Chapter 4

4. Unfathomable Order

Vrooom!

Squeak!

Space Marines clad in steel armor were working on the wall construction, holding construction lasers and other tools.

“Damn it! Why do we have to do this?”

“It’s the commander’s order, you know.”

“Damn. Why would he give such an order?”

“Who knows? If you’re really unhappy, think of it as your fate for volunteering to come to a place like this for a fast promotion.”

“Shut up. Since it’s the commander’s order, don’t question it and just carry it out!”

“Yes, sir. Understood, Lieutenant Billy.”

Billy, a towering figure with dark skin, narrowed his eyes at the sarcastic soldier but didn’t reprimand him. He didn’t understand it either.

Why were the Marines doing construction work?

All available construction robots were being used to build the control center, so the Marines, the only combat force, had to be deployed for construction.

In the strategy game ‘Space War,’ this would be impossible. You can’t give or carry out orders beyond the designated roles.

Of course, even here, if the Marines were told to build a control center, they couldn’t do it.

But what special skills were needed to build a wall using debris?

Moreover, the steel armor not only provided excellent defense but also endowed the wearer with superhuman strength, allowing them to lift and move heavy objects with their bare hands, even without heavy machinery.

The finely constructed exoskeleton effectively distributed the weight, allowing the wearer to lift heavy objects without much trouble. However, there were limits, so really heavy objects still required heavy machinery.

Zzzz!

“A little more to the side!”

“Yeah! There! Weld it in place!”

Sssss!

The wall was going up much faster than expected.

‘You’d only know by giving such an order.’

In the game, and probably here too, no commander would order the construction of a wall. It was that unnecessary, and the steel armor, though equipped with an infinite power source, wasn’t infinite.

‘But it’s actually pretty cool, isn’t it?’

The Space Marines in steel armor looked even more impressive than he had imagined. You could say they had a certain flair.

Lee Han shifted his gaze back to where the control center was being built.

The Marines were constructing the wall at an unprecedented speed, but the construction robots were building the command center as if they were scribbling on a blank canvas.

It wasn’t a rough, hastily built structure like the soldiers’ wall; it was a very complex and intricate building, yet the construction robots, controlled by the super AI, were building it flawlessly.

With numerous construction robots working together, the super AI was the true subject performing the task. The construction robots were merely the hands and feet of the super AI. Despite the incredible speed of multiple tasks, there were no mistakes or trial and error.

Lee Han was amazed and realized the reason for the inefficient system that required orders from the super AI to function.

‘It wouldn’t be strange if the Terminator showed up... Wait, did it already exist?’

Terra, soon to be the origin of humanity, was a world where alien species, including machines, existed. If the super AI were given autonomy, it wouldn’t be impossible for something like the Terminator to exist.

‘But what about the Klactu? How do we deal with them?’

If resources were abundant, specifically prozelle and ceramic, the Klactu wouldn’t be a problem.

Strengthening the defense shield would require upgrading the control center, but producing mechanized units under the super AI’s command would solve the issue.

‘The problem is we don’t have the resources or time to produce anything. The defense shield can be torn apart, so even if it’s weakened, the wall won’t last long. We need a more powerful solution. What can we use at this point?’

No resources, no time to produce, and a small force facing an enemy attack? In a strategy game, this would be game over. Is reality any different?

‘Damn! This is a real crisis... Hmm?’

Then a sudden idea flashed through his mind.

‘Let’s focus on how to block the first attack. I’m not going to die like this!’

Lee Han looked at the wall with a fierce expression.

*

The two bunkers were situated on relatively high ground, and a crude but sturdy-looking wall had been completed in the depression between them.

“At least it’s not an open field. Damn.”

If the base had been on a plain instead of a basin, there would have been no way to survive.

‘But what if they come over the hill?’

The surrounding high ground wasn’t a steep mountain range, and even if it were, why couldn’t the Klactu cross it? Of course, in the game, they couldn’t, but this wasn’t a game.

Therefore, Lee Han couldn’t hide his unease.

‘Damn. The only thing we can rely on is their instinct.’

When the wall construction was almost complete, the Marines’ expressions changed when he gave another order.

‘They looked at me like I was crazy. If it weren’t for the trust built up over time, they wouldn’t have followed the commander’s order. But guys, you have to survive.’

Lee Han grumbled to himself, feeling uncomfortable in the situation.

“Commander, the control center is complete. If you approve the activation of the main system, you can use limited functions. Please come to the control center if you want to approve it.”

The completion of the control center was excellent news. Whether it was completed or not, the Klactu would eventually show up.

