Blood
I've heard that Earth once had a sun that rose in the east and set in the west, and Ira Zero has imagined this wonder countless times.
If she could still see the real sun, at least she wouldn't have to struggle so much to find her way during the day.
But this is not something a civilization trapped under a dome can hope for.
The dome is not the real sky, but a shielding system built by humans to protect against solar radiation. To put it bluntly, it's about creating a shield to separate the Earth from the sun. It doesn't solve the problem at its root, but at least it provides peace of mind for the time being.
By rejecting the sun, you can avoid the harm it brings.
With three hours left until the lights go out, it seems like there's plenty of time.
She was getting closer and closer to the woods.
The soil in the territory of the Federal Royal Family has become completely saline-alkali, and only the mutated poplar trees can still grow wildly.
The plants that survived years of exposure to low-dose radiation are showing clear signs of survival difficulties. In particular, the mutated poplars, due to their towering size, cannot meet their photosynthetic needs even with artificial lighting, and their overall condition appears even more withered, resembling dead wood.
Ella Zero flicked the withered leaves on the ground with the tip of her boot, then subtly surveyed her surroundings.
The mutated poplars resemble long, thin ghostly shadows, their trunks less than a person's width wide, making them unsuitable for cover.
She and Dr. Lowry always used the private passageway on the sliding rails when they arrived, trekking from north to south. This poplar forest was a biodiversity reserve used by the royal family for experiments, and they had never set foot there.
The situation would be even more dangerous after the lights were turned off, and Ella Zero did not hesitate for long.
Sunlight cast menacing shadows on the poplar trees, which Ella Zero stepped on with her leather boots.
Light and shadow are nothing but a clown's bluff.
A mournful cry echoed through the woods, followed by the resounding flapping of wings. A flock of startled birds took flight, hostility emanating from all sides.
The light has dimmed a bit; this is a signal to turn off the lights.
After confirming that it was safe, Ella Zero took out a bundle of microfiber from her leather waist pouch and returned to the entrance to carefully tie it to the poplar tree at the entrance.
Microfiber is renowned for its exceptional toughness and is extremely rare and expensive. The bundle she held was also obtained through special channels by Dr. Lowry.
The only drawback is its lack of flexibility.
She tied the fibers high up, hoping that if they could still kill any wild beasts that ran by, she wouldn't mind having a barbecue on the way back.
The central area is low-lying, but there is a steep slope to the east of the woods.
This was no challenge for Ella Zero; she was born with a knack for dealing with harsh environments.
Although it is a steep slope, the terrain is not particularly dangerous. It only takes a little effort, but you can climb it with your bare hands.
Ella Zero preferred quick results, and climbing to the top of the slope didn't take much effort, but a pair of piercing amber eyes made her, who was unprepared, feel a chill.
It wasn't until a moment later that she noticed the creature, which was almost completely integrated into its environment.
Its light-colored fur seemed to reflect light and shadow, while its slender body exuded power and agility, moving silently yet dangerously.
Humans cannot hide their presence around her, but this Arabian wolf can.
It crouched low behind a patch of sparse weeds not far away, its ears slightly perked up and its nose twitching gently. Its body blended almost seamlessly with the barren earth, its fur color blending perfectly with the surrounding yellowish-brown landscape, like a ghost among the poplar trees.
Ella Zero held her breath, her hands instinctively pressed against her sides, her fingers slightly curled. Countless possible countermeasures flashed through her mind. The dagger was at her side; if she wanted to retrieve it, she only had one chance.
The Arabian wolf's gaze was calm and sharp, as if looking directly into her soul through her eyes. Its eyes didn't reveal obvious hostility, nor did they show the slightest sign of retreat; rather, they held a scrutinizing quality, as if assessing whether she was prey or a formidable adversary.
Her arms were slightly sore and trembling, but her gaze remained steadfast as she met the lone wolf's eyes. She knew she couldn't show weakness, or the wolf would tear her apart without hesitation. Time seemed to stand still at that moment, and the lone wolf's tail flicked gently, as if in some silent response.
Finally, the Arabian wolf stood up, its slender body tracing a sharp arc in the dappled sunlight. It made no sound, simply shifting its gaze from Ella Zero, turning and stepping lightly into the distance of the poplar forest, disappearing amidst the withering and thriving.
After the Arabian wolf left, Ella Zero finally relaxed from her tense state. She mustered her strength and pushed herself up to the top of the hill. Her back was soaked with sweat and covered in dust.
She rarely looked so disheveled.
After resting enough, she got up. Since there were animals roaming around, there must be a water source nearby. Ella Zero looked up at the brightness in the sky and quickly made a decision.
There is a water source over there, just like at the wooden house.
She glanced back down the steep slope; the microfiber was still straight.
very good.
Wrap the microfiber around the poplar trees at the top of the slope again.
The journey is not far now.
The ecology at the top of the hill was better. When Ella walked out of the woods accompanied by the chirping of insects, the light was already quite dim.
He took out a specially made dagger and cut the microfiber. The threads collapsed to the ground like severed veins and were buried in the dead leaves, making them extremely difficult to distinguish with the naked eye.
The scenery outside the poplar forest had become much more familiar. Ella Zero mentally reviewed the landmarks she had memorized before stepping onto the softer soil.
Another bird call came from overhead, from the same flock of unknown startled birds. Ella looked up and saw that they seemed to have been flying towards the edge of the forest, but had encountered some invisible resistance and changed direction. They cried out and drew a semicircle before flying back into the chaotic cage.
The royal family is really generous.
