Long-term salvation

"What a courageous decision! Also, where is the address of your foundation? Do we have to drive all the way there?" Rhodes smiled mischievously at Irons and whistled, "Doesn't the foundation have an Ethics Committee or an O5-like status level?"

"Even though I've already said it once, you still have too many questions."

Irons glared at Rhodes, then he patted the front-seat driver's shoulder and said:

"Let's go, we're going to the Colorado Springs airport—we're going to take a military transport plane."

The latter sentence was directed at Rhodes.

When the light of dawn rose from the horizon, the convoy set off immediately without any intention of stopping.

Gazing at the almost unchanging wilderness scenery passing by outside the window, a bored Rhode leaned back in his car seat and counted the system points and rewards he had accumulated.

The battle group given by the system is the 3rd Armored Division of the United States of America, and there are 530 pollution points left in the inner world, which can basically be exchanged for two M1A1 tanks or four infantry groups with Bradley fighting vehicles.

In other words, except for emergency situations, it is a huge loss to use points to exchange for individual equipment. It is only appropriate to exchange them for vehicles.

Unlocking other battlegroups within the United States of America required 5000 points, while unlocking battlegroups in other countries, such as Britain and France, required 10000 points. The Warsaw Pact countries also had them, but they were currently grayed out, apparently requiring certain conditions to unlock... Of course, the Aurora Republic also had them, but Rhode gave up the idea of ​​unlocking them after taking a look.

The armaments of the Aurora Republic in 1989? Never mind. Better wait for the system to update modern battle groups or fantasy weaponry, or perhaps General Cheng Shitao's Quad-Core Academy or something like that.

But then again, what is this [Character Exchange Voucher]?

Rhodes glanced at Ains who was talking on a satellite phone next to him and thought it would be better not to exchange it now - a living person jumping out of the car was enough to make people suspicious, and it would be even more difficult to exchange it for something that was not human. And people like Ains obviously would not be stingy to take Rhodes to the sky with them.

"We'll go to the airport first and board my company's military aircraft, then head to Massachusetts. After a period of quarantine and inspection, I'll introduce you to the other members of the Foundation. We'll explain your questions in detail, whether it's about the 'other world' or the 'unknown benevolent existence' in Tesla's manuscript."

The other world was easy to talk about, but as for the unknown existence of benevolence? Rhode's eyes drifted across the system interface in front of him... He didn't really care about these things. What was truly useful to him was the "history" of this world.

Yes, it's history. In a world like this, with its otherworld, Atlas Corporation, and even more messed-up things, what exactly is its history? The only certainty is that the Soviet Union exists, Germany is divided, and the United States of America is still confronting the Red Bear in Europe.

Thinking of this, Rhodes turned his head and asked Ains:

"Who is the leader of the Soviet Union now?"

“Gorbachev.”

"...That's fine," Rhodes pressed his temple. "Who is the president of the United States?"

"President Graham."

Who the hell is this?!

Facing Rhode's surprised face, Irons frowned slightly. It was difficult for him to determine the past experiences and memories of the person in front of him, and this uncertainty made him unhappy. After a brief thought, Irons added a few words:

"1989 to 1993 will be his last term, and the next president will likely be a Democratic candidate."

"Yeah, including these four years, a Republican has been president for 12 years. It's time for a change," Rhode sighed, no longer dwelling on these messy matters. "Atlas's arms and private security businesses shouldn't be affected, right? I remember you also have bioengineering research, and you have a lot of factories. Many people depend on you for their livelihoods. These are all strong Republican bases."

Irons: "...I'm curious, are you a madman talking nonsense, or a prophet who sees everything?"

"Neither. I'm just an unlucky guy who signed a contract with the devil." Rhodes waved his hand, indicating that he didn't want to continue talking about this topic.

"Then let me talk about something else," Irons said, his words subconsciously carrying some scrutiny from a superior. "Where did you grow up? Or rather, where are you from?"

"I do not know."

"So what do you plan to do in the future?"

