Normally, everyone would be itching to climb out of their Humanoid Fighters in a situation like this.
But nobody moved an inch.
There was no telling if those bugs were still lurking nearby.
"I want to go home..."
Melissa voiced the weakness we were all feeling.
Yeah, we were all thinking it.
But this was necessary. From a military standpoint, the lives of the Republic’s citizens were a secondary concern. After all, the Imperial Army’s job was to protect the Empire and its people.
But we were different.
We were soldiers, sure, but we were also students—brats in our late teens. We were the kind of troublesome creatures who lost motivation the moment we didn't feel like the good guys. If I had suggested abandoning the Republic's people right then and there, everyone would have checked out instantly. Even professional soldiers need to believe they're on the side of justice to stay motivated!
In a way, this mission was as much about maintaining the crew's mental state as anything else. That was why I forced myself to fire up. I couldn't let myself break over something like this!
Besides, this could be a Peace Flag. The war probably wouldn't end until the Mother was dead, but there might be a chance for peace with the citizens of the Republic afterward—assuming we could actually negotiate.
However, the threat of the insects had been an oversight. Everyone’s spirits were flagging...
"Ahahaha! This is for our cute junior sister's sake! Let's do this, everyone!"
Melissa laughed, and the energy shifted. Both the girls and the boys started to fire themselves up again. As I thought, Melissa really was the heart of the group.
Kevin began investigating the facility's interior using his Spider Drones.
"Those Spider Drones are way too broken... I feel like they're going to cause a terrorist incident one day."
"I wouldn't worry about it. For now, only Kevin-chan can handle them," the Fairy said with a nonchalant expression.
"How come?"
"Even with the automation, the sheer volume of tasks is more than a human mind can process. They can probably only be used by Female-type Zorks."
Thank goodness... A future hell-scape had been avoided. By the time the era of the Female-type Zorks' descendants arrived... well, I’d be long dead. Not my problem.
Kevin activated the Spider Drones and scattered them. They moved with a rhythmic clicking sound that, after our recent encounter with the insects, was a bit hard to stomach.
"Mapping the area now... This place looks like a research lab."
A research lab... I had nothing but a bad feeling about that.
"I-I wonder what they were researching..."
I shivered. Whatever the research was, I couldn't imagine it being anything other than human experimentation.
"Kevin-chan, where are the hostages?"
Claire threw out a lifeline, and the rest of us—who had been spiraling into dark thoughts—snapped back to attention.
"There's a door here that won't open... Ah!"
A sharp crackle filled the air, and the connection with Kevin was abruptly severed. All contact with the battleship, including Kevin’s feed, went dark.
"I'm switching to the Analog Line! Leo! All Communication Channels are down!"
Claire’s voice came through the emergency link.
"What about the Fairy!? Damn it! It's not connecting! Restarting..."
"I think it’s going to take a while."
We were isolated, but we weren't in a crisis yet. The battleship would realize the communication had been cut. The Fairy was probably making a massive scene right about now. If we just waited, reinforcements would eventually arrive.
...They would, right?
"So, what’s the move, Leo?" Eddie asked.
"Hmm. It’s a given that the enemy is here, but I don't like the idea of playing into their hands. I'm weighing whether to wait here or push forward—whichever the enemy would hate more. Eddie, what do you think?"
He was my trusted deputy. I was sure he’d have a solid insight I’d missed.
"If that's the case, then time is the issue. Leo, does stalling us here benefit the Zork?"
"Unless they're launching a counter-offensive. I left Tatiana behind specifically for that possibility. We can take our time, or we can go with a Blitzkrieg Operation. The point is, we don't need to force the issue."
In the end, strategy was about narrowing down the opponent's options. A Territory Game combined with a game of psychological control—I had to keep that in mind. Approaching it like a game was essential.
"So, what’s the call?"
"I think we'll wait."
Saying it out loud might have been the mistake. The alarm I’d set down just to give us a moment’s rest suddenly blared.
I hadn't even set up the Barbed Wire yet!
"Enemy attack!"
Since we weren't moving, they decided to come to us. It seemed such subtle Psychological Warfare had been lost from the Republic's civilization. They might understand despair, but the Mother likely didn't care about their tactical input.
The enemies were the familiar Parasite-type Zorks. Nauseating, mushroom-like growths were sprouted from their heads. So they could even infect living creatures too? It was almost nostalgic. Their hosts were those green-furred insects from before—praying mantises, if I had to guess, though they were distorted beyond recognition.
I opened fire with my Assault Rifle. In this confined space, we had the advantage against insects. I riddled them with holes, but even as they were crushed, they kept coming.
"GISHAAAAAAAAAH!"
An insect with its midsection pulverized lunged at us. Disgusting! It was beyond gross! It took flight, diving straight for me. I delivered a heavy kick to the main body of the parasite.
Did I crush it?
"GISHAAAAAAAAAH!"
Whoa! It’s still not dead?! I stomped on it several more times, but it continued to writhe.
"Darling!"
I dodged to the side, and Ren finished it off with a blast from her shotgun. Finally, it stopped moving. Phew.
"Leo! Here comes the next wave!"
"Open fire! Riddle them with lead! Go for the Overkill!"
I was already done with these bugs! They were even more repulsive once they became Parasites. If we had been Charging in as infantry, I don't even want to think about the body count. This was pure harassment! This kind of... Wait!
"What is it, Leo?!"
"Are they herding us deeper into the facility?"
"What the hell is waiting for us back there?!"
"I don't know, but it’s probably nothing good! In that case... we’re going sideways!"
"Sideways?"
"That way!"
I pointed toward the back-right.
"Leo! What's your basis for that?!"
"Instinct!"
"Everyone! It's Leo's hunch! Break for the back-right!"
Everyone followed me immediately. For some reason, they trusted my hunches more than my logical explanations. It was strange. I was trying so hard to be a logical Senior Officer, yet it was my 'gut' they believed in.
We reached a shutter, likely a fireproof one.
"Everyone! Get inside!"
As soon as the last person was through, Eddie and I slammed the shutter down. Phew...
When you deviate from the script, the opposition gets desperate. There's no way in hell I'm taking the Regular Route!