CHAPTER 1.7 – THE UNLEASHED GIRL”

- CHAPTER 1.7 – THE UNLEASHED GIRL” -

Location: Koruch Vessel – Infirmary

Date: NTC 1446.07.15

Merry and Yusuf stood facing each other in the center of the infirmary.

Yusuf’s face was tense, but he stood his ground, his fists clenched.

He opened his mouth to speak, voice trembling slightly.

“What’s wrong… Are you scared?”

It sounded like a challenge, but lacked confidence.

Merry squinted at him for a moment then suddenly shouted,

“Say it like you mean it! Aren’t you the bravest and strongest on this crew?!”

Yusuf looked away, pressing his lips together.

“No, of course not. I’m only thirteen.”

Merry paused, then shrugged.

“So what? Thirteen’s solid. I was hunting sand dragons at your age.”

“Sand dragons? From what planet? Yonja?” Yusuf asked.

Merry gave a faint smile. Her eyes wandered, as if brushing a distant memory.

“Oh yeah… Yonja. You know it? Ever been?”

Yusuf slowly shook his head. A flicker of sadness passed through his eyes.

“No... I saw it on your records.”

At that moment, sirens blared through the ship.

Ceiling lights flashed red, flooding the infirmary with crimson.

Merry looked up, eyes on the lights, then glanced toward the infirmary door.

Yorgo was crawling toward it, trying to escape.

Merry raised a finger to Yusuf.

“Excuse me for a sec. I’ll be right back.”

Before Yusuf could respond, she was already past him.

She moved so fast he froze in place.

Just as Yorgo was about to slip out the door, Merry grabbed his legs

and yanked him violently back into the room.

“Let go! Let go, you freak! You monster!” Yorgo screamed.

“Where are you going? We haven’t even started playing yet,” Merry said, smirking.

She dragged him to the center of the infirmary.

Yusuf lunged forward and shouted,

“Leave him alone! You’re fighting me, don’t run from it, coward!”

“Relax. I’m not going to hurt him,” Merry said calmly.

At that moment, the infirmary lights flickered three times.

Then a thick, steel-gray shutter began to descend over the door.

The screech of metal sliced the air like a blade.

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Yusuf ran to it the second he realized

But he was too late. The shutter closed.

“What just happened?” Merry asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“They’ve locked us in,” Yusuf replied, gritting his teeth.

“Why?” she asked again.

“Why do you think?!” Yorgo growled.

“They’re too scared to face a monster like you!”

“So what, they plan to leave us here forever?” Merry said with a shrug.

“No. That won’t work,” Yusuf said, resolute.

“They’ve realized you can’t die. Neither they nor this ship will outlast you.”

“What’s your brother thinking, Yusuf?! How could he leave me alone with this thing?!” Yorgo shouted.

Yusuf didn’t answer.

They actually sealed it. I was right, he thought.

Yorgo inhaled sharply, then screamed at the door,

“Korsicaaa! You cowardly bastards! You couldn’t even wait for me to crawl out before dropping the shutter?!”

“They’re not cowards. They’re just weak. That’s why they ran,” Merry said, her tone calm and expressionless.

Yusuf suddenly turned to Yorgo, eyes serious.

“We have to get out of here, now. If my brother planned this, I’ve got a pretty good guess what’s coming.”

Yorgo squinted at him, confused.

“My brother saw the only one thing that affected Merry, high-voltage electricity.”

“That’s nonsense! How would they get that much voltage into the infirmary?! This isn’t some tiny airlock!” Yorgo snapped.

“Thomas will figure it out. He’s got just enough engineering knowledge and then some,” Yusuf said confidently.

Then he turned to Merry.

“So… I guess they’re willing to kill us to disable you.”

“Don’t be stupid! Your brother would never kill you!” Yorgo yelled.

“From his point of view, I’m already dead,” Yusuf said, his voice pained but clear.

“He probably thinks if I wanted to live, I’d have gone with him.

And you… well, everybody hates you already.”

“You arrogant brat! I hope they roast your corpse to a crisp!” Yorgo shouted, furious.

Merry’s expression turned to ice.

She silently walked over to Yorgo.

She didn’t run.

She just walked and he still couldn’t move.

"THUD!"

She stomped the top of his head with her foot.

Yorgo collapsed out cold.

“What are you doing?! I don’t need you protecting me!” Yusuf yelled angrily.

“I wasn’t protecting you. I just get mad when people say stupid things,” Merry said flatly.

“So… want to fight now? I’m not gonna sit here waiting to die,” Yusuf asked, shrugging.

Merry furrowed her brow.

“Did I misjudge you? You’re really just going to sit here and wait for death?

No. All three of us are getting out of here.”

“Huh? Did you just count Yorgo in?” Yusuf asked, surprised.

“No, no. He can stay,” Merry said, making a face.

“I meant the three of us: You, me, and… that one.”

She pointed toward the orange-bereted Mute, still standing silently in the corner.

It hadn’t moved. No reaction.

Still blank. Still hollow.

Merry took a step toward it.

“Not gonna talk? You’ve been listening for the entire time.

Surely you have something to say.”

The Mute remained silent. Its eyes didn’t waver.

“Merry… That’s a Mute,” Yusuf said calmly.

“Yeah, I noticed something odd too but…

They don’t have consciousness.

They’re pacified. Just like the Truth Academy says ‘Godless thought objects.’”

But Merry seemed not to hear him.

She stood right in front of the Mute, leaned in, and looked into its eyes.

Then, slowly, clearly, she spoke.

“Hey. Are you going to answer me? Got a plan?

Or are you planning to get fried like those mutes in that airlock?”

Three seconds passed.

Nothing.

The Mute’s eyes were empty.

Yusuf held his breath.

Then suddenly

Its eyes focused.

Its expression changed.

Something had come alive inside it.

It locked eyes with Merry.

And in a slow but firm voice, it spoke:

“I don’t.”

Yusuf exhaled the breath he’d been holding

and shouted, “Whaat?!”

Merry simply smiled.