00035 - The Little Prince in the Ossuary
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#Clown (2), Santa Maria
The next day, at dawn, 5:50 a.m. Central Parade Ground.
Gyeo-ul arrived on time. Two MH-6 helicopters were warming up their engines. They were small with round shapes, not quite military-like. Long metal plates were attached to either side, allowing people to sit with their legs dangling out. Only the seat for the boy was empty. Those who sat before him showed interest. Only the public affairs officer was indifferent.
The rotors started spinning at precisely the right time. "Tak-tak-tak-tak," the unusual noise, quieter than expected. The pilot mentioned special noise reduction equipment had been installed.
As the rotors reached a critical point, Gyeo-ul felt a sudden pressure, a sense of defying gravity that tightened around his chest.
The sky came closer and the ground receded.
Sunrise had not yet arrived. In the cool, azure world, the sky was the boundary between dawn and morning. The landscape swept by below his unsupported feet. A season with the same name as the boy.
Gyeo-ul reached out towards the wind. Waves that would never get wet flowed between his fingers. A sergeant who had been watching with interest issued a warning.
"Lieutenant, you might fall."
Even the viewers' screams were accumulating. Spectators from another world sharing the boy's sensations. They clamored for his fall. They hoped for it. Though there was a safety harness, it wasn't fastened, and while there was a handle, he didn't hold it. His nerves must have been on edge.
The helicopter tilted. The flight path bent. The safety of the camp was always the highest priority. Hungry creatures running beneath with all their might, numerous from all directions. Even with reduced noise, it was still a helicopter. Both helicopters hovered at an appropriate spot for a few minutes. Once they were sufficiently lured, only then did they resume flight.
"Have you ever ridden a helicopter like this?"
To the sergeant's question, which warned of safety, Gyeo-ul shook his head.
"This is my first time."
At least for this iteration. The sergeant found it amusing again.
"You really are fearless. Better than most rookie lieutenants."
"I'll show you something better in actual combat, Sergeant Greg."
"I'm looking forward to it."
With the time remaining until arrival, Gyeo-ul checked the equipment he received. What he originally had was good, but for filming, he received even better gear. A new rifle, various accessories, a receiver-type radio, and a much lighter bulletproof helmet (OPS-CORE). Some were not even officially supplied.
The landing zone was behind a ridge where the highway ran. By approaching through the canyon, less noise would reach the city side. Several rangers guided the landing.
The temporary company headquarters for the Rangers was a lavish mansion. Besides the main building, there were two annexes, a large swimming pool, a ranch, and pleasant fences. It generated its own power via solar panels.
The location was also excellent. The house couldn't be seen from the road, as the ground was lower.
"Wolf Leader, this is Wolf Three. Circus Team arrival confirmed."
Communications from the Rangers came through the radio.
The Circus Team, they were called. The call signs were all a mess nowadays. What would Gyeo-ul's assigned sign be? Anything would be better than 'Banana', but probably not by much.
As expected, among the information to familiarize himself with, Gyeo-ul's call sign was 「Clown」. There was no need to stop by the headquarters. The joined Rangers showed brief interest in Gyeo-ul. Their expressions were not friendly. They looked at him like a rookie. They introduced themselves briefly and insisted on moving immediately. It was so rushed, there wasn't time to determine who was who. It showed what they thought of the mission.
Amid this, one person properly greeted Gyeo-ul.
"I saw you on TV. You did something brave."
A man in different attire, offering a handshake. Gyeo-ul nodded.
"Second Lieutenant Han Gyeo-ul. I still don't have an affiliation."
"Sergeant Perry of the Santa Maria Police SWAT team. City guide. Though we won't be going in today."
His role was to advise on drone flight routes. For any contingencies beyond set paths.
The Ranger platoon leader cast a bothersome look.
"No time to waste. Let's not hesitate."
They started walking. Divided on both sides of the road, on guard from all directions. To the Rangers, the 'Circus Team' was just an escort target. With Gyeo-ul and the public affairs officer's filming crew in the middle, the Rangers shielded front and back.
Sergeant Perry walked right in front of Gyeo-ul. Glancing back slightly, he spoke in a low voice.
"Please understand, Lieutenant Han. These people are struggling. They're mentally exhausted."
"How long have they been out here?"
"I've been here about a month, but I'm not sure about the Rangers. They haven't left the contaminated area since the chaos broke out, apparently."
Indeed, the platoon was a bit small. Gyeo-ul counted numbers. About a ten percent manpower loss. Under normal circumstances, they should have been rotated to the rear.
But nothing was typical in this era. A gradually crumbling world.
Seems they heard the low conversation. A nearby Ranger snapped. Told them not to waste their breath. Perry chuckled apologetically, sporting a good-natured smile.
7km was over an hour of fast walking. Hard to remain silent all the way. Perry leveraged his conversational skills to build rapport. Curious about the state of Camp Roberts and sharing what he knew in turn. All still in hushed tones.
"Santa Maria was among the cities where evacuation was most successful. The mayor acted swiftly. Requested the National Guard through the governor. It was a bit chaotic, but compared to the other cities' pandemonium, it was nothing. 97% of the citizens evacuated safely."
"So what happened to the 3%?"
"The last rescue request from Santa Maria was two months ago. An amateur telegraphy attempt."
He couldn't see the sergeant's expression.
"Is there still no possibility of survivors?"
"Conducted constant close aerial reconnaissance. Recently, the Rangers' scouting, too. But in two months, no evidence of survivors has surfaced. Possibility..."
He trailed off. The conversation that followed lacked the same flow.
The city loomed larger.
They moved onto a southern single-lane road, avoiding the conspicuous highway.
