The diagram of the communication module on the projection flashed again.
This time, everyone saw it.
Carl stood motionless in the doorway, his hand still resting on the doorframe. Susan turned to look at the control panel, her steps halting abruptly. Nana's gaze was already fixed on the data stream, her fingers rapidly swiping the screen.
Chen Hao didn't speak, stared at the picture for three seconds, and then turned to look at Nana.
"That wasn't a reflection, was it?"
“No,” she replied. “It was a signal disturbance. It lasted for 0.7 seconds and the frequency overlapped with the repeater’s preset frequency band by 91 percent.”
“So,” Carl slowly walked back, “someone or something is sending signals on the same channel as us?”
“No other equipment was recorded to have been started within the base.” Nana pulled up the log. “No activity was detected in the external areas either.”
Susan frowned: "Could it be... something the system sent out on its own?"
The air went still for a moment.
Chen Hao suddenly chuckled: "Well, you're already saying hello before you've even officially started using it? You're quite enthusiastic."
“This isn’t a greeting,” Susan said. “It’s a test. If it can connect to our communication protocol, it means its learning speed is far exceeding expectations.”
“Then let’s not let it learn.” Karl slammed his hand on the table. “Let’s test the equipment first. Otherwise, we’ll be reverse-controlled before we even enter the ruins.”
Nana nodded: "I suggest conducting full-link testing immediately. Verify stability in a closed environment, and lock the frequency channel to prevent external interference from synchronizing."
"Let's do it." Chen Hao stood up. "It's just making a call, right? We have to get it going today."
The simulation chamber, located on the east side of the base, was originally a sealed space used to test the performance of deep-sea pressure suits. It has now been temporarily converted into a communications test site. The interior is divided into four areas, corresponding to terrain that may be encountered during future exploration: narrow passages, open halls, collapse zones, and electromagnetic interference zones.
Carl went in first with his toolbox and fixed the two repeater nodes in their designated positions. One was mounted on the top bracket, and the other was attached to the opposite corner of the wall. The outer casing was a flat, silver-gray box with a short antenna, and it did indeed look as Nana had said—palm-sized and inconspicuous.
"Connect the power," he called back.
Susan pressed a button on the control panel, and the core device simulating the relic's energy began to output a weak current. The indicator light lit up, a blue dot flashed, and then stabilized.
“The node is activated.” Nana looked at the data. “It is performing a self-check and synchronization.”
A few seconds later, the system notification sounded: "Network connection successful, delay 0.3 seconds, signal strength good."
“Sounds good.” Chen Hao put on his helmet, the earpiece nestled in his ear. “I’ll try making the call. Position one, please respond.”
Susan picked up the communicator on the other end: "Second position received, sound is clear."
"Position 3 is normal." Karl's voice came through, a little muffled, but complete.
Nana stood in front of the control panel and said softly, "Position 4 is online."
Chen Hao grinned: "This time we can really hear each other."
But as soon as he finished speaking, Karl's voice suddenly cut off.
"Position 3? Karl?"
No response.
"Position three, report your status!"
Still, silence.
Susan immediately checked the surveillance footage and found his terminal interface completely gray. "Signal interrupted, node synchronization failed."
“I’ll go check it out.” Carl took off his helmet and walked to the nearest repeater. He opened the casing to check the interface, muttering, “It was working fine just now…”
Nana quickly retrieved the parameter model. "The problem lies in the conductor impedance. A 0.03-micrometer deviation in graphene thickness causes unstable transmission when the voltage fluctuates."
"How can such a small gap cause it to get stuck?" Chen Hao leaned closer to look at the screen.
“A small difference can lead to a huge error.” Susan stood beside her. “It’s like a grain of sand in your shoe; you have to stop after taking a couple of steps.”
Carl squatted on the ground, adjusting the circuit interface with a miniature welding torch. "Just add a compensation circuit, no need to change the materials." He worked skillfully, finishing after seventeen minutes. "Okay, let's try one more time."
Reboot the system and everyone reconnects.
"Number one, call everyone," Chen Hao said.
"Position number two is normal."
"Position 3 is online."
"Position 4 is now complete."
“The sound is much more stable this time,” Susan said. “I can even hear his breathing clearly.”
"That's because you're breathing too heavily," Chen Hao teased.
“You’re talking too loudly,” she retorted.
