Long-term salvation

"I should have told my son."

"..."

The girls had already carried some food and moved a little further away, leaving all their space for the two men. From here, the only sounds were the waves crashing against the rocks and the faint honking of cars from the distant city.

"After I escaped the burning jungle, the air force's fuel-air explosives and napalm bombs completely burned the area. I don't know how many Vietnamese died there, but after that, the Vietnam War ended, and I left the army... Before leaving, I traced the legend of the river god to its origins, and eventually discovered that it wasn't a god at all—just an ordinary Vietnamese farmer. His wife and children were killed, and anger ignited his body, turning the 'river god' into an avenger."

Irons had already drunk three bottles of beer, and his breathing was a little heavier. He looked out to sea. It was pitch black, with only the light of the lighthouse and the buoy lights flickering. After a moment's silence, he continued:

"Now, I know it was the influence of the energy of the other world. The energy of the other world was ignited by extreme anger, pain, and sorrow, bringing a terrifying power... the power of revenge. It was the sin and arrogance of the United States that created all this. To this day, I still remember that there was a low-IQ idiot in the company who was hated by everyone because he was stupid, clumsy, and clumsy. He didn't understand anything and could only hold the trigger when fighting. He was one of the 100,000 'McNamara idiots'!"

"At that time, I was the only one as the battalion officer who would take extra care of him to prevent him from dying on the battlefield or at the hands of his comrades, because he might kill others by shouting or for some other reason."

"But he died in the end, in the fire set by the river god. He once told me that he didn't want to die, and that his mother was waiting for him in Green Shade County, Alabama, but the fool still died while running because he ran in the wrong direction - is it funny? It's funny, damn funny!"

Rhodes looked at the man in front of him. He looked like a lion marching towards old age.

Chapter 63: Daily Life: Irons' Past (Part 2)

The waves at night are bigger than those during the day, causing the salvage ship docked at the small pier to sway.

There were already five beer bottles at Irons' feet. When he was about to open another one, Rhodes held his hand and whispered:

"There's no place for you to stay here, Irons. Drink less."

"No one in my company dares to talk to me like that, but... okay," Irons had unbuttoned almost half of his shirt, and the blush caused by drunkenness climbed up his entire upper body, like a crab steamed in a steamer.

"After returning from Vietnam, I built the Atlas Corporation I inherited from my father into something large enough to be called a nation and joined the Foundation. But a few years later, my only son chose to join the United States Army."

Irons gave a wry smile, poking the cold beef with a fork and reminiscing:

"'I want to serve my country, not my father,' that's what my son, Will, told me. He really believes what the propaganda says: freedom is above all else, and that the United States saved people from dictatorship and oppression in order to spread freedom... Even though his father participated in the Vietnam War, and even though he heard his father talk about the tragic plight of Vietnam veterans who were scorned—oh! They even made a movie about that veteran. I wonder what they will do after the backlash in the future. Will they delete the tribute at the beginning of the movie?"

"Humans are like that," Rhode shrugged. "People can't teach people, but experience teaches them. Until they experience something themselves and are hit hard by reality, everyone will naturally stick to their own ideas."

"So, he was just one of 'a meaningless sacrifice in an unnecessary war.'"

Irons let out a long sigh and threw his fork on the table. Feeling a little cold, he put on his shirt and his coat. The cool sea breeze seemed to have sobered Irons up a bit. He hesitated to speak, but finally looked into Rhode's deep blue eyes and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"In the future you saw, how did I die?"

"You had the Atlas Corporation team invent a bioweapon called the 'Manticore Virus,' targeting specific genomes, in order to unify the world and fulfill your dream of a world without war... The rest of the story is pretty much the same. There were betrayals, followers, and then all sorts of bang-bang-bang battles. Ultimately, you fell into a sea of ​​fire because a comrade of Will Irons, whom you considered a 'son,' untied the mechanical arm you had given him—the one you gave him. That was it."

After listening to Rhode's story, Ains was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly:

"It doesn't sound like a good way to die, and this is obviously what I want to do. Even now, I have some similar thoughts - humans need to be protected by order and face destruction with reason and tenacity."

"Just don't try to get yourself killed in this world. Using this kind of weapon to hold the entire world hostage is a bit too radical," Rhodes said helplessly. He stretched and thought of the Vietnam War that Irons had just mentioned in his story. He asked aloud, "Did General Hammer also encounter the otherworldly incident?"

