Chapter 99 – Blood Pack Technology (1)
There is a saying that gives a bottle and gives medicine.
This is something that everyone has experienced at least once in their lives, but you can really feel it when you carry out an infiltration operation in bad weather.
Flashing.
A white flash sparkled in the dark world and then disappeared.
Everyone who tried to hide themselves is brought out one by one in front of nature’s wrath.
In a situation where you are infiltrating a den where enemies lurk, you are an unwelcome guest.
Rumbling.
Two seconds later, a loud noise shakes the world. This is a welcome guest.
For those who go into hiding, thunder is like being embraced by God.
“The weather is amazing for once.”
Raindrops fell like crazy on the corner of my mouth as I spoke my thoughts.
Below the helicopter I boarded, I could see a vast expanse of coniferous forest. Numerous tall pine trees sway in the wind and rain.
The scene, bleached by lightning and distorted by darkness, was reminiscent of fanatics raising their arms and responding to the stage rather than the beauty of nature.
Gurgling!
Although it is the worst flight, the expedition members in the helicopter stare straight ahead without moving a single inch. Only the red eyes showed that they were at work.
The 12.7 mm combat rifle on their lap is truly reassuring. If they breathe fire, it will be a good match with the thunder outside.
We are probably the last remaining army on this land.
Support from aerial bombardment, field artillery, or armored units cannot be expected. The enemies are a horde of infectious agents that attack even more fiercely than drug-addled rebels.
As we had to overcome all adversity with infantry armament, changing our service rifle to 12.7 mm was an inevitable choice. This is because the problem of 5.56 mm’s lack of firepower has become more and more prominent.
Some members are armed with fully automatic shotguns equipped with new ammunition feed devices. Special bullets can be fired without changing magazines, allowing you to respond to various combat situations.
The rainy and windy forest may seem empty at first glance, but it is not like that at all.
“Thermal imaging telescope.”
A telescope was placed in the hand held out behind the back. When I use it, I see red and yellow lumps lurking throughout the forest.
In the past, I would have smiled happily thinking of mountain birds and squirrels, but now…
Among those lights, how many species are native to Earth? At least we are at least halfway with the infectious agents?
A red mass runs over the tree in an abnormal motion. It pounced on the yellow mass curled up among the branches. There are yellow fragments! It spreads.
When I took off the thermal imaging scope, I saw a rough flowing river.
The once transparent water surface has become turbid with dark clouds, and the current is as ferocious as the teeth of a wild beast.
When it projects something as pure as it is clear, it is beautiful, but when it projects something that is cloudy, it becomes infinitely gloomy.
The ducks that were commonly seen are not seen at all today. I hope everyone hid in a safe haven.
Although Shelter has an incomparably more powerful force than at the beginning of the infection, ultimately it will be impossible to purify this world with guns and bombs. Their numbers will be much greater than our bullets.
After leaving the mountain, a city appeared in front of us. A ruin full of destroyed buildings.
It’s charred, collapsed, the windows are broken, and ugly reinforced concrete sticks out like an open fracture.
The crosswalk where people once waited while looking at their cell phones has turned into a puddle big enough for an elephant to swim in.
As a result of the missile bombing, there are probably quite a few human bone fragments down there. Even though the infected agents drag the corpse away, they do not even pick up the shattered remains.
The ceiling of the coffee franchise, which was filled with customers without a trace, has disappeared. You can see the charred seats and counter. The bundle of ribs visible between them is shaking in the wind.
Kwak!
Every time lightning struck, the road lit up brightly. This is because glass fragments falling from broken vehicles, armored vehicles, and tanks reflected the light of lightning.
It is a sight of complete ruins, but the city is not empty.
Normally, there would have been a huge number of infected organisms swarming around. However, when the weather is like this, they hide from the rain.
In the subway, in a cave, inside a building, or depending on the entity, underground.
This is why we chose to fly in bad weather.
[Look at what these idiots did. Look at the results of power struggles, avoidance of responsibility, and uncontrolled greed. This is the end result of the sudden rush that was swayed by all of that.]
Artemis said.
Before the infection outbreak, the top priority for politicians and high-ranking officials at the United Nations was to prevent a war crisis triggered by their own mistakes.
The alien ship that appeared in Mars orbit at that time must have been like a rope.
As Artemis called it a sudden rush, the exploration was extremely political and urgent.
Many of the protocols that should have been in place were ignored. There are even voices expressing concern about what lies at the end of that rope.
The result is as everyone knows.
[Even though they could have resisted by joining forces, they end up fighting among themselves.]
I may not have said this for you to hear, but I don’t know what to do. Artemis must have realized that and didn’t say anything more.
There are many buildings that are split vertically, revealing their interiors like an anatomy map. It’s surprising that it doesn’t collapse even after that.
“It’s terrible.”
