As the probe's magnificent silhouette appeared on the horizon, it fell into the gray sky just as it had when it left, like a fleeting shooting star, trailing a brilliant tail of flame as it slid down.
Its return occurred just before dawn, when the sky and earth were asleep, and only a few tiny humans watched from the edge of the plain, awake.
Jiang Cheng, wrapped in a trench coat with his bangs disheveled by the wind, stared at the probe that had successfully returned to the launch pad after landing on the vast land, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
It was probably planned from the beginning. After a smooth landing, the researchers immediately went over to bring out the No. 4 satellite and also take the video footage from the docking to the observation station.
The ground, which was originally pitch black, appeared somewhat white under the bright lights of the launch pad. It was a silent white, with shadows cast on the ground as busy researchers moved about.
Jiang Cheng turned around and strode towards it, knowing that the secret would be revealed in a few minutes.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor; he couldn't quite describe his feelings—whether it was nervousness or something else entirely.
Even someone as composed as Jiang Cheng couldn't help but start imagining what kind of scenes were in the video that Number Four brought back.
Do creatures that only exist in science fiction movies actually exist?
How did the dimension of death come about? If those creatures exist, what form would they take...?
Could it really look like a bobblehead with dark green skin...?
Upon entering the observation room, one finds many people already seated, the video recordings laid out on the table, yet no one dares to move.
They were all waiting for Jiang Cheng; without his order, this top-secret video could not be played.
The sound of the door opening reached everyone's ears, and someone immediately called out, "Team Leader Jiang..."
Jiang Cheng waved his hand to stop him from saying what he was about to say, "I know, are all the members of the group here?"
"All the team leaders who returned to Jiang were present."
Professor Busi, sitting in the front row, also turned around to look. His aged face showed no particular expression, but his eyes held an indescribable meaning.
Jiang Cheng focused his gaze on the videotape, walked to the front, gently stroked it with his finger, and then looked at everyone.
"Now that everything is ready, let's start playing." He sat down.
Gu Qingwan picked up the videotape with her slender fingers. Although she was wearing high heels, her steps were steady as she carefully placed the videotape into the tape.
The researchers cannot describe their feelings at this moment. From the moment the H-012 satellite went missing, to now, they have been extremely eager to know the secret of the dead dimension or why it went missing.
However, when the answer is truly laid out before you and about to be revealed, it feels somewhat unreal.
The sounds of swallowing saliva rose and fell, and the beating of hearts was clear. Everyone was silent, their eyes fixed on the screen, and some people's palms were already sweating.
Jiangcheng sat peacefully.
He simply took a deep breath.
The video started playing, showing footage from after entering the Death Dimension. Shockingly, just as previously speculated, the environment inside perfectly matched the "concept of the second dimension."
The scenery remained unchanged, but the magnetic field was completely different.
Strictly speaking, it is still that space, only it has been deliberately created as an area to block signals.
In the footage, the No. 4 rocket keeps moving forward toward the location of H-012. At this moment, the researchers become extremely patient, not daring to overlook any detail.
The entire observation room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; it was that silent.
They were as solemn as if they were attending a funeral.
It's here!
It's finally here!
It's unclear how long the videotape has been playing, but H-012 remains in that location. It disappeared from public view for several months, and although it's still far away and seems insignificant, it has truly excited researchers.
As it drew closer, the satellite, a culmination of modern technological wisdom, gradually became clearer, and Jiang Cheng's gaze suddenly sharpened.
The researchers' expressions gradually turned to shock!
Some people even showed extremely exaggerated expressions, their pupils began to contract, their mouths were slightly open, and their heartbeats suddenly accelerated.
What did they see?
H-012, which had been missing for so long, had lost its original color. It was no longer the bright silver it once was. It had become rotten all over and was covered with some dark brown liquid. The exposed parts were also covered with rust.
It should be noted that although the materials used in this satellite were not the hardest, their structural stability and corrosion resistance far exceeded those of other metals. How could it have turned out like this!
When the brain-like detector was just inches away from it, researchers discovered an even more chilling reality: the seemingly dark brown liquid wasn't a liquid at all! It was real, living organisms...
Densely packed, ant-like creatures with antennae and sharp mouthparts, their bodies brown and their appearance hideous, were rapidly climbing across the satellite's surface as if feeding.
Those rust marks weren't rust at all; they were large chunks of food that had been gnawed away. Most terrifyingly, this tiny creature seemed to be able to find the weakest point in the satellite connection.
Then they tear it apart with their mouthparts and burrow inside!
It is likely that this method was used to disrupt the satellite's signal transmission system, forcing H-012 to lose contact completely.
This once-powerful observation equipment, a testament to human ingenuity, is now battered and bruised, swallowed up like food by the insects.
Jiang Cheng looked incredulous, as did the other researchers. It was simply unbelievable that the Zerg could survive in space and belong to another kind of life form.
At this moment, he was somewhat relieved that he had completely blocked the news and prevented the secret from being leaked; otherwise, the content shown in the videotape might have caused a global uproar.
The videotape should be divided into two stages. The first stage was recorded by a brain-like device, and the second stage was the footage taken from H-012 before the attack, which is obviously more important.
Because, even if these insects are living organisms, how did they reach the planet's equator?
The fear is that this thing isn't a real enemy facing humanity, but rather a domesticated... war creature.
Just as I was looking at it, suddenly!
Jiang Cheng stood up and immediately stopped the recording!
He turned around and said something to all the researchers.
"Go check the brain-like detectors immediately for any trace of these creatures! They're so tiny, they might have come to the plains along with them!"
In short, everyone's heads went blank!
Something terrible has happened!
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