Chapter 35 – Rescue (3)
Rescue robot soldiers stealthily cross the beach full of silence and darkness.
An iron fence blocked the front. Above it is a pile of knife-edge barbed wire.
This port has a relationship with the maritime prison to exchange supplies and prisoners, so unlike ordinary ports, security facilities are installed.
In the distance, the target, the ferry, is visible. To get there, you must pass through the port management building.
Two squads guarded the surroundings and one squad gathered in front of the fence.
There are no hand signals to lower your voice or move your hands.
Only radio waves came and went, and their conversations were left in the chat log and sent to the screen of the central control room that I could see.
The sliding door of the fence is locked with a chain.
[Echo Squad Leader: I will secure the passage.]
A squad member came from behind and cut the chain with a cutter.
Charrrrr.
The moment I carefully open the fence, a faint scream is heard from somewhere.
Borderline for a while. However, there is no sign of infection.
“Forward with vigilance.”
The rescue team lined up through the cracks in the fence at my command.
The place they entered was neat, but there were corpses hanging all over the fence a little further away.
The decomposition had already reached its final stage, and it was horrifying to see them hanging around on barbed wire with only their clothes and bones remaining.
[Rose: Port site entry complete. Fly the drone.]
Three palm-sized silent drones take flight from Echo Squad.
The drones flew in a circle for a while, then landed in a place where they could monitor the route of operation and the escape route in case of an emergency, and switched to observation mode.
A key target, the ferry, is currently docked in the port.
In order to undocking and refueling, you must connect to the main computer of the port management office.
As a safety device in case the ship is seized by prisoners, it is impossible to undock the ship alone.
[Rose: Reached the 1st target point. To each location.]
The rescue team reached the entrance of the port management office.
Alpha Squad and Charlie Squad are armed with gas guns, flamethrowers and ammunition. It’s a set-up for combat.
On the other hand, the Eco Squad is equipped with tools necessary for sapper work, such as a fire ax, an oh hammer, and various tools based on a gas gun.
[Rose: The shutters are down. Secure the entrance.]
The field of view of the robots with third-generation night vision technology found a shutter device box.
The equipment box that manages the raising and lowering of the shutters is located on a high place, so a ladder is usually required, but there is no time to get such a thing now, there is no need.
Two Echo Squad members joined their arms to create an impromptu ladder, which the Echo Squad Leader climbed.
Their bodies, composed of steel frames, maintained their posture without a slight movement even when a giant with a triple-digit weight stepped on them.
Tight.
The lock was on, but the lid was ripped open by a steel grip, exposing the motor and circuit board inside.
[Eco Squad Leader: The electricity is cut off. I will open it manually.]
Squad leader Echo reached for the hole in the motor connected to the shutter, but his hand took a different shape than the other squad leaders.
Weiying.
The sound of an electric drill was heard and the shutter began to roll up slowly.
Gee ying.
The shutter rolls up with a heavy drive sound.
At that moment, the groaning sounded again. This time it’s big, and it’s close.
“Keep the shutter open. If you stop now, you won’t have porridge or rice.”
After giving an order to the squad leader who stopped for a moment, he continued working.
Gee ying.
The moment when I almost want to open it.
“Keeeeek-!”
Infestation emerged from the darkness.
Bang!
The security robot immediately opened fire.
An explosion of liquid gas fired a steel spike through the Infested’s head.
With a crunching sound, the back of the head opens like a watermelon bursting, and the brain and blood splatter.
“Kieheek-“
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Iron flip.
Fluff.
Quadang.
Two of the infectants died instantly after being penetrated through the forehead and eyes, respectively, and the other only wriggled on the spot when his neck was ruptured and his spinal cord was damaged.
[Alpha 5: Reload.]
[Charlie 2: Reload.]
Members of the reloading squad were covered by other squad members.
The gas gun designed by Artemis is powerful, but has a short range and only holds 3 rounds.
However, they waited for the infected to come nearby with a robot-like calmness and accurately destroyed the vital point with one shot.
There is no instinctive fear like ‘What if I miss?’.
