Long-term salvation

"Don't be impatient, Mr. Carvin Johnson. I want to ask you, have you heard of... the other world?"

"?"

Chapter 79: Kaven's Decision (3K, 1/2)

Rod, the young man had left, taking the spoils, his own hard work - Aperture Technologies - and leaving behind a ghost story called "The Other World", Carl Johnson thought.

It wasn't just a ghost story. The young man calmly recounted his past deeds, including how he contracted mercury poisoning... Carl even felt that there was scrutiny in those deep blue eyes. It wasn't a criticism based on the "present," but an examination of the past from the perspective of the "future."

Carl pulled aside the curtains and saw Rhodes and his companions chatting and laughing as they crossed the zebra crossing, got into a taxi, and left. There was no trace of lingering feelings, no furtive glances, as if they had just completed an ordinary job and were going home relaxed.

At the same time, a 9mm pistol bullet stood on the table, not disappearing, not exploding, just standing there quietly. The bright light in the office hit it, making it reflect the brass metal luster.

Caroline looked at the bullet and felt a sense of fear for no reason:

The otherworld? The supernatural? Another dimension inhabited by countless bizarre creatures?

As a fellow researcher, Caroline's first reaction was to sneer. However, facing the facts presented by Rhodes, her thoughts were inevitably shaken. She really couldn't imagine that human civilization was like a lone boat sailing on a dark and deep ocean. The ocean was infinitely deep and lurked countless monsters.

The bullet seemed to be a whirlpool, and Caroline's eyes fell into it, spinning non-stop, making her feel inexplicably dizzy.

"It looks like this thing is very stable. It won't change regardless of the distance from the person who took it out. I just covered it with a cloth, and even after the light was removed, it didn't change."

Carl walked to the desk and looked at the bullet on the table. The aging heart in his chest was beating fast. The long-lost curiosity was driving him to study it immediately... But the thing in front of him was indeed just a bullet. Maybe he should find a gun to try?

"I'm always surprised by your rash decisions," Caroline sighed. She had sighed at countless decisions made by the man before her, but every time she met his passionate eyes, she would be defeated. "Before that young man puts his promises on paper, everything should be regarded as a lie. Even when signing a contract, you should be more careful."

"He doesn't care about these trivial issues, just like I do."

Carl said calmly. He reached out and pressed his fingers against the bullet tip, feeling the slight dull pain.

"We need money, but it's not a necessity. It's just that money can bring experimental materials and experimenters. We need money to pay researchers' salaries, buy food, water, and build a huge country, a scientific country that belongs only to us."

"That young man, Rod, I have a hunch," Carl suddenly laughed. His expression left Caroline beside him somewhat puzzled. "Although he may be trying to hide it, intentionally or unintentionally, or perhaps he's not paying attention or even aware of it, that inhuman quality about him cannot be concealed. He's just Frankenstein in human skin. Just like the patches, stitches, or decorative lace on a garment, these things come together to form a seemingly neat but actually messy emperor's garment."

"Ah... He's bound to be my best friend and worst enemy. Oh, and what did he say? Surpass Atlas Corporation? Oh, that's an interesting suggestion! I bet that Irons has no idea of ​​his worth. I can't wait to see the look on Irons' face!"

"And that other world, the supernatural, another dimension! Listen to how incongruous these words sound together, but I like it. It's just like when I was a kid and told adults I saw a ghost, or maybe something else, and got scolded. I hated being scolded, but I liked exploring the unknown... Maybe we need to find a stable way to open the portal between the two worlds?"

"Caroline!" Carvin Johnson suddenly raised his voice, his hands on his hips, his face full of joy.

The familiar voice of calling woke Caroline from her daze. She pursed her lips and said seriously:

"What can I do for you, sir?"

"Starting today, accelerate research on Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System (GLaDOS), accelerate research on teleportation devices, and initiate the collection of data on the inner world. No, we won't need that. Rhodes will give it to us, I'm sure. And then—uh... Caroline? Do you have any suggestions?"

"Perhaps you should solicit opinions and plans on how to deal with the destruction of human civilization caused by a supernatural dimension invasion from among the company's current employees and researchers."

