Silent Ark
The "Eternal Exile" hovers silently in the center of the cosmic graveyard, like a silent metallic mountain. A closer look reveals its immense size and antiquity. The massive wounds on its hull, with their twisted and rolled edges, seem to have been ripped apart by some irresistible force. Occasionally, from some broken pipes, gas crystals frozen for countless millennia drift out, slowly sublimating in the void.
But what was most unsettling were the countless, densely packed, crimson lights that suddenly appeared. They were scattered throughout the deep passageways of the ship, behind broken observation windows, and even on some open deck doors, like the cold eyes of countless hungry beasts, watching these tiny intruders.
"High concentration of unknown life reaction detected... no, not entirely a life reaction, more like... some kind of energy parasite or mechanical consciousness!" Fox rapidly operated the portable terminal, his voice trembling with disbelief. "The quantity... is incalculable! The entire ship is almost entirely occupied by this thing!"
"Is it the 'Scavenger'? Or is it the contamination of the 'Annihilation Core'?" Rock gripped his weapon tightly and asked nervously.
Zero observed carefully and shook his head: "It doesn't seem like it. The aura of this thing is more... primitive, and it has a more 'defense mechanism' feel to it. They may have originally been the ship's automatic defense system, which mutated over the long years, or... were 'infected' and assimilated by something that later grew on the ship."
Jiang Yu felt the strong resonance emanating from the compass. The key fragments were definitely deep inside the ship, but these crimson eyes were undoubtedly a huge obstacle. Forcing their way in was clearly unwise; the ship itself was a massive trap.
“We need to find a relatively safe route,” Jiang Yu said in a deep voice. “This ship has a complex structure, and there must be certain areas where these ‘defenders’ are less active, such as… the energy core area, the bridge, or the ecological maintenance area? Those places may still retain some of their original functions.”
“That makes sense.” Zero agreed. “Usually, the central control system (bridge) and power core area of such arks have the highest defense level, but they are also most likely to retain critical information and relatively independent internal circulation systems. If the key fragment is an important item, it is very likely to be in these areas.”
He pulled out a compass-like device (clearly much more rudimentary than Jiang Yu's) and began scanning the ship's energy flow. "Hmm... the ship's main energy source is very weak, but it's still operating, like a candle flickering in the wind. The energy flow indicates that the bridge and the 'Dome Garden' (possibly an ecological zone) located in the middle and rear of the ship still have weak activity signals. Most of the energy reactions from the Crimson Eyes are concentrated in the outer defense layer and the lower storage area."
A potential path emerged in everyone's mind: bypass the heavily defended outer and lower layers, try to cut in through a relatively weak breach, and then meander along the "silent zone" of energy flow towards the bridge or the dome garden.
The objective is clear, but execution remains fraught with difficulties. How to silently board a ghost ship overrun by countless mutated defenders? The first challenge lies ahead.
The boarding point was chosen at a relatively small tear in the middle of the ship. The tear looked like it had been ripped open by some kind of huge claw, with relatively clean edges, unlike the one caused by an explosion which was covered in sharp metal spikes. Moreover, it was well-hidden, away from the area densely packed with crimson eyes.
Zero used his unparalleled spatial skills to create a temporary visual and energy shield outside the rift, concealing everyone's movements. Jiang Yu was the first to silently float into the rift, followed closely by the others.
Inside, it was pitch black and weightless. Only the emergency indicator lights occasionally flashed a ghastly green light, illuminating the scattered metal fragments and floating debris. The air (if it could still be called air) was cold, thin, and carried a nauseating stench of corroded metal and some kind of… decaying organic matter.
Gravity seemed to have failed, or at least remained in certain areas. They drifted forward along a wide but obstructed main road. The silence was eerie, broken only by the pounding of their own hearts and the faint hiss of their thrusters (the portable devices used by the "Dawn" team).
Most of the cabins on both sides had their doors wide open, and the interiors were in complete disarray, with congealed black bloodstains, scattered personal belongings, and remnants of torn, unrecognizable organic matter. It was clear that an extremely horrific event had taken place here.
"Judging from these marks... they don't seem to be from an external attack, more like... an internal collapse." The doctor pointed to some deep scratches and burn marks from energy weapons on the wall, and whispered, "Was there a battle between the crew? Or was something breached from within?"
The deeper they went, the stronger the stench of decay and death became. Occasionally, a faint, eerie scraping sound could be heard coming from the depths of the pipes or the vents, but it would disappear whenever they cautiously stopped.
