Apocalypse Shelter Administrator

Metacraft Cybernetics (3)

Even if an apocalyptic disaster leads to a state of emergency lockdown, it's essential to understand what's happening outside. It’s dangerous to completely cut off interest in the outside world, even in a closed city.

In such situations, relying on national or other companies' satellites isn’t a good idea, so the shelter launches its own low-orbit satellites for use. Since the goal is not to provide nationwide service, the satellites are designed with a focus on long lifespan and reliability, and being low-orbit means they respond quickly.

However, there are limitations in communication range, and the satellite imaging function can only identify large objects like terrain, buildings, and weather activity in limited areas. These shortcomings can be supplemented with drone reconnaissance.

As we landed at the target site, a barren land with not a single blade of grass stretched out before us. This place is open, with no vegetation to obstruct the view, and the ground is a uniform ochre-brown color.

"Entering the premises."

The uphill road leading to the research facility’s main gate is littered with abandoned buses and trucks. Most are civilian vehicles, but there are occasional military trucks, specifically the K-511, a rusty vehicle commonly referred to as the ‘deuce and a half.’ Though retired from active units, it’s still handed down to reserve forces and remains in use.

"Begin searching."

The robotic squad members, each carrying backpacks instead of reserve rifles, dispersed to search inside the vehicles. Their goal was to eliminate any infected that might be in hibernation and to scavenge anything useful.

Bang! A gunshot rang out. It came from the direction of the bus.

The rules of engagement for this mission mandate a shot to the head unless the body is completely decayed to bones. This was a tactic chosen because the research facility is in a remote location and houses only a small number of people.

Another gunshot followed, this time from behind the deuce and a half. After passing a damaged road, we reached the front gate of the target facility. It stood in a desolate wasteland, a bald mountain towering in the middle, and at its center, the research facility stood.

The large iron gate, typical of military installations, was half-open. The lower half was a solid iron plate, and the upper half consisted of iron bars. The lower part of the plate was riddled with bullet holes.

Inside, the premises were in utter disarray. There were three piles of sandbags stacked up to the height of an adult man's chest, one of which was covered in dried bloodstains. Next to them, a severed arm lay on the ground. It was already decomposed, with only the bones remaining, but in its hand was a severely damaged K2 rifle.

Corpses of soldiers who appeared to have died in battle were scattered everywhere. Though their bodies had fully decayed, their military uniforms, bulletproof helmets, and many wearing gas masks made them look as though they had died just recently.

[Jinsoo, gas mask.]

The smell of dried blood, crumbled bricks and concrete, abandoned vehicles, and decaying bones filled the air. This was the smell of a battlefield. It’s always an unpleasant odor, no matter how many times you encounter it.

[Jinsoo, put it on quickly.]

At Artemis’ urging, I took out my gas mask and put it on. Once it was on, I took a breath, then blocked the filter and took another.

I confirmed that the airflow was blocked.

[You were supposed to wear it as soon as we got out of the car, remember? Don’t make me nervous.]

“Sorry.” I apologized to Artemis and focused on the path ahead.

The dead soldier leaning against the sandbags was missing his head. One body, seemingly attacked from behind while trying to flee, lay face down with its back vertically split open. Bone fragments from the spine were shattered and scattered, creating an unsettling sight.

Several large and small buildings were visible, but they were just for managing personnel and resources needed for research. The real research facility was underground. Using the abandoned containers and vehicles as cover, we moved toward the underground research facility entrance.

[One on the third-floor outdoor stair railing, another at the edge of the roof.]@@novelbin@@

Artemis, who was analyzing the combined views of the team, sent out observation details. Infected creatures, with weathered clothes and dried, cracked skin, stood blankly in those positions, likely having been exposed to the elements for a long time.

I gave a small hand signal, and two simultaneous gunshots rang out. The one on the roof collapsed, its head bursting, while the one at the railing was hit in the shoulder as it moved just before the shot. ℟å𐌽ꝋ₿Ę𝐒

The squad member who fired maintained their aim for a second shot. The infected lost its balance, tumbling off the railing, and the squad member’s rifle tracked its fall.

Thud! The infected hit the ground headfirst, its neck snapping back, followed by its waist bending backward. It didn’t move afterward, like a puppet with its strings cut.

More bodies were scattered along the way. Most were fully decomposed, though some were half mummified. We’d encountered several of these on the way here, but I couldn’t figure out why there was such a difference, given they were all in the same environment. According to protocol, the robots began confirming kills on any bodies that weren’t just skeletons.

“Eek!” As the heads of two bodies were smashed, an infected creature stood up between them.

Bang! Before it could even steady itself, it was shot in the back of the head with its brain matter splattering out as it collapsed. At last, after passing by the large bus, the entrance to the underground research facility came into view.

“Grooo…”

“Grrkk…”

Piled on top of each other in a chaotic mess were at least 20 corpses, and more infected creatures, slightly outnumbering the corpses, wandered around. It seemed they all tried to take refuge in the research facility but couldn’t make it inside. They died in despair outside.

