Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 139
Alois stood at a distance, feeling uneasy as he watched Joshua busy at the computer. The assassin had split the screen in two—one side displayed the surveillance footage, while the other was used for writing complex code. He expertly typed out line after line of cryptic commands, sending them to the central computer to lift its restrictions.
Watching the assassin’s back, Alois couldn’t help but marvel at how he truly was the younger brother of the scientist. The power of genetics was clearly evident in both siblings. To be honest, Alois had been startled when he saw Kester in the video. He and Joshua looked like they were cut from the same mold, and looking at Kester was like seeing Joshua’s future self.
For the first time, Alois felt like an outsider. There seemed to be an invisible barrier around the two brothers, preventing anyone else from getting close or intervening. There was a part of Joshua’s life that no one could touch, not even Alois. It was like a branding iron—if you tried to touch it, you would only burn yourself. Joshua had buried it deep inside, letting it cool with time, but it would never disappear. It would always be there, like a tombstone for someone to mourn.
Alois had no right to comment on this. He didn’t even know how to comfort Joshua. Two thousand years was too heavy a burden, and he worried that Joshua might be crushed under its weight.
“Joshua?”
“Hmm?”
Alois turned away from the assassin, unable to bear it any longer. “You… I know you’re hurting inside. Don’t try to hold it all in on your own.”
The sound of typing paused for a moment, and Alois felt Joshua’s gaze, sharp as a knife, fixed on his back.
“How could you possibly understand…?” Joshua’s voice was filled with anger but also deep sorrow.
“You’re right, I don’t understand anything.” Alois stared at the wall, where his shadow was cast. “But I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” He thought for a moment and added, “You’re not alone anymore, remember?”
There was a brief silence. Then he heard Joshua say, “I remember.”
He wanted to turn around, but Joshua quickly stopped him. “Don’t turn around!”
So he stayed still, obediently.
Another shadow appeared on the wall, overlapping with his. Joshua had come up behind him, wrapping his arms around Alois’s shoulders and burying his head in the crook of his neck. After a moment, hot tears began to fall onto Alois’s shoulder.
He said nothing. Neither of them spoke. All they needed at that moment was silence.
……
Duke Winnet sat solemnly in the command seat on the bridge. Aside from the navigator piloting the ship, there was no one else present. He remained calm, waiting for his guest to arrive. Soon, he heard footsteps approaching from the corridor.
The sound grew closer. The footsteps were sharp and clear, belonging to a young woman. Winnet didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.
“You came alone? Quite bold of you.”
The person stopped a few steps away from him. “My people surround us. What do I have to fear?”
“You weren’t always so aggressive, Alveira. How long has it been since we last parted, and you’ve changed so much I can hardly recognize you.”
“You’ve got a lot of nerve bringing up Leyting. If I hadn’t escaped quickly, I would’ve met the Lord long ago. You must be very disappointed, Uncle Winnet.”
“Indeed, I am.” Winnet smacked his lips as if tasting the bitterness of defeat. He had never experienced such a complete failure in his life, and now he found the sensation strangely intoxicating. “But disappointment doesn’t change anything. I’ve surrendered, Alveira. I surrender to you. Can I request the treatment of a prisoner of war? Will you treat me as you did the pilots I sent to Sword Bow A?”
“Why ask that? Has the fearless Uncle Winnet learned to be afraid?” Alveira taunted. She moved in front of Winnet, glaring at him like a predatory bird.
“I’m getting old, child. It’s natural to have fears.” The Duke met her gaze. “Do you intend to take my life right now? At least let me see Musaya one more time. You wouldn’t want her to be heartbroken, would you?”
“Don’t expect to sway me with Musaya. You might have better luck with Darius. Maybe he’ll give you a break because of all the chats he’s had with her online. But not me.” As she spoke, Alveira unfastened the gun from her belt. Winnet thought she was going to shoot him, but instead, she checked the energy cartridge and tossed the gun to him. It slid across the floor and came to a stop at his feet.
The Duke bent down to pick it up. “What’s the meaning of this?” He held the gun up to the light, inspecting it. “Do you want a duel?”
“It’s for you to use on yourself,” Alveira said coldly. “There are countless people who want to see you executed. If you don’t want Musaya to witness your disgrace, do it yourself. I’ll make sure your body is sent to her, all cleaned up and ready for a proper funeral. You can rest forever beside your wife.”
“Should I weep in gratitude, fall to my knees, and thank you?” Winnet weighed the gun in his hand. “Or should I just shoot you first and send you to join your brother?”
