The elevator hall was cold. The mountain peak reached a dizzying altitude. Because of that of course it would be cold, but it was freezing past those expectations. It was well suited as the entrance to hell.
Anemone brushed those thoughts out of her mind; it was out of character to be thinking of things like that.
“Rose? What happened?”
Sonia ran around Rose and looked up at her face. Now that she said it, Rose looked more solemn than usual.
“I shouldn’t have left Lily and the others after all …”
No. 2 was the one that stopped Rose, who was about to turn around and go back.
“Wait!”
How many times had Anemone seen No. 2 stop someone? She seemed quiet, but in times like this she became heated.
“Lily said she wanted to be useful! She isn’t going to be a pawn! Dahlia, Margaret, and No. 16 are all desperately fighting, I’m sure! If we go back now …”
No. 2’s voice trembled and broke off. She couldn’t say the rest. How naive, Anemone thought. But that was okay. She was naive because she had never been betrayed. It was better for her not to experience the pain and despair that came with betrayal. Serious and good-natured, that’s how No. 2 should be.
“Okay.”
Rose painfully agreed. She leaned against a boulder that was off to the side and peered at the elevator door.
Lily and the rest would die. It was the obvious truth. The death of comrades; they had experienced such over and over.
I want to name us. We’re family. Doesn’t it feel more natural to call each other by name?
Anemone still remembered the face Rose had made when she first said that. She wore a forced smile. Her voice shook, as if it were being blown around in the wind.
At their feet was a pile of bodies—comrades who had been infected by a virus. That day, they lost five. Their code numbers were strangely consecutive.
Up until that point, losing numbers had tormented them with intolerable sadness. Numbers were cruel. They would be reminded of their fallen comrades by their numbers.
Five code numbers were lost. That hole brought unparalleled pain. A hole, wide and deep.
“How lovely! Like humans!”
“And I’m going to call captain ‘big sis.’ ”
Everybody agreed. They decided to ignore the countdown to a harsh future.
They knew. That someday, everyone would be gone …
“What’s wrong No. 21?”
No. 2’s puzzled voice brought Anemone back to reality. No. 21 was crouched before the elevator, scowling. Half her face was covered by goggles, so all Anemone could see was her puckered mouth. Her expression made Anemone worried.
“All we had to do was go to the server room … but the elevator won’t activate.”
“Why?”
“The enemies put up security. I need to release it in order to access the bottom floor.”
“No …”
It’s okay. I just need to hack it. It’s easy.”
No. 21 smiled and started to operate the terminal. Anemone thought something was off. Was it really easy? Then why had she seemed so upset a moment before?
“See, easy.”
The elevator doors slid open. Rose and the rest of the group entered. Anemone followed. No. 21 didn’t budge. Anemone’s suspicion was confirmed.
“Go on without me.”
“Why? Let’s go, No. 21 …”
“I want to, but if I stop the operation the elevator will stop as well. I need to stay here and keep hacking until the elevator reaches the bottom floor.”
No. 21 said so in a swift manner. Anemone jumped out of the closing elevator.
“I’m staying! On to the server room, everyone! Leave support for No. 21 to me!”
“Okay! I’m counting on you!”
The elevator doors closed on Rose’s voice and No. 2’s surprised expression.
“Since when?”
Anemone slowly pointed her gun at No. 21.
“You can … tell? I don’t dislike how intuitive you are.”
“It’s not intuition. I know. I’ve seen many people go through this.”
No. 21’s body swayed erratically. It was a distinguishing symptom of the logic virus.