Among the corpses, many infected roamed. There were scientists in lab coats, workers in uniforms, soldiers presumed to be reservists, and even an infected woman wearing rubber boots and an apron, likely a housekeeper who had fled here during her work.

Most were in a state of hibernation but seemed disoriented, having just woken up after hearing the gunshots. It’s fortunate they woke up now instead of crawling out at a critical moment later.

I gave a hand signal, and just as we had trained, the squad members spread out, with only a few sentries while the rest prepared for a coordinated strike. Each took positions: some behind cars, some under cars, some behind sandbags, building walls, and trash bins.

I checked the PDA, which showed that each squad member had a target infected locked in their sights.

“Fire.”

Nearly 30 guns fired simultaneously, but only a few gunshots were heard. Infected creatures collapsed with their brains spilling out everywhere, and any survivors were quickly dispatched with follow-up shots.

"Clear away the corpses."

The robots were quick to react and moved with efficiency. Showing no respect for the dead, they grabbed the corpses by their limbs, even by their necks, and tossed them into a corner.

Among the bodies, something caught my eye—it was the skeletal remains of a woman. You might wonder how I could tell it was a woman when only bones were left. It was because there was a small bone in the area where her womb would have been.

"Damn it."

[I'm sorry.]

The small bone hadn’t even fully formed yet, making it look more like a tiny animal than a human. Finally, as I approached the skeletal remains of the pregnant woman before me…

"Wait…"

A robot paused, looking at me as its hand extended toward the body.

"No, continue."

For a moment, I wasn't sure why I wanted to stop them. Was it because her skeleton was special? Should it not be thrown like the others? Should I personally carry her remains with care, even though I had executed confirmed kills without hesitation?

I tapped my forehead lightly to shake off the sentimentality. This was a battlefield, and such emotional acts could lead to danger.

Before the bodies stood a sturdy iron gate. On the left side was an access security terminal, and in the upper right corner, I could see a surveillance camera. On the automatic door were dried bloodstains, and pieces of fingernails were stuck to it as if they had been glued there with the blood.

As I approached the entrance, the camera moved in response. This meant there was still electricity, but it didn’t guarantee there were any survivors.

Facilities of national importance like this research center were designed to have their own power supply. Without human maintenance, they'd eventually stop working, but they could last for a significant amount of time.

[Authentication complete. Welcome, Commander Seo Jinsoo.]

The recorded voice of a woman announced my arrival as the security system disengaged and the door opened. The interior, too, hadn't escaped the disaster. Bullet marks and spent shells littered the straight corridor that extended from the entrance.

The underground research lab had a structure reminiscent of a department store atrium. There was a large central space, with hallways on the first and second floors, and at regular intervals, labs were placed along these corridors. The walls along the hallways were transparent glass, allowing a clear view into the labs. At each end of the hallways, stairs connected the second-floor walkway to the atrium.

This was just one of several identical wings that repeated throughout the facility, connected by dark tunnels roughly 40 meters long.

"It's too dark."

Although the facility had power, it seemed to be in energy-saving mode, only illuminating emergency lights like those used in fires. Half the squad remained on guard while the rest spread out to scavenge the military equipment.

[5.56mm magazine * 3]

[5.56mm magazine]

[5.56mm magazine * 3]

[KMARK-1 * 2]

[5.56mm magazine]

[Military first aid kit]

[Military first aid kit]

Notifications of the scavenged items popped up on my PDA attached to my arm. Though nothing particularly exciting, as the facility was defended by reservists. The items were either outdated, having been retired from active duty, or things we could already produce in the shelter.

Still, it's better than nothing.

Even if outdated, they still had value as research samples for Artemis.

[Jinsoo, check the corpse three meters to your right.]

At her suggestion, I saw the upper half of a soldier's body lying on the ground, with the lower half seemingly missing. A military PDA was attached to his arm. I connected a cable from my PDA to his, temporarily powering it up and retrieving the last audio log it received.

『This is a broadcast from the defense commander in the command control room! The outer perimeter has been breached! All personnel, retreat to the underground labs immediately! The exterior entrance will be sealed in two minutes! I repeat, abandon the surface! The entrance to the underground labs will be sealed in two minutes! All personnel, retreat now! Rescuing isolated civilians is prohibited! Bring as many weapons as you can and fall back!』

"The entrance to the underground labs was sealed, yet they still failed to hold the line?"

[Either the infected breached it after the doors were closed, or the infection had already spread inside.]

As I listened to Artemis, I scanned the area ahead.

[Search complete.]

One of the squad leaders reported back after searching the hall and the research labs on the second floor. Unfortunately, there wasn't much of value. This was just the first wing of the underground lab. Beyond it, much remained hidden in the dark, waiting to be explored.

"Keep advancing."

With unwavering resolve, the iron soldiers marched forward into the darkness.