Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Raid on the Secret Lab
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The only reason they hadn't declared independence was the persistent external threat of the aliens.
Mutant Corp also excelled in the pharmaceutical and medical fields.
Leveraging that strength, they continuously provided the Alliance forces with medical ships and vast numbers of medical personnel, so no one wanted to provoke them without solid proof.
That's why the Monarch family's opening salvo was so crucial.
The Monarchs, riding high after their image rehab, had unleashed public criticism through someone tantamount to their acting head—a massive scandal in itself.
If some nobody had done it, it would've been buried in an instant.
But Raphael was a key player.
And he had attacked preemptively, armed with ample evidence and circumstantial proof.
Mutant Corp didn't just sit there taking it.
While keeping a low profile themselves, they issued defenses through connected individuals and groups.
But it wasn't enough to stop Raphael's all-out assault.
As public opinion swung sharply against them, Humanity Alliance finally stirred to action.
A full-scale investigation kicked off first.
They dug into every incident suspected to involve Mutant Corp, cross-referencing connections between them.
Tips poured in from all sides, compiling potential additional charges.
Numerous offenses were confirmed, and formal accusations followed.
But it fell short of warranting a "security trial."
Why?
A security trial was Humanity Alliance's ultimate judgment for those who violated the paramount value of protecting humanity.
Just being hauled into one brought immense disgrace, and conviction meant devastating penalties.
Naturally, Mutant Corp admitted everything else but fought tooth and nail against that.
Several key issues emerged in the debate over whether it applied, starting with their attempt to overload Utah City's geothermal generator and slaughter 700,000 lives.
But months of meticulous withdrawal prep had left scant evidence, stalling progress.
The second was the direct assassination attempt on "superhumans" at humanity's frontline.
Evidence linking the attackers to Mutant Corp was insufficient here too.
Raphael argued deep ties to the first charge, but with that unproven, this one stalled as well.
That said, Raphael's relentless PR had built consensus that Mutant Corp was behind it, even without ironclad proof—enough to corner them.
'So far, right on plan.'
Left like this, it'd fizzle out.
Mutant Corp wasn't fighting the backlash; they were hunkering down.
They ramped up medical aid to the Alliance, admitted the lesser charges, promised no repeats—full contrition mode.
But it was just playing possum.
Any sanctions now would be superficial; the core would emerge unscathed.
So what was needed? A killing blow.
Proof that those two lethal charges—enough for a security trial—were Mutant Corp's doing.
"Go."
In the dark night, my voice echoed low.
At the command, the spec-ops team—already geared up—began infiltrating underground.
I watched cautiously from a ridge line some distance away.
'Will it work...?'
This was the surface of a moon orbiting Planet R-12, in the same system as New Eden.
One of Mutant Corp's other secret labs.
By the original timeline, experiments would've succeeded, and it'd be shuttered—but right now, it was fully operational.
Planet R-12 was undevelopable, blanketed in severe magnetic storms.
Its moon was marginally viable, but Mutant Corp held the ownership and development rights, so everyone else left it pristine.
Until now.
-Delta 1 here. Breach successful.
-Delta 2 same. Over.
Reports flooded in.
The team running this op was mercenaries.
"Metal Gear," a top-tier outfit—best in the biz for these gigs, as far as I knew.
They'd balloon in size later, too big to hire wholesale, but for now, I could afford the whole unit.
-Zone 1 secured. Securing evidence now.
-Gamma 1 here. Engaging unknown monster.
"Avoid combat. Preserve the site. Reinforcements inbound."
-Roger. Over.
Their efficiency exceeded expectations.
Even if lightly guarded, this should've been Mutant Corp's largest active secret lab by my estimates—no hitches.
'As expected...'
I reviewed the incoming data.
Experiment logs and footage on Mutant Corp's mutation trials, stamped with ownership proof everywhere.
Details would confirm it, but evidence of the same mutation experiments from Utah City seemed likely.
Then, another transmission.
-Alpha 1 here. Uh, boss? Can't we just kill 'em all?
Alpha 1 was the merc leader's signal.
His deep voice dripped unfiltered rage.
I got why he was pissed.
I'd just seen the lab horrors in the data dump.
But I reminded him firmly.
"Stick to the mission, Alpha 1."
-You see this and say that?
"We'll make them pay plenty later."
-Damn these psychos.
Retching echoed over the comms.
One of his guys couldn't hold it.
The leader, shell-shocked, dropped protocol and rambled.
-Employer. Honestly, I didn't buy it at first. This is worse than you said.
"That part's a surprise to me too."
-Regret using their damn drugs all these years fighting.
He kept cursing freely after.
Like he couldn't cope otherwise.
I thought I'd picked well.
'...Hot-blooded type. Perfect.'
The merc leader was ex-instructor squad.
After losing half his body on the frontlines, reborn as a cyborg, he couldn't continue—so he built Metal Gear.
Most core members: fellow retired instructors turned cyborgs.
Instructor duty honed skills but demanded life-or-death alien fights—impossible without deep humanity.
No surprise the whole unit brimmed with it; seeing human experiments defying every ethic would enrage them.
I'd preempted any buyout risk too.
-Gamma 1 here. Central power room secured.
"Secure perimeter, then start hacking with the gear."
-Roger, over.
Almost there.
I'd worried they'd self-destruct like last time to hide it.
That's why I hung back instead of joining.
But full power plant control slashed those odds.
'No way I'm blowing up after coming this far.'
Other concealment tricks possible.
But the lab was massive.
Even a nuke couldn't erase every trace inside.
"R3D3. Comms blackout?"
-All clear. Beep!
"Alert me to any anomalous signals."
-Sir, yes sir!
Mutant Corp figured this lab airtight.
A discarded planet, empty moon—no visitors.
Underground for secrecy? Foolproof.
Unless someone like me knew it existed.
The lab was fully isolated.
Any signal from here? Nearest planet takes seven days to respond.
'Blocked everything, but you never know.'
Even if we missed one beaming out, HQ would take seven days to notice.
Or if no routine ping came—still, seven days' grace.
Soon, report: full power control ours.
Three hours of directing from afar; I prepped to enter.
'Time for me to go in.'
Picked a path used by the first wave, moved inside.
Maps mostly complete—no snags.
Smashed autoturrets littered the way.
Big combat mechs too, dismantled by mercs.
Impressed by their firepower.
Security wasn't flawless, but Mutant Corp standards—tougher than average.
Yet casualties? Just twenty-ish, three dead—rest wounds.
Better than I'd figured.
'Tempting.'
Greed stirred.
Headache staffing battleship crews; these guys would be gold.
'How to recruit 'em?'
Hired partly to build that bridge.
Wrap this clean, then pitch slow.
Pushed deeper.
Lab split in two: surface layer for housing and amenities; deep layer for labs, power—high-sec.
Surface was mundane.
Living quarters, full amenities—perks for confined researchers, I guess.
'Yeah, even unethical bastards need welfare.'
Twisted thoughts crept in.
What did these researchers think?
No guilt experimenting on people?
My world-building, but facing it? Gut-wrenching.
Lost in dark musings, reached the depths.
Through a wrecked door—atmosphere shifted.
Fiercer security scars from brutal fights.
Entryway piled with mangled machine parts for easy access.
Ignored it, beelined for the merc leader.
Entered a room; merc eyes turned to me.
Dozens more inside—not mercs, researchers by dress.
"Cleanup done?"
"Sorting the captures."
"Leader?"
"Inside. I'll guide."
"I'll manage. Keep working."
Brushed off the offer, headed in.
Pre-sent intel ID'd it: holding cells for experiment "materials."