Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again. - Chapter 397

Chapter 397: Boulder Creek’s history.
Although she was startled for a moment, Sunshine found herself looking back on many similar scenarios she had come across in her past life. Starving, desperate parents selling off their children because they had no choice.

But she was not a human trafficker. The little girl was not some scrap in need of repair that she could haul back to earth. Besides, she had brought them food so there was no urgent need for them to sell their children.

“Nothing, I don’t buy children.” She told the woman. In an act of generosity, she handed the woman a box of milk.

The woman grabbed it and still tried to leave the girl behind. Sunshine caught her arm and screamed for Othyrean.

He heard her and rushed over. With one authoritative glare, he made the woman look down in shame. But when he looked at the girl, he sighed helplessly.

“I don’t buy people.” Sunshine said.

Othyrean sighed again. He pulled up a crate and sat down beside Sunshine. “Do you know how this world came to be like this?”

Sunshine tilted her head, “Something to do with technology and an explosion.”

Othyrean laughed, bitterly. “It was not that simple, and it was not just any technology. Boulder Creek used to be such a great place to live. We had fertile soils, vast water sources, fresh air, a shiny violet blue sky, two suns, and peace.”

“We also had them.” The woman stared daggers at the little girl.

Othyrean glared at her, making her shut up instantly. He smiled at Sunshine, apologetically. “Emotions are still raw among the few survivors that remain. But Gurata is not wrong, we had them. The royal ruling family of Boulder Creek. They were in power for as long as I can remember.”

Sunshine sensed anger in his voice. It was further confirmed when he kicked a can which was sitting near his right foot.

“They were not always bad.” He said, after taking a deep breath that fogged up his mask. “But they got greedy. They decided to start an expansion war and drafted young males and females, willing or unwilling. Emperor Agora assured us that we would win because they had a secret weapon.”

“That cursed stone.” Gurata jumped in a deep angry voice.

Sunshine became more attentive. Anything to do with a special stone was now of great interest to her. “What stone?” she asked curiously.

“The prime core.” Gurata snapped and raised her hand as if to hit the little girl.

With speed, Sunshine caught Gurata’s hand. “Not in front of me.” She wanted to add that she hoped never because she abhorred the use of violence on children. But…her past experiences would not let her defend the little girl blindly.

For a second, she wondered what Father Nicodemus would say if he had been there with her. She brushed the thought away, eyeing Othyrean again. “Tell me more about the stone.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know anything about it except for its name and the rumor that it was powerful. The royals, they were very confident in the abilities of the mystery stone. They said it had helped them win wars in the past, thousands of years ago. And it would do the same now.

A scholar came out, spoke up against it. He said the stone was too dangerous and warned the family not to tamper with forces they did not understand. He was shot to death right in the streets.”

“They put fear in us, executing anyone that stood against the expansion plan.” Gurata spat out, almost hissing. “Farmers, medics, teachers, children, soldiers—anyone that spoke up was killed.”

“Agora was determined to recreate the glorious history of his past ancestors. He was drunk on visions of conquest.” Othyrean sighed. “All warnings were ignored, and the royals created a secret classified lab where they started their experiments. They planned to build weapons so strong that they could tear planets apart and rip space itself open.”

“Woah!” Sunshine mumbled, “That is ambitious.”

Othyrean nodded. “That is what we all thought. We were happy and thriving, we did not need to fly and march across galaxies to build new empires. To push the propaganda, they acted out films about this conquest, created songs about it.”

“Like victory had already been achieved.” Sunshine said.

He nodded again. “Exactly. But all this was dependent on harnessing the power of the stone. And the stone; it betrayed their plans and ambitions. I don’t know what happened in that lab.” He looked at the little girl. “Maybe she does since she is a royal, but she is a deaf-mute. The rest of the survivors, they also don’t know what happened in the lab. Most of us lived far away from the capital where it was.”

“But we all heard and felt the explosion.” Gurata said softly. Her eyes had a far-off look, like she was recalling that moment.

Sunshine felt a bit uneasy. She had the stone, and she had plans to use it. Was there a possibility of it exploding and turning the apocalypse into a greater nightmare than it was?

“It happened at night.” Othyrean said.

Sunshine raised her head and turned to look at him.

“The explosion woke us all up.” He looked up. “It was not just the sound of the world turning over–it was light, sound, fire, a storm. Something so furious and angry that it devoured everything. Cities fell, seas rumbled, forests turned into ash. And us, the people…” he broke off, a voice filled with untold pain.

Sunshine felt pity for him.

Gurata said, “At least, there was justice. The royal family perished in the fire; their fancy palaces and great towers were reduced to rubble. They were swallowed into the ground like the rest of the people they had killed. All but this one…” she shoved the little girl from behind.

The girl stumbled and bumped into Sunshine. She pulled her small, scarred hands away quickly, and covered her head. She was obviously expecting to be beaten and bracing herself for the pain.

Sunshine patted her on the head, “It’s okay little one, I won’t hit you.”

Gurata snorted.

“She was found in the cellar where the lab once stood. A whole year had passed and somehow, she had survived down there alone.” Othyrean explained, “I think her mother hid her there. There was some food, enough to last two years at least.

Most of it was raw or spoiled but I guess she ate it as it was. Many people wanted to kill her there and then. But I suggested that we leave her alive and learn from her what had happened in the lab.

But she turned out to be deaf, dumb and uncommunicative. She is useless and people have turned her into a punching bag, a release for the anger they have towards her family.

We don’t sell children here but if she stays, sooner or later, someone is going to kill her. I don’t know how long I can keep her alive. And I am ashamed to admit it, but I hate her just like the rest of them.”

“She should have died with the rest of them.” Gurata screamed.