The Invincible Machine

The Multi-legged Tank.

A combat weapon of the Machine Species that emerged near the end of the war.

A single tank possessed the combat power of an entire division.

Encountering one meant an immediate, unconditional order to retreat.

Throughout the entire war, only twelve Multi-legged Tanks had been officially destroyed.

And now, that invincible entity was in my hands.

The tank's sensors, covering every direction without a single blind spot, became my eyes.

Its powerful, cylindrical legs became my limbs.

Its turret, bristling with advanced weaponry, became my head.

Ratatatatatatatat!

I fired the machine gun mounted on the turret toward the security team.

Click.

The machine gun stopped firing.

I tried to pull the trigger again, but nothing came out. A dull sensation, like a numb arm that had gone to sleep, washed over the machine gun.

"Hey, CC, what's going on?"

Was there something weird about shooting at enemies?

Ding. A long, complex legal statute written in dense jargon floated in the air.

"According to the rules of engagement, combat with civilians who initiate an attack is permitted."

What a noisy AI.

I could have engaged in a full-blown debate over the rules of engagement, but the situation resolved itself before I could.

"Stop! Cease fire!"

Ham Tae-ung's voice rang out.

A small video feed popped up in the corner of my vision, zooming in on the security commander emerging from the collapsed building debris.

He stepped forward hesitantly and spoke.

"...Did you hack it?"

"Yes."

"...A Multi-legged Tank?"

I slowly tilted the tank's chassis up and down.

Like a nod.

Ham Tae-ung raised both hands high.

"We surrender. Just spare our lives."

A clean declaration of defeat.

The others laid down their weapons and raised their arms as well.

A wise decision.

If it were genuine, that is.

"Does everyone feel the same way?"

"The entire security team surrenders unconditionally."

"Then I suppose I can take care of anyone who's still trying to resist."

"What?"

I shredded a nearby pile of building debris with the machine gun.

The wall, struck by large-caliber rounds, shattered into a cloud of gray dust.

A moment later, a terrified man emerged from the dust with his hands up.

He was holding a sniper rifle.

"Behind the building on the left, inside the truck wreckage, in the bushes on the slope..."

"Y-you can see everything?"

The security commander's voice trembled.

"This entire area is currently under my surveillance. Resistance is futile."

The Multi-legged Tank's sensory array was terrifying.

It was practically a cheat code.

It accurately pinpointed humans hiding behind buildings.

It could even read their vitals and identify their armaments.

...No wonder ambushes never worked during the war.

The security guards who had been lurking in the shadows, waiting for a sniper shot, stepped out with their hands raised.

"All snipers are out. We surrender."

The remaining security guards and field agents stared at me with raised arms, looking like prisoners of war who had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠abandoned all hope of resistance.

"Employee Yoon Juhyuk, what is your goal? Do you plan to keep the AI all to yourself?" Ham Tae-ung asked.

"I'm going to destroy the processor."

CC protested, but I ignored her.

"The AC Series is not something a single individual can manage. As a former soldier, you must know this, don't you? A single AC unit can control a fleet of over a hundred ships."

"If it's Maetan, we can control it perfectly. Please, hand it over now. We will treat you well. In addition ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the promotion I promised earlier, the credit for finding the AC Series..."

CC's text overlaid itself across Ham Tae-ung's face.

I could tell that much myself.

"Employee Yoon Juhyuk, hand over the AC processor."

The moment Ham Tae-ung finished speaking, massive text flashed before my eyes.

A simplified map appeared in my vision, dotted with wriggling red dots.

It wasn't just one or two. Six... seven... the number was steadily growing.

"What is this?"

"No, I mean these red dots."

IFF stood for Identification Friend or Foe.

In other words, other machines were pinging to ask if we were friend or foe.

"We can't... hack the approaching machines, can we?"

"W-what's happening?" Ham Tae-ung asked.

"The Machine Species are swarming this way."

"...Swarming?"

"It seems they caught wind of the AI's discovery."

Agitation rippled through the crowd.

At the same time, expectant gazes turned toward me.

Toward the man who had successfully hacked a machine and gained control over it.

Even though they had been trying to kill me just moments ago.

CC brought up a map with a route she had drawn up on her own.

"And my survival rate?"

"W-what should we do?" Ham Tae-ung asked, practically clinging to me.

I told him, "Take the people and flee northwest."

"Northwest?"

"Yes. I will lure the Machine Species to the southeast old city district and hold them off."

"Don't worry. I'm not empty-handed; I have a Multi-legged Tank just like them..."

"I should be able to buy some time, even if it's not much—argh!"

Zzzzt!

A violent electric shock surged from my left prosthetic arm.

Because the prosthetic was integrated deep into my bone, the pain felt like my skeleton was being roasted alive.

"Y-you crazy AI...! Gaaah!"

"Pardon? Pardon? What's wrong, Employee Yoon Juhyuk?"

