Chapter 225 – Close Encounter (4)
A wriggling coral reef with a texture like brain wrinkles. This is my impression of the giant nest.
They are especially protected because they are responsible for creating an ecological environment for infectious agents. There are numerous monsters wandering nearby.
[Keeeeek-!]
[Kyarrrr-.]
[Chuuk-. Kuuuk-.]
The numbers are numbers, but as there were survivors from various civilizations on board, the types of infectious agents also varied widely.
Because of this, the infiltrating robots also refrained from rushing in.
Before a battle, it is basic to compare the strengths of both sides to estimate the odds of victory, but when the enemies are this diverse, it is difficult to estimate.
Shelter’s giant nest exposed its snout and sprayed gas in all directions, but this one was different.
Wiggle.
My heart is pounding.
Gulp, gulp.
Perhaps because terraforming has already been completed, most of the thick tentacles are stuck in various places and are transporting pollutants.
The level of monsters wandering around is generally high.
“It’s because most of the species had basic specs that exceeded those of humans before infection.”
It may be because a mature infection ecosystem has been formed, but in my opinion, it is simply a problem with the body as the base.
Taking the Exos to which Solaver belongs as an example, the average height is at least 2 meters.
The size and performance of the muscles in the limbs are also outside the standard compared to humans, and vital areas such as the face are tightly protected by an exoskeleton.
When a race with excellent physical specifications is infected, even a normal Walker-class infected organism will display the combat power of an Earth variant.
“It is an area unrelated to the core target.”
Killing him is not a priority in our plan to take over the spaceship.
Take control of the bridge and secure control over the entire spaceship.
Afterward, a large amount of poisonous gas is released into the supply and exhaust circulation system to neutralize all active infectious agents.
A full-scale sweep operation is being carried out against those who have been gassed.
This third stage operation is Plan A.
“Retreat from the current location to a range of 90 meters and use a detour to reach the bridge.”
[I understand.]
The stalkers quietly began to retreat from the giant nest’s territory, but it seems they were a little late.
Kwaang!
The ventilation cover on the top of the secretly retreating robot was broken.
Bang!
The stalker right below reflexively fired, but only fired one shot.
A large tentacle unexpectedly emerged from the vent and attacked the stalker.
It was a surprise attack with such incredible speed that I had no time to react or anything, and my right leg was bitten.
The large tentacle pummeled the prey it has bitten and dragged it to the ventilation hole it came from. Sparks fly out brilliantly from the robot’s body as it bumps here and there.
Kujik!
The right leg, which was being sucked into the vent, and the left leg, which was hanging outside the vent, spread like scissors to prevent it from being dragged further.
If he were a human, his limbs would have been torn apart in excruciating pain, but Stalker somehow survived for once.
Ta-ta-tang!
A nearby colleague opened fire.
You cannot target the tentacles that are almost completely hidden inside the vent.
The bullet was aimed at the knee of the captured colleague. It appears that the decision was made to save at least the upper body by cutting off the legs.
Thanks to the shared accident, the person who was grabbed also used his strength to create an angle that would allow him to cut off his own leg.
However, all those efforts ultimately failed.
Crack!
The moment when large-diameter bullets cut off the captured stalker’s knees.
The large tentacle let go of the knee it had bitten and opened its mouth wide, biting him again right below the hips. It was truly a lightning-like movement.
The large tentacle bit the robot, which had lost its ability to resist, and disappeared into the depths of the ventilation shaft.
Boom! Bang! Boom! Tudung!
Only the loud sound made by the robot being dragged and hitting the walls of the ventilation shaft echoed like an echo and gradually became smaller.
[Unit lost.]
Smoke came out of the muzzle and the robot lost its aim.
[Kyaooooo-!]
The fierce approaching presence accompanied by screaming sounds could be felt beyond the screen.
“Retreat immediately! Right now!”
The squad now released their prayer secret and fled furiously.
Not only is the horde of infectious agents coming in now a problem, but if the large tentacles from before attack again during the battle, they will be wiped out.
And in reality, the tentacles attempted a surprise attack again.
Tuta tata!
The robots fired all at once at the tentacle that popped out through the ventilation hole on one side.
The tentacle that protruded with great force was torn apart in the face of concentrated fire, and returned to the vent from which it had protruded, pouring out black blood.
[Kooooo-!]
Meanwhile, the cries of the chasing infectious agents are getting closer.
Around the same time, other squads were also facing fiercer resistance.
That number was actually larger than we had assumed. This means that there is a mutant entity engaged in production activities.
In that way, losses began to occur one by one.
[Unit lost.]
A loss report came from another squad.