When reloading, the hands and feet are not aligned and there is no gap.
The robot’s insensitivity and sophistication maximized its strengths while minimizing its weaknesses.
[Alpha Squad Leader: Enter.]
The rescue team quickly entered the port management office through the open shutters.
“Keeeeek-!”
Dozens of infectious entities followed after them, but it was not a wise decision to run together in a narrow place.
Fuhuaaaaak-!
The flames emitted by the flamethrowers roasted them all in an instant.
I couldn’t even scream. This is because the intense bluish-white flame burned his throat in an instant and melted even his vocal chords inside.
As we left behind them, who were collapsing into charcoal, the interior of the building was revealed.
“It’s a warehouse.”
Inside the building, there were forklifts and pallets and cargo that had fallen here and there. But the infection is not visible.
It seems that the screams are heard from outside again. Infectious entities that had been roaming around heard the noise of battle and came rushing in.
The rescue team quickly passed the warehouse and entered the corridor.
Jiying.
The last remaining Echo Squad welded the doorway. The work was over in an instant as the four robots stuck together at the same time.
Even if outside infectious agents invade the warehouse, it will be difficult to break through this door.
“From now on, refrain from using flamethrowers. If the fire spreads and the port management office’s main computer is damaged, the ferry will have to be abandoned.”
[Rose: Roger, Echo Squad Melee Infantry. Apply.]
The flamethrowers fell back, and some Echo Squad members with sapper gear and fire axes assisted the riflemen.
Due to limited ammunition, they must step up in situations where they can kill the Infected without firing.
I couldn’t help but admire the organic movements of the robots seen across the screen.
While maintaining a low posture and fast movement, do not interfere with each other’s firing angle.
At the same time, no matter where the enemy came from, at least two of them maintained a rank that could respond. In addition, one-shot one-kill accuracy and composure.
It is far superior to the subordinates I led during my active duty days.
Passing through the hallway reveals an office that has become a mess.
“Talent-“
Bang!
The infestation that appeared next to the cabinet had its head blown off before it could make a sound.
The steel spikes went straight into the concrete wall.
[Alpha Squad Leader: Unrecoverable. Go ahead.]
The gas gun designed by Artemis is a weapon that releases a certain amount of liquid gas when fired from a gas tank and explodes it, and shoots steel spikes with the recoil.
Although the operation method is different, it is a weapon similar to a crossbow, so it is possible to reuse it if the projectile is recovered.
Because of this, all squad members are programmed to judge the probability of recovering a spike with each shot.
“Kei-“
I woke up late from hibernation, but two infected people staggered from the corner of the office.
Bang! Bang!
Immediately, his head exploded and he sat down on the spot.
Truly one shot one kill. Squad members in the most effective firing positions assigned their respective targets and fired, and there was no wasted ammunition due to misses or overlapping fire.
“Kieheek-“
An infestation attacked from the crooked corridor. Because it was a sudden surprise attack, the angle of fire did not come out.
Fuck!
But the guard robot calmly hit him in the head with a butt.
A splash of blood flies off and hits her head on the wall in the hallway, then paints the wall red and tilts it slowly.
Another infection that flew over the corpse as if flying.
Bang!
Steel spikes from behind pierced his right arm and torso and pinned them directly to the wall.
Suddenly, the infectious object hanging from the wall in an alert posture convulsed and shook its head, but to no avail.
A rescue team passes by quickly.
“Keeeeek-!”
He stretched out his neck aggressively to try to bite it, but he couldn’t reach it. He howled in pain, but quickly quieted down.
Kwajik!
It was because the head was split by a fire ax wielded by one of the security robots that followed.
Chew.
When the ax was lightly shaken off, blood splattered onto the wall.
The sight of the giant robot killing the infected in one shot and then indifferently brushing off the blood from the ax was admirable.
[Rose: I will go underground and activate the emergency generator.]
The ferry can be undocked and refueled only when the main computer of the port management office is operated.
When I reached the end of the corridor on the first floor of the port management office, I saw the entrance to the basement.
[Rose: It’s a narrow street. In big and small formations.]
