Volume 3 Hello, Eri Chapter 190: The Route to the New Century (Part 2)
Renata ran madly to room zero and kicked the old-looking but still sturdy iron door. Just as she thought, the iron lock hanging on the door was a complete joke to her. She could easily open it.
The door opened, and Zero was still chained, with a dull look and drooping eyes, the result of taking too many hallucinogens. Renata used the iron shears she brought from the tool room to clamp the chains and stepped on them to push hard. Although these chains could trap a girl, they were not too thick, a thin layer. With her strength, she could open them with the help of this tool, but it would take some time.
"You're really here." Zero suddenly opened his eyes, and his voice was so low that it seemed like it would slip away if one wasn't paying attention.
"Of course I will come!" Renata didn't understand why Zero said that, but she was still very happy to see that she woke up, and she felt that she had more strength in her hands.
"Actually, you can choose to abandon me." Zero glanced at the thing in Renata's hand, "I have told you all the preparations that should be made. If you don't come with me, you will have more opportunities and time."
There was a faint sound of explosion somewhere, and even the iron rack in the room was shaken. The low-quality scalpels on it fell to the ground with a crackling sound. There was a frightening friction sound from the long-disrepaired joints, and the incandescent bulb above the head shattered with a snap.
"They've started." Zero whispered, and in the terrifyingly silent darkness, her eyes shone with brilliant gold, so that Renata could see clearly again.
"Do you think I'm someone who would do that?" Renata stopped sucking her breast. She was a little sad because Zero had seriously considered her betrayal.
"In fact, I had doubts before I signed the contract with you." After a few seconds of silence, Zero admitted, "Not just you, but everyone. I have seen the most hateful betrayal in the world, and I am afraid that I will encounter the same thing. Although I will never let go of those who disobeyed me afterwards, the damage left to me can never be erased. To some extent, I am... a very cowardly guy."
This kind of thing shouldn't be said at this time. Zero's life is now in Renata's hands. If she really makes Renata angry, it is possible that Renata will just leave.
Renata looked into Zero's eyes for a long time. She always felt that this girl had an indescribable strange charm. She was sitting in this dark room, but she seemed to know everything and had experienced many unknown things. Her beautiful eyes often revealed a long-term confusion, as if she was standing by a lake in the morning mist, whispering something that was difficult for people to understand.
She picked up the pliers again and continued to clamp the area near Zero's hand and step on it to exert force. Zero had to lower his arms to cooperate with her. He watched her panting and her face turned red, and clear cutting marks were slowly left on the chain.
"We are friends. There shouldn't be and won't be betrayal between friends." Renata lowered her head and worked without looking up at Zero. "You are smart and beautiful, and you know a lot more knowledge than me. I feel lucky to know you. You once told me that we will never abandon each other or betray each other until the end of death. If one day you get tired of me, then please don't leave me without leaving any trace. That way it won't be a betrayal, and I won't be sad. As for what kind of person you are... I don't want to know and I don't intend to know. In my eyes, you are Zero, Zero who will live here forever. Now, I will take you to realize what you said to me."
As soon as she finished speaking, the last bit of the iron ring was successfully cut short. Renata took a long breath, threw away the pliers, and fell to the ground. This task was more tiring than she had imagined. She had to take a quick rest, otherwise it would be difficult for her to run on the next escape.
After many years, Zero finally regained her freedom. She moved her stiff joints and slowly regained the feeling of her body. She looked at Renata, who was breathing heavily, and hesitated for a moment before reaching out and gently putting her hand on her shoulder. Renata looked up at her.
"I'm sorry." Zero said.
Renata shook her head and smiled. She was such a simple and pure person, without the complicated thoughts of the Moscow girls. If someone hurt her, everything would be fine as long as they were willing to apologize to her.
They supported each other and stood up. Renata picked up the small bag she brought with her, which contained her only luggage, a few clothes and some beef jerky stolen from the kitchen. This was the easiest food for them to carry and the easiest to replenish energy. Food is the most important thing on any escape. Otherwise, it is easy to freeze to death in the wild in such a high-altitude area due to the decline of physical strength.
