Chapter 123 – Genoplan (3)
There is an article going around on the Internet called the laws of war.
‘Recoilless guns have recoil.’
‘There are landmines on paths that seem easy.’
‘If the enemy is within range, so are you.’
Although it may seem like a joke at first glance, it is surprisingly practical advice. However, it is of little help against infectious agents.
‘Always go with a colleague. It gives the enemy another target other than you.’
This teaching is being put to good use.
The accompanying robots have mouths, and I am the only one wearing an airtight helmet. Perhaps thanks to this, I have never been attacked by a parasitic infection.
There are some rules that no longer apply when my affiliation changes from the Korean Ministry of Defense to Artemis Shelter.
‘Don’t forget that your weapons are always made by the lowest bidder.’
The advice is to always thoroughly inspect your weapons.
However, this does not apply now that Artemis is carefully making my equipment.
She carefully selects the best materials, produces them, and maintains them step by step.
‘If you didn’t check the direction when installing the claymore, it will most likely be pointed at you.’
I don’t need to handle explosives. It is installed by robots controlled by a perfect algorithm.
‘You are not Superman.’
He is gradually becoming Superman, or rather, a super soldier.
It would be impossible to fly in the sky or shoot heat vision, but I think I can overcome Winter Soldier.
On the other hand, there is advice that remains true even though the times, environment, and targets to fight have changed.
‘If the attack is going well, you are in an ambush.’
‘I have never seen an operation plan maintained intact after the first engagement.’
These two. This was really the truth.
It was 5 minutes ago that after confirming that all infectious agents were removed, we divided into 3 teams of 4 robots and conducted a search.
Kwasik!
Now, a robot with its entire body crushed is lying in front of me.
Where I am is the experiment area in the depths of the research center. The space is narrow as it consists of a series of various rooms and hallways.
A monster so large that it blocks half of the hallway rushes in.
Kwaang!
The vending machine in the path of the attack bounced helplessly, and the tempered glass wall that hit the monster cracked like a spider web.
Unfortunately, avoiding it is not the end. In the meantime, one of the robots’ legs was caught by the monster.
It is difficult to escape from the clutches that are targeting you while avoiding such a large charge in a narrow passage.
That is, if there are not just one or two, but more than 10 hands reaching out.
There was a monster in front of us with countless limbs intertwined in a disorderly manner.
Hundreds of fingers and toes wiggle as if tempting us.
Same size as the Juggernaut. Although it lacks speed and strength, it has no weaknesses.
Since there is no head or body, there are no vital parts such as the brain and heart. Even though about 20 of his limbs were cut off by a barrage of bullets, he doesn’t think about collapsing.
Kkakdeukdeuk!
Dozens of robots held by hands were squeezed and destroyed like laundry. Compared to that guy, Death Hug is probably cute.
Besides the hands and feet and limbs of various skin colors, the only organ it has is the vocal cords.
A lump of red flesh that seems to resemble a female organ.
It has no teeth or lips, and the dozens of vocal cords that protrude from its limbs constantly vibrate.
“Uuuuu!”
It’s different from Walker who cries in a tearing tone.
It was a strange voice that sounded like a happy moan, a dull complaint of pain, or even sobs of sadness…
If you could hear the sound of running water in the uncanny valley, that would be it.
[Ultrasound waves are being detected. It detects us by the reflection of that sound.]
Crash.
The two robots, which had expended all their bullets, began to reload.
I was able to defeat it in the second concentrated fire, but the problem is that there is not just one guy.
A new one appeared and pointed a gun there.
However, a few seconds later, the moment another one appeared behind it, I gave up fighting and looked at the ceiling.
The ceiling here was finished with Tex, and one of the inspection ports catches the eye.
“Fuck.”
The newly appeared monsters have already figured out our location. There is no time to procrastinate anymore. If two guys charge at the same time, you can’t avoid it.
Although I don’t feel like it, it’s time to use my special move.
“Ladder.”
The robots instantly knitted themselves together to complete the ladder, and I stepped on it and climbed up the inspection gate.
Old dust and plaster dust stick to it unpleasantly, but this is not the time to worry about it.
When I reached the top, the monster started charging.
“Uuuuu!”
Robots were seen retreating below the inspection gate.
A few seconds later, a huge lump of flesh shwaks! It passed with a sound, and the loud sound of something breaking was heard.
[The escape route was sent. Just follow it.]
The screams of monsters and the sound of glass breaking continued to echo from below.
He put the gun on his back and fastened the sling tightly to his body. Then, he started moving by carefully stepping on the iron pipe on the ceiling.
Bang!
