From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 686 "They have arrived."

Then, Lines pulled out the storage device and handed it to Leon: "All the data is here, including the backdoor key for the virus."

Leon took the storage device, his gaze lingering on her face for a second:
"You want to save everyone."

Lyons sneered: "No, I'm just making amends for the UED's crimes."

She looked at the monitor screen, which displayed images of the outside of the base.

Homelander hovered high in the sky, its crimson beams tearing through the heavens, while in the distance, UED warships continued to unleash a furious barrage of fire, completely disregarding the thousands of researchers still inside the base.

“They’d rather blow this place up than let their technology leak out.” Her nails dug deep into her palms. “That’s how UED does things.”

“Let’s go.” Leon pressed down on her shoulder. “It’s time to end all of this.”

Immediately afterward, Mike led the way, Chris brought up the rear, and the team quickly retreated along the original route.

The base's alarms blared shrilly, and the corridor lights flickered on and off, like a dying beast struggling for its life.

As they rushed out of the maintenance tunnel, the stealth-class ships' access hatches were already open, hovering over the ice field.

Homelanders are still intercepting the last wave of missiles, their red capes fluttering in the flames of the explosions.

Lyons glanced back at the steel tomb where she had once worked, then stepped onto the rescue boat without hesitation.

The moment the hatch closed, the Antarctic base behind them collapsed with a deafening roar, turning into towering flames.

The engine of the rescue boat emitted a deep hum as it steadily climbed up in the polar gale.

Lines stood by the porthole, his fingertips pressed against the cold glass, his gaze fixed on the shrinking Antarctic base below.

The flames from the explosion were still raging, and thick smoke billowed into the sky, turning the pale daylight sky into a murky gray-black.

On the icy plain, scattered figures stumbled and ran, like a group of abandoned ants, appearing small and desperate in the vast snowfield.

“At least…they survived.” She murmured softly, her voice almost swallowed by the roar of the engine.

Leon stood beside her without saying a word.

His gaze also fell on the researchers who had escaped, but there was no pity in his eyes, only a calm assessment.

"if……"

Ryan suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse, "If it were your human empire today, what would you do?"

Silence fell over the cabin for a moment, with only the slight tremors of the rescue boat as it climbed responding to her question.

After a moment of contemplation, Lyon finally spoke: "The Human Empire will not allow such a thing to happen."

His voice was steady and resolute, as if stating an indisputable fact.

"We will not allow our scientists to be in that situation, because we have the capability to ensure their safety."

He paused, his gaze shifting from the porthole to Lines' face. "But if sacrifices are necessary, they will never be made to cover up the power of certain individuals, but to ensure the survival of many more."

Ryan frowned slightly: "Sacrifice is sacrifice, what's the difference?"

“The difference lies in the purpose.” Lyon’s voice was deep and firm. “The UED’s higher-ups would rather blow up the entire base than leak the technology because they are afraid of losing control. But if the human empire makes a sacrifice, it will only be to protect more of its compatriots and for the continuation of humanity.”

His tone carried an unquestionable conviction, as if he were discussing some supreme truth.

“Moreover…” Lyon’s lips curled up slightly, revealing an almost pious expression, “we still have the Emperor.”

Ryans was taken aback: "The Emperor... the supreme leader of your human empire, is he really that magical?"

“A god walking among mortals.” Leon’s gaze drifted out the porthole, as if he could see through the vast universe and look directly at a supreme being. “With Him, humanity will never be in dire straits.”

Lines was silent for a moment, then suddenly felt it was somewhat absurd.

During her studies, she witnessed through various classic texts how many rulers who claimed to be "gods" were ultimately nothing more than tyrants in the guise of holiness.

"What exactly is an emperor?" she couldn't help but ask.

Lyon shook his head: "No one can really say for sure. All I know is that He existed for hundreds of years before I served Him. There are rumors that His lifespan far exceeds human imagination."

His tone carried a hint of reverence, yet was utterly calm, as if he were discussing some natural law rather than a living being.

Lines wanted to ask more, but the view outside the porthole had completely changed—

The icy world of Antarctica has vanished, replaced by boundless darkness dotted with distant starlight.

They broke through the atmosphere and officially entered outer space.

