From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 611 "Damn Bugs"

As soon as Chris finished his words, the maglev train made a slight hum and began to accelerate along the vacuum tube.

The stability system in the car was immediately activated to ensure that everyone felt almost no discomfort caused by the acceleration.

The scenery outside the window gradually blurred, replaced by blue energy patterns flowing along the inner wall of the pipe.

"Zerg?!" Mike blurted out subconsciously.

His back was against the chair, and his originally slightly relaxed sitting posture suddenly became tense, with an obvious flash of uneasiness in his eyes.

"Damn bugs, that's the thing I'm most afraid of in my life."

The subsequent sigh was mixed with a hint of unconscious disgust. It was not an exaggerated tone, but a true memory.

In the "08" universe, that is, the "Halo" universe, Mike and Leon have come into contact with Zerg such as the "Flood".

It is a parasite that can absorb, reorganize and utilize the consciousness of intelligent life. It spreads rapidly and is almost irreversible.

What's more, Mike and Leon were attacked by the Arachnid Zerg in the Starship Fleet universe.
Fortunately, the Arachi Zerg are not as disgusting as they look, but the taste is indescribable.

The Zerg will always push the limits of humanity.

Lyon, who was sitting next to him, also frowned slightly.

"I know your concerns." Chris said, and at the same time raised his hand and used the holographic panel to continue to call up the information sent from the Intelligence Department.

Then, various briefings began to emerge, all of which were text reports or rendered simulations, with no actual filming materials.

"Based on the data collected from the other side of the space gate, the Intelligence Department seems to have already deduced the general situation of the universe over there, and has only given a definition for that Zerg race -

Uncertain Zerg organisms, with extremely strong biological adaptability, high cluster intelligence and tactical coordination, are suspected to have some kind of non-electronic neural connection system, which can complete large-scale precise dispatch without any signal interference. "

As Chris spoke, he pulled up an ecological simulation diagram.

It was a nest that looked like it was made of biological tissue, distributed radially, with the central core surrounded by dense spines and arched structures, and surrounded by hatching pools and tentacle structures that almost covered the entire virtual surface.

Even the simulated images can make people feel physically uncomfortable due to the slow and dynamic effects.

"It's just a model," Chris said in a steady tone, "It has no name and no source identification.

We don't even know if this is really the so-called 'mother nest'. The Intelligence Department only constructed this ecological speculation based on the remote sensing data of the star field on the other side of the space gate."

"You mean we haven't actually come into contact with the so-called Zerg yet? It's just a guess from the Intelligence Department?"

Mike asked, staring at the image and frowning.

"Yes." Chris nodded, "There was no physical contact, no record of any actual fighting or encounter."

"Where did this information come from?" Mike asked.

"What do you think about what's going on in the Intelligence Department?" Chris asked back.

"That's right." Mike responded with some relief.

Then, Chris continued to control the holographic panel, switching the projection screen to a set of deduction animations.

The picture starts from a single insect egg and gradually evolves into multiple functional units——

A reptile that is good at burrowing, a flying unit with aerial maneuverability, or a "command body" model with a brain-like organizational structure.

"This ecological structure is built by a simulation system. Our Investigation Department cannot confirm whether these units really exist, but the Intelligence Department believes that such a highly coordinated system, if it exists, will be enough to pose a serious threat to the entire planet and even the galaxy."

He paused, and the projection slowly closed into a bird's-eye view of the planet.

"There are currently no signs of Zerg on the planet on the other side of the space gate."

Chris looked at Liang and Mike again, "The surface of that planet seems to be safe, so what we need to do now is not to fight, but to verify."

Mike breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled bitterly and said jokingly, "Then I shouldn't be so nervous. However, even if it's just speculation about the Zerg, it's enough to keep people awake at night."

"You are not alone."

Leon whispered, his eyes still fixed on the hologram of the planet, his tone echoing his friend's teasing.

The carriage shook slightly, the maglev train began to accelerate, and the light and shadow outside the track retreated at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Chris put away the holographic projection, leaned back in his chair, and said calmly as always:

"We will not go deep into this mission. We will just send plainclothes agents to infiltrate the human base over there and collect enough ecological data. Our superiors will decide whether to explore further and evaluate whether the human regime over there is worth contacting."

