Chapter 420 – Squad Reunion
Echo’s external damage was extreme, but he was not human. As long as the memory bank is intact, repairing the rest of the body goes smoothly.
After being escorted to the shelter, she was placed in the central area laboratory for disinfection and repair.
Mechanical arms move precisely to clean, loosen, tighten, and join the echo.
Occasionally welding sparks would fly, and the drill would move violently, but it was not noisy. Because I’m watching through a perfectly soundproof glass tube.
Rattling.
The only thing that fills the room is the sound of my legs shaking.
I was very curious about Old Man Solaver’s well-being. If we replay Echo’s memories soon, we may find out something.
“Jinsu.”
“Sorry. “You were crazy, weren’t you?”
Artemis shook her head as I stopped walking. This is her research gown that suits her as always.
“Squatting your legs is good for your health. The idea of good luck is just a superstition. Please feel free to tremble.”
She points to her right leg with her pretty finger.
“Just don’t just shake your left leg, shake your right leg too. Only then can there be perfect blood circulation.”
Indeed, no matter what a doctor’s wife is, she is different.
Sweet, sweet, sweet~.
Artemis chuckled as she excitedly shook her legs in response to his wishes.
“It’s cute.”
I don’t think a soldier in his 30s who shakes his legs loudly just thinking about cancer is cute.
Bean pods are truly great. It can cloud the judgment of even the world’s best computer.
[Play the recording of the last half of the operation.]
The manual’s dry voice rang out as if cutting off a heartbreaking couple’s comical conversation.
In Tanis, Echo’s last memory was broadcast to the large monitor in the laboratory.
There is no big difference from what we already know. This is because not long after Alpha’s transmission, Echo and her old man also jumped into the warp gate.
However, against the persistent interference of the infectious agent, Echo served as a shield until the end.
“I wondered why there was no lower body.”
After sending the old man away first, the infected entities snatched Echo’s legs that were left behind.
[Keeeeek-!]
As a result of the battle, many places were already damaged, and several walkers were biting, scratching, and pulling on my ankles, legs, and thighs.
To make matters worse, Ripper also joined in. You only have to go a little further, but it actually takes you further away from the warp gate.
Clutter.
As Echo was dragged, the steel grip scratched the floor, making a loud noise.
My hands are tightly clenched, and my strength goes out. Even though I already know the ending of returning to my side.
Then, luck happened.
Kujik!
As the damage continued and the tug-of-war with the infectious agent continued, Echo’s leg broke.
Her eyebrows furrowed at the gruesome sight of her hips being torn off.
The recoil caused the walkers holding the legs to fall backwards.
[Garrrrll!]
Reaper laughs evilly. Have you ever killed an intelligent being before?
When a person is cut in half, they become incapacitated by terrible pain and die while screaming. It would be no different from an alien.
As if he was appreciating it, Echo escaped with all his might when his guard relaxed.
His arms hit the ground, and he drags his body at a speed close to running. Just pop into the warp gate!
Reaper just widened his eyes at the agile movement and missed it. He could be said to be the price of belittling the machine soldiers.
With Echo’s entrance, the transmission door to Earth was closed, and that was the last record from Tanis.
“Anyway, you boarded the ship safely. “I don’t know where it fell.”
Still, it’s good to have hope. I activated the communicator.
“Kids.”
[Yep! Administrator!]
“As of today, we will double the number of educational broadcasts on lost items, especially old men.”
[All right! We provide very proper mental education!]
Kids responded energetically.
An old man who fell to earth after failing to survive is treated like a monster and harmed? There is no black comedy quite like it.
“The place where the echo was transmitted was the northern part of Mt. Baekdu. Since it is impossible to return on its own, it seems like they hope to be found by a searcher.”
Artemis printed a mountain range in the gloomy sky. This is the point of view of Echo, who has just returned to Earth.
“Even if I pick it up, the Chinese will pick it up.”
“I think it was discovered very late. During the all-out war, they didn’t know anything about our military. “It must have been discovered by chance by the remnants of the rear who were fleeing in all directions after the defeat.”
“Did they try to sell it to a suitable caravan or camp, get a share, and then run away?”
“Maybe. Because they can’t come to Korea to sell in person. The moment you hear Chinese, there will be harsh looks from all directions.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Are you stupid? Is there anyone who would do business with them? “They will try to repay you with plunder just like what they have been doing.”
There is a joke about Chinese characteristics in travel destinations.
People from other countries try to speak the local language when they go to a local place, but Chinese people especially talk in Chinese.
The point of the joke was that if the locals couldn’t understand, they would talk louder in Chinese.
It probably originated from the Chinese ideology of thinking of everything as self-centered.
“Well, what’s good is what’s good? ”Thanks to you, Echo came back to us a little faster.”
Meanwhile, machines were busy disassembling and reassembling Echo’s body.
“I will leave as much of the area as possible.”
A comrade in arms who was with us all the way to the other side of the universe. I wanted to preserve Echo’s original body as much as possible.
Artemis understood my heart even though it required laborious work instead of the simple measure of replacing the whole piece.
The torn and melted breastplate is partially reconstructed by touching it with a welding rod. Artificial muscles are sewn onto an arm that has been eaten away and rotted.
I sat upside down in a chair and watched it. Alpha is standing behind me.
“With only you behind me, the other side was empty, but it worked out well. “If you and Echo stand on either side, it’s just the right balance, right?”
[Positive.]
Alpha answered succinctly.
Once fully charged, Echo received repairs while maintaining her consciousness.
For a person, it would be like being awake during a full-body surgery, but this guy is a machine.
There is no pain, and there is no feeling of dread over one’s broken body.
Echo wasn’t bored, but she invited her comrades, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, and they chatted all day.
