Civil War (12)
[Prime Minister's Emergency Address to the Nation Scheduled for 16:30] Cheol-woo glanced up at the breaking news flashing on the electronic billboard, then hurriedly checked his watch. Four hours left. He had to hurry.
"Nice to meet you! You're David Min, right?"
"Yeah. That's me."
"I'm the pilot who'll take you to Darwin International Airport. Do you have any cargo to load onto the transport plane? We can handle up to 20 tons."
"I want to load a truck."
"Got it."
Upon arriving at the Canberra Air Force Base, the majestic C-130 Hercules came into view. Cheol-woo drove up himself with the truck loaded with gear, but he slammed on the brakes. A crowd had gathered around the pilot, chattering away in a long conversation. Something felt off.
"What's going on?"
"We've got a problem. Every air force base in Australia except this one just got shut down across the board. Darwin International shares its runway with the air base, so takeoffs and landings are impossible."
"Isn't there any way around it?"
"You might have to land at the nearest civilian airport and drive the truck the rest of the way by road."
"..."
Even the nearest airport was at least 500 kilometers away. Driving the truck flat out would still take five more hours—way too much delay. Is sis okay on her own? He needed to get back to Darwin as fast as humanly possible.
"Is there really no faster way?"
"Well... no. There isn't."
"Your face says otherwise."
"If we ignore regs, yeah, there's a way to drop the whole truck right into Darwin. But you'd have to sign a waiver saying you don't care if you get hurt or the truck gets trashed."
"Waiver? Sure, whatever."
Injury? As long as he didn't die. Truck damage? He could just buy a new one. Cheol-woo grinned in satisfaction as he took the pen.
"So, how's it work?"
"Ever heard of LAPES?"
"Huh? What's that?"
He'd never heard of it in his life.
Canberra, Australia. Reporters flooded into the parliamentary press room, packing it to the gills in no time. The Prime Minister's address to the nation was set for 16:30. They'd only been told it was an emergency situation with a major announcement.
"Is it starting today?"
"Looks like it."
Some reporters already had a pretty good guess. They didn't know the details, but something huge was about to go down. And since they'd infiltrated media outlets to seize control for that very "something," they couldn't not know.
Time ticked down, and the door clicked open. Reporters primed their flashes, but everyone's eyes widened at the figure who emerged. Wasn't that the Energy Minister? The guy rumored to be resigning from cabinet any day now—why was he doing the PM's address?
They were utterly baffled.
"Hello, fellow citizens. I am Energy Minister Chuck James, assuming the role of Acting Prime Minister as of 8:17 AM today."
"Acting Prime Minister?"
"What the hell happened this morning?"
The room erupted the moment he spoke. Some reporters' faces went blank, devoid of emotion in an instant. Something unplanned had definitely gone down this morning.
"To explain the circumstances leading to my assumption of the Acting Prime Minister role, I must show you some unpleasant and repulsive images. I ask for your understanding."
"...!?"
Whoosh—the Acting PM held up a panel, revealing a photo of corpses strewn across an office. Flashes popped wildly.
In the photo, familiar faces lay splattered with green slime and blood, a limp black alien creature beside them. A few reporters who recognized it jumped up, trying to grab their cameras and bolt, but the entrance was blocked.
"Sorry, you can't leave."
"What the fuck are you doing?! Violating press freedom?!"
No way out! Reporters frantically tapped their phones to contact their stations—cut the broadcast now—shut it down entirely—but suddenly, a photo pinged through their messengers. Black-suited agents swarming broadcast buildings. Ah, we're fucked. The reporter's face drained of color.
"This is no composite—it's real. Alien parasites were found inside the skulls of the Prime Minister and multiple cabinet members. Analysis shows they devour human brains and mimic their functions, thinking and acting like humans. We discovered they were plotting a national overthrow and stopped them."
"Acting PM! Sir!"
"I have a question...!"
"Questions later. First, the one you're all dying to ask: how do we know I'm not a parasite? Here's a portable X-ray. Shine it on my skull, and you'll see an ugly brain inside. Let's bring up that reporter tussling with security at the door."
"Hey! Get your hands off me! You can't touch a reporter! This is illegal!"
Grabbed by the limbs by guards, the reporter was dragged kicking and screaming to the podium. No use. The display soon showed a skull crammed with a legged monster. Horrified screams filled the room.
Ah, it's over. The reporter squeezed his eyes shut in resignation.
Crack—his occiput exploded, brain matter spraying everywhere.
"Kieeeek!"
Bang! Rat-tat-tat! Waiting guards opened fire, shredding the black creature that had leaped into the air. The Acting PM brushed off the gore and blood and returned to the podium.
