Chapter 51

– Team Leader! You’re really coming now, right? For some reason, the search area assigned to us is the widest, and it seems like we need to coordinate with the night shift crew… Team Leader? Are you listening…? –

“……”

On the communication channel, the sub-combatant who had suddenly been burdened with heavy responsibilities was groaning, but Helena no longer responded.

Instead, she recalled the escapee she had hidden in the restroom.

If she could have received the help of at least one of the engineers, she might have attempted to hide in the control room… She felt a bit sorry.

The explanation she had heard from the man, or at least half of what she had picked up during his confinement.

…No, even if she considered only a fraction of a fraction to be true, the willingness to contribute in any way that would benefit the Paradise Corporation had vanished.

However, while she could simply cause trouble and run away, there was no guarantee that those who had been blissfully unaware and consuming credits would find themselves in the same situation when the time came.

Thus, she chose silence.

She decided to quietly listen to any reports that might come through.

…Of course, even if she had resolved to ignore all rules and regulations, it would have been foolish not to utilize her legitimate combat police identity and activated authority at this point….

– Access rights confirmed. Moving to the medical zone. –

As the elevator began to rise smoothly, she composed her agitated mind.

On the surface, she feigned calmness, but inside… she was slightly festering.

Recalling a recent memory when she had proudly lectured Ahsa that being a police officer wasn’t such a bad thing, despite being oblivious to what was happening under her feet.

The hatred born from her self-contradictions pressed heavily on her heart, and it was hard to suppress her condemnation of the cruelty of Paradise, which boasted the largest asset scale among the five mega corps.

…But all that would come after she personally confirmed the HA Floor with her own eyes.

It wasn’t about being leisurely. It was merely taking precautions not to worsen the situation as it was already too late to save the sacrificed individuals.

“Oh my~ I’m going to die… you crazy cops!! Look at this smashed prosthetic arm! How are you going to take responsibility?!”

“…The police exist to protect the safety of the city and its innocent citizens. Unfortunately, it seems difficult to provide compensation for the incident caused by extending a metallic prosthetic out the window before the vehicle even came to a stop…”

“My goodness…! These guys are now ignoring even the blue ranks! I will publicize this to the citizenship community…!!”

“…I will connect you directly so you can have a discussion with the social order maintenance department. …Damn it.”

As the door opened, she was greeted by the usual hospital scene filled with complaints and arguments.

Helena naturally passed by the busy reception desk, where distressed visitors were arguing with the responsible staff, and entered the staff-only ward inside.

While she had sometimes taken the initiative to mediate in such troublesome situations, it was impossible in her currently flustered state.

Her current goal was the researcher and worker, commonly referred to as the doctor, whom the man had said he used as a shield during his underground escape.

As he had released the hostage while treating the only weapon he had, a glass fragment, pressing it firmly against his neck, she concluded that a non-combatant who couldn’t pose any substantial resistance would have panicked and immediately been hospitalized from the blood pouring out of their own injuries.

Moreover, even if it was a secret project, they wouldn’t allow a mere employee’s life to be endangered, so the opponent was at least one of the influential figures in the underground area.

“Wounds on the neck…”

She searched while glancing sideways at the lined hospital beds and transparent windows of the wards.

…The only problem with this forced breakthrough was that the most significant marker for finding people by trial and error was their appearance.

There was nothing in the way of identifying features due to the contamination protective gear the researcher had been wearing, and as for their attire… if they had already changed into a patient gown, the only distinguishing feature left would be the wounds on their bodies.

But by some twist of fate, the answer leading her to the truth came to her rather easily.

“Ugh…?! …I’d better treat this myself.”

“I’m sorry, but the surgical equipment here can only be used by authorized medical personnel…”

“…I know that too; I’m just holding back.”

The doctor, who continued the treatment while looking somewhat flustered, perhaps wondering if there was a department that wore such outfits at the gateway, was currently treating a middle-aged man lying down, having shed the cumbersome protective gear from the upper part of his body, and was receiving treatment for a wound near his carotid artery.

“…I found you.”

Knock…!

After knocking sharply on the consultation room door, as if she had urgent business, she took a standing position.

