Chapter 2: Escape
Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Tehrn
The Zergs had overrun the base. Although they lacked intelligence, their talons could tear through steel plating with ease so Wang Tong wouldn’t stand a chance.
"The Confederation promised me a Zerg-free planet! Where the heck are the Confederation troops!?"
"Master, we are under attack! We are under attack! Please leave this area immediately." Charcoal uttered the words in the quickest speed his CPU allowed. He was programmed to do so to stress the urgency of the situation.
Wang Tong had been rendered useless by the mounting pressure. He had just graduated from middle school and was sent here because of a conscience-deprived old fox. Most teenagers his age were enjoying their colorful youth on earth right now, instead of having to deal with a Zerg invasion on a desolate planet far away.
"I should calm down... What would I do in a situation like this if I were on Earth?" Wang Tong said to himself.
"911!" the answer was obvious.
"But what about here? ... Bah, I'm wasting my time, of course, I should call for help!"
Wang Tong rushed toward the telecom screen hopefully. He fumbled his finger all over the phone pad, “Ding…” it connected.
"Help, Help me! Zergs, many, many Zergs! It is-"
The screen had turned to static before the attractive receptionist was able to utter a single word to Wang Tong, the signal had been interrupted.
Wang Tong stared at the screen helplessly. He wanted to cry but felt like he didn't even have the time to do so.
The telecom was a part of the planetary electronic communication system on Norton. Jamming its signal required a massive amount of energy in the form of electromagnetic waves; however, one type of Zerg was able to do precisely that.
At first sight, this kind of Zerg seemed to be harmless, but they could emit electromagnetic waves so strong that they would paralyze any electronic communication system. Insufficient electronic counter measurements on Norton had now let the Zergs gain the upper hand.
On the CCTV screen, Wang Tong saw a piece of heavy equipment, which weighed easily over a few tons, was thrown into the air by the Zergs. When it thudded to the ground, a group of eight-legged Zergs advanced in. Some gouged the headlights with their claws; some penetrated the heavy metal with their fangs, some gnawed the rubber with their teeth and some ripped mechanical joints apart with their powerful grip. The piece of equipment was quickly reduced to a pile of twisted, gnarled junk. Wang Tong stared at what was left of the machine and touched his tender and soft cheek.
He didn’t want to die here, he wanted to fight back. A light bulb moment suddenly came to Wang Tong. "Charcoal, where can I find any weapons?"
Charcoal shook his head powerlessly: "Master, the base does not stock any weapons. If there is an emergency, we will radio the headquarters, and they will send a squad of METAL troops here."
"I know that already!" Wang Tong suddenly yelled at Charcoal. He would have contacted the HQ if the telecom signal hadn't been compromised. Wang Tong’s despair returned, and his fear grew stronger with every passing moment. He was still young and would grow up to be the future of the Confederation, at least that's what the confederation had been telling him, so he didn’t want to die here.
"If only I had been 'Mind Opened' and had a METAL suit, but now..." He looked at the Zergs crawling all over the CCTV screen. He swallowed and decided to give up the idea of going commando on hundreds of Zergs. "If I can't fight, at least I can run away."
The Zerg army was tearing apart the defense layers one by one, like peeling an onion.
Sirens screamed in every corner of the sky. The Zerg army was attacking multiple fronts. The focus of their attack was Norton's main base.
The Zergs had left Norton alone until now. Not a single Zerg had ever been spotted near Norton, so it was evident now that the silence before this attack had been a deception. The defense force was caught off guard, although the troops on the ground were trying their best to hold their line, the sheer number of Zergs was overwhelming. Most of the defense forces had been mobilized to the headquarters, leaving the other parts of the planet almost defenseless.
Lieutenant Eisle had to give the order to pull back. If they didn't pull out right now, everyone would be dead in a matter of a few moments. This was a well-prepared surprise attack, a Zerg's conspiracy.
High up in Norton's orbital space, four monstrous space hives continuously burst out showers of bug sacks towards Norton, rendering the ground defense useless.
Meanwhile, on planet Earth, the high councils were having a heated debate.