Hundreds of pairs of precious eyes are looking at me from the collapsed section. These are infectious agents. There are not just one or two such buildings.
Do they also feel down in weather like this?
It stares at me with eyes burning with hatred, but it doesn’t scream or move from its seat.
I was fortunate that the space between me and these guys, who were less than 200 meters away, was filled with empty space and rainwater.
Flash!
Rumbling!
A white flash penetrates the inside of the collapsed building, and the twisted human figures are bleached white.
In my current state, I feel like a soul who has narrowly stopped at the threshold of hell.
For example, just before crossing the River Styx, the emergency room doctor used an electric shock device and his heart started beating again, and he returned to this world.
What kind of expression will the dead make when they look at that lucky soul from across the river of hell?
That was the sight of infected entities looking at me from inside the collapsed building.
Kwaak.
The hand holding the gun naturally takes strength. The exchange of glances lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like minutes to me.
There are many buildings with SOS or HELP written on their rooftops.
“What is that?”
I saw people waving their arms in one of the buildings. I wake up.
“A survivor!”
[No.]
Artemis denied it.
When I looked through the telescope, my identity was revealed. It was an infectious agent. To be exact, a variant.
It is a unique walker with flowers near its head, like a half-man, half-plant.
They are stretching their arms toward the sky like Andrew Dufresne escaped from Shawshank.
The arm was discolored green, and the texture was similar to a plant stem and was flaccid here and there.
There’s a needle-like thorn at the end, but if you get pricked, it won’t end up leaving a hole. Just by looking at it, it looked like it was being used to inject something.
They are sobbing, as if they are happy to be exposed to the rain all over their bodies. I don’t know if infected entities understand the concept of happiness.
[30 seconds to target point.]
A huge building can be seen in the distance. It is probably the largest building in the city. The following is written on the building:
Blood Pack Technology.
It is usually abbreviated as Blood Tech.
The helicopter hovered at the top of the building.
[The heliport is severely damaged, so landing is impossible.]
Looking at the traces, more than 70% of the top floor was destroyed, as if it had been swept away by a missile explosion, and the slope was steep.
“No problem. Let’s descend like this.”
The scenery below is brutal. Everything on the street seemed so small.
Even though the pouring rain was thick, it disappeared as it fell far below. As if an invisible hand intercepts a raindrop.
[Now.]
Artemis gave a signal when the wind weakened.
Kiiiiing-.
Climb the rope and quickly get down to the rooftop. Since the helicopter approached close to the rooftop, it didn’t take long for it to land.
Thud! Boom!
One by one, the expedition members land. This is the ‘Predator’ series in which the proportion of metal in the original has been reduced and supplemented with reinforced plastic materials.
The ‘Sleeper’ series, which is mostly made of metal, is not suitable for infiltration missions.
It was so heavy that the elevator was full, and when heavily armed, it easily reached the Black Hawk’s weight limit.
There are also problems such as the floor collapsing in areas where the ground is unstable, or the places you hold or step on when climbing up or down a rock wall break.
Therefore, research on weight reduction is continuously ongoing.
Boom!
After the last member landed, the helicopter turned its nose.
[We can’t keep it afloat due to fuel problems. We’ll send them to a nearby safe zone and call them in when they withdraw. Keep in mind that even in an emergency situation, it will take at least 3 minutes to arrive.]
Artemis warned.
“You’re coming in 3 minutes? “Isn’t that incredibly fast?”
She seemed to think it would take a long time, but to me, a former military barbarian, it was like a high-speed call taxi.
Clap, click.
The crew loaded and released the safety device all at once.
The helicopter is moving away.
“Whoop, haha.”
When I looked down, I saw six pairs of red eyes looking at me. A hundred warriors per day that have been carefully tuned by Artemis in both hardware and software.
“Move.”
I headed towards the entrance door in the corner of the rooftop. Looking at the LED at the top lighting up, the building’s power is alive.
To ensure safety, the crew inspected the entrance and surrounding areas.
[Access denied. Illegal access via an irregular route has been detected. The security protocol will be activated after 10 seconds.]
The security device that recognized the operator spoke in a mechanical female voice.
“Open the door.”
I approached and said.
[Access granted. Interrupting the security protocol.]
The door opened.
[Welcome to your visit, Commander Seo Jin-su.]
I put on an airtight helmet and gas mask as I watched the crew entering the open doorway one after another.
The logo engraved above the door is a shield made of platelets.
Bloodtech’s trademark means saving humanity through blood.
As cultured meat technology became commercialized in earnest, it became possible to manufacture artificial blood using its derivative technology.
It is inevitable that blood trafficking will be legalized and a company that specializes in it will be born.
Bloodtech went beyond simply manufacturing blood for donation and also accelerated research to enhance the performance of blood itself.
There was also a promotional catalog sent to the shelter.
