NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 21: Bugs
September 2184. Bunker 00. Wall.
The makeshift wall surrounding the entrance of Bunker 00 was built from anything the engineers could scrounge up—old vehicles, rusted sheets of metal, and decaying lumber from long-dead trees. It wasn't much, but it added a defensive layer to the bunker's exposed mouth. Jason paced the perimeter, examining the rough structure. It wasn't up to his standards.
"Hmm… going to need some sentries down here," Jason muttered to himself. He lifted his wrist terminal and keyed in several commands before pulling out a few beacons and tossing them near the wall.
"Aegis of Integrity, I need sentries on standby," Jason said into his comms. "We're going to need serious reinforcements. This wall is barely standing as it is."
"Understood, Helldiver. We'll send them down shortly."
"And send construction exosuits. We'll need them after the Exo-49s."
Jason turned away from the perimeter and walked through the gate, heading toward a small tent set up nearby. Several SEAF soldiers were gathered under it, sitting around a table with a TV and a small satellite dish. He made his way over, noticing that the broadcast was one of the few signals they could pick up out here: Strohmann News.
The broadcast flickered to life, and Coretta Kelly's voice greeted them.
"Freedom greetings. I'm your host, Coretta Kelly."
"Here we go… the latest batch of news," Jason muttered quietly as he approached the group. They gave him a brief nod, then focused back on the screen.
"We bring you live footage from the Western Galactic Front, where Helldivers have successfully pushed the Automatons out of the Talus sector."
The TV showed footage of Helldivers in action, coordinating strikes and wiping out Automaton forces. The news highlighted their victories, showing triumph after triumph, always painting the best possible picture. But Jason knew what wasn't being shown—the massive casualties. For every success on screen, hundreds of lives were lost. The cameras didn't show that. They showed victory, not the bodies left behind.
One SEAF soldier shook his head. "They're always showing us the glory. They never show what it cost to get there."
Jason stepped closer, his voice steady. "Super Earth has its reasons for showing what it does. It's our duty to focus on the mission."
The soldier nodded respectfully, though Jason could sense the frustration. It was there in all of them, but none would dare badmouth their orders or question the war effort. Loyalty to Super Earth was paramount.
Another soldier chimed in, "You think the Automatons are gearing up for something bigger, sir?"
Jason crossed his arms. "No doubt about it. They're regrouping, and it's going to be ugly when they hit back."
Another voice spoke up, this time from a soldier sitting closer to the screen. "At least we're not dealing with them right now. These drones… they're easier to work with."
One of the soldiers nodded. "Yeah, I'll take these drones over the Bots any day."
Jason glanced at the group, sensing their mixed feelings. The Automatons had left a mark on every soldier. But the drones—their new allies—were an unfamiliar variable, and trust didn't come easily.
"Do you trust them, sir?" one of the SEAF soldiers asked, looking at Jason intently.
Jason considered the question carefully. "I don't fully trust them," he admitted, "but I've seen enough to know they're not like the Automatons."
The group of soldiers fell silent, listening.
"There's a grave inside that bunker. The drones built it—for the humans they served with. They didn't just leave their bodies out to rot. They buried them with respect."
The soldiers exchanged uneasy looks. The idea of machines taking care of the dead was hard for them to process.
"You serious, sir?" another soldier asked, disbelief in his voice.
Jason nodded. "V, one of the drones, showed me. They tried everything to keep their human team alive, but it wasn't enough. Radiation, disease, starvation—they lost them all. V showed me the grave of her commander. She looked… sad. Like she genuinely cared."
The soldiers were taken aback. It wasn't what they expected to hear about drones.
"That's… hard to believe," one of them muttered.
"I saw it with my own eyes," Jason said firmly. "They're different. They don't desecrate the dead like the Automatons do. These drones took the time and effort to honor their fallen. And that's why I'm willing to work with them."
