泥地上留下數排鞋印,昌姐領頭帶著一行深入樹林。豔陽被樹冠遮擋,在地上留下點點光印。樹葉沙沙作響,吹來一陣舒服的涼風。405Please respect copyright.PENANAsA7bzgswPu
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「醜話先說在頭,如果有大灰熊還是甚麼野獸出現,我會抛下你們逃走。因為我是被強迫的,所以沒有義務要保護你們,之後亦不會有罪惡感。」櫻對著安德魯說。405Please respect copyright.PENANA8N2dDtSdo5
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「那有這麼容易遇到。別耍嘴皮了,我們已經同坐一條船,請做好自己的本份。」安德魯說。405Please respect copyright.PENANApbcnrFjTht
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「總之,勢色不對我就跑,你們不能怪我。」櫻望向祐嘉,好像要徵求她的認同。405Please respect copyright.PENANAWGbYlgI24G
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安德魯也望過去,用眼神要求她表示否定。405Please respect copyright.PENANAJYKdj2GGP6
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祐嘉低頭避開兩對螫人的視線,「對不起,把你們捲進來都是我的錯。」405Please respect copyright.PENANASksR2TMWI7
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「不不不!你不用道歉!這些都是不可抗力!」櫻慌忙說道。
「沒錯,所以這傢伙才講悔氣話。」安德魯拉長眼睛的望著櫻,「你—說—是—吧—? 」405Please respect copyright.PENANARXSHhyZjWr
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櫻咬著下唇,她摸摸脖子,終於耐不住安德魯的目光,「是啦!我在發牢騷啦!」405Please respect copyright.PENANA9sn5O23KL4
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祐嘉不禁咯咯笑,「安德魯很有大姐姐的風範。」405Please respect copyright.PENANA7WiqRehJsS
405Please respect copyright.PENANAHje4D0CtaI
「真的嗎?嘻嘻!」安德魯搔搔頭,「我以前是雙胞胎的姐姐,因為爸爸早逝,所以從少就要幫忙照顧妹妹。」405Please respect copyright.PENANAo881Hfs7yE
405Please respect copyright.PENANAGz9DCml6kk
「你也是單親家庭長大的?看來我們是同路人了。」櫻豎起姆指指著心口,「我是阿爸帶大的,雖然連他的樣子也想不起來,但是對阿爸的尊敬從未減退。」405Please respect copyright.PENANABhh7OZXCjA
405Please respect copyright.PENANA2Z38VPQqXm
「安德魯,有件事想拜託你。」祐嘉欲言又止,安德魯點頭讓她說下去,「可以拜託你照顧小熊嗎?Hina不在了,我想,交給有經驗的人會比較好……」405Please respect copyright.PENANAcQXDgMGsMD
405Please respect copyright.PENANAv7lPgmAOVl
「交給我吧,我會把小熊當作第二個妹妹地照料。」見祐嘉放下心頭大石的微笑,安德魯亦笑逐顏開,「不是吹牛,多虧我的悉心照顧,我妹妹長成了一位大美人,她甚至得過選美冠軍!說起來,我都忘記她的名字了,仿真人的記憶有時頗鬆散的。但我記得爸爸也叫安德魯,因為我的名字就是為了紀念他。」405Please respect copyright.PENANAS7c9X8Ge1v
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「所以才會有男性化的名字,我懂了。」祐嘉說。405Please respect copyright.PENANAjRUYgfEiw9
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「明明是女孩子,卻叫安德魯,超~古怪的。」陌生的尖悦聲音說道。405Please respect copyright.PENANAMzjzhW7Yoy
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眾人被嚇得大叫,不明來歷的女性突然出現在隊伍中,各人四散走避。昌姐聲於洪鐘,大聲喊道:「別鬧了,初秋!」405Please respect copyright.PENANAjeHAOmpSgN
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「逗你們玩的啦,跟蹤了足足三十秒都沒有發現,真是遲頓啊,喵~」女性敏捷的轉身,一下就攀上旁邊的一塊大石,她趴在石上,得瑟的兩手托腮咯咯笑。405Please respect copyright.PENANAHcKaOSdVUN
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大小姐面向驚魂未定的三人,舉手比向大石上的女性說:「這位是派往調查的——」405Please respect copyright.PENANA2ZQb3k0Tsw
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不等大小姐說完,女性打斷道:「剛才的女版高腳七已經說了,我叫初秋,是治癒你心靈的護士,喵~」405Please respect copyright.PENANAw6tjvLWZXK
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她的身型矮小,白色的護士打扮,還有一對貓耳,完全是活脫脫地從漫畫裡蹦出來的角色。
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斗大的汗珠由額上滑落,碩大的問號反而從頭上升起。安德魯、櫻、祐嘉三人除了目定口呆不懂反應。而昌姐則像嗅到難聞的氣味,臉色像燒焦一樣黑。405Please respect copyright.PENANAJLTCzNlJFM
