Sitting in the garden of the institute, Todd lit up a cigarette, took a puff, then frowned and put it out.
Rachel held a can of beer and took a sip: "I've never seen you touch this thing before."
"I liked this a long time ago, but then... I quit." Todd exhaled a breath of turbidity in his chest: "The more beautiful things are, the more helpless they are sometimes."
Todd watched the last trace of fire in the cigarette butt slowly extinguish, and said to Rachel: "We haven't seen each other for a long time."
"Well, you haven't contacted me in the soul space for so many months since you were injured. I thought you had already forgotten me..."
Todd looked forward, his eyes losing focus: "You should know that when I talk about meeting, I don't mean in the soul space."
Rachel held the beer can between her hands, was silent for a few seconds, looked at Todd's side face, and suddenly asked calmly: "Are you going to marry the queen?"
Todd raised his eyebrows in surprise and shook his head without thinking.
"Why don't you find a wife? You can't be alone in the palace in Muxi City."
Todd whispered: "Muxi City has been freed from the shackles of royal power, and I have returned freedom to my people."
Rachel smiled slightly and said: "I heard your remarks about citizens' sanity a long time ago. At that time, I always thought you were joking. But now, I think you are too strict and always
Choose to doubt yourself.”
Looking at Chi Chi's beautiful smile, Todd smiled unconsciously and said: "It's not that I don't believe in myself, I just don't believe in the future monarch of Muxi City."
Rachel put the beer can next to her and asked Todd: "Before the establishment of the Gutero Empire, there was a naval battle between two kingdoms called the Battle of Akinosa. Have you heard of it?"
Todd shook his head.
"Of these two kingdoms, one adopted a complete democracy and the other adopted a military dictatorship. At the end of the war, after paying a heavy price, the democratic country won the final victory in the naval battle. When the triumphant generals
When I returned home, guess what happened?"
Seeing Rachel's malicious smile, Todd's eyes twitched and he shook his head.
"The ten generals who participated in the war were arrested on the order of the Citizens' Assembly. After a referendum, all citizens of the entire kingdom unanimously found the generals guilty. As a result, six of the ten generals were sentenced to death and were executed immediately." Rachel held up her hands.
He leaned forward on the bench and stretched: "The national hero a few days ago became a death row prisoner for unpardonable crimes in the blink of an eye. History is such an irony, isn't it?"
Todd rubbed his forehead and stretched out a hand to stop Rachel from speaking: "Wait a minute, what crime did those six generals commit?"
Rachel blinked: "During the naval battle, some soldiers accidentally fell into the water. The generals failed to provide timely assistance, which caused these soldiers to drown. That's all."
"Just for this reason?!" Todd's eyes widened: "Due to the inertia of the ship's sailing and the wind and waves during the naval battle, the ship has no way to stop in time to rescue the person who fell into the water. This accusation is completely unreasonable.
!”
"This is how the referendum verdict recorded in the history books was written. Many scholars have speculated that the citizens were deceived by thoughtful people, thinking that these generals deliberately ignored death." Rachel turned her face and looked at Todd:
“After all, most of the citizens who participated in the referendum
They are not professional military personnel and they do not understand war at all. In addition, as long as someone makes some sensational speeches before the referendum and invites the family members of the deceased to complete a few performances, the people will soon forget the greatness of the heroes.
, and then poured out his anger."
Todd said sadly: "This approach is destroying the entire kingdom."
Rachel spread her hands: "The cycle of cause and effect was quickly realized. In the third year after the Battle of Akinosa, a naval war broke out between the two kingdoms again. The naval fleets of democratic countries were afraid of losing their troops and chose to be conservative.
They were reluctant to engage in battle, but the enemy seized the opportunity to penetrate and encircle them, ultimately ending in a crushing defeat."
"After that, this kingdom that killed its heroes through a referendum completely lost its control of the sea and gradually declined." Rachel stroked the handle of the bench and said with a chuckle: "I am very curious. When these people believe in
Will democratic citizens, looking at the corpses of soldiers washing up on the coast, regret their original decision, or will they continue to believe in the greatness of freedom?"
Todd frowned: "Didn't they think about it carefully before making the decision?"
