Apocalypse Shelter Administrator

Rescue Operation (4)

The vacancy left by Echo squad leader was automatically filled by Echo No. 2.

The rescue team thoroughly searched the office. This port maintained a close relationship with the offshore prison, supplying various materials and handling the transport of both prisoners and guards. Not only construction but also subsequent expansions and maintenance were supplied with materials and workers from this place.

Therefore, it naturally led to the conclusion: Wouldn't there be at least one blueprint here that shows the internal structure of the prison?

[Echo squad leader: Target blueprint found.]

Surprisingly, it was found quickly. Although it was an old blueprint from the renovation two years ago, having it or not made a significant difference. Knowing the exact internal structure of the prison would allow the pre-prepared entry plan to be executed much more effectively. Meanwhile, access to the port control computer was also achieved.

[Rose: Accessing the docking computer. Remote docking release for the ferry complete. Running ship diagnostics.]

– Fuel gauge: 90%.

– Cargo: None.

As Rose operated, the basic information of the ferry was displayed, and it was ready to set sail without any additional preparations.

Crash! A sound of part of the building collapsing came from the first floor, and black smoke began to seep into the office. The fire on the first floor was already spreading uncontrollably.

“There’s no time to go down the stairs. Escape through the window.”

Smash! Some squad members tore off the window frames and threw them outside. The wide-open pier came into view, and at the end of it, a large ferry was docked. As the rescue team swiftly escaped, behind them, the port administration building was engulfed in flames.

Could the dissonant noises occasionally heard from that burning inferno be the dying screams of the monsters?

The sound of the rescue team’s footsteps moving quickly on the pier blended with the sound of the waves.

“Grrr…”

An infected being was flailing in the sea. It seemed to have been submerged for quite some time, as its body was so bloated that it resembled a drowned corpse. It didn’t even seem to have the strength to climb back onto the pier. Its dying wail was so faint that it was barely audible, drowned out by the sound of the waves.

“Cease fire. Conserve ammunition for unnecessary targets.”

At my command, everyone ignored the infected and moved forward. Finally, as they reached the ferry, I relayed instructions to the team boarding the ship. “Be cautious when firing inside the ship. Position yourselves so that no critical machinery parts are in the line of fire. If things get too difficult, drag them outside to fight.”

The interior of the ferry was also filled with traces of devastation everywhere. There were bloodstains, dried bone fragments, and signs of fierce battles, along with barricades made from tied-up chairs.

As they entered the ship, infected creatures appeared.

“Kiieeek-!”

While passing through a narrow corridor on the ship, they were ambushed at a corner. The squad member at the front immediately struck the infected head with the butt of his rifle.

Whack! Although its head didn’t burst from the blow, it was dazed enough that it couldn’t steady itself. That brief moment was enough for another squad member following from behind to grab the infected and toss it into the sea.

Splash!

“Kiieeek-!”

Bang! Meanwhile, the Alpha squad leader fired his gas gun at the head of an infected charging at him in a straight line.

Boom!

A one-shot double kill. The head of the one in front exploded, and the one right behind it had about 40% of its head blown off as it collapsed on the spot.

“Kiieeek!”

After sending those two to their deaths, the powerful steel spike used by the squad leader lost its momentum as it pierced deep into the third infected creature’s chest.

Crunch! As the creature that had fallen to the floor tried to get back up, its neck was stomped on, breaking its spine and stopping its movement.

“Kiieeek-!” A fourth one charged directly at the squad leader.

The Alpha squad leader pulled the spike from the dead infected creature's chest and, like an uppercut, thrust it upwards.

Stab! The charging infected was impaled from its chin up through its head, leaving it dangling from the ceiling.

Elsewhere, Echo squad was also in full action. A security robot was wildly swinging a fire axe in each hand. It was a literal storm of blades. Infected creatures’ hands, arms, and heads fell to the ground like chicken parts on a butcher’s block.

“Amazing.”

Watching the squads in combat through the screen, I couldn’t help but be amazed no matter how many times I saw it. Their shooting was extremely precise, and even in sudden close combat, they efficiently used both weaponry and martial arts.

I had encountered security robots a few times in my life, but I never imagined they could be this powerful.

In a way, it makes sense. By international agreement, robots that can think and move independently without human control are strictly prohibited for military use. Therefore, security robots were mostly used in limited roles in places like prisons.

