District 42-Chapter 169: Being healed

Casper was still in the section of Astrid’s group, waiting for the doctor she had called to arrive. It would take some time, as she had told him, but the man would be there in just one hour.

Casper made a lot of things in the other search group, so he was sure that they wouldn’t need him there anymore. His only duty now was to take care of his health.

"I am pretty sure that I will have a huge disadvantage if I keep with this injury on my head. The Princess surely will take advantage of this.

"If I really want to change something on this district, I need to be even with her on our constant battle. One can’t take control completely over another. At least, she can’t take control over me no matter what."

After his realization, Casper was trying to set his mind to always think about his main goal, which was to free District 42 from its handcuffs. He had a lot to improve psychologically and emotionally, but he would sort out what to do about it. Besides, he was still needing some information about all the political and civil intrigue that was happening there.

But once he could solve those things, it would be a matter of time once he could start to work seriously on things.

Casper was now constantly thinking on that matter and trying to organize his thoughts.

It was a harsh thing to face his past and to always remember that cruel experience inside Halden, but he knew that it was a pain that came for good. It would help him in the future.

At that moment, there was another thing that popped up on Casper’s mind from time to time, and it made him look at the woman working beside him.

"Hey, Astrid, I have a question." He turned to her, rotating in the chair he was sitting in.

"The doctor is almost arriving, Casper." She answered, automatically.

The soldier was feeling that his patience was underestimated by that scientist, but he decided to not pursue the matter.

"That’s not what I was going to ask... I was curious about something inside the Main Lab. Something that is bothering me since I knew about it." He was trying to be the most casual he could. She wasn’t exactly someone that Casper was intimate with, and it made her not too reliable. She could have taken part in some scheme that the soldier didn’t know.

"And what’s that?"

"It’s about a project that all the labs are working together to accomplish, but mainly the old Third Lab and the Main Lab... Tsk, what’s the name...?"

She got pensive about that matter and answered some seconds after.

"Jomurgand?"

Casper snapped his fingers.

"That’s it!"

The genius scientist got quiet again, returning to her work on the computer. The White warrior knew that she was just thinking deeply on that matter, and work seemed to help her with it.

"It’s not something that I can say much to unauthorized personnel, not even for you. I doubt that even the Princess know too much about it."

Casper squinted his eyes to her. He was sure that Vick had something to do with that...

"So... Who is leading this Project? I mean, the one that ordered it? I suppose that it is from the Royal family for sure."

She nodded slightly.

"Yes. King Leif asked for this. It’s a secret, so we mustn’t talk about it."

"The masks also prevent you to do so, right?"

Astrid didn’t respond this time. Casper could see in her serious eyes that now she was struggling, trying to think about something.

Casper took a look at the screen, trying to see if she was facing a math problem there or this kind of thing, but she wasn’t.

"My dad liked that I obeyed him. We had a dog, and she was always collared. I am a dog."

At first, Casper was just dumbfounded at that quote, but quickly the pieces started to connect.

He remembered well something that he learned inside the prison. That there was a way to overcome the masks restrictions when talking.

"So... Are you saying that the masks do not allow you to disobey the king?" Casper leaned forward, with his eyes widened in surprise.

Astrid didn’t answer again, and it was enough for the soldier to be sure of it.

That was truly shocking for the White warrior. He didn’t think about that possibility even once. But, looking now to that situation, it was even reasonable.

Casper was in a district where the government was absolutist. It was a monarchy, basically. Obviously that the king would use that power for the benefit of the Royal family.

"That’s interesting... And it opens a new question that hasn’t passed through my mind until now... Who is the king? I was always absorbed by my issues with the labs, with the Princess, Frelsis, Jarls... But this king is so passive that I never once thought about him. The Queen is the same, if there is a Queen, of course..." He reasoned, stroking his chin.

"Or maybe the king isn’t passive... Maybe he is just a sneaky and cunning person. Someone that can make his moves behind the scenes. But that’s a characteristic too strange for a king... Well, it’s not impossible, either."

Casper was so deep in thought that he had not noticed how much time passed during that conversation. The doctor surely would arrive in no time.

"Ok, thank you, Astrid." He thanked her, even though it had been some good minutes since she answered him.

"Well, I didn’t reveal too much... But you are welcome, anyway." She spoke, turning off her computer and standing from the chair.

"And he is already here..." Astrid looked to the entrance of the section that her group worked, and a man was standing in front of it.

He had long blond hair, that reached his shoulders. It was slightly curly. He wore the white mask of the Jarls. His lab coat was the one that usually was used by the people working on the Second Lab, its color was a light blue.

"Hey, Astrid, you called me, right?" He had a voice of a teenager, and because of the structure of his body, Casper would guess that he was a boy in his late teens.

He hadn’t the same childish vibe as Astrid, but it was still a look that did not fit his real age.

"Hi. I called. That’s the guy." She limited herself to say that much, and took some papers, starting to read them.

"Hehe, you are always very talkative, Astrid." He mocked, sarcastically, but in a very friendly way.

"Thinking about it, I am the only one that can make Astrid talk for a long time. I am kind of glad because of it. Indeed, it was needed a lot of effort to make her even look to my face..." Casper thought.

The man moved towards the soldier, stretching his hand. He accepted his greet, shaking his hand.

"My name doesn’t matter since I will be seeing you just today, but it’s okay if you want to know as well."

Casper denied with his head.

"Maybe it’s better that we let things unclear."

The doctor looked at him with mischievous eyes.

"You know what? It’s good to have this kind of adrenaline sometimes. Anyway, Astrid didn’t say to me what’s going on with you. Something is bothering you?"

Casper explained to the man what was going on. As long as he kept talking, the doctor took some notes down and sometimes confirmed one or two things on his smartphone.

"Hmm... I see... That’s something very concerning... And it’s admirable that you had the guts to hold these injuries until now... You are kind of amazing. As tough as a Ridire." He tapped Casper on his arm, looking confidently at him.

"I can’t seem as old as I should be, but don’t worry, I am awesome at what I do. Also, no one will ever know about it. Be thankful for Astrid’s influence."

The doctor called Casper to follow him and said to Astrid that he was going to use the room he always used. The scientist didn’t bother to even look at his face this time, but the man was kind of used to that behavior as it seemed.

"Ok, Casper, I will apply on you a sedative now. This thing will help to numb your senses and keep you alive because it supports your body when a lot of damage is done. If the damage is dangerous for your life, that is. In short, even if I was the only person here, your chances of death would be very low."

He opened the suitcase he was bringing with him, and despite some tools, there were two cobblestones quite outstanding.

"These two are my assistants. They will be bigger soon, but you won’t see them since your mind will already be dizzy. Anyway, are you sure you want to continue?"

Casper nodded, and once his head finished moving, he felt a prick in the arm, and in some seconds his consciousness started to fade.