HISTORY
UNTOUCHABLESeulgi went out of Seungwan's clinic feeling somewhat refreshed. She was heading back to her room when she passed by the training room. There, she saw Professor Lau Henry discussing some stuff with the new AEF recruits. She stepped inside, wanting to hear more about the discussion.
"Let's start with how the Evens came to exist in the first place," said Professor Henry, 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. A few days later, another one was spotted in Argentina. Then another in Africa, Spain, Italy, Cambodia, and so on. But the question is, where did they come from?"
Professor Henry changed 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 from a century ago. It was a huge rain of meteorites that scattered all over the world. They believed Even might've travelled 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 Henry changed the slide again. "Another theory is Neil Armstrong's travel to the moon. The samples they got were brought it back. Some suspect those contained the microorganisms that we call the Evens now. This is pretty much the same as 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 the air, professor?" said one cadet. "If they are still microorganisms that time, they could've travelled easily without our knowledge. Maybe some fell on Neil's sleeve, and it went with him when he goes out. Maybe some fell on a flower, or the sea, etc..."
"That's possible," said Henry, pointing at the cadet. "If these creatures went into some transformation over the years, then yes, we can say that. But again, no one has proved this theory yet."
Henry turned to the presentation again. "The third theory is the secret underground facility in Dulce, New Mexico. It is rumoured that this facility is home to the most bizarre experiments anyone can imagine. Some say that they hide hybrid creatures and aliens there."
There was a chorus of "Ooh..." from the cadets.
Henry changed the slide 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 behaviour is somewhat similar to these 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 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 admit the existence of this research facility in New Mexico?" asked another cadet.
"They denied all allegations," answered Professor Henry. "There's no proof the research facility even existed, so everything is just a theory." He turned to the picture again. "If this was a result of some hybrid experimentation, they did a good job because it took us years to find a way to defeat these monsters."
Professor Henry 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 quickly 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; they don't go out alone. We call them Evens 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 Henry. "It was 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 Henry raised his head to look at the visitor standing at the back. "Thanks to Doctor Kang, who discovered that these creatures needed air to live."
Seulgi felt shy as all the trainees turned their heads to look at her.
"Doctor Kang 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 Kang's sacrifice," said Professor Henry sincerely. "And for those who didn't know, he was Captain Seulgi's father."
People clapped softly, giving Seulgi a warm smile.
"Captain Seulgi, would you do us a favour of discussing how SAUs fight Evens?" asked Professor Henry.
Seulgi walked to the front and stood beside the professor. "My pleasure."
"Thank you." Professor Henry changed the slide and showed a picture of a sword with a red blade.
"As Professor Henry mentioned, their armours are 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 shell," said Seulgi, 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 a plastic toy if you ask me. Not dangerous at all. However, it's highly lethal to Evens if it touches its shell. This weapon is called Retter Sword--it was a German scientist who found a way to create this."
"Question, Captain Seulgi." Professor Henry raised a hand. "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 that we can defend ourselves?"
"Good question, Professor Henry." Seulgi smiled. "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. Again, 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. It's not that easy," added Professor Henry.
"A Retter Sword is set up like a gun," continued Seulgi, changing the slide. "If you're going to be part of SAU, you'll be given a Retter Handle and Retter Bullets. Once you insert a 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 destroyed," added Seulgi. "That's why it's imperative to hit their vital parts only. 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 a stagger so the Even would fall onto it's back. From there, we will have about ten seconds before it can get up, a 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 Henry, looking at the class. "Remember, these creatures move 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 Henry trailed off to look at Seulgi.
"A little over an hour," said Seulgi. "That's why we bring extras during Migration--in case of emergency. Also, Boosters don't work with the Y chromosome, a reason why SAU members are all females only."
There was a chorus of disappointed cry from the boys in the class.
"Sorry boys," said Professor Henry, chuckling. "It's female power for now."
"But don't lose hope. SAU is just a sub-unit of AEF," said Seulgi encouragingly. "AEF, in general, is responsible for Migration and Cleansing. That's where we need you to be. SAU is only responsible for the face-to-face encounter with Evens. Aside from that, it is the AEF who handles everything."
"Which leads us to our next topic." Professor Henry changed the slide again. "After discovering their weakness, the world started Operation Cleansing in hopes of totally eradicating these monsters. Cleansing refers to luring these creatures in one place and dropping off Retter Bombs on them. Captain Seulgi, would you like to explain how we do that?"
Seulgi nodded. "Unfortunately, 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. Hundreds of Retter Barriers surround base Camps to make sure people will be safe while they stay there. SAUs are also scattered around to guard the area. With the Migration, 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 Henry, 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--causing Evens to go berserk before dying. That's why there must be no human beings around; otherwise, they'll die too."
"After Cleansing, SAUs will check the site to make sure all Evens are dead," added Seulgi. "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 Seulgi. "Retter Bombs has a lasting effect. 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 a short-haired woman who immediately smiled upon seeing Seulgi.
"I'll take it from here, Captain Seulgi," said Professor Henry, looking at the new visitor. "I appreciate your help in discussing these with our new cadets."
"Pleasure's all mine, Professor Henry." Seulgi tapped his shoulder. She turned to the cadets. "I hope to see you all soon in the field. Enjoy your day, everyone."
Seulgi walked towards her friend, giving a friendly punch. "What are you doing here, Amber?"
"Sooyoung and I were looking for you. It's lunchtime, cap," said Amber. "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 fifteen years ago," said Amber, looking at the class. "How time flies, huh?"
Seulgi smiled. "You're nostalgic."
"It's because I'm hungry. Let's go now. Sooyoung's waiting for us."
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