"We have been played by the Zergs. We should have corrected the lack of defense on Norton a long time ago."
"Councilor Sarl, I'd like to remind you that, not long ago, you vetoed the bill to reinforce Norton due to its astronomical cost."
"This is not the time for arguing about what has already been done."
"We should have known better, the Zergs do not stand a chance in the solar system, so the Centaurus Galaxy was the obvious target."
"Councilor Chiera, it was you who ratified the reinforcements to the Andromeda Galaxy instead of the Centaurus Galaxy."
Compared to the wild and empty Norton, the three densely populated and highly developed planets in the Andromeda Galaxy naturally deserved more attention and protection. Fighting against the Zergs was not an easy task as their hives were not only able to thrive in space, but they could also travel at hyper-speed. They had effectively made the dead, cold space their cozy home. It was almost impossible for humans to wipe them out entirely.
To be fair, the defenses on Norton should were sufficient; however, it couldn’t survive from the swarm of Zergs.
Councilors fell into a chaotic argument. Arguing was human politicians' favorite method of showing off their power. However, the Kaedeian representatives sat quietly among the sizzling Earthlings, calm and somber as they always were.
Ever since their defeat four hundred years ago, Kaedeians had made a pact with Earthlings which made them obey any human's orders, as long as it did not impede with their own survival. Kaedeians and Earthlings had been reliable allies ever since the time of General Li Feng.
Kaedeians had been the first human race at large to wear METAL suits in battle with the Zergs, thanks to their natural ability to utilize EMF. Many Kaedeians had died in the thirty-year great war against the Zergs, and they had paid in blood and tears to gain the trust and friendship of the Earthlings.
Over the next hundreds of years, Kaedeians had settled on Mars and the three inhabitable planets in the Andromeda Galaxy and developed a formidable military force. When humans were caught in a conflict with another space race, they were always the first to come to Earth's aid, in honor of their pact made with the great General Li Feng. In contrast, they almost always remained neutral and silent when the conflict came from within the Earthlings themselves.
"Order, Order! I'd like to remind everyone that our agenda today is to decide on reinforcements for the Centaurus Galaxy and to rescue our brothers and sisters as soon as possible. Now it is the time to vote." Arlington, Leader of the Council, announced after he struck the gavel on the desk.
"I vote yes," all of the Earth representatives raised their hands.
"I vote yes," the same came from the Ivantians from the Moon.
"I vote yes," Kaedeians’ votes were always the same as the Earthlings’.
The final decision of the council was to send the eighth company of the human space marines, and the third corps of the Kaedeians’ force to Norton to eliminate the invading bugs.
Inhabitants of all planets hailed the decision of the high council. The war with the bugs was becoming a hot topic.
Meanwhile, survivors on Norton still needed to wait patiently for the arrival of reinforcements - implementing military orders always took a while. The Confederation cranked up the number of patrol fleets to ensure the security of other planets. Invasion on the desolated Norton was one thing, but the Zergs on any other inhabited planet was completely different.
Over the years of conflict with humans, the Zergs had evolved not only their bodies but also their brains. They had learned to be smart and to be sneaky; to deploy a ruse before attacking and to attack with the element of surprise.
What happened on Norton was a costly lesson, and it should never happen again. The Confederation would have to ensure the safety of the mass populated planets regardless of its cost.
Back on Norton, time was not in Wang Tong's favor. Trapped in a small room with few supplies, he would die if he chose to wait for the reinforcements. There was nothing that he could use to defend himself and only had some food rations and everyday items at his disposal. Even then, Wang Tong knew very well that even if he had a weapon, he would barely be a piece of cake for a Zerg.
His only choice was to escape on his own.
He decided to press further into the mine despite knowing that he had to endure a 5g gravity - a gravity that was five times stronger than Earth’s. He would rather be crushed to death by his own weight than becoming a morsel of meat that got stuck in a Zerg's teeth.
"Time to go Charcoal, forget about the baggage."
Charcoal was still meticulously packing Wang Tong's belongings. Moved by his mother-like care and attention to detail, Wang Tong thought that Charcoal would have been an amazing butler on earth...after a little bit of plastic surgery.