Глава 7

You're not mad?;......;I thought you wouldn't appreciate that.

Why do you look into my eyes when you say that?

There's nothing to see in these eyes.

There's no point in staying silent at a time like this.

It's your choice whether or not you hold an opinion.

Would you rather I didn't?

You want me to reprimand you, Dr. {@nickname}?

Not now. I don't think you do, and I don't think there's anything wrong with what you said.

In an unexpectedly apt analogy, the guerrilla fighters also trust only one commander, and embrace only that one commander.

Yes, Doctor, this guerrilla force is another sort of 'Rhodes Island.'

But their leader? No.

Dr. {@nickname}, prepare yourself well. Or you'll regret it.

Even though one of our objectives is to clear a path through the central district to the bridge and the generator area...

For your own safety, I still hope you and Amiya will not face him.

But if this is all inevitable, then I can only repeat what I just said.

...Prepare yourself well, Dr. {@nickname}. And before you face him, you must prepare to face his guerrillas.

I rarely offer my advice to others, Doctor.

But that is 'Patriot,' Buldrokkas'tee.

*Pant*... *pant*...

Still... another... block?

No... No! I have to... I have to tell Patriot...

If Talulah... if Talulah lets these people... strike at the guerrillas...

Then... then... the guerrillas will... they will...

Be killed by their own...!

Patriot... Patriot is the only level-headed one left in Reunion...!

Where do you think you're going?

You...

Sarkaz.

What brigade are you with? And what business do you have in the central district?

Explain it to me.

Oh, or maybe you're with the old Wendigo.

You—

The prey ran right up to me on his own.

What did you learn, weak little Infected outlander?

Chernobog Central District 1:20 P.M.

Raidian, this is Kal'tsit. We're on the edge of the central district, four hundred and ten meters out from the warehouse, seventeen, sixty-seven, southwest.

Are you in position? Is the operation going according to plan?

'Unimpeded?'

The situation on the ground seems to be in line with our expectations.

Reunion has deployed the guerrilla fighters at hubs throughout the core city, and stationed Reunion regulars or Sarkaz mercenaries elsewhere.

It would be unwise to spread their defenses thinly across the entire map. They will gather their elites in a few key locations. That's what I would do if I were leading Reunion.

Dr. Kal'tsit!

I know you want to speak to Raidian, Amiya. Patience.

I... I do too...

...We're on a mission. Next time, okay?

Oh, um... okay.

Raidian, I have Amiya here for you.

Right!

Raidian, this is Amiya.

(What kind of operator is Raidian?)

(Well... You saw how Amiya and Rosmontis reacted.)

(Our younger personnel love Raidian. But she may be a little too warm and friendly for adults.)

(The adolescents have the most trouble with her.)

(Why?)

(Their need to self-actualize tends to conflict with Raidian's persistent motherliness.)

(I generally avoid putting them in the same team. You should check the manual for such details when planning.)

Right... I saw, Raidian, yes.

That's correct. No, that's not a standard tactic for guerrilla fighters. It's more like... hm...

Like a military?

Yes! Like the Doctor said, Raidian, Reunion has mixed things up a bit, but you can still see the shadow of the Ursus military here.

They've undergone strict military training... Yes, that's likely.

The core network of Reunion personnel could be Infected who have received Ursus military training.

They're the only ones who could gather up such a large group of Infected.

It's clear that this battle won't be an easy win for us.

Hm? No, I'm fine. Rosmontis and I, all the Rhodes Island operators... we all wanted to be here.

Uh huh, it's okay, Raidian, I have Dr. {@nickname} and Dr. Kal'tsit with me.

All right, Amiya, it's time to begin.

Right. Okay, Raidian, it's up to you and Dr. Kal'tsit.

First thing's first, we have to make good use of our comms.

Team R-4, activate your equipment.

Raidian, it will take Rosmontis ten minutes to cast her Arts. During that time, we cannot lose comms for even a split second, unless we determine that we have to disconnect.

Continued use of Originium Arts will cause you discomfort, and if the nausea becomes unbearable, you are to immediately take the supplement I formulated for you.

Moderate dizziness is a side effect. It won't harm your nervous system, but it will massively drain your strength.

Be careful not to overdose. After the first ten minutes, you can take intermittent breaks. Do not overexert yourself.

We're asking a lot of you, Raidian.

Rosmontis, all of the enemy's messages will be sent to your portable terminal via Raidian. Feel them, and log them.

Should their location change, you cannot lose them. Seize their feelings and log them again.

Reach out with your body, Rosmontis, and picture yourself roaming the city.

I understand, Dr. Kal'tsit.

Amiya...

I know.

You have your work cut out for you. If anything anomalous happens, I will stop your casting. The instant you feel any pain, let me know.

Rosmontis... I'm going closer to you.

Yes, I'm ready too. I'm not scared. Amiya, don't be scared of me.

I won't. I'm not scared of Rosmontis. We won't be scared.

They touched foreheads...

Amiya is stabilizing Rosmontis's emotions.

You may not want to look directly at them, Dr. {@nickname}. It is unwise for any but the most tragically afflicted warriors to look directly at the expansion of the essence of Rosmontis's Arts.

Excuse me?!;...Amiya...?;You can't mean our little bunny...?

I figured you'd realize it sooner.

Or that you already knew but hadn't indicated as much to me.

But yes, Dr. {@nickname}.

...Amiya's battles, both physical and mental, have been far beyond what any human being should have to endure.

What have you done...

Two, or maybe three would be okay. The more people to share the burden, the better.

Dr. {@nickname}, I'm not talking specifically about a memory or a battlefield experience. This refers to demands on both responsibility and physical ability.

If you'd like, you could hold Amiya's hand to share that burden.

(Reach out to Amiya);(Do nothing)

No, not today, anyway. You and I have another urgent task.

We need to buy them precious time.