HISTORY
UNTOUCHABLE (TIAOM)Kim went out of Jane's office feeling somewhat refreshed. She was about to go back to her room when she passed by the training room. There, she saw Professor Van discussing some stuff to the new AEF recruits. She stepped inside the room, wanting to hear more about the discussion.
"Let's start with how the Evens came to exist in the first place," said Professor Van, busy looking at the slide presentation reflecting on the wall. "A full-grown Even was first seen forty years ago. It started in Texas, USA. Few days later after that, another one was spotted in Argentina. Then another in Africa, Spain, Italy, Cambodia, and so on and so forth. But the question is, where did they come from?"
Professor Van clicked the remote he's holding, changing the slide, revealing a black and white picture of a meteor shower. "Sadly, their origin hasn't been confirmed to this date. We do have theories, but none has been proven yet. First is the meteor shower that happened more than a century ago. It was a huge rain of meteorites that scattered all over the world. They believed that these creatures might've traveled through these meteorites in a different form. They reached Earth and for them to survive, they needed to evolve into different species, which took them about a century to do so."
Professor Van changed the slide again. "Another theory is Neil Armstrong's travel to the moon. They said that Neil and his team obtained samples from the moon, brought it back here without any idea that those contain the microorganisms that we call the Evens now. This is pretty much the same with the first theory, particularly the evolution part. If this is really the case, can anyone tell me how you think these creatures spread into the world?"
"Maybe through air, professor?" said one cadet. "If they are still microorganisms that time, they could've traveled easily without our knowledge. Maybe some fell on Neil's sleeve, it went with him when he goes out. Maybe some fell on a flower, or the sea, etc..."
"That's possible," said Van, pointing at the cadet. "If these creatures really went into some kind of transformation over the years, then yes, we can actually say that. But again, no one has proved this theory yet."
Van turned to the presentation again. "The third theory is the secret underground facility in Dulce, New Mexico. It is rumored that this facility is home to the most bizarre experiments that anyone can imagine. Some say that they hide hybrid creatures and aliens there."
There was a chorus of "Ooh..." from the cadets.
Van changed the slide again and showed the cadets a picture of an Even. "As you can see, Evens look like a combination of an ant, a crab, and a spider. And their behavior is somewhat similar to those mentioned animals. And how did they reach the other parts of the world, like here in Asia? Underground. It is said that the secret facility has underground passageways all throughout the world. Plus, if you remember, the first Even was seen in Texas. This made the theorists conclude that Evens are a result of an experiment from Dulce."
"Did the US government admitted the existence of this research facility in New Mexico?" asked another cadet.
"They denied all allegations," answered Professor Van. "There's no proof that the research facility even existed so everything is just a theory." He turned to the picture again. "If this was a result of hybrid experimentation, they did a good job because it took us years to finally find a way to defeat these monsters."
Professor Van showed a more detailed picture of an Even. "This hard exoskeleton is so thick that neither a bullet nor a grenade can destroy it. Aside from that, even with their size, they move really quick like spiders. They don't have eyes and ears, but they use their antennae to ‘see’ and communicate. They don’t feel pain. So technically, we can’t hurt them. They do have one unique trait though, they don’t go out alone. The reason we call them Even is because they always come in pairs. Once you see an Even walking around, expect another one is somewhere nearby."
One of the cadets raised a hand. "Professor, how did we deal with them before if we don't know how to defeat them?"
"Run and hide," answered Professor Van simply. "It was really a mismatch between us humans and them. It was a nightmare for the first few years until one doctor found a way to kill them." Professor Van raised his head to look at the visitor standing at the back. "Thanks to Doctor Buranaphan who discovered that these creatures needed air to live."
Kim felt shy as all the trainees inside turned their heads to look at her. She just simply smiled.
"Doctor Buranaphan was a physicist. He studied Evens for years on his own. And for the first time in years, we were able to retrieve two Even bodies for study. Thanks to Doctor Buranaphan's sacrifice," said Professor Van sincerely. "And for those who didn't know, he was Captain Kim's father."
People clapped softly, giving Kim a warm smile.
"Captain Kim, could you do us a favor of discussing how SAUs fight Evens?" asked Professor Van.
Kim knew there's no way she can say no. She walked to the front and stood beside the professor. "My pleasure."
"Thank you." Professor Van changed the slide and showed a picture of a sword with a red blade.
"As what Professor Van mentioned, their armors are really thick, making it hard for us to fight them. The researchers who studied their bodies found out that the only thing who can penetrate their shell is their own shell," said Kim, pointing at the picture. "This sword's blade is made of an Even's shell. As you can see, the blade doesn't have sharp edges. It's like wood if you touch it. It's not dangerous for humans however it's highly lethal if it touches an Even's shell. This weapon is called Retter Sword -- it was a German scientist who found a way to create this."
"Question, Captain Kim," said Professor Van, "I know some of the trainees here are already thinking of this so I'm gonna ask on their behalf. Since we finally found a way to destroy the Evens, then why aren't we distributing Retter Swords to all the people of the world, so we can defend ourselves?"
