Chapter 147 Rebooter Base - 4 *** ……
***
Tang Bufan gradually got used to life in the research institute. Every morning at 5:30, he would quietly walk past Anderson who was sleeping on the floor to wash up in the cramped toilet, and then go to the canteen on the third basement floor to help cook porridge and other dishes. After finishing breakfast at 7:00, he would take the hot meat porridge back to the prison before going to the laboratory to study.
Anderson didn't have the habit of eating breakfast and couldn't stand Eastern food. Occasionally, he would grumble at Tang Bufan, who brought him food, but he would still eat all the food Tang Bufan brought back.
His wounds have mostly healed. Even without professional treatment, the orc's powerful self-healing ability has made up for it. However, he is inevitably left with many scars all over his body, red lines that are slightly raised. It is unknown whether they will fade away with time.
Anderson himself didn't seem to care much, but Tang Bufan felt bad for him, especially seeing the long line on Anderson's right cheek, which could be described as a disfigurement.
In order to remove Anderson's scars, Tang Bufan specially applied to Zero and got the ointment from the Medical Research Department.
Zero wasn't too bad to Tang Bufan. He agreed to most of Tang Bufan's requests, and he was satisfied with Tang Bufan's obedient behavior. Tang Bufan not only studied the experimental knowledge seriously, but also helped out with work around the base every day.
The island didn't have a large enough human population. A thousand years ago, there were 50,000 scientists and engineers on the island, as well as all kinds of robots. But surviving on the ground in such an extremely harsh environment was difficult. Hurricanes, torrential rains, extreme cold, and scorching heat made it difficult for people to maintain the island's outer protective shield after each disaster.
In the early days when it was impossible to go out to replenish resources, scientists had to dismantle robots and use their parts to repair important instruments, and service robots gradually disappeared.
Fortunately, some less bright children on the island filled their positions. Not all children born to scientists and engineers who formed families were exceptionally bright. The island made a good plan: the brightest children took over the aging research team, the strongest children went to the guard team, and the least bright became the logistics team.
The island operates under a communist system. During times of disaster, everyone eats from the same pot in the canteen, so there is no distinction between superior and inferior professions. Everyone diligently performs their duties, holding onto the grand ideal of "restarting human civilization," and has persisted in this way for a thousand years.
Despite being described as not particularly bright, Tang Bufan discovered after spending some time with the support staff that the people here were far more intelligent than those outside. The soldier monitoring him and Anderson had a master's degree, the old man who mopped the floor with him knew calculus, and even the auntie who served meals could give Tang Bufan pointers on physics.
Tang Bufan had no choice but to admit that he was a complete idiot. When asked what score he got on the college entrance exam, he blushed with embarrassment and only said that he had passed the first-tier university admission line, concealing the fact that he had failed several subjects.
When Tang Bufan asked the uncles and aunts around him for advice, he also discovered that they were less concerned about life and ethics than outsiders.
They don't think that developing orcs in the past and eliminating orcs now was a mistake. Even modifying the genes of poison people to make them reproduce and die quickly in order to accelerate the purification of the earth, they are not heartless. In fact, they recognize the contributions of orcs and poison people. They are just very rational and only care about the interests of mankind. As for humanity and ethics... if we really talk about that, many experiments would not need to be done.
On his ninth day at the research institute, Tang Bufan came into contact with the poisonous child located on the sixth underground level.
They were all selected children with green skin and some of them had unusual appearances, with flowers and leaves growing on their bodies or hair like sticky seaweed. However, they looked at people with the same eyes as normal human children and were learning to spell under the guidance of a female researcher.
Tang Bufan's arrival excited them, and they all ran over to call him "mother." This title made Tang Bufan uncomfortable. Surrounded by a group of strange-looking children, some of their hands that touched him were rough like wood, while others were sticky. Tang Bufan was pushed and shoved a few times, and feeling that he couldn't breathe properly, he hurriedly ran away.
“The title ‘mother’ is very useful. If it weren’t for that title, how could those poisoners have treated you so well?” Cotton slippers dangled from the swivel chair as she taught Tang Bufan how to use a resonant stone to write Morse code.
This resonant stone is made of quantum materials and exhibits quantum entanglement. No matter how far apart it is, it can change its trajectory according to the actions of the other party. It is one of the test items in the upcoming time travel experiment to see if this quantum entanglement phenomenon is affected by spacetime.
If the experiment goes well, they will be able to use resonant stones to strike Morse code for two-way communication across time and space.
Of course, Tang Bufan still needs to use Weibo to send his observation report on the original world to them a thousand years later.