Nana cleared her throat: "The test continues. We're moving on to the second phase: extreme environment simulation."
The control console initiates the program, the hydraulic pumps start working, and the air pressure inside the chamber gradually increases, simulating the pressure at a depth of 3,000 meters in the ocean. At the same time, the magnetic field generator is activated, creating a highly disruptive environment.
“Start timing,” she said. “Objective: Maintain the call for at least fifteen minutes.”
Everything was normal for the first five minutes.
In the sixth minute, static appeared.
It sounded like metal scraping, intermittent, lasted for four seconds, and then disappeared.
"Stop!" Susan immediately called for a halt. "Another signal intrusion?"
Nana played back the audio spectrum and analyzed it carefully. "The source is internal. The hydraulic pump generates harmonic resonance during operation, and the frequency happens to be close to the communication band."
"So, it's our own machine that's making noise?" Chen Hao scratched his head.
“Accurate.” Nana turned off the device. “After eliminating the source of interference, the system should be able to adapt to similar situations in a real environment.”
"Understood." Carl nodded. "In the future, if you encounter anything that makes a noise, just stay away from it."
Next is the practical simulation.
The four people were placed in different areas to simulate encountering an emergency.
The first item: "Wounded Rescue".
Chen Hao plays an injured team member trapped in the collapse zone. He presses the emergency button, and the system automatically broadcasts his location information.
"I'm in section C, my left leg is trapped and I can't move."
Susan responded immediately: "Received, I'm in area B, approaching you."
Carl detoured through area D: "There's a crack ahead. I'll take the side road and arrive in five minutes."
Nana provided navigation support: "The structure of Zone C is unstable. It is recommended that two people work together to lift it away to avoid secondary collapse."
Ten minutes later, the simulated rescue was completed.
The second item: "Route replanning".
The original route was set to be blocked, and the team needed to adjust their direction of travel based on real-time feedback.
“The road ahead is blocked,” Carl reported.
"Switch to the backup route," Chen Hao said. "Nana, give me the coordinates."
“New path sent,” she replied. “Note: There is a risk of high-voltage arcing in the right-hand channel.”
"Got it." Susan reminded everyone, "Stick to the left wall and don't touch the metal walls."
Communication was smooth throughout the entire process, with no one dropping the connection.
The third item: "Emergency evacuation".
An alarm sounded, and the system indicated a sharp drop in oxygen concentration, requiring everyone to evacuate to a safe zone within five minutes.
"Everyone, report your location!" Chen Hao shouted.
"Depart from Zone D."
"Area B has been moved."
"Sector C, follow up."
Nana updates the route in real time: "At the fork in the road ahead, prioritize the left-hand path, it's 20% more efficient."
Finally, all four of them reached the exit, taking four minutes and eighteen seconds.
“In the past, we had to use hand gestures to communicate these things.” Chen Hao took off his helmet. “If we were lucky, they would understand; if we were unlucky, we would just go our separate ways.”
“Things are different now,” Susan smiled. “It’s just a matter of a word.”
Carl patted the repeater on his body: "If this thing breaks down halfway, I'll just weld it to my head."
“If you really do that,” Chen Hao said, “I’ll take a picture of you next time I go in, as a souvenir.”
Nana completed the final inspection. "The communication network is operating stably, and the full coverage test of all six nodes has passed. The average latency is 0.27 seconds, and the stress resistance meets the standards."
"Then there's no problem." Chen Hao stood up and stretched. "The three-day preparation period is over, we'll set off tomorrow."
Susan put the record board into her backpack and zipped it up. Carl checked the tool bag, making sure the welding torch and spare parts were there. Nana stood in front of the control panel, the blue light in her eyes slowly fading.
“All equipment is calibrated,” she said. “We are ready to go at any time.”
Chen Hao touched the earphone next to his ear and pressed the call button.
"Hello? Can you hear me?"
"We can hear you," the three answered in unison.
"Good." He smiled. "Now we can finally walk with our eyes open."
He turned and walked toward the exit, his footsteps landing firmly on the ground.
Others followed suit.
As Karl approached the door, he suddenly stopped.
"etc."
He looked down at the indicator light on the repeater.
The green light is on, things are stable.
But just a second ago, he felt the light seem to jump.
It's not flickering, nor is it a glitch.
It's more like a response.
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