Chapter 114 – Baekdudaegan Global Seed Bolt (2)
A white tree that looks like very dense fish bones stuck in it.
This thing, named Noise tree, was like a black hole of radio waves.
Long branches extending on both sides from a huge pillar. An invisible curtain stretching in that direction traps radio waves like the Great Wall of China. You can’t go in or get out beyond it.
Fortunately, despite the misfortune, this radio wave barrier was spread out in the form of a two-dimensional surface, so the range facing the front was short.
The destination, Seedbolt, is outside the sphere of influence, so there are no problems with this expedition.
[Would you continue with the operation?]
Artemis said.
“I know. “You can’t come all the way here and leave empty-handed, right?”
I stared at the noise tree in the video.
“As long as the radio interference range doesn’t suddenly expand and engulf this area.”
Even if something like that happens, the helicopter doesn’t suddenly crash.
Like drones, this helicopter also has an autonomous flight program installed, so it can fly on its own even if the connection to Artemis is lost.
All you have to do is set your destination, either through PDA or voice recognition. However, that does not mean that there are no problems.
“Flying is flying, but I don’t want to move around on the ground without your support.”
[You are saying the obvious. If it weren’t for me, the number of times you’ve died would have been in the double digits, right?]
Being the safety-first person that she is, she probably wanted to get her back, but once my decision was made, she said nothing more.
Since she is her computer, she probably understands the importance of unifying her command system better than I do. I devised the optimal choice within the direction I decided.
[I will lower the altitude just in case.]
“What if?”
[We need to consider the possibility that it emits more than just radio interference.]
“For example?”
[EMP or something.]
For a moment, I was about to say that it was too much of a science fiction movie setting, but then I closed my mouth. Isn’t the current situation already a series of absurd things?
Getting hit by an EMP while flying? I didn’t even want to imagine that.
[How is it? Do you feel like going back now?]
She said with a chuckle.
This is only the 4th actual battle with me. If we include the shelter restoration operation, does this make it the 5th? As she experiences combat, she feels like she is becoming a veteran.
In the past, she would have immediately turned her nose around and headed for the shelter, but now she seemed to have some time to spare. Is she wasting her time like this too?
[If you get hit by an EMP, you won’t crash. Because we have supplemented it to prepare for all cases.]
“But what if we assume the best and worst cases?”
[If the shielding system and devices can withstand a certain level, the operation can continue without difficulty. Even assuming the worst, landing will be no problem. I’m still flying on that course.]
For some reason, I noticed that it started going back and forth instead of following a straight course. I guess this was taken into consideration.
[But like you said, it wouldn’t make sense to block radio waves and shoot EMP. If you look at the mutation forms so far, they were cases of intensive specialization in one function.]
Dozens of white branches, thin and straight like fish spines, swayed like waves.
The shape is too regular and beautiful to be a movement simply caused by the wind.
[Because doing two things means you’re not the best at both. Their viciousness isn’t that absurd, is it? It’s the other side that hurts.]
Her intention was immediately understood.
“It’s too heterogeneous to just be called a mutant monster.”
Overwhelming physical strength, small monsters that are difficult to deal with from a distance, spraying corrosive liquid, and Venus flytrap disguised as supplies.
The infectious agents encountered so far were each different in form and method, but ultimately functioned for one purpose: slaughter.
But this noise tree is different. It has no teeth, no fists, and does not spit out bodily fluids. I am not interested in slaughter.
It just blocks the technical area of communication.
“Was it really developed as a weapon?”
I really don’t want to believe it, but when it gets to this point, denial is an escape from reality.
I would have been relieved if that giant tree was full of monster eggs or was trying to destroy the drone by swinging its giant tentacles.
But the target it attacks is not a living creature. It is ‘civilization’. It is a mutant intended only to disrupt the spirit of civilization.
No virus, bacteria or parasite eats living things as food, not technology.
We just confirmed. The origin of these infectious agents is clearly that they were developed as weapons and out of malice toward civilization.
We flew towards Seedbolt, which was just a short distance away. Unlike the clear sky, the uneasiness in our hearts was heavier than ever.
* * *
‘Young man. Please give me an answer.’
How long has it been since you gave up looking for the American radio operator, Mr. Hudson, in front of your PDA?
It is also the case that communication among survivors, which had been limited to begin with, rapidly decreased.
I thought this was because people were falling out one by one in a difficult survival environment.
Whether you are swallowed by despair, by hunger and illness, or by an infection.