"...I met a little girl in a mine near Taicheng before." Tang Bufan looked down at the black magnet dancing in front of him and said in a complicated tone, "She was very young, and those poison people called her a saint. She lived with them in a dark mine... Did she get out from here?"
“Yes,” Cotton said nonchalantly, “The rejected poison children will be released by us; it’s part of our missionary work.”
It's so convenient to manipulate those low-IQ drug addicts through religion. Cotton Slippers really admires Zero for coming up with this idea.
"...What about the kids who weren't eliminated?" Tang Bufan asked, concerned.
“Let’s continue the observation and research,” Cotton said matter-of-factly. “After rounds of screening, keep the ones with the highest IQs, and then let them 'mature' to see if they can stably inherit normal brain function.”
"..." Tang Bufan was already used to the way the people here treated beastmen and poison people like guinea pigs. He frowned and thought for a moment, then asked, "What about the rest? Even if these poison people can inherit intelligence normally, their genes are still mixed with chaotic plant species, right?"
“Yes.” Mian Tuo looked up at Tang Bufan, her eyes clear and calm: “So we still have to destroy them later, after they help us eliminate the orcs.”
Tang Bufan listened with a pounding heart: "How can we destroy them? They reproduce so quickly."
Cotton Tuo was happy to provide a scientific explanation for Tang Bufan, who wasn't very bright: "We've also mixed genes that are sensitive to infrasound into their genes. The frequency of infrasound is similar to the oscillation frequency of human internal organs. When the human body is in a high-frequency infrasound environment, it will experience dizziness, vomiting, or even ruptured blood vessels due to organ resonance. These modified toxic humans react to infrasound at a rate thirty times stronger than humans. When the time comes, as long as we use satellites to emit infrasound globally, they will quickly go into shock and die, while humans will remain unaffected."
Cotton raised an eyebrow after speaking: "We had also researched using infrasound to clear out the orcs, but the orc hybrids are too mixed, and it would be easy to accidentally hurt us humans with this method, so we gave up."
Tang Bufan pursed his lips and said nothing more.
After adjusting his mindset, Tang Bufan mustered up the courage to approach the poisoned children again. They were all very innocent, and while learning, they were also receiving the "doctrine" transmitted to them by the female researcher, striving for the resurgence of humanity, and that Father would one day turn them back into humans.
Tang Bufan, as a genuine human from a thousand years ago, also shoulders the mission of returning to the past to change the present, and is thus earnestly respected by them.
Tang Bufan, who was being carried to a high place, felt very uncomfortable and couldn't face their hopeful eyes.
On the eleventh day, Tang Bufan received Zero's permission to go to the ground with the group of poisonous children.
Upon entering the elevator and having the metal doors open, Tang Bufan could see a lush green forest in the distance through the spacious research institute lobby.
He was led outside by the hands of two bouncy, poisonous children. As his view opened up, a colossal object appeared before him—a spaceship as big as a mountain.
Above that is the "sky," a protective shield for the island, supported by a series of slanted and intersecting metal pillars.
Everything here is both futuristic and ancient. Tang Bufan stared blankly at the spaceship, which was now surrounded by forest. Most of its surface was covered with moss and greenery, as were the pillars supporting the protective shield, which were adorned with vibrant ivy.
When Tang Bufan turned around again, he saw the entire research institute: an old building that looked like a hospital, also covered in ivy. It wasn't tall, only six stories high, and looked unremarkable. If you didn't go into the special elevator, you would never guess that there were eighty stories deep underground.
Farmland is not far from the research institute, and the children have been taught how to farm. They will take their basic farming knowledge with them when they go out. As for whether it will spread among the mutated poison people, that's up to fate.
“That’s the ‘Rebooter’.” After the children with toxic energies dispersed, the female researcher said to Tang Bufan, “Although countries around the world built underground cities at that time, no one could guarantee that underground cities could protect humanity for thousands of years. For example, India and Brazil… their underground cities stopped operating after only two months due to quality issues. Japan’s was due to an earthquake, the United States’s was due to a software malfunction, and Canada’s was due to a volcanic eruption… We don’t know how long China’s underground cities can last, and how long this island base can last.”
The female researcher gazed intently at the giant spaceship covered in moss: "At that time, we had prepared for the worst. If the Earth's environment entered a negative cycle of deterioration, we would board the spaceship and leave Earth to explore deep space."
"Was the technology humans had at that time sufficient to help you find a new home?" Tang Bufan asked curiously.
