Chapter 292: IF Path - Bazel: Leaving
After quickly packing his things, Bazel turned on all the cameras he had placed near the petri dish factory to check them.
Number 29 is already on his way. He is not on Kappa, but in a nearby star system. It will take some time for him to jump over.
If the people from the Northern River Federation arrive before the 29th, he will have to take the cub away temporarily.
Before that, he tried to wait here until the 29th, as a blizzard was still raging outside and the little one couldn't stay in the harsh environment for too long.
An hour later, an aircraft appeared in the view of one of the cameras.
It's not the 29th.
Bazel zoomed in and, through the aircraft's front window, saw a familiar face: Hicks.
His heart sank; they had indeed received the message and turned back.
Based on the distance, Hicks would be entering the petri dish factory in less than two minutes; he couldn't wait any longer.
Bazel slung his backpack over his shoulder, wrapped the still-sleeping cub in a thick blanket, and prepared to lead her out through the small back door.
He had just stepped out the back door when Hicks's aircraft stopped at the entrance of the petri dish factory.
A fierce blizzard was raging, reducing visibility to almost zero; you couldn't see anything more than a meter away.
Bazel wrapped the cub tightly, but Anno was still awakened by the howling wind.
When Anuo opened her eyes, all she saw was a vast expanse of white, and she couldn't react for a moment.
Bazel wrapped her up warmly, but she could still feel the biting cold wind blowing on her face.
She saw Bazel's handsome face above her, dressed in a robe that blended almost perfectly with the snow, and wearing a hood, as if he were about to take her outside.
Her gaze swept around. Was she in the North District?
Such heavy snow is only seen in the northern district.
But Anno had a vague feeling that something was wrong. After seeing a ground vehicle that Bazel drove out automatically, the strange feeling he had felt since waking up was magnified countless times.
The vehicle was suspended above the ground, and its design was unlike anything she had ever seen before.
She has modified many vehicles in the past and is very skilled in this area. Such vehicles and drives are something that Earth's current technology can never achieve.
Bazel carried her onto the vehicle, and when he looked down, he found that she was already awake, looking at him with her bright, light blue eyes.
He immediately soothed her gently, "Baby, I'll take you to a safe place, don't be afraid."
Anuo wondered to herself, "Is the place I just stayed in no longer safe?"
She could understand; she saw that this guy was only in his early twenties, not much older than her before, and he didn't have any teammates or anything.
Judging from the abundance of supplies in his living quarters, he must live alone most of the time. If he were to encounter mutated creatures or attacks from other base teams, he would have to move to another location.
There was no time to lose, so Bazel placed the cub in the passenger seat, and the seatbelt automatically fastened for her.
Then he took out a pre-prepared baby bottle from his backpack and handed it to Anno.
Anno took the bottle; it was still warm, and the car's heater was on, but Anno soon felt warm again.
She watched as Bazel tapped a few buttons on the control panel in front of him, and the vehicle sped off.
The vehicle's control system was something she had never seen before; it felt somewhat...too advanced.
She couldn't help but wonder if she was still on Earth.
Anno saw some colorful images floating in front of him, like the control systems he had seen in science fiction movies stored on his computer. They were technologies that Earth could not yet achieve and that still existed in human imagination.
The vehicle doesn't fly very high; it mostly flies close to the ground. Although the wind and snow outside are heavy, they don't have much of an impact on the vehicle.
In the past, in weather like this in the North District, she and her teammates would never dare to stay outside for long. Even if they were driving a modified off-road vehicle, they might get stuck in the snow and lose their way.
Anno turned her head to look out the window and saw her reflection in the window. She looked about three or four years old, just like before, with her pink-gold slightly curly long hair and light blue eyes. She looked like she had shrunk.
She froze when she saw the two soft tentacles extending from behind her ears.
What is this...?
After contacting Number 29, Bazel turned to look at the little cub and saw her playing with her own light band, looking very surprised and curious, her face saying: Is this really something that grew out of my body?
Seeing her adorable appearance, Bazel couldn't help but reach out and ruffle her hair. "Baby, this is your light belt."
Light band?
Anno felt extremely uncomfortable hearing Bazel call her "baby".
Although she could understand what he was saying, she couldn't speak his language.
