Chapter 210 – Fleet Beacon (3)
Construction of the signal station began. The location of production and installation is the laboratory where Solaver resides.
Artemis and I are looking around the construction site that has just started operating.
“It’s hot. And it’s sticky too.”
Artemis touched her neck as if it was a strange sensation.
“Now that spring is over.”
The cool weather has long since ended. It is time for the yellowish warmth to slowly change into reddish heat.
The weather isn’t hot yet, but seeing how he’s already having a hard time makes him a natural-born computer.
Moreover, since I acquired a physical body, I have only lived in shelters that maintain cool temperatures and optimal humidity, so summer in Korea must be like hell.
“It’s already difficult if you try to melt like that. I haven’t even tasted the Fire Peninsula yet. In a few months, the clothes you are wearing will be soaked and sticky every time you move your limbs? “It’s a more painful sensation than the heat.”
“… I’m not leaving the shelter until the end of summer, so it’s okay.”
I was just trying to tease him a little, but this young lady immediately declared her seclusion.
Boom!
Meanwhile, various materials were being moved.
Approximately 63% of the materials were from Earth that could be immediately procured, 34% were replaceable materials, and the remaining 3% had to be newly developed.
We started assembling the parts that were possible, but the expected completion was unexpected.
“Noise tree?”
What appeared on the PDA was a unique structure that looked like a mixture of white fish bone and willow wood. Although the scale was much smaller, it was clearly very similar to the noise tree.
However, this one had a strong inorganic feel as it was clearly a building rather than wood.
“That’s right. It is the original technology of Noise Tree.”
“No way.”
Artemis shook her head at my surprised face.
“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not like the infected entities absorbed that technology from the civilization they destroyed. Quite the opposite. That signal element technology was developed first, and the principle was transplanted into one of the components of infectious agents.”
“Then is this also the work of editors? “They are the ones who created the infection in the first place.”
“That’s right. To borrow Solaver’s expression, this happened ‘when the editors were not yet fully matured.’ “Because they focused all their scientific and technological resources on the desire to develop the most powerful war weapon.”
An example from history came to mind where a cruel tyrant grew older and became a benevolent king.
The reason the editors emphasized the gentlemanly aspect so much may be a reaction to the terrifying past they once lived through.
“An infectious agent is closer to the culmination of all technologies than a simple weapon.”
Artemis’ voice contained the faintest admiration.
“To me, it only looks like a monster.”
“I don’t mean to evaluate it particularly favorably. “I also only see him as a monster.”
A symbol that resembles the shape of a noise tree appeared on the PDA.
“They say it’s a symbol used within the union. That mark originally meant mutual communication. Now, it has degenerated into something that brings about complete disconnection.”
“Because infection distorts everything.”
Currently, the bottom of the pillar of the signal station is being raised. Heavy equipment is being mobilized to set the foundation.
In one corner, several Hercules robots are waiting to be mobilized for tasks that are difficult to use with heavy equipment.
“Originally, I was concerned about concealing the research center, but if it is built, it will be like advertising, ‘I am here.'”
“It doesn’t matter because I can advertise now. “If there are people you want to trust, feel free to come and visit.”
Artemis was confident.
This is probably possible because he knows better than anyone else about the power of the army he built himself.
“Besides, you can think differently, right?”
“A different way?”
“Should we say this is the starting point of normalizing the entire world from infection? One day, when the world returns to normal, it will become one of the most famous symbols. “Isn’t someone’s name remembered forever when it is accompanied by a symbol?”
She looked at me.
“I haven’t agreed to you going yet.”
The time that eyes stayed on me was short.
* * *
Does this bode well for the construction of the signal station? Something unexpected and happy happened.
“We’re finally connected. It’s really nice to meet you, old man.”
[You! Were you safe? I don’t know how long it’s been like this.]
We made contact with another survivor across the Pacific, Mr. Hudson.
“You don’t know how many times I tried to contact you to find you.”
After burning the Noise Tree, I attempted to contact Mr. Hudson numerous times, but there was no response.