"No, it's noth—Aaaargh!"

"Not northwest... flee southeast!"

"Southeast?"

"Yes... hide among the city ruins as you escape. The AI and I will lure the Machine Species away..."

Ham Tae-ung's eyes narrowed.

A suspicious look.

He seemed to be weighing the truth of my words after I suddenly reversed the direction.

But there was no time to waste.

The security commander made up his mind, stood up, and gathered the survivors.

"We're pulling out! Destination: southeast old city! Use the buildings as cover and head toward Maetan!"

Only then did the bone-chilling electric shocks stop.

"You crazy AI..."

The United Human Forces fell ages ago.

The security commander organized the survivors and quickly evacuated the ruins.

"Employee Yoon Juhyuk!"

Just as they were about to set off, he shouted back.

"Do not let the Machine Species take the AI!"

I waved my right hand in response.

Though we had fought over CC, there was one thing all of humanity could agree on.

Never let an AI fall into the hands of the Machine Species.

The red dots floating in the air began to converge on my position.

There were about 14 red dots.

If even two of them were Multi-legged Tanks, we were finished.

"What?"

My left arm felt hot.

To be precise, the prosthetic was rapidly heating up.

The burning sensation where the prosthetic met my flesh was indescribably intense.

"What about you?"

She said she'd run, but if ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the enemy had Multi-legged Tanks, their movement speed would be identical.

She would eventually be caught.

In other words, CC was planning to sacrifice herself to protect humanity.

Or surrender to the Machine Species.

"Don't talk nonsense. I'm not handing you over to the Machine Species."

"If I have to lose you to them, I'd rather destroy you right here."

I reached to rip the quantum processor out of my left prosthetic arm.

CC displayed various options and survival rates in the air.

As she said, having her lure the Machine Species away yielded the highest survival rate.

But that was unacceptable.

It was a losing proposition—both for the deceased Yang Guk-tae and for Maetan.

"I have a plan."

CC fell silent.

As if to say such a thing was impossible.

"If you do as I say, we can shake off the Machine Species and both of us can survive."

"Yeah. Listen carefully."

I explained ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the plan to CC.

After hearing my strategy, CC responded with a single question.

"But there's no other way, is there?"

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep—!

At that moment, a warning alarm blared.

The screen before my eyes captured a chunk of metal falling from the sky, tracing a trail of gray smoke.

CC fired the tank's machine gun to intercept the missile.

Kaboom!

The missile exploded in midair, raining debris everywhere.

Missiles continued to rain down.

The enemy Machine Species, once mere red dots, had closed the distance enough to be visible to the naked eye.

"Make up your mind, AI! Are you going to stick to your stubbornness, or are you going to follow my orders?!"

"Sigh..."

In the Customer Satisfaction Department office.

Department Head Han, buried deep in his chair, let out a heavy sigh.

On his monitor was the attendance record of the low-ranking employee who had volunteered for the expedition team a few days ago.

As of today, he had been absent for three consecutive days.

"I guess he didn't make it..."

The official return date for the expedition team was four days ago.

But the expedition had not returned.

No matter how harsh the wasteland was, when that many people went out, at least a few usually made it back. This time, however, absolutely no one had returned.

It meant something had happened in Pyeongtaek.

Either they were raided by scavengers,

eaten by mutants,

or... wiped out by the Machine Species.

Department Head Han pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

Since he was in the office, he didn't light it.

"I'm sorry..."

When Yoon Juhyuk had returned from his field assignment, the higher-ups had requested his personal information.

Department Head Han had written down a detailed report of his history and work attitude.

As a result, Yoon Juhyuk was drafted into the expedition.

On the surface, it was framed as an "invitation," but even if he had refused, he was destined to be dragged along anyway.

Department Head Han felt a sense of guilt, knowing he had played a part in Yoon Juhyuk being sent to the expedition.

Feeling the faint, bitter taste of the unlit cigarette on the tip of his tongue, he tapped on his keyboard.

Just as he was about to press the Enter key.

"Department Head! A field agent has returned from Pyeongtaek!"

An employee burst into the office and shouted.

Instinctively, Department Head Han repeatedly mashed the ESC key instead of Enter and asked, "Is that true?"

"Yes! I just heard it from a friend in the security team guarding the gate!"

"Ah, shit."

Department Head Han cursed under his breath and leaned back in his chair.

Finally, he could lay down the heavy burden on his chest.

"Why were they so late? Did they find something incredible?"

"Uh, well... they said he didn't bring anything back."

"What?"

"No salvaged goods."

"He came back empty-handed? Wasn't Pyeongtaek an A-class ruin? And he couldn't salvage a single thing?"

The employee hesitated before answering.

"There's only one survivor."

"What?"

"He walked back through the wasteland all by himself."

Ding.

A notification chimed on Department Head Han's computer, and the text on the monitor shifted.