Chapter 16: Final Level

POV: Marcus Rodriguez

The coordinated strike on enhanced soldier production facilities was scheduled for 0300 GMT, which meant six simultaneous operations across multiple time zones. We had seventy-two hours of preparation time and the most ambitious military objective in history: eliminate enhanced soldier technology worldwide.

"Final mission briefing," I announced to the team via encrypted communication. "Primary objective: destruction of enhanced soldier production facilities. Secondary objective: elimination of all deployed enhanced soldiers. Tertiary objective: distribution of neural interface disruptors to civilian populations."

"Tank, that's not a mission briefing," Jake replied from Syria. "That's a war declaration."

"Jake, enhanced soldier technology is already a war. We're just fighting back."

"Point taken. What's the tactical plan?"

"Simultaneous strikes on production facilities, followed by systematic elimination of deployed enhanced soldiers, followed by establishment of local resistance networks."

"How do we coordinate six simultaneous operations?"

"Very carefully and with a lot of luck."

"That's not reassuring."

"It's honest."

Sarah's voice came through from Myanmar. "Tank, I've completed analysis of enhanced soldier deterioration rates. We have less time than we thought."

"How much less?"

"Based on the biological samples I've analyzed, enhanced soldiers will begin losing neural interface stability within days, not weeks."

"What does that mean tactically?"

"It means enhanced soldiers are going to become uncontrollable very soon. If we don't eliminate them first, civilian populations worldwide are going to face attacks by enhanced soldiers who have no programming constraints."

"So we need to succeed in the next few days."

"We need to succeed in the next few days, or enhanced soldier technology becomes a global extinction event."

Pixel's communication came through from Belarus. "Team, I've identified the primary enhanced soldier production network. It's more extensive than we thought."

"How extensive?"

"Facilities in twelve countries, connected by a centralized command and control system."

"Twelve countries?"

"China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Myanmar, Belarus, Somalia, and three others I haven't been able to identify."

"So we're not just fighting enhanced soldier technology. We're fighting an international enhanced soldier network."

"It appears that way."

"Recommendations?"

"We target the command and control system instead of individual facilities."

"Where is the command and control system?"

"Unknown. But based on communication patterns, it's probably mobile."

"A mobile command center for enhanced soldier production?"

"More likely, a distributed network with multiple redundant control nodes."

"So we'd need to eliminate multiple command centers simultaneously."

"Or we'd need to eliminate the people who control the command centers."

I processed this information while coordinating with African Union forces in Somalia. Enhanced soldiers were being deployed faster than we could eliminate them, and the production network was more sophisticated than we'd anticipated.

"Team, new tactical assessment. We're not fighting enhanced soldiers. We're fighting an enhanced soldier conspiracy."

"Explain."

"Enhanced soldier technology is being coordinated internationally by a group that has resources, intelligence, and political access across multiple governments."

"So there's a shadow organization controlling enhanced soldier deployment?"

"There's an organization that's using enhanced soldier technology to destabilize international security."

"To what end?"

"Unknown. But based on deployment patterns, they're targeting democratic governments and civilian populations."

"So they're using enhanced soldier technology for global political control."

"That's the most likely explanation."

Jake's voice came through with his characteristic explosive tone. "Tank, if there's a shadow organization controlling enhanced soldiers, then our mission just became much more complicated."

"How?"

"Because we're not just fighting enhanced soldiers. We're fighting the people who make enhanced soldiers, and we don't know who they are."

"Jake, we know some of them. Dr. Vance was part of the network. The Russian enhanced soldier program was part of the network. The facilities in the twelve countries are part of the network."

"But we don't know who's in charge."

"No, we don't."

"So how do we eliminate an enemy we can't identify?"

"We eliminate their capabilities and force them to reveal themselves."

"By destroying enhanced soldier production facilities."

"By destroying enhanced soldier production facilities and eliminating their deployed assets."

"That's still a massive military operation."

"That's the military operation we're committed to."

The final coordination meeting took place over encrypted communication with all team members. We had identified targets, coordinated timing, and prepared contingency plans for the most ambitious military operation in history.

"Final status report," I announced.

"Myanmar: Enhanced soldier production facility identified, local forces trained and equipped, neural interface disruptors distributed. Ready for coordinated strike."

"Somalia: Production facility located, but heavily defended. Will require direct assault by enhanced soldiers."

"Belarus: Facility is underground and protected by both conventional forces and enhanced soldiers. Approach will be challenging."

"Syria: Production facility is mobile, but I've identified its current location. Window for attack is limited."

