area51novel Chapter 29 Alien 2
Chapter 29 Alien 2
The cold, metallic touch, mixed with the stench of blood, corrosive acid, and some indescribable, foul-smelling creature, created a nauseating symphony of death. The interior of the Surako interstellar freighter was like a vast metal labyrinth, and now, this labyrinth was being slowly devoured by hunters lurking in the shadows.
Wang Lin leaned against a damaged pipe shelter, his mind highly focused. The invisible network formed by "mental resonance" connected his teammates scattered throughout the passage like spider silk. Sight, hearing, and even a vague sense of location were shared among the core group (Wang Lin, Chu Xuan, Zheng Zha, Zhan Lan, and Zhang Jie) through this network. The remaining team members communicated normally through Zhan Lan's "mind chains."
"Left fork in the road, three heat source signals, movement method... inhuman, very fast, close to the ceiling." Zhan Lan's voice came through the dual link, carrying a suppressed tension. Her mental scan covered a hundred meters around, but the ship's complex structure and abnormal metal or energy interference in certain areas made the scan images blurry at times.
"Received. Zheng Zha, what's the situation on your end?" Wang Lin asked, while simultaneously "seeing" through the shared vision that Zheng Zha, along with Ba Wang, Li Shuaixi, and Zhao Yingkong, was clearing a passageway filled with cargo boxes, with several startled alien larvae leaping out of the shadows.
"A minor problem, I can handle it!" Zheng Zha's reply was accompanied by the whistling of his fist and the sound of the alien larvae's carapaces shattering. Under the intertwined red and white energy of his fist, those agile but poorly defended larvae died one after another, their acidic blood splattering on the metal floor, making a hissing, corrosive sound.
"Zero point, Ming Yanwei, what's your location?" Chu Xuan's voice interrupted, as calm as if he were analyzing laboratory data.
"High vantage point, upper level of the ventilation duct corridor in Zone C. Excellent visibility, covering the main passageway in front of you and three intersections." Zero's voice was brief and precise.
"Two unusual biological cluster movements were observed, pointing towards... the bridge and engine room. There were signs of coordination, not purely instinctive," Mingyanwei added, her observation skills were indeed keen.
Chu Xuan quickly retrieved the partial structural diagram of the spaceship he had just deciphered from a still-functioning terminal, overlaying it with Zhan Lan's scans and Ming Yanwei's observations for analysis. "Alien activity exhibits a pattern. They are driving or guiding survivors to concentrate in several specific areas: the power module, the ecological cultivation area, and... the vicinity of the main reactor. This aligns with their hunting and creation of optimal hunting environments, but their efficiency is higher than expected. The modifications may be reflected in enhanced swarm intelligence or pheromone communication."
While processing the information, Wang Lin focused some of his attention on Zhang Jie. Through deep connection, he could sense the power within Zhang Jie, enveloped in a pale golden membrane, fluctuating slightly with environmental pressure and tension, like a caged beast. Zhang Jie's mental state was relatively stable, but the fine beads of sweat on his forehead and his slightly rapid breathing indicated that maintaining "calm" was not easy for him.
"Zhang Jie, how are you feeling?" Wang Lin asked via a private link.
"It's alright... That thing's a bit restless, especially when it gets close to those aliens, it seems... it's sensing something." Zhang Jie's voice came through the connection, tinged with suppressed emotion. "Chu Xuan, any progress on your end? What exactly are the activation conditions for the Main God's 'Guidance Protocol'? This godforsaken place is full of aliens, how do we trigger it?"
Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses, his fingers rapidly tracing patterns on his portable terminal: "Based on the fragmented information provided by Zhang Jie and the Main God's hints, the triggering of the 'Guidance Mission' isn't simply a matter of time or event. It requires several elements: 1. The existence of a clearly quantifiable 'team potential' assessment node (such as breakthroughs under life-or-death crises, key decisions, or major sacrifices). 2. The environment possesses sufficient external pressure and complexity to fully test the team's multifaceted capabilities. 3. The guide (Zhang Jie) is in an 'activated' state capable of executing the mission. The current environment satisfies element 2. Element 1 requires us to create it actively or passively. Element 3… Zhang Jie, you need to try to more actively 'sensor' the Main God's guidance protocol, like using a radio to find a specific frequency, without causing your internal power to completely go berserk."
Zhang Jie smiled wryly: "Easier said than done... I'll give it a try."
Just then, Zhan Lan suddenly issued an urgent warning: "Main passage ahead! A large amount of heat is gathering! Moving rapidly! The target is... towards the bridge! Number... more than twenty! Several of them are much larger and have energy levels far exceeding those of ordinary aliens!"
Almost simultaneously, all the lights on the spaceship went out abruptly, emergency red lights flashed wildly, and piercing alarms blared in every corner! A cold, slightly synthesized female voice rang out through the ship's intercom system:
"Warning! Unknown biomass has been detected in a large-scale intrusion into the main power line. Backup power system overload. Life support systems will fail in areas B, C, and D in fifteen minutes. An abnormal leak has occurred in the main reactor cooling system, and radiation levels are rising. All surviving units are advised to immediately proceed to the emergency escape boat launch port located on the upper level of area A. Repeat, immediately proceed to the emergency escape boat launch port on the upper level of area A."
"Is it a spaceship AI?" Zheng Zha asked in surprise.
"Not entirely." Chu Xuan's eyes sharpened. "The broadcast content doesn't match the standard emergency plan. 'Unknown biomass invading the energy line,' 'Life support system partition failure'—this information is too specific and carries a clear...intention to drive them away. Are the aliens affecting the AI? Or...?"
"It's a trap," Wang Lin said in a deep voice. "Herding all the remaining survivors (including us) to a pre-designated 'slaughterhouse'—the upper level of Area A. It's relatively open there, but also a dead end. Aliens are adept at hunting in such environments."
"Shall we go or not?" the Overlord asked.
"Go, but don't follow their rhythm," Chu Xuan said quickly. "This is our chance to create an 'assessment node.' Zheng Zha, you lead Ba Wang, Li Shuaixi, and Zhao Yingkong as the main force for the breakout. Follow the broadcast instructions and move towards the upper level of Area A. Clear out as many aliens as possible along the way and make a big enough commotion to attract the main attention."
"Wang Lin, Zhan Lan, Ling Dian, Ming Yanwei, Zhang Jie, and I, let's take another route." Chu Xuan pulled up a map and marked a winding route leading to the core area of the spaceship's engineering. "We'll go to the vicinity of the power module and main reactor. If the aliens are indeed using or affecting the spaceship's systems, that's the key. At the same time, the environment there is more complex, the pressure is greater, and it's more likely to create the extreme testing environment that meets the requirements of the 'guidance mission'."
"Splitting our forces? That's too dangerous!" Zhan Lan said worriedly.
"We must split up. We need to achieve two goals simultaneously: first, complete the mission and ensure the survival of at least three key characters (they will likely also be sent to the upper levels of Area A); second, create conditions for the 'Breaking the Shackles Plan.' Zheng Zha's side will create direct conflict and a 'heroic' breakthrough, meeting the Main God's expectations for 'team courage and combat power.' We'll handle more complex and hidden crises, testing 'wisdom, adaptability, and special abilities,'" Chu Xuan explained. "Wang Lin's mental link can keep key information synchronized between the two teams. Zero and Ming Yanwei will provide remote support. Zhang Jie, when we encounter a 'suitable' crisis, you need to try to guide the power within your body and react in a way that aligns with the 'guide's observation and judgment.' Wang Lin will assist you in stabilizing the situation."
Zheng Zha thought for a moment, then nodded emphatically: "Understood! We'll make a big fuss! Be careful!"
