Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1704, Chapter 1700: The Civilized World

Flocks of yellowish-grey wild sheep thronged the army of the emperor and his royal guards. Caravans laden with mysterious machinery and goods were pulled by several herds of tamed wild horses, the dust kicked up by their hooves nearly obscuring the setting sun. Every bush Miller saw was covered in a thin layer of dust. The damp air grew cool as dusk approached, but Miller felt no relief. Despite their slow pace, the sound of the caravan traversing the plains and the dust it raised could be seen kilometers away. He wondered if the people of this era would feel any hostility towards them.

He clumsily pulled on the reins, squeezing past the foot soldiers to the front of the caravan. "Will we be attacked?" Captain Miller asked the man seated on the enormous, winged, pure white horse. "This caravan possesses a tremendous fortune in this era. If there are rulers where we're going... will you kill them? After all, you're taking their children with you; I doubt this deal will be pleasant."

The emperor glanced down at him. "You're worried about the grandfather paradox, Captain?"

"This is my first time time travel. Did you expect me to learn anything about time from 'The Terminator'?"

Miller was prepared to endure harsh words. After a brief time together, he had grown accustomed to the Emperor's way of speaking; this deliberate withholding of information was often unbearable for those with strong pride, especially since the Emperor had concealed the supernatural events surrounding the Event Horizon that had claimed the lives of many of his companions—fortunately, he wasn't that kind of person. He was now in an unfamiliar era, and to return to his original timeline, he would have to accept the Emperor's conditions—he was determined that if they did face an interstellar war after returning to the future, he would resign after the war ended.

"Furthermore, I am no longer the captain, and I do not own any ships."

"You will have a ship." The emperor paused, then changed the subject. "Now we are in the Neolithic Age. Obviously, you missed this knowledge in your basic education. There are no organized armies in this era. Due to changes in the Earth's tilt, the former Sahara Forest is degenerating into a desert, and the Mesopotamian Plain will also fall into drought in the future."

"I don't believe any tribe would agree to trade sheep for people." Captain Miller glanced sarcastically at the Imperial Guard commander accompanying the Emperor and the maid on another horse. He noticed the frighteningly beautiful maid carrying a large-caliber rifle slung over her back, her simple saddlebags overflowing with ammunition. "So you're going to solve this by force? With your super soldiers and guns?"

"You're optimistic, Captain Miller. You don't have much respect for me, even though I saved your life."

"I'm already in this era, what else can I do? I won't deny my freedom just because someone wears golden power armor, although I'm still grateful for your help." Miller spread his hands, trying to ignore the maid's furious glare that almost pierced him. He was now very curious whether the maid was also some kind of brainwashed super soldier, otherwise she wouldn't have reacted emotionally when he failed to maintain his manners. "Now tell me your next plan, Your Majesty. Although I know you won't promote democracy in this era, I will turn a blind eye when you commit tyranny."

"They will be my subjects, Captain Miller, just like you, so I suggest you remain polite." The Emperor gently patted the Pegasus's neck. Its massive wings spread, kicking up dust that made Captain Miller squint and cough, thus preventing him from seeing the mischievous smile on the maid's face. "Your job isn't just commanding the ship, Captain Miller; you also need to provide education. Diana will assist you in this work. Be careful; she's strict."

After several days of stopping and starting, Captain Miller discovered that the horses' hooves could no longer kick up dust.

Every caravan track lay strewn with fallen nettles, the air thick with the fresh scent of broken grass. The hungry sheep, needing no guidance, broke free from their dependence on the salt from the caravan and on the lead sheep (this unfortunate fellow, lured there by the salt, was still tied to the first caravan), and charged headlong into the lush pastures growing on the damp earth. Just as they were setting up camp to rest, Captain Miller finally received some news from a maid.

The Imperial Guard's reconnaissance indicated a large human village thirty kilometers away. This news sent a jolt through Miller's heart, as the Emperor had never explicitly stated his intended actions. Captain Miller didn't know whether the tribe would face trade or conquest. He didn't want to see bloodshed, although the power to decide whether to shed blood wasn't entirely in the Emperor's hands.