"The destruction of human civilization?" Kevin turned his head and looked at his secretary in surprise. "What does this have to do with me?"

"...This is the will of Rhodes, the future master of Aperture Technology."

"Ah, that's right. I can't go against the wishes of my friends and enemies. I mean, the wishes of the future CEO, damn it! I quite like the title of CEO. Maybe I can let the employees call him BOSS?" Calvin clenched his fists and paced around the office, his face switching between anxiety and joy. "Tomorrow? No, now, we have to let him go to the headquarters to see it!"

"You should be more formal, preferably after the acquisition is complete. You should also use this time to clean up the headquarters and communicate with the middle management in advance."

Seeing her boss like this, Caroline sighed and reached into her pocket to pull out a few pills that had been packed in plastic bags. Turning around, she poured a glass of water and stuffed it into Carl's hand, watching him frown as he drank it.

"Once the funds are in place, the first thing we'll do is treat your mercury poisoning with better medical technology." Caroline looked at Carl, who coughed a few times, with undisguised worry on her face. "Whatever ambition you have, you must have a body that can see the day of success."

"I'll try to live another twenty years, Caroline."

"I hope you can keep your promise, just like what you said to me before," Caroline took a deep breath. She turned around and picked up the thick contract and began to read it. This was something that the tall woman next to Rhodes had brought with her today. Could she also be a secretary? And she seemed to have noticed her little move.

Putting aside those distracting thoughts, Caroline opened the first page and started reading as Carl chattered on about future plans. She then noticed that only half of the papers were early contracts, and the rest were all precautions and warnings.

About the other world, other world experiments, and ethical considerations and warnings.

Setting aside other issues, morality... Caroline knew full well that Aperture Technologies had employed a large number of elite human beings, including athletes, astronauts, and veterans, as experimental subjects in the 50s, ultimately being liquidated and abandoned by the US government in the 6s and 70s. Aperture Technologies couldn't even afford to hire homeless people, not to mention the massive exodus of employees last year who were being used as testers for their own experiments.

Aperture Technology has never been a good company, and Carl Johnson is even less so.

Caroline glanced up at Carl, who had already started writing down his thoughts on paper. She hesitated for a few seconds, but decided to speak out in advance to eliminate possible hidden dangers in the future.

"Sir, Mr. Rhodes has high moral standards, and I think you should pay attention to this."

"Oh, morality," Carl looked up, seemingly unsurprised by Caroline's words. "The issue of the source of experimental subjects can be left to our future CEO. If he's not free..."

Carl Johnson stood up and walked to the window, drawing back the curtains to expose the decaying landscape of Detroit's neighborhood to him and Caroline.

"Aren't there a lot of experimental subjects here?"

"Perhaps my friend/enemy's useless, overly high moral standards will limit his progress and even become an obstacle to his research. But here—criminals—Detroit is not short of serious criminals. Rapists, drug dealers, gang members, arsonists... Oh my God, Caroline, they are all perfect experimental subjects. We just need a little preparation."

"For example, we couldn't bring this city under the control of Aperture Technology before, but it's not too late to start now."

"Rod will like this plan."

So said Calvin Johnson, quietly savoring the feeling of the long-extinguished fire of ambition reigniting in his chest.

"He'll put a shackle on Aperture Technology," Caroline walked over to Carl and gently rested her head on his shoulder. "He might even destroy Aperture Technology if it doesn't suit his wishes... I have a strange feeling he'll do this, and he's capable of it."

“When we move forward, no one can stop us.”

"Yeah, no one. But then again, have you heard of the name 'Cogito Foundation'? I saw it in the corner of the last page, and it only appeared once. It said that everything in Aperture Technology would be owned by Rhodes, but he would be under the supervision of the leader of this foundation."

"I don't know," Mr. Carr replied readily.

Chapter 80: The Last Night in Detroit (2/2)

It was already evening when Rhodes and the other two returned to the hotel.

Before he could go upstairs, Rhodes saw Abigail and the black cat Pickman waiting in the hall. The girl sat motionless on the sofa, letting the black cat's tail sweep across her face.

