VRRRRRRRRRR—
…
Silence
No one wanted to speak, as the jeep continued moving on.
Glance
One could tell at a glance, everyone was worried—Well, mostly everyone.
"Tsk."
Old Man Randy, looked pissed more then anything else, his eyebrows furrowed as he crossed his arms, then at some point…
"Alright Kiddos listen up." at that moment for some reason, his voice felt clear.
"X70 was the place I used to work as with little Evelyn."
!!!
"This place was a specialized facility made for containing remnants categorized as biological hazards."
"Back then we were a team of 4." Eve continued. "Well I say 'were' because 2 of us were dead after an incident."
"W-w-what incident-?" Amanda asked her voice sounded fearful, one look and it was obvious that she was shaking in fear.
…
"Wait if it was a specialized facility that means it's quite a high ranking one is it not?" Jeremy interrupted, to which Eve only nodded.
"That means—"
"We were 'demoted' yeah" Eve spoke with a wry smile.
"W-w-why???"
…
Both Randy and Eve went silent for awhile, none of us spoke all waiting for an answer, it didn't take long until—
"You killed someone didn't you." Jeremy spoke, his voice cold, for a moment it felt like the temperature had dropped by several degrees, even wearing these personal sauna's I could feel my skin shrivel in fear.
At the same time, Amanda seemed to stop moving her eyes were filled with fear, at the same time I could only stay silent.
…
"Well there's definitely a reason you're telling us this right now." Jeremy then continued acting as if he wasn't bothered not even the slightest.
"I won't call myself a good person." Old Man Randy spoke once more, his eyes staring directly to Jeremy's, his arms resting on his chin, then he continued. "My wife and our comrade died in there, you wanna know why?"
Old Man's wife—?
"They're negligence killed our comrades."
…
"The report later spoke of a breach in integrity in one of the suits used. It was old—Too Old You could see the cracks across it already, the seams had already turned brittle, the seals were probably loose by then."
"And you know what was the funniest thing?" Eve continued, her face now filled with an unimaginable sadness.
"Accidents you know what I mean?" Old Man Randy spoke, "That was what the guards spoke. As if it was just a game, as if they expected this. They knew. Yet they didn't act. As if our lives were nothing more then some pawn in their betting game."
…
Silence
VRRRRRRRRRR—
…
For a while nobody spoke once more, was it out of shock, fear or disgust? Perhaps even all of them,
…
…
Pat Pat
"You guys must've had it hard." Amanda, was the one who broke the silence, her gigantic arm patting Old Man Randy's back, an unexpected reaction indeed. "Well, I won't say killing someone isn't wrong but…"
"I feel you" She spoke once more, her eyes looked sadder then ever, and out of no where- "Ah."
???
"Awaw-a-awawa-wa-aw-a I'm sorryryyyyyyyyyyyyyyrryyryryr"
—?
"I overstepped my boundarieeissss" Just a moment ago she looked extremely cool and understanding and now—? She looked like Bocchi when she's interacting with someone she doesn't know. Yet—Perhaps that itself was her charm
"HeH." Old Man Randy suddenly snickered, then a soft chuckle followed suit, at the same time the previously tense and cold atmosphere seemed to recede, thus Eve spoke once more. "Well anyways, now that that's done. We have no clue what sort of Remnant got loose."
"A couple of familiar names would be, Cordyceps, Wildfire Virus, T Virus, Hanahaki disease, The Burst and countless others" Eve continued, her tone still serious. "Best case scenario would be just one of said diseases, worst case however—"
"If those damn diseases combined and turned to something unpredictable." Spoke Old Man Randy.
…
VRRRRRRRRRR
…
"Then that means their most likely Paradoxes or Echoes right?" Jeremy spoke, to which both Eve and Old Man Randy only laughed, yet for me… That information itself was already bad, I couldn't help but remember what the system spoke of.
[Following your world's classification it shall be classified as, Vestige | Epsilon | Cataclysm]
We're fucking screwed.
…
Will these suits and air supply be enough to ensure all of us survive this ordeal, and if so what should we be wary of?
I asked, a question with another question, and for some reason—if I were to ask a question in such a way…
[The protection given is adequate so as long as no breach occurs, be wary of your fellow 'cleaners.'] before turning to [2]
It only uses one question while answering 2 questions.
Yet—be wary of your fellow 'cleaners'
Does it mean everyone or just those outside of our group?
…
I could feel myself having goosebumps, wondering to myself, should I keep this to myself? or should I tell everyone else?
…
—Amanda's POV
"Then that means their most likely Paradoxes or Echoes right?" Jeremy asked to which both Evelyn and Grandpa—Randy only nodded. I swear why have I been calling him Grandpa these days…
…
Weird…
Ever since I was a kid, I guess one thing I'm good at is 'feeling' other people's emotion, this is also the reason why I always fear making other people upset… But that's not the point. As soon as Jeremy's question was answered….
Cael seemed extremely stressed
…
For a while it was silence all over again—Until.
"This might just be a feeling but—" He didn't continue the sentence, for a moment he only glanced at us one by one, then he sighed for a moment and spoke.
"We need to be wary of the other 'cleaners.'" He spoke with a whisper, making sure the cleaner who was driving us wouldn't be able to hear a thing
…
"Cael." Old Man Randy spoke once more his tone solemn, at the same time Jeremy continued his words. "Are you absolutely certain?"
