novelraw Chapter 241 241: The Reconnaissance Plan
Chapter 241 241: The Reconnaissance Plan
They spent the next hour planning how the mission was going to go, the conversation flowing back and forth as they turned over strategies, discussed contingencies, and tried to account for every possible variable that could get them killed.
Torvan had made it clear from the start that he would not be going with them on this mission. He had raised his hands defensively the moment Tatehan had started talking about logistics, shaking his head with a sheepish grin.
"I'm not going," he had said firmly. "I'm really bad at combat stuff. Like, embarrassingly bad. I've got fight phobia. The moment things get serious, my brain just shuts down and I freeze. You don't want me out there."
The others had laughed at that, the sound filling the workshop and cutting through the tension that had been building. Riven had grinned and said something about Torvan being more useful behind a workbench than behind a weapon, and Lyra had added that at least he was self-aware enough to admit it. Even Torvan had laughed, his expression sheepish but unapologetic. He knew his limits, and he was not going to pretend otherwise.
If was obvious he wasn't a combat guy even, he had sort of made that clear when they fought the Mech monster in the city.
He just helped with launching the stuff that sent the Mech in the skies and when it came to help up clearing the havoc that had wrecked the city, he had done nothing.
He was only a Tech guy! He was limited to that.
Tatehan had nodded, accepting the explanation without argument. "Alright. Then it's just me, Lyra, and Riven. The three of us go in, get close enough to activate the scanner, collect the data, and get out."
Riven had tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing as she processed that. "Are we telling anyone else? The clan? or the other cities?"
Tatehan had shrugged, his expression thoughtful. "No. We're not telling anyone."
Riven frowned. "Why not? This is a big deal. If we're planning to get that close to the West, the others should know. What if something goes wrong?"
Tatehan leaned back in his chair, his arms crossing over his chest. "Because I want this to be something we accomplish first, and then tell people about after. I don't want it to turn into a committee decision where everyone has an opinion and we spend weeks debating whether it's worth the risk. I just want to go, do it, and come back with results. And then we can share what we found."
He paused, his gaze shifting between Riven and Lyra. "Plus, the fewer people who know, the less chance there is of the information leaking. We don't know if the Obscuron has spies in our cities or if he's monitoring our communications somehow. If we keep this quiet, we reduce the risk."
Riven considered that for a moment, and then she nodded slowly. "Alright. I get it. Keep it small and keep it quiet I guess."
Lyra grinned. "I like it. Let's do it."
With that settled, the conversation shifted to the more immediate problem: how to actually get close to the force field without being detected and killed.
Torvan stepped forward, pulling up a holographic map of the region surrounding the West. The display materialized in the air above the workbench, showing the terrain in detailed relief. The red zone marking the Obscuron's territory was clearly visible, a vast, sprawling expanse that covered nearly a quarter of the map. And surrounding it, like a buffer between the West and the rest of Mars, was a large stretch of barren land.
Torvan gestured at the map, his expression serious now.
"From my studies, it's certain that the place is heavily protected. And I'm not just talking about the force field. Even without touching the barrier, if you're seen from afar, if their surveillance systems pick you up on cameras or motion sensors, you'll be shot down or apprehended immediately. They've got automated defenses, patrols and probably drones. The whole perimeter is monitored."
Tatehan scratched the back of his head, watching Torvan speak, his mind already running through the implications. That actually made sense. The Obscuron would not rely solely on the force field to keep intruders out. He would have layered defenses, redundancies and systems designed to catch anyone who got too close before they even had a chance to test the barrier.
Torvan zoomed in on the map, focusing on the strip of land that led up to the edge of the West. "Now, the good news is that the area leading to the West: this large stretch of barren land here, used to be filled with boulders. Big ones. Natural rock formations that would have been perfect for hiding, for moving through undetected and for using as cover if you needed to avoid patrols."
'Just like back at the wastelands with the Spaceship!' Tatehan thought.
The boulders had helped a lot in hunting the brutenecks
Tatehan raised a hand, his expression brightening slightly. "Nice. So we use the boulders as cover, move in low and slow, get within range of the scanner, and then—"
But Torvan interrupted him, his tone apologetic.
"Yeah, about that. The Obscuron cleared them all."
Tatehan's hand dropped, and his expression shifted into something between confusion and disbelief. "What?"
Torvan nodded, his gaze fixed on the holographic map. "He cleared them. Every single boulder, every rock formation and every piece of natural cover. He sent crews out there years ago and they removed everything. Hauled it away, blew it up, whatever they had to do. The entire area is now completely barren and empty."
He zoomed out slightly, and the map updated to show the terrain in even starker detail. The stretch of land leading to the West was flat, featureless and devoid of any obstacles or landmarks. Just open ground, stretching for kilometers in every direction.
Torvan's voice was quiet but with something that sounded like grudging respect.
"He did it so he could see what's coming from afar. No cover means no surprises. If you try to approach the West on foot, you'll be visible from kilometers away. And once they see you, you're done."
There was a long, heavy silence as the weight of that revelation settled over the room.
Tatehan stared at the map, his mind racing through possibilities and finding nothing that worked. No cover. No concealment. No way to approach without being seen.
'FUCK!'
Riven leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed, her expression dark. "So what you're saying is, we're screwed."
Lyra frowned, her eyes still locked on the map. "There has to be a way. We just need to think creatively."
Torvan shook his head slowly, his tone apologetic. "I'm telling you, I've been over this a dozen times. Every angle I can think of, every approach I can simulate, it all comes back to the same problem. You can't get close without being seen. And if you're seen, you're dead."
Tatehan stood, his hands resting on the edge of the workbench, and he stared at the holographic map for a long moment, his mind turning over the problem from every angle.
The Obscuron had thought of everything. He had to be sure he was safe. And so he had cleared the land, removed the cover, set up surveillance, and created a kill zone that was impossible to cross undetected.
But Tatehan was not ready to give up.
There had to be a way. There was always a way.
He just had to find it.