Chapter 9, Encounter
"Contact the battleship, we are going home," Mike said, glancing at the Spike Rock card lying on the floor. "Prepare the biological team, and give them a gift"
"Report, another spacecraft has launched," the radar operator reported again
At that moment, the small spacecraft, which was advancing rapidly, suddenly changed direction, tracing an arc as it approached the mysterious ship. Initially, the captain thought the spacecraft was going to crash directly into it; however, upon nearing the ship, the small spacecraft altered its trajectory again, flying alongside the massive vessel while gradually accelerating, with the enormous ship trailing behind. Soon, a quantum wave matrix appeared around both spacecraft, and they simultaneously vanished into the cosmic expanse, leaving only a faint blue tail. At first, the captain thought the spacecraft was going to crash directly into it; however, upon nearing the ship, the small spacecraft altered its trajectory again, flying alongside the massive vessel while gradually accelerating, with the enormous ship trailing behind. Soon, a quantum wave matrix appeared around both spacecraft, and they simultaneously vanished into the cosmic expanse, leaving only a faint blue tail. Another small spacecraft lost its target, hesitated for a moment, then sped off in the opposite direction, using simple light speed to escape, leaving behind the captain of the Rayagas-class battleship, who stood with his mouth agape, stunned.
The captain shook his head; yet another Rayagis-class warship had come to this place. This lonely star system was indeed bustling today. He gazed out the window, waiting for the appearance of that Rayagis-class warship
What is that
"Did you..." the captain asked hesitantly, "Did you see it just now?"
Is this General Mike
Suddenly, countless beams of intense incandescent light emitted from the gun-mounted searchlights illuminated the bottom of the cooling tank, rendering it completely transparent
I will report to General Fashal in person..." he murmured to himself, a shadow falling over his resolute face
In the atmosphere, the transport ship of the ground team gradually appeared, slowly approaching Leiyages.
"Lancelot?" The captain reacted, "I almost forgot," he said, scratching his head, "Reply: situation unclear, continue to maintain contact." Everything would have to wait until General Mike boarded the ship.
Here, several Marine soldiers were dragging a tightly bound Spike Rock while running, saying, "Hey!" The Spike Rock was being dragged on the ground, bumping into things here and there, but it showed no reaction.
"Head, why was it set for only four minutes?" The other ground team members also began to unfasten their protective suits.
Report: Quantum wave interference detected, fifty nautical miles from our ship, with significant mass
General, this is too risky; there are still thorny rocks below.
The captain began to feel overwhelmed, truly unable to comprehend why everything seemed to happen at once. He could no longer afford to pay attention to the two small spacecraft and urgently ordered, "Condition One Alert, all hands, Condition One Alert!" The entire ship of the Reagis emitted a piercing alarm, all protective shields rapidly closed, and the massive quantum engines roared to life. In an instant, a layer of blue light flowed across the surface of the entire warship.
"Report," said a Marine soldier at that moment, "The disturbance has intensified, just ahead." Almost simultaneously, a chaotic buzzing sound began to emanate from everyone's wrist.
Look! They are starting to move!" a soldier exclaimed
"It is quite lively..." the captain murmured
Possibly disturbed by the light, the soldier bees began to stir, searching for the source of illumination, restlessly crawling at the bottom. Suddenly, one soldier bee swiftly climbed up the smooth wall, opening its terrifying jaws towards Mike and the others, its sharp teeth glinting ominously in the light.
The captain let out a sigh of relief. "Finally, a named ship has appeared." However, it was quite puzzling how the Lancelot could be in this location. At that moment, the first small spacecraft that had taken off from the third planet had already crossed the atmosphere and was rapidly heading towards the outskirts of the galaxy, with another spacecraft closely following behind. It seemed as though the two spacecraft were together.
"Can you determine the direction?" Mike asked
There was no need for Mike's command; the guns of the ground team had already emitted a dull sound, different from the usual crisp noise, indicating the use of tranquilizer darts. Soon, that soldier fell to the ground, limbs splayed out, with a row of claws beneath him weakly flailing.
Mike let out a sigh, removed his protective helmet, and sweat trickled down from his forehead
"Contact the base immediately," he said, his brow furrowed. "Inform everyone that what just happened is not to be disclosed to anyone, nor is it to be discussed among ourselves, understood? If anyone dares to defy this, I will personally execute them." At this moment, Mike was unusually stern, completely devoid of his usual easygoing demeanor.
"Report, a spacecraft has been detected taking off," the radar operator reported
At the bottom of the cooling tank, there was an astonishingly dense crowd of spiny rock insects. Their dark shells emitted a mysterious blue glow under the light, and their small red eyes flickered like will-o'-the-wisps. These were the soldier bees, and Mike was all too familiar with them, even seeing them in his nightmares. He struggled to suppress the deep-seated fear within him and said, "Activate the recorder, and scan immediately." The portable recorder emitted a low buzzing sound and began its operation. Mike observed with his naked eyes and noticed that the cooling tank was as large as a football field, completely covered by a black, sludge-like substance. However, he did not find any egg-shaped objects resembling the main brain; only a few small protrusions were unevenly distributed on the sludge, leaking some green liquid. The soldier bees and worker bees were mixed together, crowding in a chaotic manner, and some worm-like creatures were emerging from the sludge and then burrowing back in. The entire bottom appeared so eerie and terrifying, filled with these malevolent and abnormal creatures.
