Page 259
Page 259
"Thrusters! Maximum power! Faster!" Lin Ye roared.
The main thruster unleashed its final blue flames, propelling the massive database toward the tunnel!
[Warning! The abnormal structure has become significantly more active due to stimulation! The seal stability has decreased to 68%!]
"Never mind it! Let's get out of here!" Lin Ye roared.
The database struggled to break free from the dust cloud and rushed toward the eerily glowing entrance of T-9. It wasn't a traditional hatch, but rather more like a membrane made of energy, constantly and subtly undulating.
Behind them, the ferocious outlines of three Void Predators were clearly visible, and the energy gatherers at the bows began to emit a dangerous glow.
"They've locked onto us!" Lisa screamed.
He charged towards the entrance with all his might! Lin Ye stared intently at the energy membrane that was getting closer and closer.
Less than 500 meters from the entrance!
The Void Predator fired! Three beams of energy pierced the darkness, heading straight for the tail of the database!
At this critical moment, the database suddenly plunged into the energy membrane!
As if passing through a layer of viscous water, the view outside the observation window was instantly replaced by flowing, eerie light. A violent tremor and a sense of impact came from behind—the pursuers' artillery fire seemed to be mostly blocked by that energy membrane.
They...came in?
Lin Ye and Li Sha stared out the window, still shaken. They were in a winding passage, its inner walls pulsating slightly like biological tissue. A dim light shone through the walls, providing illumination, and the air was filled with an indescribable, slightly sweet and metallic scent.
The database was crookedly stopped in the passageway, and sparks were coming out of many places on the hull, rendering it completely paralyzed.
"We...we're in?" Lisa murmured incredulously.
"They're in..." Lin Ye let out a long breath. He looked behind him; the energy membrane was still there, and he could vaguely see the blurry silhouettes of the Void Predator ships outside, but they didn't seem to be following him in.
Are we safe for now?
No.
Lin Ye's gaze turned to the depths of the passage, to the dark, seemingly endless distance that led into the body of some enormous creature.
New dangers may have only just begun.
[Energy reserves: 1.2%. Engine core has completely stopped. Internal seal stability: 68%, and slowly decreasing under abnormal structural activity.] The data reported by the sentinel instantly extinguished the glimmer of relief that had just risen within him.
They simply escaped from one desperate situation into another unknown, potentially equally dangerous one.
Li Sha unbuckled her seatbelt, stood up unsteadily, and walked to the observation window. She reached out and touched the cold glass, as if to confirm that what she was seeing was not an illusion.
This place... is so eerie. She said softly, "These walls look alive."
Lin Ye unbuckled his seatbelt and rubbed his throbbing temples. At least we've temporarily shaken off our pursuers. Sentinel, can you scan the internal structure of this construct?
The scan was being heavily interfered with. The sentry replied that they could only detect a radius of about 100 meters. The passage seemed to lead to some deeper core area.
What about the air composition? Li Sha suddenly thought of something, "Can we go outside?"
Air composition: The nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio is suitable for breathing, but it contains unknown volatile organic compounds. Environmental isolation is recommended before exiting the cabin.
Lin Ye walked to the control panel and pulled up the energy distribution map. We need to find an energy supply as soon as possible. The database won't last much longer.
But this place looks even poorer than us. Li Sha looked around at the biological-textured walls. These things must be starving themselves, right?
Just then, a faint rustling sound came from deep within the passage. The sound was very soft, but it was exceptionally clear in the deathly silence.
What was that sound? Li Sha immediately became alert.
Lin Ye gestured for her to be quiet and listened intently. The sound was like something crawling along the fleshy walls of the passage, coming closer from afar.
Sentry, have you detected any life signals?
No standard life signs were detected, but the vibration patterns of the channel walls indicated that an object was moving.
Suddenly, the eerie light on the walls of the passage began to flicker irregularly, as if conveying some kind of message. The previously slow-pulsating blood vessels suddenly quickened their rhythm.
"Is...is it warning us?" Lisa asked anxiously.
Lin Ye did not answer; his attention was drawn to the fragment of the Key of Creation in his arms. The fragment was emitting a faint warmth, and that warmth resonated with something deep within the passage.
