From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 720 Unexpected Invisible Pressure
Far from the orbit of the Ishimura, in deep space about six million kilometers above the surface of Aegis 7, a blue-white light suddenly tore through the void.

That was a spatial ripple left over from when the faster-than-light engine shut down in the Dead Space universe. Immediately following it, a rescue ship smaller than Luna's transport ship gradually appeared.

The ship's hull is marked with scratches and mottled old paint, as if it has witnessed countless hasty dispatches and desperate requests for help.

The bow markings are clearly visible, identifying it as the USS Kellyon.

The rescue boat's engines roared silently in the vacuum, its tail nozzles emitting pale blue plasma light, as it rushed towards Aegis 7's near-Earth orbit with an anxious and hurried demeanor.

Inside the cockpit, red warning lights flashed rhythmically, reminding everyone that electromagnetic interference in the current space was still unstable.

The female member at the communications station operated the control panel; her voice was amplified through the radio, but due to signal interference, it sounded slightly noisy.
"Ishimura, please respond. This is the Kellyon rescue boat. To reiterate, this is the Kellyon, please respond!"

However, all that echoed in the headphones was a crackling noise like an electric current pulling, a dead silence mixed with static electricity, making one feel increasingly uneasy.

The reporter put down his microphone, his expression somewhat grave.

A brief silence fell over the cockpit as the crew members exchanged glances, their eyes filled with barely concealed anxiety and hesitation.

The cabin was dimly lit, with only the fluorescent green light from the control panel illuminating everyone's faces, making their expressions appear even more tense.

The nameplate on the female member's chest shimmered in the light and shadow, bearing the name "Candra Daniels".

She pursed her lips, her gaze still searching for any possible signal echoes on the screen. In the corner of the cockpit, several armed mercenaries and engineers who accompanied her were already quietly in their positions.

Their equipment wasn't particularly advanced; compared to the federal army, it was even considered rudimentary. But in each of their eyes lay a resolute determination to survive and protect.

Seated in the front position was the safety officer of the Kellyon rescue team—

A burly, bald man with deep-set brows and a cold gaze; his nameplate clearly reads "Zack Hammond".

Behind the security officer, a man in overalls with a calm demeanor quietly gazed at the deep void outside the porthole.

His facial features were resolute, his expression solemn and silent, yet he exuded a silent sense of "gravity." His nameplate bore only the simple words, "Isaac Clark."

With the Ishimura still not responding, the atmosphere in the cockpit grew increasingly heavy.

It was as if the entire rescue boat was shrouded in invisible pressure, and every slight tremor of the bulkhead seemed to remind them that they were gradually approaching some unknown abyss.

"Maintain course."

Zach Hammond gave the order in a low, hoarse voice, yet with the calm composure typical of a security officer.

Hammond knew very well that backing down wouldn't solve the problem. Since the Kellyon had been sent by the company, their duty was to find out the truth.

However, at that moment, the radar screen suddenly lit up with a blinding red light.

The driver was startled, then quickly looked up at the detector echo, his voice trembling with disbelief:

"Sir, two large ships have been spotted ahead. Their signals are unidentifiable."

Before he finished speaking, the entire cockpit fell silent.

The bright spots on the radar waveform occupied the entire screen, huge and clear, and the oppressive feeling was enough to make anyone who was used to seeing warships feel cold.

"Zoom in," Hammond said quickly.

"Yes."

As the command was executed, two enormous shadows gradually appeared in the deep space of the holographic image.

As the rescue boat drew closer, the shadows gradually solidified until they were fully revealed to everyone.
Those were two steel behemoths, slightly larger than the Ishimura.

Their hulls are sharp and angular, like two sleeping steel behemoths standing in the void.

The main gun muzzle on the bow was enormous and almost frightening, and it was now locking onto the Kellyon with perfect accuracy. Moreover, blue energy patterns were faintly shimmering on the hull, showing a grandeur and solemnity that was completely different from the Federation's technology.

The lights in the cockpit seemed to lose their presence for a moment, and everyone turned their gaze to the porthole. The overwhelming pressure caused the pilot to instinctively jerk the control stick, causing the rescue boat to decelerate rapidly. The inertia pulled everyone forward slightly.

"This is not a Federation ship."

