Chen Hao stared at the black button covered in rust at the bottom of the half-collapsed iron door, and his throat moved.
"Has anyone been here?" His voice was a little dry. "In this godforsaken place, who else would dare to come?"
Nana didn't speak. The camera panned across the button's surface, then stepped back two paces, surveying her surroundings. Wind seeped through the cracks in the ruins, making its casing creak slightly.
“Identity cannot be confirmed,” she said, “but the triggering mechanism suggests that the tag is used to record the number of people entering and the time.”
"So..." Chen Hao grinned, "more than once?"
"The possibility exists."
He looked down at his hands, which were covered in mud and dust, and touched the burns on his right arm. He sighed, "We just managed to salvage the metal plate, only to find out that our territory has been targeted for a long time?"
Nana put away the detection module: "Return to base first. Materials need to be stored in the warehouse to prevent moisture, and your wound also needs to be treated."
"Alright then." Chen Hao slung the aluminum alloy plate over his shoulder, which ached from the weight. "Every step I take now feels like I'm paying off a debt."
They retraced their steps, this time more slowly. Chen Hao's abrasions on his legs hurt at the slightest touch, and he had to stop every time he stepped on a loose concrete slab. Nana walked ahead, her robotic arm extending its balancing bar, ready to support him at any moment.
The sun was setting, casting long shadows. By the time the outer wall of the base came into view, Chen Hao was panting like a broken blower.
"Finally... I'm back." He put the board down against the wall and plopped down on the doorstep.
Nana scanned the surrounding environment and, after confirming there were no abnormal signals, began disassembling the transport device. Chen Hao looked up at the sky, and suddenly felt a tickle in his nose.
He sneezed.
Next, the second one.
The third one.
"Holy crap..." he rubbed his nose, "Who's sprinkling powder here?"
Nana turned to look at him, then suddenly stopped what she was doing.
“Your facial capillaries are dilated, and your eyelids are slightly swollen,” she said. “Your breathing rate is increased by forty percent.”
"I know I'm fat," Chen Hao took a breath, "but does it have to be diagnosed the moment I get back?"
“It’s not an obesity issue.” Nana moved closer, pointing the camera at his nasal cavity. “High concentrations of suspended particles were detected in the air, less than ten micrometers in diameter, with complex protein structures—an allergen.”
"What do you mean?"
"You have an allergic reaction."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Hao sneezed three times in a row, and tears streamed down his face.
"No..." he wiped his eyes, "It's only been a few minutes? I've never eaten spicy food this intensely before."
Nana pulled up the farm layout map, and a beam of light shone on the ground. A newly marked area on the east side glowed yellow.
“The source has been identified,” she said. “The ornamental plant area. The colorful flowers you planted three days ago are releasing pollen; they are a mutated strain and extremely irritating.”
"Isn't that just for looks?" Chen Hao sniffed. "I even specifically picked the brightly colored ones!"
“Bright colors usually mean high pollination efficiency,” Nana said. “Now it’s using you as a pollination tool.”
"Bullshit!" Chen Hao tried to stand up, but felt dizzy for a moment. "I'm going to pull them all out!"
“I don’t recommend it,” Nana stopped him. “The roots have penetrated two layers underground, and forcibly removing them may damage the drainage system. In addition, some plants have the function of stabilizing the soil.”
"So you're making me sneeze all the time? My face is all swollen up like a pig's head!"
Nana quickly searched the database and said a few seconds later, "Option one: physical isolation. Use plastic film to build a sealed enclosure to block the spread of pollen."
"Do you have the materials?"
"Sufficient inventory."
"Let's do it then." Chen Hao stood up, leaning against the wall. "The sooner the better, I feel like I'm going to cough my lungs out."
They moved lightweight supports and transparent film out of the warehouse. Nana was in charge of measuring angles and fixing points, while Chen Hao handed her tools. But the further they went, the slower his movements became, his fingers trembled, and his breathing became shorter and shorter.