After noticing Rhodes and the others, Abigail shot off from the sofa and headbutted Rhodes in the stomach. After a few thrusts, she sniffed and said sadly:

"I'm so hungry, I ate everything in the room."

“…I remember there were meals in this hotel.”

"No dinner, and I ate all their snacks."

Rhodes looked up at the front desk. The waitresses there were covering their mouths and laughing, obviously taking good care of Abigail.

"Well, let's go out and find a suitable restaurant... I thought you were going to sleep until night."

Rod sighed, walked to the front desk to express his gratitude, and then prepared to take Abigail for a walk around Detroit in the evening.

The security in the city center is still okay, at least there are no large-scale gang fights.

After asking the front desk staff for a city map, Rhodes led the girls out of the hotel. He waved for a taxi and planned to find a highly-rated restaurant to eat something first.

The taxi slowly started moving, and it was at this moment that Rhode finally had time to take in the nightscape of Detroit. They had arrived in such a hurry, and the journey from the airport to the hotel was a torment. However, now that the Aperture Technology matter had been finalized, there was nothing to worry about.

To be honest, Rhodes really likes this process of killing time doing nothing. He doesn't need to think about anything, just like a sloth.

The streetlights on both sides of the road had already lit up, illuminating every square carved into the tall buildings. Looking up from below, all one could see were countless blurry shadows wriggling in the light, like larvae in a beehive. Soon, the curtains were drawn.

Rhode leaned against the car window, looking at the bustling crowd on the street outside, and thought about what to eat tonight...After dinner, should he take Abigail and Mary to try dessert? He hoped that the dessert shop would still be open by then, and he and Yang could buy some rum to drink back home.

Inside the car, Abigail was holding Mary's hand, grumbling softly. Mary responded with soft words of comfort. Yang, resting his head on his hand, gazed out the window at the city, just as Rod had. The dim light cast a shadow over Nikki's face, casting a shadow over half of her beautiful features.

The taxi driver seemed to be a Canadian, with a hint of Toronto dialect in his speech. He hummed an unknown country tune and turned up the volume of the radio, which then played the latest news from Detroit.

As the taxi merged into the traffic flow and waited for the red light with other vehicles, Yang suddenly said to Rhodes:

"Commander, I won't go back to Arkham with you just yet."

"Why? It's good to get to know other people."

"All things in the universe come into being when fate brings them together and perish when fate separates," Nikki responded in Cantonese. She reached out and cupped Rod's neck from behind, whispering in his ear, "We will eventually meet again, and right now, I hope to do more for you—do you think I'm just a pretty face?"

"No," Rhodes raised his eyebrows slightly, but a slender hand brushed across his lips, making him close his mouth subconsciously.

"I don't mind being a vase in your hands, but my value still needs to be proven... The acquisition of Aperture Technologies, the establishment of a weapons factory, the recruitment of personnel, and the appreciation of financial assets. You need my abilities far more than you need this body."

Nikki's voice was very soft, so soft that it seemed only Rod could hear it.

"Give me a chance, Commander. I need to use my abilities to stand by your side. I am irreplaceable."

"Each of you is irreplaceable. Don't underestimate yourself."

Rhode reached out and grasped the retreating hand. He tilted his head slightly and felt Nikki's false breath brushing past his ear, warm and sweet. Composing himself, Rhode replied in the same small voice:

"I respect the opinions of every one of you. If you think this is the right thing to do, then go ahead and do it. If you have any tough issues, call me to handle them. I may not be very smart, but I can still pull the trigger."

Yang's face lit up with a smile. She stopped talking and leaned back against the slightly harder backrest, teasing the yawning black cat, Pickman, with her fingers. Abigail looked around, hunched her head, and began to imagine what she could eat tonight.

"..."

Mary's eye twitched slightly, her cheeks puffed out as she took a deep breath, and she suddenly regretted sitting behind the driver's seat. But then, realizing the deeper meaning behind Nikki's words, she clasped her hands together, muttered a prayer, and began to think about what she could do for Sensei.

I'm a nun... maybe I can start from there?