"Ukraine and Venezuela?"

"Ukraine: Territorial defense forces report facility location but require direct support for assault. Venezuela: Opposition forces have identified facility but lack equipment for successful attack."

"So we have six confirmed targets, with varying levels of local support."

"That's the tactical situation."

"Recommendations for coordination?"

"Simultaneous strikes at 0300 GMT. Each team leads local forces against their assigned target. Communication every thirty minutes during operation."

"What about contingency plans?"

"If any operation fails, that team relocates to support other operations."

"And if multiple operations fail?"

"Then we improvise."

"That's not a contingency plan."

"It's the contingency plan we have."

The operation began exactly at 0300 GMT. Six enhanced soldiers, coordinating with local forces in six different countries, conducting simultaneous strikes against enhanced soldier production facilities.

My target in Somalia was a converted military base with underground production facilities. African Union peacekeeping forces provided tactical support while I led the assault on the enhanced soldier security forces.

"Tank, enemy contact. Twelve enhanced soldiers defending the facility entrance."

"Understood. Neural interface disruptors are authorized."

"Engaging enhanced soldier targets."

The enhanced soldiers defending the facility were more sophisticated than the ones we'd encountered in civilian deployments. They coordinated effectively, used advanced tactics, and seemed to have been programmed specifically for facility defense.

"Tank, these enhanced soldiers are different."

"Different how?"

"They're adapting to our tactics in real time."

"That suggests they have collective intelligence capabilities."

"Or they're being controlled by someone who's watching the battle."

"Can you identify the control source?"

"Working on it. But the facility's communication systems are heavily encrypted."

The battle for the Somali facility lasted six hours. We eliminated the enhanced soldier defenders, but the production equipment had been destroyed before we could capture it.

"Tank, facility is secure, but the enhanced soldier production line has been demolished."

"Deliberately?"

"Appears so. Someone didn't want us to examine the technology."

"Copy that. Other teams, status report."

"Myanmar: Facility secured, production equipment intact. We have samples of enhanced soldier technology."

"Belarus: Facility eliminated, but it was empty. Appears to have been evacuated before our assault."

"Syria: Mobile facility neutralized, but it was a decoy. Real facility location unknown."

"Ukraine: Facility defended by conventional forces. Enhanced soldiers had been withdrawn before our assault."

"Venezuela: Facility destroyed by government forces before we could reach it."

The coordinated strike had been partially successful. We'd eliminated some enhanced soldier production capabilities, but the network had anticipated our attack and taken countermeasures.

"Team, assessment of operation success?"

"Mixed results. We eliminated some capabilities, but the enhanced soldier network is more sophisticated than we anticipated."

"They knew we were coming."

"They prepared for our attack."

"Which means they have intelligence about our operations."

"Or they have intelligence about us."

The communication was interrupted by an emergency broadcast on multiple frequencies. The voice was electronically distorted, but the message was clear.

"Enhanced soldiers of the Respawn Squad program, you have interfered with authorized military operations in violation of international law."

"Who is this?"

"You will cease all operations immediately and report to designated extraction points for debriefing and reassignment."

"That's not happening."

"Dr. Rodriguez, Dr. Johnson, Dr. Martinez, and Dr. Williams, you are in violation of your operational parameters. Continued resistance will result in classification as rogue enhanced soldiers."

"We're already classified as rogue enhanced soldiers."

"Rogue enhanced soldiers are considered hostile combatants and will be eliminated by enhanced soldier response teams."

"Response teams?"

"Enhanced soldiers specifically designed to eliminate other enhanced soldiers."

The broadcast ended, leaving us to process the implications. We weren't just fighting an enhanced soldier network. We were fighting an enhanced soldier network that had created enhanced soldiers specifically to hunt us.

"Team, new tactical situation. We're now being hunted by enhanced soldiers designed to kill enhanced soldiers."

"How many?"

"Unknown. But based on the broadcast, they're being deployed to our current locations."

"Recommendations?"

"Immediate extraction to rally point."

"Where's the rally point?"

"The place where this all started."

"The original Respawn Squad facility?"

"The original Respawn Squad facility."

"That facility was destroyed."

"Not the facility. The people who created the facility."

"Dr. Morrison?"

"Dr. Morrison and General Patterson. They have answers we need, and they might be the only people who can stop the enhanced soldier network."

"Or they might be part of the enhanced soldier network."

"That's a possibility we'll have to investigate."

"Tank, what if they are part of the network?"

"Then we eliminate them."

"Even if they're our own people?"

"Especially if they're our own people."