The group remained silent, digesting his words. Some nodded slowly, still processing the idea that machines could show such empathy. It wasn't something they had seen on the frontlines, where death came swiftly and without ceremony.
Jason continued, his tone more commanding. "We give them a chance. If we work together, we can avoid ending up like those buried inside. That's all I ask."
The soldiers nodded, more convinced now, even if some skepticism remained. Jason glanced back at the TV, where the news still showed the frontlines. The propaganda machine continued its work, displaying a narrative of endless victories. But here, in Bunker 00, far from the cameras, the war felt more personal—and more precarious.
As the soldiers turned back to the broadcast, Jason silently hoped that the engineers working with the drones inside were having better luck than they were out here.
Bunker 00. Armory.
Khan led the group of engineers through the bunker's narrow halls, heading towards a more personal destination. He had initially planned to show Jason this part of the bunker, but there was another reason for the visit—his daughter, Uzi. He wanted to check on her and inform her about the short power outage required for maintenance.
"We're almost at the armory," Khan said, his voice carrying authority and a hint of personal concern. "After all these years, not much remains that you could call a weapon. Still, this area can be shut down temporarily so you can work on the systems."
The engineers followed closely, inspecting the deteriorating walls. One of them muttered, "It's tough to keep weapons operational when you're out of parts. Salvaging only takes you so far."
Khan nodded in agreement. Much of what they had was barely holding together. Reaching the door, he turned the rusted handle and pushed it open. Inside, several worker drones and one combat drone were busy repairing what they could. As soon as Khan and the humans stepped in, all eyes turned to them.
"Khan... I didn't expect you to bring the humans here so soon," one of the worker drones remarked with mild surprise.
"We need to cut the power in this section so they can work," Khan explained. "If all goes as planned, the lights will be back on soon."
The armory was one of the few places with power, though the lights barely held the dim, gloomy atmosphere at bay.
"Is Uzi here?" Khan asked, scanning the room until he spotted her. She sat at a bench, completely absorbed in tinkering with her prototype weapon.
"She's where she always is," a worker drone answered, gesturing toward her.
Khan approached, his concern evident. Uzi hadn't been the same since her mother disappeared. She hadn't noticed him enter, focused entirely on her project.
"Uzi," he called softly, "are you alright?"
Without looking up, Uzi responded, her frustration evident. "I'm fine, Dad. Just trying to get this damn thing working."
"We need to cut the power to this section so the engineers can work on the systems."
"And stop me from working on something that could keep us safe," she retorted, finally turning to face him. Her gaze shifted from Khan to the humans. She sized them up, clearly skeptical.
"I see you've brought help," she added. "I'm surprised they're even following you around after everything the Automatons did."
"They know what needs to be done. It's not us against them. Either we all help, or we all die," Khan replied with grim determination.
Uzi looked away, clearly not convinced. "I'll be in my room. Let me know when the power's back." She got up from her bench, leaving the armory without another word. Khan watched her go, letting out a weary sigh.
"Kids, huh?" one of the engineers commented, trying to lighten the mood.
Khan glanced at him. "You got any?"
The engineer nodded. "Yeah, I've got a son. Took a lot of effort to get a C-01 permit, but we made it happen."
"I hope you see him again," Khan replied sincerely, his voice carrying a weight that caught the engineer off guard. Under his helmet, the man allowed himself a small, grateful smile.
"Alright, let's get to work," Khan said, shifting the conversation back to the task at hand. "We can talk about family later."
As the team prepared to begin, the question of machines having families hung in the air. It was an unsettling thought, but one that they were beginning to realize had real weight.
Bunker 00. Entrance.
After paying their respects, N and V headed back to the entrance, urgency propelling their steps. If they were to work with Jason, they needed to find him quickly. Martin wanted them close to foster trust between the machines and the SEAF soldiers. The SEAF had set up several tents, but one loomed larger than the rest, emblazoned with the Ministry of Science emblem.