The female researcher smiled faintly. "It's basically impossible. Our calculations show that, given our flight speed at the time, we wouldn't have been able to find another Earth even in ten thousand years. Flying into space would have been nothing more than scattering the 'seeds' of humanity, letting them fly and fly until one day they would land with a bang on land where we don't know if humans can grow."
Tang Bufan remained silent; this was pure gambling.
"Fortunately, Earth's self-regulating ability is stronger than we imagined." The female researcher looked at Tang Bufan with a smile: "We have also been taking samples and testing around the world to help accelerate the purification. Now extreme weather has been greatly reduced, and the pollution level is almost down to a level that humans can breathe normally."
Tang Bufan thought for a moment, then glanced at the sentence-shaped spaceship in the distance, and asked with concern, "Since everything is developing in a positive direction, is it really necessary to go back in time to implant AI to take over humanity?"
“…The doctor thinks it’s necessary.” The female researcher said rather tactfully, “Actually, changing the future was just one of the topics we were researching at the beginning. Many people, including myself, simply wanted to know if spacetime causality exists.”
Seeing her ambiguous attitude, Tang Bufan already understood something.
On the twelfth day, Tang Bufan was continuing to study Morse code in the research room when he suddenly learned from Mian Tuo, who had rushed over excitedly, that the Rebooters and the orcs had started fighting in the southeastern sea.
***
After obtaining the location of Daishan Island from the travelogue from a thousand years ago, Lu Yi did not rashly lead a large force to fly there immediately. Instead, he first sent out twenty exploration drones to join up with Guo Shen's army in the Eastern Federation.
The three orc federations have held several video conferences regarding the campaign against the Rebooters. Since only the Western Federation currently possesses flying vehicles, the air portion is undoubtedly entrusted to Lu Yi, while the land and sea portions are the responsibility of the Eastern and Northern Federations.
Although Lu Yi was anxious to save Tang Bufan, he wouldn't send his men to their deaths for nothing. He told Guo Shen the location of Daishan Island and asked him to send a warship there first.
Guo Shen readily agreed. Although he knew that those at the forefront would be the most dangerous, what could they do when the Eastern Federation was the main battlefield this time? He directly and decisively dispatched three warships.
One ship isn't enough to lure the enemy out; two ships might keep Zero observing from the shadows; but three ships would be enough to make Zero press the attack button.
Sure enough, as soon as the three warships arrived at that sea area, the laser cannons that the Rebooters had planted were fired from the depths of the sea. The seawater boiled, and the laser beams shot straight into the sky, slicing the three warships apart like sharp blades. After the warships sank, the mutated poisonous humans mixed with seaweed genes swarmed up from the bottom of the sea and attacked the soldiers on the warships by biting and biting them...
The blood flowing from those soldiers was green.
***
"Damn it!" Zero gritted his teeth in front of the screen, looking at the poison soldiers in dark green uniforms, realizing he had fallen into a trap.
The three warships that Guo Shen sent out were all fake. They were dig-up ships from the beach at Penglai base, which was full of shipwrecks. They made simple repairs to the hull and sprayed new paint to make them look decent, but in reality, the inside was empty and rotten.
The soldiers on the warship were actually poisoners they had captured in disguise. These mutated poisoners had their frontal lobes removed, making them mentally impaired. They were not only dressed in dark green military uniforms, but also had bombs strapped to their bodies. Once they fell into the water and attracted the poisoners, Guo Shen pressed the button.
Suddenly, countless blood flowers exploded on the seabed with a series of loud bangs.
The smell of blood attracted the sharks, and the mutated poisoners who had been lying in ambush in that area scattered in all directions.
“They used bombs,” a researcher in a white lab coat said worriedly to Zero. “The ecology of that area will be greatly affected.”
"What kind of crap are they using? It's polluting the environment!" another elderly PhD student cursed. "I'll go send them some laser weapons and beg them to use lasers!"
Laser weapons are pollution-free weapons. They use high-energy beams to precisely strike targets without producing nuclear radiation or chemical residues like nuclear bombs.
"...It's alright. So many of our mutated poisoners have died, the microorganisms produced by the degradation will slowly clean up the area." Zero calmed down, thought for a moment, and issued the order: "Continue the laser attack."
Since we've already been exposed, causing the other side some more losses is a good thing.
***
After obtaining the location of the underwater laser cannon using a disguised warship, Lu Yi immediately dispatched a drone to dive into the sea and launch a laser attack on the cannon.
Mutant venomous creatures were baring their teeth and lunging at the drones underwater. The Rebooters' underwater laser cannons were also automatically aiming at them under the calculation of AI. Soon, seven or eight of Lu Yi's screens went dark.