Ella Zero stepped onto the boundary line outside the wooden house and immediately stopped, alert.
Besides her, other presences were disrupting the tranquility of the cabin.
She quickly searched for cover and slipped into the night like a ghost.
Four humans and three androids.
With Sivers absent, she is not adept at identifying more specific android models. If she could ascertain the opponent's strengths and weaknesses before engaging in combat, she would have a greater advantage.
One hundred feet is the maximum distance she can get close to the cabin; if she is not careful, she could easily be discovered by the androids inside.
"Useless rat, why bother searching such a dilapidated house?"
Faint sounds could be heard coming from inside the wooden house.
Ella Zero adjusted her posture, trying to hear more useful information.
"An ordinary wooden hut, sir."
"Nothing special, sir."
"No one has lived here for a long time, sir."
"A rat is a rat, what can you expect from its brain?" It was another arrogant human voice.
"Forget it, what's all the fuss about? Be careful that monster doesn't break in and wipe us all out."
"Only you would be afraid of this kind of rat, you coward."
"Haven't you heard? That rat is the most human-like monster that old woman has ever made. Maybe her target isn't this dilapidated house at all, but rather she's infiltrated the crowd, pretending to be a person..."
"Shut up, you lot, go outside and keep watch. Rats don't need warmth."
Three pairs of footsteps stepped outside.
Ella guessed that they were those three androids.
She leaned her head closer, squinting to get a better look.
He had short blond hair, was about six feet three inches tall, and had a muscular build—a type she had never seen before.
She hates the unknown.
Just as she was about to retreat, one of the androids pointed its searchlight precisely at her location, leaving her nowhere to hide.
"Suspicious target detected."
"Lock up a suspicious target."
The android who spotted her approached at an imperceptible speed; in the blink of an eye, they were only two feet apart.
Their investigative capabilities are top-notch.
Whose secret research and development is this?
Ella Zero dodged backward, narrowly avoiding the opponent's first attack.
The new bionic human's fist missed its target and struck the ground directly, creating a dent.
Severing the ankle of an android is her most common method. She has no intention of attacking them, but occasionally she encounters them on missions. As long as she restricts their mobility, she can complete the mission in the most efficient way.
Her current mission is to avoid being caught by the royal family.
The android collapsed to the ground. This model of Ella Zero had never seen before, so just in case, the wrist joint had to be sent back to the factory for repair by the royal family.
As she reloaded another ice bullet and turned to aim at her target, the opponent raised his hand high towards her, his palm revealing a dark gun muzzle.
Ella Zero reacted in a fraction of a second, pointing her gun at the android's head without hesitation.
A single, decisive blow.
——————
Yang Guang gave Gu Yan a signal, meaning that after dealing with the surveillance, he should come find him.
Gu Yan snorted and pressed the button directly.
"speak."
"I'm afraid that after you hear this, you'll put me on your ancestral tablet."
"Then you'd better not say anything, I'm afraid you'll disturb my ancestors."
"Wait, wait, wait. Let's get down to business. Dude, have you seen this at the doctor's place?"
Yang Guang delivered a medical record.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome?
"Could you take a second look at the name?"
Ella Lowry.
It's Ella Lowry again.
Gu Yan pondered for a long time.
"Dr. Lowry has a daughter, I haven't found out if her name is Ella yet."
“Let me give you a clue—could it be that this mysterious Zero, Ayla, isn’t an android, but the Doctor’s illegitimate daughter? There was no information about Zero in the data you sent back before.”
That's true. It took Gu Yan a year to get the qualification to enter the special zone to record the data of the Ella-type android, but Dr. Lowry never let him touch Ella Zero's data.
Gu Yan's tacit agreement served as a substitute for an answer.
Yang Guang smiled knowingly: "That's interesting. Why don't we verify it?"
How do I verify this?
"If you stab her when she's not looking, and she bleeds to death, she'll be an illegitimate child; if she doesn't die or bleed, she'll be an android."
Gu Yan scoffed.
"It sounds like how nuns were executed in ancient times."
"Let's not talk about that for now." Yang Guang quickly stopped talking. "Until we get concrete evidence, all assumptions are just nonsense. As for Dr. Lowry's romantic affairs, they have nothing to do with us. Our goal is clear—to obtain specific data on Ella Zero. This is the key to replicating the Federation Royal Family's strongest fighting force."
Whether the woman bleeding was an illegitimate child or not, Gu Yan felt it had no bearing on the matter.
But it's certain that the one bleeding wasn't a cyborg.
Ten miles northwest of the cabin, following the trail of blood and the remains of human corpses and androids, he spotted a familiar figure.
He has been recording data on the Ella type for more than half a year, and the last Ella type recorded yesterday was number 355.
Emotional classification accuracy of 89%, signal-to-noise ratio of 45dB, skin simulation accuracy of 99%, excellent heat dissipation efficiency rating, 56 hours of load operation time, and power output of 9689N.
He firmly believed that Ella Zero's data would be better than 355's. This was an open secret. Ella Zero was Dr. Lowry's last trump card and her only secret weapon for being able to oversee the research center.
He was 100% certain that the Ella models he had documented over the past six months were androids. But if Zero was made of flesh and blood, how did she maintain her irreplaceable position while other models were rapidly phased out?
"Do you have any special significance to Dr. Lowry...?" Amidst the strong smell of blood, he reached out as if bewitched, seemingly wanting to confirm whether the bloodstains on Ella Zero's back were real.
As if guided by some unseen force, his palm brushed against her silhouette, and he parted the hair on her forehead.
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