00046 --- The Little Prince in the Ossuary ---
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#Omens (2), Atascadero
The sky outside the car window was ashen. Occasionally, lightning flickered among the thunderclouds. Raindrops were pelting into the Humvee, thanks to the turret mounted on top. Fortunately for Gyeo-ul, the forward gunner, his situation was slightly better. The machine gunner sitting in the turret was destined to be drenched with rain throughout the ride.
The convoy was bypassing Paso Robles to head towards Atascadero. Even though the previously missing task force had cleared obstacles, the 40 km journey required significant time due to the condition of the road. The roads were extensively destroyed, remnants of repeated aerial bombings. As a result, the convoy struggled to maintain speed.
As they crawled over a dug-up section, like inchworms, mutated infected were chasing the ownerless horses at an abandoned ranch on the right. Spotting the convoy, they changed targets, sprinting energetically across the dead, yellow pasture, wildly flailing their arms.
The machine gunner knocked on the roof.
"2 o'clock direction, approximately 50 meters away, eleven... no, thirteen regular mutants. Engaging now."
He promptly pulled the lever, causing the turret to rotate with a mechanical whirr.
Soon, the heavy machine guns spewed fire. Three Humvees eagerly unleashed a barrage. The powerful sound of the heavy rounds was markedly different from that of personal firearms. The charging mutants were torn apart, white vapor rising from their shattered bodies, evidence of metabolic rates even more intense than human ones. The cold air likely contributed to this effect.
"Noise control. This is Task Force 331, engaging with 50 cal. Request noise support. Out."
The voice of Lieutenant Jeffrey came through the radio. As the senior officer in charge of this mission, he was in one of the following vehicles, behind Gyeo-ul.
Not long after the call, a loud noise came from three directions beyond the horizon. It was the work of recently deployed noise makers. They helped reduce noise burdens during operations like this. Without them, using heavy weapons so freely would have been difficult.
Jeffrey announced the end of firing through the radio, and silence quickly enveloped the area.
"Oh, damn!"
The driver cursed, startled as a mutant appeared at a very close distance.
Thud!
The gunner had no chance to shoot; the driver had rammed the creature head-on. Blood splattered across the windshield.
There was a reason no one noticed the mutant. Covered in mud and leaves, it looked as if it had rolled in the dirt. Lying prone like that, it was easy to miss.
"It almost seems like it was camouflaged," the driver muttered discontentedly, but Gyeo-ul didn't bother to respond.
Nothing significant happened on their way to the destination thereafter.
The state hospital, the objective, was located on the eastern outskirts of the city, hidden by low ridges, making it impossible to see until one approached closely. The grounds were vast, surrounded entirely by double layers of barbed wire, with guard towers reminiscent of a prison lining the perimeter.
In truth, it was a prison. According to the pre-mission information, this facility was used to confine criminals with mental disorders. Therefore, it was also suitable for isolating infected individuals. That's why the CDC initially chose it as a regional control headquarters.
The convoy moved to the hospital's eastern parking lot. The disembarking troops consisted of about a platoon, fewer in number than the previous task force but with relatively more combat units. Most importantly, Gyeo-ul was part of it. The soldiers considered him equivalent to an entire company. The leadership's assessment was even higher.
During the process of final equipment and armament checks, an anomaly was discovered. Lieutenant Jeffrey frowned.
"The static on the radio is incredibly bad. Is there any jamming occurring?"
"This wasn't mentioned during the briefing," the comms officer replied awkwardly. The long-range radios they brought were useless. They couldn't connect with the camp or any nearby U. S. military bases. The plan to request another round of noise support before entering was scrapped. They couldn't expect any reconnaissance support either. They had to go by the briefing information alone.
Gyeo-ul checked his own radio. It also struggled with communicating with soldiers nearby. To maintain stealth, the volume had to be lowered, making it even more challenging to discern radio chatter.
Despite this, the mission could not be abandoned. Jeffrey gathered the troops.
"Listen up. This hospital was used to confine a large number of infected individuals. The briefing said that the isolation facility should still be intact, but don't trust that. The previous task force didn't go missing for no reason. Let's proceed assuming the worst possible situation. Never get separated. Understand?"
The troops responded with short, subdued affirmatives. Jeffrey nodded.
"According to the plan, King David will take the lead. Good luck, everyone."
King David was a recent nickname given to Gyeo-ul, likening him to David fighting Goliath when he took on the Grumble. It was believed to have originated with Sergeant Cohen from Alpha Company.
Gyeo-ul didn't object to it.
Outside the hospital, there was an eerily quiet atmosphere. A few mutants moved inside the windows, but there was no gunfire. The sound of shattering glass would have been excessively loud.
The vehicles of the preceding task force were found in the southern parking lot. Several trucks and Humvees were left unattended. They weren't destroyed, had plenty of fuel, bore no signs of skirmish, and there were no bodies. The items they carried seemed to be left untouched, as if everything was as it had been when they arrived.
"Where on earth did everyone go?"
Lieutenant Jeffrey mused aloud with a troubled expression.
Now the platoon proceeded across the parking lot, entering through the main gate. A chilling wind swept through the deserted lobby. Everything was a mess, possibly caused by the CDC's evacuation. Amidst the chaos, a standout piece of graffiti caught the eye. Alongside a drawing of a long-nosed man peeking out, it stated:
「Kilroy was here.」
"Was there anyone named Kilroy in the preceding task force?"