"I don't know...Listen, Mr. Irons, among the three philosophical questions, the most I can answer is 'Who am I?'" Rhodes frowned. He felt a little unhappy with Irons' interrogation-like questioning:

"I'm still completely bewildered. Less than three hours after returning to the real world, you came knocking on my door, threatening me with heavy machine guns and fighter jets and forcing me to be transported thousands of kilometers away. Human experimentation and imprisonment might be waiting for me. The only reason I'm sitting here quietly is because of you, a fearless, almost foolish old man willing to sit next to me—next to a being that might be a monster. I admire your courage and persistence—and as for the other world? I just crawled out of there! An unknown benevolent entity? Without it, I would have shot you long ago. But what exactly is this thing, and how did it find me? I have no idea."

"Okay, calm down." Irons was startled by Rhodes' sudden outburst, but he still wanted to know more about the information from the young man in front of him. "I can assure you that you will be treated politely. In addition, the other world I told you about..."

"Were you so aggressive before your son died?" Rhodes asked expressionlessly.

This time, Irons remained silent. He simply glared at Rhode for a few seconds with eyes filled with sorrow, then looked away, gazing out the window at the scenery. The convoy had already entered a small town on the highway. Some early-rising shop owners had already opened their doors and were doing some simple cleaning. A few unknown birds alighted on the power lines, waiting to rummage through the morning trash as people took it out, looking for edible scraps.

Rhode realized that his words just now were a bit hurtful. He pondered for a moment and said in a low voice:

"I'm sorry, Mr. Irons."

"No, it's nothing. This is just a harsh reality, and I'm trying to accept it," Irons said calmly. "You don't need to feel sorry for this, and don't worry about my retaliation or interference. As long as you can prove your ability, the Foundation's directors and I will selflessly help you. Compared to so many responsibilities and visions, personal feelings are really not worth mentioning. Also, let's end this topic. Like you just now, I don't want to talk any more."

"..."

The Hummer driver and Gideon, sitting in the passenger seat, exchanged glances, each seeing helplessness and a strange sense of déjà vu in the other's eyes. To ease the awkwardness, Gideon turned on the car's radio, and a whirring announcement rang out:

[The new painkiller "Anshin" developed by Dr. Paul von Landry of Earhart Associates has been successfully launched on the market. The pharmaceutical consortium led by Umbrella Corporation has promised to...]

The Bank of Japan Governor announced a substantial interest rate hike...

[Former Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife were sentenced to death...]

President Graham announces a new government initiative to counter the Soviet Union...

The convoy continued on its way to Colorado Springs International Airport, a city-owned, public, dual-use military and civil airport that includes Peterson Air Force Base.

Given Atlas' influence in the United States military, it would not be difficult for Irons to use the transport planes here. Perhaps many of the transport planes in the United States military belong to them.

However, just as the convoy entered the airport's dedicated passage, Rhodes suddenly saw a system pop-up prompt:

【Side Quest Update】

[Side Quest: Twelve Trials: Silent Hill]

Mission Description: Go to the small town of Silent Hill on the shores of Toluca Lake in Pennsylvania, solve the otherworldly incidents, and find the clue fragments.

Side quest? And the term "Twelve Trials" is interesting... plus the clue fragments, is this a continuous quest?

Rhode pondered for a moment, then read the main and side quests together. A new understanding suddenly dawned on him. Furthermore, even if it didn't advance the main quest, earning a few more Backworld Pollution Points would be a good thing—at worst, he could acquire more weapons and equipment, then recruit people from Russia or elsewhere to form an organization like "Army Without Borders" and resolve Backworld incidents on his own. After all, the map was on the table. If the Soviet Union didn't follow the Eugen Star World War or Conflict World timeline, it would inevitably disintegrate.

Rather than letting these soldiers rot in turbulent times, it would be better to recruit them to serve the noble goal of saving human civilization. Moreover, in case of emergency, this can also form a check and balance relationship with the Cogito Foundation/Atlas Corporation.

