Глава 7

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.

A pharmaceutical company investigates the root cause of a problem, adapts to the environment, allocates functions appropriately, and looks for a breakthrough.

Our target is smaller and more precise than in a conventional battle. A small tactical assault team's work is closer to a surgery than it is to a firefight.

What the warmongers can't do falls within our area of expertise.

Rhodes Island is going to take out the enemy command in the core city. All our objectives center on rooting out the cause of this disease.

But even if we excise the cancer, if the cause of the problem remains unknown to us, it will not be fundamentally solved.

Dr. {@nickname}, I do hope you will give this due consideration.

—Who are our patients?

The normal Infected? The Ursus who were Infected? Reunion? Or this city?

And where is the cause of this disease?

We've discussed how Reunion is not maintaining the city's communication networks.

It has become clear that Talulah deliberately kept Originium clusters from the Catastrophe in the city to maintain a state of chaos.

That will massively disrupt our communications.

Even our most advanced equipment will not function under these conditions.

But now, thanks to elite operator Raidian, we can make use of the otherwise chaotic airwaves.

That leaves us with a direct, reliable method of communication, and a tactical advantage.

One advantage isn't enough.

True.

You saw the runners carrying megaphones. The guerrillas use these antiquated methods to carry intelligence and orders in encrypted messages.

We have yet to properly map the movements of these runners, but Rosmontis is working on it.

Their transmissions may not be instantaneous, and are limited in range, but it is the most stable and disciplined method in a hostile environment.

Can you guess what's wrong with this method?

It depends on the person first giving the order?;...the source.;The squad can't survive without its head.

Correct.

The real commander's location is hidden.

What would you do in that position, Doctor?

I'd flush them out!;...Use bait.;I'd have to cause some chaos first.

Correct.

Now we've focused our thinking. This is another tactical advantage.

Doctor, the Arts Rosmontis is releasing will show us the location of every runner and their patrol routes.

She will expand her consciousness and capture every physical structure within range. At the same time, her mental state will grow increasingly chaotic.

Amiya is working to flatten those emotions.

Raidian is the core of our communications. With her Arts, we can communicate unimpeded for a short period of time.

We just need to wait for Rosmontis to finish her part, then we go.

For now, the guerrillas know nothing about us.