"If the Zerg speculated by the Intelligence Department really exists." Leon began, but did not finish his words.

"That will be one of the most formidable opponents we have ever faced in any universe." Chris added on behalf of Leon, "But before that, let's first confirm whether it really exists."

"If the facts are not as the Intelligence Department intended," Mike smiled and leaned back in his chair, "then I'll treat you to two days of drinks to calm your nerves."

"You'd better prepare a bottle now." Leon replied with a smile.

As the train accelerated again, a faint light emerged from the end ahead.

When the warm light filled all vision, it also meant that the maglev train they were riding had successfully passed through the eighteenth space gate.

At that moment, the light in the car seemed to be washed, and after a brief blur, everyone's vision gradually became clear.

The view outside the window suddenly became clear, presenting a picture that was completely different from that of the Imperial Palace.

This is a vast and rugged new world, with the night sky taking on a slightly purple hue.

On the other side of the space gate, it has been occupied by many huge steel structures, and it is obvious that the construction of the core area of ​​the front-line base is about to be completed.

These modular buildings are arranged as precisely as a chessboard and include both heavily armed fortifications for defense and experimental areas specifically for use by technicians.

Not far from the car window, transport planes and light reconnaissance boats were taking off and landing one after another on multiple helipads. Robotic arms were waving and loaders were delivering batches of equipment and supply boxes to designated logistics nodes.

Near the core is a towering command center, covered with radar-like and light-capturing equipment.

To the southwest of the surface, a ship repair dock under construction is looming. It is small in scale, but its structure is obviously highly modular in design, designed for rapid emergency repairs.

The barracks are arranged neatly, and the imperial military style is carried through throughout. From the location of each door to the layout of the drains, one can even smell the engineering department's cold logic of pursuing "efficiency is aesthetics."

At this moment, on the main road east of the base, a well-organized army with striking flags was moving in in an orderly manner. It was the third company of the Flame Lizard Regiment.

Most of the vehicles they rode were heavy tracked armored transport vehicles and magnetic levitation assault vehicles, painted in dark green with alternating dark red, like steel behemoths in flames.

The side of each armored vehicle is embedded with the legion emblem, a roaring salamander spewing flames.

The soldiers were clad in heavy armor and marched in unison. Even in this strange new universe, one could feel their tempered calmness and murderous intent.

The natural shielding and folding effects of the space gate allow the front-line base to have its own shielding effect and "optical camouflage" capabilities. Therefore, the Imperial Engineering Department does not need to build any additional optical sheds or camouflage nets to hide the entire channel node, which greatly saves time and resources.

The maglev train gradually slowed down and finally stopped at the east stop of the front-line base.

There was a slight sound of air pressure being released, and the car door opened. Leon, Mike and Chris walked out of the car, their footsteps landing on the brand new metal floor. Beside them were technicians, plainclothes agents and special operations team members who came in the same car.

They passed through several corridors and arrived at the investigation area of ​​the front-line base.

This place is not as tense and solemn as the Flame Lizard Barracks, but more like a highly efficient command and research complex.

There are translucent holographic data panels floating on the wall, and from time to time, staff members holding analysis terminals or paper documents can be seen passing quickly in the corridor.

The air was filled with the smell of metal and coolant, and the overall order was excellent.

Several people walked into the branch's equipment warehouse. The interior space was spacious and bright. The ceiling was equipped with a magnetic levitation crane and gravity fixators, so large equipment could be transferred from the storage location at any time.

"Leon S. Kennedy, Mike Monardi, the special investigation team's authorization number has been verified. Material numbers G-08-A to E are the equipment assigned to you for this mission."

The female logistics officer in charge of reception spoke in a concise tone, her fingers operating quickly on the holographic interface in front of her.

As the command was issued, a row of lockers opened automatically, revealing various professional equipment neatly displayed inside.

The first is a set of the latest model of optical camouflage cloak, which has low-energy ambient light refraction function, is equipped with micro-adjusters, can automatically adjust the optical effect according to the surrounding environment, and can completely cover the wearer.