Additionally, she made sure to fix her gaze carefully towards the person suspected to be the doctor, not forgetting to attract his attention.

“…Ahem! I should step aside then.”

“…Proceed.”

Sensing an unusual atmosphere, the doctor fled first to avoid the disturbance.

After checking the stitching on his critical wound with his own hands, the doctor responded arrogantly, twitching his mustache.

Only after the cautious departure of the doctor, who had finished his delicate imitation of surveying the surroundings, did Helena finally present an excuse she had never been ordered to deliver.

“Doctor, um… there’s a problem concerning the project that you need to oversee personally from the harvesting zone…”

“?! This isn’t good news that we’ve caught that damn stray dog; it’s yet another issue? I don’t know what the collection squad is doing! …And in the meantime, it’s laughable that they sent someone to greet instead of communicating, knowing they should be ashamed.”

…Initially, she had intended to mention the specific name of the “Reutilization Project” to gain his firm belief, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so.

The Reutilization Project was fundamentally devoid of humanity from its inception.

All manpower was soon resources, and resources became products once processed.

Although the Paradise Corporation, which casually traded citizenship for almost a pittance by the standards of metropolitan prices… defined all humans as worthless, who provided neither utility nor profit, and completely “disassembled” them, this business model was horrendously experimental.

It was said that superiors, including the doctor, openly referred to this as an interview.

The process of detaining nameless individuals, who had not even paid a million credits, and subjecting them to various tests.

The fair assessment of one’s talent and physicality to calculate the value that could contribute to the corporation.

…Ultimately, those who failed to meet any standards would be consumed in medical technology research or, if that was also unfeasible, dissected while still fresh to circulate their organs and parts to necessary buyers.

It was truly an extreme exploitation that could only be considered if one did not view humanity outside the barriers as ownerless objects.

Those who passed the series of interviews, though their futures were mortgaged, would somehow still be alive somewhere in the Harvest Planet, but those who failed? Naturally….

“Then… what does a police officer have to do with this? Perhaps someone has been planted from above to prevent disruptions to the transport of test subjects, just like the field supervisor? Tsk, one must always be cautious with confidential projects.”

“……”

Biting the bait offered in jest, the doctor fervently voiced his opinions as he stood up abruptly and confidently moved his legs.

For a moment, delighted by the faithful stance of Helena, who silently followed behind him.

Even after they boarded the elevator together, as she, his subordinate, did not press the button, the doctor moved on his own, unable to hide his discomfort.

– Access rights confirmed. Moving to the harvesting zone. –

“…Huh.”

After confirming that they had achieved their objective, she took a deep breath.

The reason she intentionally enacted this horrible farce was simple. Helena Valentine needed the cooperation of insiders to officially set foot on the HA Floor.

…Was her attitude toward her superior still overly arrogant, leading her to spout nonsense?

Perhaps her treatment would be determined based on the nature of the crimes exposed as she was used as a guide…?

Kukung…!!

The underground layer disguised as a heavy weapons armory was truly built at the very bottom of the gateway, as the jarring metallic sounds coincided with the elevator reaching its destination.

What could anyone possibly judge from merely looking at the entrance?

In any regard, the scene before her was far from a warehouse stacked with explosives or combat robots.

Clean internal corridors, sterilization facilities to be passed through before entering, protective gear hangers, and collection squad members guarding the front.

As she witnessed this, Helena bit her lip, and the doctor stepped forward confidently, as if to teach them a lesson, only to be immediately restrained despite his title.

“…Stop. I understand that you may be uncomfortable due to the previous incident, but no matter who you are, you cannot drag unauthorized personnel into this area.”

It seemed that a suitable excuse would only carry her this far.

Given the massacre that was sure to follow, she began to slowly loosen her stiff joints.

“What do you mean… isn’t this person one you sent to collect me intentionally!”

“……? Doctor, the combat police DS3-1 does not exist on the list of those eligible to approach here.”

The slight misunderstanding that arose between them… was fatal in the context of combat.

This time, not the generous sheathe, but a blade sharpened to the point of blinding was drawn.