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「那個,是真的嗎?」櫻指著頭頂比了比。405Please respect copyright.PENANAtKqP0dB2bR
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初秋撩動耳尖,眼睛瞇成細線,「想摸嗎?」405Please respect copyright.PENANA1oHjXlM8pz
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「可以嗎?!」櫻以奇怪的手勢扭捏空氣。405Please respect copyright.PENANAf9VCFtxU0g
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「逗你玩的啦,喵~」405Please respect copyright.PENANAjn6SACXcTV
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大小姐拍手打斷無營養的對話,「玩鬧時間結束。初秋,你在樹林裡發現了甚麼?」405Please respect copyright.PENANAaKtjAqvV4g
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「喵~你都把幫手們找來了,一定不會滿足於口頭報告後便散隊吧。跟著來,驚喜要留在最後一刻揭曉才是驚喜,喵~接住——」405Please respect copyright.PENANAtPsDGcmDZT
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初秋冷不防向大小姐抛出一個物體,她未反應得及,昌姐搶先一手接住。眾人圍上前,一窺這個眼熟的東西。405Please respect copyright.PENANAbj1RKJHBQ1
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「罐裝能量飲品?你是從那裡找來的?」大小姐說。405Please respect copyright.PENANAXp5l64a2YU
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「那裡。」初秋往身後一指,她跳下大石,從草叢裡拉出一個塞滿的塑料袋,「喜歡甚麼口味?隨便來拿。」405Please respect copyright.PENANACVp4jXREWj
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昌姐拉開易拉環,把空氣扇向鼻子。405Please respect copyright.PENANAqZfvaOrQak
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「昌能夠分析氣味,你們懂的,高等仿真人。」大小姐說。405Please respect copyright.PENANAiLJtFSVBdD
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「沒問題的啦,在等你們時我已經喝了兩罐。味道有點怪怪的,但是嘛,就不要計較太多,喵~」405Please respect copyright.PENANAf7VnaJa6j3
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昌姐點點頭,像交通燈亮起綠燈,櫻和安德魯上前翻找袋子。405Please respect copyright.PENANAsI0EZjG6MM
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「我要櫻桃味的,跟我叫櫻或是髮色沒有關係,我本來就喜歡櫻桃汽水。」405Please respect copyright.PENANAdmkA9YRiN6
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「我要咖啡味的。」安德魯看向祐嘉,「你想要甚麼?」405Please respect copyright.PENANA9m20OPTQjM
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「同樣咖啡味就好。」祐嘉接住抛來的罐子,黑色的罐上印著大大的咖啡杯圖案。405Please respect copyright.PENANAjxK6ma1uSc
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「大家都喝吧,在工作前補充能量。」大小姐說。405Please respect copyright.PENANAGc0JeEYJfN
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此起彼落的拉罐聲,接著是咕嚕咕嚕的吞嚥,眾人面面相覷,異口同聲:「好難喝!」405Please respect copyright.PENANAKdet1qhY78
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「噁,有沙沙的東西黏在口裡……」櫻掩著嘴巴說。405Please respect copyright.PENANAMn4i0Rran5
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安德魯皺眉吐舌,「咸得舌頭都麻痺了……」405Please respect copyright.PENANAl3JjwtkYpg
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祐嘉首次知道,原來『驚悚』可以是一種味道。405Please respect copyright.PENANAnw7QIV7mHU
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「哈哈哈!逗你們玩啦!那簡直是味覺的大霹靂~喵噁!」初秋尷尬擦拭嘴角,「糟糕,口中還留著怪味……」405Please respect copyright.PENANA7zxDmWpNpa
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相對誇張反應的三人,大小姐和昌姐無動于衷,默默地把能量飲品喝光。405Please respect copyright.PENANAx2TBe93V0b
