Chapter 8, Contact

What are you doing? Mike glared at Tang Long and said: Go save them

This idea will make humanity feel safer, Fahel said

The soldier's head is close to the screen, grinning widely, and Tang Long can see his patchy beard and the decayed, yellowed teeth in his mouth.

So what?" Tang Long said somewhat nonchalantly

"Head, I really don't want to spend the night here. You know, the weather here is absolutely unsuitable for wandering around outside..."

I do not understand why you think that way, Tang Long said

Fashel drew high-speed warships from the Red Matrix fleet of Li Fa to form Group C. The ambiguous code "C" indicates that they do not belong to any military district and are distinct from other fleets, with only a few individuals aware of their true mission. Without much deliberation, Fashel ordered his fleet to advance to a new coordinate, a small star system located only one light month away from the Red Matrix. Based on the tracking of quantum wave disturbances at that time, the Klimara fleet began its simple light-speed movement from there. As for why they inadvertently ended up in the defense zone of the Red Matrix fleet, this is also a matter that Group C needs to investigate.

Outer region of the Red Matrix Galaxy, Group C high-speed fleet. Supreme Commander, Major General Fashir

The vehicle came to a sudden stop, and we jumped out to see that the front had sunk down significantly. He cursed again and continued, "I thought we had hit a rock, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be this thing." As he spoke, he suddenly turned around and shouted, "Hey, buddy, stop kicking it and drag it over here so we can take a look." Another soldier named Chacha was still cursing, struggling to drag something that was slowly moving closer. The camera zoomed in, but it was unclear what it was, yet it was still moving. He suddenly turned around and shouted, "Hey, buddy, stop kicking it and drag it over here so we can take a look." Another soldier named Chacha was still cursing, struggling to drag something that was slowly moving closer. The camera zoomed in, but it was unclear what it was, yet it was still moving.

During the days that Tang Long and Mike spent at the command post, no situations were discovered. In such adverse weather conditions, the search efficiency was extremely low. Whenever Fashir's fleet appeared in the skies above the command post, Mike would report to Fashir. Fashir decided to allow Mike's Marine Corps to expand their search area further outward.

During the month of simple light-speed travel in the fleet, Tang Long was not idle; he was continuously studying the creature that had hatched from the egg. The gendarmes had smashed it to pieces, making it nearly impossible for Tang Long to recognize its original form, which greatly infuriated him. However, it was evident that Tang Long had still gained some vague understanding.

After crossing a hillside, there lay a plain surrounded by mountains, as if moving forward would lead into the mountainous region. The wind grew stronger, and Tang Long could hardly keep his footing. Suddenly, Mike waved his hand, and all the Marines halted. In the distance, at the edge of the horizon, there seemed to be a flicker of fire. Mike picked up his binoculars, observed for a moment, and commanded: "Advance, maintain formation!"

"Let us not discuss such matters any further," Fashir furrowed his brow, "We are not philosophers. Let us return to the current issue. Can you ascertain whether this is a form of intelligent life?"

***

"Truly humble, Major," Tang Long mocked, "I am not a coroner either. Next time, tell the person not to fire so vigorously; it has all turned into a pile of minced meat"

"The fleet support of the Federation..." said Tang Long

Tang Long was interested and moved closer. The visibility was poor at night, and the night vision camera on the soldier's helmet was not properly focused, making everything somewhat unclear. Tang Long noticed another soldier cursing and kicking something, and frowned. Mike gently said, "Don't be like that, Captain. They are Marines; sometimes they overlook the details, but they are all solid soldiers."

Strange humans, the fear of intelligent beings has long been rooted in humanity, " said Tang Long in agreement, " this fear began in the era of Earth, where people preferred to believe that there is only one form of intelligence in the universe, and that is humanity.

