From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 702, "The Prelude to War," has been slowly and silently drawn back.
"You all need to pay special attention to the methods of dissemination."

At this moment, the supervisor's tone suddenly became more serious, and he swiped his finger across the holographic panel, revealing a new data curve.

"The virus is mainly transmitted through bodily fluids and blood. Once the skin or mucous membranes come into direct contact with the blood, saliva, or even bodily fluids of an infected person, there is a very high chance of infection."

The incubation period is extremely short, ranging from a minimum of ten seconds to a maximum of two hours, after which the patient will fall into a state of complete loss of control.

However, the infected are fundamentally different from traditional types of zombie-like abnormal creatures; they are adept at using human technology and weapons, meaning they are not low-intelligence beings.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the agents from the investigation department immediately turned serious.

A pathogen with an incubation period of only seconds, and whose infected individuals can use existing technology and weapons, almost means that the defenses of humanity on Earth could be instantly overwhelmed at any moment.

The supervisor continued, "Based on our initial observations, infected individuals lose their normal rationality much faster than during the typical course of the disease."

They don't gradually deteriorate; instead, they lose their humanity rapidly, transforming into completely violent individuals. This phenomenon is highly correlated with the virus's damage to the brain's limbic system and neurotransmitters.

The video recording on the holographic screen is still playing.

An infected person frantically bit his own arm until the bone was exposed, still displaying a maniacal smile.

The other man kept ramming into the wall, his head a bloody mess, but he showed no sign of backing down.

“That’s why,” the supervisor said in a low, firm voice, “we have determined that the virus is extremely threatening. If it gets out of control, it will spread exponentially, ultimately leading to the complete collapse of human society on Earth in 2019.”

The conference room fell into dead silence.

Under the cold, white light, everyone's expressions varied.

The investigators had calm eyes, but there was a hint of suppressed murderous intent in them. The agents from the Inquisition Department narrowed their eyes, as if trying to connect the current state of Earth 19 with the blasphemy of the subspace.

Frost frowned; it seemed the company commander was more concerned with rescuing his uninfected comrades.

Lei Ruoya stared silently at the holographic screen.

Her gaze remained unwavering, fixed coldly on the data and images.

At the end of the projection, the supervisor slowly uttered a summary conclusion:

"The state of infected individuals can be explained as an extreme pathological phenomenon caused by the virus, but the possibility of subspace contamination cannot be ruled out."

At this stage, the Biological Department can only confirm that this is an unknown virus with the ability to spread rapidly through bodily fluids and blood, and its characteristics are highly similar to those recorded in certain taboo files.

The holographic projection suddenly went dark, and the conference room returned to silence.

At this point, Frost asked, "Does the Department of Biological Sciences have the capability to develop a vaccine for this virus? And what about those infected? Is there any possibility of saving them?"

His tone was calm, yet carried the straightforwardness and urgency characteristic of a soldier.

The holographic projection cast cold white spots of light on the supervisor's face, and his eyes, hidden behind his glasses, flickered slightly.

After a moment of silence, the supervisor finally spoke, giving a reply in a cautious tone:
"Vaccines – no problem. With our existing nanotechnology and editing techniques, my team is confident that we can develop a preventative vaccine for uninfected individuals within 72 hours."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people in the conference room softened slightly, but they all noticed the hesitation in the supervisor's change of tone.

Sure enough, the next sentence struck everyone present like a heavy hammer: "However, we have no hope for treating those who are already infected."

Through in-depth analysis of their body samples, we discovered that the virus's damage was not limited to the blood and organs, but directly eroded and reshaped the structure of the brain's neurotransmitters and limbic system.

Even if we forcibly use nanotechnology to extract or eliminate all viral particles in an infected person's body, the damaged brain cannot be restored.

In other words, even if their bodies survive, they will continue to exhibit extreme, frenzied violence.

Under the cold white light, the air felt even heavier.

Forros took a deep breath, a flash of pain crossing his eyes.

He nodded slowly and said in a deep voice, "So, you mean that they no longer belong to our fellow humans, and should be executed on the spot once discovered."

