Story Reader / Main Story / 20 Across the Ruined Sea / Story
Calculate expected loss.
Calculation complete. Given an 87.1% casualty, the success rate of the mission is 28.4%.
As expected, General Wells' proposal is the one with the highest chance of success.
Are you kidding me?!
The councilman slams his fist on the desk, and the loud discussions in the hall immediately quiet down as everyone turns to look at him.
If the minimum casualty rate of the Task Force is 87.1%, what's even the point of the plan, General Wells?
This is the best I can do, given that you are not willing to deploy all of the Omega Weapons. If you have better suggestions, I'm all ears.
You have to lower the casualty rate to at most 20%. Babylonia does not have that many soldiers to waste!
Then deploy all the Omega Weapons. I can guarantee you that the casualty rate will be even lower than that.
Ahem...
We've already discussed that. To prioritize securing the lunar base, we must reserve half of the Omega Weapons before we are certain what the infection rate of the moon is.
But no reconnaissance report has shown any sign of the Punishing Virus on the moon...
For now. The reconnaissance reports also show that less than 50% of the moon has been explored.
If there is a sizable concentration of the Punishing Virus in the remaining areas and we don't have enough Omega Weapons, humanity can wave goodbye to the lunar base.
That is just a guess...
We can't afford even a 1% chance! That is the lunar base! It is where we produce Omega Weapons! Are you going to gamble with humanity's future, General Wells?!
With that, the Parliament turns silent.
No one dares to answer that question recklessly. Even the centrists have to phrase their words carefully.
Thank you, General.
You too, President. It's up to you now.
General Wells salutes Hassen before leaving. Watching Wells go, Nikola crosses his arms and sighs resignedly.
Not the result we were hoping for... We couldn't sway the centrists even when we brought in General Wells.
They are having second thoughts, at the very least. As long as we can get their support, the vote will likely pass no matter what Kurono does.
Send in the next person, then.
Soldiers are fighting for their lives on the frontline. We can't hold back either.
The ocean waves hitting the cliffside are red. The sound they make used to delight you, but now it unsettles you like a reflection of the things to come.
You reported to the Parliament about how the Red Tide entered the ocean and what you expected the agent was planning half an hour ago. You suspected this was only their first step.
But as the refugees were sent away, you were told to retreat instead of stopping the tide.
After talking to President Hassen through other channels, the best they can offer you is an order to stand by instead of retreat.
Kurono has disclosed the details of the battle to the Parliament. The situation is now out of the military's hands.
We're still fighting. It's a simultaneous display now. The Chief Commander needs to wait for the right time to call for another vote.
Hah... It's the old gentleman himself... I'm sorry, I've got to go. I'll let you know as soon as there's an update.
Celica quickly hangs up. The situation seems to be quite chaotic on her side.
Putting down your terminal, you turn your gaze back to the crimson sea.
The Red Tide is devouring the ocean, gnawing at the cradle of life, and taking over the home humanity depends on.
And the fighters who would give everything are now waiting by the sea, powerless.
The wait continues.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
Celica is running down the hallway. Suddenly, someone stands in her way.
Are you going to the Parliament, Celica?
Obviously! I don't have time to talk now... What's this?
He passes her a folded note and says nothing, only raising his index finger before his lips.
Celica unfolds it and finds a data chip inside. When she looks up, Murray is already gone.
Desperate for any help now, Celica inserts the chip into her terminal.
As she scrolls through the information, her eyes widen...
...President Hassen! President Hassen!
Where does this intel come from?
It's classified.
This lifeform that will be born out of the Red Tide and devours all until nothing's left... What do you mean by "nothing's left" exactly?
Is this the time to discuss that? All you need to know is that it is extremely dangerous for the Red Tide to enter the ocean!
The quieter voices in the Parliament start to get louder.
In that case, we need to deploy all the Omega Weapons immediately to eliminate this threat!
Hassen and Nikola exchange a look as more councilmembers voice their support, but before they can even smile...
Calm down.
The councilman stands up again, his arms stretched, trying to sway the others.
As immediate as this threat may be, it's just another product of the Punishing Virus.
Once we secure the lunar base, we can produce an endless supply of Omega Weapons. Certainly, that will happen before this creature can destroy the world...
Is there something wrong with your terminal? President Hassen's intel has clearly shown how pressing the situation is...
We can destroy this threat inside its cradle!
His sudden shout startles those who were planning to refute him.
Just a little bit longer. Just a little bit.
The production line on the lunar base will restart soon. Please, I beg you. Don't gamble with humanity's future before that, please.
With that, the councilman sits down, and the Parliament reverts to the shouting match that it was.
By the shore, your call with Celica is brief but shocking, surprising everyone with you.
In short, those councilmembers are not willing to deploy all the Omega Weapons.