"This thing," Tang Long said, "immediately call your soldiers back, quickly, that creature may be aggressive"

Damn! There are so many of them! The images on the screen began to shake, caused by the soldiers running, and in the darkness, nothing could be seen clearly

What shall we do?" Tang Long said in panic

However, Mike said, looking at the somewhat blurred image of Fashir on the screen, "General, I request an increase in personnel. If the defense radius expands, the density of the defense will decrease, making it easy to breach..."

Tang Long could no longer tolerate that soldier and suddenly asked, "What exactly is going on?"

The soldier paused for a moment and said: "Sir, it is like this. While we were on patrol, just the two of us, it was very dark at night. Qiaoqiao was driving on a somewhat rugged road, and it was extremely bumpy. Suddenly, the vehicle seemed to hit something and flew up violently, shaking violently. Goodness, I injured my head."

The airlock door of the command post opened. Tang Long saw that a strong wind was blowing outside, dark and ominous, with an unknown presence lurking in the shadows. The location where the two soldiers had encountered trouble was extremely rugged, making it impossible for the delicate roadbed tanks to pass. The giant armed robots also required a warm-up period, and Mike could not afford to wait that long. He set out with only the Marine Corps, without any support or reserves, towards that area. Tang Long was uncertain whether this was boldness or recklessness, but Mike trusted his team. They had fought side by side through many adversities, and he believed they could overcome this challenge as well. He set out with only the Marine Corps, without any support or reserves, towards that area. Tang Long was uncertain whether this was boldness or recklessness, but Mike trusted his team. They had fought side by side through many adversities, and he believed they could overcome this challenge as well.

Tang Long smiled; it is quite simple for two men to establish a friendship

"That is the psychology of human arrogance at play, esteemed Major General," Tang Long said. "Why can we not believe that the intelligence in the universe can benefit humanity, rather than the demons and monsters imagined by humans?"

Mike looked at Tang Long with approval and patted him on the shoulder. "You may not be a good soldier, and you are somewhat clumsy, but you are a good partner"

In the evening, a reconnaissance armored motorcycle sent back a message

After hours of jostling in the armored vehicle, they arrived at the scene of the incident. The Marines nimbly jumped out of the vehicle, moving forward with agility and caution, making it hard to imagine they were still wearing heavy protective gear. Mike was the first to rush ahead, and the sight before him moved him deeply.

Hey! Head! I think we have found something interesting. A soldier's face appeared on Mike's communication channel, grinning foolishly.

Mike friendly patted Tang Long on the shoulder and continued, "Let's go, you and I will take a transport plane, don't forget your gear"

Mike turned around in astonishment and looked at Tang Long. Mike's voice came through Tang Long's radio headset: "What happened?"

The ground was covered in slime, and there were numerous fragments of bodies scattered about. Tang Long roughly estimated that around twenty creatures had been shot dead. The power of the high-energy penetrating rounds was immense, turning them into a bloody mess, making it impossible to discern their original forms

However, Tang Long felt an indescribable sensation, whether it was fear, loneliness, or perhaps a combination of both

Tang Long shook his head

"Those warships," Tang Long said, somewhat out of breath, "why have those warships started to move?"

Is that so? Tang Long mocked, "If there were no war fanatics, humanity would be safer. To me, the greatest suffering inflicted upon humanity comes from the slaughter among humans themselves. In the universe, the greatest threat to humanity is still humanity itself."

You should not view it through the narrow classifications that humans apply to Earth's organisms. Perhaps its large teeth serve as a weapon for attack, but could they not also function as a mining tool? Maybe it is simply a harmless creature that feeds on minerals

"It is a creature similar to an insect," Tang Long said, pointing to the materials in Fashier's hand. "I have already written in great detail about it."

Mike chuckled and said, "They are in high orbits, not in the synchronous orbit of the planets, which are rotating. Therefore, you see the battleship moving further away from us."

That is a very small planet

Then, Fa Xie Er unknowingly became serious and said: "So, there are many such things, and they will also possess intelligence?"

