Chapter 724: A Ray of Warmth Amid the Oppression

"This is a sci-fi film that forces you to confront just how vile humanity can be!"

Kevin Thomas scribbled furiously in his notebook.

"It's true… we really are horrible."

"It felt too real. So real that I started to believe there are aliens locked away, being experimented on by humans somewhere—maybe in Area 51?"

Meanwhile, in another cinema, film critic Colette jotted down in his own journal:

"Through a documentary-style lens and stark realism, the film delivers a clear message. But in its later half, the excessive action slightly diluted the potential for deeper exploration of its themes. Even so, compared to the usual flashy, shallow sci-fi blockbusters, this film remains a rare, thought-provoking gem."

…

When Carl learned that the alien fluid could either be used to power the mothership—or to cure his mutation, but not both—he made his choice after a moment of agonizing reflection.

"Take your son and go home. You have to make it… Don't let my suffering be in vain!"

"I can't leave you behind!"

"Go—go now! Before I change my mind!"

"Three years! I promise, I'll come back in three years!"

As MNU forces closed in on District 9, the battle reignited.

Before boarding the ship, Christopher Johnson gave one final, solemn nod to Carl—now piloting the exo-suit—who had rallied a group of aliens to fight back.

At this point, except for part of his face, Carl had almost completely transformed into a prawn.

"My friend… until we meet again."

The camera zoomed in on the cockpit, showing a close-up of Robert Downey Jr. expression—an unreadable mix of anguish, resolve, and bitter irony.

A scene featuring a man in a mech suit could've easily evoked comparisons to Iron Man. But the harrowing story that came before, combined with Robert's gripping performance, wiped that association away.

Here, in this movie, he was Carl—the betrayed, the mutated, the desperate.

The camera slowly panned out as Carl turned the suit.

Then it shifted—revealing a massive human army in front of him.

Hiding behind piles of garbage, crouching in dirty alleys, peeking out from dented armored vehicles spewing smoke—MNU soldiers were everywhere, guns blazing.

Carl suddenly crouched, then charged, exo-suit thundering forward. He raised its Gatling-style arm cannons and opened fire.

Cut to a close-up: Robert's eyes blazed with fury and grief.

"You bastards… every last one of you deserves to die!"

The alien energy cannon and Gatling gun roared to life. Lasers and bullets tore through the air.

A wide aerial shot followed.

All across District 9, aliens emerged from their huts, silently watching the battle.

Gunfire and beams of energy wove a tapestry of death across the slum.

Human soldiers screamed. In the cinema, cheers erupted again.

The scene astonished critics and professionals alike.

Martin had managed to make audiences empathize more with the aliens than the humans—no small feat.

"Fuck yes! Kill them! Kill every damn one of those humans!" shouted young Christian from the Ericson family, fist pumping furiously.

His sister, Lilith, didn't even scold him. Normally, she'd snap at her annoying little brother, but not tonight.

Tonight, she was right there with him.

"Go, Carl! You're amazing!" she screamed, even louder than Christian.

As Carl fought the soldiers, Christopher Johnson and his son finally reached the mothership.

The moment the fuel was inserted, the ship—dormant and hovering for over 20 years—began to stir.

But then, Carl's mech was hit by an armored vehicle. He tumbled to the ground, gazing up at the sky, tears streaming down his face.

Soldiers encircled him, rifles raised.

Then—something shifted.

One soldier seemed to hear a sound. He turned.

The camera followed his gaze.

A wave of prawns surged forward, overwhelming the humans.

Cheers thundered through the theater.

Carl disappeared.

The humans, meanwhile, successfully relocated the aliens from District 9 to the newly constructed District 10.

The screen faded to black, then slowly lit up again.

One year later.

A series of interviews followed.

"We don't know where he is. Maybe he's being held in a black site run by MNU…"

"If we did know where he was, we'd try to help. But that's the thing—we don't know."

His mother appeared next.

"It's heartbreaking. He's gone. And I'm the one left behind to deal with everything. I… I can't answer these questions."

His father: "I don't know what really happened. I just wish someone would tell me the truth…"

Finally, the camera cut to his wife—the woman who had once seemed like an angel at the beginning of the film.

Now, the audience viewed her with thinly veiled rage.

Her betrayal had pushed Carl past the brink, driven him into utter despair.

She stared at a photo of their wedding and said softly, "He was a good man. What happened to him wasn't punishment for wrongdoing…"

This confused the audience.

Wait, didn't she give up on him? Then why's she defending him now?

Then came the twist.

She opened a small box and pulled out a crude flower—made from scrap metal.

"I know this won't make it into the final cut," she said, "but I found this outside my door. Someone must've left it on purpose. I… I believe it was from Carl."

"My friends told me to throw it away. Said it was just trash. That there's no way he made this…"

"But I know it was him."

The screen flashed to a green-skinned prawn—meticulously crafting the same metal flower out of junk.

Her voice continued:

"I don't know why he didn't call me when he was at his lowest. But I want to say—he would never do those awful things they accused him of. I believe in him…"

Gasps filled the theater.

So that's it!

Realization dawned.

The wife who abandoned Carl before… hadn't been her at all.

It had been a setup. A conspiracy.

His real wife had never given up.

Even when his parents had stopped believing… she still loved him. Still trusted him.

A wave of warmth washed over the audience.

Carl wasn't entirely abandoned after all.

Even at rock bottom—even with his body twisted beyond recognition—someone still believed in him.

Someone still loved him.

And somewhere out there, in the garbage-strewn ruins of District 9, a once-human creature silently forged a flower from scraps.