Hans dismissed the notification and left the warehouse.
The Engineers had marked its position beside the building currently used by the Medics. It remained away from the eastern vehicle lanes, but close enough that wounded soldiers could be transferred from returning Guardian APCs without crossing most of Site Three.
One of the Engineers waited near the deployment marker.
Hans looked between the marked ground and the warehouse.
"The Medics approved this position?"
"Yes, Commander."
"Deploy it."
The ground beneath the marker changed.
A reinforced foundation spread across the open section first. Pale walls rose around it, followed by a wider central building and two shorter wings. Covered entryways extended from the front while sealed doors formed along the sides.
Several ventilation units unfolded across the roof.
The structure settled beside the warehouse.
------
[ Field Hospital deployment complete. ]
[ Energy: 1,283 (+120) => 1,403 / 2,000 ]
------
Hans inspected the Field Hospital’s information.
------
[ Structure Name: Field Hospital ]
[ Structure Category: Secondary Structure — Medical / Support ]
[ Structural Systems ]
[ System-Assisted Treatment Pods ]
Treatment chambers combine biological stabilization, automated surgical assistance, regenerative stimulants, and limited nanite-supported repair.
Recovery time depends on the severity of the injury.
[ Infection Suppression Network ]
Continuously monitors biological contamination and viral activity within admitted personnel.
Early-stage infection may be suppressed or halted in recoverable patients.
Enables female Medic units to perform advanced infection-suppression and rapid-stabilization procedures.
[ Recovery and Rehabilitation Wing ]
Accelerates recovery from injuries, physical exhaustion, combat fatigue, and psychological strain.
[ Emergency Medical Coordination System ]
Exchanges biological status information with nearby Medic units and prioritizes casualties according to severity.
[ Remarks ]
The Field Hospital cannot immediately restore catastrophic injuries. Personnel remain subject to treatment and recovery periods based on their condition.
------
Hans read the infection-suppression section twice.
The female Medics had already demonstrated what their nanites could do in the field. Now they had a structure built specifically to support them.
Hans looked toward one of the female Medics waiting near the entrance.
"Can people outside the System use this?"
"Yes, Commander."
"The same way our soldiers can?"
"The hospital will examine and stabilize them through the same treatment systems. Their recovery will still depend on the injury and their current condition."
Hans glanced back toward the infection-suppression section.
"And infected civilians?"
"If the infection remains within a recoverable stage, the hospital can suppress it."
"Suppress, not remove."
"Yes, Commander."
That distinction mattered.
The Field Hospital could not save someone whose body had already been consumed by the infection. It could still buy time for those who had not reached that point.
Hans looked toward the warehouse currently serving as the medical area.
"Keep that place operational until everything has been transferred. Prepare part of the hospital for civilians as well."
"Understood."
The Medics entered the new structure.
The doors opened before them. White light spread across the covered entrance while the first treatment systems began activating inside.
Hans remained outside for several moments. The remaining production notices arrived later that night.
------
[ Guardian APC production complete. ]
[ Standard Infantry Squad x2 training complete. ]
------
The Guardian APC departed for the Airfield construction zone before midnight.
The two newly trained squads remained at the main base until morning.
...
The replacement squads reached Site Three shortly after sunrise.
Hans stood near the eastern vehicle lane while the soldiers dismounted. One squad would join each southern force, allowing the two veteran squads to remain around the Airfield.
A support vehicle stopped behind them.
The passenger door opened. Tyrus stepped down.
Hans stared at him.
"Why are you here?"
"Oh, Commander." Tyrus’s face fell. "Am I not welcome anymore?"
"I hope you did not delay my soldiers. If I find out—"
"I would not be so presumptuous, Commander."
"You better not be."
Hans continued staring.
Tyrus looked around Site Three instead.
His attention moved across the Walls, Pillboxes, and the Garrison Post integrated into the eastern defenses. Then he looked toward the streets beyond the perimeter.
"You have established quite a perimeter here, Commander."
Hans frowned.
"Stop with the chit-chat. What do you want this time?"
Tyrus cleared his throat.
"I presume you are still busy with your operations, and finding that laboratory may take a while. I came to make another request."
Hans immediately understood what Tyrus wanted.
"You want the hive?"
"Correction. Its remains, Commander."
"You can do what you want with it." Hans did not argue. He also wanted the hive remains examined.
Two hard cases remained strapped inside the support vehicle. Tyrus had brought his own sampling equipment and preserving materials, apparently certain that Hans would approve the request.
"I’ll assign an escort squad."
"Please, not the bulky men, Commander."
"You have no say in it."
Tyrus sighed. He knew there was no way around it.
Hans’s DASF units were the only ones strong enough to pull him away if he became too interested in the hive remains.
"Matilda."
"Commander?"
"Send one DASF squad over."
"What will be their mission, Commander?"
"Watch over our little scientist while he visits the hive carcass."
"Understood. Relaying your orders now."
Hans lowered the communicator.
"A squad will escort you later. Until then, stay inside Site Three."
Tyrus shrugged. His attention shifted toward the newly deployed Field Hospital, its entrance still glowing beneath the morning sky.
Hans watched him enter the building before turning away.
The structure was System-made. Tyrus could satisfy his curiosity there until the escort arrived.
Hans returned to the western warehouse. The latest southern reports were waiting inside.
The latest southern reports waited inside the western warehouse.