Fashel shook his head and said, "Dear Captain Tang Long, I did not mean to mock you; I merely stated that your report is quite interesting." Fashel invited Tang Long to sit down and continued, "However, I still do not understand your report. I am not a scientist, so please forgive my ignorance."

I would rather hope that this is a creature devoid of intelligence

"Then may I ask, I know you have a lot of questions." Tang Long pulled out a chair and sat down

"A very interesting report," Fashier said with a smile as he looked at Tang Long, raising the materials in his hand

Dulles, January 5, 198.

Fashel raised his head, and Tang Long saw some confusion in his eyes

The airlock of the high-speed fleet opened, and the transport aircraft roared as it carried the Marine Corps toward the surface of the planet. The planet appeared extremely desolate, showing no signs of life from the surface. After a long and bumpy ride, it felt to Tang Long as if they had been jostled for a century; the design of the transport aircraft for the ground forces was indeed flawed. Finally, the aircraft landed on a relatively flat plateau, stirring up gusts of air. Tang Long, dressed in protective gear, with a pale complexion, staggered down from the transport aircraft. The other Marines had already begun to get busy, and ground engineering vehicles started to set up a temporary command post. Tang Long and Tu Shu looked up at the sky, where the navigation lights of the high-speed warship flickered, clearly visible.

"You are making me a bit scared, Tang Long," Fashier said with a smile. "If that is the case, our situation is not very good. The gentlemen of the Military Committee sent us here because they are afraid of a certain terrifying threat emerging in their territory: a powerful and intelligent being"

The answer lies below, said Fashir. We have reached our destination. The planet below is where the Kremala fleet once arrived. Let us go and solve the mystery now

I saw those transport planes leave as well. Tang Long still could not feel at ease

In a manner akin to human practices, colonization has become a fixed, effective, and convenient method. Regardless of how harsh or inhospitable a planet's environment may be, humanity has found ways to adapt. After conquering countless planets, humans have summarized a complete set of colonization measures, and Mike's Marine Corps is no exception. Ground engineering vehicles rapidly construct command centers capable of accommodating several hundred personnel, featuring air circulation systems and massive structures that regulate gravity, all encased in lightweight yet sturdy fiber alloy shells that can withstand pressure and resist fierce winds. Base-type tanks are distributed around the command center, establishing a solid ring defense system. Simultaneously, observation posts are set up on various high grounds, each capable of housing a small squad of Marines. Should any danger be detected by the observation posts, they can issue early warnings, allowing the base-type tanks in the rear to conduct carpet bombardments based on the coordinates provided by the observation posts. This fixed colonization model is, in fact, of little utility, as humanity has yet to encounter any dangers or discover any signs of advanced life wherever they have ventured. It only proves useful in the wars between two alliances vying for colonial territories. It is truly ironic that everything humanity has invented ultimately serves to combat humanity itself.

I hope it is just an investigation, " Tang Long murmured, feeling somewhat bewildered by the situation

Fashel believes that there must be some secrets in the desolate and cold galaxies

What I mean is that each species has its own soldier bees, which are a branch in the evolutionary tree specifically designed to attack enemies and protect the population, much like the soldier bees among honeybees. They are far more dangerous than the types of organisms we have encountered previously

"Qiaoqiao is really upset; his car has broken down, and now he will be busy for half a day." The soldier continued, looking quite gleeful. From a distance, another soldier's coarse curses could be heard, along with the sound of something being kicked, resembling the noise of ping pong.

At this moment, the spacecraft shook slightly. Tang Long understood that this was the deceleration brake marking the end of simple light-speed travel

I am very sorry, "Fashel said gently

At that moment, the soldier on the screen suddenly let out a sharp scream, drawing Tang Long and Mike's attention to turn back and look.

Tang Long noticed that the soldier's face inside the helmet had some bruises and swelling.

