Chapter 28 : False Accusation (2) Part-2

“Hayoon. Don’t get too surprised, but listen carefully. You need to stay calm.”

“Okay.”

Cherry hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke.

“Today, that Jieun person is going to be arrested.”

“…Arrested?”

Hayoon took a moment to process the words, unsure of what she’d just heard.

“Arrested? Why?”

Noir Corporation was corrupt.

But it cleverly sided with the government, doing things that appeared legal.

When the government wanted to interfere with the Galactic Federation’s operations, it used Noir Corporation to avoid direct confrontation.

So, the combatants from Noir Corporation rarely got arrested.

If they were arrested just for helping with a task, it would make hiring people extremely difficult.

And Jieun was a combatant.

“She was identified as the cause of the recent explosion. Hayoon, you were there, right?”

“Yeah, I was. And Jieun had nothing to do with the explosion. The explosion happened before Jieun even lost control, so… Delphinium…”

“Yeah. I’ve seen the reports and heard all the testimonies, so I know.”

Cherry looked up at Hayoon seriously.

“But there’s a problem. There are testimonies, but no evidence.”

“No evidence?”

“There’s no CCTV footage.”

“……”

Hayoon frowned.

They knew they were being recorded.

They had expected it even before they entered.

However, the fact that the company wouldn’t use those videos was another story.

“There must have been some kind of deal between the Galactic Federation and Noir Corporation,”

“But there’s still no proof that Jieun did it.”

Even as she said this, Hayoon’s nerves were growing more frayed.

“That’s right. Even if we do manage to fabricate evidence, we’ll still have to view it as the company’s responsibility. This incident happened because of an issue with the Noir Corporation’s circuits. All the people involved will probably quit the company. And as for Jieun, she probably won’t face any legal trouble. She might not even end up in prison.”

‘Then…’

“She won’t end up in prison.”

Cherry’s voice dropped lower. Her big ears twitched, as if she was afraid someone might be listening.

“What do you mean by that?”

“There’s still no clear answer on what kind of energy Noir Corporation is using. The energy from human emotions is rich and abundant… but if they’re using a mix of complex emotions for energy, it’s going to be extremely difficult for us to figure it out. When the circuits operate, the only energy that comes out is ‘mana energy.’”

“I know.”

“But Jieun seems to be connected to something more fundamental. It’s similar to the kind of hope you all use.”

“…”

“The Galactic Federation sees that as a new possibility.”

Cherry looked up at Hayoon with a fearful expression.

“That energy… I don’t think it comes from anything positive. It’s vast, and its potential is great, but from what I’ve studied, the emotions the soldiers experienced during battle weren’t ‘hope.’ The company claims it’s courage, but we all know that’s a lie.”

Though she was terrified, she didn’t hesitate to speak.

She lowered her large ears and held them with her hands, looking up at Hayoon.

“Hayoon… I don’t think the Galactic Federation is entirely righteous.”

“But even so, I don’t think it’s right to do something like this… No matter how much they stand to gain, working with the company to conduct this kind of research…”

Hayoon stood up, checking the time.

It was late.

“Let’s go. Do you think it’s okay to tell the others?”

“I’m not sure. But if you want, I’ll help you.”

“Thanks, Cherry.”

Hayoon carefully placed Cherry on her shoulder, then activated the circuit on her wrist.

*

“Another hospital, you mean?”

I asked the doctor.

“You said your whole body hurts, right? We can’t really figure out what’s wrong. Let’s move you to a hospital where we can get a more accurate diagnosis.”

I looked at the people around me.

There were a lot of doctors.

And many of them were quite large in stature, wearing white coats.

All the nurses were men.

I clenched my hands beneath the blanket. Pain began to creep up from each joint.

“This hospital doesn’t have CT or MRI…”

“We do have them, but having the equipment and having the medical expertise are two different things.”

“But this is a Noir Corporation hospital, right? I heard their medical staff are top-notch.”

“The distance from where you live is quite far. It would be better to move you to a hospital closer by.”

“…I just want to go to a treatment center.”

“At the treatment center, we can only treat physical injuries. We don’t yet have a way to treat microscopic injuries.”

“……”

I looked around at the people again.

I felt scared.

They were all staring at me.

Sweat was starting to form on my palms.

“…Alright.”

I responded, though hesitantly.

“You’ll be moved on the bed. Is that okay?”

“…Yes.”

I nodded, my voice trembling.

The people who came to move me didn’t seem like they were planning to do anything bad right now.

In fact, when our eyes met, they even smiled at me.

But I couldn’t trust them.

If I hadn’t listened to James earlier, I might have just gone along without thinking. But what James had said…

“…Where are you taking me?”

For a brief moment, the person didn’t answer.

I jumped out of the bed.

It might not have been the best idea.

It might have been better to just get caught and face trial.

At least at a trial, I’d have the chance to defend myself.

With the minimum sentence, I might not be in too much trouble.

Running away like this might only make things worse.

But still.

Still, it felt unjust.

Being treated this way for something I didn’t do.

All the soldiers’ helmets have cameras on them.

If they check those, they’ll see I didn’t commit any crime.

Or maybe the CCTV inside the building…

Have all of those been dealt with? Is the company really trying to throw me under the bus?

And if they are, there’s no way this is going to end well.

“Catch her!”

I heard someone shout, and then I felt an arm wrap around my waist.

I elbowed the man who had grabbed me from behind, then twisted his finger outward.

There was a scream from behind, and his right arm fell away from my body.

As it fell, his shoulder hit the bed.

My already aching body hurt even more.

A buzzing sound filled my ears, and when I looked at my wrist, the circuit was running.

“She’s got a circuit!”

I heard someone shout.

I pushed the bed forward with all my strength.

The wheels rolled hard, and I pushed two men backward.

It wasn’t a lot of distance, but it was enough to knock them into the wall.

I heard someone running toward me, so I quickly turned around.

I ducked my head and tried to avoid their grip, but my hair got caught.

I punched a man dressed in a nurse’s uniform in the chest, and the air rushed out of him.

He collapsed, gasping for breath.

Someone in a doctor’s outfit was speaking into a radio.

I ran.

I turned my body and sprinted as fast as I could.

Since I was already in the lobby, I was able to get close to the exit.

My whole body ached, and I could already hear people running toward me from far away.

They were shouting something about surrendering.

—Would you surrender in this situation?

I didn’t want to be arrested for a crime I didn’t commit.

But more than that, I felt something was very wrong.

I didn’t know where this feeling was coming from, but I just wanted to run.

My left wrist was shaking a little.

I felt a strange vibration, almost like a smartwatch was vibrating.

The circuit was still running.

I wasn’t sure how much energy it had left, but it was still going.

Can I trust this?

In truth, wasn’t James just trying to make me go wild with lies?

My mind was in chaos, and my body hurt.

But I had to run.

I made up my mind the moment I got out of the bed.