Chapter 1006 - 49: Fall In!

"Before the Atlas Group came here, we were just a bunch of kids holding onto gold!"

"Yes, this land is our land, the people living here are our people, but before the Atlas Group came here, this was the region with the most frequent wars in the world, the most famines, and the most widespread plagues!"

A member of the council jumped up in anger during the meeting, only to be quickly restrained by the Wakandan royal guards who stormed in—

Yet this is Africa!

If someone wants to rise to power, the fastest way is to prove they can kill, and these people are no exception!

The councilor—or rather, the guy just declared a criminal, with cold eyes, pulled out a pistol, the Prosthetics adorned with precious jewels instantly sprang forth, aiming at Mos!

Bang!

But T’Challa moved even faster: Si Anweisitan was activated, he had long seen this guy, with the Prosthetics on his body granting him the swift speed of a panther, he slit the traitor’s throat before he could pull the trigger.

The terrifying scene only heightened the fear among the other councilors, who looked in horror at the old King T’Chaka, at the old good-natured one!

But T’Chaka stood fixed in place, as if he had lost the ability to think.

"You haven’t seen it, but I have!"

"I’ve seen people without food scoop up dirt from the ground, swallowing it mixed with weeds; I’ve seen infants without milk drown in the mud; I’ve seen hopeful workers wailing in agony from radiation, skin peeling away, blood flowing nonstop, wracked with pain..."

"Is this the ’nation’ you speak of?!"

"Our people, through the support of those cursed ghost Brits from Rocksen, slaughter each other, struggle in hunger, despair in plague, painfully awaiting death—"

"In the end, we still ask them to exploit our land, plunder our resources, treat our people as disposable tools, and then discard them into the trash without dignity..."

"They are all war criminals! Don’t think I don’t know that some of you are such vermin too!"

In the chaotic council, the Wakandan royal guard stormed in uniformly, each wielding a gun, and some were bound directly before the muzzle, facing death!

"Form ranks!"

A councilor and officials screamed, "Your Majesty, you can’t just watch him..."

Bang!

Blood splattered!

T’Challa approached his father, wearing his combat helmet, a helmet shaped like a panther’s head.

Looking at this blend of tribal totems and high technology, T’Chaka was at a loss for words.

Finally, he patted T’Challa’s shoulder, took off a ring from his hand, and placed it in his son’s palm.

Mos slammed his heavy metal Iron Hand onto the table, gazing at the trembling colleagues, the scarlet Prosthetic Eye seemed to probe their souls:

"It’s Lille, it’s the Atlas Group, it’s all those who, at that critical moment, abandoned prosperous New York, came to this treacherous land to help a bunch of people uncertain of their future..."

"I will never betray my friends, lovers, parents, children...I will never forget our friends who came across the ocean to help, nor will I ever betray when an ally needs me."

"If you wish to become beasts, your only end is to be slaughtered like cattle."

Thud.

Bodies fell one by one, blood soaking the floor.

A few soldiers from the Atlas Group walked in, starting to clean up: getting involved in killing was not their forte, but maintaining cleanliness inside and outside was something they excelled at.

This scope was vast, very vast, the same thing happened in many places, not just Wakanda, just more hidden.

It was a coup, no doubt, but Mos had already begun persuading the remaining people.

"And now, each of our people can eat their fill, each can enjoy advanced healthcare, I may not promise they can return alive, but I assure them, every swing of their hammer, every charge, every drop of sweat will benefit future generations—"

"Our land will be more prosperous, our cities rejuvenated, our future in our hands!"

"But we must win a war, not betray our future, nor kneel out a future!"

The horrifying atmosphere of the massacre had gradually diminished, the scent of blood hung in the throats of the councilors, further reminding them:

Yes, this is a war.

"Ignite! Open all furnaces!"

In the large mining field, the foreman began altering the schedule on the LED:

They were at war, their enemies were tireless robots.

"Our warriors have set off, our factories begin production immediately, for our homeland, for our descendants, more so for ourselves!"

Somali Naval Base, the entire military base was preparing for battle—

Prosthetics fully fueled, clutching big guns in hand, Exoskeletons connected...

Then they wrote their wills.

"The African Union—doesn’t exist at all! There is only Africa! One that fights with all the people around the world longing for tomorrow, longing for the future, longing for sunshine, flowers, and smiles together!"

"A war awaits, we will never give up resistance; our allies need us, absolutely, and we will never betray an ally—"

"Even if we step into Hell!"

...

Snap.

Abdi closed his diary, with a will tucked inside.

Frank looked through the window at the sea: the mighty Somali Navy was moving toward the northern war zone.

This operation was unprecedented, a true all-or-nothing bet, every soldier in the military base capable of deployment was pulled out, which was a very illogical military command move.

But those "old-school" theories didn’t account for self-replicating super robots.

"...Frank, very sorry you’re dragged along with us, but we will win, you will reunite with your family."

Frank glanced at Abdi—this kid was more than ten years his junior.

Could it be said that every place raises its own people? After being together for a year, his impression of this African kid was that his mind was quite mature.

"Nothing to be sorry about." Frank shrugged, "I do want to go home, but...I also want to win this war."

"You want to win this war? Does anyone ever want to lose a war?"

Frank chuckled, reminiscing: "Actually, yes... you know we used to work for the U.S. Department of Defense, first fighting some folks in Vietnam who couldn’t even fill their bellies, then robbing civilians in the Middle East..."

The CIA smuggled drugs using civilian corpses, but I deceived myself thinking I was just following orders, nearly costing my wife and children their lives because of it later.

Looking back now, every war I fought for the U.S. Department of Defense, I genuinely wished they would lose."

"But if you thought that back then, you wouldn’t be standing here now."

"That’s why I want to win this war: the people I killed can’t come back to life, but...the only thing I know how to do can still achieve some good.

Ever since joining the Atlas Group, I’ve had this thought every day: how miraculous it is that I would fall in love with this job of waging war."

"Maybe that’s the true purpose of weapons." Abdi said seriously, "This world has real dangers, we use weapons to eliminate danger, not oppose each other."

"You’re right...I just hope God can reunite me with my family for that."

"Are you a Christian?"

"No." Frank shook his head, "Just at times like this, you want to find something to believe in."

"Ah—I see, there’s an old saying from the mysterious East: The skies watch what people do..."

"I don’t think that’s what it means—"

Before the words finished, something unusual appeared in the sky, visually enhanced observers began shouting through the ship’s broadcast:

"They’re robots! We’ve entered the alert zone!"

"Hold onto your weapons..."

"Damn it, fire!!!"