The second is a portable tactical information terminal, which has a wrist-mounted structure and is equipped with a launch and control module for a small biological reconnaissance drone and encrypted communication capabilities.

It also includes nanostructured armor, a highly compatible hard-light dagger, condensing agent spray, concussion bombs, and three disposable shield (bubble shield) projection devices.

"It feels like I'm about to dismantle a fire-breathing mechanical Tyrannosaurus Rex."

Mike sighed while holding the cloak, and packed his equipment into the equipment box.

"Then you better hope we only use the cloak."

Lyon spoke calmly, put the terminal on his wrist, and calibrated the data expertly.

On the other side of the equipment warehouse, members of the special operations team of the Investigation Department were preparing.

They wear black and gray nano combat uniforms with the "α" logo on their chests. They are one of the most mobile and concealed small combat units in the Empire.

These people silently checked their ammunition, firearms and helmet interfaces, moving quickly and orderly.

Several members of the special operations team looked at Leon and nodded in greeting.

Chris looked around the entire equipment warehouse, confirmed everything was correct, and said to Leon, Mike, and all the plainclothes agents:

"The superiors have already planned a designated infiltration target for you, a group of elite plainclothes agents, and we will also serve as the first response force to go to the Flame Lizard Tri-Company ship that is already docked in low-Earth orbit.

If there is an emergency, our special operations team will respond immediately to provide you with support and evacuation."

"If we encounter Zerg, please help us pull them out, Chris."

Mike still responded jokingly, which eased the somewhat heavy atmosphere.

"Haha, that's what you should do, old friend."

Chris also replied with a smile.

Next, more than fifty plainclothes agents, including Leon and Mike, left the equipment warehouse and walked towards the nearest helipad.

On the tarmac, more than 20 small and extremely compact light assault boats are ready to go.

Each of these assault boats can carry six people. They have a matte black surface, folded wings, and tail engine lights on standby. The sides of the cabin are also covered with a special coating, and the appearance is almost integrated with the surrounding metal ground. If you don't get close, it is almost difficult to distinguish their existence.

The agents quickly lined up and boarded the boat in pairs according to the preset partner plan. Each group moved skillfully without any unnecessary words.

When Leon and Mike boarded the assault boat No. 07, the pilot had already completed the startup process. As soon as he saw the two of them on board, he immediately operated the console and closed the sliding doors on both sides with a "click".

"Confirmed target heading, third area in the north."

The pilot confirmed it on the communication channel, and then the attack boat's magnetic levitation engine began to hum.

After a few seconds, the assault boat vibrated slightly, hovered stably several meters above the ground, and then quickly rose and moved forward.

At the same time, other assault boats took off one after another, flying away from the apron in the predetermined direction like a group of sharp arrows.

Just as they left the airspace above the front-line base and exited the shielding range of the space gate, the optical camouflage systems of all assault boats were activated at the same time.

Almost invisible energy ripples extended from the hull, and then within a few seconds, the entire body was completely "fused" with the surrounding environment.

It seemed as if nothing had happened in the air, but these infiltration troops were completely hidden from the radar screen and the naked eye. Their whereabouts could only be captured through the Imperial identification signal of a specific frequency.

in the cabin;
The lights were dimmed to maintain the low visibility required for night attacks.

Lyon sat on the left, silently adjusting the shoulder cape interface to ensure the stable connection between the optical device and the plainclothes uniform.

Mike leaned on the other side, with his usual smile on his face, and turned to look out the window, saying with emotion:

"By the Emperor, this place looks like some kind of dying planet."

Under the dark night sky, the ground appears as a desert zone with gray, yellow and red intertwined.

The undulating Gobi Desert looks like a sleeping beast in the night, rough and cold.

Occasionally, the wind would blow by, blowing up the dust on the ground, which might even contain some residual mineral powder and broken crystals, forming snake-like moving sand lines.

While they were flying, large areas of "wild crystal mines" would occasionally appear under the fuselage.

Those crystals grow naturally in cracks on the ground, arranged in prism shapes. Under the dim light at night, they emit blue and white fluorescence, as if the earth's veins are whispering.

Half an hour later, the outline of a human settlement gradually appeared in the sight of Leon and Mike.
(End of this chapter)