Chapter Two: The Spark
Hearing the piercing sound from the instrument, Anno dared not look in the direction of those people anymore and quickly hid in other places.
Both parties in the middle of the transaction looked in surprise in the direction of Anno upon hearing the clear and sharp alarm.
The sellers exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes wide, and exclaimed, "This dilapidated base wouldn't still have seeds, would it?!"
"Aren't these petri dishes all empty? Could it be that there are still petri dishes operating inside?"
"Listen to this alarm, this is... this is..."
The sellers were initially incredulous, but then their faces lit up with ecstasy.
"This is the alarm signaling the emergence of a spark! There's no mistake!"
Although this training base has been abandoned for hundreds of years, in order to avoid any unexpected situations, the fire alarm sound of the training base has never been changed. Anyone born in the North River Star System, whether they are of beast or alien species, has heard this alarm sound, and there are also various evacuation drills every year.
Some people said in disbelief, "Could the instrument be malfunctioning?"
The man leading the sellers said excitedly, "Why don't we go and see for ourselves?"
Hicks kept a close eye on the seller's movements, and as the alarm sounded, his hand went to the energy knife at his waist.
The two brothers who came with Hicks also received his eye signal and quietly turned on the switches of the weapons they were wearing.
"Hicks, we're really lucky today! If there really is a fire seed, it's an unregistered wild fire seed!"
The leader excitedly went to retrieve the box filled with black crystals. Hicks saw them sending men to check the situation and knew that this line had to be closed today; nothing was more important than the spark.
Hicks swiftly drew the long sword from her waist and pierced the man's hand, pinning it to the box.
The man screamed, looking at Hicks with horror and confusion: "Hicks, what are you doing?! If you don't think the price is right, we can talk about it again!"
Hicks chuckled, a cold glint in his eyes. "The price is good, but I prefer outright robbery."
"Hicks, you! Who would dare do business with you after this?!"
The leading man looked at the two men following Hicks and quickly subdued them, their hands clasped with shackles that emitted a ghostly blue light. He immediately understood what was happening.
"You're from the security department?!"
After saying that, the man tried to break free from Hicks's grasp, but Hicks swiftly drew the electric gun from his waist and fired a shot at the man and the others, instantly stunning them.
"Clean up their lines properly, don't let the Blackthorns find out."
If the Blackthorns discover even the slightest clue, his undercover work will be over.
"Yes, boss!"
Hicks tapped a few times on the personal terminal on his wrist, signaling the security forces stationed on a nearby asteroid to come and take the person.
"Boss, is it really the spark?!"
Seeing that everyone had been electrocuted, Fink and Apak, who were with Hicks, finally spoke up excitedly.
Apa said happily, "If it really is the spark, then you've done a great job, and the merit points you've earned will definitely be enough to take you back to the Federation headquarters!"
Shh, don't make a sound.
Hicks made a shushing gesture to his lips and headed toward the location of the flame he sensed.
The alarm was still sounding regularly, and voices could be heard continuously from inside. It was people from the Federal Headquarters confirming the location of the Fire Seed's birth and whether anyone was near it.
Hicks moved quickly and quietly to the still-operating petri dish. The container was empty, and there was no sign of the flame. The culture medium had spilled all over the floor.
The console, which had been flashing red lights regularly, now glowed green. On the dusty display screen, a flickering flame and the words "transmitted" were shown.
This petri dish base has been abandoned for hundreds of years, but the control panel in front of it can still send signals out. The news that the base has successfully cultivated the spark has already been sent out.
The various research institutes responsible for the culture dishes, the main planet, and the Northern River Federation will all receive this information.
The Spark is the most precious species in the Northern River System, and its numbers are extremely rare. Every Spark that hatches from a petri dish is sent to the main star to be cared for and nurtured by special personnel.
The instruments were still beeping. Hicks pressed the answer button: "This is Hicks, number 3901, currently in service, spark..."
Hicks' nose twitched slightly, his eyes sweeping over a center console not far to his left, and he said in a deep voice, "Fire Seed, confirmed to be alive."
The person on the other end of the line paused, and the usually calm operator's voice trembled with excitement: "3901, how is the Fire Seed's condition?"
Hicks: "Unknown. Send people over as soon as possible. This is Capa, a high-risk planet. We need the best security and medical teams."
"Received, 3901. Please protect the flame. You will accumulate 100 merit points."
Hicks hung up the communication and deactivated the alarm to avoid attracting other people, then tiptoed toward the control panel.
At this moment, Anno was huddled inside the cabinet in the center console, listening intently to the sounds outside.
The piercing sound was gone, and the voices of the human traffickers seemed to have disappeared as well. Had they already left?
Anuo dared not be careless and tried to mobilize the energy in her body to sense it. As soon as the energy was probed out, she sensed a very strong energy aura.
Right in front of her.
Anno held his breath instantly.
She must not be discovered, or she will be captured and sold.
Anno gripped a wrench tightly in her hand. Even though she knew that her small frame couldn't handle anyone, the weapon always gave her a sense of security.
"squeak......"
The cabinet door was slowly opened, and Anuo grabbed the wrench and slammed it down on the person who entered.
A long, slender hand easily grasped the wrench, and Anuo met a pair of clear, dark eyes.
"Don't be afraid."
Hicks saw the little girl in front of her and gently comforted her.
He watched as the cub huddled in the corner, her large, round, light blue eyes filled with wariness. Judging from the culture medium spilled all over the floor, she must have just come out of the petri dish. Her long, pinkish-gold hair was still wet, dripping with culture medium. Perhaps from the cold or fear, her body was trembling slightly.
Hicks caught a glimpse of her pointed ears and two long, glowing tentacles that dangled casually behind them—characteristics of the Fireseed. The cub before him was undoubtedly a Fireseed.
"Don't be afraid, come to me..."
Hicks reached out his hand to her.
Anno knew that this man was one of the people who had just made a deal with the human traffickers and was not a good person. Her instinct to escape made her want to rush out, but Hicks caught her quickly and pulled her into his arms, taking off his trench coat and wrapping it around her.
Anno felt uneasy as the clothes covered her head and face, obscuring her vision, and she struggled violently in Hicks's arms.
As soon as it peeked out, Anno's adrenaline surged, and it bit down hard on Hicks' outstretched hand.
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