After going through the boxes, they found what they were looking for: a sealed suitcase labeled "Enhanced Interrogation Unit" Next to a set of specialized handcuffs. They went with the cuffs first. Cleaning the eco-suits is a long process, best to be avoided.
Egon picked up the cuffs and put them on the blind man's wrists. Alfred positioned two boxes facing the blind man and sat on one of them. Egon activated the cuffs. A pulse of light moved along the inner surface of the slots.
Needles emerged, piercing the blind man's skin, accessing his nervous system. An electric shock went along the nerve to the still-healing wounds where his eyes once were.
"I think we should things slower," The blind man chuckled in pain. "at least buy me dinner first."
Egon sat down. "These should make this more civilized. Humane."
"So you're a vanilla type guy? Never would've guessed."
"don't fight it. We don't want bits of you're brain on out suits." alfred said.
"Thank you, mister, you're gonna make me a very happy boy," the blind man said, mimicking a child voice.
"Do you want to suffer today?", Egon asked him.
"As a matter of fact, I would not like to suffer today." the blind man said. "Ask all you want."
"let's start with your name," Egon said.
"Erik Larsen, nice to meet you."
"Erik with a C or a K?"
"With a K,"
"Where do you, Erik Larsen with a k, and your... Gang, I should say, where did you come from?" Egon asked.
"The Union, up north,"
Egon was a little surprised. "The Nordic Union? That's quite a journey to get here."
"about 10 weeks. 4 at sea."
"and, why choose here exactly? I presume it wasn't random," Egon said.
Erik Larsen, with a k, gave a thoughtful pause. "It's the project of the century. It is logical to assume it's used as shelter. Sooner or later, people are bound to visit i mean... The gate was wide open."
"How long has it been since you arrived here?" Egon asked.
"About a month, give or take."
"Were there any other survivors, when you arrived here?" Egon asked.
"There was one group."
"What happened to them?"
"what do you think?"
Egon increased the cuffs level. "Answer the question."
"They're dead."
"They're just dead? Or have you killed them?"
"We didn't mean at first. We tried to join them, but weren't very welcoming for our kind. So, nature took it's course." the blind man said.
"Your kind?" Egon asked. "What would that be? pale-skinned?"
"No, no, not that. The cattle. The trash. The scum. The unworthy. The poors." the blind man said. He wasn't angry. He said it with acceptance.
"class has no meaning anymore. At times like this, only survival matters, a human being is just a human being." Egon said.
"Really? Do you actually believe the words coming out of your mouth?" the blind man asked him, but he wasn't waiting for an answer. "Then why didn't we get the supplies we were promised? Then why didn't our shelter get the protection we were promised? Five years of supplies, they said. And a thousand soldiers. We didn't get that. Meanwhile, your elite shelter here, had over 3,000 bodies in uniforms. Three thousand guard dogs, and of the finest breeds. And the mountains of supplies delivered here with helicopters. The luxurious homes. Do you really believe yourself when you say that?"
"you expect us to pity you?" Egon asked.
"I expect nothing from the likes of you."
"So is that it?" Alfred said. "You're a class activist? And you're advocating for what? Enslavement? Breeding camps?", alfred asked. "you had a rough childhood so you became a killer. How convenient."
"Killing is inevitable," Erik replied calmly, "no force to counter it. That's the nature of the world. plus, we offered them a peaceful way. We asked to be accepted. But to them, we weren't people. Just garbage."
He paused "And breeding camps? We only kept the women for procreation. The human race has to survive somehow, right? We had to do it. Had they accepted us, this wouldn't have happened.", The blind man said.
"That doesn't justify them," Alfred said.
"It doesn't need to be justified. They were cruel actions, and I acknowledge that, but nature is cruel. Hard times like this require the strongest of men. Men who are capable of making those decisions."
"Let's continue this moral debate later." Egon stopped them. "What caused the aftermath we found in the main mansion?"
"Monsters." The blind man said almost casually. "They break in through the eyes and feed on your fear. That's my theory."
"And you took your own eyes out?" Alfred said. He wasn't asking.
"Impressive. Isn't it?"
"Are there any survivors from your group?", Egon asked.
"How the hell would I know? I didn't count the bodies,"
Egon continued, "Are there any outposts or safe houses they might be in?"
"I'm not answering this,"
"you can't lie or evade questions with these cuffs."
"I can't?" The blind man said, almost challenging. "You don't what i can or can't do."
Egon asked again, "Are there outposts or safe houses other than the main mansion?"
"I told you, I'm not answering." the blind man started signs of pain. Squinting. Clenching his jaw.
Egon kept asking. He kept evading. His pain got tenser. The blood marks on his gauze got deeper ans thicker. Still no answers.
Egon got frustrated. Alfred shared the same reaction. Resisting means, he's been trained professionally. Military, paramilitary, or something similar. Something organized.
The blind man laughed in pain. "Pain is just a tool. It won't work on me."
Alfred said, with a quiet voice, "I believe him."