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櫻不禁佩服地拍手,「真厲害,難道高等仿真人有遮斷味覺的功能嗎?」405Please respect copyright.PENANARciaj4Y5fa
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「其實,她們的味覺系統比我們還敏銳。」祐嘉以只有二人聽到的音量小聲低語。405Please respect copyright.PENANAle38fSVsfw
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仔細點看,會發現昌姐握緊拳頭,肩膀微小的抖動,目光望得很遠。405Please respect copyright.PENANA2eMojKSFTy
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「我想是甜味劑變壞了。」大小姐高雅的豎起手心,「哼,電池成功充電,成份並沒有變質。」405Please respect copyright.PENANAYZToY8kzLZ
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初秋從袋裡又拿了一罐,「續杯?」405Please respect copyright.PENANA6qNqTjCfUB
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「初秋小姐,感謝你的慷慨大方。我不敢獨自承受此等厚禮,容我將這份心意分享給其他有需要的女孩。」405Please respect copyright.PENANAKFdlRXE4xC
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「逗你玩的啦,用不著開官腔。」初秋自討沒趣,把袋遞給昌姐。405Please respect copyright.PENANA2YY4MPm92I
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「昌,用騙的也好,讓所有人至小喝完一罐。」大小姐說。405Please respect copyright.PENANA74OuvMTkIQ
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昌姐欠身,提著袋子先行離去。405Please respect copyright.PENANAgH3DboQdnz
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祐嘉耐著口腔不適和味覺系統的地毯式轟炸,終於把手上的能量飲品喝完。她不由得張開嘴巴,嘗試大口吸氣來中和口中怪味。她看向手心,電量顯示由80%提升到85%。405Please respect copyright.PENANArdUupqNXu3
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「我想到一個方法!」櫻搭著祐嘉肩膀亢奮的叫道,「這些飲品可以用來讓Hina充電!」405Please respect copyright.PENANAh7DU168rMZ
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安德魯拍手附和,「太好了!你這傢伙頭腦還不錯嘛!」405Please respect copyright.PENANAkHm0HM3lsm
「喂,你的稱讚好像帶刺的。」405Please respect copyright.PENANAYb42Mp58qj
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然而,祐嘉樣子表現得很為難,好像不願意開口回話。
大小姐見狀解說道:「這種程度不足以仿真人重新驅動,再說下去就太不識相了。初秋,帶路。」405Please respect copyright.PENANApEw40i1doi
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「三分鐘的路程,喵。」初秋說。405Please respect copyright.PENANAGD20wulxsI
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祐嘉默不作聲的跟著走,櫻像當機似的呆在原地恍神。安德魯拍她的背,她才走上前追到祐嘉旁邊。
「對不起,是我太自以為是。」櫻自責的敲打後腦勺。405Please respect copyright.PENANAoDtzIIoVPK
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「沒關係,我們走吧。」
不多不小,剛剛好是三分鐘的腳程,一行五人走進森林,一座鋼筋森林。405Please respect copyright.PENANACzBAGmSPPv
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『有人住的地方』,何其隱晦的形容,眼前的根本是一座城市,準確來說是帶著暑假氣息的鄉村小鎮。綠草填滿磚塊之間的隙縫,藤蔓攀著壁面扶搖直上。405Please respect copyright.PENANAA77u2TECni
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屋頂嚴重崩塌的房子;因鏽蝕而斷裂,靠電纜危險地吊在半空的電線桿;裝滿雨水形成了池塘的路邊汽車。
各種日常和非日常的交錯,衝擊眼球視覺和大腦認知的景像,像跑進了末日電影裡的驚愕感。405Please respect copyright.PENANAqauptHIC4M
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「各位,接下來是關鍵。」大小姐拍手吸引眾人注意,「我們分頭行動,兩人一組進行調查。初秋和安德魯一組往北面調查,祐嘉和櫻一組往南面調查。首先是要找到電源,其次是儘可能收集能量飲品,途中別忘記補充電力。」405Please respect copyright.PENANA6nxJHld9QA
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初秋舉手,「我獨個兒就好。不要誤會,啦啦隊隊長我不是討厭你。我習慣一個人。」405Please respect copyright.PENANASWN0KOqQzy