Alveira showed no fear. Instead, she laughed mockingly. “Then soon you and Musaya can join us. Are we planning a family picnic in the underworld?”
The Duke leaned back comfortably in his chair, narrowing his eyes. Ah, Stella, he thought. Am I finally going to see you again?
“Seriously, Alveira,” he said. “You can kill me whenever you like. But at least let me see Musaya one last time. I know you hate me, but Musaya is innocent. You can’t—”
“I told you, don’t use her as a shield,” Alveira interrupted. “Do you think I don’t know what you’re planning? You’re stalling for time. You sent your people to Old Earth, hoping they’ll release the Yasha so you can become truly invincible.”
Winnet suddenly felt a chill down his spine. “How… How did you know?”
The Princess shrugged. “Why do you think I agreed to your foolish proposal and came to your stronghold to accept your surrender? I was afraid that if I accidentally killed you, I wouldn’t learn the identity of the fifth AI.”
“…I’m truly impressed. Was it Neo Athens that supported you?”
“Just like the fifth AI supported you. Tell me its identity and location, and I’ll give you the chance to see Musaya again.”
The Duke examined the gun in his hand as if it were a rare and priceless jewel. “You won’t harm her, will you?”
“As long as she doesn’t do anything reckless.”
“I have some final words. Will you deliver them to Musaya for me?”
“Of course. I’d be happy to.”
The Duke whispered a few words, so softly they were almost inaudible, like a breeze dispersing smoke. Alveira leaned forward, frowning. “What did you say?”
At that moment, the Duke suddenly sprang up, grabbed her by the neck, and pressed the gun to her head!
Four doors around the bridge swung open, and a flood of heavily armed soldiers rushed in from outside. At the same time, soldiers of the Royal Fleet stormed in through the main entrance. The two forces stood off, weapons drawn, with the Duke and the princess at the center.
“It’s all over, Alveira,” Winnet growled in her ear. He then raised his voice, shouting to the Royal Fleet soldiers, “Tell Darius Bayes to withdraw his forces immediately, or he can start preparing to bury his little princess!”
The Royal soldiers stirred uneasily. Their commander had been captured by the enemy. If this news got out, it would surely shake their morale.
“Pointing a gun at me is the same as risking your daughter’s life.”
“I promised… her the entire galaxy. I’m not a good father, but at least I intend to keep that promise.” The Duke unlocked the gun’s safety. He knew he was already defeated. Even if he held the Princess hostage and Darius Bayes withdrew his forces now, it wouldn’t change the outcome. His only hope rested on distant Old Earth. The people he had sent there were his most loyal followers. Emma and Garn had been with him for years. They wouldn’t disappoint him. If they could release the Yasha, then with that unparalleled power, the galaxy would be as he promised his daughter—as that AI had promised him—a gift for her.
“…Don’t do this, Uncle Winnet,” Alveira said calmly, even with a hint of resignation. “You have a better choice. Why insist on this path of destruction?”
The Duke laughed softly. “This is my only chance… to survive against all odds!”
“That’s quite an inspiring last statement.”
As she finished speaking, a searing beam of light shot through his back, exiting through his chest and then piercing Alveira’s shoulder.
The Duke turned around in disbelief, blood gushing from his mouth. He saw that the people standing behind him were not his guards, but strangers dressed in his guards’ uniforms.
Alveira pushed him to the ground, and the world flipped upside down. The lights on the bridge were blinding.
So that’s how it is, he thought, a sudden clarity coming over him. He had planned to fight to the death, to take Alveira hostage, and had even set a trap on the bridge. But he had miscalculated—while he was speaking with her, Alveira’s men had quietly eliminated his soldiers and replaced them with her own. She had traded a light injury for his life.
Why didn’t anyone warn him? How could the ship have been infiltrated without anyone noticing?
Ah, of course… Alveira has her own powerful AI too.
He thought of the mysterious AI that had made an alliance with him. It claimed to be omniscient, omnipresent, and had convinced him to go to Old Earth to release the Yasha, promising to share the universe with him. But at this final moment, it had failed to help him. Was it defeated by Alveira’s AI? Or did it simply stand by, waiting for him to die?
“I thought I was the player… with the universe as my chessboard…” His vision faded as the light overwhelmed him, but he kept his eyes wide open. “But I was… just a pawn…”
Alveira, clutching the wound on her shoulder that was bleeding profusely, knelt beside the Duke.
“Musaya… forgive…”
The Duke’s voice was labored, like a broken bellows.
“Stella… I’m finally… going to see…”
He coughed up a mouthful of blood and then fell silent forever.
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