Chapter 114 – O Bloody Boom Blada (1)

Ob-loo-dy boomb-la-da.

Whirr—

Click!!

Click click!

[Warning. Unauthorized access. Disarm any weapons and raise your hands above your—]

“It’s me, ya bastard! Open up!”

[N-new Master?]

“Hey~ Koduro! It’s only been a little over a week, but it feels like I haven’t seen you in forever!”

[Master too! When did you get a new car?]

He was glad to hear Koduro’s voice when it flowed out of the speakers. It finally felt like it was all over after he heard that frisky voice of his.

The turrets went back down as the door opened, and he finally saw the dusty, worn-down shelter that he had missed all too much.

“We’re homeeeeeee!”

“Wahhhh! Master! Do you know how long you were out without even contacting me? I was worried that something bad might have happened to Master(s) and—”

Be-beep—

Does not match. Does not match. Does not match. Does not match.

“S-s-s-something badddddd!!!”

“This is the third time I’ve gone through this now.”

Gyosu got off, shaking his head at the expected reaction, and Ezel snickered as he followed him out.

D-r-r-r-r— Thunk!

“It’d be abnormal not to be surprised after seeing your arm for the first time, Gyosu Park. Vex, are you good?”

“Mumble mumble… You’re all overreacting… I can walk on my own two feet without this wheelchair to…”

“Upupup! This wheelchair is way faster than you walking on those short legs, so just shut your trap and stay put. They said you’d get better over time because of all the medicine they shoved into you, but that means you’re not completely healed yet. Stop trying to act so stupidly stubborn an—”

“Jawww!!!! Language! Nice words, please!”

“Right!”

To Vex’s abrupt interruption, Ian, unlike his usual reaction, stopped what he was saying and anxiously looked behind him.

Papap, pap!

That was because one more person came out of the car that Gyosu, Ian, Ezel, and Vex came out of.

A 10-year-old girl, wearing a nice dress and black dress shoes.

The child looked around nervously and tightly squeezed the worn doll in her arms, then…

Grasp!

Padded towards Gyosu and clung onto his left leg.

“Aghh!”

“Nooo!”

While the three other men were suffering from a heart attack by the wholesome moment rarely seen in the Wastelands…

Be-beep, Be-be-beep—

Checking statistics regarding dependency for girls in a similar age span. Most commonly confirmed relationship. Relationship. Be-beep. Reconfirming. Relationship. Male figures are what young girls depend on the most.

S-shake, s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-shake—

“M-Master… New Masters…”

Koduro’s camera lens started to shiver vigorously as it pointed towards the young girl clinging onto Gyosu’s leg.

“A-AND A NEW LADYYYYYYYYY!!!!! AHHHHHHH-AAAAA 0011011010110100!!! MISS!!!! MASTER DID IT!!! YOU BROUGHT A NEW LADY AFTER GOING OUT FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS! #*(@&*(^9!!!!!”

Dependency Relationship: Confirmed to be father and daughter.

Koduro’s daydreaming gears were spinning at such a speed that they were smoking.

“You can ignore that guy. He helps out with the housework, but he’s a little sick.”

“He’s…sick? That person too?”

“It’s not a person, umm… but anyway, just know that he’s a weird guy. Let’s go in now. It took all day getting through that parade or something, so let’s eat dinner first.”

Be-beep!

“Food! I-I’ll prepare it right away! We just happened to receive a delivery from the Dome about three days ago! There are groceries and furniture, and yes! A bunch of clothes and other things for children just that age! I thought Master had found a unique hobby all of a sudden, but I didn’t expect it to be such a pleasant surprise!! Today is one of the rare clear days of the year, so I suggest we have a barbeque party outside! Please don’t do anything! Just wash and rest! I will prepare everything!”

“Children’s clothing… That sly fox, he knew this was going to happen after all.”

“Director was being a little obvious at the café.”

Oblivious to Ezel and Gyosu’s mumbling…

Koduro perked up at the word dinner and went straight back into the house. Past the door he left open, they could hear some kind of weird humming like ‘Our cute~ new lady~’ and such.

“Gyosu. Is your home always like this?”

“I-it’s because I live alone. You can’t be too careful of depression!”

“Forget depression; I think I’m going to get mania.”

“Just go in for now! Let’s think after we get washed!”

Past the shelter located on the outskirts of Area 47, which became rowdy for the first time in 8 days, the sun was setting into a golden red.

Crackle, crackle—

“Where’s the kid?”

“She’s already fast asleep, must have been tired.”

“Yeah. She did go through a lot in the past day.”

“Did you hear her back there? She said it was the first time she’d eaten bread.”

“It wasn’t just the bread. She was tearing up when she saw the appetizer of mashed potatoes. She told me about how her mom always gave her all of the potatoes when they received them, and that her wish was to share two potatoes with her mom and each have one.”

Then, looking at the steak and fluffy bread that followed, the girl’s eyes widened as large as golf balls. Remembering that, Vex could feel his eyes water a bit.