The taxi fell silent for a moment, the only sound and color seemingly coming from the driver's seat. The middle-aged man was shaking his head and humming, looking very happy, perhaps because Rhode had given him a generous tip.

The voice on the radio talking about celebrity gossip suddenly stopped, and was replaced by a serious and urgent voice:

"Fellow citizens of Detroit, the following roads are temporarily blocked: 23rd Avenue, 14th Avenue... A robber is in the process... Gang members and police are chasing... The criminal is riding a motorcycle..."

"Oh! It's just an ordinary night," the driver shook his head and kindly reminded Rhodes, "Guest, you have to be careful with these ladies. Don't go outside the city center, and don't join in the crowds. The blocked road mentioned on the radio is not far from where we are now. Look, there are several police cars parked there."

Indeed, Rhodes saw at least three police cars parked on the street, their lights off, ready to stop anyone at any moment. He then spotted a familiar figure among them:

Officer Alex Murphy, rifle in hand, his face a tired expression.

After signaling the taxi to stop next to the police car, Rhodes rolled down the window and asked with a smile:

"Officer Murphy, what happened again?"

"You...ah! You're the one from the day," Officer Murphy sighed. "A robber broke into a gang's lair, broke everyone's legs with a baseball bat, and then robbed the gang of their money - they were counting the stolen money, and they probably lost close to a million dollars - for God's sake, the witnesses said the attacker was short and a little skinny, but very strong!"

"How can there be such a robber in this world?!"

"Who knows? I remember the Chicago bank robbery a while ago. The witnesses said that the robbers were not big and strong, but they were very strong."

Rhodes: "...I think I have some ideas about the identity of the robber."

"what?"

"No, it's nothing," Rod said, quickly rolling up the window. "Have a nice evening, officer."

Murphy shrugged as he watched the taxi quickly drive away. After taking a sip of the coffee brought by his female colleague, he let out a long sigh of satisfaction, his heart full of ridicule for those unfortunate gangsters.

A slight chilly breeze blew in through Officer Murphy's collar, and the slightly hot coffee made him shiver all over, causing some coffee to spill onto his clothes.

"Damn it!"

The policeman next to him saw him like this and said with a smile:

"If you're a robot, you don't care about spilled coffee, you're not afraid of the cold, and you're not afraid of bullets."

"That makes me so happy," muttered Officer Murphy.

The Detroit police still had to be on guard in the cold wind or chase angry gangsters. As for the fact that Rhodes picked up a Miss Jackal carrying two large bags in an alley a few hours later, that was another story.

"Baizi! What are you doing here?!"

"Earn some pocket money."

The cute girl with wolf ears standing up said so. She knew that Rhodes was in this city and would return to Arkham Town soon...so why not go together?

Chapter 81: Daily Life: Return to Arkham (1/2)

The journey was not long but extremely painful. Whether it was flying directly from Michigan to Massachusetts or transferring from the airport, it was a torture. Fortunately, the employees of Atlas were very considerate - when they walked out of the airport, there was already a special car waiting for them.

Now Rhodes drove the three girls back to the simple town of Arkham.

The town hadn't undergone any earth-shaking changes in this short period of time. There had been a few light snowfalls, but as the weather was gradually warming up, the once biting cold wind now forced people to tighten their collars instead of fleeing back to their warm homes in a panic.

Although it was still warm in the car, the girls were still covered with thick coats, especially Mary. She seemed to have a low resistance to the cold and was now curled up in a ball like the black cat Pickman next to her.

Abigail, sitting next to her, wiped the mist off the car window. She saw the townspeople working in groups of two or three to clear the snow. Then, with a mischievous grin, she wiped the cold water from her fingers onto Mary's face. Mary screamed in surprise, uttering a soft, sticky protest. She also wiped some water from the car window, then onto her friend's face.

The two girls immediately started making a mess, which annoyed the black cat Pickman so much that he had to jump onto the central armrest and stare at the wipers in front that occasionally moved.

Rhode smiled slightly at the laughter behind him, but then he felt a warm hand covering his neck. He turned his head and saw the jackal girl with a calm expression. As if noticing Rhode's doubts, she said calmly:

"I just want to touch it."

"This isn't really a prank, Shiroko."