It was as if a brutal battle had taken place. The ground was littered with bullet marks from semi-automatic rifles and craters from grenade explosions. The trajectories of the shots extended in all directions, as if surrounded heavily by the enemy. The armored vehicle was completely torn apart, with fuel dripping steadily, and the armor bore massive scratches, some going east and others west, leaving behind terrifying marks from some sharp object. Mike's chest began to heave, unable to conceal his inner excitement, and he suddenly shouted: "Hold on, Chacha, Tili! Don't die like a coward, hold on!" The armored vehicle was completely torn apart, with fuel dripping steadily, and the armor bore massive scratches, some going east and others west, leaving behind terrifying marks from some sharp object. Mike's chest began to heave, unable to conceal his inner excitement, and he suddenly shouted: "Hold on, Chacha, Tili! Don't die like a coward, hold on!"

Mike suddenly threw down the communicator, turned around, and rushed out of the monitoring room, shouting: "On-duty squad, assemble, quickly!"

"It would be best this way," Fashal said softly, "and there is one more question, the most important question: does it possess intelligence?"

I will also come," Tang Long said briefly, "perhaps it will be helpful

Tang Long shrugged and said, "Go ahead and mock, Major General Fashal"

Suddenly, Tang Long stumbled and started running, patting Mike on the shoulder. "Mike, Mike!"

"So what?" Fashier imitated Tang Long's tone and said, "That would be terrible. If one day such a creature discovers humans and realizes how small and fragile they are, it is inevitable that it would develop some terrifying interest in humanity"

Go up the stairs, go up the stairs!

At last, the final soldier bee fell in the barrage of fire, its sharp forelegs still futilely grasping at something. Mike fired another round, and the soldier bee was left in a bloody mess. The earth returned to silence, leaving behind a ground covered in yellow liquid, flowing and mingling with shredded flesh and severed limbs, piled high, with rivers of blood. Mike silently turned around to look at his Marines, then slowly but proudly raised his gun above his head, standing still. The Marines awakened, and their joyous cheers surged like a tide, echoing through the sky. Some soldiers fired into the air, painting the sky a fiery red, proclaiming humanity's victory. In that moment, Tang Long was also somewhat moved. In the dark experiences that followed, this scene often appeared in his mind, giving him a glimpse of a glimmering future for humanity.

The first question, "Fashel raised a finger and said: 'What exactly is that creature?'"

Oh," Fashier slowly flipped through the materials and read: "This organism possesses an exoskeleton similar to that of insects, lacks a skeleton, and has well-developed muscles akin to those of insects. Unlike terrestrial insects, it exhibits signs of advanced division of labor. Viewed individually, it cannot survive; it should be a social organism that relies on different roles among its members to ensure the survival of the group, resembling the characteristics of ant activities. The individual has a massive foreclaw, and based on the analysis of its muscle composition, it should have the capability to break hard rocks or other materials.

"Head, they retreated here," another soldier pointed to a path and said. Mike smiled and said, "I knew they were good, everyone follow me!" The Marines, filled with high spirits, shouted as they chased down a small path along the hillside

Fashel summoned Tang Long to his office. Tang Long noticed that Fashel was looking at a thick stack of materials

Mike chuckled and said, "What is there to fear? Our friends are here." As he spoke, he patted the semi-automatic rifle in his hands

"Is this what we are looking for?" Mike asked Tang Long softly

Will it not use its hard front claw to attack humans? Perhaps it is a carnivorous creature

This is the standard equipment of the Marine Corps, essential for landing. Captain Tang Long, did that surprise you?" Mike looked Tang Long up and down, grinning as he spoke. "Who knows what we might encounter? Do you know?"

It is too late, Mike glanced at his watch and said: "We still have several hours before the communication time, we will initiate the rescue ourselves. They are all my people, I will not leave them here to be turtles hiding their heads."

There is also a ! Chacha, pay attention to your left!

"Yes," Mike Ganbaba said. Tang Long shook his head helplessly. Fashier overlooked a critical issue; during the time they were in low orbit, Mike's Marine Corps was effectively unprotected, and this duration was long enough to be fatal.