With the plan set, the two teams quickly separated. Zheng Zha's group, like tigers released from their cages, charged towards the upper level of Area A along the main passage. Gunshots, explosions, roars, and alien hisses immediately filled the air, attracting the attention of a large number of aliens.
Wang Lin and his team silently slipped into the shadows, heading towards the construction area marked on the map. Chu Xuan, using his limited understanding of the system, guided them to avoid obviously damaged or blocked passages, choosing instead relatively concealed maintenance pipes and ventilation shafts.
The environment inside the tunnel grew increasingly harsh. The lights flickered on and off, and the air began to carry a faint smell of ozone and a sweet, cloying odor, typical of alien nest secretions. Sticky, dark greenish secretions and pits corroded by strong acid were visible on the walls. In some areas, the remains of crew members and broken equipment were scattered.
"The radiation readings are slowly rising." Chu Xuan looked at the makeshift detector on his wrist. "There's definitely a problem with the main reactor. The leak may have been deliberately magnified."
"There's movement ahead." Zero suddenly stopped, silently raising his sniper rifle and aiming at a corner ahead.
Wang Lin focused his mind and, through mental resonance, shared the scene captured by his "psychic vision" with Chu Xuan and Zhang Jie. In the passageway behind the corner, several aliens, slightly smaller than ordinary aliens but with darker, metallic-looking carapaces, were surrounding a device that appeared to be an energy repeater. They were rhythmically tapping and cutting at the device's casing and wiring with their sharp claws and tails. Their actions didn't seem like simple destruction; rather, they carried a sense of… adjustment or modification.
"A new variant? Or... an Xenomorph with engineering capabilities?" Chu Xuan murmured. "One direction of modification might be to give the Xenomorph more complex instincts or 'technical' understanding, enabling it to utilize and modify human technology."
"They seem to be trying to overload the energy or change its flow." Zhang Jie observed the rhythm and location of the aliens' knocking. The guiding power within him fluctuated slightly, as if it had analyzed some information. "Damn, have these things become sentient?"
"We must stop them. If they completely take control of or destroy the energy core, the ship will lose all power, the life support system will completely collapse, and neither we nor the characters in the story will survive until rescue arrives." Chu Xuan quickly analyzed, "Zero, Ming Yanwei, prioritize eliminating the individuals who appear to be 'commanding' or operating the core. Wang Lin, prepare to use your mental powers to interfere with them. Zhang Jie, Zhan Lan, keep watch on the surroundings. I'll try to remotely restart or lock down that repeater."
The operation commenced instantly.
At midnight, the trigger was pulled, and the silenced sniper rifle emitted a soft "thud." A metallic alien head, which was stabbing the control panel with the tip of its tail, jerked back violently, splattering dark green fluid and carapace fragments! But it didn't die immediately; it let out a sharp screech and struggled to pull out its tail to fight back!
Ming Yanwei's bullet followed closely, accurately striking the junction of its eye socket, which finally caused it to go limp.
The gunshot startled the other aliens. They immediately abandoned their "work" and roared as they lunged toward the direction from which the bullets came, moving with astonishing speed!
Wang Lin had been preparing for some time. He concentrated his mental energy, transforming it into several invisible psychic shockwaves that slammed into the two aliens charging at the front like heavy hammers! The impact slowed their momentum, and their carapaces emitted dull thuds. At the same time, he waved one hand, and several metal parts scattered in the corner of the passage flew up with a whoosh, slamming into the aliens on the other side!
Zhan Lan deployed a mental barrier to protect everyone, while simultaneously attempting to disrupt the alien's perception with a mental attack. Zhang Jie drew a high-vibration particle blade (one of his previous weapons) and stood protectively beside Chu Xuan, his sharp eyes scanning for any other potential threats.
Chu Xuan focused intently on the terminal in his hand, his fingers moving like a phantom as he attempted to break through the repeater's security protocol and forcibly inject shutdown or lock commands.
