area51novel Chapter 11 Alien 2
Chapter 11 Alien 2
The exploration team began its operation.
Wang Lin carefully put away the contract paper and pen; the faint spiritual light on the paper seemed to have become slightly more stable than before. He took a deep breath and walked up to Chu Xuan.
"Chu Xuan, let's talk in private." Wang Lin's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable seriousness.
Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses, asked no further questions, and followed Wang Lin to a corner of the cabin relatively far from the others. Zheng Zha and the others were somewhat puzzled, but they were busy checking equipment and comforting the newcomers, so they didn't pay much attention.
"You want to tell me more about the 'settings'?"
Chu Xuan cut to the chase, his sharp gaze dissecting Wang Lin, "You seem to have some kind of special... willingness to communicate with me."
"Because you are the one most likely to understand and utilize this information to lead more people to survive." Wang Lin frankly admitted, "Zheng Zha has potential, but he is too emotional; Zhang Jie... I can't see through him. As for you, you pursue rationality and efficiency, which is exactly what we need most right now. But your methods are sometimes too extreme, which can easily cause internal conflicts and negate efficiency."
Chu Xuan said expressionlessly, "Efficiency is paramount. Conflict is a controllable loss."
"But if what's lost is team trust and cohesion, in the long run, especially when facing high-difficulty horror films, it might be a net loss," Wang Lin said. "I'm giving you this information in the hope that when you're making a plan, you'll include the variable of 'future team collaboration potential' in the formula for calculating 'controllable losses.' At least, during the period the contract is in effect."
Chu Xuan paused for two seconds, seemingly quickly weighing the pros and cons of the suggestion: "Okay. Information."
Wang Lin began to speak in a low, rapid voice:
Regarding Alien:
Ordinary aliens (worker bees) are agile and far stronger than humans, and their carapace can withstand ordinary small-caliber bullets. Vital points may be inside the mouth (inner mandibles) or at the junction of the head and spine, but the most effective methods are high temperatures (flamethrowers) or extreme low temperatures.
The Alien Queen is enormous, possesses terrifying strength, and has an exoskeleton armor that renders conventional weapons virtually ineffective. However, it is confined to its spawning burrow (usually a modified nest in the lower cargo hold of a spaceship or an ecozone), with a massive ovipositor attached to its tail, restricting its movement. The Queen is the absolute core of the Alien swarm; killing it could throw the other Aliens into chaos.
Facehuggers are extremely fast, have amazing jumping ability, and are very focused on finding a host. They are sensitive to vibration and carbon dioxide.
Once attached, the highly acidic blood will corrode the mask or obstruct breathing, and its tail will strangle the host's neck to force the embryo into the body.
The process of rupturing the chest is extremely rapid, and the host is almost certain to die unless surgical removal is performed within a very short time (just after the embryo is injected)—which requires specialized medical equipment and extremely high technology, and is almost impossible under the current circumstances.
The Nostromo has a complete internal monitoring system, but it could be damaged or interfered with by aliens. The main control computer, MU-TH-UR, is the ship's AI with extremely high privileges, but its underlying protocols may be set by the Corporation (Weyland-Yutani), and it may not be entirely on the crew's side. Trying to obtain its assistance requires caution.
The spaceship has a medical bay located on level B (the living area), where there may be basic surgical equipment, medicines, and cryogenic hibernation pods. The cryogenic function of the hibernation pods may be able to temporarily restrict the movement of Xenomorphs or kill facehugger embryos, but it is uncertain how effective they will be on adult Xenomorphs.
The location of the weapons depot is uncertain, but it may be near the security room or the bridge. The ship may not have many standard weapons, but the engineering area may contain tools such as cutting and welding torches (which can be used as high-temperature weapons) and refrigerants (which may be used to create a low-temperature environment).
The spaceship's propulsion core is a nuclear fusion reactor; overload can trigger an explosion powerful enough to destroy the entire ship. This is a final, mutually assured destruction strategy.
The survivors may include Ripley (the female protagonist, a key figure, who has the final authority and determination to pilot the escape pod), Ash (an android, a corporate spy who will protect the alien samples and is a potential traitor), and other crew members (most of whom are dead or mutated).
Ash, the cyborg, is a key variable. He appears indistinguishable from a human, but possesses superhuman strength and is absolutely obedient to the Corporation's orders (to protect the Xenomorphs). He is the enemy and is very difficult to kill by ordinary means.
Ripley is someone we can try to win over; she's experienced, determined, and has a deep understanding of the Xenomorphs.
Wang Lin spoke extremely quickly, but his points were clear and logical. These were key pieces of information that Chu Xuan gradually grasped, or only learned at the very end, through observation, probing, and even sacrificing lives in the original novel.
Chu Xuan's gaze remained unchanged throughout Wang Lin's presentation, though his pupils occasionally contracted slightly, indicating that his brain was processing the information at high speed. He didn't ask questions or raise any doubts; he simply absorbed it like a sponge.
Only after Wang Lin finished speaking did Chu Xuan slowly ask, "How reliable is the source of this information?"
"I can't prove it; you can choose to verify it or remain skeptical," Wang Lin said. "But given our current situation, believing this information and planning accordingly increases our chances of survival compared to blindly exploring. You can design some low-risk verification plans, such as monitoring and observing whether the alien's behavior patterns match my description."
Chu Xuan nodded: "That makes sense. The information is very valuable, especially the parts about the Queen, the cyborgs, the medical lab, and the power core. This changes the overall strategic framework."
