Chen Hao took a step forward, his foot landing softly on the gravel at the edge of the platform. He didn't stop, continuing deeper into the tunnel. The three people behind him followed, the water slowly receding from the entrance, as if being sucked in by something.
"The tremors are still there," he said.
Susan crouched down against the wall, her hands resting on the rock face. "Seven seconds at a time, the rhythm hasn't changed."
Carl checked the instruments. "There's enough oxygen, but the electromagnetic field level keeps climbing. It's now 40 percent above the safety threshold."
Nana stood at the back, her helmet light sweeping across the surrounding grooves. "I suggest turning on the low-power shielding mode to prevent system malfunctions."
"Then let's start it." Chen Hao slapped his thigh. "Anyway, my new clothes won't be short of electricity."
After activating the protective mode, the noise on the helmet display decreased, and the field of vision became clearer. The passage ahead branched into three paths, all sloping downwards with a considerable gradient.
"Which way?" Carl asked.
"The one with the strongest tremors," Chen Hao pointed to the left. "When I was standing there just now, my feet went numb."
Nana pulled up the data chart, "The left channel did indeed receive a higher frequency resonance signal, with a matching degree of 87.3."
"That's it." Chen Hao turned and left. "Don't wait for it to grow legs and run over to you."
The four of them descended the slope, the rock face becoming increasingly tighter, and the overhead space gradually lowering. After walking for about ten minutes, a faint smell began to waft through the air, like the lingering odor of burnt metal.
“Ozone,” Carl frowned. “The concentration is rising.”
“There’s light ahead,” Susan suddenly said.
Everyone looked up. In the darkness, tiny blue lights shone through the cracks in the rocks, like fireflies in the night, flashing on and off, in sync with the vibrations of the ground.
Chen Hao moved closer to a glowing stone and reached out to touch it.
"Don't touch it directly," Nana stopped him. "The radiation readings are unstable."
He withdrew his hand. "How can something so beautiful hurt someone?"
“The more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it is,” Carl said in a low voice. “Like hot pot broth.”
"That's a gastrointestinal problem, not a scientific conclusion." Chen Hao smiled and took half a step back.
Susan opened the portable analyzer and took several spectral images of the crack. The screen flickered a few times and displayed a text.
“An unknown element has been discovered.” She read it aloud. “It has been tentatively named ‘L-9’. It has self-sustaining discharge capability, stable energy output, and no obvious signs of decay.”
"Can it be used as a battery?" Chen Hao asked.
“Theoretically, yes,” she said. “And it would be at least five times more efficient than existing energy storage devices.”
"Then we're rich!" Chen Hao grinned. "We'll install one at the base later and keep the canteen air-conditioned all day."
"The premise is that data can be collected safely," Nana cautioned. "The current environment exhibits resonance coupling, and any drastic operation could trigger a chain reaction."
"I know," Chen Hao nodded. "I still remember the pain from the last landslide."
They continued forward. The passage gradually narrowed, allowing only one person to pass at a time. The fluorescent light on the rock walls on both sides increased, eventually forming a band of stars pasted on the wall.
“This place doesn’t look like it was formed naturally,” Susan said as she walked around. “These grooves are arranged too regularly, like some kind of flow channeling structure.”
"Maybe it's a charging station built by aliens," Chen Hao said, "specifically for deep-sea creatures to replenish their energy."
“The probability is less than 0.2 percent,” Nana said. “It is more likely the result of long-term geological activity and mineral crystallization.”
“You’re right,” Chen Hao patted her shoulder, “but I still feel like it’s a charging station.”
Twenty meters further ahead, the main passage suddenly opened up. A circular space appeared before them, about thirty meters in diameter, with a flat ground and a protruding rock pillar in the center. The surface was covered with glowing cracks, which alternated between light and dark in a rhythm of once every seven seconds.
“The epicenter is down below,” Susan said.
“The ore density is also the highest.” Carl pointed to the scan image. “The energy readings in this area are off the charts.”
Chen Hao walked around the stone pillar. "It looks like we can dig it up."
“We do not recommend using mechanical drill bits.” Nana pulled up the simulation results. “The superposition of high-frequency vibrations may lead to local collapse.”
"Then let's try another approach." Chen Hao looked at Nana. "You know lasers, right?"
“The low-temperature stripping process is ready,” she said. “The power is controllable and will not induce resonance.”
"Then you do it." Chen Hao took a few steps back. "I'll cheer you on from the sidelines."
Nana stepped forward, and a slender probe popped out from the interface of her arm, emitting a pale red beam of light from its end, which gently landed on the surface of the ore. A few seconds later, a fist-sized crystal slowly detached from the rock and was steadily caught by the robotic arm.
"First one in hand." Chen Hao reached out and took the sample box. "It's as light as foam."
“It weighs only one-third of the same volume of steel,” Nana said, “but hardness tests show that it has extremely strong compressive strength.”
Susan took the box and examined it carefully. "The color will change. It was blue when it was first picked, but now it's more purplish."
“It might be due to the temperature,” Carl said. “It’s warmer inside the cave than outside.”
"What should we call it?" Chen Hao suddenly asked.
"What? What?" Susan looked up.
“This mine,” he said, “can’t just keep calling itself L-9, can it? It sounds like a laboratory number.”
“Energy mines?” Carl suggested.
“Too ordinary.” Chen Hao shook his head. “When it lights up, it looks like stars have fallen to the ground. How about calling it ‘Stardust Ore’?”
A brief silence.
“The name is a bit cringey,” Carl said.
“It’s quite fitting,” Susan laughed. “I think it’s good too.”
Nana updated the log: "Naming confirmed: Stardust Ore. Number x-8."
"That's it?" Chen Hao laughed. "I just came up with it randomly."
“But no one objected.” Susan put the sample into the sealed box. “Besides, the name won’t remind researchers of the risk of explosion, which will be beneficial for future promotion.”
"See, I told you I could do great things." Chen Hao puffed out his chest. "Although I'm lazy usually, I never let you down when it matters."
They collected two more intact pieces of ore and stored them all in a shockproof box. Nana simultaneously uploaded the coordinate data and marked the high-concentration areas in the navigation system.
“More sophisticated equipment is needed for further mining,” she said. “It is not advisable to go deeper at the moment.”
"I'll listen to you." Chen Hao looked around. "We've made a good start."
He walked to the entrance and checked the status of the thrusters. The others followed one after another and began to organize their equipment.
“Be careful on the way back,” Carl said. “The ground here is unstable; what if there’s another tremor…”
“Then let’s sing ‘Good Luck’ while we float,” Chen Hao interjected, “to bring good luck.”
Susan laughed out loud, "You're already preparing the background music?"
"Mental preparation is very important," he said. "Otherwise, you'll be so scared you'll wet yourself and have to change your pants, which is a huge hassle."
Nana closed the marking program. "Return route locked, estimated time 32 minutes."
"Let's go." Chen Hao glanced back at the spherical space one last time. The stone pillars were still shimmering, the light faint but persistent.
He stepped over the threshold.
Just then, one of the stardust ore pieces in the sealed box flashed slightly.
It was a moment brighter than before.
Nobody noticed.
Chen Hao pressed the thruster switch, and the water flow gently propelled him forward.
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