Chapter 2743 () Voice from the bottom
In the Horus fleet, even the most glamorous and largest flagship, the Vengeful Spirit, has a very dark and damp bottom deck, as if it is a forgotten corner.
"..."
At this time, in this area filled with strange smells such as engine oil and metal, the little girl Ali was sitting in the narrow, damp and dark cabin of her own home, looking at the same filthy environment outside the cabin through the same narrow window.
Dirty and damp ground floor access street.
When she looked outside, in addition to the ignorance, ignorance and cunning unique to a child, she was also filled with complex and contradictory emotions for some reason, just like this lower deck, just like this dark, damp and desperate place.
Like people in such an environment, they struggle no matter what and still have a glimmer of tenacious vitality and hope.
But little Ali doesn’t know what hope is, or in other words, the hope she expects may never be here?
Because her parents are both lower deck staff of the flagship of the "Spirit of Vengeance", and her father is a maintenance worker on the deck of the macro cannon. He does the daily maintenance of the macro cannon. He works with the huge macro cannon every day.
She has close contact with the cannon to ensure its normal operation, and the risk factor is extremely high, especially in a state of war; and her mother is a cleaner, mainly responsible for cleaning up the residue of medicine left on the deck after the macro gun deck is fired.
Working with certain corrosive substances, her figure is always busy on the decks full of medicine residues, corrosive substances and poisonous gases. Like her husband, she uses insignificant diligence to protect the life of the family.
Therefore, as the child of a low-level worker, little Ali naturally became a member of the low-level.
However, although her life has always been full of hardships, she also has her own little luck. At least she does not need to work hard every day like her parents, because she has a lot of free time of her own, and she can go
You can imagine, you can look forward to it, you can go in a daze, and you can look forward to the future that belongs to her.
Okay, let’s assume that she still has a future?
Anyway!
For now, as a child in the Great Expedition Fleet, although she does not need to work, she must complete the minimum basic 'education' on ship maintenance on time, which is related to her future work.
Arrangements must be completed on time and in quantity, and after that, she will have at least ten hours of free time in a day, which is compared to her parents who had to work more than ten hours a day and often had to work overtime.
It is much easier and luckier, although it does take a certain period of time.
Of course, while she was lucky, she was also unfortunate.
Because, if there are no other accidents, in ten or eight years, when she is about ten years old, there is a high probability that she will take over her mother's job and become a newly promoted macro gunner.
Deck cleaner.
After all, it is very dangerous to clean up the residue of medicine residue and certain corrosive substances left on the deck after the macro cannon is fired. Under normal circumstances, a cleaner cannot survive more than twenty years working in that environment. Therefore, when the time comes, she
It is time for the daughter to inherit her mother's business and continue to shoulder the great task of cleaning the macro gun deck.
Although it is cruel, what can she do?
You know, not only the 'Spirit of Vengeance', but almost every ship in the entire Imperial Navy's Great Expedition Fleet is like this. The short life and cycle of mortals dictate that all positions must be rotated and inherited, otherwise
, it is absolutely impossible for the huge Great Expedition Fleet to last for tens to hundreds of years or even longer.
But fortunately, Ali is still young, so she doesn't need to think about such long-term things yet.
Compared with those distant and cruel things, she only knows now: It has been almost a month and almost two months since the last time the kind-hearted Fourth Company Commander Uncle Sejanus took her to play on the Huagai Star.
It's been months, and little Ali doesn't know exactly what time it is.
After all, here on this damp and dark lower deck, there is no difference between day and night except for looking at the calendar and work arrangements.
"..."
As she thought about it, little Ali couldn't help but look up at the 'sky' in a daze, but unfortunately, apart from the densely packed pipes, rivets, valves dripping water or other unknown liquids and the slightly rusty deck, she
Just saw nothing.
"Woo..."
"I really want to see the sky again..."
Yes, she does miss the blue sky and white clouds now.
It's a pity that here, not to mention the luxurious blue sky and white clouds, she can't even see the stars, because their family simply can't be allocated a cabin with portholes that can see the stars and the universe. Their family just
One of the countless working families at the lowest level, they simply don’t have that qualification.