When Gyeo-ul asked, the tension momentarily broke. The platoon members chuckled among themselves. As Lieutenant Jeffrey chided them, the radio operator replied.
"Lieutenant Gyeo-ul, that's just some graffiti. While someone from the previous task force could have drawn it, it's nothing significant."
Gyeo-ul tilted his head, puzzled, then resumed the search. Lieutenant Jeffrey left the comms officer and a squad in the lobby. They were securing a retreat path. The soldiers designated to stay gathered obstacles, constructing a position and setting booby traps.
Convex mirrors were installed throughout the hallways. It was an effective prison feature meant to eliminate blind spots, enhancing surveillance. However, it was a double-edged sword. The mutants could see in the mirrors too.
And now was such an instance. A mutant noticed them through a ceiling-mounted mirror at a hallway bend. Screeching, it charged towards the reflection, followed by others loitering nearby. Gyeo-ul gestured a signal to remain still. Jeffrey and the soldiers pressed tightly against the walls, with Gyeo-ul crouching low himself against the wall.
The mutants, charging blindly after the reflection, passed right by the entire huddled platoon at the corner. They gathered below the mirror, jumping around. Gyeo-ul affixed a bayonet to his rifle and stealthily approached the unsuspecting mutants' rear. One by one, he carefully avoided the ribs, targeting where the heart would be located.
Thud, thud. The sound of bodies stacked, like a farmer harvesting crops—Gyeo-ul methodically dispatched each one. A few soldiers joined in, partnering up for each mutant to ensure no errors.
"Remarkably bold of you," remarked a soldier, shaking his head at the stickiness of stabbing.
They paused, rifles aimed down both hallway directions, waiting for any responding newcomers drawn by the commotion.
Only one appeared. Gyeo-ul handled it.
Continuing forward, they left soldiers at crucial choke points. With their numbers dwindling rapidly, it was essential to maintain a secured retreat path and radio contact with the lobby, crippled by the decreasing communication range deeper inside the building.
Though frequent, the skirmishes were trivial. Instead, another issue arose.
"What's with all these cockroaches?"
They scurried across floors, walls, and ceilings in swarms, making it nearly impossible not to step on them. The tough bugs even climbed their bodies, prompting squeamish soldiers to shudder. Jeffrey scolded them, but he himself jumped shortly, yelling in a muted voice after a bug slipped inside his clothes. Watching him plead silently, Gyeo-ul intervened.
Smack!
Jeffrey's uniform absorbed the bug's wet remains. He wore a mournful expression.
"... Don't you think we could've handled this more gently?"
"How long would that have taken?"
Jeffrey couldn't resent Gyeo-ul. The boy seemed unfazed by the crawling invaders, merely swatting away those reaching his neck and above.
"Reminds me of when I was alive..."
The unwelcome company from his poverty-stricken home and bed.
Even in the pharmaceutical storeroom repurposed by the CDC, there were no traces of the previous task force. While the soldiers searched for clues, Gyeo-ul sought some antibiotics. He thought a small bottle might come in handy.
"What now?"
Jeffrey was discouraged. He concluded further searching the hospital held no value. He predicted the isolation ward would have been breached, but it wasn't. It remained locked as they'd left it.
It was surprisingly uneventful, with no discernible threats.
The turning point arrived through the radio. A message from the comms officer left in the lobby filtered in, albeit indirectly via relay from soldiers stationed along the passage.
"Wait, what do you mean a distress signal was received? Are you sure?"
"I was merely relayed the message, but they mentioned something odd. They suggested you hear it directly."
"Damn it."
Retracing their steps back didn't take long. The entire platoon regrouped in the lobby. The radio operator didn't look well. When Lieutenant Jeffrey inquired about details, the comms officer handed him the receiver, unsure of how to adequately explain.
Eventually, Gyeo-ul's turn arrived.
The static persisted, but amidst it, a human voice was discernible. And it wasn't just one—hundreds of voices, in disarray, interrupted and resumed intermittently, as if someone had jumbled numerous transmissions.
Gyeo-ul observed, "It sounds like the same thing is repeating."
"That's why it's even stranger,"
Jeffrey replied.
This was an unprecedented occurrence. It seemed a new element had been added to the 「After the Apocalypse」 world. Gyeo-ul leaned in to listen again.
"In the field...engagement..."
"你不......劝我......"
"Many casualties... unable to...self evacuate..."
"...... The mission... failed......"
"Casualties high... unable to...evacuate..."
"...moving to Rosa...towards..."
"......救性命......反正我......去"
"...engagement...point"
"......escaped......what?"
"你不......劝我......"
"Civilian... mission failure......"
"Can we locate the source?"
Gyeo-ul asked, but the comms officer showed a slightly troubled expression.
"It's not impossible. A brute force method would involve moving around to see which direction the signal strengthens. But it would take time. The distance is uncertain too."
The comms officer warned of the substantial time investment.
Jeffrey sat down with a heavy sigh.
"First, let's eat and figure things out. I'm starving."
---------------------------= Afterword ---------------------------=
Q. While the explanations of the game system and viewer reactions are nice, I'd appreciate more focus on story development.
A. The narrative set in the real-world background and viewer reactions are crucial parts of story development. They aren't included merely for comedic effect.
Clacky's Corner:
David vs Goliath is very apt reference.