Rust - Chapter 241
Only Krnovel
RUST [RUST]-241
Maru, freed from the stuffed animal of his dark history, was furious.
As Maru began to hunt down the humans who had set off the flash, the National Guard, local police, and ambulance arrived along with Homeland Security agents.
“Calm down.”
“How can you calm down when crazy people are taking pictures in this situation!”
“If you hit with that fist, ordinary people will die. Do you intend to kill people? Hold on.”
“I told you not to hit me. Just···.”
I was just trying to pat him to tell him not to do that next time. Maybe 5-6 weeks? If you pat his arms, legs, fingers, and toes, won’t he reflect on it?
“Don’t do this. Save the people. What will happen if you do this?”
“······.”
Agents calming Maru down, saying that if he touches civilians, he might accidentally get his nose pierced.
“Okay. Instead, give the guys who took the pictures financial treatment. If you don’t give those guys financial treatment properly, I won’t help them next time. Please tell the manager that too.”
“···I will do that. Please calm down for now.”
While those who were trying to cover up Maru’s dark history without any concept applied for a financial education course, the National Guard and police cleaned up the scene.
“What is this···.”
“oh my god.”
“They said a monster appeared···.”
“How did you cut this?”
They were surprised to see a giant coyote and horrified to see its head cut off.
“Look at this. The hair looks like needles.”
“The leather feels like flexible sheet metal.”
One of the cops shook his head as he poked at the leather with a knife. The leather was so hard to get the knife into. How did he cut this? Did he use a chainsaw or a lightsaber?
“How many people died?”
“How would we know if there was no body?”
“They say he ate it all without leaving a single piece.”
“Anyone injured?”
“It’s a serious injury. He was scratched by a coyote, but it looks like he was attacked by a bear.”
When we checked with people, the death toll was around 10. Considering that five monster coyotes attacked, the death toll was relatively small.
“I’ll make sure to deal with the people. And thank you for your hard work.”
One of the agents thanked him. Maru, who accepted the greeting awkwardly, started crying.
“···Yes. Well. But if I sleep in Rapid City, things will get complicated the next morning. What do you think?”
A monster coyote had appeared, and word was sure to spread that someone had defeated it. Local broadcasters and reporters would be on standby from dawn. There would be plenty of things to turn down, starting with the mayor’s audit.
Wouldn’t it be better to avoid it?
So the Homeland Security agents ran all night, and Maru, the AI autonomous driving car, fell into a deep sleep with a light heart. Sleep was sweet.
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The Yellowstone incident galvanized the military and the federal government.
“Does this make sense?”
“The search party was completely wiped out by a snake. What kind of disgrace is this!”
“It’s a wild animal and an endangered species, so we have to catch it first.”
The National Guard of each region was mobilized. They were able to mobilize quickly because they had already been called up during the outbreak of the mutant virus.
The goal is to deal with wild animals. Since it is known that one of the routes through which animals mutate is through the food chain, it was agreed that we should first try to reduce it.
“Have you read all the precautions?”
“ancient!”
“Okay turtles! Lift your butts and move!”
Maru’s response became a kind of on-site guideline.
Seize the high ground. Secure communications. Move to solid rock. Secure a retreat. Above all, the most important thing is to approach them as trained guerrillas, not simple beasts.
“From there, the bushes grow thick.”
“Climb up the tree. Climb up and put the rope over there.”
If the ground is unstable and visibility is poor, climb up a tree.
Soldiers moving between trees using ropes.
If you suspect an ambush, try inserting a CS bullet.
“There’s something a little strange over there.”
“CS bullet!”
Boom- pushshushshush-
There was nothing. But there was nothing I could do. The forest was difficult to see with satellites, and reconnaissance with drones wasn’t always accurate.
“Damn, how much CS ammo do I have left?”
“1st Platoon has 2 rounds left, 2nd Platoon has 2 rounds left, 3rd Platoon has 1 round left.”
“From now on, we’ll stick together. We’ll only use two more shots and hold our ground until supplies arrive.”
In half a day, requests for assistance came pouring in from all directions.
“The consumption of materials is too severe.”
“We need more manpower and supplies.”
The result of fighting the monsters for half a day was dismal. Moving in Maru’s way was too slow.
The damage was definitely reduced, but it was difficult to handle the amount of supplies consumed. In particular, the consumption of CS bullets was enormous.
