The Mosquito Variable
The interior of the command headquarters was as chaotic as ever. Reports and radio chatter echoed from every corner, accompanied by the hurried footsteps of staff officers. I sighed, staring down at the map. It was time to abandon Seoul and focus on building a defensive line in the rear, but it wasn't a position I could easily retreat from. Just then, my son's voice crackled over the radio.
"General, I am reporting on the situation at Gongdeok Station."
Lee Junhyeok. He was my son, but in this moment, he was a subordinate.
"Report."
"There are currently about 1,500 civilians and 300 soldiers stationed at Gongdeok Station. The threat from the infected continues from the directions of Line 5 and the Gyeongui Line, and infected sightings have been reported in the rear areas, including Chungjeongno."
"Chungjeongno?"
Chungjeongno wasn't a front line; it was deep in the rear. And yet, infected had appeared there?
"Yes. The infected emerged from within Chungjeongno, and we are currently investigating the route of infection."
...Not many infected should have headed that way. And the defenses there were well-maintained.
"I am deploying troops from Gongdeok Station to respond to the Chungjeongno crisis. They are currently preparing to depart and will be moving out shortly."
I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them. Then—
"……Oh, and."
My son's voice dropped low over the radio.
"Sieun is alive."
In that instant, my vision went dark. My mind went completely blank. That name. A name I had buried deep in my memories for so long. Sieun? She’s alive?
But I quickly regained my composure. This was no time for this.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes. I confirmed it myself."
That child… that damn child hadn't contacted me even once since she left home. I had tried to give up on her completely. I had thought she would return once she faced a reality she couldn't handle. But she never came back. I… I had assumed my daughter was dead. And now, she’s alive?
"……And Sieun told me to watch out for mosquitoes."
With those words, the radio cut off.
"……What?"
Only then did I return to reality. My mind, frozen by the sudden news, began to race again. Watch out for mosquitoes? Suddenly, what caught my eye was—
Buzz—
A mosquito flying nearby. Reflexively, I reached out and crushed it in one go.
Splat.
The mosquito burst. Sticky blood smeared across my palm. For a moment, I felt something strange. …Something was off. The blood was oddly sticky. An unpleasant sensation. I frowned and slowly wiped away the trace left by the mosquito. But for some reason, a cold chill ran down my spine.
Leaving the chill behind, I stepped out of the command post and headed toward the front lines. The situation on the front was horrific. Due to the previous day's battle, the corpses of the infected were piled high, acting as a kind of barricade. It was truly hell. The stench of rot from the piles of bodies pierced my nose, and every time the wind blew, the foul odor spread even more intensely.
But that wasn't what mattered right now. Our numbers were dwindling every day. Day by day, our troops were being consumed, and the front line was being pushed back. And yet—
"……Damn Choi Jaeyeol, that bastard is only concerned with the civilians."
President Choi Jaeyeol. That man was still prioritizing 'civilian protection' above all else. Is that really what matters right now? If we don't maintain the front line, the rear and the civilians will all be finished. Does he not know that, or is he deliberately looking away?
As I gritted my teeth, one of the staff officers following me spoke up cautiously.
"……General."
"What."
"……There is a rumor going around that a military purge is underway."
…A purge?
I turned to the officer slowly.
"What did you just say?"
The officer kept his lips tightly shut, then finally whispered, "The government… they are moving to clear out individuals with anti-establishment tendencies within the military."
"Ha, truly. Even in the middle of this hellish war, they’re playing politics?"
Right, no wonder the President's aides had been increasing their interference in the military; it ends up like this. A military purge. In this crisis, they’re trying to sweep the military clean? This country is truly heading toward its end.
I let out a deep sigh.
"If there are any puddles, fill them all in. Or spray some insecticide."
In this situation, I didn't want to worry about trivial things like mosquitoes. Yet, a strange sense of foreboding wouldn't leave my mind. I immediately called over one of my staff officers.
"From now on, form a research team. Experiment to see if it's possible for a mosquito to transmit infection after drinking the blood of an infected person."
The officer looked flustered. "……General, surely you don't think mosquitoes can spread the infection?"
"Whether it's possible or not, we have to verify it."
I pulled a strong cigarette from my pocket.
"It's strange that infected are appearing in the rear. Especially in a place with such thorough quarantine."