"No, he didn't. He just happened to lead his men to pick up me, who had escaped from the River God and was in a miserable state. I didn't tell anyone about that." Irons waved his hand. He turned his head to look at the girls who were enjoying the barbecue with laughter. After watching them quietly for a while, he sighed and said:

"Everyone has his own story, and he should tell you his story. I told him anyway, you know everything."

Rhodes: "...You make me sound like a gypsy wizard."

"You're more like Moses or Jesus, but never mind, let's not talk about that," Irons said seriously, looking into Rhodes' eyes. "Rhodes, you don't have the fear that ordinary people have when facing the other world, so you often don't think in that direction. You need to think more on 'our' side. Other than that, you're doing great."

"Are you complimenting me?"

"If you think so."

Irons staggered to his feet, reeking of alcohol as he walked towards the motorcade, grabbing a bottle of beer before leaving. Seeing this, Rhodes had no choice but to help him pick up his fallen shirt and quickly followed.

After taking the shirt, Ains thought for a few seconds, a smile appeared on his face, and he patted Rhodes' shoulder fiercely:

"I left you a little gift as a thank you for your help to the Foundation—it's in that truck. Oh, and don't forget about Hammer. He's a very proud man with a bad temper. I hope you can put a damper on his spirit for me!"

Generally speaking, shouldn't everyone say understanding and tolerance... Rhodes felt that these two were indeed close buddies. If one of them died, the other would probably wear a skirt and dance in front of the cemetery because of the bet.

"Yes, yes, okay, okay, okay," Rhodes handed Irons to the Atlas security personnel as if coaxing a child. After receiving a wave of awe-inspiring glances, he walked back leisurely - the girls had been waiting for almost an hour and seemed a little impatient.

Rhodes suppressed the thoughts churning in his mind and ran towards them quickly.

At the same time, the Atlas convoy had slowly driven away, leaving only the van, the key of which had been left on the table by Irons.

In the Hummer, Irons used a bar pick to pry open the cap of a beer bottle and handed the beer to Gideon, who was sitting next to him. The remaining part of the latter's left arm had been hung up and his face did not look very good.

"Thank you, Mr. Irons," Gideon took the beer and took a sip, finally smiling a little. "The doctor banned me from drinking for three months, but now I'm feeling better... When you first got in the car, I actually thought you were drunk."

"It's just a few bottles of beer—sometimes, men need a little alcohol as a disguise—I'm glad I still have the emotion of 'shame', but you'd better not drink too much, Gideon. You still need to listen to the doctor's orders."

Irons nodded slightly, reached out to take the hangover medicine handed to him by the clown sitting in the passenger seat, drank a few sips of water to get the medicine down his stomach, took a few deep breaths, looked at the city scenery outside the car window, and said:

"Many projects currently underway in the company's research department are progressing rapidly. The experimental robotic arm will be ready for testing in a year. Gideon, you..."

"I do, Mr. Irons."

Gideon said immediately, looking down at the beer bottle in his hand. The street lights outside flashed on it one after another, reflecting dim lights - just like when he led the team into the abandoned tunnel.

"I will maintain my physical fitness during this time. I will never forgive myself for running away from all this. The cause you are carrying out is just and right, and I will follow you until death."

"Thank you for your trust, Gideon," Irons whispered.

Suddenly, Irons remembered what Rhode had said, saying he had been betrayed... Then who in Atlas could have betrayed him? This answer had lost its meaning to him now.

Thinking of this, the haze in Irons' heart gradually dissipated. His son's death, the psychological trauma of seeing the creatures of the other world for the first time, the worry about the future, and other things that had troubled him had retreated into the darkness, waiting for the opportunity to reappear.

"Then... Rhodes..." Gideon took a few deep breaths, as if mustering up his courage, before speaking, "What do you think of him? How do you want us (Atlas) to view him?"

"He will be the successor to my legacy, and I will make sure of that."

On the contrary, Irons said lightly, with a sly smile on his face:

"Rhodes is a very easy person to handle. As long as you treat him well, he will treat you well. I treat him sincerely, and he will naturally respond with sincerity. Maybe it sounds a bit hypocritical to say this, but like I said just now, I will ensure this, whether it is for him or for myself... Even if all else is ignored, isn't Rhodes a very good friend?"

"In this world, at this time of year, it's hard to find a friend you can trust," Irons said, thinking of the huge pile of munitions and high-tech products he left in the van, and sighed.

"I sincerely hope that Rod can handle the Hammer issue smoothly. I don't have many friends, and I don't want to lose any more."

Chapter 64: A Satisfying Gift (1/2)

Remote road, rainy night.

