Why it never ends

Chapter 1191 Research Station

Hesta sat silently by the window of the old train. As the train was about to arrive, she half opened her eyes.

Last night, when a series of alert emails poured into her mailbox, she was about to rest. Then Turan came and knocked on her door, asking her if she had received any news with a higher level of confidentiality. Hesta could only shake her head.

In fact, two hours later, Office 2 did give her an order that was somewhat unexpected: Jane, go to Awad Prison immediately, where Victoria will meet you.

Victoria? She was supposed to have boarded a plane to Area 1 a few hours ago—to attend a funeral and pick up some things, she said.

The train began to slow down, and Hesta stood up and walked towards the door. She didn't have much luggage on this trip, just an empty backpack in case she needed to bring something back halfway.

The Wehoton Plateau in the middle of District 12 was waking up in the dim morning light. There were not many passengers getting off the train at this time, but the platform was full of passengers waiting for the train to arrive. Hesta walked out against the crowd. Countless faces appeared and left in her sight. She suddenly felt horrified.

Will there be a day when she sees herself walking towards her, and that person sees her and stops in surprise, and then the two of them look at each other and ask, "Who are you?"

The closer they got to Awad Prison, the more uneasy Hesta felt. She began to doubt the identity of the Victoria in prison. She thought of the living dead she had seen on the rescue ship Shengming, and she couldn't help but worry about the situation of the "real" Victoria.

Can Office 2 still be trusted today? She was glad that she had always had some reservations about AHgAs, but what should she do next?

Hesta crossed the mountain road alone, following the cliffs she climbed with Rico last time, all the way to the "monastery" on the top of the mountain. She once again passed the words carved on the rocks, and climbed up alone amid the groans of "pain! pain!", without stopping for a single step.

The prison entrance on the top of the mountain opened automatically just like last time. Hesta walked in quickly, feeling the change from the classical period to the technological age.

She walked through corridors and closed passages, passed two biometric information tests, and finally arrived at the underground floor that she had never been to before. As soon as she got out of the elevator, she saw Victoria standing at the door in a white coat waiting.

"We meet again!" Victoria waved at her. "I thought we would meet at the airport tomorrow, but I didn't expect to meet in Awad Prison ahead of time."

"What's the matter," Hesta said calmly, "you came back so soon."

"What do you mean I came back? I didn't make it. I was about to board the plane yesterday, but Office 2 called me back and told me not to go to District for the time being."

"...Office 2 summoned you back?" Hesta's pace slowed down for a moment. "Did they know that something was going to happen in District later in the night?"

"They probably knew about it, but they wouldn't tell anyone," Victoria said. "Luckily they didn't go, or they would be trapped there."

"Where are we going now?" Hesta asked.

"Underground research station."

"Research station? Research or something."

"You'll find out soon."

Victoria led Hesta down the hallway, and after passing through several disinfected corridors, they entered a closed elevator again. Hesta stood diagonally behind Victoria, trying to identify whether there was anything suspicious about the person in front of him. "Did Office 2 tell you about the mercury needle in District next year?" Hesta suddenly asked.

"You want to transfer management rights like we did with District 14, right? I told you," Victoria said without looking back.

"What do you think is the reason?" Hesta asked in a tone as neutral as possible.

"I don't really agree with this decision, it's too naive," Victoria said, "but there's still half a year left, so we can continue to persuade them to change their minds."

"...Persuade?" Hesta was a little surprised. "Persuade what?"

"When they make decisions, they always put the interests of the residents of the livable area first. Just as the coalition government persuaded them to give up their interests in the Mercury Needle, we will persuade them not to be fooled by them. The 14th District is the 14th District, and the experience of the 14th District cannot be mechanically applied to other districts."

"Are you serious?"

"What else?" Victoria looked back in confusion, "How do I look like I'm joking?"

Hesta was silent for a while, not knowing who was more naive. She looked away and asked, "What do you think of Office 2's decision to wipe out Deep Anchor?"

Victoria's expression became complicated, and Hesta read many changes in her eyes - regret, sympathy, but also a certain determination.

Seeing that Victoria did not answer, Hesta continued: "Kendai said that this is because the deep anchor is a kind of flag. If it is not eradicated in time, it will encourage the rebellion of mercury needles everywhere-"

"It's not that simple," Victoria whispered.

"You said yesterday that you had something to tell me?" Hesta said softly.

The elevator opened at this time, and Victoria walked out first: "Didn't I say yesterday that I was going to the first district to attend the funeral... I don't know if you have heard of this person's name, Isolley Collier."

"No."

"Turan should have seen her," Victoria said. "Isore is a master in the study of chelating bacteria and their pathogenicity in the first district. She was the first scholar to propose that the mechanism of the aberrant bacteria is different from that of ordinary chelates. I worked in her laboratory for two years - although it was many years ago."

Hesta responded softly.

The two came to a tightly sealed door with a sign on it saying "Epidemic area ahead, no entry without authorization." The two verified their respective biometric information again. Their names and related information were displayed on the screen, and it was indicated that the biosafety level ahead was C.

"Isore is a difficult person to get along with. She is extremely strict with her subordinates, especially when you are Mercury Needle." Victoria said, "When I first entered the laboratory, she scolded me. She took me into the laboratory and kept reminding me of some basic common sense in the biology laboratory, as if I was not a researcher, but a college student who had just entered the university and knew nothing... But later I realized that she was only like this to Mercury Needle."

"Why?" Hesta asked, "She has a prejudice against Mercury Needle?"

"Is it prejudice? It's hard to say. She herself is a mercury needle researcher," Victoria said. "You know, mercury is immune to all types of chelated bacteria. In the past, some mercury needle researchers were very careless in experimental safety... and this is extremely dangerous for ordinary researchers in the laboratory."