man walked away on his long legs, following the path the other men had taken.

There was a heating system in Venus Harbor. The homeless men all stripped off their coats, hoping to gain some warmth for themselves. They cherished every second of sleep as long as they could.

In less than half an hour, their snores were echoing through the room.

A small man stealthily rose from his spot in the corner, careful not to wake the others, and walked out towards the harbor.

If Jingshu Huang had been there, she would have recognized the man immediately. It was the man in disguise who had been forced to run away from that old speakeasy. He had landed near Venus Harbor by a small space platform, pretending to be one of the transients trying to leave Beijing-β.

The safety passage between the terminal and the launch pad was locked. The "homeless man" took out a chip and slapped it onto the lock. The door lock program opened silently within three seconds, and the heavy door opened as well. He snuck in cautiously and quickly.