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The room that Nijisaki stood in had come into silence. He stood in front of a set of monitors, one hand clasping his chin and lower lip while the other held the elbow of the former. His eyes remained focused on a set of a few in the corner. There, a few showed the outside of what looked as though it was a circular room-- A couple others showed the inside. It was hollow and cruel just by looking at it. He'd never particularly liked this part of the Nonary Project. It seemed to be pushing things too far for his comfort, but Hongou had assured everything would run fine.
He bit a nail. He couldn't fathom how Hongou was so sure of that. The door labeled with a third nine... Just why was that so? Steps had been put in place so that, of course, everyone would be able to escape. An incineration command would threaten to take place. He had a set of controls that could stop or end it whenever the group reached that point in the project. But... for when the children who would leave the door, when their bracelets were turned off, he was instructed to start the process. The thought of that made him tense. The incinerator was far from being faked. They'd tested the damned thing several times (and he recounted uncomfortably a strange look in Hongou's eyes when the flames filled the room), and it wasn't about to break now. But, that was a severe risk to the children's lives.
They'd told a lie here and there when giving instructions. They being Nijisaki and his apparent partner-in-crime, Musashidou, who seemed more invested in the cigar in his mouth than the events taking place on the screens. Nijisaki let his eyes move from the man and back to the monitors. They'd lied about a few things. They certainly hadn't actually set bombs in the children's beings. It'd been an idea, but he and Kubota had managed to convince Hongou against it.
His mind drifted to Kubota. He was more than grateful that he'd gotten their help in arguing against that. Neither had been very sure if Hongou was entirely serious about the idea-- he'd given in a bit too easily to the pair's demand, but it was better than arguing alone. The four had agreed to simply say that the children were given bombs. Though, he wasn't sure if Hongou had truly done that with the children on the Gigantic or not. He hadn't, but there was no telling what Hongou had done with those children once everyone had split up.
Children. He bit harder on his nail. It snapped. The oldest was perhaps 15. Most of these children were in junior high if not elementary. None of the Nonary Project had ever sat right with him. This was overly illegal, inhumane, unethical, immoral, and just wrong. A process was already in motion to make sure that no word would get out about this, but that didn't change anything. It almost made things worse, it felt like at times. Part of him wanted people to find out, to stop this, to get Hongou out of a position where he could do this, but--
But he'd said nothing. He'd considered talking more than a few times, but he hadn't. Some sort of selfish fear of what would happen to him had overcome him when he considered it, and he never spoke. And now it was too late. His eyes moved to some other monitors, showing a place that almost seemed like it'd be used for marriages. There stood 9 children, talking and looking at two doors on either end, ones that both read a nine. 45 minutes remained before 9 hours had passed since they'd first woken up.
The digital root of 45 is 9... Get this number away from me. Nijisaki closed his eyes and let himself take a long breath. Those children were going to have to face that incinerator. When the incineration process began, a computer would come from the ground, presenting a sudoku puzzle. It had to be solved to shut off the command. They could then escape, as the RED would activate again after being shut off by the DEAD's use. He wondered what would happen if those children couldn't solve it. They tried to ignore the obvious, coming up with some fake theories before a cold truth washed over them. The incineration would take place, and those children would--
The oldest child was about 15. Nijisaki thought about Kubota again. Kubota was a genius, and he meant that literally. He was extremely exceptional in math and sciences, but overall, his intelligence was far from low. He'd already cleared through college at a young age. The oldest child was 15. Kubota was, what, 17? The hand propping his arm tensed. That thought sent a coldness through him. If Kubota had shown any kind of significant morphogenetic resonance, he could as well have been a subject of the project.
Nijisaki turned away from the monitors and sat with a long sigh, closing their eyes.
"Bored?"
He didn't open his eyes at Musashidou's question. He just sat in silence for a few moments more, before finally answering, "No, not bored... Nervous, you could call it."
The older man laughed, oblivious to what was running through Nijisaki's mind. "That so? I must say, these kids are very smart! I figured a few of them would be left behind by now, but no-- We certainly found the pick of the litter."
Nijisaki didn't need to open his eyes to know that Musashidou would be looking at the screens with gleaming eyes. Of course he didn't see a very big problem with any of this. Nijisaki had heard rumours that Musashidou was involved with the precedents to this project, something called "Gordian's Games." He'd never looked much into it. Hongou had mentioned it at some point or another, how he'd convinced the runners of it to sell the Gigantic. Nijisaki half-wished he'd listened to the rest of whatever had been said, but too late now, he supposed. Well, it was either that rumour was true, or Musashidou was just the bastard he always seemed to be.
"Oh, relax," the older man said before holding out his box of cigars. "Here, take one."