"No..." he squatted on the ground, "I can't breathe."
Nana immediately scanned his blood oxygen level: "It has dropped to 82 percent, and there is slight edema in his throat. We must speed things up."
"I'll help you press the edges." Chen Hao gritted his teeth and stood up. "The last piece."
After the top film was laid, Nana instructed him to seal the edges: "Leave a ventilation opening, in the northwest corner."
"I know." Chen Hao took the sealing strip and stuck it on. His hands were shaking violently, his vision was blurry, and his forehead was covered in sweat.
He should have only sealed three sides.
But he remembered it wrong.
All four sides were completely crushed.
The membrane tightened instantly, creating a sealed space. Airflow inside stopped, and the oxygen content began to decrease.
Nana's alarm went off.
"Warning! Internal oxygen concentration is rapidly decreasing!"
She rushed over, and the robotic arm extended a cutting blade, slicing through the southeast seam. The membrane cracked open, letting in fresh air.
Chen Hao slumped beside the support frame, his face pale and his lips slightly purple.
Nana dragged him out, a first aid module popped out from her back, she put a simple mask on his face, and turned on a small fan to blow air.
"Breathe," she said. "Take it slow."
After about ten seconds, Chen Hao coughed and opened his eyes a crack.
"Did I...mess with it?"
“You’ve locked yourself in a vacuum bag.” Nana adjusted her mask. “Don’t try to be brave next time you sneeze.”
"I'm not trying to be brave..." he gasped, "I really didn't see it clearly."
“Blurred vision is one of the symptoms of allergies,” Nana said. “You shouldn’t have participated in the final capping.”
"Then who will come?" Chen Hao smiled wryly. "You can't be in two places at once."
Nana didn't answer. She turned around, removed the filter from the discarded air purifier, and rummaged through the repair kit for a small motor and fan blades. In less than ten minutes, she had assembled a mini blower, connected an activated carbon mesh, and attached it to a stand to blow air onto the flower area.
“Activate positive pressure circulation,” she said. “Outside air is injected after being filtered, while polluted gases inside are expelled.”
"You're quite the troublemaker," Chen Hao said, leaning against the wall. "You can even fix this?"
"Resources are limited and can only be reused."
"Same as us," Chen Hao grinned, "Reusing waste."
Nana glanced at him: "You're not entirely useless."
"Thanks." He rolled his eyes. "It's rare for you to praise me like that, and you're holding back."
They rested for half an hour. Chen Hao's complexion gradually returned to normal, and his cough lessened. Nana continued to monitor pollen concentration; data showed that after the isolation shield took effect, allergen particles in the air decreased by 91%.
“Short-term safety,” she said, “but the flowering season is still two weeks away, so a long-term strategy is needed.”
What do you suggest we do?
"First, spray a weak alkaline solution regularly to inhibit pollen activity. Refer to the previous method for neutralizing acid corrosion."
"Okay." Chen Hao nodded. "Anyway, I'm already familiar with it."
"Second, we will customize protective equipment for you. Existing masks cannot cope with high-intensity allergens."
"You're going to make me armor?"
“It’s a face filter.” Nana opened the design diagram. “The honeycomb mesh structure reduces breathing resistance and fits your facial contours.”
"It sounds like a pig's snout."
"Functionality first".
"Whatever you want." Chen Hao stood up and stretched his shoulders. "Just don't make me go back into that plastic coffin."
Nana began adjusting the equipment parameters. Chen Hao sat on a bench by the door, wearing a temporary mask, looking at the colorful flower field to the east.
When the wind blows, the petals sway, as if they are laughing.
He raised his hand and gave the middle finger.
"When I recover, the first thing I'll do is burn you."
Nana suddenly looked up.
"A slight vibration was detected."
"where?"
"underground."
They both fell silent.
Just as Chen Hao was about to ask if it was his imagination, a muffled thud came from beneath his feet.
A crack appeared in the ground.
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