[There, it was effective to definitely knock him down with a lower kick instead of a headbutt.]
[The 3-burst mode should have been used from 71 seconds after the start of the Arachnid Nest battle. There was a lot of wasted ammunition due to repeated firing, so the warp gate defense battle was poor.]
We are re-examining all elements of Operation Tanis like playing chess.
As it was a long expedition, there are endless stories to tell.
[The injuries from the battle at the grassy ambush site were avoidable. The damage sustained there had a lasting impact on the mission.]
[I agree. When something suspicious was discovered, the VIP guest had to be immediately asked to fire the Thunder Cannon predictably.]
The VIP guest refers to Mr. Solaver.
At first, I felt like I was wondering what these guys were up to, but as I listened to it, I started to like it.
Place your arms on the back of an upside-down chair and rest your chin. Then suddenly I added something.
“For the fallen tango.”
At that moment, Alpha and Echo stopped discussing.
I have already seen Charlie’s body enshrined in the museum.
However, there will be no trace of Tango, who has been swallowed up by a super-giant infectious agent.
If it weren’t for the vaccine ampoule he exploded inside, we wouldn’t have been able to return to Earth.
The laboratory monitor that had been turned off turned on. Even without any command, Echo replayed part of her memory.
[Mission completed.]
“Kiyaaaaa!!!”
Tango’s calm words and the sight of a screaming super-sized infected body briefly passed by.
[For Tango.]
[For Tango.]
The two robot soldiers said.
* * *
[Administrator.]
A communication came in from Chrollo.
“I’m listening.”
[Preparations for serving a meal for the caravan that returned Echo have been completed.]
In terms of logistics management, control of external merchants also falls under Chrollo’s domain.
Among the AI counselors, she is the most skilled at dealing with people.
Rose is too stiff, Kids are too loud, Artemis… Let’s not talk.
“I’ll be there soon too. They are the ones who brought a big gift, so we should treat them in a way that doesn’t offend them.”
[Then I will wait until you arrive.]
“No. Are they the main characters or me? Everyone must come a long way and have a hard time, so I tell them to hurry up and eat.”
[I take orders.]
After watching the two robots continuing their discussion for a while, I left the lab.
The cable car takes me down to Ashling, her lower part.
A banquet hall for VIPs and the only franchise that survived from the pre-war world.
Today, the place is crowded with caravan merchants who have come a long way.
“What is the reaction?”
I asked Chrollo, who was supervising the scene.
[Are you asking knowingly? Nowadays, there is no one in the world who enters a buffet without their mouth dropping open.]
“But it’s a low-priced franchise, right?”
[People’s lives have become much cheaper. We have significantly upgraded the quality of our cooking.]
Chrollo sent me a video of the inside of the banquet hall.
[This is sushi.]
[It’s not sushi, it’s sashimi. Sushi has rice at the bottom.]
[Is it okay to eat raw fish?]
At the seafood corner, Mongolian merchants are talking with curious faces.
With the post-apocalyptic background and nomadic lifestyle, there will be no chance to eat it unless it is now.
[What are you worried about? The food here must be the cleanest and safest food in the world.]
Everyone rushed to see a fellow merchant using tongs to put shrimp paste and fresh oysters.
I also found some pretty funny scenes.
There was a Middle Eastern merchant who was looking around unnaturally.
But as I continued to watch, he lingered for about 30 seconds before quietly putting pork ribs on his plate. And then he quickly puts a salad on top and hides it.
“I can’t stand pork ribs.”
As I looked around, I finally reached my destination.
“The manager is entering.”
When Chrollo, who was in charge of serving, spoke, everyone stopped chatting and looked at me at the entrance.
People who were sitting on chairs and eating also stopped shaking their hands and stood up. It is a reverent attitude, as if welcoming the king’s arrival.
“Don’t get up and listen comfortably.”
I made a gesture to sit down with both hands.
I wanted to be careful not to be nervous when eating and drinking, but as always, it doesn’t work.
“Thank you so much for the generous invitation.”
“This place is like heaven. How should I repay this favor?”
Greetings came from all directions, showing courtesy and congratulations in their own languages and cultures.
“God, please protect the manager.”
A Russian made the sign of the cross with his eyes closed.
“I have a great heart, but this prayer is unnecessary. Since the goddess is already taking good care of us, there is no need for other gods to join in.”
Chrollo whispered next to me.
Her nymphs nodded at her with pride on their faces. As if they were satisfied with the respect and gratitude they received from their master.
“By the way, manager. It was Jerry Dandan who contributed to the recovery of Echo, and Taraz Caravan who helped discover the Chinese army. “The others just joined us on the way, so is there any need to show them grace?”
“If they eat well just because they joined Oda, who will their gratitude be directed to?”
“Of course you are the manager.”
Chrollo tilted her head as if asking why she was asking such an obvious question.
“That’s true, but there is a trickle-down effect. Besides me, I would like to thank Jerry and Taraz for creating that opportunity. That will help them in their future activities.”
“Even that is included in the reward.”
“When you give something, you have to give it right. Since it is a buffet anyway, if there are few customers, more food will be wasted.”
The main character of the last banquet was Artemis, who led social circles surrounded by the commander’s wives.
But this time, Taraz and Jerry are surrounded by merchants and their story blossoms.
He had already received various rewards in kind and money, and had perfected his personal network management, so his mouth was on his ear.
In terms of importance, of course I am the highest VIP, but as always, no one has the guts to talk to me first.
“Now, ah! Do it.”
Chrollo brings my favorite food and eats it with a fork.
Yum!
Is it because it was the first food I ate after finding my lost comrade? It couldn’t have been this delicious.