They entered a room where the entire floor was made of sticky traps.
It was a trap that was caught off guard because it looked the same as the floor contaminants that had been stepped on before.
The stalker who was infiltrating at the forefront did not notice immediately after the first foot touched the ground and was fixed, and only realized what had happened just before the second foot touched the ground.
Other squad members immediately stopped and stood guard, but there was no way to save them.
Even if you break the ankle by shooting it, your arm or upper body will come into contact with the sticky area.
In the meantime, a large infected entity similar to a spider approached.
Unlike spiders on Earth, it had an elongated body divided into three parts: head, chest, and abdomen, and its size was such that even a juggernaut would look cute.
[Shaaaaa-!]
White cotton candy-like secretions sprayed widely from its mouth and applied the fixed stalker.
Thud! Boom!
It approached the ground with its missile-like legs and instantly rolled the robot up into a ball of thread. This is the same movement that spiders make when storing their prey.
Because the sticky floor made it impossible to cross the hallway, the rest of the squad members had no shooting angles.
To make matters worse, I heard the screams of the infected creatures and had no choice but to retreat. It would be very dangerous if we were to be surrounded and the escape route was blocked.
However, would you say it is one consolation?
Just before it turned into a white cocoon, the robot was holding a grenade with the pin pulled in its arms.
Wow!
A roar and cries of pain were heard from behind the retreating robots. Even if it couldn’t kill him, it would have clearly shown his bitter taste.
On the other hand, there were units operating for a purpose separate from the mission of recapturing the spaceship.
[∫∫∬○∫∬∫∬∫◎∬∫∫.]
‘This is a recorded message. Please save me. We can barely hide.’
Communication in an alien language was printed with subtitles attached.
Infector.
A small mutant infectious agent with the ability to infect and control machines. Its appearance resembles a cephalopod with five legs.
There is a unit dispatched to the block where this guy is sending communications.
“It’s not a strategically important place, but you can’t just pass by that guy.”
“It’s a shameful sin.”
“…”
Me gnashing my teeth, Artemis smiling bitterly, and Solaver sending silent sympathy.
“The reason there was a huge party on Earth was because of a false distress signal. “It is also the case that countless civilizations went to rescue people with good intentions but were wiped out.”
In some ways, it can be said to be the greatest enemy of 7 billion people. If it weren’t for Infector, the infection situation might not have occurred on Earth.
“It’s better to be the ones who scream and bite in front of you, rather than the ones who abuse good intentions. “Treat it alive, kill it, grind it and drink it…”
I was about to say a phrase commonly used to address enemies, but I closed my mouth. Even as a joke, you can’t eat an infectious agent.
Artemis chuckled.
“Interesting.”
Solaver, who was listening as if he was grateful for my proxy revenge, said something.
“What do you mean?”
“Tear it, kill it, grind it and drink it. Among the civilizations I know, there are only three people who use that idiom.”
“It’s surprising that there are only three. “It seems like a common line.”
“There are three of you, including the human race, so there are actually fewer.”
“I feel some kind of kinship. What kind of races are they?”
“One of the two became extinct in a civil war a long time ago. The other one was a civilization that was famous for its bravery… Even within the alliance.”
“You don’t stutter, but wasn’t there a different word you were originally going to use?”
Perhaps the reason he paused for a moment was to find a good modifier instead of ‘bad-tempered’ or ‘violent’?
The insight he developed during his military service showed that. When I looked up at the old man, it was clear that he was shyly avoiding my gaze.
The squad finally reached the location where the false rescue request was sent from the Infector.
“This is the infirmary.”
As Solaver said, there were various tools and equipment that appeared to be used for treatment everywhere.
On one side were several incubators made of opaque material, where the robots stopped.
[The signal is coming from here.]
It was impossible to look inside.
[∫∫∬○∫∬○∫∬∫∬∫.]
‘I hid in a hibernation capsule to avoid the monsters. If anyone can hear this message, please save them.’
The robots kept their distance and pointed their guns, and one stepped forward and touched the control panel next to the incubator, then quickly retreated.
Chwiik.
The cover began to open with the sound of pressure being released.
The robots with their weapons pointed at them waited with their guns pointed. A candle-like ember flickers at the end of a small flamethrower mounted at the bottom of the muzzle.
After a while, several tentacles resembling octopus legs crawled out from the crack.
“There’s nothing to wait for. Just bake it.”
[Roger.]
Puhwaaaaak!
A blue streak of flame spreads out and strikes the incubator.
[Kiyaaaaa-!]
As blue flames penetrated through the open gap, a tearing scream erupted.
Infectors that turned into fireballs began pouring out from inside.
Hwaaaaa!
