Torn Apart

After hearing the news, Raymond decided not to burden you with the specifics of his recuperation at that hospital. In summary, it took him two months to be able to move his body as best he could. He discovered during that period that the other soldiers had all perished just minutes after being administered the drug. Furthermore, he heard that all other test subjects had died, leaving him as the lone survivor in the entire planet.

After being liberated, Raymond was sent to fight in conflicts all around the world—not as a human, but as a prototype war machine. He suffered from innumerable injuries that would have killed a normal person, including being shot, stabbed, burned, beaten, slammed, and crushed. In the worst scenario, he was blown up by a mine and recuperated in bed for a week. Because the substance, contrary to their initial assumptions, remained concentrated in his spinal cord, sending instructions to his brain that allowed him to surpass human limitations, rather than circulating throughout his body as they had expected, the scientists concluded that the only thing that could kill him was decapitation. Severe bleeding was the other risk, but this was uncommon and could be avoided by taking a particular medication prior to each mission.

Some tests were fun, at least. Raymond was bet by a fellow helicopter crew member that he couldn't live on one battlefield with a biker's helmet, civilian clothes, and a rifle alone. Raymond endured all that was hurled at him and won the wager with ease. Unfortunately, the crewmate was subsequently discovered ripped apart by an enemy attack, thus he was never able to collect his rewards. Raymond's viewpoint changed as a result of the wager. He understood that after a lifetime of being alone, he finally had colleagues and true friends who were depending on him. He committed himself to protecting his comrades after that. Since then, his crew's death toll has dropped, and occasionally they have all survived to see another day, which was unusual at the time.

They had to report to headquarters after every mission, where the scientists made sure Raymond's HHD vaccination was working as planned and that his team members weren't suffering from being in close contact to an HHD test subject all the time. The only noteworthy finding was that the vaccination appeared to adjust to his situation, becoming more potent with increasing activity, just like a muscle becomes more resilient with consistent training.

Raymond attended daily private sessions with top-notch teachers and underwent mental assessments as well. He had never enjoyed studying, so at first he found it boring. But after a few days, he was engrossed in the experience and overcome by an odd feeling he had never experienced before: the excitement of comprehending difficult ideas, resolving issues he had never even thought of, and engaging in other intellectual activities that made him feel unique. He seemed to have wasted his time as a soldier, as if books, not guns, were the real meaning of life. He now understood that books couldn't always protect you from the perils of the outside world.

That being said, the story jumps ahead to the day that altered both Raymond's and the world's course. As usual, he and his team were on their way back to headquarters to report after a long war. They had scrounged beer from their previous trip and were celebrating. Half of their team was so inebriated that they couldn't even keep their helmets on straight, but Raymond stayed sober since the HHD vaccine made him more resilient to the effects of alcohol.

Most of them were unable to disembark without help, so the pilot of the helicopter landed in their customary location and told them to wait, while the others were to keep watch. Thus, they remained and celebrated their triumph. One of the more reserved crew members who had spent the most time with Raymond, Haruto, became more forthcoming when intoxicated. He talked about his family and how proud he was to defend the nation that had reared him and his forefathers. They all deserved a chance to reflect on what they were fighting for, so Raymond, who personally wanted to question his patriotic passion, let it go.

Raymond, however, was unique; he had no justification for being there. He was only a lab rat, negotiating a set of labyrinths that scientists had built. He had no purpose and was empty, but he was more alive than most people who risked their lives in battle for a cause. Why did he have the right to live? Why did he survive while better people died every hour everywhere else?

A spine-tingling scream rang out from the corridor during this period of reflection. They grew silent, listening for more, but there were no more sounds. Their firearms were quickly seized, and as much ammunition as they could carry was loaded into them. They were about to disembark when one of their own guys jumped down and stopped them with his arms outstretched.

He insisted, "What do you think you can do in your condition?" "Look, half of us are so inebriated that we can hardly move, much less aim or fight." Those guys must remain in the chopper. The others will look into what's going on.

The drunken soldiers gave him a frustrated stare before realizing he was correct and that they were not prepared to face a possible foe. With reluctance, they placed their guns in their boxes and took their seats.

The others got off the ship and went to the corridor. In anticipation of an enemy assault on headquarters, Raymond assumed command. They slowly made their way down the hallways, inspecting every room, only to discover them to be chaotic and empty. Some had tables overturned, others had papers all over the place. The most concerning was the armory, which was a disorganized disaster with firearms scattered all over the floor, ammunition packs open, and bullet marks all over the walls.

Sensing that more ammunition could be required, they gathered it and proceeded into the corridors. They saw two individuals they knew to be their own guys at the far end, who appeared to be caring for the chopper pilot. While the rest of Raymond's team stood watch, alert for any unexpected enemy presence, one of them went forward to examine the situation.

"Hey, guys!" he exclaimed. "We are the HHD team." Since this place is in ruins and we recently got here, we would like you to A shrill scream interrupted his speech. When they turned around, they saw the two men nibbling into their comrade's cheek; their skin was blue and pallid.