"Aren't you bringing anything?" Renata saw that Zero had nothing in his hands.
"There's nothing to bring, and there's nothing I can take. I have nothing now." Zero turned his head to look at Renata, and suddenly smiled again, "Except you."
Renata blushed slightly, because this sentence really sounded like the confession written in those books.
They ran in the spider-web corridor, the floor slabs fell one by one, smashed into pieces on the ground, hot white steam shot out from the cracks in the ventilation ducts, the red-hot steel pipes gradually bent, and all kinds of sounds merged into the dying lament of the black swan. There were jets of flames in all directions, several times almost pressing over their heads, Renata's hair was burned a little, but surprisingly, Zero was fine, as if the god of luck was blessing her.
Explosions came one after another, and the hot wind and dust choked Renata to the point where she could hardly breathe. Zero asked her to bend over and walk with her body lowered, holding her hand tightly so that she would feel better, because in the hot field of the explosion, the heat and wind would go upwards, and the air closer to the ground would be better. But the only problem now was that they also had to find a way up, and the stairs leading to the lower floor had been blown up.
"There's no other way. We have to choose another way out." Zero looked around in the smoke and dust.
"Is there anywhere else we can go?" Renata coughed violently. She felt like she was going to die. They could not escape from this port, just like the officers, children or nurses who had died here over the years. They were even drunk and partying in that hall during such an explosion. Everyone's fate was destined to be with this port.
"Yes, but there are some risks." Zero pulled Renata resolutely in the opposite direction, pushing aside the black smoke and approaching the wall. The wall here had been burned black, hot and even cracked.
Zero kicked the cracked wall hard, as if to kick a hole in it. Renata had imagined this kind of scene before, for example, she was a girl with supernatural powers, and she could knock out a way out of this cage with one punch, waving her little fist and hitting the blue-gray wall. Unfortunately, she had never done it, but now she inexplicably believed that Zero could do it.
"Gas!" After kicking the cracked wall many times without any response, Zero suddenly took two steps back, jogged and shouted out an ambiguous line, then kicked the wall collapsed with a loud bang, revealing the tall tower outside. The huge searchlight swept aimlessly over the burning Black Swan Harbor, and it was still fulfilling its duty as a guardian until the last moment before its death.
"It's really open!" Renata shouted in surprise, and moved closer to see where it was. The cold wind blew fiercely on her face, and the little hope that had just risen was shattered in an instant.
They were unable to find a suitable place in the panic of the fire. This place was at least six or seven stories above the ground. The road surface near the port was mostly permafrost, with only a few snow piles left after a blizzard. It was not known whether they could serve as a buffer.
Zero also leaned over to take a look. She was not as pessimistic as Renata. Instead, she smiled and hooked her arms around Renata's neck. Renata felt Zero's not-so-high body temperature.
"There was once a beautiful cruise ship in the world, it was called Titanic. On that ship, there were two people standing at a dead end just like us. The difference is that one of them died, but we will both live!" Zero said loudly, "Jump, Renata! You Jump, I Jump! I said I would take you to Moscow. I hate myself the most for saying something but not being able to do it. Hold me tight, and let me be your buffer for a try!"
Renata was stunned, Zero's remarks meant nothing more than that she chose to die.
Zero saw through Renata's thoughts, smiled and poked her forehead with his hand: "Stupid Renata, how could I die here? Demons are omnipotent, and they crave freedom even more. Getting hurt is just the price of leaving here. The protagonist who survives in every story cannot be safe and sound."
She didn't wait for Renata to speak, but hugged Renata tightly and fell down sideways.
Renata closed her eyes in horror. The free fall in the sky was so long and so cold. The wind and snow scraped her head like countless knives. She didn't know what would happen next, and she didn't dare to think about what would happen. It took great courage to open her eyes and look at Zero again, because she was afraid that what she would see was bright red blood and beautiful eyes that would never open again.