Soon, several ropes were placed at the bottom of the cooling tank, and a few figures were rhythmically pushing against the wall. With each swing, they quickly slid down, displaying remarkable agility. As soon as Mike's feet touched the ground, he crouched down, gripping his semi-automatic rifle, carefully scanning the surroundings until the other personnel slid down one after another. The soldiers remaining at the gate lay prone, anxiously observing, providing fire support for Mike and the others.
Come closer, come closer. Mike silently repeated to himself, steadying the gun in his hand, aiming at the worker bee. He could hear his own breathing, his hand pressed against the trigger, feeling the full rebound of the trigger.
"Because my legs can no longer run fast," Mike said. The others chuckled, their eyes filled with respect. Mike always used this exemplary approach to earn the respect and trust of his subordinates, which was the simplest and most direct method. He understood that only in this way could he ensure that these soldiers would fight alongside him with unwavering loyalty.
Oh my! Someone exclaimed in astonishment
No, the radar operator paused for a moment and said, "There is no identification code."
Three minutes later, Mike and the Marines evacuated the building and boarded the transport spacecraft. Amidst the dull rumble of the earth, the spacecraft steadily lifted off the ground, ascending beyond the atmosphere. Through the transparent porthole, one could see the massive building undergoing a chain reaction of explosions, gradually collapsing, with bursts of flames occasionally erupting.
Shoot! Shoot!
Mike observed for a while; the soldier bee of the刺岩卡 did not charge forward but instead crawled around blindly, appearing somewhat clumsy, lacking the previous刺岩卡's tight organization and extraordinary clarity of purpose. Mike knew that although the刺岩卡 individuals were quite formidable, without the command and control of a central brain, they were utterly useless creatures. After confirming that the刺岩卡 soldier bee had no intention of launching an attack, Mike stealthily approached the soldier bee that had been struck by a tranquilizer dart, which was their objective. It had stopped struggling and lay quietly there. Mike took a gentle breath, grasped one of its legs, and despite the thick gloves, he could still feel its cold presence. Suddenly, the soldier bee twitched, and Mike jumped back a step, while the soldiers remaining at the bottom raised their guns, nervously aiming, their heavy breaths rising and falling. The soldier bee ceased its movement, and Mike gestured for the soldiers to lower their weapons, then he began to drag the creature with effort. The soldier bee was much larger than a person, with a thick outer shell, making it quite heavy. Several soldiers also moved closer, striving to remain silent as they dragged the soldier bee to the wall and the foot of the books, securing it tightly with ropes. The soldier bee was much larger than a person, with a thick outer shell, making it quite heavy. Several soldiers also moved closer, striving to remain silent as they dragged the soldier bee to the wall and the foot of the books, securing it tightly with ropes.
"General! Come back!" shouted the soldiers behind. Mike reacted, turned around, and began to run back, closely followed by the Stinger soldiers, creating a cacophony of noise. The Marines opened fire, this time not with tranquilizer rounds, but with the continuous crisp sound of conventional armor-piercing rounds. As Mike ran, flashes of light swept past him, and the gunfire was deafening. Suddenly, a grenade exploded among the Stinger soldiers, and the massive shockwave even lifted the Stinger soldiers off the ground, turning them into a bloody mess upon landing. The Marines providing support also opened fire, and a dense web of gunfire enveloped the Stinger soldiers, preventing them from pursuing the soldiers left behind. Soon, under their strong cover, the ground troops quickly climbed up the rope and appeared at the gate. Mike was the last to come up; without waiting to steady himself, he turned around, leaned out halfway, grabbed the rope with one hand, and held his gun with the other, unleashing a fierce barrage.
General, what do you intend to do
In the distance, a blue rectangular light array appeared in the universe. Soon, a massive warship gradually emerged within that halo, materializing before the eyes. Its enormous silhouette shimmered with brilliance under the illumination of the red light from the Ruby Galaxy.
Other spiny rock crabs began to attempt to climb the smooth wall, clearly finding it easy due to their developed muscles and sharp claws. However, under the intense gunfire from the Marines, they fell down one after another, with severed limbs and broken bodies scattered everywhere
"Give me a rope," Mike said, "and let me down."
Oh my God! the captain murmured, as if he could no longer utter any other words. Everything came so suddenly and disappeared so quickly, seemingly faster than the speed of thought, that the captain of the Rhaegas warship could not react at all, only able to watch helplessly.
"Immediately intercept, release the quantum interferometer," the captain commanded. Before his order could be executed, another report came in.
Report! The transport ship of the Marine Corps has taken off and is in communication with us
Is it General Mike
Suddenly, at that moment, the most unexpected event occurred. In that blue quantum wave light array, what appeared was not the Reagis, but a peculiar spacecraft that had never been seen before
Mike gently waved his hand, and all the soldiers surged to the edge of the gate, holding their guns.
