Swan Song and Steel
Call it persuasion, or call it negotiation.
Either way, I had a few methods to make the Operator retreat the multi-legged tank.
But that was only assuming the Operator was in any condition to listen.
"Too late."
She wasn't dead yet.
But she couldn't exactly be called alive, either.
Blood and cerebrospinal fluid leaking from her eyes and nose had already formed a dark puddle. Her arms and legs, still desperately clutching the drone, were bent at grotesque angles, twitching spasmodically.
I had seen this sight countless times on the battlefield.
This was the inevitable end for Operators who pushed their hacking limits to protect their comrades.
A state where the brain was so severely damaged that they could no longer function as human beings.
The side effect of extreme over-computation.
Once it reached this stage, it was over. It was practically brain death.
"At least let it be quick," I muttered, drawing my combat knife and stepping toward her.
A mechanical voice rasped from the drone she was cradling. It was surprising. She was still conscious?
She seemed to have forgotten exactly who had ambushed whom in the middle of a radioactive wasteland.
"The one who betrayed Sergeant Yang Guk-tae's will isn't me, Operator. It's you."
Static was heavily bleeding into her voice. Her time was running out.
"Sergeant Yang Guk-tae wanted to retrieve the AI hidden in the ruins. To prevent it from becoming an enemy of humanity."
"Let's say Maetan found the AI. Even then, it wouldn't be an enemy of humanity yet. It would still be under human control. But you called a multi-legged tank. Now, that thing is going to slaughter everyone in the ruins and take the very AI you wanted to retrieve."
For them, the absolute best outcome was finding and destroying the AI—CC.
The lesser evil was letting Maetan take the AI.
The absolute worst outcome was letting the Machine Species seize it.
And that was where the Operator had failed.
Blinded by revenge, she had discarded the lesser evil and chosen the absolute worst.
"Maetan, who wants to find and use the AI, versus you, who couldn't control your rage and handed the AI over to the Machine Species by summoning a multi-legged tank. Who do you think betrayed Sergeant Yang Guk-tae's will more?"
"Sophistry? I'm sure the late Sergeant Yang Guk-tae would be absolutely thrilled to see the Machine Species retrieve the AI."
"But you still have a chance. Order the multi-legged tank to retreat."
"Think about what you'll say to Guk-tae when you meet him in the afterlife. Will you tell him, 'I handed the AI over to the Machine Species to avenge you'? Or will you say, 'I carried on your legacy and did my best to protect the AI from the Machine Species until the very end'?"
"The choice is yours. Is it rage? Or is it conviction?"
It was clear the Operator harbored intense feelings for Yang Guk-tae.
Whether it was romantic affection, admiration, or wartime camaraderie, I didn't know.
In truth, it didn't matter.
What mattered was that Guk-tae was important enough to her that she was willing to throw her life away for revenge.
Even so, could she bring herself to act directly against his core beliefs?
I dug deep into that vulnerability.
And I succeeded.
The continuous gunfire suddenly ceased.
Looking back at the ruins, the multi-legged tank had ground to a halt.
Suddenly, a crystal-clear voice echoed from the drone.
"Impressive. The Swan Song Phenomenon."
Just before death, a human brain is said to experience an explosive surge of electrical signals across all its regions.
In that final moment, an Operator's computational capacity spikes exponentially. It was named after the myth that a swan sings beautifully just once before it dies.
The swan's song—the Swan Song Phenomenon.
"Sergeant Yang Guk-tae was mistaken."
"He thought of me as a comrade. He assumed that because I lost my brothers-in-arms to the Machine Species, I shared his hatred."
"He only thought that because he didn't know how our Shoeshine Unit was wiped out."
The static screeching from the drone grew increasingly violent. The end was near.
"We didn't die fighting the Machine Species."
"In our final moments, the ones who pointed their guns at us weren't the Machine Species. It was our fellow soldiers."
The Operator moved no more.
The static from the drone fell completely silent.
"...My enemy is not the Machine Species."
Sheathing my combat knife, I looked back toward the ruins.
The cheers of the survivors echoed in the distance.
"Juhyeok! You took out the Operator?!"
The moment I returned to the ruins, Ham Tae-ung rushed over to me.
