Chapter 150 – Good Reception (1)
As the number of people traveling north through Noise Tree’s radio interference line increased, the number of radio signals caught by wiretapping equipment also increased.
[Defend the position. Reinforcements will be arriving soon. Looks like he’s trying to surrender? Don’t accept it. No, pretend to accept it, gather them up, and shoot them. This is an order from superiors to unconditionally dispose of looters on site.]
Communication from the military unit that maintains security day and night.
[Fuck, there was a guy on our team who got his hand bitten. This isn’t contagious, right? Are you saying it’s not a zombie virus or something? When I tried to cut off my hand, it went crazy, and I couldn’t cut it in time. I tied it up, but what should I do?]
A search team in trouble.
[I caught an elk. I’ll send you the coordinates, so send a recovery team. We will continue to move north.]
The search team had a meat dinner tonight.
[Captain, I think you’re lucky. I found a zebra. I think it escaped from a nearby zoo. It’s a bit small, but I think it’s big enough to ride. Yes? Are you ignoring me? Why, it’s a waste. Our camp is the only one without livestock… Huh? You can’t ride a zebra?]
There was also a foolish search team.
[Hey, I’ll try to train you somehow. Yes? Hanamana? Trust me! With my grit, I can accomplish anything. Be sure to tame it… Yes?]
Yes again and again? Yes? I came to respect the ‘captain’ who patiently advised the man on the street.
If it were me, I would have scolded him a long time ago, ‘Shut up and do as you say!’, But he didn’t.
The captain explained that attempts to domesticate zebras had been made over hundreds of years of human history, and most of them had failed.
The list of losers included a legendary cowboy, a mounted police officer, a ranch expert who was obsessed with developing a tourism product, and a horse enthusiast who just loved riding horses, emphasizing that none of them were much more of a horse expert than you.
Lastly, even the few successful cases were discarded because they were not cost-effective, and it was even said step by step that the meat was not tasty.
[I understand… Captain.]
The stubborn man’s voice became sullen.
Like a child who begged to buy a puppy but was told ‘no’ by his parents.
The captain comforted and comforted the man and led him to move quickly.
“… Amazing.”
[Yes.]
Artemis seems to be fed up too.
As I was listening, my heartfelt heavy, but at the same time, it also seemed like a human scent.
“That captain, if I get the chance, I want to scout him at the shelter.”
Artemis does not like to bring in outsiders, but this time she gave a silent affirmation.
“I realize how blessed I am as a commander.”
I can clearly see how capable soldiers the robots I have led in the expeditions so far have been.
[Now I guess I can’t go back to the days of commanding human soldiers?]
Artemis chuckled.
The radio continued to come and go. I feel like I have entered the command and control room of an army at war.
[Recently, some good crossbows have arrived, so please stop by if you are interested. Honestly, isn’t it hard to find bullets and don’t you care about the noise? If you get one of these, you can use it a lot. Because it is a carbon arrow, it is very strong! Even if I pierced its head several times, it didn’t break. Hmm? Of course, I shot the sick people! What do you think of people…]
The rest area operating in Jeolchan-ri cannot be left out.
Although our wiretapping facilities are excellent, it seems that, except for military units, we do not pay much attention to communication security.
This may be because there is still confidence in the military’s ability to maintain public order.
Even the unnecessary exchange of boundaries between survivors takes resources and effort? Concentrating entirely on exploration during such times is the way to get at least one more can of canned food.
There were also communications with slightly different purposes.
[It is true that those thin trees are causing radio wave interference. To restore a proper communication network, we must burn them all down!]
A man who begins scientific research for which it seems too late.
[I’m going around to nearby garrisons to petition, but none of them are interested. They say it’s a waste of firepower! I don’t see any reason to restore the communication network.]
He clicked his tongue strongly.
[I guess they have no idea how much inefficiency is occurring in the private sector due to information that is not updated. Even though not all bites lead to infection, I get angry every time I see people cutting off bitten hands!]
In this day and age, it takes great physical and mental strength to go out and go back and forth between each garrison and carry out such activities.
[Things that one knows and two do not know! Right now it only blocks radio waves, but who knows, maybe in the future it will try to steal our minds as well? None of the commanders were listening? Anyway, military barbarians with poor imagination.]
It was doing well, but then suddenly collapsed due to conspiracy theories.
If we had focused on the value of restoring communications, there might have been one or two appeals, but I think I understand why they were all rejected.
On the other hand, there were people who attempted to communicate with the opposite mindset. He was cool and cautious.
[Can you hear me?]
There is a lot of noise.
[Can you hear me? Is there anyone here in Eugene, Jeonju?]
As the speech progressed, the noise increased and decreased repeatedly, as if something was being adjusted.