But today I gained strong confidence.
[Maybe there are enough survivors.]
Artemis spoke to me after I finished preparing to go.
The principle by which Artemis communicates with you and remotely controls robots, drones, and helicopters is satellite communication.
Signals are transmitted and received from a low-orbit satellite dedicated to the shelter, which is equipped with a specially designed, complete EMP shielding system.
Now, even if you look at the entire Earth orbit, it is probably one of the few normally operating satellites.
It will be reduced further if we take into account the proper transmission and reception of commands from the control room on the ground without being left unattended.
[Even within the range of my remote control, the radio waves exchanged between drones do not work.]
That noise tree appears to be optimized for blocking terrestrial communication using radio waves or short waves.
The low-orbit satellites we use emit very strong signals, so remote control is not a problem as long as they are not too close.
“Is it some kind of communication barrier? The main purpose is to cut off inter-regional networks.”
Crash.
Checked the condition of the gun. The hands that touched the devices naturally gained strength.
After the middle of the infection war, the situation was similar to the Korean War.
Even though the Korean army achieved local victories after the start of the war, overall it was constantly pushed back, and its strength was weakened. The military and citizens continued to move south and south.
Would you say it’s a blessing in disguise? Since the infected entities had no concept of blitzkrieg and insisted on annihilation warfare, there was ample time for the refugees to evacuate.
Those who ignored the government’s evacuation advice, saying they could not abandon their home and decided to stay, were certain to die.
By the time the central region was almost empty, the shelters were in chaos.
From this point on, nuclear weapons began to explode in earnest, and the information available to the outside world was limited.
However, it is certain that the survivors were concentrated at the southern end.
“If the evacuation plan was successful, there would be a significant number of survivors who crossed the sea.”
[You can always investigate that later.]
Artemis called my attention, perhaps worried that I kept focusing on the other side even though I was on a mission.
[I’ll do everything. So for now, let’s focus on the goal in front of us.]
“Okay, I’ll end that thought here.”
The Black Hawk’s rotors pounded the air, echoing off the surrounding mountain peaks. The air is cold and slightly damp.
Finally, an oval-shaped gray ceiling nestled in an abandoned park caught my eye. It was like seeing a submarine with its head sticking out from under the ground.
Kirik.
The robots all released the safety device.
The place of the expedition team that was wiped out in Bloodtech was filled with new robots, and like their predecessors, they were ready to take on all the dangers that would come to me.
The grass shook like crazy, creating circular ripples. A helicopter landed in the middle of it.
The expedition team came down under the rotor blade, which started off and its speed slowly decreased.
“Huh, haha.”
Since there was a light drizzle in the early morning, the refreshing smell of wet grass and tree roots penetrates my nostrils.
The cold yet pleasantly moist mountain air filled my lungs.
It’s always nice to smell the outside air, but the mountain air after the rain feels even more refreshing.
Suddenly.
I wanted to enjoy that scent a little more, but I had no choice but to stop because of the robot that handed me a closed helmet.
[Write it quickly.]
After taking another sip of air, I put on my helmet.
There is no choice. Thanks to the nectar implant, there is no longer any risk of infection, but parasite attacks are still a threat.
In addition to protecting the head, external body openings such as the mouth, nose, and ears must also be tightly closed. If you don’t want to get ripped off while spraying blood.
“If it weren’t for those parasites, I would have ripped off this hideous top and repaired it.”
The marauder robot has an ugly mouth, just like the Insomniac series.
Since this model was produced for external exploration, there is no need for an ugly face for crowd control purposes. The reason is simple.
[Even if it’s stuffy, endure it. This will reduce the risk of you being attacked by parasites.]
Thanks to the helmet, I don’t have a visible mouth, but the robots do. Perhaps thanks to this, I have never been attacked by a parasite such as a lamprey during any of my operations.
[Welcome. Commander Seo Jin-su.]
The seed storage facility is a national security facility and a fortress built to withstand disaster due to its purpose.
After going through several layers of security devices, including reinforced doors, the entrance that had been sealed off since the infection war is opened.
“…”
What greeted us beyond the open door was a dead body with a hatchet stuck in the back of its head. Judging by the fact that he was wearing a white coat, he appears to have been a researcher here.
“The inside of the bolt should be in better condition than this guy.”
It was dark inside and only a few emergency lights were on.
What we take is not data. It is an organic material stored at low temperature. The moment the facility stops functioning properly, the seeds and embryos are over.
We went inside.