Spraying CS bullets allowed us to avoid ambushes and made retreats easier, but it also had the opposite effect: the monsters would run away and we’d have to chase them again.
“We need more troops to surround it.”
During the three days Maru was on his way to Detroit, 80,000 National Guard troops fought a bloody battle against mutated wild animals, and the results were not as good as expected.
“We need to reorganize squad unit weapons.”
“The squad should have Javelin missiles and Barrett sniper rifles, and the platoon should have at least three heavy machine guns.”
“You must have an exosuit.”
This means that each platoon would need 3-4 expensive exosuits. It would take at least 2-3 years to increase firepower to this level.
It would be better to go to war with another country than to play hide-and-seek with crazy monsters. Since the enemy I was fighting had changed from humans to monsters, I had to change all of my main weapons.
“It is difficult to replace weapons right away, so let’s start by supplying Javelin missiles and heavy machine guns.”
The federal government turned its guns on the mutant monsters, but the truth was complicated.
“The National Guard has been mobilized to fight the monsters.”
“This will allow us to effectively control the force that each state can deploy, which is great.”
“80,000 is not enough. We need to secure at least 70% of the national defense force.”
The purpose of mobilizing troops was to suppress the subversive movements of some radical state governments. The state governments have the authority to command the national guard in peacetime, but in times of war and emergency, the authority is transferred to the federal government. By mobilizing the national guard, the power of the state governments was weakened.
“What will China do?”
“Is China the problem now? Let’s put out the fire first.”
“The situation in Russia and Ukraine is also a problem.”
“What’s more important is domestic issues.”
The meeting went on for a long time.
Rumors that the federal government was mobilizing federal troops and state guards to begin a campaign to exterminate the monsters have given rise to conflicting opinions.
‘The army has been mobilized, so the monster problem will be solved soon.’ Those who thought that the situation would end soon were those who thought, ‘The army had to be mobilized to catch the monster. Does that mean that the situation could be dangerous?’
What happened in Yellowstone began to spread among the upper class and the wealthy. It was shocking that the giant snakes were systematically attacking the military.
There, the snake grew every time it shed its skin. If a snake grew 10 meters in a few months, what would happen later? What if it started shedding its skin over a period of years?
There was no law that said that monsters like the ancient giant snake, Titanoboa, could not appear. What would happen if a snake with a body length of 17 to 20 meters appeared and a giant crocodile with a body length of over 10 meters appeared?
“That’s a stupid idea. Even if such a thing were to appear, one Hellfire missile to the head would be enough to finish them off, and a generous amount of Javelin missiles would be enough to take them down.”
A story like Jurassic Park is literally a movie.
“The place where the army is now is a forest. A forest. Do you think a missile can avoid all the trees and hit the monster in a place with so many trees?”
It was a missile that could destroy tanks and armored vehicles if it hit them, so it was a natural thing. However, whether the missile could hit the target was a separate issue.
“Even with the new weaponry of the 20mm Vulcan, we were defeated by a snake, so it is foolish to blindly trust modern weapons.”
“When do you think this situation will end?”
“······.”
“······.”
“It certainly may not be a situation that can end in a short period of time like war.”
Most of the upper class had nuclear bunkers, but it was starting to feel like it wasn’t enough.
“If it becomes a problem in the long term, we will probably have to have our own production facilities.”
“Hmm – that’s definitely true.”
If it was going to be long, it had to be able to sustain itself. A place suddenly came to mind.
“Do you know the Ark Tower in Detroit?”
“You mean that place where they did that funny commercial?”
“It’s the place that was advertised for occupancy.”
People laughing in vain. It seemed like everyone knew each other, perhaps because they were famous for their cult-like HOLY.
“It is clear that the facilities are fully equipped to prepare for the end times.”
“The facilities were great, but the advertisement itself was novel.”
“They said they were screening people there.”
“It is said that even a Middle Eastern prince applied for residency, but was rejected.”
“It turns out that the rumor that even a Middle Eastern prince was not allowed to move in was true.”
“What I’m saying is that money isn’t important.”
“Then what is it?”
“They say it’s mainly researchers and people with specialized skills.”
‘Why?’
‘Isn’t it true that highly educated and skilled people are overflowing with humanity?’
‘For what reason?’
‘Is it really true that we are gathering the seeds of civilization as the name ARK suggests?’
‘I thought that a crisis was coming to modern civilization.’
With China in turmoil and Russia exploding, it seemed like something was going to happen even if there were no monsters. Even if there was no war, what if the monsters spread around the world?