『
From astronauts who climb on rockets with the national flag on their chests, to police officers who protect good citizens, to firefighters who enter a fire pit when everyone else is escaping, to soldiers who take care of the front lines for the safety of the nation.
Do you know what the most important thing is in the jobs above where you risk your life and contribute to society?
Protective gear? Life insurance? Not all.
It’s blood!
Blood carries oxygen and energy to your body and provides immunity.
But unfortunately, our blood is an outdated model that is millions of years old. To be exact, it was a spherical shape.
Today, our blood pack technology has developed blood so advanced that it compensates for millions of years of stagnation!
』
The catalog introduced how a body flowing with artificial blood could accomplish great things and save lives in many dangerous situations.
A representative example is improved endurance. We emphasized that using our own artificial blood is far superior in improving cardiopulmonary endurance than artificial lung procedures, which are very risky and have many side effects.
Including that it provides complete immunity against all types of blood-based diseases and infections.
[Progress enough to compensate for millions of years? You only have this much?]
However, Artemis’ reaction was that she was shocked. The features and magnifications shown in her catalog seemed insignificant to her.
[If you just provide the original technology, I will show you true progress.]
Artemis spoke loudly, and naturally this place was selected as the next expedition destination.
Of course, it’s not just because of her rant.
Blood culture and functional blood were mouth-watering technologies, but I was also attracted to the fact that the company was researching immunity to various infectious diseases.
When he was conscripted into the country after the war, research on extraterrestrial infectious agents would have been intensively conducted.
The research data will be of great help in preparing for potential infections within shelters.
The CEO’s office was two floors below the top floor. High-ranking people from all over the world prefer high places.
Thanks to that, it was comfortable for us. If you walk down the emergency stairs from the helipad and open the fire door, the CEO’s office is right nearby.
The hallway I quietly opened the door and entered was dark.
[Blood traces found.]
[Check blood stains here too.]
The members who immediately dispersed and entered the perimeter reported.
“There’s blood everywhere, but there’s no body in sight.”
From my experience so far, it is by no means a positive sign.
The CEO’s office was blocked by a tempered glass door large enough for six people to pass through side by side.
There were signs of damage to various parts of the door, so it appears that the infected organisms attacked, but eventually withstood it.
[Can you open it?]
Artemis asked.
This is a door for VIPs that has no external terminal and can only be opened from the inside. I took out a tool from my bag.
“Who are you talking to?”
The facility capture specialist is out!
Giiiiing.
It took 30 seconds to open the door.
The 2nd unit lowered its stance and charged in, aiming its gun.
Shoot!
What welcomed them was an empty room and wind and rain.
Rumbling!
For a moment, a flash of light illuminated the CEO’s office, which was in shambles. Raindrops fell into the CEO’s office, and documents flew around every time the wind blew.
“Close the door and be on guard at the entrance.”
[Lager.]
The agents closed the entrance we came in and pointed guns at us from behind.
The CEO’s office has an entire exterior wall made of glass, and is a model that can be shut down and shut down. It is currently down to the bottom.
[I will play the surveillance camera video.]
Artemis inspected the CCTV in the CEO’s office and transmitted the video to my PDA.
[Kyaaaaa!]
A man in his 40s can be seen holding a bottle of liquor and blowing the bottle.
Beyond the glass door where he stands, a chaotic city unfolds, with flames and black smoke rising. Occasionally a fighter jet passed by low.
[Boom!]
[Cow!]
Silhouettes of infectious agents constantly attacking can be seen on the bulletproof glass door at the entrance to the CEO’s office. Even their cries.
When the chairman activates the remote control, the glass on the wall falls to the floor and a loud noise is heard.
Explosions, tearing screams, gunshots, buildings collapsing, flames rising, and the cries of monsters that overwhelm them all.
The city was on the verge of destruction. If you were in the position of the man in the video, you would have known that the country of Korea itself was on the verge of destruction.
There is nowhere to run.
Gulp, gulp.
He was blowing on a bottle again and suddenly threw the bottle outside.
[Fuck.]
He stumbled for a moment, probably because he suddenly drank too much strong alcohol and became dizzy, but then he got his bearings and walked to the window.
[Under! This is so crazy…]
With his arms outstretched to the sides in the shape of a cross, he fell forward and disappeared from the screen before he could finish his sentence.
[End playback.]
Artemis said.
I picked up the remote control that was on the floor and activated it.
Geeing.
The glass wall went up and the crazy noise of the rain and storm disappeared.
Although it was possible to obtain information about management through the computer in the CEO’s office, information about research records could not be obtained.
However, you can check which stairs you should aim for through the building blueprint on the bookshelf.
“Come on, let’s go.”
Our primary target is the development department in the middle tier. I plan to rob this company of all its resources there.
Kwak!
Pure white lightning struck behind us, creating a bizarre shadow.
As if he doesn’t like us trying to hide from the eyes of monsters.
