Lira raised her eyebrows in surprise, like the doctor in the hospital. Again, that surprised look. They were all hiding something.
– Outdated? What do you mean? This is the most modern thing we have. Bandages made of special material, with antibacterial properties, and ointment based on medicinal herbs.
Nia choked on the artificial apple.
– But I saw scanners, lasers, some memory readers. Surely you have nano-robots? Why don't you use them? Shouldn't medicine be more advanced in the future?
Lira paused for a moment, as if recalling something from history.
– At some point, long, long ago, the development of medicine stopped. I don't know exactly when or why. We were told that it was necessary. That it benefited everyone.
Benefited whom? flashed through Nia's mind.
– Stopped? How is that possible? – Nia was shocked. – Why?
Lira shrugged.
– I don't know. I wasn't told the details. They said it was related to some ethical issues. Something like medical technologies went too far and became dangerous.
– Dangerous for whom? – Nia didn't understand.
Lira hesitated again.
– Well, we live here, away from the city, we are engaged in agriculture. We have our own community.
A community? A sect? Nia's suspicions grew with each passing minute.
Something was wrong here. Too many inconsistencies. Too many oddities. Lira was clearly hiding something. “I must be careful,” Nia reminded herself.
After this strange conversation about medicine and history, an awkward silence hung in the air. Nia was digesting what she had heard, trying to put all these inconsistencies together in her head. “The cessation of development,” “ethical problems,” “dangerous technologies”… What does all this mean? And why is Lira so evasive in her answers? “I must find out the truth,” Nia thought.
Lira, as if sensing the tension, smiled softly.
– You must be very tired, Nia, – she said. – You probably haven't slept in a long time. And your leg hurts. Let me make up a bed for you. You need to rest.
To tell the truth, Nia really hadn't slept for a very long time. After escaping from the hospital and wandering through the gray roads, she was exhausted physically and mentally. The opportunity to sleep on a soft and cozy bed, away from danger and uncertainty, seemed incredibly tempting. Who knew when she would have such an opportunity next time?