Nijisaki opened his eyes finally and looked over. He waved his hand. "No thank you," he said before staring at the ground. "I'll be fine when this is over." When those kids got out, all of them, perfectly safe and unharmed and not in some pile of ashes on the floor of a fucking incinerator--
He ran a hand through his hair. He needed music or Musashidou's blabbering or something interesting on the monitors or... or something to take his mind off of this. It was too late now. Those children were going to solve the puzzle and leave. He had to stop thinking they wouldn't.
And so he did just that-- He talked back and forth with Musashidou, skirting just barely around present happenings or the steel chamber awaiting the children. It passed time, and Nijisaki finally found himself beginning to relax. He could breathe and get a face besides anxious.
All that came crashing down some time later when Musashidou announced, "Oh, I think they're heading into the incinerator finally. I don't understand why that first group waited for the others, but now the finale is finally coming!"
Nijisaki's head shot up. He gripped the chair he was in as that cold, unforgiving door opened, letting the children have access inside. Every part of him was suddenly screaming for him to do something to stop this rotten thing, to let them out and to have them run up the stairs. In little groups, the children entered, looking around with curious and terrified eyes. Only five at most would pass through that door at first. The four would soon follow-- They had to follow. It wasn't an option. They were going to be fine, they were going to be fine, they were going to be fine...
"Are you all right?" Musashidou asked, looking to Nijisaki.
He forced a nod. "Fine, just... Let's see what happens-- we put something up so we could hear them, right? Where is that?"
There was a moment of silence where they met eyes, but Musashidou game in after a bit and got up, coming to the control panels. He eyed over it for a bit before pressing a couple buttons. After a moment, talking filled the room. They were the words the children spoke.
"I thought if we cross through the 9 door, we'll be out!"
"We need to pick five people to go and check stuff out."
"No way, then four are left behind!"
"There's no other way out-- Zero was just messing with us!"
Panic began to swarm Nijisaki as if he was actually there, among the arguing children. This was bad. This was a horrible idea. What if they couldn't decide on anything? What if they tried to leave and didn't get out in time? Surely Nijisaki wasn't expected to actually... actually...
"Let's try searching the area and meeting outside this place. We'll only take ten minutes."
It was a single voice that everyone seemed to agree with. The girl who'd spoken was young, holding herself a bit and looking around with wide eyes. So, the ground split to a set of four and five. The first group were the numbers 2, 4, 5, and 7. That left 1, 3, 6, 8, and 9 to pair with one another. Nijisaki thought about those numbers. Both of the digital roots created 9... Why? Why had those children done that? The most effective way would be to pair with those whose roots couldn't open the door. But then again, they'd freely formed. Those four had gathered almost instantly together. Through the game, they'd become a close pack.
Musashidou let out a laugh. Nijisaki tried to ignore it, watching as the groups left and began to walk around the area. They talked quietly and grew out of the reach of what the microphones available could pick up on. Rather, Nijisaki let his eyes wander to the area around the incinerator, where the 9 children explored what surrounded it. For about five minutes or so, that's all they did. They wandered.
Except after those five minutes, the group of four suddenly began to tiptoe around. Carefully, they made their way back to the incinerator and walked inside. One hesitated, and looked back. Something startled them and then ran in, shouting, "Hurry!"
Quickly, the four scanned their bracelets and yanked down on the lever. The door opened, and the other five poured into the incinerator. They started to pursue, but the four bolted past and through the large door. A couple of seconds later, and it shut, leaving the five just mere feet from the formerly open door.
And then Musashidou laughed again, saying, "I knew those four were up to no good! Looks like the fun has really begun!"
Neither moved for a bit, watching as the five children began to panic. Listening to those terrified and enraged words. And then, as though a puppeteer was controlling him by strings, Nijisaki rose and came to the control panel. On another monitor, the four children had pressed their hands to the DEAD, and pulled down the level. Nijisaki pushed a button. The incinerator was bathed in an ugly red light, and a siren pulled from nightmares hit his ears.
"Warning," spoke a voice. "Warning. Emergency incineration command has been acknowledged. Automatic incineration will take place in... 18 minutes. Please evacuate the incinerator immediately."
The words shut off, and so did Nijisaki's mind. He was blank as he went back to his seat and sat down, looking at the monitors. He heard the children cry out in fear, look around and panic as they tried to find out how to escape. The noises just went out the other ear. He watched them try to verify and open the door over and over, but to have the RED take nothing. The sights didn't stick as memories. He reached a state of emptiness, where not even a merry shove from Musashidou could move him from his zombied state.
"... 17 minutes.
"... 16 minutes.
"... 15 minutes.
"... 14 minutes.
"... 13 minutes.
"... 12 minutes.
"... 11 minutes.
"... 10 minutes.
"... 9 minutes."
"I can't figure this out!"
The voice was sharp and piercing. The blue-haired child backed away from the computer in the centre of the incinerator, tears threatening her eyes. Another child stepped in and got to work while the blue one broke down into crying. Another one comforted her while someone assisted the one who was working on the sudoku puzzle. The fifth remained quiet and to the side, keeping from anyone's way.