Open fire, open fire

Tang Long carefully examined the object, which was identical to the creature that had appeared at the hearing! It seemed to have been severely hit by a vehicle, oozing a thick liquid, and a few of its legs in the abdomen were twitching, uncertain of its fate. Tang Long noticed that it also possessed a pair of enormous teeth, teeth capable of destruction.

It is possible, even very likely. However, we know too little about this organism, and it is still too early to draw conclusions; many questions remain unanswered m.hetushu .com .com

"Mike, Mike!" Tang Long shouted loudly, "It's the soldier wasps, it's the soldier wasps!"

"This is not an examination." A voice spoke from behind Tang Long. When Tang Long turned around, he saw it was Major Mike. Major Mike was tall, slender, with short light-colored hair, and his movements were graceful and agile, making him the type that women found appealing

"Head, no body found," the soldier reported

The Marine Corps members charged down the slope, spreading out in a semicircle as they advanced forward. Closer now, flashes of light appeared again, revealing the trajectories of semi-automatic rifle bullets! Two dark figures were sprinting rapidly, not even turning back to fire. "It's them, it's them!" Mike said anxiously. Behind them, a dense shadow emerged. Tang Long also picked up the binoculars; through the night vision goggles, he saw a mass of writhing entities, their numbers overwhelming. Tang Long adjusted the focus, his hands beginning to tremble; it was a new type of creature. It was slightly smaller than the previously discovered species, more agile, with developed limbs, and its entire body was encased in a hard shell. It ran like a dog, and on its fierce head were a pair of small, red eyes that would send chills down anyone's spine.

Major, in his usual cold tone, said, "Do not forget, we are not here to fight; this is an investigation. Do not approach the matter with a mindset of war"

As a scientist, you have the right to hold noble ideals. However, as a soldier, I also have the right to assess the worst-case scenario

"What are you saying?" Mike asked loudly, staring ahead, gripping the gun tightly in his hand

"Danger is potential, General." Tang Long, who was standing to the side, suddenly spoke up, and he internally supported Mike's viewpoint

If it can shatter rocks, then it must be quite a dangerous creature

The screen is now devoid of any visibility, only a cacophony of chaotic sounds can be heard, with screams and curses intermingled with the thunderous noise of semi-automatic rifles. The night sky flickers with the light of high-energy penetrator rounds, illuminating the scene before me in utter disarray

"Very well," Fashir made some compromises and said, "I will move the fleet to a low orbit to provide you support. When the next communication time arrives, we will appear in a synchronized orbit. Proceed with your orders, Major." With that, Fashir's face disappeared from the screen

Perhaps," Tang Long nodded and said, "If this creature is indeed as I speculate, then it may have a mother entity, a being akin to an ant queen; perhaps, that is a true intelligent entity

The wind here is too strong; it will blow our precious transport aircraft away

What are you going to do? Tang Long followed him and asked

"This is also a question I want to clarify," said Tang Long, becoming somewhat excited. "To be precise, it is whether it possesses 'intelligence.' Anatomically, it lacks a distinct brain, only having some primitive structures such as nerve cords and nerve terminals. However, I want to emphasize that ants also do not have a brain, yet the activities of an ant colony reflect a form of consciousness, a collective characteristic that can transform into purposeful behavior. From a human perspective, is this not also a manifestation of intelligence?"

Fashel's high-speed warship hovered in the high orbit of the planet. After slowly circling the planet, Fashel was convinced that there was nothing unusual on the surface and issued the landing order. The landing operation was carried out by the Marine Corps, commanded by Major Mike. Tang Long was also included in the operation, knowing that following Fashel would lead to no good. With mixed feelings, he watched the Marines board the transport ship, along with a considerable amount of equipment: giant armed robots, tracked armored vehicles, and even base-mounted tanks. Tang Long felt that this was not a scientific expedition, but rather a combat exercise for an enforced landing.

If there is indeed a danger, I cannot neglect the issue of defense; my boys must be safe, Mike said