Even if the emperor gave away all the cows and goats, he couldn't take away all the school-aged children from a tribe. In any era, the number of children in a tribe almost determined the future of the entire tribe, and no intelligent tribal ruler would agree to such a condition—he only hoped that the rulers of those tribes wouldn't become greedy for the emperor's vast wealth and that the worst possible outcome of unnecessary bloodshed wouldn't occur—that is, the emperor killing all those who resisted in that tribe and leaving only those who could obey him. Even if this behavior perfectly aligned with the barbaric logic of the time, Captain Miller still believed himself to be a person from the civilized world, and that the emperor should leave the world with civilization, not barbarity.

"We'll arrive at that tribe tomorrow." The maid placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, looking at him expressionlessly. Captain Miller had seen this weapon cut through steel and pierce human flesh with ease. She warned, "No one can contradict our lord's decision, Captain. Don't harbor any foolish thoughts."

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First Officer Stark simply tied his long blond hair into a ponytail, changed into the blue-black uniform of the Punishment, and walked out of the room. Lieutenant Cooper had been waiting outside for some time, also wearing the blue-black uniform with a visitor pass around his neck. They were the only two strangers on the ship; the other crew members refused to reveal any classified information, but the soldiers on the bridge in their all-encompassing combat gear made it clear that this rescue ship definitely had its own purpose.

"Justin is doing well," Lieutenant Cooper said, his first words referring to the unfortunate fellow sucked into space from the airlock. "He's having his second tracheal reconstruction surgery today. The doctor told me he might not see again unless he agrees to have a prosthetic body. Where are you headed today?"

"The captain invited me to the bridge." First Officer Stark and Lieutenant Cooper walked side by side. The passageways of the Punishment were spacious, unlike the narrow passageways of similar ships. Since arriving on this ship, their movements had been strictly restricted, and they were subjected to checks every few days. From basic physical examinations, psychopathological examinations, psychochemical examinations, and even hypnosis tests, they had undergone the Rorschach inkblot test no fewer than five times, each time requiring them to take a variety of strange drugs. Initially, Lieutenant Cooper resisted taking the drugs, but after being subdued by the soldiers several times, he became more compliant. Furthermore, since the drugs didn't cause any significant side effects, they were granted limited freedom on this ship.

"Did the captain mention when we could return to Earth?"

"She only told me they were going on a mission. The rescue mission was just one of the missions, Cooper."

"I thought they wanted the hyperspace engine."

“That son of a bitch Will…maybe, but that doesn’t matter anymore.” First Officer Stark sighed. “I doubt we’ll go anywhere even if we get back to Earth. Don’t rush to argue with me, Cooper. Think about it. Our mission is known only to Houston, the Pentagon, the NSA, and the White House. Captain Miller is dead, Dr. Will has become a monster, and the Lewis and Clark and Event Horizon are just wreckage. Do you think those auditors and intelligence chiefs at the hearings will accept that? Not to mention we even received help from that ship…”

Her voice grew softer and softer, and even Cooper, who wasn't particularly politically astute, could understand her thoughts.

"We..." Lieutenant Cooper opened his mouth, the usual smile completely vanishing from his face. He stammered, "...We can't go back?"

"We have to return to the United States through official channels, or we might be arrested by Secret Service as soon as we get off the plane," First Officer Stark said listlessly. "We're not space heroes anymore. We can only be traitors."

After passing through several airlocks with his pass, First Officer Stark arrived at the bridge.

Unlike typical spaceships with only small portholes, this ship's bridge was bathed in cold sunlight streaming through massive floor-to-ceiling windows. Tita, clad in black armor and a red robe, nodded to First Officer Stark, gesturing for him to stand beside her. First Officer Stark glanced at the soldiers in black all-weather combat suits on the bridge before cautiously approaching, standing a meter away from the Sisterhood's leader, unwilling to come any closer.

"We are almost at our battle position. Stark, you will be our witness."