The formation of the rescue team was immediately changed.
They were paired up in pairs, one squatting and walking while the other moved in a standing shooting position behind them.
This is to maximize firepower in the situation of moving in a line.
Human soldiers would get cramps in their leg muscles after not going that long, but the robots advanced without any problems even with this bizarre formation.
In the pitch-black darkness, only the red eyes of the security robots shone everywhere.
Something suddenly moved out of the corner of my vision.
Bang!
“Shoot!”
I see a rat, half-shattered and pinned to the wall.
[Rose: Cessation of fire. It’s an ordinary rat.]
A melee infantryman with a fire ax approached and, using the ax handle as leverage, pulled out a steel spike and hurled it.
Clap.
The shooter who received it checks the status of the spike and reloads it.
[Echo Squad Leader: Found an emergency generator.]
Echo Squad Leader’s vision screen shows an emergency generator for a building full of diesel.
[Rose: Command.]
For important objects, in non-emergency situations, you must have my order to proceed to the next step.
“Activate.”
[Echo Squad Leader: Roger]
Wei Ying.
When the switch of the emergency generator was raised, the motor turned and entered the emergency power generation procedure.
The arrow on the instrument panel, which had been set to zero, turned sharply to the right, and power was supplied to the entire building.
At the same time, a tremendous roar filled the basement.
“It’s annoying when the building’s infestations flock to the sound. Move quickly.”
[Rose: Roger.]
Rescuers quickly exited the basement and entered the hallway on the first floor, at which point an accident occurred.
Quaang!
Two doors to the auditorium that were closed side by side next to the hallway opened as if they were about to break open, and infectious agents poured out from there.
The formation was disrupted due to a sudden flank attack.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shots were fired from both sides of the hallway as the squad members struggled under the multitude of infestations.
However, there were more infestations pouring in than infecting ones collapsing. Truly heavy duty! This will become an irreversible situation.
At that moment, the screen of Echo’s squad leader moved greatly.
He lowered his stance, raised his shoulders, and charged like a rugby player, causing the infected to fall in all directions.
He reached the entrance of the auditorium by the shortest route, stretched out his arms, and grabbed the handles at the ends of the two doors.
A temporary steel barricade was created whenheheld on to two large doors alone.
What was reflected on Squad Leader Echo’s shaky vision screen was the inside of the auditorium, waves of infected.
“Eh eh eh-!”
“Kueek-!”
“Kreurreuk-!”
Even if you catch as few as you can, more than 200 infected are running towards you.
Even as we bumped into each other and tripped over auditorium chairs, our gazes, burning with malice, fixed on us.
Additional infestations appearing to be hibernating appear everywhere.
Among them, there were also objects that appeared to be elderly people, children, and students, and this place seemed to have been designated as a shelter for nearby residents after the infection.
This is because some of the infected objects that came running were dressed in military or police uniforms.
“Kieh!”
An enormous number of Infestations rushed through the entrance, but one steel body took them all.
Numerous infestations have bitten, scratched, and beaten, but they do not budge.
In the time he gave them, all the infected in the hallway were cleared, and the flamethrowers at the back of the ranks finally settled down in front of the auditorium.
Fuhuaaaaa!
Pillars of flame emitting bluish-white light pour into the auditorium.
“Gooooo-!”
Hundreds of monsters screamed as they blazed, like a chorus from hell.
A grotesque mixture of screams of all bands that can be heard by the human ear.
The infected continued to rush into the narrow entrance like moths to a fire, and they were roasted whole.
It didn’t take long to annihilate so many infected because everyone had gathered in a small place.
There is no time to extinguish the fire. While power is maintained, ferries must be prepared quickly.
“Move! There is no time!”
The rescue team hurriedly headed to the second floor saw a charred robot in their field of vision.
A figure sitting on the floor with both hands hung on the doorknob. Head bent to the ground, motionless.
Not a personal artificial intelligence like Artemis, Rose, or Chloro, but a soulless robot that just moves according to the program.
Even so, that sublime figure was not forgotten in my mind.
