The Underclass - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Galaxy returned safely to the Rat King's sewer. Others in the organization would handle the surveillance footage along her route.

Exhausted, she slumped into the sofa. A few small rats sniffed around her door but obediently refrained from entering her room.

Even now, Galaxy struggled to tolerate close contact with rats.

The Rat King held a glass of red wine she had scrounged from somewhere and smilingly invited Galaxy to share a drink. Galaxy politely declined the invitation, buried her face in the soft bedding, and took a deep breath.

District A began to plaster Galaxy's wanted posters all over the streets and alleys, just as District C had done. Even the massive screens in the most prosperous downtown areas, usually reserved for medical advertisements, new transportation tech, and high-end luxury goods, were broadcasting Galaxy's extensive crimes.

Her face was splashed across the screens. It was the ID photo taken when she first entered the top academy in District A—a youthful, inexperienced face, brimming with hope for the future.

The Rat King told her, "Our people view this as a mark of honor and idolize you even more."

Galaxy, sleepily rambling, replied, "Is that so? Then I wish them the best of luck in getting their own faces on the big screens in the future."

The Rat King laughed at her response. "If that actually happens, it would be wonderful."

She spoke with genuine sincerity, treating the prospect as a true badge of honor.

Listening to her sudden, excited whispers, Galaxy soon drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up again, the world hadn't changed.

The Rat King sat in the shadows of the other room, humming some tuneless nursery rhyme as she scrubbed and cleaned Lulu.

Galaxy stared up at the dark ceiling for a while before suddenly speaking up, "I want to meet the leader of your rebel army."

A look of innocent confusion appeared on the Rat King's face. "Aren't we all one family?"

No, we aren't, Galaxy said inwardly.

She had never sincerely submitted to the rebel leader. In fact, she was now beginning to deeply suspect the leader's true identity.

Someone capable of creating so many devices to bypass Federation security measures absolutely had to have thoroughly penetrated the Federation's technology. Ordinary civilians couldn't achieve this; forget penetrating the systems, they couldn't even gain entry to the empire's various academies.

She had to find a way to meet this person face-to-face. There were things she absolutely needed to figure out.

This need had only grown more urgent and confusing after her encounter with Karen.

Hearing no response, the Rat King naturally reconciled with the request. "Alright, alright, I'll contact her for you."

This contact process took an entire seven days. During this time, Galaxy only left the sewer twice. Once was to see how the outside world had changed—as she expected, there were no changes; her wanted posters were simply replaced by new advertisements when she couldn't be found. The other time, she slipped away from everyone and visited the perimeter of the academy in District A. She no longer possessed an identity that allowed her to enter freely. She just circled the area a few times before silently returning to the sewer.

The Rat King grew anxious over these few days. She wasn't a very composed person, and having promised to contact the leader for Galaxy, failing to arrange a meeting after all this time made her feel deeply defeated. She felt as though she had broken a promise to a friend.

Galaxy, however, remained very calm. She just smiled at the Rat King. "It's not your fault, and your leader never explicitly refused to see me, right?"

Holding Lulu, the Rat King looked intensely focused. "But why won't she see you now? Usually, when we want to see her, even if she can't meet in person, she'll at least do a video call with us."

"It's fine. I have plenty of time," Galaxy said, actually feeling quite relaxed at the moment.

Seeing her like this, the Rat King's anxiety was slightly soothed.

After waiting another three days, their great leader finally sent word that she was willing to meet Galaxy, but she had a precondition.

The Rat King read the letter written on a parchment scroll, delivered by Caleb. "Dear Ms. Galaxy, I am very grateful for your exploration of the Federation and the crucial information you've provided us all this time. I feel deeply honored by your request to meet me. However, I apologize, but I am currently tied down by a few matters. If you could complete one small task for me, perhaps we could meet sooner."

The Rat King frowned, feeling somewhat disgruntled.

The leader in her memory was a gentle and magnanimous person. She didn't understand why there had to be so many conditions for her to simply meet with Galaxy, and this troubled her.

Galaxy, however, smiled. "So, what is the task?"

The Rat King shook her head. "I don't know either. The message said Caleb will pick you up tomorrow and tell you then."

Galaxy asked no further questions. She just leaned back on the Rat King's cramped sofa and said softly, "Then I'll get some more sleep."

When she woke up, dawn was breaking the next day. The Rat King led her back to the surface.

Caleb was already parked there waiting. She looked Galaxy up and down, then opened the passenger door for her.

The Rat King mumbled, "Caleb, you make sure to take good care of her."

Caleb told her with a hint of resignation, "I can only guarantee that I'll die before she does. Those are the strict orders from the leader."

The Rat King's gaze focused. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Then you have to take care of yourself too. Don't die."

Caleb nodded at her, then quickly drove Galaxy toward the other side of the city. It was a very familiar route; the last time she had taken it was when she followed the Rat King.

Back then, she had just become a wanted fugitive, harboring deep hatred for the Federation. She and the Rat King had laid in ambush at the end of this road—by the docks—and blew up an entire cargo ship.

Caleb asked her, "Have you ever been to the other side of the sea?"

Galaxy shook her head. "No. Very few people here get to go, right?"

Going out to sea was considered the most solemn undertaking in the entire Federation.

The Federation had already filled in 20% of the ocean to create land, but the remaining ocean area was still vast. Despite highly advanced technology, voyaging out to sea still required carefully selected individuals.

This was the education they received from childhood: the ocean is the most terrifying thing in the world.

Why was it terrifying? Because it was unpredictable, uncommunicative, and ill-tempered. A single storm with massive waves could drag a person into its depths to drown.

Federation citizens had no pressing need to go out to sea, and to mitigate the ocean's perceived threat, their neural interfaces rarely contained any information related to it.

Caleb said, "The leader said your mission this time is to follow the ship to its destination, see exactly what is there for her, and, just like you destroyed that ship last time, completely destroy that place too."

Galaxy looked at the approaching coastline and remained silent for a long time.

"Even though I don't cherish my life that much, I don't want to walk into a suicide mission."

Caleb sighed. "I will go with you. The leader said that all the confusion in your heart might find its answers after this mission."

Galaxy paused. "Were those her exact words?"

Caleb nodded. "Yes. If you don't want to go, we can turn back right now."

Galaxy said meaningfully, "If that's the case, then I really do have to go take a look. Let's go."

Caleb seemed to remember something else and added, "Our leader also said that if you go, you might conveniently be able to get your revenge. An Hua, whom you've been hunting, is also there, reportedly still conducting some sort of experiment."

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