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「單獨行動很危險,我們對現況一無所知,二人行動才能互相照應,一人遇難另一人也能求救。安德魯和櫻,你們的身體很強壯,請保護好初秋和祐嘉。」405Please respect copyright.PENANAM7YrFKoWZo
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「哈哈,我會害羞的啦。」櫻臉紅紅的吃吃傻笑。405Please respect copyright.PENANAqlqMWH0PrS
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懷著不滿的初秋則在大小姐背後扮鬼臉。405Please respect copyright.PENANAb7tL0UqKO2
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「等等,大小姐不就落單了嗎?」祐嘉說。405Please respect copyright.PENANAcCXmP6vtJs
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「謝謝關心。」她說,「我會在這兒等昌回來,之後我們會尋找適合當據點的地方。等到六時我們再在這兒集合,各位記得注意時間。」405Please respect copyright.PENANAHHo7wk8Mkr
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祐嘉點頭,她面向櫻……櫻不見了。405Please respect copyright.PENANAH6wIffa07o
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「喂,快跟上!」已經往街的另一端走的櫻揮手喊道。405Please respect copyright.PENANA7eOLoY5jBX
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「看,她現在充滿幹勁。」大小姐說,「櫻是屬於被稱讚就會飛天的性格,如果待會兒又表現得消極,記得賞她數句悅耳的讚美。」405Please respect copyright.PENANAoBZmuUIDjR
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祐嘉皺眉苦笑,她舉手表示告別,小跑步跟上遠處的櫻。兩人在廢城街道上並肩而行,一打問題從腦中炸開,但是,現在不是問『為甚麼』的時機,也沒有人能解答她的『為甚麼』。405Please respect copyright.PENANAH6mRGOG67l
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二人來到分歧路前,祐嘉對往上的斜坡一指,「我們往高處走,看到那邊山坡上的觀景平台嗎?我想到那邊去。」405Please respect copyright.PENANAcfjJvYLHRt
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櫻聳肩,「我是沒所謂啦,但大小姐說過優先尋找電源。」她舉手作了個拉扯的動作,「說到電源,果然是那個吧,像這樣拉一下,就會『轟轟轟』地響的發電機。」405Please respect copyright.PENANADjN9ToModV
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「沒錯,一般來說是會聯想到柴油發電機,這意味著安德魯和初秋也會以此為尋找目標。所以我想大膽一點。」祐嘉伸手往街上指,「看那些電線桿,代表城市有供電系統,換句話說,這裡應該會有發電廠。」405Please respect copyright.PENANAGAwpEwGlLx
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櫻的眼睛亮起來,恍然大悟的拍手,「這的確更有效率。」405Please respect copyright.PENANA0qRxqMpdm1
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「我們到視野開揚的地方去,在高處就能追蹤電線的走向。」祐嘉發覺自己在對空氣說話。她左右張望,在路邊的汽水機前找到櫻。405Please respect copyright.PENANA8eWlpCn1XA
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「接著要往山上走,沿路恐怕不會有補給,最好趁現在多收集能量飲品。」櫻一邊說著一邊拍打汽水機,把所有按鈕都按過一遍。405Please respect copyright.PENANAOs2UdiVuX8
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仲使機身已經嚴重鏽蝕,汽水機依然死守使命,牢固保護自身貨物。405Please respect copyright.PENANAJhHyfKS6H2
405Please respect copyright.PENANAbmvNBrx7ZT
祐嘉研究機身正面,找到一個六角形的匙孔,只要扭開鎖頭就能把匣門打開。她點著下巴沉思,現在有整座城市為資源,一定有辦法造一把六角匙出來。她盯著汽水機,漸漸感到違和感,汽水機沒有投幣孔……405Please respect copyright.PENANAhpR0Em3rDD
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「啊啦!」405Please respect copyright.PENANAaXXq8W6ccj
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回音在廢城迴盪,磚塊砸穿了汽水機,五顏六色的罐子滾落到地上。櫻拍拍手上的灰塵,神氣活現的叉腰挻胸。405Please respect copyright.PENANApPbuT0weIr
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祐嘉看著櫻,千言萬語在人工大腦裡炸開,作業系統仿佛遭受DDoS攻擊,思想癱瘓,只留著一張無情感的臉。405Please respect copyright.PENANAVTv70ueIis
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櫻好像察覺到甚麼,頭腦突然一晃。405Please respect copyright.PENANANk48crSqm0
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