Chapter 8, Exploration

"Tang Long! Wait a moment!" he shouted loudly

"Cleared, no biological entities detected." Mike glanced at the radar in his hand, noting the absence of any interference, and nodded. "Maintain vigilance, proceed to the A-level control room." The team members rushed in two by two, the searchlights on their semi-automatic rifles flickering chaotically, leaving behind countless erratic light trails

Manya looked around in astonishment, holding a fluorescent light in her hand, and stammered, "This is truly amazing... How did you do it?"

Just as that person was about to speak, suddenly, a series of dense gunshots erupted beneath them, and flashes of fire could be seen flickering.

Immediately, the portable radars on each soldier's wrist emitted a series of beeping sounds, growing louder and more piercing until they nearly became a cacophony. Everyone realized what this signified and fell silent, gripping their weapons tighter, tilting their heads slightly, and flaring their nostrils wide, as if excited like hunting dogs sensing danger. Mike remained still, standing upright without displaying any signs of tension, gazing somewhat sentimentally at his soldiers, most of whom had likely never even seen what a Spike Rock looked like.

"I have a bad feeling, I feel cold all over, this place is simply like a ghost town," said Manya

Angela ignored him and continued to crawl forward. Soon, she encountered a complex network of pipes, stretching in all directions like the intertwined roads of a city, but without any signposts. After a moment of hesitation, Angela determined the direction and crawled to the left. Another fork appeared, but Angela paid it no mind and continued forward. Manyah followed closely behind, quickly becoming breathless. What struck him as odd was that Angela seemed quite familiar with the route and direction in this dark tunnel, hardly pausing as she turned left and right, as if something were guiding her.

"Stop dawdling," Angela said as if she had eyes in the back of her head

Let us go, we need to move a bit faster he said as he pressed the button for the gate, which opened silently

"Not together?" Mike involuntarily furrowed his brow, "Who is it?"

Angela hesitated for a moment and shook her head

"Perhaps this is why those people left," Angela murmured. Then, he turned around and walked in another direction, saying, "Come on, we can get in from here." As he spoke, he approached a vent, kicked it hard, and the mesh barrier made a noise before crashing down. Angela bent down and crawled inside.

When they reached the gate, Angela suddenly stopped in her tracks. Outside the gate, a massive cylindrical empty wall stood vertically before them, resembling a colossal cooling tank, akin to a sheer cliff. All the pathways were connected by narrow suspended bridges that crisscrossed over the enormous cooling tank and the * diagram * book. That person was walking on one of those bridges, facing another gate.

Who are you

I always feel as if something is behind us, sending chills down my spine, Man Ya murmured nervously

"Where have those people gone?" Manya asked uneasily. "The last time we came here, there were still people around. Perhaps those wanderers have given up on this refuge?" he murmured to himself

"What are we doing now?" Manya asked. "It is evident that the conventional energy sources here have been exhausted, so the personnel who were stranded have already left. I believe the person we are looking for is not here; perhaps we have been wasting our efforts."

Keep up, keep up

You have it, and it is an old friend, Tang Long. We have met before. You don't mind if I come over, do you

"Don't come over here." The person turned around, their features obscured in the shadows, and their voice was quite deep

I hope you are right

The two transport ships of the Marine Corps landed at their destination. Mike was the first to disembark from the transport ship, facing the massive main gate of the base, which was tightly closed. The other members of the Marine Corps nimbly jumped down, holding semi-automatic rifles in their hands

Manya has fallen silent. Very few people know Angela's true identity, and even he, who is very close to Angela, knows very little. He has only occasionally heard Angela mention that he served in the Os Alliance before the war. However, Angela has always kept this part of his history a secret, shrouded in mystery.

No

"This is the emergency power room. There is a backup generator operating beneath our feet, but I do not know how long it can support us," Angela said, clapping her hands.

Report, there have been spacecraft that landed here before us, one in Zone Z and the other in Zone M

Are you sure? Man Ya watched as Angela's feet disappeared into the vent

Report, my radar here is also responding

Hurry up, hurry up! The ground team members urged and motivated each other while cautiously remaining vigilant, forming a circular defense as they moved toward the door. Mike pressed the airlock switch, but there was no response. He took a step back as another ground team member, holding a strange device, inserted one end into a slot while dragging the other end connected to a cable. The remaining team members leaned against the door, either crouching or lying low, nervously scanning their surroundings with their guns aimed at the door. Mike pressed the airlock switch again, but there was still no response. The other ground team member fiddled with the device for a while, and the main door slowly opened, revealing a pitch-black void that seemed deep and bottomless, like a wild beast with its mouth wide open.

"Stop! Otherwise, I will shoot!" Saying this, Manya raised her submachine gun. At that moment, Angela suddenly pressed down on Manya's gun and took a step onto the suspended bridge.

"Proceed to the control room first," Mike commanded

A series of questions flashed through Mike's mind; at the very least, he could confirm one thing: there were other people here.

That person also seemed somewhat shocked; after a while, he spoke in a low voice.

