‘SEE YOU MORNING’ 033 Between Hell and the Human World

Nevada Desert, day three, also in the afternoon. Li Haojun and Kesiya were once again invited into the base. The same security check process, but this time they signed even more confidentiality agreements. Then, guided by base personnel, they walked along the corridor on the other side. Again, the same dim lighting, rough walls, and armed personnel patrolling. Li Haojun noticed that the armed personnel had no unit insignia or soldier names, so they were likely security staff or mercenaries.

At the end of the corridor, around a corner, stood an old-fashioned elevator with a metal grille, small in size, for personnel use. Clearly, any passage here required the proper clearance. Li Haojun and Kesiya followed their guide into the elevator, and then it descended. Basement level one – no stop, purpose unclear. Basement level two – no stop either, but it seemed to have been renovated, with wide-open space and bright lighting. When the elevator reached basement level three, the doors opened, and they were led into a room that was clearly a changing room, but one belonging to a clean production facility. Li Haojun glanced around, then looked at Kesiya without saying anything, thinking to himself: at least it’s not a virus lab.

After passing through the clean area and disinfection zone, they arrived at what appeared to be a clean production workshop, modest in scale. The same assistant from yesterday was leading them, while the person who had guided them earlier followed behind Li Haojun and Kesiya. This time, they were shown some bioengineering manufacturing equipment, but the focus was on the material and reagent supply facilities connected to these machines. The goggles Li Haojun and Kesiya wore had projection devices, and the assistant used these interactive tools to explain the basics and the issues encountered. Then, they returned to the office to fill out questionnaires.

Back at the hotel, dinner was even later than the day before. The moon was already high. They put on more clothes and decided to go for a walk.

Moonlight filtered through Kesiya’s headscarf, casting a subtle, soft glow on her face. Compared to Malaya, her hips and thighs were fuller, and her steps seemed more steady.

“Ethan, what do you think those machines produce?” Kesiya chatted as they walked.

“There are many practical uses, but they’re clearly not environmentalists trying to bring back prehistoric animals.”

“Do you think it’s cloning?” Kesiya asked.

“I don’t know much about that area, but judging by the size of the equipment, replicating tissues or organs shouldn’t be a problem. Especially since they look like a paramilitary unit – maybe they have a disabled soldier recovery program.”

“Mm. Why wouldn’t they go to a hospital, though? Hospitals could do that too.”

“Maybe they have undercover operatives who need it, or it violates ethics or regulations. Or maybe they have their own research projects more advanced than what the public can access. Sometimes technology is a kind of power, and having power gives you the right to a premium. So technology is power.” Li Haojun looked at the bright moon and said helplessly.

“So they can trade their technology for power with the people in control.”

“Mm. Unfortunately, that’s how things work. It’s not fair for ordinary people. Of course, their technological advances will one day benefit the general public. It’s just that, before that happens, the elites may have further solidified their dominance.” As he spoke, Li Haojun pointed to the moon and stars on both sides. “Like this difference in brightness.”

“Mm, yes. Ordinary people have no way to participate in this process, no way to supervise it, and no way to escape their disadvantaged position.”

“Yes. Darwin’s law. Even though we try to use public power to intervene in society and maintain fairness, Darwin’s law is everywhere.”

“Unless,” Kesiya said with a smile, then stopped mid-sentence.

“Unless what?” Li Haojun asked curiously.

“Unless there’s a traitor among the elites! Haha!”

“Oh, yeah. That’s not impossible. Someone with a conscience, or someone who sympathizes with the masses, or a misanthropic idealist. Or maybe infighting over spoils, haha. That way, maybe we won’t fall into hell after all.”

“Right. No need to be so pessimistic.”

“No. It’s just that those people would be under a lot of pressure – they might even disappear. But looking at human history, light and darkness always alternate.”

As the moon climbed higher, its light flooded the earth, painting everything pure white. Two close figures cast their shadows in the brightness, like exposed negatives, capturing a moment of eternity in the void.

Back at the hotel, Kesiya took off her coat, flopped onto the bed, and said in a coquettish tone, “Ah, I’m so tired today. I’m not showering.” Then she stared at Li Haojun with wide eyes.

