Chapter 16: Morning in the Jungle

In the early morning, a thin mist drifted gently around them. The first light of dawn broke through the clouds, casting a soft sheen over the dense forest.

The air was thick with the smell of damp earth, as if every breath carried the pulse of nature itself.

Within the vast rainforest, emerald leaves wove into a dense canopy. Occasionally, birds darted through, their wings beating against the air with light, crisp calls.

It was a beautiful morning.

For almost everyone here, though, there was no time to admire it.

This was Vietnam.

The boundless rainforest hid countless deaths and secrets.

Morning had only one meaning: another day survived.

“Ah, crisp air. Last night’s wind blew away that nasty dioxin smell,” one voice said.

“Dioxin is odorless and colorless. Even if you’re not a scientist, you experienced what happened yesterday…”

“Hey, don’t interrupt. That’s a literary description! Do you know how miserable it is to write those routine reports in a room with a broken ventilation fan and all the windows locked?”

“‘Falcon’ caged in here writing reports? Want a smoke? Can’t have one once we’re back inside.”

“Mm.”

“Falcon” nodded and took the cigarette, lighting it skillfully.

“Ha, look on the bright side. At least you don’t have to deal with those ‘mentally deficient’ types. Half the people here have lost their minds from that.”

“…Do you think this is humane?”

“What? Where’s that coming from? I won’t tell you certain things, and you know the rules.”

“They’re genuinely disabled. I recall that if their intelligence isn’t up to par, any documents they sign lack full legal weight.”

“But, Falcon, think about it. They passed the conscription office’s standards. They’re normal people.”

“Hmph. We all know how that works… Anyway, at least per protocol, their families get a decent subsidy.”

As “Falcon” spoke, he took a deep drag from his cigarette, blew the smoke out toward the sun that was just peeking above the treeline.

“Right. Because of their intellectual issues, they’d probably die here anyway. The families get money, and we get test subjects.”

“D-21 ‘Falcon’, D-19 ‘War Machine’, S-01 ‘Stan Lee’ – report for a meeting!”

A soldier’s call cut their break short.

“Falcon” took one last drag, stubbed out the cigarette, and ground it under his boot. He clapped “War Machine” on the back.

“Let’s go. Who knows what’s set him off now. And why does he have to use both a number and a code name? Isn’t that too long?”

“See? Told you. ‘Stan Lee’ is at it again.”

After a long, pointless hour, the meeting finally ended.

Outside again, the two lit up fresh cigarettes, breathing in the …”

“Falcon” asked suddenly, then looked up at the glaring sun.

“I mean, the surrounding area is all jungle for dozens of miles. There’s nothing but the occasional Viet Cong popping out.”

“Or maybe you could hope some Viet Cong hide near here, get caught, and among them happen to be female soldiers. You could use them for your entertainment.”

“War Machine” chuckled, offering that response.

“Right, and don’t forget to wear protection. Word is the female Viet Cong sometimes poison themselves down there.”

“Screw you. Who thinks about that all day?”, he denied, offended by “War Machine’s” jab at his character and preferences.

“I prefer those fiery Corsican girls. Damn, I wish I hadn’t signed up for this Department of Defense unit. Between the secrecy and the damned security, there’s no freedom at all.”

“Then you’d be sent to the front lines. Hope your M16 doesn’t jam.”

“Falcon” was about to reply when he noticed the camp patrol jeep pulling back in. Several medics rushed out with a stretcher.

“What’s going on? Viet Cong?” he shouted, repeating the same two-hour sprint, and ran over.

“War Machine” followed, crushing his cigarette.

Managing the camp’s daily operations and recording routine events was the job of mid-level D-personnel like them.

“What happened?”

“Falcon” ran up to the jeep’s driver side, knocked on the door, and asked the driver, “Were we hit?”

He glanced at the back seat. A young face lay there, the dark green uniform soaked.

“He’s not from our unit.”

“Found him by the river during patrol.” The patrol squad leader answered, then added, “No obvious external injuries. Might have drowned.”

As he spoke, the squad leader watched his men lift the man onto a stretcher.

“Here’s his dog tag. Check his identity.”

“Okay.”

“Falcon” looked at the tag in his hand.

“Chris Griffin,” it read.

[2257.3.4, S238 Marvel Camp]

[Written by D-21 “Falcon” after the routine morning meeting.]

Subject: Regarding Camp Operations and the “Superhero” Project

1. Camp Operations

– Camp is running normally. No signs of external infiltration or internal leaks detected.

– Supplies arrived on schedule, including biological samples, medical equipment, and weapon components needed for experiments.

– Due to the 3.3 incident, D-04 “Fury” requested an increase in Agent Orange reserves to prevent future accidents.

– Camp power supply is stable. The backup generator has undergone routine inspection to ensure no outage in emergencies.

– However, ventilations in Barracks B-14 are damaged, causing poor air quality and affecting work efficiency.

2. Camp Security and External Environment

– No signs of Viet Cong activity in the vicinity. Patrol units report all clear.

– Early spring has made some perimeter roads muddy, but it hasn’t hindered supply transport.

– The 3.3 incident has been properly resolved. Damaged barracks walls are repaired. Runaway test subject X-05 was destroyed with approval from the “Publisher.”

3. Regarding the “Superhero” Project

– Currently still in Phase Three, with no major breakthroughs. Deployment for real combat remains under discussion.

– The 3.3 incident has not affected the project. After review, the project continues.

– S-01 “Stan Lee” is extremely dissatisfied with the test subjects. He believes these subjects, with IQs under 70, severely compromise the “Jacob” cells. He also accuses the conscription office of wasting “Eve Plasma” on substandard subjects.

– He argues that subjects with severely deficient IQs are a key reason for stalled progress, though he offers no theoretical basis. Other researchers consider it a case of impotent rage.

– Given that only three “Eve Plasma” samples remain unconverted to “Jacob” cells, S-01 “Stan Lee” has requested a pause in cultivation until qualified subjects are found. D-01 “Goodman” has approved this, pending a response from the “Publisher.”

– S-03 “Erskine” has proposed concealing part of the facts and broadening recruitment by inviting severely disabled soldiers to participate in experiments. D-01 “Goodman” approved this as well, also pending a response from the “Publisher.”

4. Other Matters

– Troop morale is stable, with no abnormal psychological conditions.

– Lab equipment has undergone routine servicing with no failures reported.

– All experimental data is encrypted. Unauthorized personnel have not accessed core materials.

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