"We're mass-distributing portable X-ray units. All citizens will be required to undergo X-ray scans. Those who refuse or fail as non-human will be classified as such and recommended for execution. This includes all MPs, judges, and prosecutors. Only the Secret Intelligence Agency and Security Intelligence Agency are authorized; to suspend all other officials' powers, I declare a national state of emergency. Citizens, beware the deceptions and schemes of non-humans. May God protect Australia."
The room turned into pandemonium in an instant.
A text dripping with ominous vibes arrived, and Yuri let out a shaky breath. Cheol-woo using vague "chaos" instead of specifics meant even he couldn't predict what was coming. She had to assume the worst. Like, all the parasites in the area knowing they weren't infected and swarming to kill them the second 4:30 hit...
Hic—it terrified her. So much that she instinctively drew her razor-sharp longsword, and only then did her breathing steady with a whoosh-whoosh, her mind calming. Slicing something would make me feel better.
Swish—she turned and locked eyes with Mi-young, who hic-cupped and bolted behind the sofa.
"We should evacuate. Chaos at 4:30."
"C-can't we just stay here?"
"We need somewhere safer. A hotel room's no good to hole up in."
If they came at them for real, a hotel room offered zero protection. Vulnerable to sniper fire from next door, door smashed by a sledgehammer. They needed a secluded spot with few people and easy defenses. And she knew someone who might know one.
Yuri tap-tap-ed her phone. She didn't speak English, but auto-translate made messaging easy.
Agent. Any nearby safehouse for temporary shelter?
Yes. Small bunker nearby. I'll guide you
Agent?
Fuck, we're screwed. Help
What the hell? Yuri and Mi-young's eyes met as they stared at the messenger app. Crazy—Yuri snatched up the instrument case stuffed with longswords and bolted from the hotel room, Mi-young hot on her heels. They couldn't let the one guy who knew a safe spot die.
Storming the hospital, Yuri scanned room by room. 408... 408... 408... There. Weirdly, only 408's window was covered. Faint mmph-mmph muffled screams from inside. Click-click—locked. Plenty of people around...
"Distract them."
"Me? Really?"
"Yeah. You."
Unable to resist Yuri's glare, Mi-young shuffled back a bit, glanced around, then plopped to the floor and wails—burst into tears. People swarmed—what's wrong, sweetie?—want some candy?—attention fully diverted. Yuri drew her wakizashi, slid the blade into the door crack, scritch—severed the lock in one stroke. Door swung open.
Inside: an agent bound head to toe in a chair, screaming muffledly; a nurse in front, parasite in hand, pressing it toward his face.
"H-hey! How'd you get in!?"
"Everyone here might as well be parasites, right...?"
A brief hesitation, then Yuri lunged. Kieee!—the parasite wriggled free from the nurse's hand; she bisected it cleanly, slash—nurse's skull. The collapsing nurse reached for the radio; Yuri stabbed through the forehead to finish. The room floor pooled with sticky green slime.
"Hoo..."
Terrifying until the slice, but green slime confirmed non-human—now she could breathe. Insane. First time killing on her own judgment after Cheol-woo's "okay to kill," and the pressure was no joke. What if it was an innocent? The thought alone horrified her. She missed Cheol-woo like crazy.
"Mmph! Mmph-mmph!"
"Be quiet, okay? Lots of people outside. Gotta sneak out..."
Untying the thrashing agent, Yuri cautiously peeked out. People still focused on wailing Mi-young. Nod to the agent, casual door close, slip out.
"Let's go."
"Wah... wah... Ah, can I stop now?"
"Move, before we're spotted."
Mi-young cut off mid-wail, grabbed Yuri's hand, stood. Brushing past baffled onlookers, Yuri hurried down the hospital stairs. Glanced back—the agent's severed hand? Looked reattached. A bit guilty, but relief.
"Wait! Patient! Aren't you from 408?"
"No."
"Don't lie. You are. Can't discharge yet."
"Just getting some air."
"I'll check with your nurse."
As they headed out, a nurse grabbed the agent's arm, raised her radio. No response. Suspicion dawned in her eyes, scanning them—
Agent whoosh—armbarred her neck, choked her out.
"Run! Hurry!"
Other nurses saw, yelling into radios. Shit—agent stopped a passing car, punched the driver out, hauled him free. No words needed—Yuri and Mi-young piled in quick. Lost them? Phew—Yuri checked the mirror and froze.
"Police! No, uh...! Cops! Cops!"
"...!"
Police cars already tailing them.