The darkness was so thick that even the RV's high beams couldn't completely illuminate the road ahead. Only dense raindrops pierced through the beams of light. The sound of the tires rolling over the wet road was drowned out by the jazz music coming out of the window cracks - in an area of ​​nearly 100 kilometers, there was only a ray of light here, like a lonely lighthouse in the endless ocean.

Instead of driving, Rod was fiddling with his new weapon:

The M4A1 with the SOPMOD II modification kit was originally planned to begin production in 2001, with troops fielding it in 2005. However, in the world where Atlas Corporation existed, the development of individual equipment seemed to be much faster. Rhode placed several of the already-adjusted M4s into storage, while those damned three-round M16A2s were all sent to the system for recycling to make room!

In fact, the weapons truck that Irons brought did not contain many guns. Instead, there were different types of scopes with different magnifications, gun accessories, night vision/thermal imaging equipment, combat uniforms/carrying gear/bulletproof plates, a wide variety of grenades, matching bullets, and four small drones and operating devices.

When can I drive Atlas's T-600 tank, XS1 Goliath armor, or even the very common exoskeleton? Rhodes feels that he is not picky at all.

However, the bullets were what surprised Rhodes the most - Irons gave him a lot of Mk318 MOD0 and M995, plus he opened Atlas weapon stores across the United States... Old Deng was finally willing to give him some gold coins!

"Commander, would you like some lemon tea?"

Marian came over with a few cups of steaming tea. She first placed a few EMP grenades on the table into the ammunition box next to it, and then placed the cups next to Rhodes.

"Oh, thank you, Marian." Rod did not drink the tea immediately, but continued his work. "I don't need the cookies. You can give them to others."

After serving tea and snacks to the others, Marian sat by the stove, taking out a cookbook and slowly reading it. When the kettle emitted a slightly piercing whistle, she raised her hand to turn off the induction cooker. A cloud of white steam swirled above Nikki's head for a few seconds before gradually dissipating, and the kettle's noise ceased.

Half a minute later, Rhode, with his hands free, took the teacup and sipped slowly. He felt the sweet taste with a hint of sourness in his mouth and turned sideways to Little Red Riding Hood who was driving, and shouted:

"Little Red Riding Hood, how far are we from our target location?"

"You need to ask Noah. I'm just a driver," Little Red Riding Hood said, steering with a chocolate-flavored Pocky stick in her mouth. While the Nikkis knew how to drive all sorts of vehicles, Azure Files students like Yuuka needed specialized training.

"If the information provided by Atlas Company is correct, then if we continue along this road for another fifteen kilometers, we will reach a crossroads."

Noah was sitting in the passenger seat, guiding the way. The girl's finger traced the mark on the map, her brows furrowed slightly, and she asked with a hint of doubt:

"But it's not marked on this map right now. This road will go all the way to the next town."

"Generally, important military locations aren't marked on maps," Rhodes explained casually. He took out a drone manual and flipped through it while the other girls sorted their raincoats and weapons. "What's more, that arsenal contained VX nerve agent, an absolutely lethal weapon, especially for inexperienced civilians without any protective measures."

"It sounds like... that general is a bad guy."

"He can't do such a thing. If General Hammer is really such a person, he won't worry about money," Rhodes said with a smile. He collected and sorted the messy gun accessories on the table and put them into a plastic box.

While there was still time, Rhodes drove away Bai Zi who was teasing the cat, then shook his palm which had been bitten by the jackal, pulled out his folding bed and lay down on it.

The mattress beneath him wasn't very soft, but in those fragmented memories, Rhode seemed to like this type of bed very much. If it were topped with a pillow of just the right height, it would be even more comfortable.

The melodious jazz music in the car, the sound of rain outside the window, the perfect bed, as if holding a warm and soft beauty in her arms... Abigail sat down on Rod's abdomen, making him subconsciously tense up like a shrimp.

"Abigail!"

"It's so crowded in here, especially when the beds are down."

The blonde girl muttered as she held her cat, Pickman. Pickman was a black cat with green eyes, a breed unknown. He was quiet and elegant, and was obviously very popular with girls. After placing Pickman on Rhode's face, Abigail stretched, her two tender white legs swaying, and said cheerfully:

"Should I stay for a while?"

"If you don't want to stay in the rain," Rhode didn't take the cat away. Instead, he rubbed his face against Pickman's. The latter's pupils dilated, and he was obviously numb to this behavior. "But, we should decide on the next person--"

"I need to stay," Yuka suddenly said. She turned away from the small table, raised the bill book in her hand and shook it, saying unhappily, "The funds have been transferred in, and I still need to calculate the taxes, otherwise those hyenas from the IRS will definitely come to cause trouble... We can't just go into battle with them, right?"

