The Steam Age: Gears and Bones

Chapter 19

Krasov lowered his head and thought for a moment, then slowly said, "Yes. The last time I received a telegram from the division headquarters, the communications officer noted down a few coordinates. He said that the remaining troops who were capable of breaking out should try to retreat towards the border of Holy Romulus, and also towards Hipponia further north."

The main force retreated to Hipponia, which is far from the epidemic area.

But some troops went south, towards the Romulus border, because the section of occupied territory they had to cross was shorter. Whether they succeeded, we don't know.

Perfit recorded this information separately on the last page of his notebook.

She closed her notebook, stood up, and nodded to the corporal: "Go back and rest. You'll need to remain in isolation for the next two weeks. The medic will check on you twice a day. Report any discomfort immediately."

Krasov stood up and paused abruptly before leaving the house.

He didn't turn around, but kept his back to Perfit, and asked in that hoarse voice, "Miss, do you think Ross can still be saved?"

Perfit watched his retreating figure, remaining silent for a moment before saying, "Our purpose in coming here is to find a way to save it."

The door closed behind Krasov.

Perfit sat alone in his chair for a while, flipping to the first few pages of his notebook and comparing the observation data brought back by the reconnaissance team with Krasov's account.

The two can basically corroborate each other, but there is still a gap that she cannot ignore: the cause of the port fire.

Krasov said the explosion came from the warehouse area on the north side, but he was unsure whether it was from a gas pipeline or an arms depot.

If it were just a gas pipeline explosion, it would be unlikely to cause the kind of damage that would cover the entire port area.

But if it really was an armory that was detonated, then who was the person who detonated it, and what did they want to destroy—these questions swirled in her mind twice before she temporarily suppressed them.

Now is not the time to investigate the cause of the fire.

She stood up, tucked her notebook under her arm, and instructed Belfast, who was guarding the door: "Have the captain temporarily confine the survivors in the isolation pods, strictly restricting their movement. The medics should continue to check on them every four hours for at least two weeks."

In addition, inform Lieutenant General Chertsov, Judge Shabel, Major Oberstan, and the flag captain that a meeting will be held in the officers' mess in fifteen minutes.

In the officers' mess, a map of the St. Petersburg port area was already spread out on the long table.

Cherzov sat by the window, his hands folded on his knees, the worn-out Russian flag neatly folded beside him.

Ludwig stood opposite him, looking down at the map showing the distribution of city streets.

On the other side of the long table, with the Book of the Holy Word spread out in front of her, Sabel was gently stroking the edges of the pages with her fingertips.

The flag captain was the last to enter and closed the door.

Perfit placed his notebook next to the map, sat down, and without any further pleasantries, began to recount the information he had just received from Krasov, point by point.

The port garrison has collapsed, and the fall of the capital had already been confirmed in the military's telegram. The remnants of the empire are retreating in two routes, north and south.

She also mentioned the failure of chemical defense troops to reach the affected area and the uncertainty surrounding the cause of the port fire.

"From now on," she said, "there will be no organized friendly forces along the way—no supply depots, no secure outposts, and no one to provide us with any form of support."

Cherzov didn't look at anyone, but stared at the black square marked St. Petersburg on the map on the table. He remained silent for a long time before speaking: "The port is abandoned. To get from the port to the Pridershenskaya District, you have to go through the main city."

Those people at the clock tower said that after the fire swept through the harbor, there were still gunshots coming from the direction of the old town—that area is still not empty. There are fewer than forty of us; it's impossible for us to force our way through the city ruins.”

Perfico nodded. "I agree with Lieutenant General's assessment. Forcing our way through the city is not feasible. The city's building density is too high; infected individuals could be hiding in the shadows of any building. We don't have enough manpower to clear a safe passage, nor do we have enough ammunition to deal with being surrounded."

"Then we'll have to go around the city." Ludwig crossed his arms over his chest, his tone calm. "We'll go around the south side of the port, cross the swamps surrounding St. Petros, head northeast, and then turn north into the Pledelshchensk district."

The swamp is open and offers good visibility, making it difficult to be ambushed. At this time of year, the ground should be frozen solid, allowing people to traverse it.

Perficott turned the map around and drew an arc along the southern edge of the port with his finger—circling around the large gray area marked "Old Town" on the map, passing through the low-lying swampy area on the southeast side, then turning north, and finally stopping at the location of the Pledelshchensk District.

Her fingertips hovered over the map for a while, without speaking immediately.

Everyone was waiting for her to mentally estimate the detour distance, marching time, terrain conditions along the way, and the difficulty of traversing the swamp in winter.

“Taking a detour will add at least a day and a half to the journey.” She finally looked up. “But the swamp is open, with no buildings to provide cover. Even if the infected appear there, there’s no shelter for them. Our superior visibility can partially compensate for our numerical disadvantage.”

She looked at Chernzov: "Lieutenant General, you have served in Russia for many years. Do you have any additional information about this swamp?"

Chertzov leaned forward slightly and pointed with his calloused finger to a section of the swamp in the north-central part of the map: "This swamp narrows after it passes the southeast side of the city. There is an old road in the middle, a military post road built a long time ago, and the road surface has been reinforced."

If the road is still there, we can travel faster. But if the road is buried in snow or blown up, we'll have to spend another day walking through the swamp.

"Then let's make that the preferred route." Perfit picked up his pen and circled the location Chertzov had mentioned on the arc on the map. "But if the trail is unusable, crossing the swamp directly is an alternative. The reconnaissance squad will go first to scout ahead, with the main force following behind. That's the route."

She put down her pen, looked up, and scanned everyone present: "We'll depart after dawn tomorrow. Everyone, check your equipment tonight. Any problems?"

No one asked any more questions.

Cherzov rolled up the map, the old military flag still lying beside him.

The flag captain had already stood up and was quickly listing the equipment in his mind.

Ludwig glanced at Perfit and simply nodded.