CHAPTER XI
Inside the vehicle, Kyle was struggling to adjust the radio frequency, trying desperately to contact Charles, but there was no response. Five days had passed since the chaos in the cave, and Charles had remained silent. Finally, Kyle stopped the car and decided they needed to rest.
Dianne tried to soothe a visibly anxious Kyle, while nearby, Alisa and Kaizo were building a sandcastle together. In the middle of their construction, Kaizo remarked, "You guys look so lethargic. We have very little time left, though that doesn't mean we can't have a bit of fun."
Alisa replied, "You aren't the only one who feels humanity doesn't deserve to be saved. Since watching those videos, my perspective has shifted. You should know, there's an archive I read alone that I haven't shared yet. It contained records of the attempts to create Meta-humans. In the first trial, it failed, and the human subjects died. But the experiments didn't stop. Sixty-seven people died before they succeeded. The plan was that once the perfect Meta-humans were created, they would be divided into groups and sent to Earth to be 'tested' for viability. In reality, I never had a mission other than simply being told to survive down here."
"That's grim," Kaizo responded.
Kyle and Dianne stepped out of the car to catch a breath of fresh air. Since one of the primary dispersal keys had been destroyed, the sky was no longer as dark as it once was, and the breeze felt cooler. Suddenly, a blinding light appeared before them, accompanied by flashes of lightning. The four of them squinted against the brilliance. As the light faded, a figure emerged. Dianne immediately raised her weapon, but Kyle stopped her, recognizing the person.
"Felicia?" Kyle asked.
"Yes, it's me," replied the woman, who appeared to be in her thirties and wore a long white scientist's lab coat.
"You know her?" Kaizo asked.
"One of my people. An Olympus scientist who used to be my junior back in the scouts," Kyle explained. Kaizo nodded in understanding.
"So, why are you here?" Kyle asked.
Felicia remained silent, reaching into her pocket to produce a letter. Kyle began to read:
"Kyle, this letter is from me, Charles. If you are reading this, it means I am dead and Felicia has delivered this to you."
The first line sent a shock through the group.
"They found the channel I used to contact you. According to Mariabelle, they were going to raid me tomorrow morning—which, by the time you receive this, was likely yesterday. Do what you must, but the other comrades are willing to do anything under your command. Right now, I am with the President's wife; this is the best revenge I can leave him. If you want to act, Felicia can bring the four of you back to Olympus without suspicion, as they claim you are already dead. That is all I can say. Stay strong, and see you on the other side, hehe."
Kyle fell silent. Dianne covered her mouth in shock, Alisa punched the ground in anger, and Kaizo simply shook his head.
Felicia then asked, her voice flat and cold, "Which of you wants to return to Olympus?"
"I'm going," Kyle answered suddenly.
Dianne was stunned and protested, "Captain, what about our mission? Why would you go back now?"
"To save the people, of course. This is our only chance to seize power in Olympus and purge it of Spielcorp," Kyle replied.
"The apocalypse is less than three months away and you're still focused on politics?" Kaizo shot back.
"An alien like you wouldn't understand, so stay out of it! Wasn't it you who questioned whether we were even worth saving?" Kyle snapped.
The words hit Kaizo hard, leaving him speechless. He could only shake his head.
"Captain, this isn't what nature intended. Kaizo came to help us; we must finish the task. I'm sorry, but I'm not going!" Dianne stepped away from Kyle and Felicia.
"I'm disappointed in you, Dianne," Kyle said, lowering his head.
"Look at this. Three of us refuse to abandon the mission, unlike you!" Kaizo scolded Kyle.
But suddenly, Alisa moved away from Kaizo and stood beside Felicia.
"We soldiers are taught that love is a secondary need. Our priority is the safety of the people," Alisa said to Kaizo.
"What? What is this? Why are we splitting up?" Kaizo scratched his head in frustration. He stepped forward to reason with Kyle, but was met with a sharp, hard slap across the face.
"I told you, stay out of it!" Kyle growled.
Kaizo stood still, the mark of the slap burning on his face. Seeing this, Dianne was terrified and immediately hugged Kaizo. Together, they watched Felicia stand between Kyle and Alisa. She pressed a button, triggering a flash of light and a surge of electricity. When the light vanished, the three of them were gone, leaving Kaizo and Dianne alone on Earth.
"I'm sorry for what happened. I don't know why they became like that," Dianne whispered to Kaizo.
"You don't need to apologize. This isn't your fault; it's a problem for all of us. Now, we should continue. Destiny won't wait for us to reunite," Kaizo said, patting Dianne's shoulder with a small smile before walking back to the vehicle.
Kaizo sat in the driver's seat, and Dianne sat beside him, trying to compose herself.
"Alright... how do you run this thing?" Kaizo looked around, hoping for an answer.
"Step on the pedal on your left, shift the gear, hold the gas, and slowly release your left foot. Just try it; that's how Kyle explained it to me," Dianne answered.
"Okay...?" Kaizo nodded and tried. Unknowingly, his right foot pressed the gas way too hard, and the car lurched forward at a terrifying speed.
Kaizo shouted with excitement while Dianne sat in frozen terror. They sped off, trying to outrun the pain of the betrayal they had just endured.
The moon climbed toward its peak in the western horizon. Kaizo and Dianne sat in the back of the camper van, sharing a cup of coffee.
"Dianne, how can we bring them back?" Kaizo asked, setting his coffee on the table and leaning back.
"You're still thinking about that? I'm actually afraid they won't come back at all," Dianne replied.
"Why do you think that?"
"Kyle has many followers, but the President has control over the entire ship—a vessel nearly the size of the United States. And that... I... I..." Dianne's fear for Kyle became overwhelming, and she began to sob. Her beautiful smile was replaced by a look of deep anguish.
"I won't tell you to calm down. Cry, because the desire for revenge has blocked our path," Kaizo said, looking away.
"Kyle didn't do it out of revenge. He wants to save everyone on Olympus," Dianne defended, her voice trembling.
"Then finishing the mission is the way to do it. Why go back there? He said himself he couldn't forgive Spielcorp after seeing that video. He clearly wants to punish them," Kaizo countered.
"Isn't that justified? Anyone would be angry seeing that. That is humanity," Dianne argued.
"Humanity does not drive one to hurt others, no matter the reason! Forgive them, just don't forget what they did," Kaizo explained.
"There is no path that smooth, Kaizo. This world is cruel! Let war destroy the evil people," Dianne shot back.
"People will die! That's my point—both the innocent and the guilty. Even one casualty is too many. Only the law should hand out a death sentence; killing in war is a sin of mankind." Kaizo stood up, his voice rising.
Dianne wiped her eyes and shook her head, looking down. "You would do exactly what Kyle did if your world was like this," she murmured.
"For your information... in my world, the land is ruled by someone very powerful—stronger than anyone else. Everyone wishes him dead. But I will prove that kindness is hope. When I return, I will make him kneel before me, and he will become a good man," Kaizo said. His voice started soft, momentarily sounding arrogant, but it softened into a look of genuine sincerity and care.
Dianne laughed lightly at that and asked, "In that case, how are you going to solve this mess?"
Kaizo chuckled and said, "Just watch."