The battle was brief but intense. Zero and Mingyanwei's precise strikes, Wang Lin's telekinetic interference and crowd control, along with Zhan Lan's assistance, quickly eliminated the engineered aliens. However, their cries seemed to attract responses from further away.
"The repeater has been successfully locked, but the energy overload trend has only slowed down, not stopped. Other nodes are still being compromised." Chu Xuan stood up, his expression grave. "We must go to the core of the power compartment."
The group dared not linger and continued forward. The closer they got to the power compartment, the more complex the environment became. Pipes crisscrossed the area, steam leaked, the temperature rose, and the radiation alarms beeped more and more frequently. They encountered several more attacks from scattered aliens along the way, all of which they dealt with together. Zhang Jie performed adequately in the battle, but Wang Lin could sense that with each exertion of power, the fluctuations of the "membrane" within his body intensified.
Finally, they arrived outside the main control room of the power compartment. The heavy blast-proof door was ajar, and flickering red light and an even stronger odor of alien secretions emanated from the crack. From inside the door came heavy thuds and teeth-grinding metallic tearing sounds.
"There's something big inside," Zero whispered, adjusting the aim of his sniper rifle.
Wang Lin focused his psionic vision on the doorway, and the sight before him made his heart sink. The main control room was a scene of utter chaos; most of the control consoles were destroyed, and a massive, tumor-like alien lair was attached to what should have been the main reactor control center. Countless pulsating, blood vessel-like structures connected the lair to the surrounding equipment and pipes. And standing beside the lair was a monster far larger than an ordinary alien!
Standing nearly three meters tall, its shape is more humanoid, but its entire body is covered with thick, ferocious bone plates that gleam with a dark golden metallic sheen. Several bone-spur-like protrusions extend from its back, and its thick, powerful tail ends not with the usual sharp spikes, but with a forked, pincer-like structure. Most chilling of all is its head, which has no obvious eyes, only a gigantic mouth filled with sharp teeth that constantly drips mucus. On either side of its head are several symmetrically distributed, constantly trembling holes, like sensory organs.
The monster was rhythmically striking and gripping certain nodes at the connection between the nest and the pipes with its pincer-like tail, as if performing some kind of "maintenance" or "adjustment." Each strike caused the floor of the entire control room to tremble slightly, and the pulse of the nest to accelerate accordingly.
"Alien Guardian? Or... a variant of the Queen's Guard?" Chu Xuan quickly analyzed. "The energy reading is extremely high, and the shell defense is expected to be extremely strong. It seems to be controlling or interfering with the nest's energy absorption from the reactor. We must deal with it as soon as possible and destroy that nest node, otherwise it's only a matter of time before the reactor goes out of control."
Just then, the huge alien mutant in the main control room suddenly stopped moving. Its eyeless head slowly turned towards the blast door, and the sensor holes on both sides of its head contracted and expanded violently.
"It has spotted us!"
Before the words were even finished, the monster let out a deafening roar, full of savagery and majesty! The sound waves almost materialized, causing the blast door to vibrate loudly! Then, its massive body, with an agility disproportionate to its size, smashed through the half-closed blast door and rushed out with a stench! Its target was Zhang Jie, who stood at the very front and whose aura was the most "abnormal"!
"Zhang Jie!" Wang Lin shouted sharply, unleashing his full mental power at the same time! Several walls of mental energy instantly rose up in front of Zhang Jie, attempting to block the monster's momentum! Zhan Lan's mental barrier also activated at full power!
However, the monster's power was beyond imagination! Its pincer-like tail swept across, shattering Wang Lin's hastily constructed mental barrier like glass layer by layer! Zhan Lan's mental barrier also fluctuated violently, cracks appearing instantly! The monster's momentum did not diminish, its giant claws covered in bone spurs viciously grabbing at Zhang Jie!
