Singing Parasite [On Hold]

6.2

Tyce didn't know how to feel about Halie joining them in their quest. She seemed like a nice person who had done everything in her power to keep her group alive in this hellish world. But, there was something about her that completely disconcerted him. First, there were her blood-red eyes. They unnerved him the most. They were full of life yet they seemed glazed and banal. Second, she had a habit of stopping dead in her tracks and gazing off in the distance, mostly at empty space as if there was someone that only she could see but Tyce could not.

Even Duston had noticed this. On their second day with the group, he pointed this out to Tyce while they were collecting electric car batteries. Halie and Jacob had come down with them to act as their guards.

"What's up with her?" Duston said, catching Tyce's attention.

Tyce looked in the direction Duston was pointing. He stared at the woman with short white hair--looking yellow under the evening sun--and a lean and muscular body. Dark shadows were creeping in and falling all over the forlorn street, crumbled, empty cars, and littered sidewalks. It was getting dark. So, it was hard to tell. But it seemed she was looking at an empty spot near the tall glass tower. To Tyce, it looked as if she were in a state of trance.

"Go and see what's bothering her," Tyce said.

"Me?" Duston swallowed.

"Yes. I'm working."

Duston nodded, walked over and shook her shoulder. She flinched a little, making Duston jump away from her.

"You a-alright?" Duston asked.

The look of shock left the young face and enthusiasm took its place. "Yes, obviously."

"A-alright," Duston said. He gazed at the tall, glass building. "W-why do you people leave in that building and not in the skyscraper. Shouldn't it be safer there?"

Halie folded her hands behind her back and looked up at the top of the hundred-story building. "Because... A group scientists lived there. They did their research to find a cure and said it was dangerous for us to live there."

"Lived?" Duston ask. "They no longer live in that place?"

"No, they don't," Halie said. "They all died, I don't know how or why, but I saw one of them jump down from the terrace and kill himself. It all happened in one night."

"Why did he j-jump?"

"We don't know," Halie said, suddenly grinned. "Let's not talk about these things and let's help Tyce." She clapped Duston on the shoulder. From her grin, it seemed she didn't mean to hurt him, but as soon as her hand touched his shoulder, he let out a cry of pain.

Duston screamed so loudly that for a moment Tyce thought the young doctor had dislocated his shoulder. But it turned out to be a sprain.

That was the first time Tyce had seen Halie's raw strength with his own eyes.

He decided not to think about it too much and get on with his work. Thanks to Haile and Jacob, Tyce safely managed to procure the batteries and was now ready to start Hermes.

***

It was almost noon and Tyce was tinkering with Hermes. The small group of survivors stood behind him with Duston, eager to leave the city behind and go to the safety of the island.

Finishing with his final checks, Tyce stood up and said, "We are ready."

He went over to the pile of electric car batteries that were nothing more than huge, flat rectangular sheets. He checked the wires, found no issue, and walked back to Hermes.

There was a small touchscreen display on the right side of the metallic ring. He toyed it for a while, stopped and looked up at the group. "The machine can stay on only for a short time. So, let's make this quick."

The group nodded as if understanding every word he had said. But Tyce soon realized that their nod was only a cursory response. When he started Hermes, they did nothing but just stared into the shimmering, circular screen.

"Uh... you need to w-walk through the thing," Duston said, glancing nervously at Tyce.

Jacob who had been excited about teleporting away from that place now looked kind of dubious.

"Jacob, why don't you set an example?" Tyce asked, now getting slightly irritated. The group was wasting unnecessary time and was putting a load on Hermes' core. Tyce didn't like the idea of it overheating again.

"Me?" Jacob said. "Uh... I think I'll go last after saying goodbyes to Halie."

At which, Halie said, "It's okay. We have said our goodbyes."

"B-But."

"Goodbye, Jacob.."

"B-BUT"

Halie hugged him. "Goodbye..."

Jacob seemed to be in a lot of pain. But Tyce soon realized that it was not emotional but physical. "Uh... Haile... you are crushing my spine," he said.

"S-sorry." Halie pulled herself away, giving him an apologetic grin. "Now go. Before I actually break it."

"We will be waiting for you," Jacob said.

"Yes," Haile said, "I'll join you soon."

"You should come with us," Jacob said. "I don't understand--"

"If no one wants to go," Tyce said, "I'm shutting the machine."

"Alright. Alright," Jacob said, stood reluctantly in front of the ring, glanced at Haile, closed his eyes, and hurried into the depths of Hermes, soon appearing inside the main lab.

"You only have five minutes," Tyce said, "So, stop with the drama and get on with it."

Unfortunately for Tyce, the group paid him no heed. They huddled around Halie, telling her that they were grateful for her protection and would miss her.

"They don't take you seriously at all, Mr. Mani," Duston muttered. He had appeared beside Tyce and was now sporting a funny, little grin.

"I can see that," Tyce whispered back. Then he cleared his throat and shouted. "One minute to go. Fifty-nine seconds. Fifty-eight..."

They finally moved their legs and hurried over to Hermes.

Two minutes later, everyone in the group except for the woman with short white hair and red eyes had disappeared into the depths of Hermes.