"They've been busy," N noted, scanning the flurry of activity.
"It's been like this for hours," a voice chimed in. Perched on a crate was J, her gaze fixed on the humans bustling about.
"I've been watching those Pelicans come and go... Reminds me of better times," she said, her voice laced with nostalgia. Like many of the older combat drones, J had lost someone dear — in her case, Taryn.
"Good to see you, J. Any chance you've seen Jason, the one with the cape?" V asked, looking around.
"He's been over by the wall, keeping watch. If it's alright, I'd like to join you. I've got nothing else to do," J replied.
N and V exchanged glances. Martin had ordered them to stick with the Helldiver, but having J along might not be a problem.
"Alright, let's go. We need to see if he needs anything — and I'm curious about what he's been watching."
As they stepped outside, a deafening roar filled the air. Two Pelicans descended, each carrying an Exo-49. The machines hovered side by side, and with a swift release, the clamps dropped the exosuits onto the snow, two SEAF soldiers climbing in with practiced efficiency.
"That's... new," V remarked, eyes wide with surprise. The two exosuits began marching toward the bunker, their heavy footsteps crunching in the snow.
"Something's got them spooked. You don't call in heavy armor unless you're expecting trouble," J commented, watching the soldiers with an edge of concern. It was unclear whether the warning was for them or something lurking just beyond sight.
They joined a gathering of SEAF soldiers crowded around a flickering TV, staying to the right as they moved closer. Jason stood among them, arms crossed, watching intently. There was a tension in his stance, a shadow of unease dancing across his features as they all focused on the screen.
"In other news, the Gloom advance has begun to slow. Many within the Ministry of Defense attribute this to the Helldiver's efforts in eradicating Terminid infestations across multiple planets."
The broadcast showed a grim scene from the eastern front, a yellow haze swirling ominously over the region, and numbers flashed across the screen, counting the total deaths of various Terminid species. N, J, and V exchanged glances, not shocked by the body count but by the sheer resemblance of the creatures.
"Those look like the insect creatures we've been hunting," J said, her words causing the nearby soldiers to stiffen and turn their heads.
"What did you just say?" one of them asked, anxiety creeping into his tone.
"We've been dealing with critters that look just like those Terminids. There's an old facility that was studying them. The place is in ruins, but those bugs are still there. We hunt down any that wander out," N replied, noting the startled reactions of the SEAF soldiers as they murmured among themselves.
Jason approached the trio, brow furrowed. "You said bugs? As in the same bugs that Super Earth fought during the first Galactic War? If that's the case..." His mind raced through the implications. A nest could mean a reliable fuel source, something they desperately needed.
"Could you three take me there?" he asked suddenly, eyes locking on N, J, and V.
N hesitated, exchanging looks with J and V. "We could, but it's a long distance, and with everyone gearing up..."
"It'll just be the four of us," Jason insisted, his determination palpable.
The silence hung heavy, shock rippling through the gathered soldiers.
"Sir?" one of them ventured.
Jason raised a hand, silencing the murmurs. "I can handle this operation alone. I've done it before. These three know the layout and the way. The rest of you need to focus on your tasks and get everything set up."
He had his reasons. Working alongside his team could skew perceptions, but if he ventured into the field with N, J, and V, it might just help bridge the rift between humans and drones.
"So, what do you think?" Jason asked the trio, his gaze steady.
"I... We could. I have nothing else to do," J said, the eagerness in her voice barely masking the undercurrent of apprehension.
N's reluctance lingered. "We have our orders. V, what are your thoughts?"
V regarded them thoughtfully, weighing the risks. "If that's your choice, we can set out whenever you're ready."
The air crackled with anticipation. They hadn't worked alongside a human in ages; this would be a test for all. The lingering question remained — would this mission help bridge the ever-widening gap between humans and drones? The stakes had never been higher, and the shadows of the past loomed closer.
Edited thanks to ELE73CH.