One robot was hit. Now you can know just by sound without having to see.
The sound of the robot’s main frame breaking and hydraulics breaking, not glass or concrete. After listening so much, I now have ears that can distinguish.
Exhaust ducts, sprinkler pipes, and air conditioner evaporator pipes blocked my path. As I went over them, I thought about how I ended up in this situation.
* * *
When we entered the research building in the quarantine area, everything went smoothly.
This is because the sentry guns had already swept away, so there were only a few infected people left.
Artemis, who took control of the disaster prevention room, reported the location through CCTV, so it was no different from a hunt.
The Reapers, who were heavily drugged, could not achieve any results and were killed.
Experimental area and production area.
First, the experimental area is a complex collection of researchers’ personnel offices, various laboratories, restrooms, lounges, and bathrooms.
In the production area, artificial muscles are manufactured and stored.
“Chicken factory?”
This was my first impression when I entered the production area.
In a very large space, hundreds of limbs are hanging like chickens caught in a chicken factory.
The cross-sections of the limbs are finished with a material that has never been seen before, and a thick hose is connected to it.
The air is full of an indescribable smell. I wouldn’t say it’s a bad smell, but it feels like a mixture of the smells of flesh from all races and body types.
I lifted my tiptoes and touched one. It had a Latin skin tone, and judging by its thickness, it looked like a woman’s leg.
“It’s warm.”
The feel of the warm, soft soles of the feet was exactly the same as that of a real person. There are even feet with claws and pedicures.
Next to it, legs of various tones, including black skin, apricot skin, reddish skin, brown skin, and white skin, are lined up.
It would have been grotesque even if it had been a mannequin’s leg, but it was a truly shocking sight to see a living leg with the same smell and texture.
[The amount and length of the muscles and even the shape of the second toe is longer and shorter.]
Artemis said after accessing the main computer in the production area.
[A new model, Mark 5, has been developed. There were instructions to quickly consume the existing Mark 4 through experiments. Everything hanging here is for the taking. But it’s warm?]
“Uh. “Is there a temperature?”
[In principle, it is correct to inject cooling material and store it at low temperature. Did it malfunction as a result of being left unattended for a long time?]
There were no remaining infectious agents on CCTV. There was no movement anywhere.
After determining that the infection had been completely eradicated, we divided into three teams.
One team, including me, secured artificial muscle production technology here, and the other two teams collected clinical trial data from the experimental area.
The sound of flesh clashing against flesh started as the reason why a smooth operation was ruined in an instant.
Snap.
I heard something really clicking behind me.
It’s the sound of flesh hitting each other, but it’s not like clapping, it’s like meaty parts like thighs hitting each other… It’s a sound I’ve heard a lot of times.
Slam!
When I turned around, what caught my eye was the limbs that were starting to wriggle all at once.
Those that were hanging like chickens suddenly moved as if they had come to life.
Slap! Slam! Slam! Snap!
Two nearby legs repeatedly bumped their thighs. The recoil causes the soles and toes to shake as if dancing in the air.
In some places, the four arms were twisted like a twist, and in some places, they were clapping the soles of their feet.
“I think it’s time to go.”
I spoke in a whisper to the shoulder camera and headed toward the exit.
Was it reacting to my movements? The limbs began to come together into a lump.
Hold each other’s hands and link your legs together. The scene where dozens of limbs come together to create a monster was so shocking that I was speechless.
Such monsters were created all over the place, and unfortunately, the exit was blocked by one already completed entity.
It was a narrow miss.
The robots used their bodies to block the monsters that had surrounded us and were closing in on us. It was a good thing that since they had just been created, their movements were slow.
I was able to barely escape after using all my firepower to kill the monster blocking the exit.
The sight of robots being swallowed up by dozens of limbs and hundreds of fingers and toes was terrifying.
However, the monsters had already spread to the research building through vents and other passages.
That’s how we arrived at the current situation.
[Complete download will be completed in 7 minutes.]
Should I say that it is a blessing in disguise that there is no problem even if all the robots explode because remote data transmission has already started?
A few robots in the testing area escaped over the inspection gate like me, but they couldn’t last long.
Even though all the combat rifles and ammunition were thrown away, the ceiling support could not withstand the weight of the robot.
Robots that fell through the ceiling and down the hallway lasted an average of 40 seconds. I was pressed by monsters charging in from both sides.
[Stop.]
“Uuuuu wasss-!”
The monster is right below me.
I don’t know what kind of performance this ultrasonic device actually has. I wonder if I can sense myself hidden behind the thin plate called the ceiling finish.
Although the situation feels suffocating, my heart is calm.