Therefore, the previous life on Huagai Star is now like a dream to her, suddenly becoming unreal. Even a dream may be a bit luxurious, because dreams can happen at any time, but that
This kind of life was something she could never hope for.
"Sister Anne..."
As she thought about it, Ali gradually couldn't help drooling anymore.
"Ali really wants to eat that kind of roast duck again..."
"Uh-huh..."
Looking at the dim street outside the window and smelling the air full of metallic smell, although Ali wanted to distract herself from thinking too much, she still couldn't help but miss the blue sky, those white clouds, and the place she once had.
Sister Anne, the head of state, took her to play everywhere on the Canopy Star, eat, drink and have fun.
She missed the carefree and happy life, the endless food, the beautiful clothes, the comfortable big bed room, and the unrestrained feeling.
I remember those days when she first came back, when she talked about those things and experiences with her parents, neighbors and friends, when she showed them her beautiful colorful goldfish and clothes,
But I really envy them to death.
But it is a pity that due to the need to subsidize the family, many of the beautiful clothes she brought back were sold by her parents. Even the useless goldfish were sold or given away. Now she can own and
There are fewer and fewer things that can be used to remember the life back then.
"Why!"
Holding her cheeks, which had long since lost their redness and now looked a little pale, she looked out the window at the dark cabin streets, smelled the air filled with all kinds of rancid odors, sweat odors and metallic smells, and then looked at the window sill.
Looking at the two little goldfish that were dying and losing their luster due to poor environment and poor diet, little Ali couldn't help but sigh again.
"..."
She really missed Hua Gaixing, and she also missed Miss Anne who could take her to play every day without having to do or think about anything.
But unfortunately, she knew that she might never see her little sister Anne again.
Because she had heard that Lord Horus, the original body, had officially started a war with the Huagai Star, and now the large fleet was on its way to the Huagai Star. Although she did not know when the terrible war would break out between the two sides, there was no doubt that
, the time should be very soon.
Not to mention anything else, it can be seen from the fact that her parents have been working overtime frequently recently, and sometimes they don't have time to come back to cook dinner for her, or they don't even have time to sit down and eat together.
Moreover, she also knew that the parents of her friends who had gradually become estranged from her recently, as well as the familiar neighbors and uncles around her, were also the same. They were often too busy to see anyone, which could explain some problems.
"A war?"
"Uh-huh..."
"It would be great if Sister Anne and the others could win..."
After thinking about it, by some strange coincidence, Ali suddenly came up with such a terrifying and sincere statement as if she was talking to herself.
Because she felt that if the people from the Huagai Planet, if Miss Anne's people defeated the original body Lord Horus, and sent people to capture all of them to the Huagai Planet, then no matter it was her
Perhaps her parents can all live a better life.
Then when the time comes, their family and those friends who are gradually alienating her may no longer have to live in such a dark place?
The more she thought about that kind of thing, the more she felt the anticipation. Little Ali couldn't help but breathe quickly, and then her pale cheeks, which had been without sunlight and lack of nutrition for a long time, suddenly showed a rare blush.
"But……"
"Can you win?"
She murmured to herself, with a trace of expectation and a trace of fear in her voice, as well as a trace of uncertainty.
This was the first time that she desperately hoped that Lord Horus, who was as powerful as a god, could defeat the battle, and it was also the first time that she desperately hoped that the soldiers and uncles from Huagai Star could come and save her family and more.
He was captured and taken to Huagai Star.
However, at the same time, she is afraid that such a future will bring more uncertainty and danger.
So, at this moment, her heart was full of contradictions and struggles. She felt like she was dreaming about it. She was a little beast trapped in a maze, bumping around but not
Know how to find the exit.
"Shouldn't it be possible?"
But after thinking about it for a long time, she gave up first.
She knew that that wish might be very difficult to realize, or even a luxury?
Because yesterday, she heard her parents talking about the fact that the fleet of Huagai Star was driven away by the Primarch Lord Horus the day before yesterday, and then did not dare to show up again for two days in a row. Come to think of it,
He must have been defeated, right?