I asked Artemis to run the automation program, but there was still no news. Today, when I thought about giving up, I finally got in touch.
[There were various circumstances here as well.]
“Tell me one thing.”
[There was a civil war between the armies. I was holding my breath because the area near where I live was also included in the battlefield. The soldiers could rob this place, or they could just shell it and turn it into a tomb. Since my neighbors were people who could do anything, I had to buy them.]
“What on earth are you fighting for during this time?”
[White, huge trees grew along the sea. It’s definitely not an ordinary tree, but something similar to a monster. Isn’t it strange to begin with? Moreover, after they grew up, communication and other things stopped working.]
As expected, Noise Tree was not limited to Korea.
In Japan, it was not found in the west and only grew in the east, but this does not seem to be the case in the United States. Or is there another rule we don’t know about?
“That happened in Korea too. I’ve partially dealt with it now though. It only blocks communication, but other than that there is no risk. Is that why a civil war breaks out?”
[The problem was that there was no danger.]
Mr. Hudson sighed.
[The headquarters that temporarily commands the military has ordered the removal of everything that has sprouted on the coast. On the other hand, the unit that received the order protested, asking why they should waste precious fuel and firepower on something that was not dangerous. The protest soon turned into an outcry. In a situation where supply was cut off, not a single bullet or can of fuel could be wasted. Whether you use it to block looters or, on the contrary, loot, you can only do anything if you have strength.]
“Anyway, are we going to start a civil war in this situation? “If we weren’t fools, we wouldn’t be able to handle that waste.”
[As you said, it was originally planned to be resolved amicably. After both sides have cooled off, the headquarters gives them a formal admonition, and the unit that protested bows and goes in. However, when personnel dispatched from headquarters arrived, everything went wrong when they discovered that the soldiers were tampering with the medicine. The soldier said to him that he was protesting by doing something like this, and said, “Bbbbbbbang!” From now on, I’ll leave it to your imagination.]
Korea’s civil war is a civil war, but the United States’ is also a civil war.
“But seeing that communication is happening like this, it looks like they finally got rid of the trees.”
[That’s right. But when communication resumed, even the few people I normally communicated with stopped hearing from me. You were one of them. No matter what I did, there was no response, so I kept having bad thoughts and quit everything.]
Mr. Hudson’s voice coming from the other end of the communicator was dripping with joy.
“Are you in any pain?”
[I think it would be quicker to ask where it doesn’t hurt. At this age, just by sitting down and standing up, you can hear the sound of a shotgun being loaded in his lap.]
“You must have enough energy to make such a joke. What about supplies? “I think you must have used it quite a bit.”
[It’s not abundant, but it’s not lacking either.]
“Exactly how much is left? No matter how large the reserves are, there will be obvious limitations. “Have you thought about it after you’ve finished writing it?”
Hehe. Old people don’t need many things.]
He smiled and laughed.
To me, it didn’t come across as a positive sign that there was no need to worry. It sounded like a joke, saying that you have lived enough to live, so you have no more regrets.
His son was killed in the army and his wife also died. He came down to the countryside with his old body and didn’t know anyone, and the world was completely ruined.
It is simply a life of surviving on the legacy of survivalism picked up by luck.
Even when I stretch out in the morning and go out to the garden, there is no newspaper containing any new news, and there is no greeting from my neighbor. He is also a cute little boy who sometimes rides by on a tricycle.
A life spent day after day locked in a musty basement with nothing.
There is no wonder if motivation dries up. For Mr. Hudson, there is no reason or value in this world to live so stubbornly.
For a moment, I thought about whether I should cross the Pacific Ocean to deliver supplies to him. I was wondering how this would be possible if I used a drone carrier. But it won’t mean much.
This is a problem before the difficult road called the Pacific Ocean or interception by other survival organizations.
Is there a way to spark a spark in his heart, even if only slightly?
There is no way for dead family members to return, so there is only one thing left.
To somehow survive and return the world to a world worth living in. There will be only one.
