UNTOUCHABLE - TIAOM

MIRACLE

"Help me understand why we didn't know that there's a colony nearby!" demanded Commander In. "I've sent four people there! Just four people!"

Doctor Puey tried calming down the frantic lady in front of her. "Commander, we believe that this is an unintentional colony that was recently built."

"Unintentional?"

Doctor Puey showed a map. "You see, we started with the Cleansing operation from outside to inside. After doing bombings on these cities, the 'outside' cities, we believe that the remaining Evens from those places grouped together. And as we continue 'inwards', they are getting cornered until they all squeezed in the last place that we're going to Cleanse today, which is the Jeoswa Village."

Commander In placed her arms on the table and massaged her temples. "I don't care about what you're saying. All I care is how are we going to save those people? Your bombs don't seem to be working!"

Doctor Puey swallowed a lump in his throat. "Those are still prototypes, Commander. But if your concern is their safety, they just have to get out of that village and they will be safe."

"With that number of Evens, they can just easily pass the Retter barriers, doctor."

"Yes, Commander. That is truly correct. However, in case you have forgotten, the cities outside the village are already Cleansed. The after-effect of the Retter Bombs we used is strong that Evens won't dare going out Jeoswa."

Commander In's face lit up. "Are you saying that there's still hope? Troop C can still survive?"

"Yes, Commander. They just have to get out of the village."

"Dispatch four motorcycles to Jeoswa now!" said Commander In. "Get there as fast as you can!"

She looked around the area and saw Jane, an older lady, and the mother of the kid who's holding a tissue now on her nose.

Commander In wanted to approach them and tell them that everything will be alright, that everything is under control.

But she knows she'll be lying.

She knows that it will only take a miracle for Troop C to survive that massive amount of Evens.

---

Everyone's starting to get exhausted now. The running is already taking its toll on them. The boosters won't work if the human body is also tired.

But they can't stop now. Stopping would mean the end of them.

"Conan, can you hear me?" asked Commander In.

"Yes, Commander!" Conan shouted while running.

"You'll just have to get past the gate and you'll be safe."

Conan's eyes searched for the gate which is still about 3 kilometers away from them. "B-but Commander --"

"That's your only chance to live."

Conan looked at Zee and Yam who heard the conversation too. Kim doesn't have any idea as she doesn't have her radio anymore. "Roger that, Commander."

"Please relay it to your Captain as well. Over and out."

"Captain!" called Zee. "Commander In says that we just have to get past the gate and we'll be safe!"

Kim immediately searched for the gate. "But it's too far!"

"She says that's our only hope!" added Yam.

Kim held onto Katrien tighter now. "Okay! Let's aim for the exit!"

It wasn't a smooth run. As expected, apart from the herd of Evens running after them from the back, there are Evens popping out of nowhere, attacking them too. Conan, Yam, and Zee aren't killing them anymore. Instead, they are just pushing the Evens away.