Rust - Chapter 272



Only Krnovel

RUST -272

Satellite photos showed what appeared to be a hazy black cloud.

A huge area covering not just one block, but several blocks. Are these all birds? Were there really that many birds in that neighborhood?

Chief Dan Brown pressed his thumb to his temple as a stabbing headache arose.

I remembered.

The incident where Vladimir Maru encountered a flock of birds. He chased away the mutant birds and sent back various samples.

“Whew- Going by helicopter is going to be tough.”

“We sent a helicopter, but we lost contact.”

After the nuclear explosion, helicopters that did not go out to the EMP became truly precious. Those precious helicopters were blown away alive.

“If all those were birds, how many would there be?”

“According to measurements made by AI and a supercomputer, there are at least 1 million of them.”

“There are over a million mutated birds?”

“It’s not just Detroit. It’s this way too.”

In Texas, giant wild boars began to swarm in their thousands, leaving behind devastation that could be seen by satellite.

“The largest one is about the same size as a main battle tank.”

“A wild boar approaches an 8-meter-long tank? Huh- This isn’t a movie, really···.”

The giant wild boar captured in satellite footage wasn’t just about size.

“The Texas National Guard shot them with a 12.7mm gun, but it didn’t work.”

“So you’re saying that it has to be fired at 40mm or more. In fact, it’s correct to view it as an armored vehicle.”

It was dizzying to think that there were thousands of bio-armored vehicles swarming around, devouring everything.

The fatal problem is that it is disconnected. The United States was a big country. The blood vessels and nerve networks that connected the big country were the infrastructure, such as roads, railroads, communications, and the Internet.

However, due to the mutant virus incident, these things became dangerous. The distribution network and connection network that were barely maintained were completely cut off when the nuclear bomb exploded. The power of the federal government was bound to be weakened.

Now that the federal government’s greatest force, the Federal Army, is focusing all its efforts on China’s air power, separatists are starting to raise their heads. Texas is a prime example.

After the Texas Cavalry and the Texas National Guard were annihilated in the West, the Texas state government and Congress joined together to rebel against the federal government.

‘The federal government deliberately sought to weaken Texas’ power.’

‘It is clearly wrong to conscript all troops and supplies to punish China while mutant monsters are running rampant.’

To be honest, it wasn’t that I didn’t intend to weaken the power. It’s true that there was a secession movement in Texas after the mutant virus incident.

But it wasn’t intentional that the soldiers would die. Who would have predicted that China’s nukes would fall on an empty field rather than a city?

But the Texas legislature and state government were so angry that they refused to talk to the federal government. Several states, led by Texas, began to show signs of secession, and the federal government ordered the Department of Homeland Security and Virginia to quietly retire the separatists.

‘In the midst of a national crisis, they are plotting division. There is evidence that Chinese and Japanese funds are behind them. Since this is not a situation where they should go to court, let them rest quietly. Quickly. All of their relatives.’

The United States federal government could never tolerate attempts to create division during a war with China.

‘They say they sent three teams from Virginia.’

‘We have lost contact with all the teams we sent to work with in Virginia.’

Virginia agents and Homeland Security agents who were working to clean up the Texas Legislature and state government have gone missing. Literally missing.

Virginia, her pride hurt, scraped together the human resources she had and sent the job again, but she went missing again. As the notorious Virginia suffered two consecutive failures, Homeland Security Director Dan Brown could only think of one person.

‘Vladimir Kalin is the right person for this mission.’

Results of supercomputer simulations using artificial intelligence. When Vladimir Kalin was deployed on a mission, the success rate was over 99%.

I need it right now, but I can’t get in touch with it. I can’t communicate with it, and I can’t send it directly.

“The aftermath of a nuclear explosion is serious.”

“Didn’t you say there were fewer casualties than expected?”

“That’s the problem.”

“Wh- What part exactly?”

“The mutated virus outbreak has led to severe logistics congestion.”

“With the EMP terrorist attack in the western region, virtually all water movement from the western region to the central and eastern regions has stopped.”

Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles. The three major ports in the West were blown away. They were full of goods being imported and goods being piled up for export.

“In this situation, there is a high possibility that food stockpiled for export and import would have been contaminated with radiation if a nuclear explosion occurred.”

It would be nice if the number of casualties among civilians was smaller than expected, but the number of casualties is still the same, and the food is contaminated with radiation.

Processed foods such as canned or bottled foods were somewhat okay, but grains and milled foods were dangerous.

“I’m worried about the present, but I’m more worried about the future.”

“It is difficult to predict how many years it will take to obtain parts and repair agricultural machinery.”

Mechanized agriculture. In fact, farming in the United States was done by farm machinery. That was blown away by the EMP caused by the nuclear explosion.

“So, agricultural products that have been stored for export and import will have to be discarded. A large number of agricultural machines will break down, causing problems with food supply?”

“Yes, it is May now.”

From late April to May, it was the time to plant wheat, rice, beans, and corn. But it was over. So what about next year? Will we be able to recover next year?

“······.”

“Fuck. I can’t guarantee next year either.”

There is a joke that the US, once so affluent, could feed one or two starving countries with just the food scraps it produces, but the US is now starving. It’s not a cheap joke.

“First, we need to figure out the food stocks across the country. Stocks that are safe from radiation.”

“Send the kids to the agricultural machinery parts supply and repair department. Recruit the people involved in that area.”

“The separatists… Just locate them and tell them not to touch them. We’ll just monitor them for the time being. Virginia will take care of the rest.”

Because we had to put out the fire right away.

======

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Mr. Kim climbed up the wall and began to watch the surrounding area.

It’s been three weeks since the nuclear bomb was dropped. A lot has happened in those three long and short weeks. First of all, we no longer have to worry about the people gathered at Vladislav Tower.

The mutant virus has spread among the people. Most of those who were protesting and shouting have been infected, so they no longer need to be treated as civilians.

‘Because they’re just infected.’

The second week was the most frustrating. Those who had been protesting with banners and signs had not responded for over ten days, and then suddenly started attacking.

They may have called it a surprise attack, but it would have been impossible for there to be no warning when individual people were moving in groups of tens of thousands. The result was that they suffered casualties in the tens of thousands in an instant, and then they started waving banners and signs again.

If you just look at the content written on the banners and signs, it seems like he was being treated like some kind of evil person.

‘killer!’

‘Are you planning to starve me to death?’

‘A dirty world where only white people survive!’

‘Let’s die together when the nuclear bomb explodes!’

When threats, accusations, and fights didn’t work, those who sold out the children began to appear.

‘My child has been starving for two days.’

‘Please give our child something to eat.’

It was an attempt to climb up the ladder with the children in front, but the AIs immediately responded with automatic turrets. The order they received, whether it was the children or anything else, was to clear out anything that came up.

‘Why can’t you just go somewhere else? Why did you come here and do this?’

‘Because of the EMP, everything will break down, like the car and everything else.’

‘If your car breaks down, what good is leaving your legs behind?’

‘We didn’t loot first.’

Kim Yang couldn’t understand. The reason why they attacked Vladiak Tower instead of going elsewhere was because Baekjeong and himself didn’t plunder people.

So, he said that gangs or cartels would go from house to house, looting. And they would spread rumors. Rumors that Vladislav Tower was crazy rich.

Because when people who were completely robbed by those words flocked to this place and released their supplies, they could just loot the released supplies again.

What if people gather but don’t release the supplies? The angry people will attack Vladiak Tower, so they can drain the power. Isn’t it a good idea to do both? That’s the prediction of the intention.

‘You can think of them as people who take out their anger on quiet kids but can’t say anything to bullies.’

Kim Yang had never been to school normally, so she had a hard time fully understanding Maru’s words, but she understood that he meant that she would yell at those who bullied her and would be quiet.

It was a bit ironic that those who couldn’t fight gangs or cartels with their lives came here, making excuses about being children, seeking their right to survive, and trying to loot with guns.

