章 136: Chapter 136: The Queen Prepares, Miracles, and Reopening
"Jonathan! Block the right wing with your men, don't let those zombies get away later!"
"Horst, Nona! You two are responsible for sweeping this block!"
Commands echoed through the communication channels from a company commander.
Under the scorching midday sun, more than a hundred soldiers wearing dark green camouflage combat uniforms, equipped with partial mechanical exoskeletons and face-covering helmets, quickly dispersed into squads across the deserted streets.
The soldiers, known as AECS (Emergency Combat Response Soldiers), began sweeping the abandoned buildings on both sides of the street in tactical squads.
One standard tactical team, consisting of nine soldiers, gathered outside an apartment building. The squad leader, holding an AMWS Commander Model, pressed against the left wall and used his right hand to make a forward gesture, seemingly giving orders through hand signals and internal communications.
Two soldiers armed with .30 caliber smart machine guns positioned themselves at the front entrance, aiming at the shattered glass and peeling walls of the apartment building, maintaining vigilance.
The occasional gunfire echoed around them as the team leader, along with four riflemen and two demolition experts, quickly formed a fan-shaped line of fire at the entrance, ready to engage.
A low-frequency sound, undetectable by human ears, was emitted from their equipment. They waited patiently for a few seconds.
"Roar!!"
With a feral growl, countless zombies flooded out of the apartment building. Emaciated, with tattered clothes, they sprinted down the stairs and through the front door at high speed, while some leaped out of windows, smashing into the ground below.
As soon as the zombies entered the AECS team's range, they were met with concentrated fire from 6.2mm rifle rounds, 20mm shotgun shells, and .30 caliber explosive rounds.
The zombies were torn apart instantly, their limbs ripped from their bodies, losing all mobility and becoming a non-threat to the AECS soldiers.
In less than fifteen seconds, the squad had eliminated nearly a hundred zombies.
At that moment, the heads-up display on one riflewoman's helmet showed various detailed information, including her name: "Maggie Shaw," squad number "7," and the words "Prime Universe Time: 2000/03/27, 11:36."
"All riflemen and demolition experts, follow me into the target building and confirm whether the threat has been fully neutralized."
Maggie and her comrades followed the squad leader inside the apartment, checking room by room, covering each other as they cleared the entire building in close combat formations.
After confirming there were no remaining threats, they withdrew and continued sweeping the area.
12:44.
More than an hour later, the AECS company had smoothly completed the street-clearing mission and boarded Black Hawk-style assault aircraft, which used jet engines instead of rotors, to return to their base to the east.
Maggie, sitting on the right side of the open aircraft door, hung her legs outside and locked her exoskeleton to avoid being thrown out by any sudden maneuvers. She lifted her helmet's visor, revealing her strong features and short auburn hair.
From high above, she could see the entire town below—a small Greek-style settlement.
As the assault craft climbed to its designated altitude, preparing to close the doors and increase speed, Maggie caught sight of the Aegean Sea's blue waters and the city of Athens along its eastern shore.
She pulled her legs back in as the doors closed, and leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes for a short rest.
Her real name was Maggie Shaw. Last year, she had just finished her education at the military academy established by Atlas and had joined AECS at the start of 2000 as a cadet and true rookie. She was then assigned to Earth-05 (Zombie World War) for live-fire "military exercises."
Earth-05's zombies posed little threat, and humans were steadily reclaiming their lost territory, making it an ideal place to hone courage and improve military skills.
Before university, Maggie had another identity: the vigilante known as Queen Maeve.
At that time, Vought hadn't collapsed yet, and Maggie didn't know she had been injected with Compound V in her early childhood. She thought her super strength and durability were natural.
Deeply inspired by the mythological Queen of Connacht from ancient Irish legends, Maggie aspired to emulate her hero—skilled in strategy and combat, a protector of both her descendants and her people.
At the age of 14, Maggie donned a mask and began secretly assisting the police in dealing with armed criminals, even helping firefighters rescue people trapped in burning buildings.
Her vigilante career lasted until her 17th birthday.
Vought International sent her an invitation, offering her a place in a new superhero team led by the Homelander, promising the best platform to fight for justice.
