Free Web NovelChapter 300: Chapter 300: Scaring the Kid
Zoe Pierce scanned the black-and-white paper and handed it to Miles Sherman, who was closest to her.
Seth Yates stood rooted to the spot, his expression tense.
The smell of burnt charcoal lingered in the air. The firelight cast flickering shadows, making the expressions on Zoe Pierce and the others appear even more somber.
After passing the paper to Miles, Zoe looked Seth in the eye. "Seth, can you tell me where you got this?"
Seth’s voice was strained, and his throat tightened. "So... this is real?"
The boy’s eyes held a stubborn glint, his lips pressed into a thin line, betraying his unease.
’When talking to a smart kid like this...’ Zoe thought for a moment before deciding not to deny it. Instead, she said, "That’s right, it’s real. But it doesn’t mention the success rate."
’Deceiving him would only make Seth more curious. It’s better to tell him the truth so he can analyze it for himself.’
Zoe selected a few photos from her Intelligent Brain. They were all pictures from Planet B36.
She avoided the images from the laboratories, choosing only the photos of Beta test subjects lying on cold beds, their faces drained of all color.
Anyone could tell at a glance that the people in the pictures were dead.
In the past, on a place like the Capital Star, Zoe would never have shown such photos to two children.
But things were different now. Having been through a baptism by fire, Seth Yates and Teresa Yates had already seen too many dead bodies.
And Zoe wanted them to have an absolute sense of reverence—death was real. Once something was gone, it was gone for good.
She showed them to Seth. "These are Beta test subjects we saw on a previous mission. There’s a ninety-five percent mortality rate."
Of course, this mortality rate was an exaggeration.
Miles and the others could all tell that Zoe was trying to scare Seth.
As expected, Seth’s face grew even paler. Even Teresa tugged on his sleeve.
"Seth, you still have to take care of Teresa. Even knowing this, I wouldn’t advise you to do it."
"You two are family, and you only have each other now, don’t you?"
"Because if you really take this risk, Teresa will be left with no family at all."
Seth’s lips were dry. He lowered his head before Zoe. "I understand, Zoe."
Zoe saw right through him.
’He said as much, but the words on that paper were seared into his mind, impossible to shake.’
"These papers... they suddenly appeared at the rescue point. I saw them when I woke up this morning."
"I asked a few of the adults who’d already received treatment. A lot of them didn’t take it seriously, but some had seen it."
Seth kept his gaze fixed on the dirt at his feet. "Some of the doctors at the rescue point already know. They said they’d report it up the chain and that it’s under investigation."
This was news to Zoe.
"I secretly kept one," he said, his voice raw with the unavoidable pain of a shattered hope.
Zoe gently ruffled his hair. "You did the right thing. So after you saw me today, you came over on purpose to ask me, right?"
’So meticulous for someone so young.’
Seth nodded. "Zoe is the only Omega who can pilot a Mecha."
After concluding that the other adults wouldn’t tell him the truth, Seth had been planning to quietly verify everything himself.
He hadn’t originally planned on approaching Zoe, but when he happened to hear she was back, he had a change of heart.
Everything that happened next was just as Zoe had pieced together.
Both his motive for bringing up the document and his reason for joining their training.
Zoe said in a low voice, "Leave this matter to us."
"You and Teresa should go get some rest." She stood up and looked into the dark woods. "I’ll walk you back."
Even though she knew nothing major was likely to happen at the rescue point, Zoe still decided to escort the two children.
This time, Seth didn’t refuse.
He nodded silently and took the hand of Teresa, who was looking at him with worry.
Teresa squeezed his hand back. "Seth, are you really okay?"
Seth forced a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, trying hard to make it look genuine. "I’m fine now. Let’s go back."
Teresa was about to say more, but seeing Zoe, Miles, and the others nearby, she held her tongue.
Seth was a boy who cared about his pride; she could wait until they were alone to talk.
In the end, Aaron Xavier and Miles Sherman went with the other three.
They weren’t comfortable letting Zoe walk alone.
After all, those bewitching black-and-white words had only just been discovered.
Fortunately, nothing happened on the way back with the two children. The walk was calm and uneventful.
Once they confirmed the two children were back in their tent, Zoe, Aaron, and Miles started walking back.
"I just contacted Colonel Hanson’s men," Miles said. "This was reported not long ago. They’ve already done a sweep and confiscated nearly a hundred copies at this rescue point." frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
The population at the rescue point was too mixed. It would be extremely difficult to quickly find the person who distributed these.
But Zoe picked up on something else. She turned to Miles. "This rescue point? You mean other rescue points have them too?"
’A planet this big can’t have just one rescue point.’
Miles nodded. "Other rescue points have them as well, but the exact number hasn’t been confirmed yet."
"No doubt, they’re the ones behind this." Aaron put his hands behind his head and looked up at the sky. "They’re like cockroaches you can’t kill."
It was just one scheme after another.
"Nathan just checked," Miles explained to Zoe. "The paper is from the most common type of book on C14. The printing isn’t difficult either. You wouldn’t need a large machine for this quantity."
Zoe was walking at the very front. "So the trail’s gone cold again."
This organization’s methods were just too clever. It was just as Aaron said: they were like cockroaches you couldn’t kill.
"This time, their target doesn’t seem to be me." ’Based on their actions, this has nothing to do with me being an Omega.’
When they got back to the tent, Nathan Lockwood and the others were still sitting around the fire.
Hearing what Zoe said, Nathan looked up. "It doesn’t seem like an act of desperation, either."
"For this official rescue mission, every arriving rescue team has been strictly registered since it was confirmed."
"Every Mecha squad also received orders to scout for any suspicious individuals."
"No other personnel have arrived since the military forces got here."
Outside personnel were under strict control, yet a problem like this still occurred.
Zoe froze. "They have people on Planet C14?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Zoe realized how redundant her question was.
’This is a planet dominated by Betas...’
She immediately looked at Nathan Lockwood. "In the Federation, how many planets like this have a population that is primarily Beta?"
