Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 336 Successful Return (Tenth Update)
Valerie stepped forward and showed the still-shaken driver a bag containing gold bars—a "compensation" that Chen Yu had temporarily created using the ship's basic element synthesizer, whose value far exceeded the vehicle and the transport mission itself.

"This is your compensation, enough for you to buy ten new cars. Now, please get out of the car and walk to the side of the road. Our doctor will give you a simple health check and escort you to a safe area. We will borrow this car temporarily."

The driver looked at the gleaming gold bars in the bag, then at the group of people in front of him who were acting strangely and with superb skills, and wisely chose to cooperate.

McCoy then stepped forward to fulfill his duty of "ensuring the safety of the people," while briefly processing the driver's memory.

This was to avoid unnecessary trouble; although not as thorough as a nerve eraser, it was enough to confuse him about the details of the incident for a period of time.

The transport vehicle was successfully taken over, and the members of Mann's team quickly boarded it, with Valerie taking the driver's seat.

The vehicle restarted and headed toward the valley where the Enterprise was hidden.

Under Valerie's driving, the transport vehicle drove smoothly toward the valley outside the city.

Inside the carriage, the members of Mann's team had just relaxed, thinking that the most difficult part was over.

However, at what seemed like an ordinary intersection, a patrol car happened to be parked nearby. The officers inside noticed the large special transport vehicle and the faces in the driver's seat that were quite different from those of ordinary drivers.

The red light came on, and the transport truck stopped.

A young traffic officer stepped forward and routinely asked Valerie to show her driver's license and vehicle documents.

Jack immediately leaned out of the passenger seat, his face beaming with his signature smile, a mix of enthusiasm and bewilderment, and began to launch into a long, fabricated story. He claimed they were part of an avant-garde art group transporting "living sculptures" for a large-scale performance art piece, attempting to bluff his way out with exaggerated rhetoric and fictional details.

However, Valerie was unable to produce a driver's license that met the requirements of that era, and Jack's flawed story only deepened the officer's suspicions.

The officer's eyes became wary, and he put his hand on the walkie-talkie at his waist, signaling them to pull over and asking everyone to get out of the car for further inspection.

Things took a turn for the worse.

Valerie exchanged a glance with Mann in the back of the train and made a decision instantly.

Before the officer could speak again, Valerie struck with lightning speed, delivering a precise chop to the officer's neck, instantly knocking him unconscious.

She quickly dragged the officer to a relatively safe spot on the side of the road, then jumped back into the driver's seat, slammed on the gas, and the transport truck sped off with a screeching sound of tires.

“We’ve been exposed! Shake him off!” Valerie growled into the communicator.

The officer's partner, who had been knocked unconscious, had already called for backup via walkie-talkie.

Soon, the piercing sound of police sirens rang out from behind, and more and more police cars joined the chase.

The transport vehicle was large and not very maneuverable on the city streets; it was about to be surrounded by police cars.

Just at this critical moment, a group of people dressed in strange clothes and riding roaring motorcycles suddenly darted out from the alley next door—it was the same group of local hippies and their biker friends who had spoken to Jack earlier.

They clearly recognized Jack and his "unique" group of outsiders and saw that they were being chased by the police.

"Hey! It's those 'alien' friends!" the lead hippie shouted, then gestured to his companions.

The young men immediately understood. Their actions weren't driven by disregard for the law, but rather by a sense of brotherhood among like-minded individuals and a rebellious spirit against authority. In an instant, the motorcycle convoy split into two groups. One group accelerated ahead of the transport truck, deliberately weaving to block the pursuing police cars; the other group followed on either side of the truck, honking their horns and waving their clothes to create chaos and noise, drawing the police's attention.

Using their familiarity with the city's alleyways, they guided Valerie onto a side street that had not been planned in advance but avoided the main roads.

This sudden street chaos successfully disrupted the police's pursuit.

Taking advantage of the moment when the police were distracted by the motorcyclists, Valerie drove her transport truck sharply into a cluster of warehouses in an industrial area. After a few quick maneuvers and turns, she finally managed to shake off the pursuers temporarily.

"Well done, friends! I'll treat you to drinks later!" Jack leaned out of the car window and shouted at the motorcyclists who were scattering to distract the police, casually tossing a few remaining synthetic energy bars as a temporary thank you gift.

After a close call, the transport truck finally drove out of the city and sped towards the valley where the Enterprise was hiding.

This unexpected street chase, while adding unplanned risks, also unexpectedly tested the reliability of the fragile alliance they had built with the "marginalized" people of this era.

Ultimately, they successfully brought the transport vehicle carrying George and Grace back to the Enterprise.

The transport vehicle drove into the valley where the Enterprise was hidden without incident.

The crew, who were already prepared, immediately got to work.

Under Scott's command, the cargo door on the belly of the Enterprise slowly opened, and a powerful traction beam precisely enveloped the specially made container, smoothly hoisting it, along with George and Grace swimming peacefully inside, into the spacious cargo hold that had been temporarily modified.

Dr. Taylor stayed close throughout the entire process, directing efforts to ensure the whale was as comfortable as possible during the transfer.

Once the container was finally secured to the cargo hold base and the life support system began operating, simulating suitable water pressure, temperature, and salinity, she looked at George and Grace, who seemed largely unfazed by the water, and breathed a long sigh of relief.

However, when Kirk gestured for her to leave and return to her time, Dr. Taylor firmly shook her head.

“No, Captain Kirk,” her gaze swept over the incredible starship, finally settling on the whale-shaped container, “I’ve spent years studying them, learning about them. They are my responsibility.”

Now you are going to take them to a completely unfamiliar era, to face an unknown... probe.

They need familiar voices, they need someone who can understand their condition. I must be with them.

Kirk looked at the stubborn scientist and understood her concerns.

Considering her knowledge of whales and the help she could offer, as well as the fact that she had already been drawn into a time paradox, Kirk, after a brief deliberation, agreed to her request: "Alright, Doctor, welcome aboard. But please remember, what you are about to see may overturn your understanding."

Dr. Taylor nodded solemnly.

All personnel quickly boarded the ship, and the cargo hold doors were tightly closed.

The Enterprise's engines started, and its optical stealth system allowed the colossal ship to rise silently into the 20th-century sky as if it had never existed, piercing the heavens.

"All systems in place, Captain," Sulu reported.

"Set course, head to the sun. Repeat the gravity ejection procedure." Kirk's voice echoed across the bridge, resolute.

(End of this chapter)