The supervisor nodded solemnly and without hesitation, confirming: "Yes, this is a cruel but necessary conclusion."

Upon hearing this, everyone understood that it meant they had to completely abandon any illusions of "treatment" and "forgiveness" and treat the infected as hostile targets that had to be eliminated.

Lei Ruoya slowly stood up.

The military stripes on her training uniform clung tightly to her aloof figure, as if highlighting her sharp will.

She surveyed the room, her voice firm and cold: "In that case, the objective is clear."

First, relying on the fighting strength of the Lamenters Company, we must launch a comprehensive search and evacuation as soon as possible to rescue as many of our compatriots on Earth as possible who have not yet been infected.

Second, all infected individuals, regardless of age, gender, or identity, should be eliminated to prevent future problems.

Third, the engineering department needs to immediately begin large-scale construction near the space gate, building a new city large enough to accommodate millions of survivors and provide them with safe haven.

Her tone was like a sharp steel blade, cutting through all doubts, and her words echoed in the conference room for a long time.

However, just as everyone was finishing this series of instructions, a slightly "cold" voice suddenly rang out.

“I agree with Lord Vitellius’s proposal, but there is one more point to add.”

The speaker was an agent from the Inquisition, a lean man with sharp, eagle-like eyes.

At this moment, the agent slowly clasped his hands together, his tone icy: "After the vaccine is successfully developed, we should proactively take in and control a large number of infected individuals."

Don't forget that no matter how filthy or insane these things are, they are essentially ready-made 'biological weapons'.

It can be used to infiltrate heretics and aliens in other universes, and also to deter those of our own kind who harbor ulterior motives.

The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the conference room instantly turned extremely cold.

Several agents from the investigation department frowned slightly, their eyes subtly wary.

Forros suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with anger, as if he was about to shout at them.

Lei Ruoya's face remained cold and stern, but her eyes darkened.

She did not respond immediately, but slowly approached the holographic projection, gazing at the frames of the infected people's frenzied and depraved figures on the screen.

Those hideous, twisted smiles, mixed with blood and filth, devoured all normal reason.

She paused for a few seconds, then said coldly, "Biological weapons? You're trying to turn these guys into weapons in our hands?"

The voice was completely still, yet it carried an extremely oppressive force that caused the temperature in the conference room to drop suddenly.

The Inquisition agent merely smiled faintly, offering no immediate rebuttal. Yet, this dangerous thought already sent a chill down everyone's spine.

Frost broke the tense atmosphere, speaking in a voice as loud as thunder:

“Those monsters are no longer human; they are deformed creatures completely twisted by the virus, filth that must be purified! If anyone attempts to use them as weapons, that is true blasphemy and betrayal.”

In his final words, his voice was low yet resolute: "Those infected were indeed incredibly insane, even more blasphemous than ordinary heretics, but they were once human beings, and death was the end they deserved."

In the conference room, everyone had a different expression.

The investigator's eyes flickered, but he remained silent.

The head of the biology department lowered his eyes slightly, seemingly unwilling to get involved in the debate.

Only Lei Ruoya slowly raised her head, her tone icy cold:
"Remember, we are the claws of the Empire. Our mission is to protect humanity, not to stoop to colluding with heretics. Any attempt to manipulate the infected will be seen as a dangerous betrayal."

These words, like a sharp sword slicing through the air, nailed the Inquisition agent's thoughts to the cold reality.

The agent shrugged and replied, "Okay, gentlemen, I just think it's a bit of a waste to do something like this, so that I won't be accused of betrayal."

After a brief silence, the meeting resumed.

The mission objectives were established one by one.

Rescuing uninfected individuals

Sweep away infected people

A new city was built to house the survivors.

The dangerous suggestion, though suppressed, remained buried deep within the hearts of everyone present, like an undercurrent.

The meeting ended in a less than "pleasant" atmosphere.

As everyone rose to leave, Lei Ruoya remained upright, her eyes sharp, as if she had already foreseen the bloodshed and trials to come.

The moment I stepped out of the meeting room, the air seemed to finally start flowing again.

The cold white light was left behind, and the light in the corridor was soft and warm, but the atmosphere was still heavy.