[We are communicating on a limited frequency. I didn’t think he would respond if I spoke to him through an open channel. We are looking for a group of survivors inland.]
What Eugene was looking for was us.
[After discussion, we concluded that it was probably one of the civilian survivalist facilities popular before the war. I don’t know the exact location, but I have a colleague who remembers a few businesses, so I’m sending them out sequentially.]
Behind his voice, an irritated voice asked how long he was going to hang on.
It seems like they are trying to communicate on the radio in a large living room or something like that with several other people around.
[Please respond.]
Screaming and grumbling.
[Is there anyone there?]
A voice saying that it is too dangerous to go any further and that we should go back.
Indeed, it is so. Among the southern search teams heading north to Jeonju, it can be said to have dug deepest.
The southern zone is still less dangerous – the Honam area, but if you are careful, you will enter the area of an infectious disease cluster.
[This is Eugene in Jeonju. If anyone can stop by, please respond!]
The voice that seemed neat and smart gradually began to feel watery.
Is it because of that? The murmuring and complaining voices have died down somewhat.
“…”
I was lost in thought with my fingers crossed.
[You’re not going to answer?]
Artemis asked.
[Our existence is revealed anyway. The location of the shelter will also be made known someday. Whether people discover it or it emerges naturally in the course of our tasks. Even so, what can outside forces do to us? We are strong now. Even by my standards, it’s enough.]
It means that you should do whatever you want, whether you accept the communication or not.
[Please respond!]
[I have to go now. Spending the night here is crazy!]
[I wish I had robbed the supermarket in the time it took to get here…]
Unlike Eugene, who kept trying to communicate, the others were preparing to return.
[As promised, come down as leader now.]
A thick male voice. Hostility toward Eugene was felt in the tone of voice.
[If you go down this route, you can enter the military base’s communication range after passing through a remote shopping center. Let’s ask for help.]
[That’s the Goheung garrison, right? It’s crazy? I heard they are conscripting citizens.]
Now, from the communicator, we could hear more background sounds of people fighting among themselves than voices looking for us.
Tok tok tok.
I was silent, tapping my index finger on the desk.
[Is there anyone inland? If anyone is listening to this communication, please respond!]
A crying voice.
“Artemis.”
[I’m listening.]
“Could our response here be localized in and of itself? It seems like the communication was sent alternately between specific areas on a limited frequency.”
[You won’t find it with that alone. The area they are currently targeting and attempting to communicate with is very far from where we are.]
Our and their locations appeared on the 3D map. Also, the direction of the radio waves they were transmitting and the location of the drone carrier that intercepted them and transmitted them to us were also displayed. It is a place that is completely different from a shelter.
[Even if they backtrack, they will end up in the wrong direction.]
I put my hand on the touchpad.
[For reference, they have tried radioing to other places a total of 7 times so far. I intercepted the radio wave for the 8th time. That kind of assertiveness is reckless.]
“If I wasn’t reckless, I wouldn’t have even thought about coming up to Jeonju.”
While we were talking, their mood took a turn for the worst.
[Hey, start the car! Eugene, put down the communicator and come here and carry your luggage.]
[You agreed too! Now it’s like this?]
A man with a deep voice and a woman protecting Eugene argued.
[This is Eugene in Jeonju. We…]
[Does this guy think what people say is funny?]
A dull noise rang out along with a deep, angry voice.
[Aaaaah!]
The sound of hitting something, a groan in pain, a sharp scream, voices agreeing or opposing, even voices regretting coming to Jeonju.
There is swearing and shouting, and the commotion rarely subsides.
[Let go of this!]
Eugene said.
[I haven’t liked you for a long time.]
A man with a deep voice said.
[Stop! Don’t fight! Don’t worry!]
After the young woman finished speaking, her line was closed.
Well, I would like to add something.
“I can hear well.”
After saying a word, she lifted her finger from the touch panel. The green ‘On’ state disappears.
Chic.
Immediately the other side opened the line.
[…!]
[…!]
[…!]
[…!]
But no words came out. The commotion up until now suddenly quiets down.
The deep voice that seemed to be spewing fire has stopped, and only the sounds of tense breathing can be clearly heard through the communicator. Somehow it felt a little funny.
Chic.
The other person was unable to continue speaking and closed the line.
“This is…”
I paused for a moment.
During communication, the location of the communicator must be revealed according to implicit rules.
But I had no intention of doing that, so I decided to make it up.
“This is Raven Rock.”
When I was pursuing my doctorate in the United States, I wrote a report on the neutralization of Raven Rock’s system.
“I am the manager of Raven Rock.”
If you think about it, it seems similar in many ways between here and there.
Although this one is far superior in function and scale.