Zhang Jie's pupils constricted sharply. At this critical moment of life and death, the guiding power within him, which had been suppressed for so long, was finally detonated by the threat of death and intense emotions! A cold, vast, dark golden light imbued with the aura of rules burst forth uncontrollably from his body!
No longer the faint fluctuations previously enveloped by a thin membrane, but a torrent of energy as substantial as a physical entity! This power clashed fiercely with Zhang Jie's own Reincarnator power, causing him to let out a painful groan, but at the same time, it also formed a solid dark golden shield, blocking the monster's claws!
boom!
The claws collided with the shield, producing a deafening sound like metal striking stone! The dark gold shield flickered violently and cracks appeared, but the monster's claws were also slightly jolted by the recoil!
At this moment, time seemed to slow down.
Wang Lin saw the pain, struggle, and a hint of determination intertwined on Zhang Jie's face. He saw the data stream flashing wildly in Chu Xuan's eyes, his lips moving silently as if he were rapidly calculating something. He saw the alien guard variant, sensing the aura of rules emanating from the dark gold shield—aura distinct from that of the reincarnators—let out an even more ferocious and…greedy roar!
More importantly, in Wang Lin's psychic vision, he clearly "saw" that at the moment when the power within Zhang Jie's body completely erupted, an extremely subtle, cold "gaze" that seemed to come from a higher dimension quietly descended, like an invisible probe, scanning the area and focusing on Zhang Jie!
The Supreme God's "Guidance Protocol" has been triggered!
"Now! Zhang Jie, proceed as planned! Adopt the 'Guide Assessment' stance! Wang Lin, establish a deep connection, guide him, and package the energy fluctuations! Chu Xuan, prepare the agreement!" Wang Lin roared in the mental connection, simultaneously channeling his mental power through the "Mental Power Resonance" channel to forcefully "crash" into Zhang Jie's chaotic sea of consciousness, attempting to help him organize and control the rampaging guide power, and "package" it into an orderly and authoritative energy release that better reflects the "guide's ongoing mission"!
Chu Xuan already held a palm-sized silver device covered with complex runes in his hand. It was the prototype of the "Rule Interaction Protocol Launcher" that he had painstakingly designed. He pressed the start button, and the runes on the device lit up one by one, emitting a weak but extremely special rule disturbance wave, attempting to establish a very limited and disguised connection with the descending "gaze".
Despite his pain and with Wang Lin's assistance, Zhang Jie forced himself to stand upright. Facing the alien guard, which was growing increasingly frenzied by the more "delicious" aura of the rules, he forced himself to recall the shattered fragments of his guide's duties. With all his might, in a cold, almost inhuman tone (imitating the guide's indifference), he declared to the air (actually to the descending "gaze"):
"High-threat mutant detected...interfering with mission execution...Decision: Eliminate threat, secure assessment environment...Execute!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Lin cooperated by cleverly merging his spiritual power with Zhang Jie's outward-released power, forming a seemingly powerful, orderly energy impact with a sense of "business as business," which blasted towards the alien guard!
The monster seemed enraged by this "strange" but oppressive energy, or perhaps out of its instinct to hunt for higher-level energy. It abandoned its initial attack posture, its bones bulging, and let out a challenging roar. The dark golden shield clashed violently with the dark green bio-energy surging around it!
Meanwhile, Chu Xuan's device seized the opportunity to silently "paste" a carefully encrypted and disguised "information stream" onto the system, following the ripples of Zhang Jie's power eruption and the main god's "vision" scan. That information stream was their meticulously crafted "formatted application" regarding the abnormal status of the guide unit, requesting rule-based stabilization processing!
The whole process happened in the blink of an eye.
The clash between the alien guards and Zhang Jie (assisted by Wang Lin) triggered a small-scale energy explosion, leaving the passageway leading to the main control room in ruins. Smoke and dust filled the air.
At midnight, she pulled the trigger, and Ming Yanwei's bullets whistled through the air, all aimed at the tiny gap where the monster's neck and shoulder blades were exposed due to the energy collision!
