[CONTENTID1] CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN - THE END [/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]

A/N: Before you freak out, no, it's not the end of the story. It's The End, meaning April 21st, 2034 xD

I roll my eyes and walk over to Kyuhyun, slapping his arm playfully. He grins and plants a kiss on my forehead. Wonshik joins my side and he’s watching us with a peculiar expression.

“Are you together?” he asks.

“No,” we both snort in response. I add: “Kyu oppa and I just share a very…complex relationship.”

“Don’t say that,” Kyuhyun throws an arm around me, pulling me close. “It makes it harder to describe the relationship between you and Sehunnie.” I pull a face and punch his ribs, though he only laughs in response.

The three of us make our way back inside, where Daehyun and Tao are working together to decrypt a message on an old radio system. Hyoyeon is behind Daehyun, her arms around his shoulders as she advises them both on what to do. 

“What’s going on?” I hear Karim ask from nearby. The fourteen year old rubs the back of his head and immediately heads for me, settling into my side. I ruffle his wild mane of hair and kiss the top of his head, though he has to duck for me to reach since he's now around five inches taller than me, at 5 ft 9. Even if he’s a teenager now, I can’t help but think of him as my little boy. Perhaps, I’ll continue to think so even as he progresses through his teenage years and into his twenties.

If we both live that long.

“We just got a radio transmission,” Hyoyeon announces, not only to him. Everyone in the camp, except for two people who are left out to guard it, gather around to hear what she has to say next. “It’s hazy and we can’t quite make it out.”

“We’re trying to tune it right now,” Daehyun adds. “It’s hard, because this system is decades old. Where the hell did you even find this?” He directs this at Kyungil. The leader only blinks at him.

“We stole it,” Yijeong answers in his stead, before settling into the taller man’s side, much like Karim has done with me. “How long do you think it’ll take?”

“Done,” Hakyeon says, and he and Tao high-five. I furrow my brows; I’m still wary of Hakyeon’s change of character…and if it really is a change, or perhaps a front in order to achieve something I cannot yet foresee. 

“Wait— seriously?” Jinwoon balks but he’s merely flashed a glare by the dark-purple-haired AI. “No one here can crack codes that fast.”

“Doesn’t take a genius,” Hyoyeon grumbles, though she’s loud enough for everyone around her to hear. I stifle a snigger and walk over to her, draping an arm over her shoulders. Daehyun grunts at the extra weight.

“Shut it,” I say, poking his cheek. He makes a face at me, though it’s laced with affection. “Anyway, tell us what the message says.”

“Why tell it…” Tao mumbles, his eyes rapidly scanning the screen before him, “…when we can let you hear it. Here. Listen.” Silence falls across the room as the AI plays around with a few keys.

Finally, the static turns smooth and a voice plays over the speakers.

“Hello, this Nikolai Petrov, transmitting message from station 1-2-5-9 in Yakutsk, Russia,” the voice states. It’s heavily accented; obviously Russian though both the name of the person and the location at which they’re stationed is a dead giveaway. “If you are hearing this, it means you are alive and you are strong. I am doctor, scientist. You have many questions, I have not many answers. But I have solution!”

“This sounds like something off a cheesy sci-fi movie,” Kyuhyun whispers not-so-quietly. Karim shushes him and he scowls at the young male, who returns the look with a warming grin. Kyuhyun rolls his eyes and, with his stump, he playfully pushes Karim’s face away.

“Survivors, please come. I need you. The world is dying. Help us. Nikolai Petrov.”

“That was…interesting,” Minho lets out after several seconds of silence. I glance at him over my shoulder and he offers me a warm smile, which I return with a small one.

“Are we buying this?” Taecyeon asks, though it’s obvious that his question is addressed to Kyungil. I, too, direct my focus to the leader in await of his response. His gaze flicks to mine and he holds it as he speaks.

“It’s a risk,” he says thoughtfully, “whoever sent the message could have ill intentions. There's hardly any information, it was a short message. They may be like the people from the camp Wonshik escaped from. They may be military personnel.”

“You know how I feel about the military,” Kyuhyun mutters, though I easily pick it up. He then raises his voice. “But if whoever it is, is telling the truth…what does he mean by ‘solution’? Solution to what?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Karim questions, voice deeper than it used to be, and all eyes go to him. His green eyes twinkle with some hope. “If this Nikolai Petrov is who he is and he speaks of a solution…he must mean a solution to the Infected. Right?”

“The kid is making some sense,” Chansung says, rubbing his jaw. Karim flashes him a glare, obviously not appreciating being called a kid at almost fifteen years old. I can’t help but grin fondly at him and send him a wink. He notices it and grins sheepishly.

“But there’s no way there’s a cure,” Jinwoon balks. “We’ve been living with these things for five years now and, all of a sudden, there’s a cure? I don’t buy it. I think this Petrov guy is bullting us.”

“And if he’s not?” I ask, raising my brows at him. “If he has a solution, maybe not a cure, but a solution — aren't you willing to seek it out? Aren’t you willing to try, for the prospect of a better world? One that has even a shard of a resemblance to the world we used to live in?”

“I’m not willing to risk the lives of my team for the possibility that some weird scientist in Russia knows what we’re dealing with,” Kyungil states, with some finality. I glare at him but he simply stares back.

“So, that’s it?” Hyoyeon’s the one to speak up this time. “We’re just gonna ignore the message — the message which, by the way, is the first you say you’ve received in months. You’re going to ignore it because you’re afraid to lose people? We lose people almost every day! I'm carrying a ing child!”

“But now that we could possibly put an end to it…you’re saying no,” I conclude, blinking at him. Kyungil’s jaw tightens but he says no more. “Hm. Alright.” My eyes flick to Daehyun and Tao. “Scrap the message.”

“What!?”

“Hyerim!”

“Don’t give orders on my turf,” Kyungil growls.

“They’re my men,” I remind him. “They follow my orders, not yours. Maybe we've led you into a false sense of dominance these past couple of weeks but let me set the record straight now. If we’ve followed your orders up to now, it’s because we need your resources.”

“Resources I’ll gladly strip from you if you don’t yield right now, Miss Choi,” Kyungil snarls. I narrow my eyes at him, my fists clenched tightly. But I know when to stand my ground and when to show some submission.

I know how to play the game of push and pull. I’ve been playing it for over ten years.

“Fine,” I let out, keeping my voice smooth. “Don’t scrap the message. Daehyun, Tao, get off the computers. Hyoyeon, go rest. The rest of my team, go about your business.”

“You’re still giving orders,” Kyungil says. “They’ll leave when I tell them to.”

“Hyoyeon noona needs rest,” Kwangmin insists. He’s standing with Youngjae, who has been working on the younger male’s sense of balance and coordination. The improvement is slow but it's certainy there. His hearing has become more acute, making him less likely to die instantaneously when faced with Infected.

“She’ll rest when I allow her to,” Kyungil snaps. At this, Daehyun gets to his feet but Hyoyeon is quick to placate him with small kisses on his chest. His arms curl around her plump body but his eyes remain angry and set on the leader.

“Don’t push it,” I growl, though a deeper voice overlaps mine. I look around and my eyes settle on Sehun. He’s finally allowed his blond hair to fade, his dark roots having taken over. He runs a hand through his brown hair as he strides to the centre of the room.

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