Shuhuaaa!
As other squad members fired flamethrowers in succession, they began to burn black.
“You bastards. It’s a pity that I can’t smell that yellowish smell on site.”
Puck!
Puff!
A series of sounds like beans being roasted by lightning are heard, and the round head explodes and then shrivels.
The body turned over like an insect that had been sprayed with insecticide, and its five shriveled tentacle legs curled up.
However, they weren’t just in the incubator.
Another Infector who came up the wall attempted a surprise attack by falling from the ceiling, but the opponent was bad.
Although it succeeded in sticking to the face, the Stalker model is the latest combat model that has undergone numerous upgrades.
“No problem. “I blocked all paths to access the hardware.”
Artemis said.
Convenience in maintenance and operation was sacrificed, and the connection terminals were tightly wrapped like a chastity belt.
There is no USB port on the outside, so if you want to connect something, you must use tools to dismantle the bolts and gloves.
The Infector, who was searching all over the stalker’s head, froze for a moment, perhaps embarrassed by the fact that every place was blocked.
Haha!”
Artemis must have been extremely happy to see that. Did she feel proud as an inventor when she saw that the security measures she had prepared were 100% effective?
[Kick!]
When the Infector finally gave up and tried to escape, the awl that came out from the back of the Stalker’s hand impaled him like a skewer.
No, not in a metaphorical sense, but in real skewers.
[Kick! Kiik!]
The entrance to the flamethrower was placed next to the awl that hung the struggling creature making sharp noises.
Puhwaaaaak-!
[Keeeeek-!]
That’s how I ended up watching an alien octopus grilled over an open fire.
Poop!
As the guy’s head exploded and shrunk, Stalker swung his awl fist and shook it off.
[Purification of this compartment has been completed.]
There are only octopuses everywhere, charred black and with their heads exploded.
However, the spacecraft’s distress signal did not completely disappear. There were still a few communications coming in from other compartments.
It took an additional three hours to completely root them out.
* * *
[Arrived.]
A grandeur that stands out clearly from other sections. And clean.
The bridge, which was the most important target point, was completely isolated, so it could be occupied without risk.
Inside, there are several corpses of aliens, with only their bones remaining.
[This is not an attack by an infectious agent. It seems like they shot it among themselves.]
“It’s not an internal dispute. Sorry. “I was rude.”
The corpses revealed when the screen is enlarged show no signs of resistance or struggle. They all died in one shot, having been completely pierced through their vital points.
“A group of officers volunteered to remain on the bridge and carry out containment and containment work on the spaceship.”
Solaver said calmly.
There were a total of five bodies, four lying flat and only one lying down. Next to it, there is a weapon that appears to be a pistol.
It seems that he targeted the critical point and killed four people without pain, then remained alone and committed suicide.
“When all the work was done, they chose to commit suicide. No matter how strong your will is, it may falter in the face of infinite fear and requests for help from loved ones. They committed suicide to prevent them from opening the bridge blockade with their own hands and leaving.”
Just listening to it made me feel solemn.
Thanks to that great courage and spirit of sacrifice, we were able to easily take control of the spaceship.
If it weren’t for them, it would have been impossible to even bring a spaceship to Earth in the first place.
“Is this the captain?”
He pointed to the body lying around.
“It’s obvious. “What superior would pass on that painful task to a subordinate?”
“That’s right.”
Other squads gathered one after another along the path pioneered by the squad that arrived at the bridge first.
Sentry guns were installed, cover was laid, and an impenetrable defense was built.
The remaining units were deployed to take control of the supply and exhaust rooms.
They were accompanied by Hercules robots, each carrying a large poison gas spreader.
Through manipulation on the bridge, the vents extending throughout the spacecraft were readjusted.
The ventilation holes that transported pollutants from the giant nest closed one by one.
[Administer at maximum pressure.]
When the concentrated liquid solution was divided into two inside the sprayer and mixed, a poisonous gas was created with fierce force.
It begins to spread throughout the spacecraft through the pipes in the supply and exhaust rooms.
Although it is an extremely primitive method compared to a vaccine, it will be sufficiently effective in an isolated space such as a spaceship.
“It’s over.”
When I saw Artemis bring me the coffee she had brewed herself, I had a feeling that the operation had ended smoothly.
“It was a better operation than expected. Thank you so much. “Hope is alive because commanders like you continue the fight.”
Sola Ber placed his large hand on my shoulder and patted it.
“…”
Praise and recognition. These are things I am already familiar with, but what he gives me is something special.
This feeling fills the void in me as an adult, something I desperately wanted as a child but was never able to have.
I couldn’t react and just stared at the screen in front of me.
