Choice (Part 2)

Inside a sealed cabin of the Abrody, Russell Hill stood before a magnetic platform.

The relic hovered above the magnetic field of the platform, emitting a diamond-like shimmer.

Hill observed the relic carefully, with Claire standing beside him.

"You can't touch this thing with your hands?" Hill asked.

"Yeah." Claire shrugged. "After Reno brought it back, we conducted several experiments. Two rabbits, a turtle, and three mice died in total. But we never did human experiments... We've always lacked a true hero."

Her gaze flickered over Hill, who felt a chill run down his spine.

Clearing his throat, Hill asked, "So, how do you extract the energy?"

Claire pressed a button on the magnetic control panel. As the magnetic field rotated, a surge of energy was drawn out, crackling and jumping under the influence of the field, resembling dancing lightning.

"Using the energy extracted by the magnetic field, it's diluted by ten thousand times, yet it's still violent. But there's a chance for the human body to absorb it and gain tremendous power. Of course, the more likely outcome is death. The New Federation creates psionic soldiers through this method," Claire explained to Hill.

Even from the side, Hill could sense the ferocity of that power. It was like a fireball, either tamed by humans or tearing them apart once inside.

"Can't the intensity of the energy be further reduced to a level tolerable by the human body?" Hill asked.

"This is the minimum." Claire replied. "The New Federation has conducted countless experiments; anything lower results in this."

She pressed another button, and Hill saw the dancing lightning gradually fade, seeming unable to solidify further before disappearing into the air.

Claire said, "The relic energy has its own unique structure. It maintains its physical shape only when it's at the basic unit. When it falls below this basic unit, it disperses. Dissipated energy cannot be absorbed, resulting in waste."

"So, each relic has its fixed energy?" Hill asked.

"Yes. The Federal Research Institute sets the minimum energy as a standard unit. The so-called five percent success rate is based on the use of a standard energy unit. If it's exceeded, there's probably no success rate. Each relic has a fixed unit of energy. Like ours, it has three hundred and forty-two standard units. This means it can be used to transform three hundred and forty-two soldiers, creating seventeen to eighteen psionic soldiers, while killing the remaining three hundred and twenty-five... With luck, a couple might survive."

"But you didn't use this method." Hill suddenly interjected. "You haven't even seen the relic, yet its energy disappeared automatically, and everyone on this ship gained abilities, right?"

Claire fell silent for a moment before nodding.

"Do you know why?" Hill immediately asked.

"In fact, I don't know. I've never touched the relic. Perhaps only those who have touched it know."

"Who touched it?"

"They're all dead."

Hill's heart tightened. "During the mutiny?"

Claire didn't speak, just gazing at the mysterious relic.

Tears shimmered in her eyes.

Hill's mind raced.

He finally understood.

Captain Jeram's sudden mutiny, the mysterious fate of the Abrody soldiers, all interconnected. The key to the abilities gained by the Freedom of the Heart warriors, the ultimate secret desired by the federal government, perhaps hidden within that mutiny!

"Nothing exists in isolation," Hill sighed.

Indeed, nothing exists in isolation. There's always something linking them, leading to subsequent developments.

After the sigh, Hill asked, "I want to know who else attended the meeting and survived?"

"Only one person."

"Johnny Reno?"

Claire nodded. "But even if you find him, it's useless. He won't tell you anything useful."

"Why is he guarding this secret?"

"Because he doesn't know either."

"What?" Hill exclaimed in surprise.

Claire replied, "He lost his memory. He doesn't remember anything about the meeting."

Hill's mouth hung open in shock.

So, the reason Reno never told him was because he didn't know?

Then why didn't he tell himself he didn't know?

Suddenly, Hill realized something, and his whole body trembled. "You..."

Claire looked at Russell Hill and said softly, "Do you understand, Mr. Hill? Yes, it's all Reno's doing. He pretends to know everything but refuses to tell you, hoping you'll investigate the case."

"Because only then can he legitimately keep me on this ship, right?" Hill shouted angrily.

"Yes." A voice came from outside the door.

It was Reno.

He stood at the doorway, looking at Russell Hill. "I'm sorry for deceiving you, Mr. Hill, but as you said, destiny is a matter of our own choices. We gave you a chance, and you made your choice."

"That's different!" Russell Hill charged forward angrily, grabbing Reno by the collar. "If you had been clear from the beginning, I would never have gotten involved in this. I have no interest in superpowers; I only want to find out the truth behind Captain Jeram's death!"

Reno shook his head. "That is the truth behind Captain Jeram's death. He wouldn't have gone crazy and betrayed us for no reason; the relic changed him. It changed Captain Jeram, it changed everyone, and it made me lose that memory. I need to know what happened during that time and how to use the relic correctly... I need your help with that. But I couldn't just tell you, 'Hey buddy, help me figure this out, and in return, I'll never let you go.'"

"So you resorted to coercion, manipulation, to incite my determination?" Reno didn't answer him, just looked at the relic. He said softly, "From the moment you stepped into this cabin, you chose to abandon your old identity and join the Freedom of the Heart. As for what comes next, it's up to you to decide whether to do it or not. But Mr. Hill, do you really not want to have superpowers? Do you really not want to know the secret of the relic?"

Hill was stunned.

Reno continued, "Think about it. Even though you lost your old life, if you could unravel the mystery, perhaps you'll discover a whole new life awaiting you. In this new life, there might be dangers, unpredictable fates, but I assure you, it'll be exciting... You'll have the opportunity to use your abilities, maybe even gain stronger ones. Who knows? Maybe it's some kind of ability to review the scene, just take a look at the crime scene, and you'll see everything that happened in the past. I bet you'll like that."

"You're wrong," Hill replied coldly. "I don't like it. I enjoy solving cases because I enjoy the process of unraveling clues, finding the truth from seemingly ordinary threads, not by using methods that are almost cheating. If anything, I'd rather have a pair of perceptive eyes and a brain that remembers all the details and conversations."

Reno shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe you'll get what you wish for. Life is full of possibilities, as long as you can find that method."

Hill glanced back at the relic, then at Reno. "Do you think if I can reconstruct everything that happened in the meeting room, I'll find the right way to use the relic?"

"At the very least, it will provide us with important reference points. And..." Reno's voice lowered, "I really want to know what caused a loyal, brave warrior to become like that. If we don't want it to happen again, we'd better be prepared early."