Chapter Sixty-One: London—The Night Before the Royal Council

October 20, 2237, St. Francis Hospital, London, 10:30 AM

Outside the intensive care unit, a captain sat on the bench, his face clouded with worry. Beside him lay a torn letter, its fragments barely legible, revealing the words “commendation order.”

A door creaked open, and a doctor in white stepped out. The captain approached, received permission, and was ushered into the toxic gas treatment room. On the hospital bed, a young girl lay there peacefully. After instructing several nurses, the captain took a report on the girl’s condition: though she was out of immediate danger, the doctors had no idea when she might awaken. He stood by her bed for a moment, hesitated, but ultimately could not voice what he wished to say.

Leaving the hospital, the captain walked alone toward a deserted area. A dilapidated sign was the only clue to the name—“William Road.” Yet halfway along, he stopped, shook his head, and left again.

October 20, 2237, Old District, London, rented apartment, 7:00 PM

“I’m home!” The captain pushed open the door, locking it skillfully behind him. There was no need for lights; someone inside was already waiting, pointing a pistol at him. “If you pull the trigger, the method for making C alloy will vanish forever.”

The intruder kept the gun trained on the captain, but he was unfazed. He opened a cupboard and took out some black tea, placed it on the table, checked the water—it seemed to have boiled—and sat down calmly. “That’s right, people from the Royal Academy have always been a bit arrogant, haven’t they? Confidence is good.” “You in uniform—I almost didn’t recognize you. Ha! You still don’t trust me. I’ve told you time and again, this is personal, not a mission from the Academy.”

The pistol remained pointed at him, but it failed to inspire either fear or useful information. “Have a seat! Care for some tea?” The captain washed the tea set and poured a cup for his guest. The intruder holstered the pistol and, as if nothing had happened, sat down. “If I really were from the Royal Academy, you’d have been arrested a year ago. I told you—I’m only here to apprentice.” “Apprentice?” The captain tasted the tea, savoring the familiar flavor of Eden. “A young woman, learning this? I don’t mean to judge, but I wonder: will what you learned at university and the Academy really help you here?” He set his teacup down and walked to a household robot.

“It’s fine, as long as Senior Cole can be my mentor, I have no complaints!” The girl in civilian clothes was visibly excited, for before her stood the Royal Academy’s foremost scientist—Cole.

“How long has it been?” “A year!” Cole asked the household robot, received a satisfactory answer, and nodded approvingly. “You keep this place well.” Cole removed his military uniform and hung it on the coat rack. Underneath, he wore the Royal Academy’s uniform.

“If you want to change, Senior, I can wait,” the girl said after sipping her tea. To any outsider, it would seem this flat housed a young couple, with the man often away and the woman left to pay the rent for two.

“All right.” Cole pulled an envelope from his uniform pocket and tossed it carelessly onto the table. The girl, seeing him step into the bedroom to change, opened it and was astonished to find the deed to the apartment inside.

“Senior, you bought it?” she exclaimed. “Won’t that expose you?” She put the deed back into the envelope. Her shock was less about Cole’s purchase—property prices were prohibitive even for members of the Royal Academy, whose salaries were only sufficient to rent, never buy—than about his lack of fear.

“I bought it under this identity, so it’s of no consequence. Your name’s on the deed. I have the right to use it; you own it.” By now, Cole had changed into a suit. “Tomorrow’s the court assembly; I’ll attend as this persona.” Even without disguise, his classic attire made his identity clear to the girl.

“Benjamin? I always thought Benjamin was an outstanding entrepreneur. I never imagined it was you, Senior!” Cole’s junior, Annie, was quite taken with Benjamin, famed as Britain’s most renowned philanthropist. The media claimed he’d inherited a vast family fortune, all deposited in the bank. He used only a small portion of the interest for living expenses, donating the rest to various charities—millions, at the very least, at a time when daily necessities were cheap.

“Annie, don’t be so excited. Your senior has plenty of identities, and is quite the jack-of-all-trades.” Cole, now in his suit, poured her more tea. “If your parents push you to marry, I might be able to help.”

“Senior, you jest. My parents already think I’m married, or at least have a boyfriend.” Annie sat beside Cole, resting her head gently on his shoulder.

“Well, I suppose I count as someone with a girlfriend—if only…” Cole fell silent, and Annie thought he referred to her.

“What about her…?” “She’s in the hospital,” Cole replied with a bitter smile, fingering the ring he wore, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

——— Aside ———

Next time I return home may be in a month; I’ll write this now! Updates are monthly now, but daily during holidays.