"Your Majesty!" Bren shouted anxiously to Lu Yi. These dual-use (water and air) laser drones cost a fortune! They only deployed three hundred of them on their aircraft this time.
Lu Yi quickly thought for a moment and issued an order to the remaining dozen or so drones: "Return to air, fly randomly within the laser range to induce the enemy's AI to maintain the attack."
The remaining twelve drones immediately emerged from the seabed and hovered continuously over that area.
***
"Warning, the laser cannon is about to run out of energy. Warning, the laser cannon is about to run out of energy." The laser cannon's AI reported to Zero in a calm electronic voice.
“The Western Federation is somewhat decent; they know how to use laser beams,” said the elderly doctor beside him.
"The Academy of Sciences in the West District's underground city gave it to them." Another researcher said with a slightly sarcastic tone, "The relationship between humans and orcs in the West District is very good now, and they give them all kinds of technology."
"It was the scientists from the West District who started the human evolution movement. If it weren't for them, the orcs would never have been able to reproduce." The elderly doctor sighed, feeling a sense of helplessness at being betrayed by his companions.
"Doctor, what do we do now?" the young researcher asked the silent Zero.
Looking at the laser cannon running out of energy, Zero sighed softly and said calmly, "Let's leave it at that for now."
He then ordered the laser cannon AI located on the other side: "Clear the data, self-destruct, and don't let them obtain any information."
"Yes, data is being deleted. The system will initiate a self-destruct sequence in twenty seconds. Nineteen, eighteen, seventeen..."
***
When only six drones remained circling erratically, the underwater laser cannon ceased its attack.
"Has the energy finally run out?" Lu Yi guessed, staring at the screen. Twenty seconds later, a small bang came from the seabed, and then there was no more movement.
"It self-destructed." Lu Yi didn't immediately order the drone to go underwater again. There were too many sharks in the seabed now, and there were still mutated poisonous humans left. Let the two sides fight each other for a while first.
He turned his head to look at the other side, where a virtual screen was floating, and Guo Shen, with a buzz cut, was sitting opposite the screen.
"What do you think?" Lu Yi asked Guo Shen.
“I don’t think the Rebooter base is here,” Guo Shen said. “The laser beam swept such a wide area just now that any bases around would have had their protective shields pierced long ago. Even if the AI automatically avoided the invisible protective shields, one nuclear missile from us would destroy the base. Zero isn’t that stupid.”
Unlike the environmentally conscious Rebooters, Guo Shen did not shy away from using nuclear weapons. Their Eastern Federation had been severely weakened by the Rebooters in the past year, and the people were barely surviving. They didn't care about pollution anymore. Even if pollution was caused, it wouldn't have a significant impact on their physically strong orcs.
Five hundred years ago, when orcs were first created, the ground was far more polluted than it is now. Their orc ancestors survived wearing thin prison clothes and eating polluted food and water.
Humans cannot withstand it.
“Perhaps the Rebooter base is underwater?” Lu Yi actually agreed with Guo Shen rationally, but he was still unwilling to give up. He ordered the remaining six drones to go underwater.
Guo Shen didn't answer him. He kept the video call with Lu Yi and then connected with another person.
A virtual screen popped into the air, and Fang Yue, dressed in a smart suit, appeared on the screen.
"Did you capture the signal?" Guo Shen asked Fang Yue with a half-smile.
It's an open secret that the Academy of Sciences in the underground city of the East District is one of the Rebooters' people. But since they're hiding underground, Guo Shen can't go in and drag them out, which puts pressure on Fang Yue.
However, Fang Yue showed no intention of handing over those people, and Guo Shen was not in a hurry. He simply fired a few more shots and halted the construction of the new human base in Penglai. Given the current state of damage to the underground city in the eastern district, the only one who would be anxious was Fang Yue.
For Zero to remotely control the laser cannon, a satellite signal transmission is required. Which satellite? Naturally, the satellite controlled by the East District Underground City. And Fang Yue, who currently holds real power, can access all satellite data.
“Detected.” Fang Yue sighed softly. She looked somewhat tired on the screen. She swiped her hand in the air, and a holographic image of the Earth appeared. A red dot was lit up near the Pacific Ocean, close to Australia: “The signal is coming from here.”
After she finished speaking, she ended the video call to express her dissatisfaction with Guo Shen's oppression. At that moment, the six drones that had been launched into the water also discovered Daishan Island.
No, to be precise, it is the root of Daishan Island.
In the video filled with murky seawater, Lu Yi stared blankly at the huge cutting platform, speechless for a long time.
The island's roots are here, but the island itself is not here.
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