Alterin Saga: Biohazard
Episode 22: The ego

At lunch, Rave did not buy lunch. He left Jin in the diner queue and headed for a narrow alley not far from there. There's a dumpster that looks pretty clean, and that's what Rave was after.

Rave opened the tub, and scraped through the contents. The moment he touched something that he thought was food, he immediately picked it up and sat down in the alley.

"Hmm. plastic is quite useful. I can't believe the leftovers from yesterday still look good in that dumpster" Rave opened the plastic clip, then pulled out a half-living sandwich.

He closed his eyes, then finished the sandwich once voraciously. Without chewing, Rave immediately swallowed it round and round. He choked for a while, but was instantly overcome by heating his throat.

"Well, warm sandwiches are easier to digest" Rave stared out the alley, into a highway full of fast-moving cars. Occasionally there are people who pass through the entrance of the alley without realizing the Rave.

"Give it once." a group of people working in the same place as Rave saw him eating the sandwich. They laughed at him and ate good food in front of Rave.

"Hey, did your mother never teach you about good food? Or maybe... Your mother also ate the trash?" knock one of them. His friends laughed at the joke.

"Gilbert, did you forget? He has no family"

"yes too. It looks like he's an illegitimate child of prostitution" Gilbert said. Their laughter grew louder.

One of them opened the garbage and saw the contents, "Ugh, you are disgusting. Just the garbage you eat, what about the waste?"

"Then? Is there a problem with the garbage I eat?" ask Rave. He stood up and threw away the plastic wrap sandwich earlier.

"Of course, stupid. You're ruining our company's image. Lalu—"

"I'm gonna get fired? Isn't that good for you? Your rivals are declining, there's nothing to damage the company's image, your pay may rise by reporting me, too" Rave pulled Gilbert's collar, "One more. I'm sick of work, whatever it is. My life would probably be freer if the government didn't force every citizen to work"

Rave pushed Gilbert into a slip, "Partra, imagery. That's all people think. When the government forces every citizen to work, they only think about the views of other countries towards this country. The people are diligent in work, unemployment is small, and prosperity is everywhere.

"But what do they want? All people want is to live with what they want. You don't have to work if you think it's a waste of time. The country only thinks about its ego. Destroying the nation little by little."

Rave slapped Gilbert and said, "Just report it. I don't mind"

...---...

"Hey, you always disappear at lunchtime. Where were you?" jin asked on the sidelines of the work. They were both unloading a giant block of ice from the cargo hold.

"Slap people" replied the Rave briefly.

"Hey, you guys over there! Don't talk and focus on work! This ice block can't walk on its own!" shouted one of the superiors, then he continued to call someone.

"Sorry!"

The two of them stopped chatting and immediately moved the ice blocks onto the trolley. Then they took the trolley to the cooling room in the back shed.

As they laid out the ice blocks, the door closed itself and locked from the outside. Jin immediately banged on the door and shouted for help.

"Hey! Open the door, goddamn it!" shout Jin. But no one answered.

"Why? We're locked up here?"

"Why can you relax?! It's so cold, you idiot!"

"I don't feel anything, Jin. I wear a thick jacket every time I come in here" Rave said, showing him his jacket.

"Damn, there's no one there. We're locked in this place."

"I don't think there's gonna be anyone here other than our boss. Then he'll unlock it and we'll be safe."

"It's not that easy, Rave. Our boss was just called by the hospital because his wife fell ill. I heard it before we moved this block of ice."

"Then bad news for you. I don't carry two jackets, and humans usually can't survive long in the temperature - 25°."

"Huh. I also feel like going to the bathroom," Jin clutched his pants.

"Don't grip it too firmly, it can break later. There should be something to use here."

"Your sentence just made me even more desperate. What's in this place besides ice?"

"We'll find out soon enough. This place is so spacious, there might be a back door at the end of it."

"Yes, good idea. I'll find the person who locked us in once we get out of here" Jin walked up to Rave.

The two did not know that there would be anything big waiting for them to get out of there.