...
If we can mass produce the Omega Weapon, it is theoretically possible. But it means that the surface will experience the most cataclysmic destruction before help arrives.
We will lose everything we have built and achieved in one fell swoop. The people living on the surface will also face the most devasting threat they have ever seen...
I won't stop fighting. At least for me, I cannot accept this ending.
The call terminates again. At the same time, a member of the Purifying Force approaches you, seemingly needing your help.
We need a commandant's clearance to unlock this supply crate, Gray Raven Commandant.
Thanks. I can take care of the rest.
The Construct takes the parts from the crate and rushes toward the eastern shore. You can briefly hear him mumbling to himself.
We're busted if they attack from the east. Gotta reinforce that side.
Another Purifying Force member just opens a bottle of purified water and pours it down his head.
Hey, don't waste it. We'll need it when we set up the defense later.
It doesn't matter... We are about to retreat anyway.
What do you mean?
What do I mean? A friend in Babylonia just sent me a text saying the Parliament had no plan to stop the Red Tide from entering the sea. What can we possibly do other than retreating?
Both of them turn to you, seeking an answer.
...Gray Raven Commandant... Are we really just going to leave like this?
So many comrades lost their lives here. The agents are about to get what they want. Yet we are just going to leave like this?
Our comrades' bodies are still here! Are we just going to leave Captain Bianca alone, watch the Punishing Virus enter the sea and devour the entire world, while we hide in Babylonia like cowards?
Calm down.
Calm down my ***!
Of course!
The Construct tosses the empty bottle away and looks at you with firm determination.
If not for this bottle of water, I would already be cursing at the terminal.
Lucia seems to have noticed the quarrel. She is heading this way.
If I may...
I'd like to borrow your strength.
The meeting continues. A scout team has sent a report from the lunar base.
Lunar base investigation progress 51%. No signs of the Punishing Virus have been detected so far.
Nice! Keep doing what you are doing. Once the lunar base is clear, we can try to resume the production of Omega Weapon.
Quite a few Councilmen have started cheering quietly. They sound as if victory is imminent, and all they have to do is to keep waiting.
But is that all?
Do we have a loss estimate yet?
A detailed loss prediction has been calculated. Estimated ground surface personnel casualty rates are... Shoreline and nearby area, 99%; coastal area, 98%...
The data causes a deadly silence, turning the entire meeting hall into a muted graveyard.
As we all know, the production of Omega Weapon takes time. During this time window, numerous people will die. In other words, almost all humans living on the surface will be wiped out.
We can still make it if we throw all the available resources in now. The proposal jointly developed by our advisors and the Science Council has taken into account the time required for the transport, handover, deployment and activation of Omega Weapons.
But if we keep wasting our time here, this last chance would be lost. Once the Red Tide has developed to a certain extent, the available Omega Weapons we have cannot do anything to it.
This the final attempt... All previous efforts were unable to make the situation any better. If the death count still does not work...
Excuse me, President Hassen... What is the chance of success of this proposal you mentioned...?
Close to 90%, with a low estimated casualty rate for the Task Force.
I see... It doesn't sound too bad.
Objection!
The deafening shout shakes many attendees awake from the overwhelming casualty count.
President Hassen, this is nothing but a risky bet! You are betting the lunar base and the fate of mankind on your proposal!
The Councilman rises up and points at Hassen. He looks very emotional.
Omega Weapon is mankind's future hope! How are we going to fight against the Punishing Virus if anything goes wrong in the lunar base?! Are we going to sacrifice another two eras to find another solution?
What about the humans on the surface? Are you just going to let the Hetero-Creatures devour them?
Nobody wants that to happen!
He slams on the desk, interrupting Nikola's question.
But I'm sure every single person who turns down that proposal only does so for mankind's future hope!
The Councilman gazes around into every person's eyes. He ends up staring at Hassen.
This is the will of everybody here.
After his speech, there is no other sound in the meeting hall. Everyone is unconsciously holding their breath.
The atmosphere is dense, almost suffocating. Burdened by the weight of responsibility and the uncertainty of the future, other Councilmen lower their heads, one after another.
The Councilman finally returns to his seat.
The silence has turned into an unspoken approval.
Bzz—
The projector in the center of the Parliament suddenly begins to make a coarse hissing sound.
What's going on?
It should be a message from the surface force. Now that the Parliament has taken over the decision-making of the surface operations, the military has forwarded all related correspondence to this meeting.
The surface force? Commander Nikola, haven't you ordered them to fall back yet?
I don't recall that order in the decisions we agreed on earlier.
Tsk. You're just dragging it on... How pointless.
This is the Gray Raven Commandant, sending a timed communication to Babylonia.
The projected video becomes less blurry.