Therefore, even though she was still young, little Ali knew that after the battleship was defeated, perhaps the original body, Lord Horus, would launch an attack on the Huagai Star.
maybe……
At that time, the beautiful canopy star will be destroyed by the order of the angry primarch and the terrible Lord Horus, such as being burned to ashes or broken into pieces, just like some of the things she has heard about.
The same horrific facts that happened in the colonial world?
Therefore, if possible, she really hopes that the two sides will stop fighting. She also hopes that Huagaixing will always be well. She also hopes that she and her parents can move to Huagaixing to live and work together, just like
Like countless ordinary people there, they work at sunrise and rest at sundown. They can live in a big house, eat all kinds of delicious food, and can see the blue sky and white clouds, see the sunrise and sunset, and see that kind of magic.
It's windy and rainy?
But unfortunately, as she knew, that was impossible.
Anyway, Ali has never heard of anyone leaving the Great Expedition Fleet and living on a planet. Even those battleships that were damaged were all transferred to other battleships.
Maybe, only the dead can leave?
For the first time, Ali thought of the terrible fact, and thought of the theories about corpses that were thrown into space after death, or thrown into the atmosphere of a certain planet and burned to ashes by high-speed friction.
"Cough! Cough!"
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Suddenly, a violent coughing sound from downstairs broke little Ali's thoughts and brought her back to her senses.
Of course, it's said to be downstairs, but that's actually just the 'one-story' hall separated by welding steel bars and iron plates from her ten-square-meter cabin with a height of less than three meters.
Just like the countless families on this lower deck, their family is squeezed into such a small cabin of less than ten square meters, and then they have to separate the living room, kitchen, parents' bedroom and her current one.
It is a small house facing the street and has a small bedroom with a small window sill.
As for things like bathrooms, bathrooms and cloakrooms, don't think too much. In most cases, they can only use portable toilets at home or go to nearby public boiler bathhouses and public urinals to solve hygiene problems.
.
"Ally?"
"Are you at home? Come on, come down for dinner!"
"Cough! Cough!"
"You eat first, mom has to work overtime."
"Remember, I put it on the stool for you first."
At this moment, just when Ali was thinking too much and did not respond immediately, another shout and a violent cough came from the living room on the first floor of her house. Then, before Ali could respond, she
She saw her mother walking out of the house wearing dirty work clothes and a stooped figure.
"Mother……"
"Are you going to work overtime again?"
Looking at the old figure who looked like an old woman in her fifties or sixties, but in fact was only less than thirty years old, Ali couldn't help but call out softly, with a hint of grievance and sadness in her voice, which made her feel very uncomfortable.
.
She had seen that on Huagai Star, although people there also needed to work and even had to work overtime, they were not like her mother and father.
Their clothes are clean, their bodies are tall and straight, they seem to be in good spirits, and their faces often have the kind of smiles that are hard to see here and only appear on the faces of children.
"Mother……"
"Why is this so……"
Ali didn't call her mother because she knew that her mother had to work overtime. If she was late, she would be whipped. It hurt when the bosuns whipped her. Ali used to be naughty and follow her friends everywhere.
I passed it when I was running.
"..."
Therefore, Ali, whose heart was full of complicated emotions, did not speak again until her mother's back disappeared into the steam mist in the distance.
"Want to eat?"
For a long time, when she thought that dinner must be the unpalatable protein starch gel and a few pieces of pitiful and weird-tasting artificial meat, she tried her best to purse her lips, and finally resisted her hunger and did not rush to her house immediately.
Let's have dinner in the lobby on the first floor.
Because I just thought of delicious food, and after eating all the delicious food that Sister Anne brought her to eat on the Canopy Star, the food at home, and even all the food on this bottom deck, even if she had eaten it before
The fried donuts that she thought were so delicious are now a bit hard to swallow.
"It's so annoying..."
"I really want Lord Horus to defeat the battle, and then..."
"I really wish the soldiers from Huagai Star could come and arrest everyone..."
Finally, after thinking wildly for a while, little Ali sighed quietly again.
Ali didn't know why she would think about such treacherous and terrible things, but she only knew that she gradually hated her current life and hated everything now.
And I just feel that only Lord Horus has lost the battle, and only if all of them are captured by the people of Huagai Star, can they have a better life?