Seeing her like that, he wanted to tease her: if you’re tired, go to sleep. But he held back the words. He held back the words, but not the laughter – it all spread across his face. Let her think what she wanted. Then, like caring for a child, he took the blanket from the opposite bed, lay on his side facing her, looked into her eyes, and waited to see what else she wanted to say.

“If only you could always…” Kesiya started, then fell silent.

Li Haojun felt a lump in his throat. He knew she needed his affection, but he couldn’t always be by her side. These sisters had grown up without the warmth of a family, and now she had feelings for him, but he couldn’t fully give them what they needed. Thinking this, he put one arm around her shoulder and back, drawing her head to his shoulder and neck, while his other arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. He hoped his body heat could convey enough love to sustain her through the days without him.

When the sun rose the next day, the base’s flying car arrived early to pick them up – a bit surprising, as it was different from the pattern of the previous two days.

Everything was routine, familiar. But the elevator seemed to descend deeper. It was impossible to tell which level, because part of the shaft was enclosed. When the elevator doors opened again, they followed the same procedure into an unmanned production facility. The same technical assistant from yesterday was waiting, but no one else followed behind. Walking behind the guide along the pedestrian passage, they could see the electrical support sections of the industrial facility. Li Haojun leaned close to Kesiya’s ear and whispered, “Watch your step. Stay close to me. Don’t wander off. Stay safe.”

After passing through the utility areas, they reached a relatively spacious zone. A large number of culture vessels of various sizes were arranged in three-dimensional steel frames. Each piece of equipment had its own number on its stainless steel shell.

Li Haojun looked at the scale of the facility and couldn’t help feeling a little excited. As an engineer, he was like a boy seeing his big toys. After a moment of excitement, he looked back at Kesiya – whether to check if she was following or to share his inner joy, he wasn’t sure. Kesiya said nothing, just smiled and quietly followed.

Passing that area, they arrived at an office on the other side. It was unattended. Here, the technical assistant explained the status of each production line and the different problems they had encountered. Based on his own understanding, Li Haojun asked for more detailed technical data for analysis. Due to confidentiality, all software and hardware had to be used on the base’s equipment, underground. Fortunately, they respected labor rights. At the end of the day, the two were sent back to the hotel.

After dinner, it was walk time again. Today, because they had started work early, and considering the physical demands, they were sent back a bit earlier. After dinner, the sunset hadn’t yet faded. Walking in the fiery red light, the crimson glow filtering through Kesiya’s headscarf and hair, Li Haojun couldn’t help but think of the time he spent with Qin Wenjing. He wondered what she was doing right now. A sudden impulse traveled down his arm – he wanted to take out his phone and call her. But his right arm only twitched, then remained still.

He glanced at Kesiya beside him. Her gentle gaze was like the warm comfort of the setting sun.

“Are you missing her?” Kesiya asked softly.

“What? Can you really tell?” Li Haojun was a bit surprised.

Kesiya smiled, looked at him for a moment, and said, “It’s written all over your face. Go say hello to her. I’ll wait here.” With that, she stopped walking.

“Oh,” he replied. Still puzzled, Li Haojun thought: Do I really show everything I think on my face? Even if I do, is it that obvious? And a young woman in her early twenties can read it? Or are women just naturally this sensitive?

After walking a few steps, Li Haojun turned back to look at Kesiya. They both laughed at the same time.

He dialed.

“Hello, Haojun. How are things there?” came the familiar voice through the earpiece.

“Fine. Sorry I can’t walk with you. I just had dinner. The sun is still high here.”

“Oh, quite a contrast. It’s been drizzling nonstop here in autumn,” Qin Wenjing said, turning on video. The soft rain was streaming down outside the living room window. The roses by the outer wall of the living room looked even more delicate in the drizzle.

That familiar little nest, that familiar love – Li Haojun felt a longing for home rise in his heart.

They watched each other and each other’s worlds through the video, easing the ache of separation. After exchanging reminders, they hung up.

He turned back. Kesiya was walking slowly toward him. She stopped right in front of him, not taking his hand or wrapping her arm around his waist. She just looked quietly into Li Haojun’s eyes.