Fross and Leiroya walked side by side, their footsteps firm, their magnetic boots making a heavy sound on the metal floor.

After a moment of silence, he spoke slowly, his voice steady but carrying an undisguised sense of urgency:

"Commander Vitellius, our fleet is undergoing final readiness integration. The Weeping Company is expected to complete its full deployment in twelve hours."

Once the order is given, we will have the capability to conduct rapid global deployment and operations across the entire Earth in the shortest possible time.

Lei Ruoya nodded slightly, her face appearing extremely cold and stern in the light and shadow of the corridor.

“Very good.” She responded briefly, but her tone was firm as iron. “Speed ​​is one of our main advantages before this calamity spreads. The faster we establish full control, the less unnecessary sacrifices we can make.”

As the two were talking, they had already passed through the main building of the Department of Biology.

The heavy hatch slowly opened, and the outside world suddenly unfolded before our eyes—

The vast expanse of the frontline base came into view.

The sky was still shrouded in dark clouds, but above the enormous, mercury-mirror-like spatial gate, a breathtaking scene was slowly unfolding.

Enormous warships are crossing the space gate, emerging from the abyss of nothingness like steel behemoths.

The ship's hull gleamed with a cold metallic sheen, and Chinese characters shone brightly on its surface. As they gradually sailed out of the barrier of the space gate, their enormous shadows loomed over the entire frontline base, as if even the sky had been torn in two.

Subsequently, various ships adjusted their attitudes, and the flames from their engines streaked across the sky like comets.

The massive fleet, with its unparalleled power, swiftly pierced through the clouds and sped towards the outer atmosphere.

At that moment, all the soldiers and engineering staff stationed at the base looked up and stared, their eyes revealing a natural awe and shock.

That was a symbol of the power of the human empire, an iron wall that no calamity could shake.

As Forros watched this scene, his eyes gleamed with determination and pride.

"The company's battle flag will soon be planted on this home planet of humanity," he said, his tone brimming with barely suppressed arrogance.

Lei Ruoya did not respond, but simply watched the fleet gradually disappear into the horizon, as if confirming some kind of vow with unwavering resolve.

Just then, footsteps came from behind.

The head of the biology department quickly walked to the two of them. Although he remained calm, there was still a hint of exhaustion that he could not hide.

"Commander Vitellius." He nodded slightly in greeting, then said, "Regarding the survivors rescued by your Glory Legion, we have completed multiple rounds of testing, and we can confirm that there are no traces of infection in their bodies."

He paused, his tone softening slightly, revealing the caution characteristic of a scientist.

"However, to ensure absolute safety, we still keep them in isolation rooms."

The Biological Department's observations will continue for some time. Meanwhile, agents from the Investigation Department and officers from the Reconnaissance Unit will begin formal interrogations. This is not only part of security procedures but also to help us better understand the true state of Earth before the catastrophe.

Lei Ruoya turned her head, her face cold and stern, her tone steady and sharp: "Very good, a security review is necessary."

The experiences of the survivors may provide crucial clues; to rebuild order, we must first thoroughly understand the root causes of the chaos.

The supervisor nodded, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "Rest assured, we will complete the information integration as quickly as possible. As long as the vaccine can be developed as planned, coupled with the military deployment of your legion and the Weeping Company, I believe that this calamity will be unable to continue to spread."

The three stood in the base's plaza, the distant sky still echoing with the roar of ship engines.

The deep tremors, like war drums, heralded the impending all-out purge campaign.

The wind rustled the flags, and the imperial emblem fluttered against the azure sky.

Forros raised his head and said in a deep voice, "No matter the cost, whether it is the main universe or not, humanity's home planet will return to the Empire's control."

His tone showed no hesitation, as if he had already prepared for the upcoming "feast of blood."

Lei Ruoya's gaze was piercing as she coldly replied, "Yes, the infected will be completely eradicated, and the survivors will be sheltered again. Earth 19 will never fall into darkness again."

At this moment, an invisible solemnity permeated the air within the frontline base.

The prelude to the "war" has been slowly and silently drawn.
(End of this chapter)