They are currently on the third planet of the Ruby Star System, where there is only one artificial base, left behind during the military retreat before the war. Later, some cosmic wanderers arrived here and used this base as a shelter. Such anarchically managed shelters are scattered across various planets, numerous as the stars, but as an experienced commercial spaceship captain, Angela is well aware of the locations of these shelters. Therefore, after a brief journey, they easily landed on the third planet of the Ruby Star System.

Finally, Angela stopped in front of another mesh barrier, struggling to turn her body in the narrow passage. She kicked the barrier forcefully with her foot, causing it to fall. After a while, the sound of metal clashing against the hard ground could be heard. Manyia estimated that they had crawled over 200 meters, and the direction had become indistinguishable.

Report, I have also discovered it!

The person did not speak, only gazing at him. At that moment, Manya was astonished to discover that the suspended bridge suddenly seemed to melt away, gradually disappearing until it was completely gone beneath Angela's feet. Now, there was no way for Angela to cross. However, an even more surprising event occurred; after a brief hesitation, Angela surprisingly took a step forward.

"Be careful, it's very high here, but there is a narrow step. Follow me," said Angela as she cautiously squeezed out, gripping the ventilation shaft with her hands. After swinging her feet for a moment, she found something to support herself and then jumped down. After a while, Manya heard Angela's voice: "Come down."

"Come here, follow me," Angela's voice buzzed through. Manya squeezed in with difficulty, feeling her belly pressed tightly against the walls of the passage, a chill seeping through her skin.

We will withdraw as well

What is that! Man Ya's face turned somewhat pale

Hurry, hurry, hurry

"Let's go," Angela wrapped her clothes tighter and walked through the dim corridor. "We will have answers soon." Manya had no choice but to follow. The sound of their footsteps echoed hollowly in the empty hallway, evoking a sense of fear. They crossed the dock and arrived at a gate, where Manya found the control panel and pressed it vigorously, but the door showed no response.

"A friend," Angela said

Angela smiled faintly, feeling somewhat pleased by the surprise of her subordinates. "This used to be a colonial base, a standard Marine Corps command and control facility. I served in the military before, so I am quite familiar with the structure of such buildings..."

The person in front came to a halt. Angela felt her heart racing violently, and she took a step forward.

Angela continued to type on the keyboard, searching for something

Oh my! Manya exclaimed as she rushed forward, wanting to grab Angela, but astonishingly, Angela was actually suspended in mid-air, not falling down.

With a soft "crack," Manya tapped the end of the fluorescent light, which emitted a dim glow, illuminating his disheveled beard, flickering intermittently. Manya gently exhaled, and a thick white mist emerged from his mouth, quickly dissipating into the darkness

"That's right, it must be him!" Angela said, not stopping her pace, "This is the way to Channel Z."

They went down below," a soldier reported

"Trust me," Angela said as she walked ahead without looking back, "you wouldn't want to know what that is."

I hope I haven't made any mistakes, Mike thought to himself. Those two mysterious spacecraft always troubled him.

Mike's brow furrowed even tighter. Could there be another unit he was unaware of present here? However, if that were the case, why hadn't Marshal Fashir informed him in advance? Perhaps it was not the New Alliance's army; there was another possibility: someone familiar with military procedures had been here, as only someone well-versed in the previous military decoding methods could utilize the backup power here. Who could it be? Perhaps it was not the New Alliance's army; there was another possibility: someone familiar with military procedures had been here, as only someone well-versed in the previous military decoding methods could utilize the backup power here. Who could it be?

I have no friends

The radar emitted a series of sounds, gradually diminishing in intensity, and nothing occurred. When the last echo of the radar's feedback faded away, silence slowly enveloped the entire space, heavy and lifeless

What shall we do now? Man Ya asked

"Yes," Angela nodded, "he hasn't left yet." Angela straightened up, "Go to Passage Z, quickly!"

"Stop talking nonsense, do you have a map?" In the shadows, another figure emerged, his hands in his pockets, his face obscured in the darkness, making it difficult to see.

"Did you hear that?" Manya asked, feeling a bit parched.

What happened again?" Angela stopped in her tracks

"Are you armed?" Angela asked. Manya nodded silently and took out a small submachine gun from beneath her loose coat. Angela also pulled a handgun from her pocket, her expression still calm.

Since the war with the Ciyanka, human armed equipment has significantly improved. The detection radar invented specifically for Ciyanka organisms can identify any Ciyanka life form within a distance of 500 meters. The modified semi-automatic rifles can easily penetrate the hard shells of the Ciyanka, along with various powerful incendiary armor-piercing grenades. Compared to the unprepared humans who initially encountered the Ciyanka, the combat capability of the current Marine Corps is entirely reassuring.

He continued walking forward when suddenly, with a sound like a snap, something seemed to dart past him from behind. Manya quickly turned around, holding the gun tightly, straining to discern what it was, but all he could see was darkness, with the red corridor light flickering a faint glow, hazy and mysterious

Manya turned around for the third time, glancing back, appearing restless and uneasy

Is it him?" Manya asked breathlessly as she ran.