Maybe we can also recruit some artificial humans or bionic people as direct troops?

The idea was nice, but Rhodes' main problem now was to deal with Irons in front of him.

Before boarding the C-130 transport plane that had been prepared for a long time, Rhodes called out to Irons:

"Mr. Irons, I need to go to Pennsylvania now. I have accepted a mission related to the other world."

"...guidance from an unknown benevolent being?"

"If that makes it easier for you and the Foundation's directors to understand, then yes."

After hearing Rhode's words, Ains stepped back from the boarding ramp. He faced Rhode and met his deep blue eyes. After the two stared at each other silently for a few seconds, Ains sighed and said with a hint of helplessness:

"I'll have Gideon take a small team with you. They'll be carrying photography equipment."

Rhode recalled the setting of Silent Hill (game/movie) in his memory. Although his memory was still fragmented, it was enough to extract useful information from it. Then he reminded:

"Please also prepare a handheld DV for me, but I must warn you that they may not be able to enter with us, and even if they do, there may be casualties. Speaking of which, do Gideon and the others know what they're facing?"

"I believe they will adapt. They are all well-trained, elite warriors picked from thousands," Irons said calmly. "It is your duty to bring these soldiers back safely. Prove your ability to me and to us. I trust you, and I hope you will not betray me."

Rhode raised an eyebrow at this. He hadn't expected Irons to agree so quickly. It was clear that Irons, along with the Foundation's directors, had been testing him from the start. This might also tie in with the main quest released by the system, as well as the side quest called "Twelve Trials."

So, the Cogito Foundation had twelve directors? Including myself, who would become the future chairman... thirteen wasn't a good number, but Rhode figured being the regent of the Second Empire wouldn't be a bad idea.

By the way, are there GW and Warhammer in this world?

Pushing the storm in his mind aside, Rhode nodded in response:

"I will. Also, am I taking this transport plane?"

"Yes, if you've learned airborne techniques, I can even let you airdrop directly to that location," Irons called over an Atlas Company clerk, whispered a few instructions, and then continued to Rhodes:

"I'll take a business jet from the nearby civilian airport. Gideon will coordinate your itinerary with the United States Air Force. Also, remember to keep the events of the Otherworld a secret. Perhaps one day in the future, the existence of the Otherworld will be known to the world, but until then... you understand my meaning."

"I've always kept my mouth shut."

"So much the better."

After Irons finished speaking, he boarded the Humvee and left, leaving only Rhodes and Gideon's team staying next to the C-130 transport plane. However, after everyone boarded the plane, they did not take off immediately, but waited for the photography equipment to be delivered.

While waiting, Rhodes looked at Gideon's team. There weren't many people in them. Including himself, there were only six of them. Four of them were native humans of this world, and the remaining one, like Gideon, came from the world of COD11 Advanced Warfare and seemed to prefer being called by his code name "Joker".

Noticing Rhode's gaze, Gideon exchanged glances with his teammates and asked cautiously:

“For the upcoming mission, can we have a mission briefing-style notification with mission details?”

"I don't want to take you into that sinister place, so I can only give you a brief explanation," Rhode spread his hands. "In fact, I'm not sure what we'll face next, but I can tell you this: the enemies can be killed by guns. Even the most powerful monsters there will fall to the firepower of modern weaponry."

Gideon looked at his team and smiled.

Chapter 6 Silent Hill: Inception (4K)

Pennsylvania, United States, evening.

A convoy of three black Cherokee XJ Jeeps stopped at a fork in the road. On the old road sign at the intersection, the words "BRAHAMS" and—

SILENT HILL

silent Hill.

Rhode looked up at the street sign and reached into his pocket to pull out a cigarette and lighter. After a few seconds of hesitation, he put them back. These were the spoils he had won playing cards with Gideon and the others on the road, along with a few crumpled US dollars.