It is a Regas-class warship, the radar operator continued to report: "It has been identified, it is the Lancelot."
"Explosives, quickly!" Mike shouted. A member of the ground team handed over a delicate metal canister. Mike took it, pressed on it, and threw it out.
However, General... the captain wanted to say more, but Mike stopped him
"Hurry, wwwhetushu.com, hurry! Get back to the spaceship, the mission is complete!" Mike shouted, looking around, "Where is that thing?"
Open the passage immediately, hurry!
Mike continued to look around, the remaining spiny rocks at the bottom of the cooling tank still crawling sluggishly, as if they had lost their souls. Mike was still not quite satisfied and cautiously approached a worker bee, which did not notice him.
No," the radar operator replied, feeling somewhat strange, "there is still no identification code
Everyone, move quickly," Mike waved his hand, "the backup power is about to run out. At that time, we will have to proceed in the dark.
Captain, General Mike and the others have been down for an hour now, and there is still no information coming back
"Four minutes, guys, four minutes to detonation, let's run!" Mike shouted, seemingly regaining the frenzied energy of his days as a member of the ground team, sprinting down the corridor at an astonishing speed, with the other ground team members following closely behind, equally undeterred.
"Please do not ask any questions," Mike said upon seeing him, his expression quite serious, "I have seen it, do not say anything more."
I do not know, sir... the adjutant replied honestly
Suddenly, at that moment, the worker bee abruptly turned around and spotted Mike, fixating its gaze on him. Mike was momentarily taken aback, feeling at a loss. A strange occurrence unfolded as the worker bee began to clash its two enormous mandibles together, producing a clattering sound that echoed repeatedly. Soon, one after another, the stinging rock ants began to emit this peculiar sound, crawling towards Mike's direction. The sound transmitted continuously among the stinging rock ants, and the soldier bees emerged, forming a crescent-shaped encirclement, surging forward. Mike realized that they were using this primitive method to convey some kind of message, providing mutual support.
Yes... the adjutant said hesitantly, "Indeed, indeed..."
"Should we intercept?" the adjutant asked
"I have contacted the base, General." At this moment, Mike remained silent for a while while speaking into the communicator, and finally, he turned off the device.
"Retreat, quickly, quickly!" he commanded loudly while continuing to fire. The members of the ground team all understood how terrifying the power of what he had just thrown was, so they all stood up, backing away and shooting, until they reached the gate, where they closed it.
I know. Mike tested the strength of the rope, his feet pressed against the wall, and calmly asked, "Who else is coming with me?" Everyone was captivated by Mike's bravery; his expression was as if he were engaged in a routine mountaineering activity.
The spacecraft was so immense, taking on a long elliptical shape, its surface smooth, radiating a beautiful and mysterious blue glow, reminiscent of a slightly opened rose. It was undoubtedly not a human spacecraft; it was the most beautiful spacecraft in the universe, beyond imagination, and it was no longer merely a spacecraft but a stunning work of art, proudly displayed there, causing the universe around it to pale in comparison. All brilliance converged upon that miraculous spacecraft, making human battleships look utterly grotesque in comparison. Such beauty could not be described in the pale language of humanity, leaving all who beheld it with unforgettable memories, stirring their emotions.
Understood. The captain straightened his posture and replied, "Continue to stand by and maintain contact. They will be back soon." He murmured.
The Lancelot sent a signal inquiring about what had just happened
"Please wait a moment, General," a soldier waved his hand, and several ground station personnel approached, standing at varying distances while simultaneously detecting the strength of the signals to ascertain the location. After a while, the ground station personnel began to slowly move towards a gate, remaining silent and communicating through gestures. Two armed soldiers knelt partially in front of the gate, nodded, and another soldier pressed the button next to the gate. The gate emitted a dull sound and rose with a loud rumble. In front of them was a massive cooling tank, long since dried up, extending to the top of the building, resembling an upright hollow cylindrical tube. The soldier made a gesture, pointing downwards, indicating that the interference originated from there.
The Leyagas battleship has been on standby above the third planet
The captain hesitated for a moment before deciding to issue the order for interception. On this sensitive planet, it is necessary to ascertain the identity of any spacecraft.
Bring it up
Oh my God! The captain's face turned pale in shock, unable to speak, with his heart pounding violently
The captain was momentarily taken aback, as if regaining consciousness, shook his head, and took a deep breath
Mike and the team members from the landing crew have been tracking the source of the interference signal, navigating through the complex interior of the building, as if they were descending deeper and deeper into its core. At this moment, the emergency lights in the corridor began to flicker, dimming and then immediately brightening again
The captain sighed, confirming to himself that he was not going mad and experiencing hallucinations
After calling for a while, the spacecraft remained unresponsive and continued its flight, soon approaching the boundary of the atmosphere
The transport ship of the ground crew quickly docked with the Leagis. The captain looked on with some excitement as General Mike appeared in the command room
Three, two, one, Mike whispered, "Turn on the light!"
No identification code? The captain frowned and said, "Call on the public channel"
Report, quantum wave interference detected! The radar operator has sent out the signal again
The quantum wave has disappeared The captain hurriedly rushed to the porthole