Story: Gebura โ€” Episode 3

LOR::100_6_3
Contents:
  1. Location: The Library โ€“ Floor of Language
Gebura โ€” Episode 3 Location: The Library โ€“ Floor of Language Roland (Servant) What are you up to? Meditation? Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland1" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Nothing, just taking a break with my eyes closed. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura1-01" Roland (Servant) Iโ€™ll leave the books in the usual spot and be on my way, then. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland2" Roland (Servant) Seems like I shouldnโ€™t be disturbing you. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland3" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Wait. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura2-01" Roland (Servant) Wuh? Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland4" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) What district in the Backstreets are you from? Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura3" Roland (Servant) District 17. It was a decent place. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland5" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Would you say the part of the Backstreets you grew up in was also hellish? Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura4" Roland (Servant) I mean, no matter how horrible a neighborhood may be, people still live there. And anywhere inhabited by people is hell, one way or another. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland6" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Yeah, people will be people in the end. I suppose each corner of the Backstreets has its own woes. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura5" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Throughout my lifeโ€”livesโ€”I always fought to protect others. Though I rarely ever managed to protect anything flawlessly. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura6" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) โ€ฆWant a cig? Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura7" Roland (Servant) Thanks, but no thanks. I quit smoking long ago. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland7" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Really? Didnโ€™t expect that. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura8" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) โ€ฆIn the part of the Backstreets I was brought up in, the neighborhood would constantly change. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura9" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) I wouldnโ€™t say my neighbors had their hearts in the right place, but some of the adults there were kinda nice to me. Although, theyโ€™d usually be gone without a trace or end up rolling around in the street with their limbs chopped off the next morning. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura10-01" Roland (Servant) Sheesh, thatโ€™s a rough mess even for the Backstreetsโ€ฆ District 23 really did live up to its rep, huh. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland8" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) It was when the turf wars and purges between Syndicates were at their peak. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura11" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Just like whatโ€™s happening in Lobotomy Corpโ€™s Nest right now. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura12-01" Roland (Servant) And you managed to survive that. Even adept Fixers would avoid going there. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland9" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) It was the only place I had. I couldnโ€™t even imagine moving to another district where there was less bloodshed. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura13" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) I was just desperately looking for ways to survive in that hell. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura14" Roland (Servant) Compared to District 23โ€ฆ Even The Carnival or those Smiling Faces look like childโ€™s play. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland10" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Yeah. Soon enough, I began to constantly seek ways to protect the people around me in that hellhole. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura15" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) You can tell much about a society from the vocabulary used by its people. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura16" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) The language used in the Backstreets is often simple and straightforward. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura17" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) They pick common words found in everyday life. They donโ€™t bother making up special terminology. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura18-01" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) That applies to the things that have become a part of their everyday life. Theyโ€™re often even more relevant than the original meaning of those words. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura19-01" Roland (Servant) I guess the Five Fingers like the Thumb and the Index, and the Sweepers are prime examples of that. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland11" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) People in the Backstreets strive to gain wealth and power. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura20" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) They canโ€™t afford to pursue anything more than the things to keep themselves alive. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura21" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) You know whatโ€™s funny, though? Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura22" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Even if one were to have power, that power would only strike down, not upโ€ฆ Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura23" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) The โ€œvictimsโ€ in the Backstreets were potential perpetrators who just werenโ€™t strong enoughโ€ฆ Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura24" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Let me tell you about the story of a kid named Kali, seven years old at that time. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura25" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) The first thing the kid remembers was crying alone in the corner of an alleyway, surrounded by blood and guts. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura26" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) She didnโ€™t have anyone to call friends. People around her would all disappear sooner or later. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura27" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Most kids her age were either abducted by the Sweepers or treated like their toys. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura28" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) The small kid couldnโ€™t do anything but watch in silence. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura29" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) It was by sheer luck that Kali could survive until she was thirteen. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura30" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) To cherish the good fortune she was given, Kali observed and observed. In order to survive through her own effort. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura31" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) So Kali made it to twenty years of age, following strategies of her own. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura32" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) And she finally became a Fixer. There wasnโ€™t much else she could do. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura33" Roland (Servant) You thankfully didnโ€™t join a Syndicate or anything, huh? Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland12" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) The kid swore that she wouldnโ€™t stoop to their level. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura34" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Kali the Fixerโ€™s life got on a stable track some time after she started working. The work fit her well, thanks to the environment she grew up in. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura35" Roland (Servant) Oh, I was the same, too. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland13" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) She thought she could now protect her neighbors living in the same apartment, given that she had some power being a Fixer. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura36" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) The streets Kali was living in were still quite dangerous. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura37" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) And she thought she ought to return the favor to Mr. Sean next door and Ms. Goose upstairs, her neighbors who she was indebted to. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura38" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Those two would often give food and drink to Kali ever since she was a child. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura39" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) They were two of the only people sheโ€™d known for a long time; they were like family to her. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura40-01" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Out of gratitude, she gave them some of the money she earned. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura41" Roland (Servant) Thatโ€™s nice of her. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland14" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) You know how they repaid Kali for all the money she gave them for more than a month? Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura42" Roland (Servant) I guess it wasnโ€™t anything good, judging from the flow of your story. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland15" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) They conspired with other residents of the apartment and broke into Kaliโ€™s house while she was asleep, binding her hands and feet while looking for a safe. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura43" Roland (Servant) Oh, I see what they were up to. They mustโ€™ve thought Kali was keeping much more money in her stash. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland16" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Yep. They really did try to rob her. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura44" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Kali couldnโ€™t believe it. Not because she found herself bound when she woke up. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura45" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) It was because she saw filthy lumps of greed crawling around right before her eyes. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura46-01" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Just a day before, they used to be her friendly neighbors. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura47" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) They understood the agony of loss better than anyone. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura48" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Kali only hoped that the money she gave them would be used in meaningful waysโ€ฆ Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura49" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) She just wanted to protect them with her newfound strengthโ€ฆ Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura50" Roland (Servant) Stereotypical people, werenโ€™t they. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland17" Roland (Servant) Iโ€™m sure Kali didnโ€™t just let them get away with it like a fool, yeah? Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland18" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) She didnโ€™t. Kali was stronger than they thought. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura51" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) She could forcefully snap the ropes binding her at any moment, but she chose to wait. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura52" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) She wanted to believe all of this was just a misunderstanding or a prank. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura53" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) But the repulsive words they spat out so casuallyโ€ฆ Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura54" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Talking about how this was their opportunity to use her money to move to a different placeโ€ฆ Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura55" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) It was neither a dream nor a misunderstanding, but a cold truth. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura56" Roland (Servant) So, did those sonnovabitches get what was coming to โ€˜em? Man, itโ€™s upsetting just hearing this story. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland19" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Youโ€™re right. She killed all of them. And Kali burst into tears, covered in the blood of her neighbors. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura57" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Kaliโ€™s neighbors who she had been protecting from violence were no different from the others in that they would resort to violence themselves once they had power. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura58" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) This savage cycle wouldnโ€™t stop no matter who she tried to protect. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura59" Roland (Servant) Yeah. Sometimes, I feel like thereโ€™s no point in having any sympathy. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland20" Roland (Servant) I also struggled a lot thinking about whatโ€™s right and wrong during my early days as a Fixer. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland21" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) What kind of Fixer were you? Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura60" Roland (Servant) โ€ฆA neat and sensible Fixer who rationally handled his work, so to speak. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland22" Roland (Servant) I held up a decent reputation. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland23" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) And then you plummeted to Grade 9 all of a sudden? Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura61" Roland (Servant) That I did. Anything can happen in life. I mean, the legendary Kali is now standing in front of me, too. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland24" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Huffโ€ฆ Thatโ€™s true. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura62" Roland (Servant) To be frank, there was a time when I went batshit insane and ran amok. Didnโ€™t care about the consequences at all. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland25" Roland (Servant) I made a lot of enemies back then. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland26" Roland (Servant) The sensation I felt still reverberates in my head sometimes. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland27" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) You also went through a lot, huh. I can see it in your eyes. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura63" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) I wouldnโ€™t say Iโ€™m exactly the same being as Kali anymore, but she still rests within me. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura64" Roland (Servant) Seems like it. Youโ€™re upright and honest, unlike most Fixers Iโ€™ve seen. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland28" Gebura (Patron Librarian - Language) Iโ€™ve talked too much. Iโ€™ma go get some sleep. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Gebura65" Roland (Servant) Sleep tight, Kali. Audio: "ch8_Gebura_ep3_Roland29"