Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 333 Memories of the Past (Seventh Update)

At the pre-departure briefing, Kirk emphasized the mission's unique nature and potential risks. "We do not belong to this era, and any slight interference could trigger unpredictable spacetime paradoxes. Therefore, this operation must be kept to a minimum."

He looked around at his familiar crew. "Spock, McCoy, Sulu, Chekhov... and Chen Yu, you'll be with me. Scott, you stay on board and make sure the Enterprise is ready to take off at any time and remains stealthy. All other crew members are strictly prohibited from leaving the ship without permission."

Chen Yu's massive frame seemed out of place inside the shuttle cabin, but he appeared to have a strong interest in this time travel and his encounter with "ancient" Earth civilization.

His sensors constantly scan the external environment, recording the unique atmospheric composition, electromagnetic spectrum, and biological signals of this era.

Although this era and this Earth are still not his homeland, this point in time is the closest he has come to leaving his homeland, and everything here feels familiar to him.

But at this moment, he could no longer walk openly on the street, and even needed to hide his figure as much as possible, as his inhuman form was too shocking on the streets of the 20th century.

The group changed into simple clothes that were in line with the times. Although Spock's Vulcan ears needed to be covered by a hat, Chen Yu had to stay at a relatively hidden rendezvous point for the time being.

“Based on historical records,” Spock analyzed in his unchanging logical tone, “during this period, institutions studying marine mammals were mainly concentrated in coastal areas. We can try to get information on humpback whale migration routes and current locations from local universities, marine research institutes, and… well, ‘Whale Watch’ tour companies.”

Dr. McCoy frowned at his surroundings, muttering complaints about the primitive air pollution and poor public health: "I can't believe our ancestors lived in such an environment..."

The mission thus began.

Kirk and his team, these 23rd-century space explorers, blend into the crowds of 1980s San Francisco and embark on their seemingly impossible mission—to find humpback whales that are endangered in this era but have long since disappeared in their time.

Meanwhile, Chen Yu, behind the scenes, used his powerful information processing capabilities to attempt to infiltrate the nascent computer networks of this era, which he viewed as mere toys, to support the search in another way.

Time was ticking away, second by second, while on their original timeline, the destruction of Earth was still counting down.
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The tasks were carried out separately.

Kirk and Spock were in charge of finding whales and planning the acquisition, while Dr. McCoy worked closely with Scott, the engineer who stayed at the company, to design and build a large aquatic container that could transport live humpback whales aboard the Enterprise.

This requires simulating the marine environment, maintaining life systems, and ensuring that it can withstand the pressure of time travel, which is a considerable undertaking.

However, for the crew of the Enterprise, who had carried out much more complex and dangerous missions, searching for humpback whales in the 20th century was not a particularly dangerous task for them.

While Kirk and his team were busy searching for the humpback whale, Chen Yu was not entirely uninvolved.

He remained at a relatively concealed rendezvous point, where a nimble mechanical tentacle had quietly connected to the nascent global computer network, which he considered as rudimentary as a child's toy.

The data stream poured into his processing core at a slow pace that he could not fully appreciate.

He browsed news from the late 20th century, academic databases, and early versions of internet forums, feeling the unique atmosphere of that era, a mixture of hope and confusion.

Although the information was primitive, it carried a vibrant, raw energy characteristic of the civilized youth.

An indescribable, almost "emotional" flow of data stirred ripples in his highly rational thought process.

Strictly speaking, this might be the closest he's come to his "hometown" Earth in terms of timeline since his transmigration. Not Holy Terra, not Night City, not the Federal Utopia, but this "Earth" full of life, where technology is just beginning, and problems and opportunities coexist.

This unfamiliar emotion drove him to take an action that seemed extremely risky and even bizarre to outsiders.

He briefly left his hiding place, using optical camouflage and counter-detection techniques to silently blend into the streets of San Francisco in the evening.

His goal was clear—a vending machine flashing neon lights.

He used his mechanical tentacles to insert the coin of this era that he had obtained from Kirk, and pressed the button marked "PEPSI".

Two blue-packaged metal cans rolled out.

He picked up a can, and the cold touch was transmitted through a sensor.

Back at the temporary base, he opened one of the cans.

The faint hiss of carbon dioxide release was exceptionally clear in the silence.

Instead of using sensors to instantly analyze its chemical composition, sugar concentration, and additive composition as he usually does, he did not do so.

Instead, he deliberately shut down almost all external sensors and internal analysis modules, retaining only the most basic and original taste buds.

He slowly poured the liquid into his mouth, and a long-lost, overly sweet taste signal directly assaulted his sensory circuits.

"...Sure enough, it's the familiar smell, like cleaning agents." A long-forgotten memory from hundreds of years ago was awakened, a smell that he thought he had forgotten, but in fact he still remembered.

He didn't drink any more.

This mixture of sugars and chemicals offers no real benefit to his now highly efficient metabolic system.

But what he did was more like a ritual, an awkward touch on a nearly forgotten past.

Then, he picked up another unopened can of Coke and, without hesitation, activated a small static force field generator.

A fleeting pale blue light sealed the carbonated beverage, which held special memories for him, along with its vibrant molecular activity, within the amber of time.

He didn't know why he was doing it.

Perhaps, for a wise explorer, the instinct to collect "data" extends beyond technology and knowledge to include these unique "samples of the times" that have no practical use.

After completing all this, he carefully put away the jar of "living fossil," refocused the crimson optical lens, and reconnected to the slow torrent of the network, continuing to provide information support from another dimension for the mission to find the humpback whale in his efficient and calm manner.

(End of this chapter)