Maggie hesitated briefly. Her hometown was in the southern Midwest, and she had some reservations about the East Coast, especially New York.
But becoming a top-tier superhero was also one of Maggie's dreams.
Before she could decide, Soldier Boy's various scandals were exposed online, causing Vought's image to plummet. Their stock price collapsed, and even the supposedly invincible Homelander went missing after an explosion.
This unexpected turn of events not only shattered Maggie's superhero dream but also revealed the truth behind her "natural" powers.
Learning that she was merely the unintended result of a biological weapon experiment pushed her to the brink of a breakdown.
Her parents had handed her over to Vought under the pretense of wanting her to become "better," unaware of the low success rate of Compound V treatments. Most children ended up disabled for life.
Fortunately, Atlas announced they had a method to remove Compound V from the body, offering affordable treatment and assisting the authorities in handling out-of-control superhumans.
Atlas even sent an agent to her home, offering her a military academy admission letter and explaining that they had been monitoring all superhumans, determining which ones were worth saving.
Maggie, eager to continue her pursuit of justice and prove her worth, enrolled in the military academy in New Akra City, receiving formal education and military training.
Atlas made it clear to her and other students who retained superpowers that unless they were following direct orders or in an emergency, they were forbidden from using their powers without permission.
At first, Maggie and the others struggled with this restriction. But as they gained more military knowledge and tactical skills, they realized that following orders was the right choice. The team must always come first.
Today marked Maggie's 52nd day on Earth-05.
As time passed, someone broke the silence in the aircraft:
"How long do you think we have left in training? Another month?"
"Yeah, it's usually three to four months."
"I heard that when training ends, we get to file for a second assignment. If you want to apply for ARS or ODST, you'll need another six months of training… assuming you pass the physical requirements."
"ARS and ODST don't interest me much. I want to join the Investigation Division."
The soldier who asked the question turned to Maggie, who had already opened her eyes and was lost in thought. "What about you, Shaw?"
The others in the aircraft all turned to look at Maggie.
"Me?" Maggie, snapping out of her thoughts, pointed to herself. Seeing her teammates nod in anticipation, she lowered her hand, thought for a moment, and said, "Probably the Investigation Division too. I think being an investigator or joining the Investigation Division's special forces suits me better."
"That makes sense," the soldier who wanted to join the Investigation Division said immediately. "You've got superior physical abilities, so being an investigator is perfect for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, another soldier jokingly cursed, "Shaw's got real power, but the way you said that, it sounds like you're just patting yourself on the back! Come on, someone knock some sense into him! Drinks are on me!"
"I'm not that bad, okay?"
"Two rounds!"
"Two rounds? I'll knock him out!"
"Ha ha ha!!"
Laughter and playful banter filled the cabin, and even Maggie joined in.
Four years of military academy and two months of active service had eliminated most prejudices among the soldiers regarding these superhumans with Compound V in their veins who still adhered to their principles.
Likewise, superhumans like Maggie had found a sense of belonging, believing that they were soldiers who followed orders and recognized their humanity.
By now, the scenery outside the cabin had shifted from a vast blue ocean to an endless desert.
Before long, a "new oasis city" came into view for the pilots.
Towering megastructures filled the skyline, greenery lined the streets, and hundreds of airships patrolled the sky.
The most prominent facility was a fusion reactor, situated a distance away from the city, powering the entire metropolis.
This oasis-like city was once Dubai, located near a space gate. After Atlas's armed forces cleared the zombies, the city had been rebuilt by their engineering division, becoming one of their strongholds on Earth-05.
The assault craft convoy crossed the desert, bypassed the city's edge, and finally landed on the military base's vertical helipad outside the city.
The cabin doors opened.
Engines powered down.
Maggie and the AECS company walked across the helipad, heading toward the base's equipment maintenance room to hand over their weapons and gear for logistics management.
But just as they entered the facility, the company commander's voice came over the comms:
"Attention, everyone. You have five hours to gather your personal belongings. After five hours, we'll be boarding the orbital train to cross the space gate and head to the ruins base in the Prime Universe to await further orders."
