Three armored vehicles were driving in a row in the desolate wilderness, the distinctive emblem of the gray fox shining brightly on the side armor of each vehicle. The dry plain wind stirred up sand and dust and slapped the outer shell of the vehicles, while the last touch of the city
The silhouette became farther and farther behind the convoy, and finally disappeared.
There are no traces of human habitation around this lonely convoy. All that can be seen is the jagged and grotesque wasteland landscape. The sky, dyed gray-yellow by sand and dust, hangs low in all directions, with the same gray earth.
Together, it almost gives people the illusion that the entire world has turned into a ball of yellow sand. The convoy is now driving on an avenue that is theoretically an interstate highway, but this avenue now only has a little cement residue on the roadside.
It is vaguely discernible: the power of nature has easily erased the traces of civilization that once existed here, and the solid cement road has become the same as the surrounding gravel wilderness after more than sixty years of weathering.
This is the mercenary team that is about to go to the ruins of the Northland. It is led by Nolan himself. After starting from the Black Street, it goes straight west to the Gray River. Hao Ren is also with them. The team set off yesterday afternoon and is now gone.
They have been marching for nearly twenty hours without stopping, and the ruins of the city that just disappeared on the horizon are the last urban area of Rift Valley City - it is said that you will not see any ruins of the city until you reach the Gray River.
For three days, this desolate wilderness will be the only sight on the road.
Hao Ren, Nolan and others were riding in the second armored vehicle together. These vehicles have spacious interiors and seem to have been specially modified for transporting personnel, and the car in the middle is the most closely protected one: Gray Fox's customer is
it's here.
Two expressionless men were sitting at the back of the carriage, wearing different uniforms from the mercenaries. It was said that they were researchers from the Baihe Chamber of Commerce. Two other senior bodyguards from the Baihe Chamber of Commerce were sitting on both sides. They were responsible for
To protect the researchers and monitor the work of the Gray Fox mercenaries, Nolan's mission is to safely escort these four people to the Northland Ring Tower - and then let at least one of the researchers come back alive.
The above is the original commission text sent by the Shirakawa Chamber of Commerce.
These four "clients" hardly talked to the mercenaries. They only occasionally discussed things in low voices, and tried to avoid being heard by others. It was obviously meaningless to pay attention to these people, so Hao Ren turned to look at the inlaid
The display screen on the carriage. The situation outside the armored vehicle could be seen on the screen, but the scenery outside was only the unchanged wasteland. Ulanov muttered in a low voice: "This damn place. Not even the Rangers can survive."
."
"Relax, we are in the safest area in the world now," Nolan sat across from the carriage, with his hands behind his head, his eyes slightly narrowed, and his feet unsightly on the steel armrests in front of him.
, "There are no humans here. The only danger is the poison in the soil and water."
Carl huddled in a corner of the carriage holding his large rifle. Hearing Nolan's words, he sniffed: "Hey, that's really safe."
Hao Ren looked at the four members of the Baihe Chamber of Commerce sitting at the end of the carriage, and sat down next to Nolan: "Do you know what they are going to do?"
"I don't know," Nolan said with a lack of interest, "I don't inquire about my customers' affairs when doing business. This is the secret to my survival today. Don't know what you shouldn't know."
She paused and noticed that the curious look on Hao Ren's face still hadn't faded. Then she shrugged and lowered her voice: "It's probably for the master computer. The pre-war nanomachine group control program, and the control program that I didn't have time to control back then."
The blueprints of the next-generation nanomachine cluster transferred from the center... It is said that they are all hidden deep in the Northland ring tower. Any force that can get a little bit of information from them will be prosperous. Basically, the guys who have gone to the Northland in recent years are
Go for those things."
"Pre-war technology..." Hao Ren muttered in a low voice, "Can it really still be useful..."
"Why did you go to that place?" Nolan raised an eyelid, "I heard that you buried your wife in the wilderness outside the Black Street this morning. So it seems that you didn't go to the Northland to die.
"
Hao Ren curled his lips helplessly: "My mental state has always been normal, okay? I just went to the Northland Ring Tower to confirm some things... Anyway, I have no conflict of interest with you, I'm just giving you a ride."
