Rust - Chapter 127



Only Krnovel

RUST -127

The sea, which had been raging, was calm, perhaps because of the underwater volcanic eruption and volcanic ash. The sea was gray and surging. Fish that had died in droves from floating rocks were swaying in the waves.

“Given the circumstances, I don’t think you have to worry about being attacked by rabid animals.”

“That may be true.”

The volcanic ash and smoke were so thick that it was difficult to breathe without wearing an oxygen mask. It was like this even quite far from Tokyo, so it was difficult to predict how serious it would be toward Tokyo.

As time goes by, the fog created by volcanic ash and smoke will settle, but as time goes by, the probability of rescue decreases. It is still too late. The search had to start as soon as possible.

“The drone crashed.”

Weeeeeeeee-ik-

with a plop!

A cargo drone carrying a box of supplies took off and fell into the sea after making only a few round trips.

“It looks like there is volcanic ash on the propeller shaft and motor.”

Fine volcanic ash caused problems with the motor and propeller shaft. A large drone that can carry up to 60 kg disappeared into the sea.

“Stop all drones and let’s do some maintenance first.”

“Damn it. We’ll move the remaining supplies to the boat.”

The port was destroyed by the tsunami, and the docking facilities were covered in debris and tangled, making it difficult to access. In addition, motorboats could not be used due to floating rocks and tsunami debris. It took almost half a day to unload supplies by rowing.

The staff kept looking for opportunities to take Ki-sun away, but Ki-sun eventually managed to break through the iron wall of defense.

“Ha- This. Well. I can’t help it.”

“I just did it according to the original contract, so I hope you don’t feel bad.”

“It’s more of a pity than a bad feeling. If an emergency situation occurs on site, the loss will be reduced if there is an experienced person.”

“I told you, I wrote everything I knew in the report.”

“Even so, isn’t it true that it was easy to get here because Mr. Bernard managed it himself?”

“Let’s say that’s true.”

Ki-sun held out her hand to the employee. The employee shook his head and took Ki-sun’s outstretched hand.

“Be careful, you pharmacist. I hope you get a good result.”

“You too. Good luck.”

Ki-sun immediately steered the ship south. The white catamaran glided across the gray sea covered with volcanic ash and floating stones.

“Beware of the pharmacist···.”

The staff member shook hands, then released them, as he watched the catamaran moving further and further away.

There was a lot of data on fighting drug cartels and drug dealers. Why did the Mozambique drill come about? Wasn’t it a way to kill drug dealers? Did they consider drug dealers more dangerous than mutated infected people?

If you go to a hospital that has a partner informant, you will know.

======

======

A secret research lab in the wilderness near Los Angeles, USA.

The researchers, who had been eating and sleeping in the laboratory for days studying mutant barnacles, looked haggard.

From people with protruding bones to those carrying rice cakes on their heads, it was hard to find anyone with a normal appearance. Even though they were all in a condition that required hospitalization, their eyes sparkled with excitement and enthusiasm.

“We have finally succeeded in synthesizing an ultra-high-performance bioadhesive using the adhesive power of barnacles for the first time in the world.”

The researchers, who looked like patients, clapped their hands and whistled. The conference room quickly became noisy and festive.

Since we were working with common barnacles, it was easy to continue our research with mutant barnacles. Now, if we could just succeed in the bioequivalence test, it was clear that it would create enormous economic value. It wasn’t just economic value.

Bioadhesives were a great discovery that would change the fundamentals of surgery. If this technology were commercialized, doctors would no longer need threads and needles. Being able to glue wounds right after surgery meant that the recovery period after surgery could be drastically shortened.

Even if a blood vessel is torn, it can be fixed. It was said that even if a nerve is severed or a bone is broken, it can be fixed in an instant.

“congratulations.”

“What? This is all thanks to the support of the government and the company.”

“What happened to the materials I requested before?”

“The cleanup is almost done. Please wait a moment.”

The research team leader pulled out a folder and handed it to the Virginia employee. The employee read the data and nodded.

“That’s fortunate. It doesn’t multiply infinitely.”

If they had proliferated indefinitely, the Pacific would be teeming with mutant barnacles.

“Yes. Their method of reproduction is also different from that of common barnacles.”

While common barnacles have a reproductive mechanism that extends their genitals to the surrounding individuals to mate, the mutant barnacles reproduce by producing larvae within their bodies and then stabbing or smearing them onto their target using their tentacle-like reproductive organs.

“As written in the data, just as regular barnacles have reproductive organs that are 8 to 9 times longer than their body length, the mutant barnacles also have tentacles that are about 10 times longer than their body length. Since the tentacles are mutated from the reproductive organs, they are very sensitive. Since the sensory nerves are condensed, they can detect temperature changes and movements of nearby objects.”

“So, even if it doesn’t have eyes, it can sense something moving nearby and either poke it or rub it.”

“Yes. Since they are larvae from the beginning, their growth rate is much faster than that of common barnacles that start from eggs.”

The research team leader compared it to bean sprouts.

“Just as soybeans sprout and grow to dozens of times their original volume with just water, the larvae are the same. They grow in an instant. In addition, the mutant barnacles grow roots like plants and directly suck nutrients from the host they parasitize.”

“···Early suppression will be important.”

“Yes. But ironically, there are biological disadvantages as obvious as rapid reproduction and growth. The rapid growth of the larva actually limits its range of movement. If it fails to attach to a moving host or object in time, it will grow too fast and sink to the bottom of the sea.”

It was said that it did not spread as far as expected.

Woo-woong-

Woo-woong-

“Excuse me for a moment.”

