RTS System in the Apocalypse-Chapter 105: Underground Meeting - III

Tyrus’s answer garnered more confusion and questions rather than answers.

"They have to blindly push through with their evolution?" Hans pointed at Kimmy and Yunera.

A dismayed expression was planted on Tyrus’s face. "Unfortunately, yes."

"How about ingesting more pills?" Hans wasn’t satisfied.

"An unstable method that I wouldn’t recommend," Tyrus objected. "Ingesting once is more than enough. My best diagnosis is for the individual to discover their own pathway."

"That’s too long," Hans frowned, not because he was affected, but it would hinder his plans for Kimmy and Yunera. "Isn’t there a faster way?"

"Haste means waste, Commander Hans," Tyrus chuckled. "In fact, HELIX-III’s purpose was to unravel this mysterious problem of advancing."

"And the AWN just had to decide otherwise," Hans snapped his fingers. "How will a superhuman individual know if it is time for their tier to increase?"

"You already experienced that," Tyrus hinted to Hans. "Minus the skies spiraling above your head."

Hans was taken aback. I had done that?

"I do not know how Commander Hans has become a superhuman," Tyrus adjusted his posture. "But your origins are no less mysterious than that."

Hans simply shook his head, not engaging from Tyrus’s attempt to coax him. He pointed at the bags on one corner of the room.

"You already have your corpses," he retorted. "Isn’t that a sample for your research already?"

"The Commander has good eyes," Tyrus smiled.

"These corpses..." Kimmy interjected. "Dr. Tyrus, are you... planning on continuing HELIX-IV?"

On another corner of the room, a few notes and documents were laid out. From her spatial vision, Kimmy was able to read their contents and spoke such words.

"Your sensory skills are improving by the day," Tyrus was impressed.

"Answer the damn question," Yunera snorted. Hans was also intrigued by Tyrus’s ambitions.

"The HELIX-IV project was larger than the previous iterations," Tyrus explained, his tone easy on the uptake. "Though the government’s hired scientists went mad with their own experiments, a few of us had our more stable HELIX-IV plans."

"What’s this plan of yours then?" Hans tilted his head and glanced at the worktable.

The corpse has been dissected in several areas, its figure barely recognizable as a human.

"I didn’t plan to continue working with HELIX-IV until the apocalypse came upon this world," Tyrus followed Hans’s gaze. "These zombified humans are simply what I need for my research."

Hans’s eyes narrowed. "Are you implying this... zombie virus has a similar effect to what HELIX is?"

"It’s not just similar," Tyrus corrected. "It is in fact a superior version of HELIX."

Kimmy and Yunera moved their eyes towards the corpse as well.

"I take it you’re not done with your research, are you?" Hans crossed his arms.

"If I am given a more specialized laboratory setup, indeed my progress would be faster than now."

"I’ll see what I can do about it," Hans turned around.

He decided to help Tyrus—for now.

Helping Tyrus was risky. Keeping him alive was riskier.

But leaving him here with a half-built lab and a pile of corpses was worst of all.

A mind like this would not stop working. If he lacked proper tools, he would improvise.

If he lacked protection, he would negotiate with whoever could provide it.

Hans didn’t want Tyrus to fall into the wrong hands. Or rather, he only wanted to keep Tyrus’s insane actions within his restrictions.

That way, he could react against Tyrus in case things went wrong during these dangerous experiments and research.

And in a colony that had begun attracting desperate survivors, negotiation often meant blood.

Tyrus responded with a nod, already expecting that answer from Hans.

Yunera scoffed Hans’s decision. "You’re really going to feed his obsession?"

Hans didn’t look at her. "I’m feeding my own."

He looked at Tyrus.

"But there are conditions."

Tyrus raised his hands in a carefree manner. "Go on. I’m all ears, Commander."

"No experimentation on living people," Hans said. "No pills, injections, or volunteers. Not without my direct approval."

Kimmy and Yunera sighed in relief.

Tyrus just shrugged. "As you wish, Commander."

Hans was annoyed by Tyrus’s indifferent nature. "How come the government didn’t silence you after banishing you from the project?"

"The lucky ones are countable by hands," Tyrus shrugged. "I was spared because I was a Shearman."

"Tsk, talk about privileges."

Tyrus’s answer struck a chord of annoyance in everyone’s heart.

Hans turned to leave. "Let’s go. I have heard what I needed to hear today."

"I hope the Commander can forgive me for my lack of hospitality," Tyrus spoke up. "The next time we’ll meet, I will be a little more accommodating to your visit."

"You don’t have to."

Just as Callum reached for the door, that was when Tyrus spoke again.

"Ah Commander, I almost forgot. Your soldiers should tighten their patrols inside the colony, around the western block."

Hans paused. That tone was casual, too casual from Tyrus.

Yunera’s eyes narrowed.

"Are you referring to those with ulterior motives?"

Tyrus didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. He responded with a smile, then continued.

"And if you’re going to give me a better lab. I know of a place up north."

Hans’s eyes hardened.

Tyrus was baiting him with a good carrot, but the stick behind it was the problem.

A trap, or are his words genuine?

"You don’t have to look at me with suspicion," Tyrus threw the glove away and picked a fresh one.

"Then what’s this all about?"

Tyrus started moving towards the worktable. "The air has been getting stale lately. I suspect it is of nuclear origins."

Everyone stopped and turned to look back at him.

"How certain are you?" Hans clenched his fist, his expression turning dark.

"In my life, barely have I been deceived by anyone or anything," Tyrus replied. "My senses isn’t and will never be one of them."

"You want me to move north and deal with the nuclear power plant?"

"Why yes, it is that obvious," Tyrus smirked under the mask as he put it on. "If you don’t, everyone in the colony will die, and the rest of Grefort City will follow too."

With a last stretch of his glove, his fingers let go, emitting a loud snap.

"I should have no need to explain the consequences of a nuclear radiation fallout when it happens, right Commander?"