Chapter 125 - Chapter 108: A Story of the Revolt of the Masses
"Is it interesting?"
The boy, who had become completely absorbed in reading the diary, almost dropped the notebook at the words that suddenly fell from above his head. When he hurriedly looked up, a young man wearing a police officer's uniform was standing in front of the boy.
"Um, I'm sorry. It seemed like a police person dropped this, and I was just trying to confirm who the owner was."
"I'm not blaming you, read as much as you like."
"No, but..."
"By the way, have you ever committed a crime?"
At the sudden "By the way," the boy felt the topic had changed too much. He was just trying to return the diary the police officer had dropped.
Even so, what on earth did he mean by asking if he had ever committed a crime? Was he asking if the boy had committed a felony or something? Perhaps it was a question to eliminate dangerous people upon accepting people into the shelter.
He hesitated whether to speak honestly about his actions until now to the police officer in front of him. However, the thought that everything he did was unavoidable to survive welled up again, and the boy answered "No."
"I haven't."
"Really?"
"I haven't."
He had no choice but to do anything to survive. It was natural to break into empty houses and loot food, and he even had to kill people who attacked him. If he didn't do so, he couldn't live in this world.
"If stealing food from a supermarket with no one there or fighting back against those who attack me is a crime, then that's a different story. But if I didn't do that, I would have died, and wouldn't the same thing be done in this shelter?"
"In other words, those acts were unavoidable?"
"Yes. If you condemn that, everyone living now becomes a criminal."
"I see."
At the boy's words, the police officer turned his gaze toward the people spending time inside the gymnasium. People who were as lifeless as ever. If they had continued this life for nearly a year, it was natural to lose not only vitality but even the will to live.
While staring at such people, the police officer muttered, "I have."
"And a very large crime at that. Something that can't be undone no matter what."
"Is that so, that must have been tough."
"Have you really never committed a crime, a mistake?"
At the police officer's tone, the boy got a little irritated. It was as if I were a criminal or something. Just as he was about to say that, he felt like someone said, "Really?"
Was I really right? Was what I did really unavoidable? Can I say that I have no responsibility for all the events that have occurred until now? Such thoughts filled his head all at once.
"No, it's not my fault. I'm not bad."
"Is that so."
The police officer said so and walked away, turning his back to the boy. As he left, he noticed a name tag hanging on his chest that said "Kamada." Remembering his original purpose of returning the diary to the owner, the boy stood up to hurriedly chase after him. However, he gave up on chasing Officer Kamada due to the dizziness that suddenly assaulted him.
I'll find another police officer later and have them hand it to the owner. Thinking that, the boy looked down at the notebook again.
"May 5
A murder case finally occurred inside the shelter. Apparently, a fight broke out over the reason that the distributed food was small, and it developed into murder as it was. The culprit has been secured, and we are currently considering the disposition.
Among the residents, voices demanding immediate execution are reportedly rising, but what should we do? Considering the situation outside, neither prosecutors, lawyers, nor courts will remain. For now, the culprit is detained in an unused warehouse, but we cannot continue to do so forever.
Personally, I am against killing the culprit. A police officer's job is to catch the culprit, not to judge them at will. For the time being, I will exchange opinions with the residents and decide on the future disposition of the culprit."
"May 6
Regarding the culprit, it was decided to banish them to a place far away from the shelter. There were many who wished for execution, but in the end, it settled on banishment.
I think this was for the best. Personally, if we had allowed execution, we would have to give heavy punishments even for trivial things in the future. Other colleagues were of the same opinion.
In the first place, many people are dying outside. We shouldn't reduce our numbers among humans here."
"May 8
Recently, I feel a wall between us and the residents. Just walking outside, I am complained to, and although violence is not used, there were times I was surrounded and became unable to move.
Their argument is that the police are high-handed. Certainly, I am aware that we are forcing burdens on the residents to govern the shelter, and that there is a kind of high-handedness. But that is also necessary, and there are parts that are quite unavoidable. I want them to understand that."
"May 10
Officer Kondo is missing. Apparently, when he went out to procure food, he was attacked by a swarm of infected and remained on the spot to let the residents escape. We hastily organized a rescue team and headed for the supermarket where they were attacked, but Officer Kondo's figure was not found. Since bloodstains remained at the scene, it is considered that he was attacked by the infected and became infected himself."
"May 12
One of the residents possessed a handgun for police officers. Apparently, Assistant Inspector Nomura discovered several people gathered and talking about something and witnessed them taking out a handgun. When we detained the man who had the handgun and listened to his story, he initially dodged it saying he picked it up outside. However, as a result of detailed investigation, that handgun belonged to Officer Kondo.
The man said that when he went out for supply procurement with Officer Kondo two days ago, he conspired with his comrades and attacked him from behind. Apparently, they found the infected just as they stole the handgun from the unconscious Officer Kondo, and they left Officer Kondo on the spot and fled.
The reason they attacked Officer Kondo and stole the gun was because they didn't like how he acted so high and mighty just because he was a police officer... that was the story. The man said it was annoying that he gave orders to general citizens despite being a civil servant. Don't mess with me, we are not slaves.
Even while writing this diary, anger wells up. Officer Kondo was my subordinate. He had just gotten a girlfriend two months ago, and he was a fine police officer who performed his duties seriously even in such a situation. Their act of attacking him for the reason that they didn't like him and leaving him behind in a swarm of infected is absolutely unforgivable.
I have already decided on the policy for what to do. Tomorrow, I will catch the man's comrades and execute them."
"May 13
I interrogated the man and detained all the people who attacked Officer Kondo. After that, I gathered all the residents and pushed the culprits off the school building's roof with ropes tightened around their necks.