Candela murmured softly, his pupils suddenly contracting.

Her voice almost represented the sentiments of everyone present.

The silence of the Ishimura was already unsettling enough, but the two massive steel ships looming in the void at this moment undoubtedly transformed that unease into a chilling fear.

The Kellyon rescue boat was completely intercepted in mid-air, the shadow of the bow gun barrel, which seemed capable of annihilating the entire small boat in an instant, coldly shrouded them.

In the entire cockpit, only the beeping of the instrument panel and the crew's rapid breathing mingled together, as if even their heartbeats were magnified infinitely at this moment.

At this moment, a cold, metallic voice suddenly rang out in the previously silent communication channel.

The sound seemed to penetrate the heavy hull of the ship and strike the soul directly, so heavy that it made one's breath catch in their throat.

"Kelion, this is the Imperial Guard Legion of the Human Empire."

The concise and sharp opening was like a boulder thrown into the void, giving everyone a jolt.

Then, the voice continued, each word carrying an undeniable authority:
"We do not want any armed conflict with you, so please disarm immediately, maintain the status quo, and wait for us to recover your rescue boat."

Note: Do not attempt to escape, and do not make any suspicious movements; otherwise, you will bear the consequences.

As the last syllable faded, the cockpit fell into an eerie silence, as if the air had been sucked away.

The low-frequency beeping of the buzzer still echoed in my ears, but compared to the oppressive presence of the two colossal ships, this sound seemed insignificant.

"Humanity. Empire? Imperial Warrior Legion?"

Candela Daniels repeated in a low voice, a look of unprecedented confusion in his eyes.

Her fingertips froze on the control panel, and her throat tightened.

In the cockpit, everyone subconsciously exchanged glances, their eyes filled with the same questions and fear.

What exactly is that?
Why has this power never been heard of within the territory of the Earth Federation?

Who are they? Where did they come from? And why are they able to deploy such a massive fleet in this region of space?

The atmosphere inside the cabin was so tense it was almost frozen, as if even the lights were trembling coldly.

In the end, everyone's eyes fell on Zach Hammond.

The security officer had a somber expression, more somber than anyone else.

His chest heaved, but he remained calm and rational, his arms crossed over the front of his armor, his eyes fixed on the massive silhouette of the ship outside the porthole.

Before their arrival, they received very clear orders: a direct dispatch from the superiors of Harmony Mining Company. The order stated that the Ishimura had encountered an anomaly while performing planetary disintegration operations, suspected to be due to magnetic field interference, resulting in a complete communication blackout.

The mission of the Kellyon was to go there to investigate and carry out rescue operations.

In Hammond's understanding, this was nothing more than a dangerous, yet quite common, mining accident.

But reality completely overturned his expectations in just a few minutes.

They were not facing some natural disaster or equipment failure, but a force far exceeding that of the Federation fleet.

Outside the porthole, the two Valiant-class cruisers resembled massive steel walls stretching across the galaxy; any firing of their cannons could instantly obliterate the Kellyon.

Hammond knew that even if they unleashed all the firepower of the rescue boat, they wouldn't be able to leave a single mark on the enemy's armor.

At this thought, the oppressive chill in his heart grew even heavier.
Resistance is a dead end.

Escape? With this space locked, it would be tantamount to suicide.

He took a deep breath, his chest aching slightly from the suffocating air, but he remained calm and slowly began to speak:
"Since they emphasize that they do not want conflict, it means that they do not necessarily regard us as enemies."

His words were calm and steady, but without a trace of ease. Everyone in the cockpit listened intently, each word like a hammer hanging on the edge of life and death.

“If we resist, or rashly try to escape,” Hammond’s cold gaze swept over each crew member, “the result will only be a pointless sacrifice for everyone, with no chance of survival.”

The air inside the cabin seemed a few degrees colder.

Everyone stared blankly, and they all knew that Hammond was telling the truth.

“So—” his voice was low, but carried an undeniable weight, “we must make our stance clear, at least let them see that we are willing to cooperate.”

His gaze fell on Candela: "Daniels, respond to them via communications and tell them that we will cooperate with the arrangements as much as possible."

Candela bit her lip, her hands still trembling slightly, but she quickly pressed the communication button.

