Chapter 76: Life and Mission |
Standing apart from the conflict, Kyle and Number Four both fell silent.
They were waiting for a rebuttal, hoping for some logical flaw in her words, but the Captain's silence had already revealed the answer.
"The Bureau knew all along..." Kyle stammered. "They knew what was down here..."
"They did not know about the monsters."
Holly finally spoke up.
Using her good hand, she patted Kyle, prompting him to set her down on a rock. She barely managed to sit steady, her back facing the luminous body, hiding her face in the shadows.
"When the base was established a dozen days ago, they sent a team of Engineers to conduct deep scans of the underground.
"They mapped out the complex underground structure here and discovered this cavern—a massive natural cave. In the core area, there is an ancient artificial well that leads straight down, its top connected to the Basement of a building. Thus, the N0 Team set out from there and began their descent, while the Engineering Team on the surface continued to provide them with remote command.
"It took them a few minutes to reach the midpoint of the Vertical Shaft, and then, both the N0 Team and the personnel conducting Observation of the cave structure from the surface... The report only said 'data deleted.'
"So you brought us here to die," Vanessa interrupted.
"I wanted to bring you all home!" Holly could not help but raise her voice. The effects of her medication were fading, and she had to clutch her left rib just to continue speaking. "We, along with the first three teams, were all tests. Testing whether a squad could advance smoothly, testing the Entity's level of interest in humans and former victims, and judging its level of intelligence... We were in the Front Hall, and we were supposed to evacuate safely, get out, and regroup."
"Yeah, let this connected guy evacuate, and then I can come back down with your people to physically test just how sharp those things' blades are. There is clearly a path leading straight to that super Cognitohazard, yet they refuse to drop a few nukes or thermobaric bombs to wipe this place clean first—"
"Traitor, our primary mission is containment!" Number Four aimed his weapon directly at Vanessa. "Have you been recruited by an external organization? Can you finally not keep up the act anymore, planning to sabotage the mission at a time like this?"
"Just because I don't want to die, I am a traitor? Fine, I have had enough of this anyway!"
"Stop it, don't—" Kyle pleaded.
"Benjamin already killed hundreds of them. With enough bullets, I could slaughter them all by myself! What are your true intentions?"
"Put the gun down, Igor!" Holly commanded.
"Then go kill them! Come on, aim right here, bring it on! Let's see who is really the one sabotaging the mission!"
Kyle rushed between them, shoving his own head right in front of Number Four's gun barrel.
Spreading his arms, he easily pushed the two of them aside.
This was easier than he imagined, as both Mobile Task Force elites were completely exhausted, lacking the strength to struggle against him.
"I seriously doubt your sanity. I am clearly the most unstable one here—look at this, look! Reinforcements are already on the way! They mobilized War Hammer. Half a battalion is coming, they are on their way!"
Kyle flashed the Communication Device in front of their eyes, moving it so quickly it was just a blur.
He did not dare let them see the message sent by Command Headquarters: [Continue executing the mission, establish a Stronghold to receive reinforcement troops], nor the directive issued by Dump Truck: [Gather more intelligence]. These ruthless yet logical orders would only trigger a firefight right now.
Vanessa tried to bypass Kyle, but she was not faster than his turning speed, and she finally fell silent.
She was tired; shouting those few sentences had drained all the energy fueling her anger.
Number Four lowered his gun, aiming it away from Kyle, and said in a bleak yet resolute tone, "Even if we are here to die, this is our mission. If we die, more people will live."
"Finally..." Kyle exhaled.
Thank the heavens, they had made so much noise arguing, yet it miraculously had not attracted any monsters. This place was supposedly their core and broodmother's nest, yet there was not a single Ovisac within a radius of several hundred meters. There was only that dizzying, blinding radiance that made the back of his hand itch.
Just as he managed to stabilize the situation, Holly's voice suddenly echoed beside him.
"We are pushing forward."
Kyle was nearly frightened out of his wits, staring in her direction in absolute disbelief.
The half-crippled Captain had actually leaned against the rock and, despite her cognitive protection being damaged, managed to stand up on her own.
Before Vanessa and Number Four could object or resume their argument, she continued speaking.
"I really want to do the dangerous work you refuse to do, but in this state, I would only mess things up. Number Six, you and Number Four go set up the Explosives. After completing the mission, we will find a place to defend and wait for reinforcements. Consider it... my request. We have made it this far, and people have died for this, but our mission is not over yet. I can feel that we missed some key information. We have not grasped its true pattern... Before the reinforcements arrive, we have to do something more."
"...Do you think playing the emotional card will work on me? I am not even on your team."
"Use a physical fuse, and I will detonate it," Holly said. "I know there is a severe Cognitohazard over there, but Kyle can help."
This statement made the other two look over at Kyle.
From beneath her Helmet, Holly looked at him calmly. "Kyle, can you do this?"
The back of Kyle's right hand was itching even more fiercely. Mustering his courage, he squinted at the glowing sphere, confirming that he truly remained completely unaffected.
"I can. I have... I have some support equipment given to me by a VIP. That's right, it's Dump Truck. He gave me some anomalous gear that wasn't on the manifest, allowing me to resist the Cognitohazard."
It made sense; earlier, the red eyes of the moth hadn't interfered with him either.
'Am I considered "one of their own" in the eyes of the Anomaly? Have I become an inside man infiltrating the Anomaly's faction?'
"I will definitely complete the mission, Captain!"
The name "Dump Truck" was highly effective, but this claim still sounded incredibly suspicious. Not only Vanessa, but even Number Four was a bit skeptical—he was the one who helped Kyle adjust his Life Support Suit before the operation. Where exactly was this special equipment on him?
But who would lie and try to act tough at a time like this?
"I have no problem with it either," N4-4 said.
The pressure finally fell onto Vanessa.
Under the trio's pleading, indifferent, and uneasy gazes, she loosened one of her backpack straps. She took out the Explosives with damaged casings and various related equipment, laying them all out on the ground like a street vendor. She tossed aside the ones that were broken or severely deformed, wiped off the residual slime, and carefully took inventory.
"I need a detailed structural blueprint of that area."
"Igor, give me your sonar." Holly held her hand out to Number Four.
The latter froze for a moment. After handing over the device, which was no larger than a relay baton, he dropped his hand, appearing to fall into a stupor.
Concentrating all the massive risks onto the person making the decisions—this was the only way to allow the mission to continue.
"We are short on Explosives... No, wait, we have exactly enough. Good thing I stuffed these in my pocket... We have enough fuses too. Two sets are the safest bet, no need to worry about malfunctions. I can also make a relay to extend the distance a little further. Assuming this whole place doesn't cave in, as long as you find cover a hundred and fifty meters away, you probably won't feel anything more than a strong gust of wind." Vanessa pulled a pack of Adhesive Explosives from the front zipper of her Suit and set it aside. "Three detonation points. The noise will be loud enough to wake an entire city. If we are lucky, we can shatter that sphere. If we are unlucky, we can at least evacuate while they are confused."
"Excellent."
Holly broke into a fit of coughing. Kyle reached out to support her, but she pushed him away. Taking the initiative, she leaned on his shoulder to stand fully upright and took a step toward the glowing sphere.
"We make our move, and then we go home."