…
Nod
…
"Alright."
…
After that, everything went silent oncee more, the only thing that could be heard being the car's engine and wheels, at the same time I could feel everyone's conviction. and honestly, I trust Cael as well.
….
Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr—
—Later….
"We're here" The Cleaner who drived spoke as he gestured for us to leave
In front of us, what looked like a huge quarantine zone could be seen, as if it was covered by some sort of glass dome? Huge one could say, and at the same time. I couldn't help but wonder if that's really necessary. As I was thinking about that***—***
BZzZZZzZZzT
Out of no where a huge Hologram appeared infront of us it's figure hidden by the hologram itself, then it spoke.
[Site X70 is a containment facility specializing in biohazardous Remnants, as such this glass looking dome acts both as a barrier and also concealing it's presence. Now of course, this place itself is government secret,]
It's voice obviously altered, I couldn't tell the age nor gender of the person behind that voice, yet before I could continue once more it continued speaking.
[As you can see after this you shall be directed towards the entrance of this place, I'll be blunt, but in there, the air is so toxic no filter made by humankind could withstand it not even for a second. This was tested using a few R-Classes.]
…
I could hear other people murmuring going 'What?' 'Holy shit?' and so on, then the voice continued
[As such, you all have been provided with an SCBA that'll last you for 6 hours, all hostile Remnants have been killed and at the same time, the only danger in there is if by some miracle you were exposed to it, then you're as good as dead.]
…
[The Remnant we're dealing with doesn't stick to inorganic surfaces, As such, what we currently need you cleaners to do is to make sure the facility itself is spotless, then we'll wait until the leftover Remnants all die out. That is all]
BZZZzzZzZT
As the hologram disappeared, for a moment not a single sound was made, the only thing that could be heard were the rustling of the hazmat suits seemingly coming everywhere from every single possible corner.
"ALL CLEANERS PREPARE TO ENTER THE DOME IN 20 MINUTES" Spoke a harsh voice
—
"This is definitely fishy as hell… Scheisse"
"I agree." Evelyn continued Jeremy's word
"Wouldn't it be safer if they just purified the air first then let us cleaners clean it? It would also save their budget too will it not?"
That's why I said its fishy as hell" Jeremy continued "There's at least 200 of us and we'll probably be in that place for a maximum of 4 hours I'd say."
Raise
"What is it Amanda?" Evelybn spoke
"I think their testing for something…"
Glance
"Maybe their testing if someone has some sort of special abilities-?" I spoke as everyone glanced at me, the idea itself sounded absurd, but then again this is The Silentium. so—
"Or maybe their tryna get rid of us Oldies." Old Man Randy continued.
"Or maybe even some spies." Cael spoke.
…
It could happen….
"We sho—"
[ALL CLEANERS HEAD TO THE MAIN OPENING AND DON'T FORGET TO TURN ON YOUR SCBA]
Yet our conversation was cut short by the announcement.
Step Step Step
—
Step Step—Stops
"SCBA first! Check your seals before entering!" Spoke a random Cleaner as soon as those words were said, everyone around me began checking their equipment. I looked down at the tank strapped to my back.
Clack.
As I grabbed my regulator, my hands holding it my eyes staring as I hesitated for a moment.Then—
Click.
I connected it.
PSSSSSSSSSSSH—
Air rushed through the mask.
"Ah—!"
I nearly jumped.
It wasn't painful or anything, just—
Cold.
The air inside the mask felt completely different from before. Dry. Cleaner. Colder. Almost artificial.
Hsssssssssssss—Kshhhhhhh
Every breath came with that faint mechanical hiss.
"Okay…"
I took another breath.
Hsssssssss—Kshhhhhhh
"...This feels weird."
"Eh~ You'll get used to it" Evelyn spoke to which Cael continued "Don't panic Amanda, it's only scary at the beginning"
I really hoped so.
Because if the suit wasn't already hot enough//
Hsssssssssssss—Kshhhhhh
Now I had a giant metal cylinder strapped to my back while breathing through a machine. It felt like wearing a personal sauna. And judging by the amount of sweat already gathering around my neck… I wasn't the only one.
Rustle Rustle
Step Step Step
Yet before I could get used to it dozens of Cleaners began moving toward the entrance. Instinctively I looked ahead.The massive opening in the dome slowly began to open, as the one behind us had already closed.
KRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR—
Beyond it was—
Nothing.
Well.
Not nothing.
The facility was there, yet for some reason—There was something unsettling about it.
No people.
No vehicles.
No movement.
Just a massive facility sitting there behind layers of glass and metal,
Waiting.
the air itself looked slightly fogged, and for some reason at that moment I remembered what Cael said.
We need to be wary of the other 'cleaners.
Instinctively I looked toward him. He was standing near Jeremy, his eyes scanning the crowd. And somehow, that scared made me feel even more scared.
Step
Yet I couldn't stop
Step.
As I stepped forward once more.
Hssssssssssssss—Kshhhhhhhh
The sound of hundreds of SCBAs breathing filled the air.
Hssssssssssssss—Kshhhhhhhhh
Hundreds of Cleaners.
Hundreds of masks.
Hundreds of tanks.
All walking into the same place.
And for some reason—I realized something.
If Cael's intuition was right…
Then the biggest danger here might not be the thing waiting inside X70. It might be—Us.
Step
Yet there was nothing We could do—As we entered the facility known as X70