Tita pointed to the holographic tactical projector beside her, each dot representing a ship. The Sisterhood leader knew the Emperor wasn't particularly satisfied with these ships; even though these nearly automated spaceships were the size of Earth's main destroyers, they were still insufficient for the Emperor's future strategy, and somewhat inadequate for a space war. Nevertheless, this was the result of the Mars space station's best efforts; the people the Emperor had originally sent to govern Mars had more important tasks.

"War? With whom? This is the edge of the solar system!"

"Of course, it's the enemies eyeing the solar system," Tita said proudly, looking into First Officer Stark's eyes. "This is humanity's universe; there's no room for alien creatures. Those greedy aliens have already established outposts on the edge of the solar system. We must eradicate them completely and cut off their reach towards humanity. Politicians on Earth are still concerned with their own interests. Only our Lord can see the crisis facing humanity. We will obtain the evidence and let those fools on Earth see the cruelty of this universe, and let them see that only our Lord can lead humanity forward."

The entire bridge, including the helmsman and communications officer, was busy with their work. Even the Martian technical officer in his red robe remained at his post, conversing quietly with several officers around him. The man covered in prosthetics was extremely conspicuous, and First Officer Stark couldn't help but glance at him several times. She thought of what Cooper had told her about Justin, and wondered if Justin, after getting prosthetics, would also have two ridiculous green round lenses in his eyes like this man.

"Why me?"

"After the landing site is established, you'll stand beside me. You must witness those aliens with your own eyes." Tita didn't say anything more, nor did she offer any proof, simply leaving First Officer Stark standing there dumbfounded. The existence of aliens in this world was no longer news; the battles in New York and London both indicated that there was more than one type of alien. But this time was different—in the minds of other Earthlings, the Battle of New York was due to some technology beyond the control of both humans and aliens, and the London invasion was some accidental, unusual astronomical phenomenon (at least that's what the media said; all the countries that held the power of public opinion were in complete agreement on this). Now, aliens had reached the edge of the solar system and even established an outpost—an unprecedented distance. Even more chilling was that Earth knew nothing about it.

First Officer Stark could sense a crisis emanating from this simple information. It indicated that these aliens, who had established an outpost on the edge of the solar system, possessed faster-than-light travel and space construction capabilities, and that humanity was currently powerless against such an adversary. Thinking of this, Stark felt a wave of disorientation wash over her; she didn't know if she would ever be able to go home. She simply stared blankly at the numerous screens on the bridge and the starlight outside the huge portholes. Tita occasionally glanced at her, completely unconcerned about what the woman was thinking.

A piercing alarm suddenly sounded, and all the crew members quickened their pace in an orderly manner, as if they were machines that had been plugged in.

"Radiation detected, Captain!" a crew member shouted from below the bridge. "The aliens have spotted us!"

"Activate contingency plan." Tita raised her voice slightly, but remained calm. "Increase shield power, damage control ready. Missiles ready, boarding force boarding." Clearly, everyone, including her, was quite familiar with this set of instructions. After nearly a hundred simulations, all crew members could now execute the orders perfectly in the shortest amount of time.

"Where are the enemies?" First Officer Stark tried to observe the target through the porthole, but she saw nothing but beautiful stars filling the dark void and crowding the porthole. This made her begin to wonder if it was all a hoax, and whether she would later enter some kind of film studio and meet aliens with special effects makeup.

Tita didn't give her any attention.

Even though she knew it was the Emperor's plan, not seeing him always made her very uneasy. Ever since witnessing the Emperor's ship enter the vortex created by the Event Horizon's collision with Neptune's atmosphere, all the crew members, including the captain, could feel the growing rage of all the girls in black powered armor on board growing stronger every day. If it weren't for the dedicated training area on the ship where they could vent their emotions, no one knew if they might one day draw their chainsaws and start a fight. At this moment, Tita's armored hand gripped the longsword at her waist tightly. She listened through gritted teeth to the reports from the various officials on board, while miniature drones equipped with data panels floated around her, visually displaying the data provided by each department.

It seemed like only a moment had passed when the entire porthole lit up with a light that was almost like a supernova explosion.

"Prepare for attack." Tita finally stepped down from the bridge command seat, her face beaming with excitement. She couldn't wait to unleash the pent-up anger she had been holding in. "I will lead the assault."