Our policy was wrong. Even in such a situation, the residents are using the fact that they are powerless masses as a weapon to brandish rights and trying to push all responsibility and duty onto us police officers, the public authority. Despite doing nothing, their mouths are fine, and they stay in safe places as powerless selves and push only dangerous work onto us police officers. Even though we are working without sleep or rest to manage the shelter and somehow keep it going, they say whatever they want, like do that, this is insufficient, it won't go well like that so let us do it.
I'm at the limit of my patience. From now on, I will have it done in the way we think is optimal. It is clear that we cannot survive this world as a friendly group. To survive, we must take command and think about things in the direction of letting as many people as possible live. At that time, we will force burdens on the residents or take away their freedom, but it is unavoidable."
"May 15
Executed a man who attacked a server because the amount of distribution was insufficient, for the crime of disturbing order."
"May 16
There were those who protested that our way is a mess. Cooperated with Assistant Inspector Nomura to detain them all and executed them for the punishment of disturbing order."
"May 18
Five people escaped from the school premises. Those who want to leave can do as they like; our burden will decrease by that much. However, I don't know if they can live outside the school."
"May 20
Two residents who escaped returned seeking help. Apparently, the other three were killed. Since there was also a danger of bringing infected along, executed them on the spot for the crime of exposing the shelter to danger."
"May 25
Gathered residents who are cooperative with us and formed a self-defense corps. From now on, we will have them cooperate in guarding and crackdowns inside the shelter. Rather than us coming to the front, it will be easier to talk between the same residents.
When Britain was colonizing India, they apparently appointed locals as local rulers. By doing so, they could direct the brunt of anger not toward Britain but toward people of the same ethnicity, and by having them fight among themselves, it reportedly became easier to rule."
"June 1
The members of the self-defense corps and residents who were performing supply procurement outside were attacked by infected, and three died. Two returned to the shelter in a state of being bitten by infected. There were residents who sought help for them saying there might be antibodies, but killed them while they were still human. If they become infected, even we can't handle them. It's a cruel story, but it's to protect the safety of the residents. It can't be helped."
"June 10
Patients thought to have influenza appeared. Fifteen people have already been infected and isolated, but there is no means for satisfactory treatment. There is only one doctor, but treatment cannot be done because there are no pharmaceuticals. Currently considering countermeasures."
"June 15
The influenza epidemic continues. Due to the poor environment and lack of pharmaceuticals, ten elderly people and infants died. Assistant Inspector Nomura also became infected and is currently isolated. With this, the police officers who can move now are only two, including myself. I headed to the hospital for pharmaceutical procurement first, but since it was burned down, I couldn't recover anything.
I have thought of a countermeasure. However, it will be difficult to obtain the residents' consent. But I have to do it."
"June 19
Eight more died. I isolated all patients thought to have influenza in the gymnasium, but the infection still continues.
Officer Ishida also contracted influenza and is isolated. Assistant Inspector Nomura, who was elderly, is in an unconscious state.
I am the only police officer who can move now. Now, the fear of influenza is more prevalent in the school than the infected, and everyone is frustrated. Taking advantage of the fact that police officers can hardly move, injury cases and thefts are increasing.
If we leave the influenza epidemic as it is, eventually everyone will be infected and unable to move. In a situation where half of the evacuees are already infected and isolated, I have no choice but to take the final measure. If there were sufficient pharmaceuticals, we wouldn't have taken such a measure, but it can't be helped even if I say that."
"June 20
I gave the order to the self-defense corps to burn down the gymnasium along with the influenza patients. It will result in taking many lives, but the epidemic cannot be stopped without doing this.
After blocking all entrances and exits of the gymnasium, I placed gasoline and combustibles at key points and set fire. The fire spread quickly to the gymnasium, which had become the living base for the patients, and it was engulfed in flames in an instant.
The patients' screams and desperate cries for help echoed, and among the families of patients who were not infected, there were those who tried to open the gymnasium doors to save them, but I shot them all. I cannot let the patients out.
Among the residents, there were those who criticized me as an act of massacre, but it is unavoidable. If I didn't do this, the infection would have eventually expanded to everyone in the shelter. Now that there is no effective countermeasure and unlike usual, many people with weakened physical strength are living in a narrow space, it wouldn't be strange if they died as they are if they contract influenza.
The people who criticize me are the ones in the wrong. If so, I would like to ask those people what other means there were."
Wait? The boy suddenly harbored a sense of discomfort. In the diary, it says that after isolating the influenza patients in the gymnasium, they burned it along with the patients to prevent the spread of infection. However, the gymnasium he is in now is perfectly normal.
There's no story that there's another gymnasium. What on earth is this——?
A ball that rolled over hit his foot, and the boy came to his senses. From the circle of children who were playing ball in the center of the gymnasium until just now, a single girl runs toward the boy. Just as he stood up and was about to hand her the ball, the boy's head went white upon seeing the girl's face. The ball spilled from his hand, bounced on the floor, and made a loud sound.
"You are..."
He recognized the face of that girl, who was likely not even ten years old. However, the boy understood that she was an existence that shouldn't be here. Because that girl should have been dead long ago.
"Mana-chan..."
The girl who had acted together with the boy until a few months ago, and in the end, died while suffering after being shot in various parts of her body by a mad sniper. The boy had certainly buried her corpse, which had been eaten by wild animals while left behind, along with other comrades.
That girl, who should be dead, is now in front of him. Without saying anything, looking up at the boy's face. Two pupils like glass beads with no emotion contained within them stared at the boy's face, and her mouth opened, and she said, "Murderer."
Instantly, the boy's vision distorted greatly. The world before him collapsed with a clatter, and the boy understood somewhere in his head that the time had come when he had to face what he had done head-on.