Capture (2)
Several days had passed since the order to capture the monsters was given. I had not specified a deadline, but I had demanded that the creatures be secured "as quickly as possible." As a result, the Defense Bureau headquarters had been thrown into a frenzy of activity. Staff officers worked tirelessly, calculating ammunition expenditure, estimating casualty ratios, and refining every detail of how the monsters would be captured, transported, and returned. Though the influx of personnel had reduced individual workloads, the sheer volume of new responsibilities meant the pressure on each person had not eased in the slightest. An order to bring back alive the very monsters that slaughtered humans carried its own crushing weight.
Shifting focus for a moment, the net guns had progressed smoothly once their improvement direction was decided. Under-barrel net launchers began mounting beneath the barrels of 40mm autocannons one after another. Field tests on the same walker chassis yielded highly satisfactory results. The weapon issue was thus resolved for the time being; all that remained was to deploy them in actual combat.
To prepare for that combat, Commander Alfonso had gathered the regimental commanders and staff officers at Defense Bureau headquarters for a meeting. The first item on the agenda was which direction to take when venturing out to capture monsters. It might seem trivial, yet if they headed toward areas dense with monsters, they risked being unable to return through the barrier in time even after securing their targets.
"What is the progress on the barrier construction?" Commander Alfonso asked while studying the map of the Ark. Concentric circles drawn faintly around Ark No. 17 marked the barrier currently under construction. Their faintness indicated the work remained incomplete.
"It varies by cardinal direction, but the average stands at roughly twenty-three percent," the chief of staff, who had just inspected the sites, replied. Alfonso pressed for precision. Averages were not what he wanted.
"Which sector has advanced the farthest?"
"The west."
The western sector had been cleared long ago and was therefore the safest. With reduced need for heavy security, construction there had advanced the most. In other directions, monsters still occasionally charged the barrier in packs of ten to thirty, forcing the walkers to halt work and switch to combat posture each time. Overall progress remained slow. Logically the west should have faced the same incursions, yet for some reason only a handful of monsters ever appeared there—and those that did simply had their heads blown off. No other threats materialized. It was strange, especially considering the west had once held a sizable population. Still, the anomaly made the western route the most logical choice for the first expedition. They could investigate the mystery while capturing monsters at the same time.
"Then we go west. This will be the first time we've ventured beyond the city limits, correct?"
The army, exhausted from eradicating millions of monsters that had nested inside the city, had not dared step outside the barrier until construction began. Only the periodic sorties I had ordered the 3rd Air Squadron to conduct—clearing monsters beyond the barrier to prevent them from accumulating—had kept the perimeter somewhat manageable.
"Yes, sir," the regimental commanders answered, their expressions tense. If a single city on this planet had housed millions of monsters, what waited beyond? Twenty-second-century Earth had once held over thirty billion humans. Even if only half had turned, that left fifteen billion monsters. It was the worst-case scenario, yet entirely possible. Who knew what bizarre entities—queens, hive minds, or worse—might await them, just like in the old movies and games. If such things truly existed, Ark No. 17's future would be anything but bright.
"Stay sharp. We have no idea what kind of monsters are out there."
"""Yes, sir!"""
They were soldiers. Orders had been given, and they would obey. Failure to do so would mean they were not soldiers at all.
"The 1st and 2nd Regiments suffered the heaviest casualties in the last battle, so you'll take the lead again. You're the Ark Army's finest. I'm counting on you."
"Yes, sir! We won't let you down!"
"Leave it to us!"
Heavy casualties meant fierce fighting, which in turn meant more veterans. The 1st and 2nd Regiments had existed since the Ark Army's founding. Months of relentless combat against monsters had forged an irreplaceable body of experience. Even though a third of their ranks had been replaced by new recruits due to attrition, the wisdom of the veteran survivors allowed even the green troops to outperform fresh soldiers from other regiments. With nearly six months since the outbreak, they could rightly be called the elite among the forces defending Ark No. 17. The newly formed 5th and 6th Regiments still carried the scent of rookies, so it was only natural that the 1st and 2nd would form the spearhead. Still, as this was the first external expedition, the newer regiments would participate—though their combat effectiveness dictated they remain in supporting roles rather than the front line.
*
A week later—exactly six months since humanity had retreated into the Arks—the final selections were complete. Supplies had been prepared, additional training finished, and a large force assembled at the main gate. The 1st and 2nd Regiments each contributed half their strength, totaling three thousand infantry. The 4th Armored Regiment deployed half its walkers—eighty units. The 5th and 6th Regiments supplied another six hundred personnel, mostly truck drivers and second-line security troops. Forty gunships out of four hundred also joined, committing ten percent of the Ark's total airpower. Even a child could see that the Controller was throwing his full weight behind this operation.
In total: 3,600 infantry, eighty combat walkers, thirty-five heavy trucks, and forty gunships. Before the fall, moving such a force toward a border would have sent neighboring nations into panic, scrambling for intelligence. Yet in the aftermath of extinction, even this strength offered no guarantee of success. The monsters were simply that dangerous.
That was why the troops harbored deep misgivings about my so-called "experiment." Having fought the monsters on the front lines more than anyone, they knew better than anyone that these creatures could never be tamed. But this was not personal curiosity. It was the most basic step in understanding an enemy one intended to defeat. The ancient adage still held: know the enemy and know yourself, and you need not fear a hundred battles.
—Main gate opening procedure initiated. Non-combat personnel, evacuate immediately.—
Beep—! Beep—! Beep—!
"All personnel, don gas masks!"
"Masks on!"
Clack! Hiss!
At the commander's order, thousands of infantry donned their masks in unison. Although the external atmosphere still retained a composition humans could breathe, once it became clear that even plants could mutate, no one could be certain the monsters themselves would not evolve further. Regulations now required every soldier to wear a mask outside.
Clack! Kreeeeee—!
The multi-layered alloy barrier descended completely in mere seconds. The same design built for rapid evacuation now served rapid deployment.
"Forward, march!"
Once the gate stood fully open, the army began moving out in time with the commander's renewed order. Infantry in formation, walkers with their heavy footfalls, and heavy trucks rumbling exhaust—all filed through the exit like a scene from a war film. The entire force cleared the gate in only five minutes. The now-empty entrance began sealing shut once more.
As the gate closed, purification fluid sprayed from ceiling sprinklers. Automated mechanical arms immediately began scrubbing the floor clean. External air was drawn into the filtration system while fresh air from inside the Ark flowed outward. Exactly one hour later, the decontamination of the main gate was complete—ready to open again.