"Before dawn today, we detected a powerful energy surge in Paris. Although the United Defense Force still doesn't know exactly what this means, the results indicate that our enemy has completely lost its ability to act. Russia and...
..."
Inside the vehicle, the radio was broadcasting a declaration of some unexpected victory.
Outside lay a country road in the bright morning sunlight.
But the villages on either side of the road had long since been deserted. Together with the trees that had yet to sprout green leaves, they made the area look utterly desolate.
At that moment, Sui Yang sat in the back seat, browsing the latest information on his tablet.
Just as the radio report described, after he had deliberately triggered [Reset] and returned to [Yesterday], the Mimics ravaging Earth-01 had simply shut down, leaving them unable to stop the United Defense Force's all-out counteroffensive.
But honestly, even if he hadn't been able to trigger [Reset] himself, Sui Yang would have "forced the issue." His reason was simple and clear: to keep his promise of "See you yesterday."
Everyone who had taken part in the raid on Paris was one of his trusted men, the foundation of his firm control over Atlas.
To outsiders, they were contractors working with the military, mercenaries who would do anything for money.
Internally, these soldiers belonged to the "Atlas Rapid Response Force (ALTAS Response Service)," or "ARS" for short, with their own ranks and identification numbers.
ARS traced its origins back to the late nineteenth century. Its earliest incarnation was a security team led by Arthur Morgan and others whom Sui Yang had adopted and raised.
After Atlas was formally established and gradually entered the arms industry, the security team evolved into a militarized organization: ARS.
The vast majority of ARS's elite members were descendants of Arthur Morgan and the others, receiving specialized academic education and physical training from childhood.
Even ARS's "ordinary" members had been carefully selected.
These included decorated veterans who, despite their distinguished service, faced bankruptcy after family tragedies and abandonment by the Federation and society.
Atlas offered these veterans pay and benefits far beyond those of the Federal Army, along with the best medical care.
Of course, before Atlas formally hired these veterans, the Human Resources Department and Investigators would thoroughly dig into their personal relationships, spending habits, and attitudes toward their families.
When these selected veterans found themselves at the end of their rope, only to gain a new lease on life thanks to Atlas—or rather, Sui Yang—and even find themselves valued and given a chance to put their skills to use...
Their loyalty was easy to imagine.
Since its founding, ARS had helped Atlas covertly deal with countless threats. It had also been hired by the United States military to carry out some of its more dangerous missions.
ARS now consisted of six companies, with its numbers fluctuating between roughly 3,500 and 3,600.
The First Company was the best of the best, equipped with the finest individual combat gear and granted greater authority. Known internally at Atlas as the "Hunters," they were the ones who had helped Sui Yang raid Paris.
The Second, Third, and Fourth were infantry companies, while the Fifth and Sixth were armored and aviation companies, respectively.
Under normal circumstances, the Second through Sixth Companies operated in mixed formations, deployed across Atlas's overseas bases to protect its foreign assets, factories, and employees. They were capable of suppressing low- and medium-intensity conflicts.
The Aviation Company could be considered a formation unique to Atlas. Its extensive fleet of aircraft gave ARS the ability to rapidly relocate and deploy in Africa, the Middle East, South America, and elsewhere.
The UH-1Hs and CH-53Es responsible for transporting the Hunter Company, along with the AH-1Ws providing escort, belonged to the Sixth Air Company.
Besides conventional transport aircraft, the Aviation Company also possessed several AC-130 gunships, as well as A-10 Warthog attack aircraft and F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighters acquired through unconventional yet "legal and compliant" channels.
This allowed ARS units operating in Africa, the Middle East, South America, and elsewhere to call in the Aviation Company for bombing runs when facing troublesome enemies or fortifications.
At present, Atlas had established three military bases: one in Kenya in East Africa, one in Bolivia in South America, and one along the border between Syria and Iraq.
Including facilities such as outposts and base stations, as well as armed security under standard contracts, keeping all of Atlas's military units running normally cost at least $1.8 billion a year.
The previous year, from January through December 1992, Atlas had spent $1.92 billion on this alone.
But that expense was not fixed. It fluctuated depending on equipment replacement, purchases of new vehicles, currency depreciation, and other factors in any given year.
One thing was certain, however: this "military budget" would only continue to rise. Still, an incident like "spending $1,300 on a coffee mug" could never happen within Atlas.
Sui Yang had also stockpiled large amounts of cash between 1988 and 1991. After the Soviet Union dissolved on December 26, 1991, he had "salvaged" vast quantities of military equipment in Eastern Europe at rock-bottom prices.
Due to various restrictions, Atlas could only buy low and sell high, much like in "Lord of War," rather than fully retain that equipment for its own use.
Fortunately, Atlas maintained friendly relations with other arms dealers, was one of their valued customers, and frequently "sponsored" the United States military. As a result, its recruitment of large numbers of former Soviet scientists was met with a blind eye.
Even when Vought International noticed that Atlas's behavior in recent years had been "unusual," it paid little attention. After all, there was no obvious conflict between the two companies' material interests, and they had even cooperated in certain fields.
Thus, losing the entire ARS First Company would have been a pyrrhic victory Sui Yang could not bear.
What was more, he had invested a great deal of emotion in the First Company. Its commander was Arthur Morgan's great-grandson and namesake, whose marksmanship and physical prowess were no worse than the original Arthur Morgan's. He stood among the very best in ARS—and indeed, in the entire United States.
So no matter what, he had to trigger [Reset] and bring the First Company's boys "back to life."
At that moment.
After reviewing the construction progress at the Relic Base and signing several documents titled "Ghana Park Construction," "Ghana Mining Development," and so forth, Sui Yang locked his tablet and set it aside.
Then he reclined in his seat, relaxing a little as he turned to look out the window, trying to clear his mind...
But it didn't do a damn thing.
Ever since he had completed [Reset] and heard that icy voice notify him of [Two Primarchs descending], Sui Yang had been on edge.
Although the voice had fallen silent after announcing the [Descent] and offered no further information, blurry images kept flashing through Sui Yang's mind. Perhaps it was because he had gained an extremely faint trace of psychic power, or perhaps it was some kind of intuition or perception.
Sui Yang had then ordered Arthur and more than twenty Hunters to take ground vehicles and accompany him to a location twenty kilometers west of the Space Gate.
Before long, a sign marked "Aulnois en Perthois" flashed past on the right side of the vehicle.
Viewed from the air rather than inside the vehicle, the convoy of five black military SUVs was slowing down, finally coming to a stop in an open area on the outskirts of a small town.
(End of chapter)
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