"Good question, Professor Van," said Kim, smiling. "The problem is we have limited resources. We can only create a Retter Sword from a body of a dead Even. And whenever we use it against them, the blade is getting destroyed along with their bodies. As what was said before, the only thing that can destroy them is their own. So, when we kill one, we'll end up with a broken Retter Blade too."
"And guys, you have to take note that this needs to undergo a process before we can generate weapons from their shells, so it's not really that easy," added Professor Van.
"A Retter Sword is set up like a gun," said Kim, changing the slide. "If you're going to be part of SAU, you'll be given a Retter Handle and Retter Bullets. You're going to insert one bullet into the handle and it will generate the shell-like blade for you in seconds."
There was an "ooh" sound from the audience in amazement.
"One blade can probably kill two to three Evens before it gets totally destroyed," added Kim. "That's why it's really important to just hit their vital parts, otherwise you'll run out of bullets and haven't killed one yet. Our strategy in SAU is we deal with each Even per party -- two Chainers and one Finisher. A Chainer's role is to create stagger so the Even would fall onto it's back. From there, we will have about ten seconds before it can get up, perfect time for a Finisher to attack a deathblow in its weakest spot -- its abdomen."
"It's not as easy as it sounds," said Professor Van, looking at the class. "Remember, these creatures move really fast. That's why SAUs need to take boosters to enhance their agility and boost their reflexes. They are really like superheroes during battle."
The class laughed.
"But just like Retter Swords, this isn't permanent as well. The effect of the Booster wears off after about..." Professor Van trailed off to look at Kim.
"A little over an hour," said Kim. "That's why we bring extras during Migration -- in case of emergency. Also, Boosters don't work with Y chromosome, a reason why SAU members are all females only."
There was a chorus of a disappointed cry from the boys in the class.
"Sorry boys," said Professor Van, chuckling, "it's female power for now."
"But don't lose hope. SAU is just a sub-unit of AEF," said Kim encouragingly. "AEF, in general, is responsible for the Migration and Cleansing. That's where we need you to be. SAU is only responsible with the face-to-face encounter with Evens. Aside from that, it is the AEF who handles everything."
"Which leads us to our next topic," said Professor Van, changing the slide. "After discovering their weakness, the world started Operation Cleansing in hopes of totally eradicating these monsters. Cleansing refers to luring these creatures on one place and dropping off Retter Bombs on them. Captain Kim, would you like to explain how we do that?"
Kim nodded before turning to the class. "Apparently, we still don’t know where these creatures hide. Maybe some of us have found out but nobody came out alive. Migration is the process of migrating people to the base camp where they could stay for a day or two safely. Base camps are surrounded by hundreds of Retter Barriers to make sure people will be safe while they stay there. SAUs are also scattered around to guard the area. In this step, AEFs will set up Retter Barriers around the target town, village, or a specific radius, so Even's will be trapped inside. Aside from that, they will also set up about three to four Retter Sanctuaries inside the town. It would act as a temporary safety base for people in case an attack happens."
"And after migrating the people, AEFs will dig a hole on the ground and we will put human blood there to lure the hungry Evens into it," said Professor Van, showing the class multiple pictures on the board. "Please take note that Evens only eat once a week. This Cleansing operation is only effective for the hungry ones as these creatures hibernate when they are full. Once they get lured, we drop Retter Bombs, killing them and destroying the Barriers and Sanctuaries at the same time. This is critical because Evens don't easily die. Unlike the Retter Sword, Retter Bombs doesn't target their weakest spot -- which is the abdomen -- and this is causing Evens to go berserk before dying. That's why it's really important that there are no human beings around, otherwise they'll die too."
"After Cleansing, SAUs will check the site to make sure all Evens are dead," added Kim. "Once confirmed, AEF will come in to retrieve the bodies and clean the mess before advising the people to come back. Once a site is clear, we'll move to the next site for Cleansing."
"Are there any chances of reoccurrence after Cleansing?" asked one cadet.
"None so far," answered Kim. "Retter Bombs has a lasting effect and Evens tend to stay away from a Cleansed site. Aside from that, we usually Clean five sites at a time to make sure that we cover a huge area."
The training room door opened. Emerging from it is another butchy woman who immediately smiled upon seeing Kim.
"I'll take it from here, Captain Kim," said Professor Van, looking at the new visitor. "I appreciate your help in discussing these to our new cadets."
"Pleasure's all mine, Professor Van," said Kim, tapping his arm. She turned to the cadets. "I hope to see you all soon in the field. Enjoy your day everyone."
Kim walked towards her friend, giving a friendly punch. "What are you doing here, Zee?"
"Conan and I were looking for you. It's lunchtime, Cap," said Zee. "We can't eat without you."
"I was walking back to my room when I saw that there were new trainees today."
"We were just like them 15 years ago," said Zee, looking at the class. "How time flies, huh?"
Kim smiled. "You're being nostalgic."
"It's because I'm hungry. Let's go now. Conan's waiting for us."
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