Zhan Lan's mental attack also blasted its head sensory organs with all its might!
With everyone's combined efforts, the powerful alien guard variant finally let out a mournful cry of despair, its massive body crashing to the ground, splattering dark green blood and shattered tissue everywhere.
The smoke and dust slowly dissipated.
Zhang Jie suddenly knelt on one knee, panting heavily, blood slowly seeping from his seven orifices. The burst of guiding power within him receded like a tide, barely enveloped again by the pale golden membrane (which seemed even thinner). But this time, the membrane seemed to have some extremely subtle, irregular patterns that did not belong to the one Wang Lin had previously covered.
Wang Lin also felt a strong dizziness and backlash; forcibly guiding and packaging Zhang Jie's power had put a great strain on him. He quickly looked at Chu Xuan.
Chu Xuan stared intently at the silver device in his hand. The runes on the device had all dimmed, and a small indicator light in the center was flashing an eerie light that was extremely faint, sometimes green and sometimes red, at an extremely slow frequency.
"The information... has been sent. The feedback... is extremely chaotic and contradictory. The specific content cannot be analyzed. The Supreme God's judgment... seems to be caught in some kind of... logical loop or priority conflict." Chu Xuan's voice trembled slightly, a rare occurrence, whether from excessive energy expenditure or from observing an unexpected phenomenon. "Whether the application was accepted... is unknown. But it's certain that we 'interfered' with it. Zhang Jie's 'abnormal state,' at least for that brief moment, was briefly 'recorded' and 'suspended' by the Supreme God's monitoring system under the pretext of 'suspectedly performing a guidance mission,' thus avoiding more severe handling procedures."
He looked up at the exhausted Zhang Jie and the weary Wang Lin: "The first step was a success. We've secured... a 'buffer period' of uncertain length. But the Supreme God isn't stupid; this interference can't last. The next scan or when the triggering conditions are met, it might scrutinize Zhang Jie more closely with 'questions'."
Zhang Jie wiped the blood from his face, grinned, and revealed a smile that looked more like a grimace: "A buffer period... is fine. At least for now, I don't have to worry about being deleted as a virus."
Wang Lin breathed a sigh of relief and forced himself to stand up: "Let's get out of here first. The problem with the power bay hasn't been resolved yet, and that nest node..."
As soon as the words were spoken, the tumorous nest attached to the control center in the main control room suddenly began to pulsate violently, emitting a dark red light, as if it had lost the "maintenance" of the alien guards! At the same time, a piercing alarm that almost tore off eardrums rang throughout the entire power compartment area!
"Warning! Main reactor cooling system has completely failed! Core temperature is rising rapidly! Core meltdown countdown: 10 minutes!"
"Damn it!" Even Chu Xuan couldn't help but curse under his breath.
"Destroy that nest! Now!" Wang Lin roared.
The group rushed into the control room, ignoring the mess on the floor and the alien corpses that were still emitting heat, and poured all their firepower, energy attacks, and even Wang Lin's mental power into the pulsating tumor nest!
With less than five minutes remaining on the countdown, the nest finally exploded under the concentrated fire, spewing out large amounts of disgusting biological tissue and strong acid liquid. Almost simultaneously with the destruction of the nest, the piercing meltdown alarm abruptly stopped, replaced by the hum of the system restarting and the flashing repair indicator lights.
"Cooling system...is slowly recovering. The meltdown crisis is over." Chu Xuan looked at the readings on the terminal and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, before they could catch their breath, Zhan Lan's face turned pale again: "Something's wrong! Zheng Zha and the others are in trouble! A large number of aliens have surrounded the upper escape harbor of Area A! They and the story characters are trapped! And...and something even more powerful has appeared!"
Wang Lin's heart tightened. The crisis on the main battlefield had not been resolved by their actions in the engineering area.
"Let's go! Let's provide support!" he said through gritted teeth.