Lee Han hurried to the control center.

*

Billy, who was cleaning his rifle, stopped and spoke.

“Is the commander really back to normal?”

The cigarette in the mouth of the man sitting opposite him glowed red and burned quickly. He held the cigarette between his fingers and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

“Hmmm. How can we tell if he’s normal or not? He had a fatal injury. It’s a miracle he’s alive. But it’s clear his memory is affected. He couldn’t even remember me.”

The man with curly brown hair was Erio.

“Then we should report to the higher-ups and take action...”

“What would we report? Hahaha. That it’s a side effect of severe post-traumatic stress?”

“Hmm.”

It wasn’t an unusual history for a Marine. There were already several in his own squad. Erio continued.

“Since a person who was supposed to die survived, it’s not unusual for them to have side effects. More importantly, do you think the higher-ups didn’t know? They approved Captain Han as the commander. Have you thought about what that means?”

Erio’s words made Billy narrow his eyes.

“By allowing the reconstruction of the control center, they want us to survive on our own?”

Erio took a deep drag on his cigarette and had a strange expression.

“You’re always so optimistic. I don’t know. More likely, they want to extend the lifespan of the super AI. If it doesn’t work, there’s nothing we can do. In any case, our lives don’t matter to them.”

“Hmm.”

The super AI would self-destruct if the authority transfer wasn’t completed within a set period, even if the process was legitimate.

“Captain Han becoming the commander is the same. Even if he has severe side effects, would they care? Moreover, he’s no longer a captain but a commander. You know the base commander is a special position. They can suggest, but they can’t force. If the higher-ups want to force the commander, they’d have to kill him.”

Billy silently drank from the glass on the table and then spoke to Erio.

“That’s not what I’m asking. Didn’t you hear and see the orders the commander gave?”

“I did. I even carried them out. What about it?”

“...”

Billy’s silence and gaze made Erio shrug.

“A soldier follows orders. No need to overthink it.”

“They are our comrades!”

“While they were alive.”

Billy looked at Erio coldly.

“Are you saying they’re not now?”

Erio, meeting his gaze, crushed the cigarette under his foot.

“Are you saying we should die because our comrades died?”

“That’s not what I mean!”

Erio interrupted Billy.

“I don’t understand the commander’s orders either. But it doesn’t seem like he’s giving them emotionally. Preparing close-combat weapons and being vigilant is a serious matter.”

“... Are you saying the commander is preparing for something?”

“I don’t know. He might be crazy, as everyone suspects.”

Erio continued.

“Regardless, the commander is the commander. Even if he’s crazy, we have no alternative. Do you need more explanation?”

Billy narrowed his eyes, watching Erio leave, then looked at his rifle. His eyes were filled with indescribable emotions.

*

A hologram flickered in front of Lee Han.

“The main system activation has been approved. I will first analyze the surrounding terrain and the positions of our forces.”

However, unlike before, a neutral voice accompanied the message.

Ding.

“The map function has been activated. You can use the map to track the positions of our forces and, if necessary, monitor their real-time status.”

Simultaneously, a map appeared in front of Lee Han, and the positions of the allied base and troops began to be marked.

“How do I give orders?”

“You can do it in any way you find convenient. For example, you can give voice commands, mark locations on the map, or issue written instructions.”

“Is it possible from anywhere?”

“As long as you are within the control center’s field, it’s possible from anywhere. Outside the field, you can give limited orders if a signal booster is installed. However, I strongly recommend commanding from inside the control center. For example, if the commander dies, most automated units, including mechanized units, become useless. Please be cautious.”

This was the main reason why, in ‘Space War,’ the protagonist and most commanders didn’t operate outside the control center. It’s much easier to kill one person than to destroy a heavily fortified base.

Therefore, even in the game, sub-missions involving the kidnapping or assassination of a commander were rare. Here, it was even more special.

However, special forces using N-suits or BN-suits were trained specifically for such assassinations.

Everything was fascinating, but Lee Han put his admiration aside and asked urgently.

“Is it possible to explore underground?”

“It’s not possible now. You need to upgrade the control center.”

“What about detecting enemy presence?”

“It’s possible within our territory. However, the detection range varies depending on the detection subject.”

If based on a soldier, it would be what the soldier can detect; if based on a radar, it would be what the radar can detect. This was similar to ‘Space War.’

Lee Han nodded and tapped a part of the map.

Ding!

The area around it was magnified, and the hologram showed Sierra’s squad, led by Lieutenant Sierra, who had gone out to explore resources.

5. Unfathomable Order (2)