The employee checked the vibrating screen of his phone and cut off the explanation that was about to continue.

“I heard that Mt. Fuji, a large volcano in Japan, just erupted. I also heard that an underwater volcano erupted in succession. It is predicted that a large amount of volcanic ash and smoke will fall on the sea near Japan due to the eruption. What effect do you think this will have on the mutant barnacles?”

The research team leader said after a moment of thought.

“Both barnacles and mutant barnacles are aquatic and sessile organisms. When volcanic ash and smoke fall into the ocean, aquatic organisms die… Wait a minute. You just said that an underwater volcano erupted, right?”

The employee nodded.

“Yes. They say that underwater volcanoes erupted in a chain reaction.”

“If that’s the case… then there must have been a huge number of floating stones.”

A rock formed when an underwater volcano erupts. A huge amount of floating stones called pumice or floating stones were created.

“Why the floating stones?… Oh, the mutant barnacles are on the floating stones…”

“Maybe so. The mutant barnacles are sensitive to being approached, so it’s likely that they will.”

Floating rocks were washing up on the southern and eastern coasts of Japan, and were sure to be carried elsewhere by ocean currents.

======

======

Virginia headquarters, East Asia strategy conference room.

“It was fortunate that we survived the Tokyo earthquake and two tsunamis.”

“Yes. If there were fishing boats and other ships out there, the mutant barnacles would have spread in an instant.”

After the Great Tokyo Earthquake, it was discovered that only two ships had sailed off the coast of Fukushima, Japan. One of them was the catamaran that Maru and his party were on. The bottom of the ship was inspected and found to be free of contamination, while the other ship sank while heading to Tokyo Bay, Japan.

“We have warned Korea and Taiwan through unofficial channels, so if they quickly suppress the situation and remain vigilant, I don’t think the situation will become serious.”

One of them left the conference room for a moment, saying he had an urgent report. He returned a moment later, holding a document in his hand.

“This is an urgent report that just came in.”

As I was handing out documents to the people sitting at the desks, after a while I could hear soft curses coming from here and there.

“Is there a possibility that it will spread through floating stones?”

“Can mutations continue? Is it still mutating?”

“Let’s just wipe out that damn barnacle with a neutron bomb.”

“Are you crazy? The predicted primary habitat is near the Fukushima nuclear power plant, so you’re saying we should fire nukes there?”

“What’s not to like? Let’s shoot the mutant barnacles before they spread out in all directions on the floating stones.”

“There are over 20,000 tons of nuclear materials that have not yet been processed from the Fukushima accident. What are you going to do if you fire a neutron bomb or a nuclear weapon at them? Are you crazy?”

It was impossible to use either neutron bombs or nuclear bombs.

“Then let’s burn the sea with napalm.”

The floats float on water. If there are mutated barnacles attached to the floats, the idea is to pour napalm on them and set them on fire.

“Are you kidding me? There’s a volcanic eruption that makes it impossible to fly over that area, so how can you possibly bomb it?”

The atmosphere was becoming increasingly rough, so the deputy director tried to cheer them up.

“Let’s be calm.”

Since it wasn’t a recent riot, everyone was on edge as they had been up for several days straight.

Are there any indications that South American cartels are dealing with China? Aren’t new drugs that appear to be made in China spreading across the western region?

Pandas kept stabbing Taiwan with spears, saying they would eat it, Ukraine was crying after being beaten by a bear, and yesterday, North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile.

But Japan was ruined. I would have thought it would have been better if it had just been ruined nicely, but it was a total mess with radioactive material leaks, mutated infected people, and mutated barnacles.

After a moment of silence, someone spoke.

“Do we need to get rid of the mutant barnacles in Japan right away?”

It was a change of thinking. So, like Virginia, why don’t we just do Virginia?

I know?

Is that so?

Everyone nodded, looking at each other. If the mutant barnacles spread, they would spread to Korea, Taiwan, and China. There would be some collateral damage to Korea and Taiwan, but China would definitely get screwed.

It was the Virginians who were united in unity.

======

======

Maru sat as far back as he could in the passenger seat of the large SUV, practically lying down.

Miss Kim was also good at driving. Now that I think about it, Miss Kim seemed to be good at everything except cooking. She had some knowledge of machines and electricity, and she could even watch a little bit of programs.

“What do you see?”

“No. I just think you’re amazing.”

At that moment, the corners of Kim Yang’s mouth went up. Something about her very, very, very pleased expression flashed across her face. They say praise can make even a whale dance. Yes.

Yeah- Yeah- Yeah-

The satellite phone rang. It was Kisun.

When Maru answers the phone, Ki-soon says just one thing and hangs up.

[OK]

Tutututu

“······.”

“······.”

I had asked him to keep it brief and just tell me the results because I was afraid he might be wiretapped, but when he actually said just one word and hung up, I felt a little bad.

“It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

“······.”

It was said that he was safely on his way to Korea without being dragged to Tokyo. Then, that was fine. Kim Yang ignored Maru’s words and focused on driving.

How far did he go? Mr. Kim, who was a good driver, suddenly increased his speed and overtook the trailer truck that was ahead of him.

Maru, who had been lying comfortably, suddenly looked at Ms. Kim, who was speeding up. Regardless, Ms. Kim, who had been driving straight ahead of the trailer truck, glanced at the rearview mirror and furrowed her brows.

[What’s going on?]

The driver of the trailer truck spoke into the walkie-talkie. When Maru checked his rearview mirror, he saw a passenger car passing the trailer truck.

Instead of answering, Ms. Kim slowed down. Then, the van following her also started to slow down.

“There is someone following you.”