This thing... is guiding the way. Lin Ye took out the fragment and found that it was emitting a soft, pulsating light towards the depths of the passage.
"You don't actually want to follow this thing's directions, do you?" Li Sha's eyes widened. In this godforsaken place?
Do we have any other choice? Lin Ye smiled bitterly. Sit here and wait for the energy to run out? Or wait for the seal to completely collapse?
Li Sha opened her mouth, but finally sighed helplessly. "You're right. But before we go out, we need to be fully prepared."
She hurried to the storage area and began rummaging through the available equipment. She had three intact spacesuits left, and the oxygen reserves could last about six hours. As for weapons... she only had a blast welding torch and a few plasma cutters.
"Take everything you can." Lin Ye said, "Sentinel, you stay here to maintain the seal and try to repair the communication system. We'll contact you immediately if we find an energy source."
Understood. I suggest you check communications every ten minutes. If contact is lost for more than thirty minutes, I will activate the emergency protocol.
Emergency protocol? Li Sha raised an eyebrow. What's that?
If it is determined that the damage is irreversible, initiate the database self-destruct procedure to prevent the internal abnormal structure from falling into the hands of the enemy.
Lin Ye and Li Sha exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes.
Hopefully, it won't come to that. Lin Ye took a deep breath. Are you ready?
Li Sha hung the last plasma cutter on her belt and nodded. "Let's go. I want to see what secrets this godforsaken place holds."
They walked slowly toward the airlock, both from exhaustion and from their wariness of the unknown.
Just as Lin Ye was about to open the inner airlock, the entire passage suddenly began to shake violently. This time, it wasn't an external attack, but rather as if the enormous biological structure itself was trembling.
What's wrong now? Li Sha steadied herself by holding onto the wall.
The eerie light emanating from the tunnel walls suddenly became blinding, and energy seemed to surge within the pulsating veins. Even more unsettling was the increasing frequency of the rustling sounds, which came from all directions.
Lin Ye looked out through the observation window and discovered that the things crawling on the walls of the passage had finally revealed their true forms—countless fist-sized, black-shelled creatures with multiple pairs of sharp legs and glowing red compound eyes, surging toward the database from all directions of the passage!
What are these things? Li Sha gasped.
Whatever they were, they didn't look friendly. Lin Ye quickly closed the opening airlock. Sentinels, activate external defenses!
The database defense system is running out of power and cannot operate effectively.
A swarm of dark creatures had climbed onto the database's outer shell and begun cutting through the hull with their sharp forelimbs. The ear-piercing scraping sound traveled through the hull, sending chills down one's spine.
They want to get in! Lisa raised her explosive welding torch and aimed it at the airlock.
Lin Ye's mind raced. Their situation was worse than ever: attacked by unknown creatures from the outside, their critical systems paralyzed from within, their energy reserves dwindling, and the seal teetering on the brink of collapse...
However, at this moment of despair, the fragment of the Key of Creation in his hand suddenly burst forth with an unprecedentedly intense light. The light was so dazzling that it even pierced through the database's outer shell, illuminating the entire channel.
Even more surprisingly, illuminated by the fragments of light, the creatures attacking the database suddenly ceased their movements. They stirred restlessly, then receded like a tide, quickly disappearing into the shadows of the passage.
The passage returned to calm, with only the fragments still emitting soft, pulsating light, pointing deeper into the passage.
Lin Ye and Li Sha looked at each other, both stunned by this sudden change.
"What...just happened?" Lisa asked incredulously.
Lin Ye looked down at the fragment in his hand, and a bold conjecture formed in his mind. Perhaps... this thing is more than just a key.
He tried to open the airlock again, and this time there was no resistance. Outside the door, the passageway was eerily quiet, with only the eerie light pulsating rhythmically from the inner walls.
It seems we've found an unexpected talisman. Lin Ye gripped the fragment tightly, took his first step, and said, "Let's go, it's time to see the true face of this T-9."
Li Sha took a deep breath and followed. The two of them, one after the other, stepped into the interior of this unknown biological structure and headed in the direction indicated by the fragments.
Behind them, the database stood alone in the passageway, like an abandoned metal coffin. Only the sentinel's red optical sensors flickered in the darkness, monitoring the terrifying entity within that constantly tried to break free of its restraints.