A face appears on the screen, followed by many Constructs standing behind.
As the Red Tide starts to enter the sea, we anticipate the Hetero-Creatures converted from contaminated sea animals will land here soon.
We will therefore set up defense here to buy more time. We hope the HQ can support our operation and find a solution during this time.
There is no solution! Just fall back and wait for the production of Omega Weapons.
Um, Mr. Councilman, this is just a recording. They probably can't hear you from over there.
Then tell them what I just said...
We cannot abandon the innocent survivors on the surface. Many are yet to be evacuated.
The video continues to play, as if the recorders had already seen this coming.
Following a path opened by those who had fallen, we were able to reclaim our homeland. That is why I cannot easily tell others to retreat.
If we allow the Red Tide to continue entering the sea, the damage will be irreversible. Even Omega Weapons cannot help.
Do I need to go through the Science Council's report again?
To his surprise, the human just clenches the right fist and knocks it a few times on the chest, right where the heart is beating.
Indeed, the sea can be purified. Once the Omega Weapons enter mass production, the clean, blue sea will return one day.
Buildings can be repaired. When the disaster is over, new buildings will rise again. People will build one after another along the ruins.
But something can never be brought back again once they are damaged.
The pride of mankind, the faiths that people once believed in.
If we give up all of them for a false dawn, what can mankind possibly remember years later under the shelter of new buildings?
HQ, it's okay if there are no reinforcements. We just need ammunition and energy.
With the equipment and manpower available, we can hold the tide for approximately 5 days.
Hey, you there! Help me ask the chief commander. Do they want us to run away like cowards and abandon everyone else?! ****!
Hey, calm down! No vulgarities. We agreed on this.
Just let me finish...
One Construct seems to be pulled away by another. Still, everyone else on the screen does not seem to be distracted. They are still standing tall and firm, like an indestructible wall.
We are not forcing Babylonia to make a decision. This is just a declaration. Whatever the final decision is, someone needs to sacrifice here for the sake of something more important.
For the victory of mankind, to reclaim the Earth, we have made this choice.
This declaration has been jointly signed by all the Task Force and Purifying Force members here.
[player name], the Gray Raven Commandant.
After finishing the speech, the commandant moves aside. Another Construct with red and black colors on her frame steps up to face the camera.
Captain of Gray Raven, Lucia.
Followed by a Construct with a poker face...
Purifying Force, Arthur.
Another Construct, covered in mud...
Task Force, Rick.
Purifying Force...
...One by one, all the frontline members have left their footage and names in the projected video.
A headcount of the signatures indicates that 90% of the personnel dispatched in the mission have signed on the declaration...
The remaining 10% are all confirmed to be killed in action, apart from the missing Captain Bianca of the Purifying Force.
Another moment of silence—albeit completely different from the previous one—has caught the Parliament.
But the silence is completely torn apart by the next footage.
Bzz—
This is an emergency communication from the lunar base scout team. What's the percentage...?
Tch, just give it to me. You keep going... This is an emergency communication from the lunar base scout team. We have investigated 90.5% of the lunar base. The remaining section will be completed within the next few hours.
The Councilmen who are aware of the related information are all shocked.
The speed is incredible, way faster than the previous estimate. No matter how hard they work, such efficiency should not even be attainable.
Soon, a Councilman has realized something. He immediately stands up and shouts.
Hold on! Why aren't you driving an engineering machine?! And you! You're not even a Construct! Go back to the safe area now!
The Engineering Force crew scratches his head...
Well, those big things are just too slow, and we have to waste time preparing the road for them. We discussed in our team, and all of us felt it would be faster just going in by ourselves...
Are you out of your mind? The lunar base is a total mess. Even if you don't run into the Punishing Virus, you could have easily been killed by a gas leak or gravity distortion without an engineering machine.
Well... The frontline forces are risking their lives. We can't just sit back and stay safe.
Leaving no chance for the Councilman to interfere, he just smiles at the camera and salutes in the low-gravity environment.
Instead of the Councilman, he is looking at Chief Wales in the back row.
This is our decision, made from our own free will.
Who?! Who told them the information?!
Nobody answers him. The communication from the scout team has also been cut off.
The Councilman can only collapse back to his seat, gazing blankly at the front. He seems lost in thought.
The projected video disappears. Chief Wales reaches into his pocket and grabs a badge so hard that the sharp silver hawk has pierced into his palm.
If our weapons are lost, we can make more. If our base is gone, we can build another one.
We have come a long way even when all the old technologies were lost.
Nikola raises his arm and points at the screen where the video was playing.
But some things will never come back: the willpower that makes them fight until the last moment, the faiths that make them never falter. Once the pride of mankind shatters, it can never be reclaimed!
As the Chief Commander, I hereby propose a revote of the previous decision!
