The workshop doors slowly opened.
Goff led the way, but his steps looked rather hesitant.
Number Seven found that strange.
Stranger still, the workshop was quiet.
It was broad daylight, yet she could not even hear the spinning machines.
They continued forward.
Under the glaring lights, every workstation stood empty.
"Where is everyone?" Number Seven demanded. "Where did all the workers go?"
"They might, um, be in another workshop," Goff explained hesitantly.
"Might?" Number Seven frowned.
"There are several workshops here. I don't come here often, so I don't know which one they're in," Goff explained.
"What a fool!" Number Seven snorted.
She simply stopped letting Goff lead and walked ahead herself.
Beyond this empty workshop, another workshop was connected to it.
Number Seven shoved its door open.
It was empty too.
There were still miscellaneous things lying on the workstations. Number Seven picked up an attendance sheet and checked the time at the bottom. It was from that very morning.
That meant this workshop had still been staffed as recently as this morning.
Yet when Number Seven arrived that afternoon, everyone was gone.
Number Seven questioned Factory Director Goff again.
Goff guessed:
"Maybe they're on their lunch break?"
"Maybe again!" Number Seven gave Goff an exasperated look, thinking this factory director really was a fool.
With a factory director like him, no wonder a criminal organization like the Mutual Aid Association had been able to entrench itself here for so long.
Number Seven headed toward the next workshop.
Empty.
Empty.
Empty.
Several workshops in a row were empty.
But these workers had clearly been here not long ago. Some had even only just left!
The water in the teacups on their workstations was still steaming!
Number Seven was deeply puzzled. Where had everyone gone?
She had a bad feeling.