The Joker leaned against the side of the car, watching Gideon lying on the hood writing a record report, and Rhodes also came over to take a look, and pointed out the spelling errors in it. The content of the report was also very simple, just about Rhodes' behavior along the way, whether he had contact with other people and so on.

"Oh, don't forget to write this down. When we first got off the state highway, I had two sandwiches and a cup of coffee at a roadside restaurant... The Joker gave me the money, and you gave me the tip. To be honest, you guys are a bit broke."

"That's because you took all the change we had! Besides, who would carry that much cash on a battlefield?"

"Tsk, Gideon, you're so useless."

"Hey! That's a bit hurtful!" Gideon replied angrily, rolling his eyes at Rhodes. "I'm not like you. Mr. Irons said he would treat you as a top-level client and meet all your reasonable requests. You should really have a financial manager with you and bring hundreds of checks or credit cards."

"Hey hey hey."

Rhode chuckled. He had already become familiar with these soldiers on the transport plane. But after watching Gideon finish writing, he pondered for a few seconds and asked what he had long wanted to know:

"Don't you know anything about the other world or the Kogito Foundation?"

"We only know the name," the clown shrugged. He adjusted the holster on his waist and changed into a more comfortable position. "We are just a group of soldiers. Although we are highly valued by Mr. Irons - thanks to him, I can give my ex-wife a living allowance every month. At least I won't be like the unlucky guy I knew in the army who not only took away his money but also took away his dog - but let's not get involved in these messes. But if you really want to say it... Gideon?"

The Joker glanced at Gideon, who sighed, reached out for a cigarette, lit it, and put it in his mouth, then picked up a pen to write down the current conversation.

"We've only recovered some strange things, like ancient books or instruments from ancient religions. And we're just guards; the real work is done by the researchers in full-body hazmat suits. As for the Foundation you mentioned, I only know there are several highly educated professors there, but nothing else. And Mr. Irons obviously wouldn't let us in on the meeting with them."

In other words, Gideon, Joker, and other security personnel who specialize in combat don't know the details of the other world? Or, they simply haven't encountered a decent enough other world incident?

Rhodes pondered for a moment. He originally thought that the inner world activities in this world were still very frequent, but now it seems that this is not the case.

Or, didn't it even begin?

The tide is rising

The tide of the other world is beginning to rise and is rising.

Rhodes suddenly remembered the information he had obtained before, frowned slightly, and instinctively felt that some undercurrents had been brewing long before he came into the world.

Wait, did you hear Umbrella Corporation on the radio earlier?!

Rhode held his forehead helplessly and decided to investigate the company with this unfortunate name later. But if it really came from the Resident Evil series, then he could only pray that their virus research didn't have anything to do with the other world... To be honest, the probability of this was indeed quite high.

"What should we do next? Before it was closed off, Silent Hill was just a run-down mining town. Like many small towns in the United States, it was once prosperous, but it also declined over time as its resources were exhausted."

Gideon finished writing his report and approached Rhode, smoking a cigarette. The other members of the team were filling water in the bushes by the roadside and eating some compressed biscuits and dried meat.

"Should we go straight in along the road, or wait until daybreak?"

"Go in now, but give me a few minutes first," Rhode pondered for a moment before deciding to use the character exchange voucher the system had awarded him. Before facing a possible battle, he needed to be prepared. If the voucher turned out to be a logistics officer, Rhode would have to distract himself and take care of them during a sudden encounter... This system doesn't even give any instructions?!

On the other hand, exchanging the characters now would also allow Gideon and the others to see them, making it easier for Rhodes to complete the main quest given by the system.

Anyway, why does this feel like drawing cards in a second game or opening a blind box of figurines?

Having made up his mind, Rhodes no longer hesitated. He opened the system interface and used the redemption voucher.

The wind suddenly rose.

Something was falling from the sky with a scream.

In fact, Rod likes everything to move forward step by step, there may be setbacks, or stoppages, but he can always see the end. However, he occasionally likes things that have no rules at all:

For example, when standing at the crossroads to hell, Marianne jumped from the sky into his arms.

"commander!"