They gazed at each other for a long time. Li Haojun took her hands and swayed them gently, not knowing what to say.

Only a trace of crimson remained on the horizon, adding a touch of melancholy.

“This isn’t fair to you,” Li Haojun said softly.

“How do you know?” Kesiya said, taking his hand and continuing their walk.

Li Haojun was confused. Why would she say that? He walked beside her, staring blankly, following her lead.

Kesiya didn’t speak. She just swung her arms like a little girl, making his arm swing too, and giggled.

After a few more steps, she stopped smiling, halted, and pulled Li Haojun to face her. She looked into his eyes.

When the last glow of sunset faded, in the dimming night, he saw her shining eyes. Kesiya whispered, “Kiss me.”

Whether it was the coldness and neglect that had been unfair to her, or whether Kesiya’s figure tangled with karmic ties from a past life, Li Haojun gently pulled her into his arms and kissed her lips. Then came the heat and mingling of kindling to a flame.

In the night, they finally held each other, temporarily satisfied. Hand in hand, they started back to the hotel.

Looking at Kesiya, it seemed she truly didn’t ask for much. After their intimacy, her face sweet, she walked back unhurriedly. He didn’t know where this relationship would lead. At least so far, she hadn’t asked for more than he could give. And yet, for some reason, she stirred his heart. Thinking this, Li Haojun tested, “Tonight, can we each sleep in our own bed? If this continues, I’m afraid—”

“Afraid of what?” Kesiya asked, grinning at him. Without waiting for his reply, she continued, “I won’t bother you tonight. You rest well.”

Back at the hotel, Kesiya kept her word. She went to her own bed and slept obediently. Li Haojun washed up quickly and returned to the room. She was already asleep, facing his side. So he tiptoed to his bed and lay down. Thinking of the beauty of the past few days, he told himself to stop while it was still good, not to ruin their friendship or hurt her feelings. After all, she was still young, with a long road ahead.

But middle-aged Li Haojun didn’t sleep well. Even with his eyes closed, the light kept him awake. He looked up. The bright moon shone over the earth, filtering through the curtains and cracks, falling on the nightstand and on Kesiya. The diffuse light through the curtains illuminated her hair. A naturally wavy strand of fringe pressed against her face, making her look even more delicate in the moonlight. A pair of bright eyes were watching him.

Li Haojun looked more closely. Yes, she was watching him. He sighed and said, “Oh, all right.” He moved back to make room and reached out his arm to her.

Kesiya said nothing. Wrapped in her blanket, she moved closer.

Holding Kesiya in his arms again, Li Haojun finally felt a sense of peace for some reason. They fell asleep quietly, embraced.

When the sun rose again, it was another energetic day. They had unfinished work from yesterday. In the control room of the base’s underground facility, Li Haojun reviewed the initial analysis results he had entered. After discussing with the technical assistant, they decided to inspect the actual pipeline routes. Because the facility was large, with rows of culture vessels occupying huge spaces, long distances and complex material and control lines were inevitable. So they had to check the system’s integrity.

Inspecting the rows of culture vessel frames, verifying some suspicious data points – the work was a bit tedious. Just as Li Haojun was checking the system’s response with the technical assistant, Kesiya suddenly cried out behind him.

Li Haojun quickly turned around. Kesiya was pointing at one of the culture vessels, whispering, “It… it… it’s moving.”

Li Haojun walked in the direction she pointed. It turned out that the culture vessel had a tempered glass front for observation. The stainless steel cover with the number was just a protective panel. For some reason, this device’s cover hadn’t been fully replaced. Through the gap, he could see human toes, part of a sole – the skin pale from soaking in the culture fluid. Judging by the height of the vessel, it likely contained a complete human body.

By then, the technical assistant had also walked over and said matter-of-factly, “Oh, that’s bioelectricity. It helps things grow normally. Don’t worry, it’s just an unconscious organism.”

For the rest of the day, Li Haojun kept an eye on Kesiya. She stayed close to him, never looking around again. She seemed scared. Apparently, the young woman couldn’t yet handle such a psychological shock.