His voice was visibly tense, and he tried hard to control his emotions as he replied:
"This is the Kellyon. We will follow your instructions, disarm, and remain on standby. Please confirm."

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone in the cockpit held their breath, their eyes fixed on the holographic screen, waiting for that cold, metallic sound to come again.

A few seconds felt like an eternity.

Each heartbeat was magnified infinitely, like the booming of war drums in my ears.

Finally, a response came through the channel. The voice was still deep and cold, but it seemed to have lost some of its sharpness and gained a hint of certainty after confirmation.
"Kellyon, received. Maintain status. You will be taken over by us. Please wait quietly."

With this response, the tense atmosphere in the cockpit eased slightly, but no one dared to relax.

Outside the porthole, the two cruisers, like steel behemoths, still stood, their massive silhouettes reflected on the rescue boat's glass, creating an oppressive, "sky-covering" effect.

Hammond remained silent for a long time before slowly exhaling.

He knew very well that this was just the beginning: the anomalies of the Ishimura, the sudden appearance of the so-called human empire, and the "Imperial Warrior Legion"—

The truth behind all of this is far greater than any of them could have imagined.

Shortly afterward, a large cargo ship slowly appeared outside the view of the Kellyon.

Closely following behind were two sharply styled carrier-based aircraft speeding in, their flight paths clean and crisp, like sharp swords drawing sharp arcs in the void.

The cabin lights illuminated the crew's pale faces, and they instinctively held their breath.

As the slot in the center of the cargo ship's hold opened, a beam of traction light emanating from the blue sky was suddenly released, like a long chain in the void, tightly binding the Kellyon.

"We're locked down."

The driver swallowed hard, his hands hanging limply at the control lever.

The rescue boat trembled slightly, then stopped responding to any commands, as if it had become a puppet under the will of the other party, forced to act.

The traction beam stabilized and dragged it to the belly of the massive cargo ship.

At this moment, everyone, whether in the cockpit or the narrow corridors of the cabin, could feel a bone-chilling sense of powerlessness.

Under the irresistible force, the entire Kellyon was like a small boat drifting with the current, being carried into the trajectory of a cruiser's massive hangar.

"Oh my god."

Candela Daniels couldn't help but whisper.

Her voice trembled slightly, and her hands gripped the communication panel tightly, but she didn't touch any buttons.

Her eyes flickered, revealing not only fear but also some complex, unspoken emotions.

Finally, the Kellyon was accurately placed on the cruiser's hangar deck by the cargo boat.

Boom. Boom.
The buffer support emitted a slight metallic scraping sound, and the vibrations reverberated throughout the ship.

Just as the cabin was about to stabilize, the entire rescue team looked outside, and almost simultaneously, their pupils contracted sharply—

On the deck stood rows of "giants" clad in heavy power armor.

These figures stood in neat rows, their armor reflecting the light from the hangar, the golden badges and legion crests on their breastplates gleaming in the cold light.

Even through the porthole, everyone could still feel the oppressive atmosphere, so heavy it was almost suffocating.

They were towering figures, much taller than ordinary people. A quick glance revealed that they were over two and a half meters tall, with broad shoulder armor, thick arms, and a steady gait like a mountain.

"Is this still human?"

An engineer murmured, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

No one answered, because everyone had the same question on their minds.

The beings before them were far beyond their understanding of humanity.

Hammond stared at the giants outside the window, his expression somber and resolute. He knew very well that staying inside the submarine would only worsen the situation. He then spoke in a deep voice:
"Let's go. We can't keep hiding inside forever."

As soon as he finished speaking, although everyone had different expressions, they were all moved by his calmness and authority.

Isaac silently tightened the safety buckle on his work clothes. Candela took a deep breath and barely managed to calm himself down. The other soldiers and engineers also gathered at the hatch and lined up in a queue.

As the hatch slowly opened, a blinding white light rushed in, making one's eyes tremble.

As the light faded, the sight before them made their hearts tighten again; they were now "surrounded."

A column of Imperial soldiers stood around the deck, wielding .75cal bolt muskets. Beneath their cold visors emanated an invisible pressure, and the air seemed to grow heavy because of Astartes' presence, each breath accompanied by a tangible sense of oppression.
(End of this chapter)