“So, Hepburn.”

“Hm?”

“Who is she?”

That was the case. When Gyosu, who supposedly went out to have a cup of coffee with the Inspection Director, brought a little girl in tow, everyone wondered what exactly was happening but kept quiet until now in case it was something the child shouldn’t hear about.

Vex – Obsessed with protecting children’s rights.

Ian – Has a daughter who died about the same age.

Both men were extremely weak with children.

“Synthia. Synthia Batross. She’s my old comrade’s daughter.”

“Comrade… from the 14 Special Ops Squad days?”

“Yeah. Long ago, he took on the role of a whistleblower in the Executive Department in order to save me, but he died because they caught him. He said he had a daughter, and the Inspection Director brought her to the café this morning. He thought I would be curious about her.”

Clank, clang!

Ian was wrestling with a machine and battery full of tangled wires, but he raised his head when he heard ‘Special Ops Squad’.

“…What about her mom?”

“Apparently, the Executive Department left her alive to set an example.”

“An example? For what? So that they know that a widowed woman’s life is difficult?”

“It was a little dirtier than that. They gave the mother drugs. Threatening to kill the child if she didn’t take it.”

Crack— crackle—

Below the shower of stars embedded into a black curtain, only the sound of the campfire made of a large pile of trash quietly let out its voice.

“It’s a tactic those bastards commonly use. Both now and back then, they always liked to use drugs.”

“You know what happens next, right? The drugs she was forced to take then became all that she could depend on in the Underdome, and then they cut off the supplies at some point, and then she had to do anything in order to earn money for it…”

“…It’s fortunate that the kid’s young.”

Sighhhh—

To Ian’s comment, Gyosu let out a deep sigh that almost pierced through the earth to the core.

“She knows.”

“…What?”

“Synthia, the kid knew everything. That her mom started the drugs because of her and watched her slowly go crazy day after day. Until her mom died from the drugs.”

“That son of a—!”

Pap!

Vex blocked Ian’s hand from slamming down on the table from the uncontrollable rage. From how he was pointing at the shelter with the other hand, it was because he was worried Synthia would wake up.

“We, let them, grrrit! Off to easily…”

“I agree. Burning them was too little of a pain for them.”

Kkkkgk!

Habitually scratching the palm of his left hand with the tip of his finger, Gyosu gulped up the entire glass of water in front of him and held out his empty glass.

“After telling me that backstory, he just said he told me just in case I was curious.”

“Even my dense ass knows what that means. He wants to add a debt to you.”

“Yeah. Invisible debts like these are the ones that feel guiltier over time.”

“Our Director did say it was his choice, though. There’s a pretty good adoption system in the Dome. Since this world has a lot of orphans and children who lost their parents.”

“In Synthia’s case… she was sent to several houses, but she wasn’t able to fit in. She couldn’t speak well and didn’t seem interested in getting close. And she kept breaking things in the houses. Since most of the adoptions are from the upper classes, her mother’s past was overlaid on her behavior, giving the impression that it was because her mother was a drug addict.”

“There is an orphanage that those sorts of kids go to as a last resort… but I was the one that objected to that. I was a pretty unique kid too, so I got rejected for adoption a few times and grew up in that orphanage, but I still have a bad ear from when I got hit a little wrong back then.”

“Kekekek, he couldn’t talk in case the kid heard, so he signaled me behind the Director in all sorts of weird ways. Even Mister Ralph couldn’t stop him.”

It was indeed a bitter world. No matter where you go. What you do. There isn’t a single place without that bitter taste.

“It’s a shame we don’t have booze. If only they didn’t cause that ruckus at the Dome, I could have found a place where they sell it.”

“I know. Almost everyone was cheering at Gyosu, but I was surprised some people were shouting my name too. They were like Vex! You’re so cool! And I thought it was almost time for me to die, being called cool with this face.”

“Keheheh! The Community was a mess too. There was a new chat room called ‘To-Be BDSM Members’. A bunch of them went into the Area 47 chatroom where you stream too, Gyosu, but the people left because of the original users’ ‘classy and elegant conversation’. Stupid guys. What do they think BDSM does…hm? Gaybar, what are you fidgeting with in that corner?”

“Soy, gaybar! Or Ezel! Stop calling me that!”

“You’re the one who named it like that.”

“Heheheh, let’s see how long that attitude will last!”

As if he suddenly remembered something, Ezel rummaged through the small bag he brought, then took out two long boxes wrapped in a luxurious cloth.

“…A pistol?”

“Not even close. Even if I’m a little all over the place, I’m not that dumb!”

Flap!

“To the point where I come to a house party empty handed!”

The object inside the packaging that Ezel opened was a wide bottle that glittered brilliantly in the light of the campfire.

“…Booze?”

“Huhuhuhu! It’s not just booze! It’s, in fact, Dalmore 62! This year is 2057, so it was made exactly 115 years ago, in 1942! With only 12 bottles made, it is called the king of whiskeys! Even the Artists’ Union expressed willingness to purchase this item!”