It is currently spreading mainly in Japan and the United States, but I did not know that it would spread in the future. There is talk of a mutant cockroach spreading from China, so it is highly likely that it will spread to Central Asia, India, the Middle East, and even Europe.
“We need to build a facility in New York.”
“Someone to make it in Chicago.”
“There is a good piece of land in Boston for our family.”
“If we start construction now, it will be too late. There is a big building. It would be good to start construction right away by joining forces with people who have land nearby.”
In large cities and large towns, construction began by focusing on buildings and large structures, while in less populated areas, construction began by purchasing abandoned missile bases and military facilities.
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If I had driven autonomously and arrived alone, it would have taken about a day and a half, but it took three days because I was escorted by Homeland Security agents to avoid getting caught up in the middle.
While I was passing by, I received requests to subdue people here and there, but I ignored them and returned. Since the National Guard had been mobilized, I could deal with coyotes, but they were too much of a joke.
[···It is because of cost issues.]
“I guess so.”
The National Guard had to deploy over a hundred men to catch a few coyotes. They had to surround them. If they failed, they had to surround and chase them in a wider area with more troops, so the cost quickly increased. But what about the floor? Wasn’t it the ultimate in low-cost, high-efficiency?
Arriving at the building, I felt somehow warm. It hadn’t even been a week since I left, but I felt like I was back home. As expected, being outside the house was tough.
‘huh?’
But something felt empty. Starting from the main gate, it felt like the number of security guards had decreased significantly.
Since it was security, there was no way the password would have overlapped. Could it be that there was a coronavirus outbreak? The only people allowed to enter the building were nurses and security guards. Maru thought that he should first check with Ms. Kim.
“Where is Miss Kim?”
[Located in the restaurant area of Zone A1.]
By the way, it’s lunch time.
‘We can eat together and talk.’
The restaurant was quite crowded. Maru’s eyes caught the small platform in the center. Just looking at the platform, he could tell that it was exactly like Ms. Kim.
Maru, who confirmed Kim Yang’s location, chose the menu. Today’s recommended dish is a unique menu item called Spicy Stew, which is full of nutrients.
A spicy-looking soup came out, topped with a heap of shredded meat. It was said to be Korean-style, and the smell was quite Korean.
Oh- That sounds pretty plausible?
Maru, who had high expectations due to the plausible appearance and smell, sat down across from Kim Yang. Slurp-slurp- Kim Yang, who was eating absentmindedly, nodded at Maru. ‘Wow, delicious. Yes.’
Okay. If it tastes as good as Kim Yang promised. Slurp- Korean soup. And it’s a spicy meat soup. How much is it?
“Ah- this-”
It was a real country.
“Hey- this tastes special.”
It wasn’t beef, nor pork, nor chicken. When I was well off, I ate venison, and it tasted similar. But was venison cooked like this?
Maru and Kim Yang finished their meal in a good mood.
“Did you have a nice trip?”
“Yeah. Nothing happened?”
“None. Oh? They took away about half of the Homeland Security guys.”
“···when?”
“It’s been about three days. They said they couldn’t do anything because they were too short on manpower.”
“Didn’t you say that if I leave, I won’t accept you back?”
It was Ms. Kim who nodded.
“I can’t help it.”
With people missing, artificial intelligence and automatic turrets had to take their place.
“And there were some people who said they wanted to come and see it.”
“Tour?”
You want to take a look around here?
“They looked like they had a lot of money. They said they were planning to make something similar to this and wanted to give me some reference.”
“I said it was okay. What kind of field trip is this?”
While Maru was away, neither Hood nor Dr. Pity caused any problems. The two AIs were said to be very helpful to the research team and were well-received.
“They said strawberry harvest would start soon.”
“Is it already like that?”
Nod.
“I ordered a lot of snacks from the nearby mart. Did they all arrive?”
“Everyone is here.”
When we talked about snacks, I remembered the spicy soup I had earlier.
“What kind of meat was that for lunch?”
Ms. Kim answered with an expression that said, ‘What are you talking about, you said you like meat?’
“I told you it would be delicious.”
“···I told you it would be delicious?”
Has any meat said that to you recently?
uh?
A memory that suddenly flashes through my mind.
So this is, so this is.
“Is that the coyote you caught last time?”
“huh.”
Kim Yang tilted her head because Maru’s expression upon hearing the answer was really strange.