Chapter 35 34:
Nouwlan was not capable of hearing the door of his private chamber open.
His eyes seemed like two black slits, fixed on the pages of the confiscated notebook. Those eyes, accustomed to evaluating the distance of a strike or the angle of a strangulation, would not stop scanning every symbol of literary communication, drawn toward a magnet from which he could not, or did not want to, separate himself.
He had read about Argal, every nato and soldier did.
Not only was it general and cultural knowledge of the empire as such, but it was also key and basic within the parameters of Argalectics.
That systematic set of doctrines, tactics and strategic principles derived from the unification campaigns of the Great Emperor Argal.
After graduation from the dorymathos, all soldiers were subjected to such instruction in a mandatory manner for future elite commander positions of the Viltrumite Empire.
But this perspective, about the key of the smart atoms, the consequence brought by the Great Purge, the contrasting demographic problem of the species both in the past and in the present.
He had never heard this type of thinking anywhere else.
This was, was an evident dangerous heresy born from emotional weakness, a strong intellectual deviation that was corrupting a nato, possibly learned from some servile race with whom he had interacted. But it was fascinating and repulsive at the same time, and simply, he could not stop reading it.
These writings, these thoughts, did not seem to be part of this world, of the empire's common thinking. It was as if it came from another world.
"The current system, although stable in appearance, little by little seems to be presenting contradictions that could lead to future crises."
Nouwlan frowned at that phrase.
But it would not stop resonating in his head no matter how much he wanted to simply tear it out.
Ironically, it was not the first time he himself had thought something similar, although his thinking had never gone that far.
But in the end, that was all it was, mere thoughts. After all, he was a proud Viltrumite, was he not?
Why should he think about these unnecessary matters delegated to his lower-class compatriots. He only had to focus on bringing glory to the empire, expanding the borders, subjugating inferior life, finding the Viltrumite physiological archetype in the vast universe.
There was no time for other distractions.
He felt that all of this was a waste of time, of effort compared to what truly mattered, but. what if all of this was, even minimally, true?
Did it mean then that the empire was heading toward future failure? How would this be possible?
He withdrew the thought, frightened by that supposition. He refused to believe that his race, his way of thinking, his sense of being and his superior purpose, were actually a mere distortion of the founder's own ideals.
He refused to consider the fact that they were probably imperfect.
His hands wrinkled the notebook, he almost pierced it through sheer pressure. It would be so simple to destroy this manuscript, this, manifesto worthy of an expression toward rebellion against the empire's very current foundations.
But he could not do it he could not avoid thinking, reading, discovering the intentions behind korr-add's reflections.
"How far do you plan to go with this, nato?" he murmured to himself, without lifting his gaze from the ink-stained pages.
"How far do you plan to go reading it?".
Vexa's voice, inside his chamber, cut through the silence like a hot knife through butter.
Nouwlan tensed completely, startled.
His right hand slammed the notebook shut while his body rose from the chair with excessive violence, it shot backward at the speed of a bullet, transforming into particles against the back wall.
The air imploded with the movement, generating a thunderous boom around him.
At the same time, the black notebook disappeared into some fold of his uniform, in a matter of terrestrial second fractions, not much faster still.
"Subofficer!" he shouted, his voice reverberating like a whip crack. He tried to show fury over what had happened, but the reality was very different, that he desperately wished he had never shown himself to Vexa. It was shame.
He had exposed a weakness before his subordinate, he had allowed himself to be caught questioning the actions of the great emperor regent himself.
The last thing he wanted was to be questioned, or rehabilitated by the high command, because it would mean death to his career before it had even truly begun.
"What is the meaning of this intrusion, subofficer Vexa? You did not authorize your entry into my chamber, are you aware of your reckless actions".
Despite his words, which tried to sound strong and authoritative, the blush on his cheeks and the lack of composure in his actions only made Vexa herself suppress a laugh that could have gotten her into trouble.
Vexa pulled herself away from the doorframe, where she remained, leaning against the solid frame of the magnetic sliding door. Her arms, beneath her chest, immediately adopted the imperial salute so as not to abandon decorum.
"this subordinate greets her superior." She said, proceeding to approach.
Nouwlan was nervous and ashamed. In fact, he had lowered his guard very stupidly.
Vexa had perhaps been there for several minutes, and perhaps, had also been observing him the entire time, watching how her superior, the relentless instructor, the two-bar officer, devoured the words of a nato as though it were some kind of panacea.
"y-you," he stammered. "I-I, was only, evaluating some manuscripts from the general."
Vexa, upon seeing her superior's excuses, raised a hand, snorting with disdain.
"Don't bother hiding it." she said, with that foxy smile that displeased nouwlan, pushing him over the edge.
When he was about to yell at her, impose commands on her and put her down as much as he could, the young woman, as if she could understand the boy's language, added, cutting ahead of his words.
"anyway, I already know what it is, what it is about, every syllable of the manuscript and everything it criticizes about us." Vexa's words made nouwlan lower his guard.
He looked directly at her, confused, the young woman's smile instead, only became more pronounced.
"the nato has gotten this far with that manuscript thanks to me".