Nolan suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Hao Ren seriously: "To be honest, I have always felt that there is something wrong with you. I have felt this way since the first time we met."
Hao Ren smiled: "What's wrong with me?"
"Too optimistic, too calm, too indifferent," Nolan turned his head, "I thought it was because of your mental disorder at first. But it seems that is not the case now. You remind me of someone who was born and raised in a peaceful era.
A person...but it is impossible for that kind of person to maintain this mentality for as long as you in this scorched land."
Hearing Nolan's words, Hao Ren also said casually: "You look young, but you are quite good at judging people."
"You're not too old..." Nolan repeated softly, while looking up at the monitor in the car. Then she pressed the on-board dialogue device next to her and called the soldier in the cab in front, "Jin, we are crossing
Is the old Route 17 gone?”
The soldier in the cab reported: "Just passed by a few minutes ago."
"Well, you can rest and let the vehicle switch to autonomous driving. There will be no need for a driver in the next two days."
"Roger that, boss."
Although Black Street and Zero City are the closest human settlements to the Northland ruins, it is still quite a long way from there to the Northland Ring Tower. This restricted area of life is an absolutely insurmountable forbidden area for ordinary people.
Even professional mercenaries need the support of modern equipment and the best physical and mental condition to cope with it. In the next two days and one night, the convoy continued to approach the Northland ruins under the guidance of the autonomous driving system, and gradually approached the destination.
As they approached, everyone's mood became tense. These people brought out by Nolan were originally the bravest and most loyal group of people in the Gray Fox Army, but when they got here, they still began to feel uneasy.
"Being killed by a swarm of nanomachines is a terrifying thing," Ulanov said to Hao Ren on the fourth day of the journey. "The death process feels very long, and it usually starts from the internal organs. The body is dissolved.
It will be accompanied by extreme burning illusions and tearing sensations - the greater pressure comes from the psychological. You will clearly feel that you are turning into some kind of heterogeneous material block... and this feeling will
Repeatedly for several minutes."
Hao Ren was looking at the scene outside the car, and Ulanov's words made him feel strange: "You are shaking the morale of the army by saying this here..."
Ulanov laughed hoarsely, with a hint of mischief: "I just want to remind some people not to be interested in those nanomachines that seem to be sleeping. They may suddenly come alive."
come over."
Two researchers from the Baihe Chamber of Commerce raised their heads and glanced here, with dissatisfaction in their eyes.
At this time, the driver of the lead car suddenly called from the loudspeaker of the carriage: "Huihe! Ahead is Huihe! Boss, we have arrived at Huihe!"
The word "Grey River" woke up the dull mercenaries like a shot in the arm. Everyone raised their heads and clenched the weapons at hand. A mixture of uneasiness and excitement spread out from them. Nolan immediately
He picked up his equipment bag and stood up: "Everyone, bring the electromagnetic sleep device and follow me!"
The armored vehicle stopped in a wilderness, and the mercenaries jumped from the carriage to the ground. Before getting up, Ulanov thrust a palm-sized device that looked like an old-fashioned radio into Hao Ren's arms: "Take this, your
Electromagnetic sleep device.”
Hao Ren took over this strange device without knowing why, and then he was urged by the people behind him to jump out of the car.
An endless stretch of desolate land spread out in front of him, and a hundred meters away, he saw the leading armored vehicle parked next to a "big river" as wide as the ocean, and a piece of land could be seen on the bank of the river.
Continuous and neat metallic luster.
Hao Ren followed the mercenaries and ran over. He looked at the scene in front of him in surprise: "This is... Gray River?"
All he saw was an endless gray-white, viscous and weird liquid surging in front of his eyes. The texture was like asphalt and the color was like bones. The surging speed of these liquids was extremely slow, almost like a slowed down movie film.
The slowly undulating, sticky gray "river surface" only brings an endless sense of weirdness to people. And at the edge of this gray river, which looks like a black and white movie, you can see a layer of something like plated armor covering the shore.
On the rocks - just like a naturally grown river bank, blocking the "river water" that brings a great sense of danger to the river bed.
This is the Gray River.
(I have something to go out today, so I’m updating in advance =.= It’s still a busy day.) (To be continued)