Matilda stood beside the two platoon leaders while Hans unfolded the operational map across the table. The cleared routes from the previous day had already been marked.
Both ended near the same curved line.
Hans looked at it for several seconds. The line represented the outer edge of the Radar Facility’s coverage.
"How much of the next route remains inside?" he asked.
"The first section," Matilda answered. "Both platoons will cross the boundary if they continue toward the next marked blocks."
Hans followed the southern roads with one finger.
Once they passed that line, the Radar would no longer mark infected moving through the surrounding streets. Survivor locations would disappear with them. The platoons would have their Scouts, radios, and ordinary maps, but none of the wider awareness they had relied on since the Radar Facility came online.
Stopping at the boundary was not an option either.
Grefort extended far beyond it.
Hans looked toward Matilda.
"Delay the platoons’ departure."
"For how long?"
"Until the others arrive from the main base."
Matilda understood that he was not referring to more soldiers.
"Who do you want?"
"Kimmy, Yunera, Johannes, Evelyn, and Marcus."
"All five?"
"Include Viper. He’s been training them for a while. It’s time for him to return to my side. Have a vehicle bring them here."
"Which platoon will they join?"
"The first. The second continues with its existing formation."
One platoon would continue without them.
Hans had seen the five train around the main base, but controlled exercises could only show so much. He needed to know how they would perform beside his soldiers once they moved beyond Radar coverage.
"Johannes will coordinate his group through the platoon leader," Hans continued. "He is not replacing him."
"Understood."
Matilda reached for her communicator.
...
The six arrived at Site Three later that morning.
Johannes entered the warehouse first, followed by Evelyn and Marcus. Yunera remained beside Kimmy while Callum walked behind them.
Hans looked up from the map.
"Welcome to Site Three."
Johannes nodded. "Commander."
Kimmy smiled toward his voice.
"It has been a while, Hans."
"It’s not that long."
Callum crossed the remaining distance and stopped beside him.
"Commander."
"Welcome back, Viper."
Callum nodded before returning to his usual place behind Hans. He did not approach the operational table with the others.
Hans looked toward the five remaining arrivals.
"You were called here because you’ll be joining today’s southern operation. The platoon leader will explain the rest."
The first platoon’s leader stepped closer to the table.
He turned the map toward them and pointed at the routes marked south of Site Three.
"Yesterday, both mobile platoons cleared these roads and secured the intersections here and here."
His finger followed the two lines farther south.
"Today, we continue toward the next major intersections. The platoons will clear the roads, inspect accessible structures, recover usable supplies, and withdraw before nightfall."
Johannes studied the map.
"What changed?"
The platoon leader looked at Hans.
Hans gave a slight nod.
"Our current intelligence only reaches this far," the platoon leader said, tapping the curved line. "Up to this point, we have confirmed information about movement along the surrounding roads and blocks."
His finger moved beyond it.
"Past this line, we do not."
Johannes looked at the southern routes again.
"So the platoons will be moving without advance information."
"Not entirely. Scouts will continue ahead of the main force. We will rely on direct observation, radio reports, and whatever can be confirmed on the ground."
The platoon leader pointed toward the first intersection beyond the line.
"The formation will move slower. We secure one section before advancing into the next. Recovery vehicles remain behind the combat elements until the surrounding structures are cleared."
"And survivors?" Evelyn asked.
"We inspect accessible buildings and respond to anyone who reveals themselves. We will not enter every structure without reason."
Marcus followed the road with his eyes.
"What about communications?"
"Radios should remain operational. However, buildings and terrain may interfere with some channels once the platoon moves deeper."
Hans finally spoke.
"That is why you were called here."
The five looked toward him.
"I already know what my soldiers can do without advance intelligence. I need to know what all of you can contribute beside them."
His attention moved toward Kimmy.
"Oracle will remain with the command element."
The platoon leader nodded.
"Anything you detect will be reported through the platoon channel. Direction, distance, number of presences if you can determine it."
Kimmy straightened slightly after hearing the designation.
"U-understood."
"Ms. Yunera remains with Oracle."
Yunera glanced toward Kimmy.
"Naturally."
The platoon leader continued without reacting.
"Agent Shaw will accompany the forward squads, behind the Scouts. Report anything unusual before the formation enters a street or building."
Evelyn nodded.
"I understand."
"Agent Lenhert remains near the command vehicle. You will assist with routes, structural conditions, damaged infrastructure, and anything that may interfere with the platoon’s movement or communications."
Marcus studied the marked streets.
"Understood."
The platoon leader turned toward Johannes.
"You will coordinate your group. Any recommendation or report passes through me or the assigned squad leaders."
Johannes nodded.
"Your platoon remains under your command."
"Correct."
Hans looked between them.
"The second platoon will continue along the eastern route without additional personnel. Your group joins the first. Do not compete with my soldiers. Work with them. If you notice something, report it. If the platoon leader gives an order, follow it."
Johannes answered for the group.
"Understood, Commander."
The platoon leader gathered the reports from the table.
"Departure in thirty minutes. Equipment and radio assignments will be handled outside."
The five began moving toward the warehouse entrance.
Callum remained behind Hans.
Once the others had left, Hans glanced over his shoulder.
"How did they perform during training?"
"Well enough, Commander."
"Well enough?"
"They followed instructions. Their abilities were useful."
Callum looked toward the open warehouse doors.
"An actual operation will provide a better answer."
Hans returned his attention to the map.
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