Rachel looked into Todd's eyes and said sadly: "The so-called people, when faced with rumors and sensational speeches from the outside world, will tend to choose what they prefer to believe. Rather than heroic feats,
People believe more that there is something behind
Hidden deals; the people believe the so-called government conspiracy statements more than the decisions of those in power; the people keep saying that everything is for the great kingdom, but when it comes to their own interests, they will become the most despicable
Villain."
"Todd, politics will always be a game for the few."
Rachel stood up from the bench, knelt on the ground in front of Todd, raised the man's face with her hands, and said emotionally: "I don't believe that so-called citizens can bring the kingdom to a better place.
future. If it’s more serious, I don’t believe in humans at all, I only believe in you..."
Todd stared blankly at the woman as beautiful as a flower in front of him. Meredith's words suddenly flashed through his mind. He blurted out and asked: "If you believe me, why don't you confess your own affairs to me?"
…”
Rachel's eyes widened with an expression of disbelief on her face: "My own... thing?"
"How did you get through your past? Who are your parents? What are you doing now?" Todd's face began to twist due to the inner torment: "Also, why don't you stay with me?
By my side?!"
The light of tears shone in her eyes. Rachel closed her eyes gently and let two clear tears flow down her cheeks: "Todd, I beg you, please don't ask me these questions again..."
Todd broke away from Rachel's hands and said painfully: "I don't understand. Sometimes I really don't understand what you are thinking. When I needed you, you chose to leave. It's because you don't care about me anymore.
Is it done?"
Rachel's hands fell weakly, shaking her head and sobbing: "Do you know? How much I envy the lives of those ordinary women. They have parents, children, brothers and sisters, and families of their own."
"When she is sad, her family will pat her back gently and tell her that everything will be fine. When she is lonely, her family will come to her side and tell her that she is not alone. When she gets married, her mother will help her mend her wedding dress.
, my father would turn his back and weep..."
Rachel grabbed Todd's hands with force and shouted: "But what about me?! What am I?! The body I host is the body of my best friend! My soul has nothing to do with God, it comes entirely from experiments.
product!"
"Look at me! I'm not even a mutant! I'm just a freak! A monster who doesn't even deserve to have children!"
Completely losing her usual calmness and composure, Rachel struggled to get up from the ground, her clothes already wet with tears.
"Do you know what I'm most afraid of? What I'm most afraid of is the mirror. Whenever I look at myself in the mirror, all I see is a broken body and a deformed soul. A monster like me can't stand it at all.
If we don’t dare to seek happiness, staying away from each other may be the best choice for you and me.”
Todd stood up, his body shaking with anger and sadness, and he shouted loudly at the woman in front of him: "Rachel! In your mind, am I such a narrow-minded idiot?! If you care about human beings
My body and soul, how could I choose to embark on the path of a tyrant?!"
"Whether your body belongs to someone else or whether your soul comes from God! I don't care at all! I don't care at all!"
"But I care!" Rachel pressed her right hand tightly to her heart and cried loudly, "I care!"
Rachel stepped back, with only endless sadness and despair in her eyes: "You don't understand where a woman's self-esteem and self-confidence come from!"
Todd opened his arms and wanted to walk towards Rachel.
The latter, while wiping his tears, shouted loudly: "Don't come over!"
The two people were just ten meters apart, standing still and looking at each other for a long time without saying anything.
Rachel closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and after adjusting her emotions, she said in a strange tone: "Todd, let's put those personal matters aside and talk about business. I heard others say
In a word, no matter who holds the power, the alien species will be the target of purging. Because the ability of alien species is the biggest obstacle that threatens those in power to govern."
Rachel adjusted her makeup and said in a suppressed voice: "This sentence made me start thinking about what might happen in the future. If you plan to give up the royal power of Muxi City, then I can't believe you are so-called citizens.
Reason can create a better future for the aliens in Muxi City. Therefore, in order to prevent any unexpected events, I plan to take my own approach and try to find a new, backup shelter for the aliens."
Todd took a step forward: "Rachel..."
"I said don't come here!" Rachel said sadly: "Todd, do you still remember the promise you made to me? You will try your best to protect all the aliens in the city. I hope you don't forget your promise... Now,
Send me out of here...before the relationship between us gets worse..."
Seeing the determination in the woman's eyes, Todd closed his eyes and waved his arms.
Rachel's figure became fainter and fainter in the soul space, and finally disappeared.