[Energy Reserves: 1.1%. Internal Seal Stability: 67.9%, continuing to decline. Communication with the Exploration Team: Normal. Estimated Safe Operation Time: 5 hours 47 minutes.]
The countdown has begun.
Chapter 545 Biological Ships?
In the dimly lit passage, only the occasional sparks of electricity from the damaged database and the rhythmic, pulsating glow emanating from the passage's walls provided illumination. The feeling of being inside the body of some enormous creature grew stronger and stronger.
This place...it's too eerie. Li Sha pressed herself against the observation window, looking at the fleshy, occasionally slightly contracting walls of the passageway, and felt a wave of physical unease. "Why do I feel like I've crawled into the belly of some giant monster?" she thought. "Is this really a spaceship or an outpost?"
Lin Ye suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and ordered: "Sentinel, scan the internal environment. Analyze the structure and composition. He must understand this place as soon as possible, find energy, or anything that can help them get out of this predicament."
The sentinel's sensors emitted a faint glow, scanning the passageway. Structural analysis: Non-standard metal or alloy, exhibiting significant biopolymer characteristics, extremely high strength, and signs of self-repair. Energy readings: A stable bioelectric field exists on the inner wall, with a frequency consistent with the maintenance field detected externally. Air composition: The nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio is suitable for human respiration, but it contains small amounts of unknown volatile organic compounds; environmental isolation is recommended before exiting the chamber.
It can breathe? Lin Ye was somewhat surprised. What exactly is this thing?
Based on existing data comparison, this construct differs greatly from known mechanical civilization creations, resembling more of a...biological ship or living structure. The whisper offers a startling conjecture: its technological approach may be drastically different from that of the observers and even from the current mainstream civilizations in the galaxy.
Biological ship? Lisa shuddered. So we're really inside some living thing? Will it digest us?
Based on energy readings and structural stability, it appears to be in a low-power maintenance state, similar to hibernation or standby. The sentinel analysis indicates that no obvious aggressive or digestive physiological activity was detected. However, unknown risks exist.
Hibernation? Lin Ye recalled the sustaining energy field detected by the external scan. Could the entire ship be in hibernation?
"Can we find the energy core? Or something like an engine or control center?" Lin Ye asked. Finding the energy source is the most urgent task; otherwise, if the database completely loses power, the internal seal will be destroyed.
The energy flow within the passage points deeper. Exploring forward along the passage is recommended. However, a warning is issued: the database energy is insufficient to support a prolonged life support system. While the external environment is breathable, it contains unknown organic matter, and the risks are unknown.
This means that someone must go outside the spacecraft to explore.
Lin Ye and Li Sha exchanged a glance.
"I'll go with you," Li Sha said immediately, her face still a little pale, but her eyes were firm. "Moreover, it's good to have someone with me. Besides, I'm quite sensitive to energy and equipment."
Lin Ye glanced at her, then at the nearly paralyzed database and the seal that needed to be maintained, and nodded: Okay. Sentinel, you stay here and do your best to maintain the stability of the seal, while trying to repair the minimum power source to at least ensure the seal and basic life support.
Understood. Environmental reconnaissance drones have been deployed. External environmental data is being continuously monitored.
Whisper, assist the sentinel, and continuously analyze the signal signature of this biological construct.
[Command confirmed. Prioritize maintaining the stability of the seal.]
Lin Ye and Li Sha put on their remaining, still functional, extravehicular suits, and, carrying their toolkits, explosive welding torches, and those crystals and alloy ingots of unknown purpose, arrived at the airlock.
Are you ready? Lin Ye looked at Li Sha. Once they went out, there would truly be no turning back.
Li Sha took a deep breath and adjusted her helmet: Let's go. Staying here is just waiting to die anyway.
The hatch slowly opened, and the pungent, fishy smell became even stronger. The ground beneath my feet was slightly springy, soft and unsettling.
The passageway was wide enough for a spaceship the size of a database to enter, but this also made it seem exceptionally empty and deep. The inner walls were not smooth, but covered with ridges of varying thickness, like blood vessels or nerve bundles, from which the eerie light emanated, flickering with a slow rhythm.
They walked cautiously deeper into the passage. Only their heavy breathing and footsteps could be heard through the communicator.
allendalepharm