"Commander, it's a bit strange..." said one of the ground station personnel, somewhat puzzled. "It seems that someone from our side has been here. I checked the entered password; it is a standard military password, which civilians would not have access to."

Perhaps he is not looking for anyone. Angela continued to type, a series of data flickering on the terminal. "Great, the light brain still has records," Angela murmured to herself. After a while, she clapped her hands and said, "Found it!"

A clatter. Once again, there was a sound, but this time it came from ahead, as if something had been knocked over.

Hey! You! Can you hear me? Stop for a moment!" Manya shouted loudly

One gate after another opened before them, and the ground team searched, finding neither a person nor any trace of the Stinger. The buildings were old and dilapidated, covered in rust and filled with dust. When the last gate opened, the ground team surged into the control room. Mike rushed to the console, suddenly stopping in his tracks, looking surprised as he stared at the console, where the dust had been disturbed, leaving several fresh marks that resembled human fingerprints, as if someone had just operated it

When Manya jumped down, she found Angela fiddling with something at a control console

Suddenly, at that moment, a strange sound emerged from above them, as if something was violently striking the ceiling. Manya listened anxiously, and soon the knocking sound faded away. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a sharp, piercing roar echoed throughout the space, the reverberations colliding endlessly, disappearing into the silent darkness. The sound was so terrifying that it was impossible to discern its source, leaving one feeling utterly unnerved. Manya listened tensely, and soon the knocking sound faded away. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a sharp, piercing roar echoed throughout the space, the reverberations colliding endlessly, disappearing into the silent darkness. The sound was so terrifying that it was impossible to discern its source, leaving one feeling utterly unnerved.

"Give me the light," Angela said, lowering her head. Manya raised the fluorescent lamp, illuminating the control panel. Angela skillfully pressed the keyboard, entering a series of numbers. After a while, the entire room emitted a low humming sound. Manya looked up in surprise and noticed that the lights hidden in the ceiling began to brighten, gradually illuminating the entire room, while various instruments started to flicker, like beasts awakening from hibernation.

The heating equipment here is broken, " Manya muttered, shaking the fluorescent light, " fortunately the oxygen system is still operational

"It belongs to him," said the Manya interface

Angela and Manya turned their heads simultaneously, and a shadow flickered in front of them, quickly disappearing into the passage ahead. This time, Manya saw clearly and exclaimed, "It's a person, I saw him!" Angela said nothing and suddenly started running forward, with Manya closely following. By the time they reached an intersection, the shadow flickered to the left and vanished into another passage.

"Quick, chase!" Angela said, following without hesitation, while Manya lagged slightly behind, holding her submachine gun at the ready

"Are you Tang Long?" Angela asked, taking another step forward. "I have something to discuss with you."

"The records of the optical brain," Angela said, looking at the terminal. "The records show that one hour ago, a spacecraft landed in Channel Z, and half an hour ago, another spacecraft landed in Channel M. The latter spacecraft is ours, while the former spacecraft..."

That person did not look back, yet walked even faster

There is still power," he reported, as the entire layout of the base was displayed on his handheld terminal

Damn it! He kicked the gate with his thick-soled boots, "The power is out, this place is completely useless."

The ground crew members quickly checked the terminal

Mike led the station crew forward slowly and cautiously. After opening the second airlock, the instruments indicated that the internal air pressure and oxygen composition had returned to normal, and it was not as dark inside as it was outside. The emergency lights emitted a dim, reddish glow that extended all the way to the end of the corridor. A crew member connected to the terminal.

Just look for it and you'll know. Angela said淡淡地.

"Put away your tricks, Tang Long," Angela scoffed, saying, "I know you can control people's will and create illusions for us, yet I still came here. Even if it means death, I will find you."

Having a map is of no use, Angela, as we do not know what we are looking for now

Their movements were so swift. That person glanced over, spoke softly, and no longer paid any attention to Angela, swiftly turning and leaving. Meanwhile, the previously vanished suspended bridge miraculously reappeared.

Someone has activated the backup power, he muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the terminal, where lines of information continued to flicker.

"That's not right, there must be something sinister going on," he said, pulling the gun's bolt.

Soon, they saw the shadow again in a narrow and straight corridor. It seemed to be walking briskly towards a gate. It was indeed a person, Man Ya was almost certain of it

At that moment, a member of the ground team issued a warning: "Attention! There is a biological reaction!" All the ground team members instinctively raised their guns, huddled together, widened their eyes in tension, and stood back to back, expertly defending themselves.

"Alert movement, pay attention, switch to tranquilizer rounds, we want to capture it alive," Mike commanded. After a series of clicking sounds, all the soldiers changed their shooting mode and then cautiously exited the control room, moving in the direction of the thorny rock, maintaining a circular defensive formation

What?

There is also here

What is that?" Manya asked, still somewhat startled, as she followed behind Angela.