"You saved our lives! I'll request a promotion for you as soon as we return! Would you like to transfer to the Security Team? I can guarantee you the treatment of an Assistant Manager... no, a Manager! You could even make Deputy General Manager within two years!"
Normally, it took an employee at least seven years of service to reach the rank of Manager.
It was an exceptionally generous offer.
"Incredible. Surviving an encounter with a multi-legged tank—not just some search-type machine species—we must be the only ones in all of Maetan to pull that off. Seriously, Juhyeok, if it weren't for you..."
"It's only temporarily paused."
If it took damage or enough time passed, it would start moving again.
We had to get out of here before that happened.
"Don't worry. We've already achieved our objective anyway. We're planning to head out immediately."
Objective?
I glanced at the supplies obliterated by the tank's railgun and the relics the Security Team had smashed themselves.
There didn't seem to be anything left worth salvaging...
"The data and relics in these ruins were only secondary objectives. Our real target is right there."
The moment Ham Tae-ung gestured toward my left hand, the surrounding guards raised their weapons and aimed them directly at me in unison.
"Hand over the AC processor in your prosthetic arm."
"...How did you find out?"
"The raiders aren't the only ones with skilled Operators," Ham Tae-ung, the Security Team Leader, replied, tapping his Neck-Hub.
"I checked the security feeds."
"The facility's power should have been cut."
"Indeed, the main power was down. But the bridge of the Satellite Battleship deep underground still had auxiliary power running."
He was referring to the bridge module of the battleship where CC's processor had been installed.
"Gaining access to the Satellite Battleship's security cameras was a massive headache, but it paid off. I saw it clear as day. What we're looking for is inside your left hand."
The guards began to close in, step by step.
"Hand it over. I know all about it. You augmented soldiers only wield that superhuman strength because of the prosthetic arm on your left side, don't you? It looks like it's currently offline, though. You stand absolutely no chance."
Ham Tae-ung sneered, completely assured of his victory due to his overwhelming numerical advantage.
But I knew better.
The dozens of gun barrels pointed at me.
The dozens of Maetan security guards surrounding me.
And the even greater number of Maetan expedition staff watching.
None of it.
None of it was a reason for me to lose here.
Crack!
My fist slammed into the jaw of the nearest guard. In the same fluid motion, I snatched the combat knife from his belt and hurled it at another guard.
"Argh!"
"You bastard! What do you think you're—"
As the startled guards scrambled to aim their rifles, I roared at them.
"Don't shoot! If you discharge your weapons, the tank will wake up!"
The moment the guards hesitated, their rifles wavering, I swept low across the floor, taking out their legs.
The number of standing guards dwindled rapidly.
"What are you looking at?!"
"Get him, all of you!"
The surrounding guards rushed me all at once.
But no matter how many of them there were, ordinary men without firearms stood no chance against a veteran soldier like me.
Even with my left arm sealed while CC was installing, it made no difference.
Every time my fist flew, another man hit the dirt.
That was when it happened.
Bang!
A searing heat grazed my flank.
Crimson blood slowly began to seep through my thick shirt.
Everyone froze, turning in shock toward the source of the gunshot.
He looked barely twenty.
A young guard, trembling violently as he clutched his rifle, stammered, "I-I thought... we were going to lose..."
Whirrrr—!
Alerted by the gunshot, the multi-legged tank stirred back to life.
The minigun mounted on its turret spun up and unleashed a hail of lead.
The first to die was the young guard who had fired the shot.
Then, the multi-legged tank began showering the rest of us with bullets.
The large-caliber rounds shredded the concrete walls of the ruins in real-time.
"Dammit!"
"Aaaaargh!"
A few guards fired back in sheer desperation, but their bullets did absolutely nothing to the armored beast.
This was bad.
If I used my trump card, I could probably deal with the tank, but I'd be left completely vulnerable to any surviving guards afterward.
...Should I just wait until the others are wiped out?
No, if I used my trump card, I wouldn't be able to move anyway. I'd end up collapsing among the corpses, only to die of radiation poisoning or get eaten alive by rats.
...I couldn't die. Not yet.
As I weighed my options, my left prosthetic arm suddenly moved on its own, rising in front of my face and waving its open palm.
Hello, Mister!
