boyutpedia Chapter 285 You want us to work for you?
Chapter 285 You want us to work for you?
Oregon.
The Troy nuclear power plant.
Like most nuclear power plants in the United States, this plant lost all contact with the outside world the day after the disaster struck.
At this point, the Troy nuclear power plant could no longer be called a nuclear power plant.
To be precise, it's closer to a...
jungle.
Yes, it's a jungle, and it looks like a primeval jungle.
The reactor building's dome looked as if it had been cracked for years, with large patches of radioactive algae spreading from the crack.
These garments are quite different from the radiation-eating algae that are attached to the cooling towers at the Karlovy Varyag nuclear power plant; the radiation-eating algae here are at least dozens of times larger.
The entire exterior of the factory was almost completely covered, with pale blue moss carpet hanging from the dome all the way to the ground. From a distance, it looked like an ancient human ruin swallowed by blue moss.
Even more outrageous are those spores.
The stomata on the surface of the radiation-eating algae are continuously spraying out fine powder...
It wasn't the pale green of Caloway, but rather a variety of colors.
Colored spore powder drifted in the air, covering an area of several hundred meters around the nuclear power plant.
The black, fleshy tissues that inhabited the ground of the nuclear power plant reacted violently the moment they came into contact with the falling spores.
The feeling... was like two opposing species.
The necrotic tissue of the Shoggoth, which was still wriggling, began to rot rapidly the moment it came into contact with the spore powder. The black texture dried up and died quickly, and then semi-transparent spores that looked like jellyfish grew from the rotting flesh.
Those spore-forming fungi grow at an absurdly fast rate.
From sprouting to maturity, it takes less than ten minutes.
Once mature, the cap opens, releasing more colored powder into the air.
A natural environment that completely violates human concepts is being replaced here by an extremely efficient ecosystem.
While killing the Shoggoths, the radiation-eating algae are also transforming the area in their own way.
Of course, the strangest thing is the surrounding vegetation that originally belonged to Earth.
Trees and weeds that had died due to radiation leaks around the nuclear power plant have mysteriously sprouted again under the influence of spore powder.
Tender green leaves sprout from withered branches, and green grass stems emerge from the cracked ground.
At first glance, it looks vibrant and full of life.
But upon closer inspection, you'll notice something amiss.
The reason is simple: the regrowth of vegetation is completely out of the ordinary understanding of Earth.
An oak tree that was originally only three meters tall has grown wildly to fifteen meters under the influence of those spore powders.
Furthermore, the trunk is disproportionately thick, and its bark is covered with pores similar to those of radiative algae.
The canopy was no longer a normal branch and leaf structure, but rather spread out as translucent membranous tissues, which from a distance looked more like the tentacles of some deep-sea creature.
The weeds on the ground also became strange.
The once short dandelions have grown to waist height of an adult. The flower heads have disappeared, replaced by fist-sized spherical sacs, with liquid faintly visible flowing inside.
However, this situation is not limited to the Troy nuclear power plant.
The entire area within a one-kilometer radius of the nuclear power plant is being altered by this unknown and eerie force.
It gradually became an alienated area that did not belong to the Earth's ecosystem.
But nobody knows what's happening here.
Unbeknownst to anyone, similar scenes were unfolding simultaneously at several other out-of-control nuclear power plants in the United States.
The spread of radiation-eating algae was much faster than anyone had anticipated.
……
Meanwhile, in the conference room on the second floor of the Raccoon City Municipal Building.
A long table, with people sitting on either side.
There are three people on Night Owl's side.
He himself, along with two key personnel responsible for logistics and defense.
There were five people sitting opposite me.
Colonel Howard sat in the center, flanked by his adjutant, an intelligence officer, a communications officer, and a middle-aged man in civilian clothes.
The man in plainclothes was named Greg Campbell, and he was a "political liaison officer" sent by the Cheyenne Mountain Provisional Government.
To put it bluntly, he is the one who truly holds the reins in this matter.
Howard was only responsible for military assessments, while Campbell was responsible for political negotiations.
Campbell revealed his true colors just five minutes into the meeting.
"We acknowledge the current situation in Raccoon City."
Campbell placed his hands on the table and spoke slowly, "The Cheyenne Mountain group hopes to establish a formal cooperative relationship with you."
"What specific kind of cooperation?" Night Owl asked calmly.
"Resource sharing, personnel exchange, and joint defense."
Campbell paused.
"Of course, considering the current size and population of Raccoon City, we recommend that it be incorporated into the Cheyenne Mountain unified command system."
Cheyenne Mountain provides military protection and administration, and you provide…”
At this point, he subconsciously glanced at the mycelial wall outside the window, "...these special defensive resources."
As he finished speaking, the conference room fell into a brief silence.
When the logistics backbone of Night Owl heard this, they almost burst out laughing.
"Mr. Campbell."
At this moment, the night owl spoke, its tone calm.
"When you say that, am I deliberately interpreting it as...?"
"You guys become the bosses, and we work for you?"
Campbell's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this:
"You can understand it that way, but I won't use such crude wording. In my view, this is a cooperative framework, not a subordinate relationship."
"So what do you mean by 'unified command system'? Who commands whom?"
Campbell smiled slightly: "Of course, it should be coordinated by the party with a complete administrative and military system. You've done a good job, but after all..."
He carefully considered his words, "...you lack systematic management experience."
Night Owl didn't reply, but instead turned to look at Howard.
It's as if it's asking, "Is this what you mean?"
Howard remained silent, but his expression was subtle.
"Colonel Howard,"
Seeing this, Night Owl directly asked, "When you entered the city, you should have seen that wall, right?"
Howard nodded.
"So do you think the person who built that wall needs you to teach them how to manage?"
Howard did not answer.
Campbell interjected:
"That wall is indeed impressive. But defensive fortifications and city management are two different things."
"Really?" Night Owl leaned back in his chair. "Then let me ask you, how many people are there on Cheyenne Mountain right now?"
Campbell paused for a moment: "This is classified information."
"Then I'll answer for you."
The owl ignored what the other person was saying and continued speaking to itself:
"Your Cheyenne Mountain forces number no more than three thousand people at most, right? Of course, I'm talking about combat-ready personnel. And your supplies, conservatively speaking, can only last for a month. So your biggest problem right now isn't management, it's feeding people."
Campbell's expression finally changed.
"Your intelligence..."
"Have you forgotten the name of the Dark Night?"
Before the other person could finish speaking, Night Owl interrupted him.
"Mr. Campbell, I'll say it again: if you've come seeking asylum, you're welcome. Raccoon City's gates are open to all survivors."
"But what if you're here to cause trouble—"
Night Owl stood up and placed his hands on the table.
"I'm sorry. We will not only expel you, but also terminate all cooperation with Cheyenne Mountain. Permanently."
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