“We’ve arrived,” Leon suddenly said, interrupting her thoughts.

Looking up, Lines saw a stealth-class warship, its optical camouflage temporarily removed, quietly "docked" on the track.

"Alright, Doctor."

Lyon withdrew his gaze, his tone becoming pragmatic again, "Other things can be discussed later. Right now, our top priority is to ensure the safe transfer of the virus samples."

Lines nodded and said no more.

But countless questions were churning in her mind.
About the human empire, about the emperor, about this behemoth that seems completely different from UED.

The rescue boat slowly approached the hangar door of the stealth-class ship, and its robotic arm precisely captured and retrieved the hull.

With a hissing sound of pressure equalization, the hatch slowly opened, and blinding white light shone in.

"Welcome back, sir."

A crew member in a black uniform stood at the hatch and saluted Lyon.

Lyon nodded and stepped aside to let Lyons go first.

She took a deep breath and stepped onto the unfamiliar ship, knowing in her heart that her fate had been completely changed from this moment on.

Next, Lines followed Lyon down the corridor until they passed through the pale blue disinfection screen, his boots making a crisp echo as they stepped on the metal deck.

The ship's interior lighting system uses soft, cool white light, which shines on the silver-gray composite material walls, giving Lines a sense of alienation unique to futuristic technology.

Meanwhile, Chris and Mike, along with more than a dozen special operations team members, had already gone to the stealth-class ship's equipment depot for repairs, preparing for future stealth, infiltration, or combat missions.

Furthermore, Lines remembered that Mike winked at her before leaving, as if reminding her to maintain her image in front of Leon, a flippant gesture that contrasted sharply with his sophisticated nanotech combat suit.

She subconsciously smoothed her somewhat disheveled blonde hair and noticed that her clothes were covered in ice crystals and dust from her escape.

"This way."

Leon gestured for her to follow, and the two walked through a sloping passageway.

Numerous holographic displays are mounted on the walls on both sides of the passageway, updating the status data of various systems on the ship in real time.

Lines noticed that one of the screens was flashing the words "Antarctic Combat Situation," and in the image, Homelander's red cape stood out against the flames of the explosion.

It seems that Homelander is still locked in combat with the UED fleet, doing his best to attract the attention of the UED officials.

Leon and his group eventually stopped in front of a heavy, sealed door. The biometric scanner on the door scanned Leon's iris and emitted a soft "beep".

“The highest level of isolation chamber,” Lyon explained, “specifically designed for handling hazardous samples.”

The hatch slid open silently, and a blast of cold air with a metallic smell rushed out.

The cabin is hexagonal, with a spherical force field generator suspended in the center, surrounded by three holographic projectors.

A technician wearing a mechanical exoskeleton suit was already waiting inside; his face was completely obscured by a bluish light reflected from his protective mask.

Ryans took a sealed container from his pocket.

The eerie green liquid inside the reinforced glass tube flowed strangely under the light, constantly changing shape as if it were alive.

She took a deep breath and handed the container to the technician.

“Quantum state virus prototype, codenamed ‘Purifier’.” Her voice was a little tense. “Please keep it at -120°C. It will spread immediately once it comes into contact with room temperature.”

"."

The technicians did not respond; they simply took the container mechanically.

Then, his robotic arm precisely placed the container tube into the core of the force field generator, and with a soft "hum," the spherical confinement force field instantly expanded, completely enveloping the container.

“Don’t worry,” Leon’s voice came from beside him. “This force field can even imprison antimatter.”

It was only then that Lines noticed his fingers were trembling slightly.

She forced herself to relax and watched as the technicians entered a series of complex commands on the control panel. The color inside the force field gradually changed from blue to dark purple, and the outline of the container began to blur.

"Encapsulation complete." A synthesized female voice echoed in the cabin. "The sample has entered a quantum-locked state."

Only then did Lines truly breathe a sigh of relief.

She turned to Lyon and found him bringing up a holographic screen via the personal computer on his wrist.

The screen displayed the real-time battle situation over Antarctica.

Homelander hovered amidst the burning wreckage of the warship, his eyes shooting out crimson beams as he intercepted the incoming missiles one by one.

"Next?"