‘That’s the end of it now. It seems like everyone is infected.’

What can we do if we are warned that we are infected with a mutant virus?

Symptoms that occur when infected with a mutant virus.

Anger management problems occur and intelligence gradually deteriorates. As the disease progresses, memory loss similar to dementia occurs and drinking and eating decreases significantly.

At this time, their actions slow down, they become sensitive to sound, and when stimulated, they suddenly speed up. At first, they eat plants and animals, but later they become carnivorous.

They tend to mainly eat the brain and heart. Those that eat the brain and heart gradually become smarter and bigger.

Among those who were staggering around like zombies, there were a few who had mutated and were exceptionally large, but Kim Yang wasn’t that surprised. They were guys who had fought a lot in Japan.

Kim Yang, who was organizing her thoughts, frowned at the sound that was irritating her nerves.

Kaaaaaaah

Caw- caw- caaeek!

The birds were chirping, centering around the crow.

The bird is chirping? What era is that from?

Kkieeeeeek

Kkiei-kkiei-kkieeeek

Birds that literally scream loudly.

‘These things are unusually noisy today.’

Ms. Kim immediately radioed Maru. She told him to contact her if anything seemed strange. Yeah.

[The birds are strange.]

[how?]

[Crying loudly.]

[Just leave it. You must be bored.]

Maru was calm. The ground was surrounded by infected people, and the sky was surrounded by flocks of mutant birds, so it was easy to think of it as a natural defense wall.

[It’s nice because they’re here, so no one comes in a helicopter. The building is also soundproofed, so it’s quiet inside.]

[The corpses that were rolling around the outskirts are gone. All of them.]

In the early stages of the infection, those who still had their wits about them cleared away the corpses that had been left behind from fights. The piled up corpses that had been cleared away disappeared without a trace at some point. Maru came outside after hearing that the corpses were gone.

“where?”

[Over there. There were corpses piled up on the outskirts. Weren’t they there just yesterday?]

It was definitely so. Maru, who was looking around, raised his head and looked at the building across the street. The rooftop of the building across the street was full of birds. There were birds everywhere, including the power lines.

“I guess a bird ate it.”

[Then why don’t they eat it?]

It was Ms. Kim nodding towards the slowly moving infected people.

“Look at the way you’re sitting. You must be waiting.”

[Are you saying you’re waiting to become a corpse?]

“It was the same in Japan. The infected people suddenly started going wild and came in like a wave.”

[Ah- So you’re saying they’re expecting them to run in here and get killed?]

Kim Yang nodded. It wasn’t a zombie wave, but it happened occasionally. So does that mean there’s a wave here like in Japan?

“I guess that’s what it is, seeing as the birds are waiting? Diana? You heard? Arm the people.”

Contrary to expectations, the day ended without incident.

“I guess not today. Let’s eat.”

[What’s on the menu?]

Maru laughed in vain at the sudden question.

“Ha- Donkatsu.”

The Department of Homeland Security, Strategic Command, and the Department of Defense contacted us several times a day. After three weeks of no response and silence, we started using the radio.

“It’s strange to hear a story like this on the radio.”

Maru agreed with Kim Yang’s words, munching on thick-sliced ​​pork cutlet.

[···The United States of America is currently facing challenges it has never experienced before. Terrorism, disease, mutant monsters, looting and rioting, drugs.]

[The aftermath of nuclear war will be a difficult time for everyone. But we are citizens of the United States. Not just citizens, but citizens of the United States…]

The Department of Homeland Security told me that I had to go on a top-secret mission with my agents, and that the future of the United States depended on it.

The Strategic Command heard the Homeland Security using the radio, and gave an order using the radio to mobilize to the Chinese front.

“Are you going?”

“Are you crazy? If it’s just a few hundred or a few thousand, I can spend time reducing the number, but how can I break through a number like 100,000 or 200,000?”

It was Maru who spoke as if it was really impenetrable. At that moment, the sound of a machine gun being fired was heard.

[The infected are flocking in.]