This is because advanced blood stabilizes the unnecessary increase in heart rate that occurs in a tense psychological state.
Gulp.
Thanks to that, I didn’t have to worry about whether that monster would notice the sound of my pounding heart.
I crouched on the narrow, dark ceiling and waited for a while. My whole body is covered in sweat due to the uncomfortable posture and tension.
[I went. You can move now.]
Artemis, who knows the location of monsters through CCTV, directed my movements.
Finally, we reached the end of the research agreement.
If you go down here and run for 30 seconds, you will come to a long passage leading to the entrance. This is the passage where the Reapers followed us unpleasantly.
[Sorry. There is no CCTV here.]
“Huh.”
All robots were destroyed. Perhaps that’s why monsters no longer scream.
Paradoxically, this made it difficult to understand the monsters’ movements.
I have to go down now. But is there really nothing down there?
I opened the inspection port carefully, very carefully. It was the first time in my life that I had put so much effort into opening something.
Squeak!
The old inspection port made a loud noise just before it opened.
I swallowed a curse inside and showed my face.
“…”
There was a monster about 5 meters in front of me with its face upside down from the ceiling. Fortunately, it is not in the direction of the exit.
Dozens of vocal cords were closed, as if the guy was resting. There are only two open.
It opens and closes repeatedly, like breathing. Fortunately, it was facing the walls on both sides, not towards me.
I waited for quite a while, but it didn’t move. The guy looked like he was sleeping.
I can’t wait here forever. We must take action.
After quietly taking a deep breath, I carefully set the gun down near the inspection port.
And I held on to the support bar next to the inspection port with both hands.
Slowly push his foot in. His feet go out, then his ankles, then his shins, his knees, and finally his hips.
When my lower body was halfway down, I held the gun with one hand, and it was now down to below my belly button.
It was extremely difficult to go down from a narrow hole without making a sound while holding a gun.
To prevent the gun from touching the entrance to the inspection gate, you must lift it with your hand as it cannot be worn on your back. I have to support my weight and the weight of the gun and ammunition with one hand.
Thanks to this, I almost lost my balance and fell, but luckily I was able to plant my feet on something solid and didn’t fall.
“…”
There’s still a long way to go to the bottom?
I could see my feet landing. It was three legs. Judging by its appearance, two of the woman’s legs and one of the man’s legs were twisted like a twist.
“Ooooo-.”
A monster’s voice was heard.
I’m not fluent in the infection language, but I thought I could roughly translate it.
‘I got you!’
That was it.
The moment I saw three hands approaching my knee as I stepped on his leg.
– Gooooong!!!
Acceleration has been activated.
He hit the inspection port with the butt of the gun, breaking it and jumping out.
I fired the gun repeatedly at those who were already close to my nose.
Flesh and blood splattered like crazy and ran toward the doorway before they even hit the ground.
Boom!
His other outstretched arm missed me by a few centimeters, but that arm had as many as five hands.
The sight of 25 fingers beckoning towards me as if hypnotized in an accelerated world was like a nightmare.
This is a guy that can withstand 12.7 mm and rush at me. There was nothing that could be done with 5.56 mm.
I ran.
“Uuuuu!”
It screams, and countless monsters howl in response.
I feel pressure coming from behind, as if it’s going to hit me at any moment.
Since there was glass everywhere, I could faintly see the whirlpool of limbs following me.
I ran and ran.
I repeated acceleration to the limit, release, and acceleration again.
The muscles of my entire body screamed at the movement of being forced to go back in time, but I couldn’t help it.
Considering their charging speed, they will be able to catch up with normal running.
In a situation where everything slowed down, I was the only one running, running, running.
When I finally saw the light outside the lab entrance, there were so many animals running behind me that it was hard to even count how many.
The muscles in my whole body felt like they were going to break, and my lungs were painful as if they were on fire.
When we arrived in the outside world full of light, we were already at our limit.
The acceleration was released, and I fell down.
“Kkeiyayaaaaa at at at while at whilst at] No at] At at at herself]] Not not not not not not not be not open 1
Just a few meters behind, monsters reach out with dozens of their hands towards me.
But I was sure that I lived.
This is because a loud rotor sound was heard hitting the air. There are two of them.
Quaaaaa!!!
The two 30 mm chain guns started spewing fire and destroying all the monsters that followed.
Hundreds of limbs and thousands of fingers and toes pour into the long hallway.
Scout drones also stopped surveillance and stood next to the helicopter to add firepower. This is all I remember.
I don’t even remember how I got on the helicopter.
The only thing that came to mind was the loud sound of a helicopter rotor and the voice of Artemis mournfully calling my name.