And if Lord Horus continues to win the war, then their family and everyone must continue to work here, and nothing will change at all. In that case, it would be better to fight directly.
It’s good to lose the battle!
"Uh-huh..."
"The battle will definitely be lost, right?"
Just like that, she murmured to herself, with a trace of expectation, a trace of fear, and a trace of strange emotions in her voice.
"Small goldfish……"
"you say……"
"Will it?"
After thinking about it, she looked at the two half-dead goldfish in the turbid little fish tank next to her, and then touched her belly, which was a little flattened by hunger, and Ali whimpered in frustration again.
He sighed.
"..."
However, what little Ali didn't know was that in the distance, an Astartes Space Marine wearing power armor was standing in the corner under the awe and fear of the low-level residents who were passing by in a hurry, and spoke with that slight smile.
Some astonished and complicated eyes stared at her and the small window sill where she was at this time, speechless for a long time.
The person who came was none other than Sejanus himself, the fourth company commander of the 16th legion of the Horus fleet, the Luna Wolves!
The reason why he is here is because there are still several days to arrive at the Huagai Star. Then, he thought that there was no special war in the past few days, and then he suddenly thought of the little girl Ali, and felt that he had nothing to do anyway.
He wanted to come to visit the other party under mysterious circumstances, and then specially brought him some candies and biscuits that children might like to eat.
But who would have thought that before he found the other party's house, he unexpectedly heard some sincere and treacherous words from the little girl Ali?
"..."
In this regard, Sejanus was very sure that he heard correctly just now!
Because he is a powerful Astartes Space Marine, and one of the best.
For him who has undergone body modification, especially for him who has the powerful "Lyman's Ear", a super-powerful artificial organ that allows space warriors to consciously enhance and filter specific background noise, it is difficult to
It is not too difficult to eavesdrop on a little girl talking to herself from a distance of hundreds of meters.
So, after staring at the window and the little girl lying on the window sill with her arms stretched out and sighing for a long time, Sejanus still didn't go there.
"..."
He just stared at the window in the corner from a distance of hundreds of meters without moving, not knowing what he was thinking.
In the end, it wasn't until he saw the little girl at the window turning around and running downstairs, until he heard the other girl starting to eat in the small living room, that he slowly turned around, and then he didn't know what kind of complicated mood he was in, so he just let it go.
The gift in my hand fell to the ground quietly.
To be honest, whether it is Sejanus, the original body Horus, or even the Emperor, they rarely pay attention to the situation of ordinary people like little Ali. After all, those people are just mortals at the bottom. Those people
All you need to do is execute the order unconditionally, otherwise there will be ruthless and cruel punishment waiting for those people, there is no doubt about that!
but now
For the first time, Sejanus realized that the cause of the soldiers they fought claimed to be justice and glory, and they were willing to sacrifice everything they could for it. It seemed that people at the bottom had different views?
As for whether it was correct or not, Sejanus didn't know how to weigh it for a while. However, after hearing all that from the mouth of a little girl, and then thinking about the lives of ordinary people on the Canopy Star,
Then comparing it to the life of ordinary people on Terra, he felt an inexplicable sense of confusion and discomfort in his heart.
Is it wrong?
No!
For the Emperor!
For the sake of humanity, and even more so for the original body, he cannot and will not be wrong!
Maybe
Is it the world that is wrong?
Yes!
Maybe, what is really wrong is this world, otherwise there wouldn't be so much helplessness, fighting and madness.
but
Thinking of all the experiences on the Huagai Star, he didn't know why, but he couldn't easily convince himself, even though the Huagai Star was currently their enemy.
"..."
In the end, he didn't know what he was thinking. With a dark face, Sejanus stepped on the filthy and smelly sewage that was almost all over the bottom deck, and left in such a lonely and speechless manner, and
It soon disappeared deep into the depths of the lower deck, which was filled with a thick fog filled with the smell of rancid sweat and muddy rusty metal.
Today, not many people know about him, and little Ali doesn't know either. Only the packaged candies and biscuits he brought are lying quietly in the sewage, waiting to be discovered and taken away by some lucky person.
.
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Chapter completed!