Thinking of this, she was stunned again. Right, the language this brother was speaking didn't seem to be an Earth language. At least, she hadn't heard this language before in any of the bases.
But what's amazing is that she can understand it.
Thinking of this, she pointed to herself: "Anno."
Bazel was somewhat surprised to see the little cub repeating the same phrase several times, as if introducing itself.
Could it be that the little one learned to speak through communication with him via energy over the past three years?
To verify his guess, Bazel asked her, "Baby, can you understand what I'm saying?"
Anno nodded.
"Baby, do you still remember me?"
Anno nodded and then shook her head. She felt that he was familiar with her, and she was not averse to him, nor was she as wary of him as she was of other men, so she should know him, but she was also sure that this was the first time she had met him.
Seeing her movements, Bazel thought that the baby should still remember him.
Perhaps it was the first time she had seen him, but she must have remembered his aura and energy.
When Anuo heard him call her baby, she continued to point to herself and introduce herself, "Anuo, my name is Anuo."
Bazel smiled and introduced himself to her, "My name is Bazel."
It was just a name, and Anno blurted out his name.
Hearing the little cub softly call his name, Bazel felt a warmth and swelling in his heart. He reached out and stroked her fluffy head, his eyes filled with a tenderness he had never shown before.
Bazel's personal computer rang; it was a call from Number 29.
Anno watched as Bazel tapped a few times on a silver bracelet on his wrist, and an image immediately popped up in front of him.
In the post-apocalyptic world, communication methods are not even as advanced as before; communication is limited to radio, and even then, communication with other places is only possible within bases. Individuals cannot possess any communication devices.
As the vehicle drove through a wasteland, Anno fell silent.
She was certain that she was no longer on Earth.
"Let me see the little guy."
Number 29 to Bazell Road.
Bazel shifted the camera to Anno.
On the 29th, seeing the tiny little cub, she looked on with great curiosity and asked, "How did you raise her to be so big? The spark is very fragile."
Bazel: "We'll talk about it when we get there. The Federation people have already come looking for us. You need to hurry. It's Hicks."
Number 29: "It's him."
They all knew Hicks, after all, they had all been involved in underworld organizations like those on Capa. Blackthorn was a big name, and as one of its leaders, they naturally knew Hicks.
"I've shared my location with you. I've already entered orbit around Kappa. I'll be there to meet you in fifteen minutes."
Bazel parked the ship in a valley, which would temporarily conceal their movements.
Petri dish factory.
Hicks and his team stood solemnly in front of a broken petri dish.
He could still smell a faint scent of culture medium, mixed with the scent of embers.
A spark was truly ignited here.
The scene had been carefully cleaned up, indicating that it was premeditated. People had stolen fire starters and kept them for themselves in the past, and this hadn't happened for many years.
He quickly followed the traces and smells to the room inside the factory.
The room was converted from a workshop and was filled with various supplies, many of which were daily necessities for the cubs.
He immediately took photos and reported them to the Federation, requesting that the Federation send more personnel. The precious spark was out there, especially in a place like Kappa. This had escalated to the highest level of concern.
The thought that this had happened right under his nose made his expression grow even colder.
Ava glanced around the room, which was piled high with supplies, and asked hesitantly, "Boss, is it really the Fire Seed?"
Hicks pulled out a cigarette, took a deep drag, then threw it on the ground and stomped it out. "Can't you smell it?"
Ava smelled it; the scent of the fire was faint and was covered by the aura of a beast.
He simply couldn't believe that there was actually a fire source on Capa. What kind of reckless fool would dare to do such a thing?
Raising a Fire Seed cub in this environment would surely kill the Fire Seed, wouldn't it?
Ava whispered, "Boss, what if they haven't left yet, and are hiding somewhere in the factory?"
The environment outside is so harsh that even a few minutes outdoors could be fatal for them. The people who stole the Fire Seed Cub wouldn't take her out with them; it's too dangerous.
Hicks's gaze fell on the thick, soft nest in the room. He placed his hand inside and touched it; it was still warm.
He said in a deep voice, "They just ran away with the Fire Seed cubs."
Hicks focused his mind, carefully discerning the lingering scent of embers in the air, and then followed the scent in the direction they had fled.
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