The Underclass - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The Viciriel Office was easier to enter than Galaxy had thought.

A standard high-ranking military officer's uniform and the gene-altering fluid were enough to give her a complete makeover. After passing through the Viciriel Office's multiple layers of screening, she strode confidently down the office corridors, wearing the military boots she had dreamed day and night of wearing back when she was still at the top academy in District A.

The phantom helmet on her head obscured more than half her face, leaving only her chin and lips visible. She followed the information displayed on her helmet visor, walking precisely toward the President's office.

Today was a rest day. Very few staff members passed by her, and most were guards like herself. Occasionally, mechanical enforcers darted past, but mostly in a rush, leaving no time even to stop and communicate.

The only person who actively engaged Galaxy just asked her why she was heading toward the President's office.

Galaxy, having long prepared an excuse, replied, "Madam President just called me up. Said she had a few questions for me."

The person patted her shoulder and smiled. "Careful, sister. Madam President is in a bad mood lately. One wrong move and it's 'boom,' like a volcano erupting. We just went through it."

Another staff member walking by nodded in agreement, waving the proposal in her hand. "Just got chewed out. She asked me what this garbage was, saying she could get a mechanical enforcer to stomp on it twice and it would produce a better proposal than this."

The person who first spoke to Galaxy shuddered, muttering things like, "Madam President is too terrifying lately," as she walked out alongside the other woman.

With no one blocking her path, Galaxy easily found her way to the President's office.

She knocked politely on the door. Only after hearing a "Please come in" did she push the door open and step inside.

Karen was sitting at her desk, the vintage fountain pen in her hand bleeding ink onto a document. Only after hearing the office door click shut twice did she look up, a half-smile playing on her lips as she looked at Galaxy. "Ms. Assassin, do you know you've been exposed?"

Galaxy paused slightly. She didn't know what she had done wrong to expose herself, and even wondered if this was just a standard greeting Karen used on everyone who entered, though that seemed highly unlikely.

Karen seemed to read her confusion and pointed to the door behind her. "Starting two days ago, no one needs to close the doors at Viciriel anymore; the mechanical enforcers handle it. You are the only person who violated this rule."

"I'm just used to closing doors behind me. I forgot," Galaxy tried to act tough, but Karen reacted as if she had heard something amusing. She shook her head. "This directive was transmitted via the neural interface. It temporarily imprints on the nervous system's memory to prevent mistakes born of habit."

Hearing this, Galaxy suddenly relaxed.

Because there was no other way to explain herself.

Karen remained extremely calm, which meant she possessed absolute certainty that she wouldn't die from an assassination attempt. The defenses here were likely far more stringent than Galaxy had imagined.

"So, what do you plan to do with me?" Galaxy asked. "Kill me, or drag me off for severe torture?"

Karen shook her head. "Perhaps there's a third solution, Galaxy?"

Galaxy's pupils shrank. This time, she was genuinely shocked. Not only had her identity as an assassin been exposed, but her real identity had been uncovered as well.

Karen pulled a letter from her desk. Galaxy found the envelope both familiar and strange. It bore the postmark of the Federation's top academy in District A, and the handwriting on the cover was incredibly familiar—

Presented to Madam President by Galaxy.

Sincerely.

It was the letter she had written to the President with full of expectations when she first entered the academy.

Back then, she was full of hope for the future and held a deep admiration for Madam President, but she never imagined her letter would actually reach the President's desk one day.

Karen unfolded the letter and parted her lips.

Galaxy's heart plummeted.

Right now, she had absolutely no desire to hear her past flatteries to the President.

But Karen only parted her lips; she didn't read it. She merely smiled, as if she had finished teasing Galaxy, and set the letter down.

"Galaxy, I don't think we are necessarily enemies." She waved at the young woman standing rigidly by the door. "Do you dare to come over?"

Galaxy pressed her lips together and took two steps forward. She didn't take off the helmet covering half her face; she just quietly stared at Karen through the gray visor.

Karen grabbed her hand and pressed her into her own presidential chair. She guided Galaxy's head so she could look out the window.

The Viciriel Office building was sixteen stories high, and Karen's office was on the top floor. From here, gazing down, one could see very far across District A. All the bustling, brilliant, dazzling architecture seemed to be beneath their feet.

"I know you were framed for Lu Qi's murder. I know you blew up the Federation's ship, you destroyed the lab in Lucia Town, and you blew up the underground mine lab in District C." Karen sat on the armrest of her chair, her arm around Galaxy's back, almost holding her in an embrace. An elegant feminine perfume swirled near Galaxy's nose. Madam President's firm and powerful voice seemed to carry a magic that drew one's gaze irresistibly toward the window.

"But it's okay. None of this is your fault, darling," Karen said. "If you want, you can call me Mother."

"Do you want to be my successor? Do you want to be the President?" she continued asking. "Your initial target was Zoraï's daughter, wasn't it? If you became my daughter, wouldn't everything be much simpler?"

"Everything I have, everything the Federation has, can be in your hands," she pointed out the window. "If you're unsatisfied with anything here, wait until you have the power, and then change it. Whatever you want, there will be plenty of people willing to sacrifice everything to give it to you. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Moreover, you can have a family. You can have the family you've fantasized about so many times. Just like you wrote to me in your letter—'Madam Karen, I see you as my idol. You are the mother of the nation, and also my mother. Perhaps my fantasy is presumptuous, but I truly have had such a beautiful dream.'"

The contents of the letter were read aloud after all.

Karen looked down at Galaxy's fair chin, quietly awaiting her response.

The room fell silent. An indeterminate amount of time passed before Galaxy finally spoke with profound attachment: "Mother."

A triumphant smile curled on Karen's lips.

But the next second, Galaxy laughed aloud before she could. The attachment and adoration vanished from her face, leaving only a hint of sarcasm as she said, "Madam President, did you enjoy hearing that?"

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