A Suicidal Plan

Intense breathing, incessant sound of gunfire and explosives, raging heart, all contributed to the unpleasant feeling that made them tremble.

"Fuck! What is even going on?!"

"I don't know!"

"What happened to our house?!"

"I don't know!"

"Where are mom and dad?!"

"I don't know!"

"Where are we supposed to go now!"

"I don't know!"

"Are you alright?"

"NO!"

Fein steadily opened his eyes. It was another morning. He didn't realize when he went up the cozy soft buttery bed to sleep. It wasn't bad though.

His eyes had gotten puffy. He cried for the first time in a while. Of course they'd get puffy.

After rubbing his eyes, his hand reached upto his hair. His head tilted to the small window of his room from where the sunlight reflected on the ocean. The vessel still hasn't voyaged.

"Fein Rasmond." Fein's head shifted from the window to the wooden door. Eudimor, from the other side of the door, uttered a few words before leaving. "Ma'am Yulia Orks demands your presence in the office room within 30 minutes."

He did not need an explanation.

Based on what he said yesterday, he had no other choices but to go and accept Yulia's offer. It was time for him to get to work.

Also.. if Rene isn't in this vessel there are chances that she might be in the other one. I'll do what it takes to find her.

His feet glided down the bed. He recalled his dream, engraved very vividly in his memories.

"The dream… I saw Rene again. It felt so real despite being a dream." Or it might not be a dream at all, just another foresight? But foresighting the past?

He left a short breath of defeat, glided down the bed and left for his summoning.

"Are you sending me to fight beasts already? Without even any hints of how to kill them?!"

It was Ran, being outright rude and grumpy. In contrast to Kuina who chose to join DOR instead, Ran gave his approval and joined the Beast Slayers in one swipe.

"Even though i said killing them is our safest choice, I'm not supporting the idea, Ran Halveri." Replied Yulia.

"Then what do you suggest i do with them? Dance perhaps?"

Yulia chuckled. "Sure you can. As long as you don't get killed."

Kuina, as a member of the officials, sat there unsure of what to do. She was surprised just by meeting Ran there as a Slayer. Wanting to face him not directly, she somewhat hid herself behind the army of other DOR members sitting in front.

Right in the middle of their unilateral rambling, the metal door split open revealing Fein behind. His thick bandage reduced to a simple aiding sock and the cane disappeared. He has already healed.

"If you do not mind, may I?" Said Fein, surprising the other two.

The three nominees were kept in the dark about each other. They were contacted personally hence unaware of the others, though Fein had doubts about them. Ran looked especially baffled.

"Of course you may come inside."

He trudged into the office and sat on the nearest chair he found.

The blue semi elliptical screen reflected on his face, making him look blue as well.

By the scent of coffee inside the room, it appeared beverages like tea and coffee were allowed into the meeting.

He rotated his head around trying to find someone who could bring him a cup of coffee but failed. He gave up and listened to the man who spoke with a stack of papers in his hand in front of the screen.

The image projected on his white uniform as well, blending him into the background.

Sitting at the back Fein snickered at how it looked like his head and hands floated.

"For those who are new, I'm going to be kind enough to repeat our current circumstances." A man with the green belt on his waist, Ludic Boseman, shifted the files on his hand. Yulia might not have participated in the speech, she sat beside him as his supervisor. "Our Marine vessel Von2402 was on standby for 5 months because of the Beast Slayers recruiting experiment."

Fein, whose head rested on his left palm thought, So it didn't depart because of us.

"But three months ago a swarm of undeads attacked and a few beasts started camping there, detecting human presence. As a result the vessel is now trapped there." The papers in his hands were shifted swiftly again. "Many of our brave members fought against them and lost their lives, may they rest in peace, leaving the survivors in terror. As the members of DOR have considerably reduced there, we decided to stall rescue and suggested they quarantine themselves. However... thanks to our brave members we have finalized the number of beasts camping there.... It is three."

While his eyes looked at the audience, the image behind him changed. It showed a layout of the internal structure of Von2402.

"The vessel is 78 feet tall, divided into 8 floors. 4 underwater levels and 4 above water levels. The encampment of beasts is the lowest level among the above water floors." An image of the mentioned floor was enlarged behind him. "The said floor is divided into five sections. And apparently the beasts favour camping in section 2, 3 and 5. So the outside deck and control rooms remain mostly empty. The survivors are quarantined in the above three floors and lower 4 floors, quivering in fright." Ludic stacked the papers back into his hands and said. "That concludes our explanation of the emergency." He stepped back letting Yulia take the charge, "I'm inviting all types of ideas and strategies from everyone here." Yulia's eyes roll around all the people sitting in front of her and pause at Fein, expecting some kind of replies from him.

One among the men raised his hand. "Evacuating the survivors from that vessel is impossible, am i right?"

"Yes. You're correct." Replied the woman. "We lack the necessary vehicles to transport the survivors here. Also this vessel is already accommodating more than its capacity. It cannot afford more people."

"We have tried sacrificing people from the morgue so that they leave the vessel, right?"

"Yes. But it bore no fruit. I still regret doing that whatsoever."

"Why can't we call the other Beast Slayers for help?" Asked Ran. "You said there were five more, right."

"Exactly. We have only five more official Slayers for the whole world. Unfortunately they aren't as free as you think."

"What about DOR members from other countries?"

"No. We cannot do that as we have limited time."

"Can we contact the people in that vessel?" Kuina asked, raising her hand slightly.

"Yes. We can. There are still 16 more DOR members alive there."

"Can we ask them when the beasts remain mostly inactive or their traits?"

Yulia couldn't hide that she was a bit surprised. Kuina could think more logically beyond her age. "Yes. We can ask them to spy on the beasts. However the results might not be as you expect. The beasts are basically immortal."

Some other members agreed with Kuina saying, "Even the slightest information can give us an advantage in this situation."

"Fine. I'll ask them to send us every little detail of the beasts' movements." Yulia repeatedly glanced at Fein in intervals. She knew Fein must have had something up in his head but he wouldn't just speak.

If it requires a little push, I'll give you that. "What do you think, Fein Rasmond?"

She directly addressed his name, making everyone present in the room turning their heads at him.

Fein removed his hand from his cheeks. He moved a little on his seat. "Oh. I don't have any ideas already but I do have a question."

His eyes shifted from Yulia to Ludic back and forth. For some reason Ludic didn't look pleased with the mention of his name.

"Let us hear your question."

"How many people, from inside the vessel, have the beasts killed?"

"It isn't an accurate headcount, almost 1200, including officials."

"After the quarantine?"

"None. The lock system in our vessel is very complicated for them to unlock."

"That's great. So no more casualties after quarantine."

"Yes. But what are you trying to imply?"

"I'm trying to imply that…" Fein tilted closer to the desk and peeked behind the ring he made from his thumb and pointer finger. "What would you do if you were working hard to unlock your fridge for food and then notice someone has already left some food for you on the table. Which would you choose?"

Yulia slanted her head. "Though food tastes the best if earned with hard work, but if we think simplistically I'd probably want to gobble the food on the table depending on how hungry i am."

"That's right, isn't it."

Ludic, with his brows frowning, nose pinching upwards and lips widening, grumbled. "We do not have time to make metaphors and fun, Mr Rasmond. Please speak in a way that is clear to others."

"No." Interrupted Yulia. "I think i understand what he means…"

"Sorry. Sorry." Fein's apology reverberated in the room. "What I mean is that… We're going to plant a bait to lure them outside."

The entire room fell into the depth of silence upon hearing Fein's suicidal plan.