Adam stood there, contemplating his decision. His mind was racing. "I've decided," he muttered under his breath, the weight of his thoughts pressing down on him." Let's say that this mission is a failure to the town."
The soldiers stopped, their murmurs fading as they turned toward him. One of them, a stern-faced man, spoke first. "What do you mean by that, Mr. Adam?"
Adam's eyes fixed on them, his voice cold. "This excavation is already a failure. More than half of the soldiers are dead, and even your leader." He let the words linger in the air, letting them sink in.
Arial, standing off to the side, just sighed, a look of frustration crossing his face.
"Kid," Arial muttered as he puffed on his cigarette, his gaze unwavering. "You do know what you're doing, right?" He exhaled, the smoke curling into the air. "You don't want this place controlled by the town. You want to own it, don't you?" He locked eyes with Adam, his stare intense. "Am I wrong?"
Silence fell over the group as the soldiers exchanged uneasy glances.
Adam felt a sharp pang of realization. He was being selfish. He was driven by ego, thinking that only he was worthy of taking control, as if it was his right, simply because he was special. But deep down, he knew there was no other way. His thoughts were tangled, his mind screaming for something more—something beyond what he had.
The soldiers murmured among themselves. One of them, a thin, black-haired man with an explorer's backpack, was standing apart. His appearance seemed almost out of place for a soldier—so frail and gaunt. How had he even survived? Adam couldn't understand how someone like him could have made it this far.
"Mr. Adam," the thin soldier spoke up, his voice calm yet firm, "This isn't what we were supposed to do. There are rules in society we must follow."
Adam scoffed, his voice bitter. "And how has that worked out for us? A broken world, a broken city?" He gestured out, the ruins of the landscape visible beyond their camp. "Do you think society's rules will save us? They've already failed us."
A long-haired soldier, standing off to the side, didn't like what he was hearing. "Kid," he said, his voice dangerously low, "If you're suggesting we're failing this mission, what's your plan? What are you really trying to say?" His hand tightened around his rifle as he aimed it toward Adam.
The tension in the air grew thick. Arial and Yoku immediately raised their weapons, the drones whirring to life and locking on to the soldiers. The lasers from the drones painted glowing targets on their chests.
The soldiers froze, taken aback by the sudden escalation. The yellow-haired girl, her expression blank, just stared at the unfolding scene. "What is this? A mutiny?" she said with an eerie smile, casually sitting down with her hands resting at her sides.
The soldiers exchanged angry words, their voices rising in frustration. "Arial, stop half-assing it and shoot this guy!" one shouted.
Adam, his eyes cold, didn't back down. "I can kill all of you in a millisecond."
Arial looked at him, smirking. "Well..." he said, savoring the moment. "I'd like to see how far you're willing to take this, kid. But don't go too far."
The soldiers, now furious, shouted at him. "Then what are we supposed to do, huh? Who's going to control this massive facility? You, Adam?"
They cursed him, mocking him as if he were nothing more than a fool. Adam clenched his fists. Deep inside, he knew he was being hypocritical. Maybe he did want control. But then, wasn't he the one who had saved them? Wasn't he the one who had brought them this far?
One of the soldiers spoke up, his voice laced with resentment. "And we're not indebted to you."
Before Adam could respond, the long-haired soldier—still aiming his rifle about to fire—was abruptly shot in the neck by Arial. The soldier collapsed, blood pouring from the wound, his body twitching before going still.
The remaining soldiers fell silent, their morale shattered by the brutal display. "Fine," one of them muttered, his voice heavy with defeat. "We concede."
Adam let out a deep sigh. He wasn't satisfied, though. The situation was a mess. His mind reeled. How could he silence their mouths? He couldn't just shut them up by force, as much as he wanted to. This was becoming too bloody, too messy.
War… how long would it last?
A small, bitter smile tugged at Adam's lips as he tried to pyschological warfare, "C'mon," he said, his tone shifting to something smoother, more persuasive. "You don't really want to keep fighting, do you? Think about it. If we control this large facility, we'll be living like kings."
Adam's thoughts swirled with guilt. What was he doing? He knew it was wrong, but he couldn't stop. He wanted to survive. He wanted to win.
With Adam bluffing "I've already planted 20 drones in the town," Adam added, his voice cool and calculated. "And they know your faces. If you tell anyone, they'll melt your brains."
The soldiers exchanged uncertain glances. Five drones hovered in the air, their sensors scanning the environment.
Adam, controlling the drones like a seasoned commander, kept his calm exterior. "So, what do you want to do?"
The soldiers were quiet for a long time, clearly contemplating their choices, true that the town was vanishing the more it continued living and this facility was extremely large if they agreed they could live here
Finally, they surrendered. "Fine," one of them muttered. "We'll work with you."
Adam's smile widened, though there was no real joy in it. "Simple," he said, his hands outstretched as if offering them a lifeline. "Work with me, and your lives will be safe. You'll prosper."
The yellow-haired girl smiled wryly, her gaze sharp. "Do you even need the creator of this place to consent to your selfish ideals right now?"
Adam stared at her, momentarily thrown off by the question. "Is there even a single human soul operating this facility?" he asked, his voice quieter now.
She stood up and approached him. "No. Only I...well right now, The Doctor thought that only humans will manage this facility and not the robots. "
Adam's thoughts raced. "The majority voted for the minority, after all... Is that what you said?" Sigh. His moral compass seemed to be fading, and he didn't know how much longer he could keep it intact.
Finally, the girl spoke again, her tone mocking. "Fine… If that's what you want, Master."
Adam's stomach churned with realization. This was too far. He was becoming corrupt, and deep down, he felt it.
Yoku and Arial exchanged a look, both visibly shocked by the girl's words. Arial patted Adam's shoulder, his expression hardening. "Like I said, Adam. Don't take things too far. You might regret it."
Adam, feeling the weight of his actions pressing down on him, thought to himself. What are you gonna do, Arial?
Arial looked at him, his eyes unreadable. "Yes…"
...
"But i guess some rules are meant to be broken" he laughs a bit