I thought of the mosquito that had burst on my hand earlier. The sticky sensation. The unpleasant feeling of wrongness.
"Even if the probability is low, just in case…"
I didn't finish the sentence. The officer nodded and picked up the radio to summon the research team. I walked back toward the front lines. Piles of infected corpses. The rotting bodies of soldiers. The blood-soaked earth. And—the mosquitoes still buzzing around me.
A bad premonition is never wrong.
[Warning: Potential Vector Detected]
The General's suspicion regarding the transmission of the virus via insect vectors has been logged.
***
-Lee Sieun-
I was lost in thought, holding my forehead with one hand. My head felt heavy. What filled my mind right now was the setting of this world. The point in my novel where the South Korean government retreats from Sejong City. It is one of the major turning points. From then on, the infection crisis in the rear begins in earnest, eventually wiping out the entire command structure on the front lines. After that, the government undergoes endless retreats, becoming an isolated regime that only protects parts of Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces. When that happens, the government becomes filled with distrust and ceases to function properly.
If so, the rear infection crisis that occurred at this point. The cause at this moment… it must be mosquito transmission.
It's a variable. An unplanned variable has emerged. The future I knew is changing. It might not just be changing for the better; just as many unexpected disasters might follow.
"What is our Representative worrying about so much?"
A familiar voice reached me. I jumped in surprise and looked up. The air-rifle man—Kim Daeyang. He was looking at me with a smirk, his air rifle slung over his shoulder.
"……Please don't tease me."
But at that moment—
"The Representative says not to tease her!"
Jang Yeeun shouted from the side. Even though she shouted quietly, the sound echoed, perhaps because work was proceeding so silently.
"……Hey."
I glared at her, but Jang Yeeun just smiled brightly and avoided my eyes. And at that moment—
"Yes! Representative!"
The voices that followed. Park Yeongsik and the other construction workers. They saluted me playfully, and I felt my face flush as I slumped down on the spot.
In the end, following my brother's wishes, I was removed from the security patrol. Instead, I was put in charge of the drainage construction work. …Right, well, it was part of my plan anyway. Since the construction guys were handling the work so well, I only had to act as the 'general manager' in name.
Work was progressing at an strangely fast pace. Things that could be solved with manpower even without machinery were being quickly sorted out thanks to them. The puddle removal work was also underway. The drainage work, focused on eliminating mosquito breeding grounds, was also gaining speed. Gongdeok Station was regaining a brief moment of 'vitality'.
I watched that scene quietly.
…Damn it. How long will this last?
I stood up, brushing the dust off my knees.
"……Ah, this skirt is annoying."
The construction guys watching right next to me smirked. A long skirt. It was the clothes this body was originally wearing, so it was awkward to change suddenly. It was honestly uncomfortable as hell.
Just then—
"My brother is going to fight, shouldn't you at least give him a word of support?"
Major Lee Junhyeok stood in front of me with his arms crossed. And behind him—Park Geonho, struggling while carrying a hazmat suit. Ah, poor guy. Did he get drafted again?
I let out a deep sigh and looked up.
"Don't die and come back."
I wasn't his 'real' younger sister, but surely no younger sister would want her brother to die. Lee Junhyeok chuckled and lightly ruffled my hair.
"Right, I'll be back."
***
Chungjeongno Operation Overview
Goal:
1. Secure military supplies remaining at Chungjeongno Station.
2. Advance past Aeogae Station into Chungjeongno and eliminate the infected inside the station.
3. 'Close' Chungjeongno Station and retreat.
Troops: A total of 200 soldiers deployed. 20 engineers (in charge of building defensive lines and demolition).
Currently, the entire Chungjeongno Station is infected. In a normal situation, it would be right not to even approach it, but due to the rear infection crisis, 'supplies' are desperately needed. If the supply of not just food, but medicine and ammunition is cut off, it will be difficult to even defend Gongdeok Station. Recovering the supplies at Chungjeongno Station is paramount.
***
I sighed and watched my brother's retreating back.
…In the original work, the Chungjeongno operation 'succeeds'. But—when he returns, the 'house' is ruined. The 'house' at that time was Gongdeok Station. Will the same result happen this time?
Unable to hide my anxious heart, I quietly clenched my fists.