Vol 7 Chapter 1.2 (1/2)
This is a continuation of PART A.
There was a cotton handkerchief in s.h.i.+on's coat pocket. He used it to cover his nose and mouth. It wasn't to s.h.i.+eld against the smell; it was to hide his face. This way, the risk of being spotted would lessen. Nezumi also pressed a white handkerchief to his mouth.
They climbed the stairs. The odour gradually grew stronger. Still, the security alarms didn't go off.
A chime sounded, and his feet froze on the spot. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
”Commencing odour removal. Commencing air filtering. Operational level 8.5. The air quality of the building will return to normal in approximately two minutes, sixteen seconds.”
The announcement was made by a mechanical voice imitating a female contralto. A chubby man beside s.h.i.+on let out a great puff of air. s.h.i.+on also breathed out quietly into his handkerchief.
”Good heavens, we're saved. It's torture, this smell.”
”I don't think I can stand this for two whole minutes.” Behind the man, an equally chubby woman had twisted her face into a scowl. Her skin was flawless, and her red pouting lips were strangely alluring. s.h.i.+on and Nezumi tried silently to slip by.
”Oh―hey, you there!” The man called at them. s.h.i.+on's heart skipped a beat.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
His pulse was racing painfully. Sweat erupted on his face.
Nezumi twisted his neck around, his handkerchief still clamped over his mouth.
”Yes?”
”Where are you going?”
”We're going... back to work.”
”Third floor?”
”Yes―third floor.” Nezumi coughed lightly.
”The stench is horrible up there,” the man said. ”You'd be better off going down. I'd suggest you avoid the area entirely for a while. I can't imagine you could get any work done in that.”
”―We can't really afford to leave. We're doing a rush job right now...”
”Rush job? On the third floor?”
”Yes...”
”But the third floor is for resource compilation and management systems. What section of the third floor are you?”
”Hygiene Management,” s.h.i.+on answered. He traced the floorplan in his head.
Third floor. He could guess judging by the layout of electric circuitry that the General floors ended at the third. Starting from the fourth Special floor, the circuitry spread into a fearfully complicated web. The fourth floor was connected to the Surveillance Wing of the prisoners. Mobile barriers were placed at equal intervals in the hallways, and the number of sensors were over three times that of the General floors.
The majority of Facility personnel could only access as far as the third floor. They had no need to go further. What sections were laid out on that third floor? The floorplan rose vividly in his mind. If he remembered correctly, the Hygiene Management department was nestled in a far corner of the third floor.
”The source of this smell still hasn't been identified,” s.h.i.+on said hesitantly. ”We Hygiene Management employees are in a bit of a panic right now. We're not getting any data of foreign objects coming in from outside, so there's a possibility that something has gone wrong inside the building...”
”Oh, really? According to Management Systems, there was a maintenance problem with the cleaning robots, and they supposedly broke down and started strewing trash everywhere. That's not it?”
”Ah, well, that's...” He was at a loss for words. Nezumi answered in a low, hoa.r.s.e voice.
”The smell seems too strong for just that. We're doing an emergency investigation into whether there was something mixed in with the garbage. We've had no previous cases, after all... we're fumbling, truth be told.”
”Hm. I see. Were there always young'uns like you in that section, though?”
”We're not―that young,” s.h.i.+on stammered.
The man craned his neck to inspect him. ”What happened to your hair? It's gone all white.”
s.h.i.+on couldn't find any words to say. He had forgotten about his hair―white, to the point of transparent. No doubt it was extremely noticeable. If he said he was born with it, people would probably be suspicious about never having seen him before.
What to do?
”I, well... I tried dyeing it...”
”Oh, how pretty,” the woman smiled. ”It's very pretty. So nice and s.h.i.+ny. What did you use to get it to look like that? Tell me all about it.”
”Sara, stop flirting with him.”
”Excuse me? Flirting? How rude. I don't know why you can't be a little more polite. Ugh, this smell. I'm sick of it, and I'm sick of you, too.” The woman stalked off down the stairs.
”Wait―hey, Sara! What was that supposed to mean? Hey! Wait up, Sara. Wait!” The man wiped the sweat off his brow as he followed after the woman.
”A romantic spat if I ever saw one. That guy supposedly tries to pick up ladies in broad daylight. At work, no less.” Nezumi shrugged. ”Saved our a.s.ses, though.”
If the man had questioned them any further, they would have been in trouble. s.h.i.+on felt a coldness around his armpits.
”You've gotten pretty good at lying. But not quite polished enough on the finish.”
”Not as nearly as good as you. Looks like I'll need a lot more training.”
”Good call.”
The third floor was white-walled and white-floored, and though it was neat, it was eerily blank.
”So this Management Systems room?” Nezumi said.
”Left-hand side. It's a gla.s.s-panelled room. Nezumi, surveillance camera right above you. Don't look up. Be careful. There's also a 360-degree camera on the ceiling to your top-right after you enter the room.”
”Roger that.”
The odour removal and air-conditioning mechanics were well underway, evidently, for the smell had dispersed considerably, and did not bother them much. The confusion was beginning to settle.
The gla.s.s doors slid automatically open, and a thin man with a jutting chin came out carrying a vacuum. He looked ill; there was a dead look in his eyes, and he was horribly pale.
”I've done it... I've actually done it,” they heard the man mutter as he pa.s.sed them by. ”I've done it... but... serves them right... serves them right...”
”Get out of here quickly,” Nezumi whispered to the man's back. The man stopped in his tracks, and glanced furtively at Nezumi.
”Did you say something?”
”I told you to get out of here. Don't dally.”
”You―”
”You've pulled it off admirably. A job well done.” His tone was that of a king congratulating a subject. The man blinked. His Adam's apple slowly bobbed as he swallowed.
”Who... are you?”
”I'm grateful. Now make a good getaway.” Nezumi flashed the man a seductive smile, and slowly set foot inside the Management Systems room. He didn't look anything like he was in a rush. He had the footsteps of an honest employee returning to his work.
The security alarm did not go off.
We're still good. s.h.i.+on clenched his hand into a fist. His palms were sweaty. Things are going better than I thought. If they continue like this, maybe we'd be able to pull it off.
No, don't let your guard down. Even a slight moment of inattention could cost us our lives.
Following in Nezumi's footsteps, s.h.i.+on also entered the room neither hastily or cautiously, maintaining a perfectly ordinary step and speed.
It was s.p.a.cious inside, and the room was sectioned off with clear walls of reinforced plastic. The booth closest to where s.h.i.+on and Nezumi had entered was empty. There was no one there. The booth next to that also showed no signs of anyone. They had probably fled, unable to bear the smell. But the smell had now been mostly removed; people would be returning soon.
”This must be the management division for ventilation. And―”
”The operating b.u.t.ton for opening and closing Point X should be here, too.” Nezumi's gaze focused on the right-hand edge of the control panel. A small, round b.u.t.ton. It was a vivid, almost cheap-looking shade of green. It looked almost out of place amongst the other switches and touch panels. s.h.i.+on stood in front of the control panel.
”Oh, yeah,” s.h.i.+on said. ”The surveillance and management of all entrances and openings take place beyond this wall, but the door to Point X is the only thing that doesn't.”
”Is that strange?”
”No. It's just as you said: that door is impenetrable. It will never open. No. 6 never considered the chance of someone coming in through that door. Of course, they never considered opening it from their side, either. So this b.u.t.ton for them was actually meaningless. That was why it didn't matter where they put it. There was no need to keep watch on it, anyway.”