"I asked, my voice weary and a little lost," Lines asked.

Lyon tapped his finger on the holographic screen, and the image immediately switched to a strategic situation map of the entire 18th solar system.

Dozens of red dots are moving toward Earth, representing the UED's reinforcement fleet.

“Next,” his voice was calm to the point of cruelty, “we need to make the UED understand that they’ve messed with the wrong opponent.”

The holographic image changed again, revealing the complete outline of the stealth-class warship.

Lines then realized that this seemingly ordinary warship was actually equipped with a terrifying firepower system—

Antimatter torpedo launchers, phased-cannon arrays, and even a giant main gun she had never seen before, marked with the words "planetary level".

"But first of all..."

Lyon turned off the holographic projection. "You need to rest. The infirmary has prepared a nutrient capsule to help you recover your strength."

Lines wanted to retort, but suddenly felt dizzy.

Only now did she realize how much energy this mission, which she had been forced to join and then actively cooperate with, had consumed.

Her vision blurred for a moment, and in a daze, she saw Leon reach out and support her shoulder.

"Twelve hours from now, the war will enter a new phase." Lyon's voice seemed to come from a great distance. "At that time, you will see the true power of the human empire."

The cabin lights dimmed in Lyons' eyes, and in her last moments of consciousness, she seemed to hear, through the holographic screen beside her, the explosion of Homelander destroying yet another battleship, and the steady footsteps of Lyon fading into the distance.

Shortly after, in the instrument room;

The hatch closed silently behind Lyon, isolating the rest of the ship from noise.

This cabin, approximately 60 square meters in size, exhibits a typical military style—

Simple, efficient, and without any unnecessary decorations.

The walls are lined with gleaming medical cabinets, and in the center is a semi-circular maintenance platform with three multi-jointed robotic arms hanging from the ceiling, ready to be deployed at any time.

“Initiate the disassembly process,” Lyon said to the air.

The intelligent system inside the cabin responded immediately, and the robotic arm began to operate with a slight hydraulic sound.

One of the robotic arms unfolds into a sophisticated tool kit at the front end, quickly and accurately releasing the seal on the neck of the nano-combat suit.

Lyon could feel the cool metallic touch brushing against his skin, and the nanofiber layer made a soft hissing sound as it slowly peeled off his body like a snake shedding its skin.

"There is a minor injury to the left shoulder joint," a mechanically synthesized female voice calmly reported. "The nano-repair procedure has been initiated and is expected to take 27 minutes."

Lyon nodded slightly.

He knew that this damage came from the various battles on Earth.

As the last lock was released, the nanosuit slid off his body like a second skin and was precisely caught by another robotic arm.

Lyon stretched his shoulders, enjoying the cool sensation of the constant-temperature air inside the ship directly against his skin, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.

His body is covered with faded scars, each one a testament to a life-or-death mission.

Immediately afterwards, a technician in a dark blue uniform stepped forward and took the nanosuit handed to him by the robotic arm.

“The energy core needs recalibration, sir.” The technician checked the nanosuit’s condition. “The intense firefight and the Antarctic environment have affected output stability.”

Leon simply grunted an "Mm," then walked to the locker by the wall and took out a brand-new black training uniform.

As he tightened his belt, the door to the equipment room slid open again. Chris appeared in the doorway, now dressed in the same black training uniform.

“The meeting room is ready,” Chris said, his voice lower than usual. “They’ve arrived.”

Lyon's eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded imperceptibly.

The two walked out of the equipment room one after the other, through a downward-sloping passageway. Most importantly, this passageway was significantly wider and had a higher ceiling than other areas of the ship, clearly designed to accommodate the body size of specific personnel.

As the biometric scanner lit up green, the door slid open to both sides.

The combat conference room before us was three times the size of a standard cabin, with a huge holographic projection table in the center, surrounded by specially designed metal chairs.

The frames of these chairs have been clearly reinforced, enabling them to withstand weights far exceeding those of an average person.

Most striking were the six giants who were already seated.

Even when seated, they are about the same height as an average adult male.

The gray training uniform clung tightly to his bulging muscles, and his exposed skin was covered with even more gruesome scars, some of which were clearly not caused by conventional weapons.
(End of this chapter)