After saying this, Yuxiang immediately turned around and continued to work at the desk to prevent others from seeing the guilty expression on her face - this tax issue was not difficult for her, and she had already completed most of it, and it would only take another ten minutes to completely solve it.

Only Noah, who was an expert in this field, noticed her best friend's sinister intentions, but she did not show any reaction. She just chuckled a few times and ran her fingers along the map, feeling the cool touch of the exquisitely crafted paper.

Finally, Noah's finger stopped in Massachusetts, at the approximate location of the small town of Arkham where they had been staying for a few days.

"Is that so?" Rhodes lifted Pickman up. There was undisguised disdain in the latter's cat eyes, but Rhodes obviously ignored the cat's resistance. "Then Abigail and Yuka will come with me. Shiroko and Marian will take the flare guns and head to the vicinity of the Navy's arsenal. Noah and Little Red Riding Hood will ambush near the RV. It's good enough if we can use our weapons to reach here. Any other questions?"

"What if a firefight breaks out?" Bai Zi suddenly asked, looking at Rhodes seriously. "Although Sensei is stronger than many people, he can't withstand rifle bullets like we can."

Baizi's meaning is clear - what should we do if you are injured or even dead? What should we do when the enemy is human?

"I'll watch Rod," Abigail said, raising her hand, but she was immediately pushed aside by Rod who stood up.

"Then do as you wish. Aside from my orders, the remaining core rule is to protect yourselves." Rhode reached out and touched the wolf girl's head. "But there's no need to panic or worry about my possible or inevitable death."

"The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinners, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again—and after three days I will return."

Chapter 65: Abortion on a Rainy Night (2/2)

Remote road, rainy night.

The heavy rain was like furious fists pounding against the car windows, making a continuous crackling sound, which reminded General Francis Hammer sitting in the passenger seat of the gunfire and hail of bullets he had experienced. However, those memories were quickly suppressed by the rock (The Rock) in his heart that was as hard as steel.

With the help of the dim light in the car, General Hammer took out the letter sent by Irons and looked at it carefully. There was also a photo attached to the letter - the photo was a profile of a handsome young man, and it seemed that the photographer had taken the photo secretly.

The contents of the letter made the general shake his head. He folded the letter and muttered to himself:

"A prophet? A guide? If such a being really existed, how could the world become like this?"

Hammer pulled up a slightly disdainful smile at the corner of his mouth, and in his heart he felt that his old friend was still overwhelmed by the pain of losing his own child and began to believe in these illusory things.

He tore the letters and photos into tiny pieces and threw them out of the car window. In a rainstorm, these paper materials would quickly be soaked by the rain, completely losing their shape and becoming something indistinguishable from mud.

The lights of the convoy pierced the darkness of the rainy night and headed towards the designated target. At the same time, another team of soldiers belonging to the Marine Expeditionary Force's direct reconnaissance unit (Force Recon) was also rapidly heading towards the naval arsenal and ambushed on the slope outside the arsenal, waiting for the general's arrival.

But they are destined to return empty-handed today——

"General, there are lights ahead."

"...Slow down," General Hammer pondered for a few seconds, then took out his walkie-talkie and said to the soldiers in other vehicles, "Everyone, this is an emergency. Be prepared for combat and cleanup."

The speed of the entire convoy then slowed down until the lead car stopped about ten meters in front of the RV.

The soldiers in the two cars at the back got out immediately. They dispersed throughout the convoy and slowly approached the RV in front... But in front was not only a large RV spanning the entire road, but also a plastic shed and a small barbecue grill erected close to the car body.

The sizzling sound of fat being grilled on charcoal even penetrated the rain curtain, spreading all around along with the mouth-watering aroma of meat.

A young man was standing behind the barbecue grill, with a little blonde girl sitting next to him. A black cat was coiled at her feet, completely oblivious to the dampness and coldness of the ground.

At this distance, Hammer could see the young man's face clearly, and because of this, he fell silent for a moment.

"General," the soldier driving the car tilted his head slightly to look at his superior, "Captain Krausa is leading his men to conduct a search. If there are no problems, we..."

"No, let him stop first." General Hammer opened the car door, and the wind and rain poured in, hitting his face. "I'll go and see for myself."

"General!"

Ignoring the voice behind him, General Hammer tightened his collar, walked past the soldiers on both sides who had already rushed forward, and walked towards the young man who was grilling meat.