He paused slightly, seemingly reassessing: "The original plan was to establish a safe point, but now the priorities have been adjusted. Primary objective: confirm the location and availability of the medical bay, and acquire hibernation pods and medical resources. Second, attempt to connect to the ship's surveillance system to at least gain visibility of our current area and the path leading to the medical bay. Searching for the armory and engineering tools is now a secondary priority. Avoid contact with the cyborg Ash unless we can guarantee the immediate subjugation or destruction of its control center."
"Then comes the specific tactics for dealing with the Xenomorphs," Chu Xuan continued, speaking just as quickly. "Using the thermal sensing you mentioned, the exploration team can try to create localized temperature differences to interfere with their perception. Facehuggers are sensitive to carbon dioxide, meaning our breathing is a source of exposure, so we can consider using more airtight environmental suits or creating carbon dioxide traps to lure and kill them. Fire is the preferred weapon, followed by cryogenics. A mutual destruction plan (power reactor overload) is the last resort."
"Finally, there's the Queen. Her tethered state and tail-borne ovipositor are key weaknesses. If possible, use the ship's structure, engineering robots, or traps to separate her from the nest or restrict her movement, then concentrate your high-temperature/low-temperature weapons to attack her. Your information has transformed the Queen mission from 'near impossible' into 'an extremely high-risk mission with a specific strategy'."
Chu Xuan's analysis instantly transformed the information provided by Wang Lin into a concrete, ruthless, yet highly actionable plan. This efficiency and insight made Wang Lin inwardly sigh, "Truly worthy of Chu Xuan."
"So, how about cooperation?" Wang Lin extended his hand.
Chu Xuan glanced at his hand but didn't shake it. He simply said calmly, "Based on the value of information and the terms of the contract, cooperation at this stage is the most efficient solution. I will consider the continuity of teamwork in the plan, but only if it doesn't affect the core survival probability of the current mission."
That's enough. Wang Lin withdrew his hand, knowing that this was the biggest promise Chu Xuan could make.
"Furthermore," Chu Xuan added, "I won't press you about your 'special channels.' But if you have similar information about the Main God Space, mission patterns, or other horror movies, sharing it at the appropriate time can further improve the team's overall survival rate, which would benefit all of us, including you."
This is both a transaction and a reminder. Chu Xuan is telling Wang Lin that his value lies in information, and only by continuously providing information can this "special" cooperative relationship be maintained.
"I understand," Wang Lin nodded. "I'll let you know when I need to."
The two returned to the group. Zheng Zha and the others were already getting impatient.
"Have you reached an agreement?" Zheng Zha asked.
"Yes," Wang Lin said simply. "Chu Xuan and I exchanged some speculations about the spaceship and the monster, and adjusted our plan. Chu Xuan, would you like to speak?"
Chu Xuan did not refuse, and in a clear and cold tone, he briefly outlined the revised action plan (omitting the sources of information and some details, only the key points of the action). His logic was rigorous and his points were clear. Although his tone lacked emotion, it gave people the illusion of reliability.
Upon hearing this, although the crowd felt unfamiliar with terms like "low-risk verification" and "carbon dioxide trap" and felt a little uneasy, at least they had a clear goal and steps, which greatly reduced their panic.
"Alright, let's go." Zhang Jie stubbed out his cigarette and opened the cabin door first.
Outside the door was a dimly lit, silent metal corridor, illuminated only by emergency lights and the monotonous hum of the air circulation system. In the distance, a faint, unsettling scraping sound seemed to drift from the corridor.
The exploration team consists of Zheng Zha (enhanced perception and strength), Zhang Jie (unfathomable), Zero Point (top-tier assassin qualities), Wang Lin (basic enhancement + auxiliary skills), plus a burly man called Overlord (his self-proclaimed nickname) and a seemingly ordinary young man named Li Shuaixi (who voluntarily joined and has a ruthless look in his eyes), making a total of six people.
The security team, consisting of Chu Xuan, Zhan Lan, and Li Xiaoyi, led the remaining eight new recruits to find a suitable defensive position.
"Keep your communicators open and contact us every ten minutes. In case of emergency, press the distress signal." Wang Lin distributed several simple communicators (consumables, each costing 10 reward points; he had exchanged a few for spares) that he had brought from the Main God Space to the two team captains.
The exploration team cautiously advanced along the corridor towards the general direction of the Memory Medicine Clinic (Level B). Wang Lin walked in the middle of the group, his lie-detecting eye (though there was no target at the moment) and his mind highly focused. His basic reconnaissance skills allowed him to keenly observe the details of the environment—was there any suspicious slime on the walls? Were the ventilation grilles loose? Were there any unusual scratches on the floor?
Ba Wang carried a metal pipe removed from the cabin, while Li Shuaixi held a fire axe. Although nervous, they remained relatively calm. Ling Dian and Zhang Jie moved like ghosts, almost without making a sound. Zheng Zha led the way, his enhanced senses allowing him to detect subtle movements in advance.
The corridor seemed endless, with unknown darkness lurking around every corner. Each turn felt like a gamble.
Suddenly, Zero raised his palm, signaling to stop.
On the wall not far ahead, there was a clear mark of corrosion from some kind of strong acid; molten metal flowed out, emitting a pungent odor. The mark was still very fresh.
Beneath the corrosion marks, a pool of thick, foul-smelling, dark green liquid was slowly flowing.
The alien is nearby. And it just left recently.
Everyone held their breath. Wang Lin gripped the sedative injection pen in his pocket, his gaze sweeping across the ceiling vents and the shadows on either side.
The real terror had only just begun. And Wang Lin knew how much of a chance of survival his information would buy for this hastily assembled team on this doomsday ship. He gazed in the direction Chu Xuan and the others had left, silently thinking:
"Chu Xuan, don't let me down. And don't let my 'investment' go down the drain."