With intensifying tension, chatter naturally diminished. However, unexpectedly, the public affairs officer broke the silence.
"Damn. Why are there so many damn wheels...?"
There truly were many. On the road, in the grass, everywhere you looked, a few could be seen. Big bugs flapping around. Familiar to the Rangers, they merely grimaced. The public affairs officer and his team were disgusted. Flap flap. A flying insect landed on Gyeo-ul's face. He casually brushed it off.
Finally, they reached the embankment. Cross the bridge, and it was the city of Santa Maria. The filming crew set up their equipment. On the Rangers' side, two soldiers operating the drones began their tasks. They tested fuel levels, signal reception, and various functionalities.
Among the features was a noise maker. Lowering the volume, they checked if it worked properly.
"Screams, huh?"
Numerous people's death cries, a chorus of desperate screams and moans.
When Gyeo-ul asked, the soldier replied nonchalantly.
"Standard noise has low lure efficiency. They react well to human voices, and much more to screams. It's not good to repeat short patterns, too."
Surprisingly earnest response. Gyeo-ul regarded it as respect for rank.
The drone took to the air.
The control unit looked like a small bag. It was a rugged laptop dedicated to drone control. The public affairs officer stood beside Gyeo-ul, watching the screen. Alleys and streets zipped by swiftly. The drone's sensor rapidly tracked heat sources. It was unknown how many were inside buildings, but the mutants on the streets alone were numerous.
"Quite a lot considering most citizens escaped."
As the public affairs officer muttered, the soldier sighed with a bothersome but sincere answer.
"They swarmed in from surrounding areas. It's not just here. Somehow they gravitate towards urban centers."
"Why?"
"If we knew, we wouldn't be here, right?"
A curt response. The public affairs officer frowned. Gyeo-ul knew the answer but didn't mention it. It was information beyond reach at this point. The control AI would either calibrate through scenario algorithms or, if impossible, attempt a rollback. (Roll-back: reverting time to a point before an error.)
Frequent rollbacks would incur penalties.
The infected mutants preferred the shadows. They gathered quietly in dark alleys, staring intently at sunlit streets. If anything alive passed by, they would rush in madly.
Finally, the camera caught Grumble. The soldier reported.
"Spotted Boogie One. Boogie Two is closeby. At the intersection of Donovan Road and N Broadway."
"Damn. Why is it so far today? Usually, it loiters on the outskirts."
The platoon leader grumbled, checking the fuel state.
"How much fuel left? Can we lure them effectively?"
"It's tight, but manageable."
The soldier deftly operated the controller.
It wouldn't do for the drone to be visible in open sight. Shrill screams from a visible hunk of metal were ineffectual. The drone hid in an alley and played the first scream. On screen, the figures in the alley stupidly looked up. Occasionally, Sergeant Perry added advice.
The drone spotted the lured group upon leaving the alley. Small, agile mutants charged first, with the two Grumbles trailing sluggishly. Massive bodies that only moved when directly visible.
Mutants that hadn't moved from the alley, upon seeing those that did, frenzied and joined.
The soldier used the speed difference to separate the Grumbles from the regular ones. It wasn't their first attempt. Mutants sprinting, more resilient than humans but not without limits. After luring them about 1km south, the mutants were exhausted. Quite a number were trampled to death among themselves.
Some incoming mutants joined the energetic chase. The fatigued ones were crushed.
Having separated them thus, the drone returned north. Lowering the decoy volume, it lured only the two Grumbles that lagged behind. Curious about the invisible screams, the two giants started following.
"Can we take down both at once?"
"We can."
To Captain McGuire's question, Gyeo-ul replied calmly. The captain muttered something to himself. Even with technical correction, it was hard to discern.
For a few minutes, the lure process went smoothly.
When the drone popped out of the alley and made noise again, everyone watching and the operative were shocked.
"Platoon Leader!"
"I see it...!"
On the screen, people waving at the drone. They must have come out upon hearing the noise, then noticed the drone. Suddenly, the people recoiled in horror. The soldier hurriedly spun the controller. The screen flipped over.
Opposite were the two Grumbles.
The creatures had turned the corner. Yellow eyes fixed on the humans. Healthy prospective hosts.
Or, food.
「Kraaaaaaah!」
A thunderous duet. Audible from the central district this far, it was loud enough to hear with the naked ear. It was a sound that would draw in nearby mutants. Immediately, the sound of a building being smashed was deafening.
"Damn it! Deck! You and your squad stay here and protect Circus Team! Drone Team! Report the surrounding situation to me! Losing the drone is optional! And you! Report to headquarters! The rest, follow me!"
"I'll go too."
"No!"
The platoon leader flatly rejected Gyeo-ul's request but paused for a moment, surveying the boy with narrow eyes. After a moment, he spoke in a near-warning tone.
"Stick close behind me."
"Yes."
Then Sergeant Perry added, "I'll guide you."
"... Are you prepared?"
"This is my post, and this is my job."
The platoon leader nodded. The assistance from a cop knowing the city layout was appreciated. It was worth the sacrifice.
"Run! Find a suitable vehicle while running!"
Even whispered, the message was clear. The Ranger platoon's response was immediate.
Once more, the sound of a city block being demolished. The sight of debris flying was stark even from a distance. Soldiers sprinting toward duty. The hurried tromp of military boots echoed together.
---------------------------= Author's Note ---------------------------=
1. Correction from the last episode: The walking distance was mistakenly mentioned as 2km—it is indeed 7km, as noted in this episode. I will eventually organize the actual setting details and post them on my blog.
2. In terms of average reader age, this novel might rank first on Joara. Everyone seems to be over 40 thousand years old...
As the writer, I will continue striving to protect the childlike innocence of adults over 40,000 years old.