It’s a place that requires 24-hour surveillance. It’s a job no one wants, and always has to maintain strict security procedures. It’s rarely open to the public either.

For one, employing humans was cheaper, and more importantly, if a robot caused illegal activity or resulted in loss of life, all legal responsibility, both criminal and civil, fell directly on the company’s CEO.

In a world where human value was increasingly being diminished, this legislation was created as a final safety measure to prevent a situation where humans would be oppressed by machines controlled by the wealthy.

Although business leaders have called for the revision of this law multiple times, any politician who supported such measures didn’t survive an election. However, in the case of the shelter, due to their special nature, robot security was needed even more than human guards.

Once the emergency lockdown was initiated, security robots were set to activate, and any responsibility falling on the CEO could be disregarded. If a lockdown happened, it meant the world was already in ruins—who would care about legal liability?

Given the situation, the concept of combat robots was something that could only be found in movies or games, and the development of autonomous combat programs had come to a halt. But there was one being that ignored all of this.

[I could have implemented more perfect combat movements, but the robots’ motors couldn’t keep up with the motions. It’s painful to downgrade carefully developed software due to hardware limitations.]

Artemis rapidly completed the combat AI program, which had been stagnant for decades since the practical use of robots.

“How many times has the combat program been updated so far?”

[941 times, including the one just now.]

She was even performing real-time updates while supporting the operation. The results were at a level that exceeded imagination—what I was witnessing now. It was more than enough to replace human armies. Of course, without Artemis, achieving such results would have been impossible.

[Rose: Bridge secured.]

Satellite is unresponsive. Would you like to set a manual route?

The ferry’s main computer displayed a warning message, and from here, Artemis took over. With Echo squad’s help, she infiltrated the ferry’s mainframe and instantly took control of everything on the ship. The condition of the ferry wasn’t great.

– Navigation computer: Inoperable (System error)

– Device malfunction rate: 12%

(Automatic hydraulic controller damaged. Continuing operation in this state may result in navigation failure.)

“Can it still operate?”

[I’ll handle the hydraulic control in real-time, and I’ve already fixed the navigation computer.]

I silently clapped my hands.

Then, it was time for the search. With so many survivors on board, if there were any infected we had missed, it would cause chaos. Comparing the boarding records and the infected we had killed so far, there couldn’t be many left. And that’s when we made an unexpected discovery.

“This is…!”

Charlie squad leader found what appeared to be a corpse in the restroom, likely a suicide. It was a soldier wearing a South Korean military uniform. The item the soldier was gripping with both hands and holding in his mouth came into full view on the screen.

“Charlie-3, recover the weapon.”

The security robot picked up the object, which turned out to be a K2 rifle. Upon inspection, there was still ammunition left in the magazine. Given that he was carrying an old military-issue weapon, it seemed likely that he had been a reservist called up under a mobilization order.

“Was he brought in for prisoner transport? This is a major find.”

[Indeed, this is probably more valuable than the 3,000 survivors.]

“…”

[Just kidding.]

Charlie-3 stood by, holding the weapon and awaiting orders.

“From now on, prioritize the protection of that weapon as a top security object. Guard it at all costs during the mission.”

My command was uploaded to the entire rescue team.

“How long would it take to scan and reverse-engineer it? I can’t wait.”

[Thirty minutes for reverse-engineering, eight hours for the first production run.]

No matter how powerful the gas guns and flamethrowers were, they couldn’t compare to a standard-issue assault rifle that a nation had chosen as its primary weapon.

Now, we are going to be able to use it.

Although I didn’t want to think about it, if the time came to fire on prisoners, a standard assault rifle would be far more useful than a gas gun with excessive firepower of only three shots.

The search finally ended at dawn, but the significant finds were so overwhelming that I couldn’t sleep properly.

[Shall we set off?]

With Artemis’s words, the engine roared to life, and her will permeated every part of the ship. The engine, propellers, hydraulics, cooling system, stabilizers—every element started to work together. The massive ferry slowly began to move.

“Grrrr…”

The infected creatures, flailing helplessly, were swallowed by the waves created by the ferry’s massive hull. As the ship passed, the vibrations caused the scattered cargo on the pier to shake back and forth. The destination was the offshore prison. The mission was the transport of the survivor group.

As the large ferry cut through the sea, white foam was created, and the brilliant morning sunlight poured down over it.

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