“H-how do you have something like this…?”

“Ah, the Director gave it to me when I told him I was going to come over. He told me to have fun.”

“Kaahhh! He’s a man who knows grace, alright, that Director man! He gave us that tank, agreed to the looting rights, and gave us the combat vehicle! He’s a manly man! More than trustworthy!”

Gyosu was having a fierce internal conflict while looking at the majestic piece of art glowing in front of his eyes.

‘Eughh, this is all a debt too. That old sly fox… he’s only doing this because he’s confident he’ll be able to take it back tenfold. We’re being outright bribed right now…’

[So, you aren’t going to drink that? Even though he gave it to you as a gift?]

‘You think I’m dumb?’

But unlike his conflicted mind, his hand had already cracked open the seal.

Pop!

Opening with a clean, gentle sound, the Dalmore’s hard, heavy scent wooed the crowd, living up to its honor.

“It’s the scent of the past…”

“1942 was in the middle of the World War II period.”

“Even combining all four of our ages together, we’re still ten years younger than this…”

“This isn’t something that we can carelessly drink up. Just one glass. To celebrate our survival of another day, let’s drink just one glass.”

The others quietly agreed, they solemnly clinked their glasses together, then slowly emptied their glasses, savoring the complexity and depth of its taste.

.

.

.

.

Not long after, they all agreed to drink just one more glass.

One hour later.

“Ahahahahah!”

“So this stupid bastard goes [Gyosuuuuuu! My comrade died! I’ll kill you with my own hands before you completely become a mutant!] and starts charging towards me with a tiny gun!”

“Aghahahah, m-my stomach hurts! The doctor told me not to laugh too much…!”

“Youuu! You shouldn’t be laughing! Vex! You started bawling the moment you saw Gyosu! I saw him in the middle of the battle with blood all over him and basically half dead!”

“Kaghahahahaaahhhhh! And these guys are supposed to be heroes, the Dome’s saviors! Haaahhhahah!”

Crash!

“You better pay for the cup before you leave Ezel!”

“Bulls—. I can still plead not guilty even if I break every single thing in this house with the booze I brought!”

“Ahh, I can’t deny that. Hey, is there anymore?”

“Let’s see… The second one looks average. The Director said it was some kind of brandy, but I can’t remember…”

“Gimme that. Oh! It’s cognac. Your Director must be pretty rich.”

“Of course he is. He’s about to become the President of Area 47’s Dome. I think he has a hobby collecting these. He opened up a cabinet in his office, and there was a bunch of stuff in there.”

“Buurp— I hope something happens to the Dome again. Next time, I’ll ask for that entire cabinet of his.”

“Kekekek, I’m going to record this and frame BDSM when something ever happens. Anyway, Metal Jaw? What’s that thing you’ve been fiddling with?”

“What? Metal Jaw? Who told your gay ass you could call me that? It’s a car radio. I visited the IB’s garage when Gyosu and Vex were both asleep, and they showed me a few busted cars, saying that it was our loot. The cars were completely done for, but the radio looked fine, so I took it out of the car and told them to give me the rest in scrap prices. I got the tapes and everything but… arghh!”

Bang!

As if he were done trying, he threw out the radio that was refusing to turn on.

“There must be a connection problem with the battery, because this bastard doesn’t have a single thought to sing—”

Tzzt— Tzzzzt—

[Bambam bambam! Bambam bambam!]

“…It’s working.”

“…What the s—?”

Like a miracle, a melodical tune started playing on the radio that had been thrown away aggressively.

“Heheh! Ian, machines always get fixed when you hit them right.”

“I should have beat it up completely if I knew this was going to happen. It would have been a nice stress relief while I was at it.”

“Anyway… that’s quite the sophisticated taste you got there. Isn’t this a really old song? The Beatles’ ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’, right?”

To Gyosu’s question, Ian nodded as he listened to the upbeat rhythm coming from the radio.

“I was going to listen to it by myself in secret earlier, but that stupid machine brought that song all the way here.”

“Aw, Metal Jaw! Good songs are meant to be listened to together! Why listen to it alone?”

“…That song… was a song my wife liked.”

Ian’s calm statement instantly sank the rowdy atmosphere of the campfire.

‘Darn, I didn’t mean to break the mood.’

G-g-g-g-glug—

Pouring the fragrant brandy into his glass, Ian hummed along to the song that had memories etched into every lyric.

‘Ob-la-di, ob-la-da. Life goes on, La…’

“Right. I was planning to tell you guys at some point.”

Drinking the glass of hard liquor in one shot, Ian took out his wife’s precious possession, the Deringer, and placed it on top of the table.

“Since I broke the mood, I’ll tell you a story instead. It might not be fun, but it should be good enough to talk over a drink.”

Ian gently brushed his fingers over the small, worn gun and told a story about a long, or maybe not so long ago, past.

It started at an old house in Braunau Am, Austria.

Ian was a poor, dirty, and skinny young boy.