The feeling of weightlessness disappeared, replaced by loosened hands.
"Look, Renata."
Renata heard Zero's relaxed smile and opened her eyes in surprise. She followed the direction Zero pointed and saw the whole picture of Black Swan Harbor for the first time. Even when she was standing at the highest point before, she could only overlook it. But now, she really came to the free world outside and looked at the prison where she had been for many years with the eyes of others.
Half of the Black Swan Harbor was burned down to only the red steel frame, and the sky was reflected in blood red. Under the blood-red sky, heavy helicopters dragged the steel cable higher and higher, and the ice-blue skeleton was hanging under the steel cable. The front half of the skeleton was covered with metal-like scales, and the back half was only dry bones. The huge bone wings drooped weakly. On the ice, the engine of the Lenin had started, and they were preparing to leave this bloody place that buried too many secrets.
"It's Sister Asashio..." Renata murmured, "Where are they taking her? Moscow?"
"We don't know yet, but we will know in the future, as long as we can leave here." Zero said, "You can get up from me now. To be honest, you look so small but surprisingly heavy... I'm a little worried that you should learn to control your weight, otherwise you will definitely become a 200-pound fat man in the future."
Renata punched Zero angrily, Zero sat up with a sly grin and pinched Renata's armpits. Renata dodged and grinned back at her. The devil really is omnipotent, no matter it's wandering in dreams or leaping between life and death on the run, Zero always does what he says.
"Where are we going? Miss Devil? Where are we going?" Renata had never been so happy. She felt like she could float to the moon.
"Don't be happy too soon. We have to go to Verkhoyansk first. It's three hundred kilometers away from here. It will be very troublesome for us to walk. Remember to keep your beef jerky." Zero said.
"How far is several hundred kilometers?" Renata asked. She had no idea about the distance.
"An adult can walk 3-5 kilometers per hour, which means they can only walk about 10 hours a day. If they walk more than that, they will be exhausted. A compromise is 40 kilometers, which takes at least a week." Zero calculated, "With our level, it will be even less. It would be great if we had transportation, but the doctor will definitely not leave anything behind, so this journey is actually more dangerous than before. You have to save your food."
"I don't know what kind of transportation you need, but do you think that thing can do it?" Renata suddenly pointed in a certain direction, looking excited.
Zero turned over and looked up. It was simply a miracle. Two dog sleds appeared on the ice field where there should have been nothing. They were right next to the dock, and there were some metal cabins on each sled. The polar snow elves did not run around and scream because of the demise of Black Swan Port. They were all very homesick and knew that the thing burning in the flames was their home. They were powerless and could only watch from afar, with the flames in their pupils rippling into the sky, like a silent mourning.
"How is this possible?" Although she said so, Zero was also a little happy. Having these two dog sleds meant that they didn't have to take such risks anymore. In fact, Zero was even prepared to eat raw meat and drink blood, because this road was too difficult to walk. If she was lucky and didn't encounter a blizzard, she might be able to get some snow foxes on the way. Water can be replenished by the accumulated snow, although it's a bit dirty, but at least it can ensure survival.
They also found a man-made ice cave near the dog sledding site, which was obviously formed not too long ago, otherwise it would have been buried by the snow. There was some blood in the ice cave, distributed along the ground, all the way to the river next to the dock. It looked like the thing inside crawled into the ice-covered river.
Renata was busy greeting the dogs. They were already familiar with each other in Black Swan Harbor. The sled dogs licked her fingers in good faith. Zero was looking at the ice caves. She could know a lot of things in that room, such as Dr. Herzog and Bondarev's destruction plot, but she didn't know everything in the world. She could mix into reality in dreams, but when she escaped with Renata, she didn't have the opportunity to use this ability.
It seemed that something unexpected had happened here. Zero looked up into the distance. In the darkness that Renata could not see, the outline of the Lenin had merged into the darkness.
