Chapter 502 Natasha's Information
After everyone had their fill, bellies round and some folks totally wasted, the scene was a mix of satisfaction and chaos.
Take Earl, for instance. The guy was so freaked out during the battle, he almost peed himself. So, when he got back, he drowned his fear in two bottles of primo red wine!
Henry had to drag him to the bathroom, let him puke his guts out, and then haul him back to his room to crash.
Steven, on the other hand, had his fair share of drinks but held it together like a champ. No drunken antics from him.
Once the banquet wrapped up, Steven gave Cindy a call.
"Cindy, come with me to the control room."
She nodded and trailed behind him.
Steven swung open the thick alloy door and flicked on the lights.
The control room lit up, looking like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, with its sleek, futuristic vibe. Even the ceiling and floor were transparent OLED screens.
Steven nudged Cindy inside and shut the door.
It wasn't about keeping secrets from the others. He just wanted to get a grip on things himself first before spilling the beans.
Sometimes, too many cooks spoil the broth. Different opinions can mess with clear thinking.
That's why Steven liked hashing things out with Cindy. She was sharp and, like him, totally rational.
Steven headed to the control panel and pulled up the data Megan had sent over.
Soon, he had the lowdown on the leaders and deputies of the major factions.
Of course, there was zilch about Emberwick Base.
But Steven was really only interested in two people—Natasha and Neil.
The rest? Just a smokescreen to keep Megan from guessing his real intentions.
Cindy sat next to Steven, watching him open file after file with curiosity.
"Steven, what are you up to? Can you fill me in?"
Steven didn't hold back. He took a deep breath and laid it all out for Cindy, everything he'd seen at the Snowfall Cult camp and his suspicions.
"There's no hard proof yet, but I think the Snowfall Cult might be tied to the zombie outbreak in Starlight City."
"If there's a big conspiracy behind this, we're in serious trouble. So, I need to dig into this. If I don't, I won't be able to sleep or eat right."
Cindy's eyes widened in surprise.
She wasn't one for conspiracy theories, but if Steven was onto something, the mastermind behind it all had to be a real piece of work.
Cindy didn't rush to chime in. As Steven said, it was all just speculation for now.
She leaned in to check out the info on Natasha and Neil with Steven.
First up was Natasha's file.
Megan hadn't skimped on the details. The info was thorough, covering Natasha's personal life, family background, and her journey.
After reading through it, Steven and Cindy sat in silence for a while.
Her story was... tough to digest.
In a nutshell:
Natasha Carter, twenty years old, a mix of The Astralium Kingdom and Solstice, born in Solstice's Deerfield State.
Her dad was Bob Carter, and her mom was Isla Patel. Both were hardcore followers of a Solstice cult called Shinrikyo.
When Natasha was three, she moved with her parents to The Astralium Kingdom's Starlight City, living at 256 Teksbo City Street, Stardale District.
That same year, Bob and Isla set up a branch of the Shinrikyo cult(Note: Shinrikyo is considered a cult in The Astralium Kingdom and operates underground.) in Starlight City.
Bob took the helm as the leader, and Isla was the high priestess.
To reel in followers, they falsely claimed their daughter Natasha had divine powers, making her the cult's saint.
With the lure of religion, Bob's family quickly raked in the dough.
So Natasha grew up living the high life, being treated like royalty within the cult.
However, this cushy life came crashing down when Natasha turned sixteen—Her parents died in a plane crash on their way to a Shinrikyo gathering in Solstice, and the followers started to see through the lies.
Young Natasha couldn't keep up the charade and was exposed for not having any divine powers.
The cult's doctrine promised divine protection and entry into a heavenly kingdom for those who donated property. The biggest donors could even choose their next reincarnation's country.
So, many followers went broke donating to Bob and Isla.
After their deaths, the furious followers wanted their money back, most of which had already been blown by Bob's family.
As a result, the enraged followers took out their anger on sixteen-year-old Natasha.
In 2046, Starlight City police got a report about the incident. Then identified it as horrific.
When Natasha was taken to the hospital, she was unrecognizable, with multiple permanent scars.
But because it involved a cult and many people, the case was handled vaguely.
Since then, Natasha seemed to vanish from the face of the earth.
When she resurfaced, it was post-apocalypse, and she had somehow become the leader of the Snowfall Cult.
Using the mind-manipulating tricks she learned in Shinrikyo, she gradually built up her power, making Snowfall Cult one of the biggest groups in Starlight City.
Steven and Cindy were left speechless after reading Natasha's file.
For a long time, they just sat there, trying to process it all.
According to the info Megan provided, who had worked in the police force, was very familiar with the case, 136 people were involved.
It's hard to imagine the horror Natasha went through.
After a long silence, Steven finally spoke, "Isn't it weird that someone like her could become a savior in the apocalypse?"
He looked at Cindy. "Do you buy it?"
Cindy shook her head.
She slowly said, "After going through something like that, there's no way you'd stay sane. If it were me, I'd want to destroy the whole world! Or reshape it to my liking."
Steven crossed his arms and took another deep breath. "Now, some things make sense."
"Before, I and others thought Snowfall Cult was the biggest victim in this zombie crisis, as they lost nearly ten thousand followers."
Steven's tone shifted, "But now, I don't think that's the case. Maybe Natasha doesn't give a damn about those people's lives, she's just using their deaths to hide her real agenda. "
Cindy looked up at Steven. "Steven, do you have any proof to back this up?"
Steven's lips curled into a slight smile. "I didn't before, but now I do."
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