Suddenly, Jiang Yu, who was walking at the front, raised his hand sharply, signaling to stop. He keenly sensed a faint energy fluctuation coming from a large cabin around the corner ahead.
He gestured for the others to take cover, while he, like a ghost, crept along one wall and slowly approached. Peeking inside, he saw dozens of translucent, jellyfish-like creatures floating in what might have been a dining room or meeting area! A ghostly blue light emanated from their centers, and countless tentacles swayed slowly, seemingly drawing energy from the remaining air. They showed no reaction to Jiang Yu and the others' arrival, appearing to be in a low-power dormant state.
“It’s ‘photonic fungus’,” Zero transmitted telepathically, “a common cosmic symbiotic cleansing organism. It seems the original ecosystem of this ship hasn’t completely died out. They’re harmless, as long as you don’t attack them.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and carefully circled around the compartment. These remaining, relatively peaceful creatures only served to highlight the tragic nature of the giant ship—it had once been a complete, self-sustaining world, but now only these insignificant survivors remained.
However, their good fortune didn't last long. As they passed through a narrow pipe connecting different areas, a sudden, intense, teeth-grinding metallic scraping sound came from ahead!
Immediately afterwards, several grotesque mechanical constructs appeared from the end of the pipe! They had spider-like limbs, but their main body was a constantly rotating disc covered with sensors and cutting tools, and their bodies were covered with those iconic scarlet light spots.
A distorted automatic defense unit.
They've discovered the intruders!
A crimson light instantly locked onto the group inside the pipe, and the spinning cutting tools emitted a piercing hum. A head-on confrontation was inevitable. And once firing, the deafening noise could very well awaken all the "residents" of the ship.
"We've been discovered! Finish this quickly!" Rock roared, raising his specially made pulse rifle. A silent energy beam shot out instantly, accurately hitting the sensor cluster of the leading mechanical spider, sending sparks flying and momentarily halting its movements.
But the other spiders immediately scattered, using the pipe walls to climb nimbly and attack from different angles! They were incredibly fast, their cutting tools flashing with a dangerous light.
The medic quickly erected a small energy shield to block the attack from one side. The fox threw several EMP (electromagnetic pulse) grenades, attempting to disable their electronic systems. However, the effect was limited; the defensive units were clearly well-protected, only their movements were slightly delayed.
Jiang Yu didn't use a machete, as it would easily cause a huge commotion in this confined space. He moved like lightning, attacking with his bare hands! His fingertips were concentrated with highly compressed power, and each strike precisely hit the joints or energy core of the mechanical spider.
"Crack! Bang!"
With a few soft clicks, the two spiders that pounced on him were instantly disintegrated into parts, their crimson glow extinguished, and they floated in the pipes. Zero's movements were even more bizarre; he seemed to anticipate every attack, his body twisting at incredible angles to dodge, while his fingers tapped rapidly in the air, sending streams of data invading the remaining spiders like viruses. Soon, the spiders' movements became chaotic, and they even began attacking each other.
With the four working in perfect harmony, the small patrol was quickly and quietly dealt with. But more frequent and intense scraping sounds came from the end of the pipe, and the alarm had been triggered.
"We can't stay here! Follow me!" Zero shouted, pressing his hands against the pipe wall. A hidden emergency exit, seemingly used by maintenance personnel, silently slid open. "This passage bypasses the main road and leads directly to the upper-level living area! Quick!"
Without hesitation, everyone squeezed into the narrow emergency passage. Just as the passageway closed, they heard a tidal wave of mechanical friction and crimson flashes of light coming from the pipes outside.
That was close!
The emergency passage was even narrower, allowing only one person to crawl forward at a time. In the darkness, only their heavy breathing could be heard. Although they had won the brief battle, the feeling of being surrounded by countless enemies left everyone with lingering fear.
After crawling for what seemed like an eternity for several minutes, a faint light appeared ahead. Zero pushed open the grille at the end of the passage, and the group cautiously peeked out.
Before me was a world completely different from the one below.
They seemed to have arrived at the upper living quarters of the spaceship. Although still dilapidated and covered in dust, the building structure was relatively intact, and some remnants of artistic decorations could even be seen. Closed hatches lined the corridors, and faded murals still hung on some walls. Most strangely, in the distance, they seemed to hear faint, almost hallucinatory, music…
Here, a trace of the ark's former glory seems to remain, but this only makes it seem more eerie and mysterious.
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