Nijisaki's vision hazed. He felt sick watching this. This wasn't science-- just abuse. This was something for the cruel and cold, for the kind who were the true evil of the world. He wasn't that. He didn't want to be that, he didn't want to endorse that, he wanted to stop that, he wanted to stop this, he wanted to go home, he wanted to let those kids out and tell them it would be okay, he wanted for this to never have happened, he wanted--
He resumed stuffing cotton into his mind.
"... 8 minutes.
"... 7 minutes.
"... 6 minutes.
"... 5 minutes.
"... 4 minutes.
"... 3 minutes.
"... 2 minutes."
"I can't take this anymore." Nijisaki stood up. "I can't-- they're going to die, Musashidou!" He looked to his partner. "They can't figure out the puzzle. They're no where near completion, and there's only two minutes left-- they're going to die!"
Musashidou looked in surprise to Nijisaki. "Do you really think so?"
He turned around. "Just look, Musashidou! There's no way to solve that in two minutes. I don't care about the fields or anything. That's not going to stop time. That won't magically solve this. This is supposed to be the group to send things, anyways!" His hands had clenched at that point, and he was staring desperately at the monitors, silently pleading for them to just figure it out already. It wasn't impossible, they just needed time. Something they didn't have.
"Now, sit down, Nijisaki," Musashidou ordered, giving the other the first truly serious look of the day. It was ignored. "I said sit down, Nijisaki."
Nijisaki bit down on his lip, frozen where he was. The two remained in a standoff for a little bit, before he finally answered, "No."
Musashidou started to rise. "They'll be fine. Just relax."
"... 1 minute."
"We're going to die."
"They're not going to be fine!" And with that, Nijisaki shot forward, slamming his hand down onto the button to stop the incineration command. The red light began to slowly fizzle away.
"Emergency incineration command has been cancelled. Incineration system has been disabled."
Immediately, confused but not protesting voices began to fill the room. Nijisaki stood by the control board, his hand on the button the only steady part of his shaking body. On the monitor, the computer had shut off and was collapsing into the ground. The children had all gathered together in a group, looking around as if they thought it was a lie. And then, one of them noticed something.
"The RED! Look! The light is back on!"
They all ran toward it, and began to scan their numbers.
Slowly, Nijisaki peeled away, and walked back to his seat. He walked as though he'd just been running for a long time, and sat down heavily. He looked at the ceiling, mumbling, "Oh thank God," as the sound of the 9th door opening could be heard.
"And... what exactly was that?"
Nijisaki let himself look down, facing Musashidou. He took a look that showed he wasn't afraid of his decision, and said, "We aren't going to kill children, Musashidou. This whole thing isn't right, but that's one line I refuse to cross."
Musashidou's lips pressed to a thin line. "Very well."
The two grew quiet, and Nijisaki looked back at the ceiling. So he did something that was against the plan. He didn't care. He wasn't going to let five lives be put to his name if he could stop it. Especially not children, of all the possible ages.
A minute of eternity flew by, before Nijisaki said, "We'll need to go out and meet them. Right now they're yelling at the other four, but we'll need to get them out of this desert." That was covered in the plan as well. Nijisaki let his eyes move to the screen. He wondered why those four had stayed. Maybe it was making up for when they'd been waited on. Maybe it was because they were trying to find a way for help. He didn't really know.
For now, Nijisaki got up, coming across the room and picking up a phone that lay there. He dialed in a number quickly and listened to it ring.
"Hello?" came a shaken voice after a while of wait.
Nijisaki's eyebrows raised. "Hongou not there, Kubota?"
"I-- Well-- Well, no, um... he-- about-- about that. No. No, that's--"
"What's going on?" A bit of a rising concern came to Nijisaki. Kubota stuttered and fumbled with words. That was a universal fact. But there was a certain tone to their voice to that wasn't right.
"That is-- There-- There was this detective, and..."
The explanation took a bit. Not that Nijisaki was surprised, but by the end of Kubota talking something about how the kids were now running up the stairs, he had one word of advice.
"Get Hongou to you now. Him pissed doesn't go to good places."
"Nijisaki, the children are almost to the top of the stairs," Musashidou called.
It was with hard reluctance that Nijisaki said, "I have to go. I called because we finished. Just... Do what you can." And he hung up.
The two began to leave, and Nijisaki briefed Musashidou on what he was told.
"The party at the Gigantic was crashed by some detective. There were five kids left, and this guy broke through a vent or something and pulled them out. Hongou stormed off saying he was going to do something about it and is making way to the incinerator. I don't know what he plans to do, though. Apparently, the kids are already scrambling up the stairs."
"At least both sides are equal in interference, then," his partner remarked bitterly.
Nijisaki sighed. "Shut the fuck up, Musashidou." The door began to open. "At least I actually saved people over being on a warpath."