Chapter 379: The Soup Kitchen
Several minutes before the explosion, a soup kitchen in the feline district was at the height of its peak hours, serving many their one and only hot meal of the day.
The felines may have endured a harsh past, but their determination to face whatever the future held for them remained unshaken. Adapting to their new circumstances was their primary goal. It was the key to not only surviving but also allowing them, and in turn, their offspring, to lead brighter lives!
However, with the fear of the plague on the rise, many of them found themselves unable to find work. Due to their past confinement, it was no surprise that their android captors had never taught them how to read or write, nor how to handle basic necessities.
Even the concept of the internet’s ability to connect everyone was completely foreign to them. With many still in the learning process, they were unable to utilize the benefits the network might have offered them.
Lacking skills, coupled with them possibly carrying the plague, made them undesirable labor to employ.
As such, while the felines were more than willing to learn everything they needed to fend for themselves, they needed time... Which was a luxury few could afford. Lack of jobs meant no money, resulting in starvation.
To avoid the worst-case scenario, those who had quickly acquired valuable skills and were earning funds in the process organized charities around the district to support their brethren still in the midst of their education.
Essentially they had grown into a community that cared for one another like family.
The soup kitchens were among those charities, with the goal not only to feed the hungry but also to provide shelter for the elderly and children.
Due to their limited physical capabilities, they were tasked with preparing the dishes, one of the least demanding jobs. In return, they not only helped their brethren in times of need but also received three hot meals a day alongside a broad roof over their heads as compensation for their labor.
Due to the sudden influx of people that had shown up today, the dishes were running out faster than expected.
"The soups have run out! When’s the next batch going to be ready?" Zachary, a tall boy stationed at the meal counter, briefly left his post to check on the progress in the kitchen.
An adorable girl named Lily met his gaze. Just shy of ten years old, she barely reached 130 centimeters in height. Her chestnut brown hair reached her shoulders, and her amber eyes observed the world around her with a child-like curiosity.
"It’s almost ready!" She responded, giving Zachary a thumbs-up with one hand while she stirred the soup with a comically large ladle for her small frame.
With a mischievous smile, she sent him a wink.
"I was supposed to keep this a secret, but Anya told me that her job is turning for the better... So from now on, we’re going to be adding extra meat!"
Immediately, Zachary’s cat ears perked up, and a slight drop of saliva formed at the corner of his mouth.
With a giggle, Lily focused on stirring the soup.
"Actually, we’re running low on a few supplies. Since you’re here, could you go to the storeroom? I don’t want to make the elders move unnecessarily."
With a nod, Zachary complied. There was no need to worry about those waiting at the counter. Everyone knew they would get their meal eventually.
"Meat! Meat! Meat!" Chuckling, Zachary hopped toward the back room, his eyes sparkling with pure delight.
Only to be surprised to see a few people he didn’t recognize. With obscured bodies and faces, the only thing the boy could make out was that they were all men. One was thin, another fat and short, and the last was muscular and tall.
"Hm? Who are you, mister?" Zachary asked innocently.
The men were less than pleased to be discovered.
"God damn it! Even if they’re just Feral Halfbreeds, I would’ve preferred to avoid killing children directly!" The thin man cursed.
"Children?" The fat one sneered. "Don’t mistake them for anything other than monsters. They’re abominations created by rogue AIs. Even if their appearance fools you, these so-called children could have in fact lived longer than their elders. Though their growth and minds are stunted, mimicking our youth, they will never truly be human!"
The man was half right, half wrong.
Being a relatively new alteration of humanity, the feline elders hadn’t lived for decades as their appearances suggested. However, the AIs had perfectly replicated the basics of aging. As a result, they behaved and thought according to the age they were designed to represent.
Children were naive but picked things up quickly. Adults were driven and resilient. Elderly were wise but adapted at a much slower pace.
Sadly, Zachary got the feeling that any explanations would fall on deaf ears. His curiosity quickly turned to terror when he noticed the tattoos of severed tails on their palms, the scent of powder assaulting his nostrils.
"I don’t give a damn about your moral dilemmas!" The muscular man, clearly the leader, shouted as he lit a fuse. "Blow up their food provisions to smithereens! Hopefully, once they go berserk from starvation, they’ll start cannibalizing each other like the beasts they are!"
BOOM!
It all happened in a flash. Zachary’s vision went black, his ears ringing. The eruption was so close that it seared his skin, overwhelming pain taking hold of his senses.
"Lily..." He barely managed to mutter her name before he lost consciousness.
Unscathed, the three men emerged from the black smoke.
"Hey, look! The kid’s alive! To survive a blast this close means he’s both a cultivator and free from the plague!" The fat one exclaimed.
"In that case, we take him in. Our research team has yet to get their hands on a feral young." The leader ordered.
Obeying, the thin man carried Zachary. They were about to leave when a high-pitched scream suddenly stopped them.
"Let him go!" Lily warned, tears streaming down her face. Her frail hands trembled, pointing with her large ladle like a weapon.
While most were still in shock from the explosion, the little girl had already charged toward the source, knowing Zachary was there.
"Chief, the orders were clear, no witnesses." The fat man grinned behind the mask. "Can I deal with her?"
"I don’t plan to stick around. Do whatever you want, but you’ll have to catch up later." The leader growled before vanishing from sight alongside the thin man.
Even though two of the three men were gone, Lily didn’t feel the least bit reassured.
"Where did you take Zachary?! Give him back to me!" She bellowed. "Otherwise, I’ll make you talk!"
A sinister laugh escaped the man.
"You’re going to make me talk?" He cracked his knuckles. "You are mistaken. The only talking will be your screams."
He was clearly relishing the moment... That was until his center of gravity shifted, sending him hurtling toward the nearby wall.
Before he could react, his mask was ripped off, and a sharp claw slashed a gash across his face.
"The only one who’s going to be screaming..." Ruby’s eyes narrowed like needles, rage flooding through her like never before. "...is you."