They entered the new data into the computer to analyze overnight and ended their day. On the way back, in the flying car, Kesiya couldn’t help but ask, “What I saw – was that a clone?”

“Very likely. Or it could be a modified organism without consciousness, used for experiments or medicine.”

“Is it a headless zombie?”

“It could also be a zombie with a head, maybe implanted with a control chip that has some AI processing and control capability, or controlled by indirect brainwaves. But why do you always think of the scary side?” Li Haojun asked with a smile.

“You’re scared yourself, but you still go there?”

“Oh, I think… I think I’m scared because I don’t know what it is.” Kesiya thought for a moment and then asked, “Could we have brain control chips installed?”

“You probably wouldn’t,” Li Haojun replied, then asked in return, “What do you think?”

“I don’t know.” Kesiya rolled her eyes and thought. “Probably not.”

“No. If you did, you’d probably be used for some purpose by now, exploited by others. You’re clearly free.” Li Haojun thought for a moment and added, “Usually, young women’s main value is sexual. But you haven’t been sexually exploited. You can date freely, right?”

“Mm, yes,” Kesiya nodded.

Looking at this young woman, a sudden idea flashed through Li Haojun’s mind. Could it be… related to him? But he didn’t say anything to Kesiya. He just laughed at himself, “See, I just recovered my memory from a coma. It’s very possible I have a brain control chip installed. Do you still want to be with me?”

Kesiya looked at Li Haojun, not knowing what to say. Dinner after returning to the hotel and the walk afterward became dull and uneventful. Li Haojun couldn’t figure out what he had said that made her uncomfortable, or if something was wrong.

Lying in bed, Li Haojun thought back to the day’s work, retracing to see if he had missed anything that might help analyze the production equipment’s status.

The sound of rushing water came from the shower – Kesiya was bathing. The dim yellow light from there spilled into the bedroom doorway. Suddenly, she called out urgently, “Ethan, Ethan, come here quickly.”

Li Haojun rushed over to see what was wrong. When he reached the shower, through the frosted glass, he saw that nothing had happened. She was washing her hair; foam kept her from opening her eyes.

“What’s wrong? What is it?” Li Haojun asked hurriedly.

“Don’t go. Stay with me, okay? I’m scared.”

“Okay. I’m right here. I’ll talk to you.” He exhaled in relief. Then he understood: she’s afraid I’ll turn into a zombie.

She finished quickly, wrapped herself in a towel, and came out but didn’t leave.

“Ethan, go shower. I’ll wait here for you.”

“Oh, okay.” Li Haojun walked into the shower and handed his clothes out through the crack in the door. Hot water poured down over his head, obscuring his vision, but he could still vaguely see Kesiya sitting on the chair he had been sitting on. Being watched by a young woman while he showered was truly uncomfortable. He made small talk to ease the awkwardness and also to allay her fears about him turning into a zombie.

He finished quickly and realized he had no towel or bathrobe. Seeing Kesiya sitting there, afraid to go back to the bedroom alone, and not wanting to ask her to fetch one, he wrapped a small towel around his waist, leaned out, upper body first, then stepped out of the bathroom. Kesiya didn’t react strangely. She took his arm as they walked – just like on their walks – and carefully returned to the bedroom.

Once in bed, looking into Kesiya’s eyes, Li Haojun quickly explained, “You don’t need to be afraid of me. I don’t think I have a brain control chip. And even if I did, my will is strong – I wouldn’t be completely controlled. My body won’t turn into a zombie in seconds. Don’t be afraid, okay?”

“Mm,” Kesiya murmured softly. She placed her arm on Li Haojun’s chest and said gently, “I’m not afraid of you turning into a zombie. I’m afraid that you won’t be you anymore, and then I won’t know where to go to find you.”

Suddenly, Li Haojun realized how superficial his understanding had been. He turned his body more toward Kesiya, put his right arm around her waist, lifted her hair with his left hand to reveal her cheek, gently kissed her lips, then looked into her eyes and said softly, “I won’t leave you. Even if I die, my soul will stay with you.” Then he held her tightly in his arms.

“Mm,” Kesiya whispered. She buried her face beneath his chin.