I'm back!
Are you in trouble?
The text flashed before my eyes as the prosthetic arm gestured on its own accord.
What on earth happened while I was out? Why is there a Machine Species multi-legged tank here...?
"To put it simply: we've been made, we're under attack, and we need to run," I said quickly.
Ah, I see.
An endless stream of incomprehensible system code scrolled rapidly across my vision.
Sigh, Mister, you really can't do anything without me, can you? (｡•́_•̀｡)
We'll deal with the cover-up later... Let's handle the immediate emergency first!
A holographic arrow materialized in the air, pointing directly at a canister-shaped cylindrical module atop the tank's turret.
That's the tank's antenna module. Touch that part with your prosthetic arm.
"And once I touch it?!" I yelled.
Trrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
The minigun swept right past me, kicking up a thick cloud of dust that obscured my vision.
I'm going to hack the tank. The odds are pretty low, but this is currently our highest chance of survival. 4%.
"Four percent?"
"My survival rate is four percent? Approaching that monster of a multi-legged tank with my bare body?"
Is it impossible?
I thought you could do it...
Ah, I see... You can't do it...
What is this tin can even talking about?
"I'm saying you set the failure rate way too high."
I grabbed the corpse of a nearby guard and hurled it high into the air.
Whirrrr—!
Trrrrr!
The multi-legged tank's minigun immediately tracked the airborne corpse, turning it into Swiss cheese.
Taking advantage of the split second the gun barrels were diverted, I bolted forward.
By design, these tanks prioritized anti-air defense over ground infantry.
Furthermore, its targeting system couldn't instantly distinguish between the living and the dead.
Especially when it was a warm, freshly deceased corpse.
This meant it would prioritize the body flying through the air over me running on the ground.
To keep the guns pointed upward, I kept throwing corpses into the air as I closed the distance.
Whoa... You are absolute trash...
Is this really how a human treats another human?
Who is the real enemy of humanity? 1) Mister / 2) Machine Species
Ignoring CC's nonsense, I leaped onto the tank's leg and scrambled up onto the turret.
I drove my combat knife deep into a seam in the armor with my right hand to anchor myself, then grabbed the antenna module with my prosthetic arm.
"Got it!"
Initiating hack on the Machine Species siege barrier. It has evolved significantly since my time. I will analyze and counter its defenses in parallel.
"What does that mean?!"
Just keep holding on.
You must maintain physical contact!
Fighting! (/*^ ω ^)/*
"Damn it!"
The turret spun violently, trying to shake me off.
I clung flat against the turret, gripping the antenna module and my combat knife for dear life.
Analysis complete. Commencing hack.
"Ugh."
The moment CC began her calculations, my left prosthetic arm grew scorching hot.
The multi-legged tank spun its turret with terrifying speed to fling me off.
I held onto the gun barrel with all my might, feeling as though my flesh and bones were about to be ripped apart.
Hacking at 3%... 5%... The calculation speed is slow because the prosthetic arm lacks a cooling system.
To increase cooling efficiency, please cool down the arm!!
"Cool it down?! How?!"
Pour water on it... or blow on it, like *whoosh*...
"*Whoosh!* *Whoosh!*" I blew frantically on the arm.
Wow, you actually did it.
...I'm going to smash this piece of junk. I am absolutely going to rip her out and crush her to pieces.
Clang!
Trrrrr!
Even as I desperately clung to the railgun barrel, the survivors below were being systematically slaughtered.
"Are you done yet?!"
41%... 47%...
Can't hold on? Hmm... (-_-)
Just bear with it for a second.
Sssssss—!
The prosthetic arm grew even hotter, sending a searing, burning pain right into the neural connection at my shoulder.
71%... 77%... 89%...
The numbers began to climb rapidly.
And finally.
...100%
Siege barrier bypassed. Firewall neutralized. Root access granted.
Synchronizing with K-17d Multi-legged Tank.
Suddenly, another layer of vision overlapped with my own.
It was the world as seen through the sensors of the multi-legged tank.
A 360-degree panoramic view, thermal infrared imaging, and even a clear layout of what lay hidden beyond the hills.
"This is...!"
CC spoke.
Command authority over the tank secured.
Your orders, Mister?