Hearing this, one of the soldiers who had asked questions earlier said:
"Heading to
the ruins base to wait? Does that mean we're getting involved in a major military operation?"
"Given the timing, the space gate is about to open. If the situation in Universe-07 is too complicated, more soldiers will be needed. So, we're likely the reserve force... But that's just my guess based on the company files. It might not be true."
"Hah!" Hearing this, the soldier patted Maggie on the shoulder and said with anticipation, "Shaw, it's time to rack up some military achievements. Maybe we'll get transferred straight to the Investigation Division!"
Maggie just gave him a speechless look.
---
Meanwhile…
In the command center of the ruins base, on the second floor:
The central console displayed five holographic screens, each showing one of the Primarchs in black uniforms.
Among them were Robert (Guilliman), Sanguinius, and Lion, all with golden hair, though each had different hairstyles: short, long, and slicked-back, respectively, reflecting their personal styles.
There was also Horus, with short black hair, whose appearance may not have matched Sanguinius's, but who had a distinct presence.
And lastly, Magnus, who had begun growing dark red hair, now looking more and more like a scholar.
Standing physically at the console were Samuel Young, dressed in a black trench coat, and the one-year, two-month-old Dorn and Vulkan.
Despite being less than 18 months old, Dorn was already around 1.3 to 1.4 meters tall—a child by human standards but a teenager by Primarch standards.
This was likely his first time meeting his older brothers from other universes, and the occasion made Dorn appear both serious and nervous, anxious about making a good impression.
As for Vulkan…
He was somewhat different.
Despite being the same age as Dorn, he was already 1.8 meters tall, his physique large enough to fill out his black clothes.
Though equally nervous, Vulkan wasn't overly restrained, simply standing silently on the right side of the console.
Earlier, Samuel had ordered the AECS commander, Jack Krauser, to deploy all available AECS units to the ruins base for standby in case of any unexpected events.
After all, the date to open the sixth space gate had been February 9, 1999, and 414 days later, today—March 27, 2000—was when the seventh space gate would open.
Samuel was currently giving verbal instructions to the five Primarchs:
"You've all done well, and you've managed the company's branches in different universes excellently. Honestly, you've shared much of my burden and helped shoulder many responsibilities.
Although we're family, I still need to thank you.
I won't say much more. In the end, if you encounter anything that can't be explained physically, I trust you all know how to handle it.
Alright, go back to your duties."
"Yes, Father."
The five Primarchs responded in unison, then each voluntarily closed their screens.
Samuel turned to Dorn and Vulkan and said, "Wait here for me," before leaving the command center.
The two young Primarchs walked to the second-floor edge, looking out the observation window and catching a glimpse of their father's figure once more.
"Hey," Dorn said, watching Samuel approach the altar. He asked Vulkan, "Which of our brothers do you think is the most approachable?"
"Horus, no doubt," Vulkan replied without hesitation. "He was the first to send us birthday gifts, and he even recorded a video saying we could visit him in Universe-05 whenever we wanted."
"I thought the same," Dorn agreed.
By now, Samuel had reached the altar's steps and was about to ascend to the skull-marked platform. Dorn continued, "So… little brother, do you think the rumors are true? That our father is actually a god walking among mortals?"
"I don't know," Vulkan answered, paying no mind to Dorn calling him "little brother." He spoke without thinking. "I only know that Father is Father. Whether he's a god or not doesn't matter. What difference does it make? Right?"
"You might have a point," Dorn mused.
Outside the window, they saw Samuel use his psionic abilities to cut his palm, allowing his blood to fill the skull-marked engraving. A radiant golden light suddenly burst forth.
!
Witnessing this for the first time, Dorn and Vulkan were both taken aback, squinting as they tried to adjust to the dazzling glow.
When the light finally subsided, they saw the seventh space gate materialize at the far end of the ruins base.
Moments later, a pack of hellhounds, like unleashed wild beasts, charged through the silvery surface, carrying out the first reconnaissance mission for the fully armed advance team.
"Little brother…" Dorn said in awe. "Would you call this a miracle?"
Vulkan shrugged, saying nothing.
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