Mr. Si
Like a silent silver bullet, the Swift-III suborbital vehicle glided into the near-vacuum of the flight corridor. Inside the cockpit, Hong Falcon, wearing a custom-made flight helmet, steadily controlled the steering column with both hands, her green eyes fixed on the complex instrument panel and data streams before her. Her movements were precise and calm, as if she were not carrying out a suicidal hijacking mission, but rather conducting an ordinary flight.
Inside the cargo hold, the space was suffocatingly cramped. Si Qi and Shao Wei, wearing lightweight, yet basic life-support diving suits, leaned against the cold bulkhead, surrounded by a variety of fixed metal boxes emblazoned with the IGEC logo. They had no idea what these boxes contained; perhaps supplies for the "Ice Coffin," or perhaps samples for experiments they couldn't fathom.
Using the information Red Falcon had extracted from the former Scavenger tester, along with the identification code provided by Shao Qing, they successfully intercepted and "took over" the aircraft at the predetermined coordinates. The process went more smoothly than expected; the original messenger was subdued before he could even sound a full alarm and was now tied up in the lower hold of the Polaris.
"In ten minutes, we'll begin the docking procedure for the Ice Coffin." Red Falcon's voice came through the intercom, a murmur of electricity. "Remember, the gravity simulation will be shut down. Be prepared. After a successful docking, the cargo bay will detach and the internal transport system will take over. You have less than thirty seconds to find a hiding spot before the cargo bay door opens and the Scavenger system conducts a final scan."
Si Qi and Shao Wei exchanged a glance and nodded. Their plan was to exploit the brief confusion between the cargo hold and the main body of the "Ice Coffin," as well as a minor "system failure" signal simulated by the Red Falcon, to buy a few tens of seconds of unmonitored time and infiltrate the core area where the database was located. The plan was riddled with loopholes, and the success rate was pitifully low, but it was their only chance.
The aircraft began to vibrate slightly. Outside the window was an endless, dark starry sky, and below, the Antarctic continent, covered in ice and snow, lay like a white desert. A sudden feeling of weightlessness overwhelmed him, and his stomach churned. Shao Wei's face paled even further. He closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath. Si Qi reached out and firmly grasped the fixing ring on the bulkhead, his other hand subconsciously protecting Shao Wei.
"Identification code verification passed. Welcome back, Courier No. 7." A cold electronic synthesized voice sounded in the cabin.
"Ice coffin, requesting docking." Red Falcon responded, his voice calm.
"Docking procedure initiated. Please maintain steady course."
The aircraft slowly adjusted its attitude, swooping down toward a nondescript, snow-covered ridge below. As it got closer, it could see a massive metal gate on the side of the ridge, almost fused with the ice and rock. It slowly opened, revealing a deep passage within.
"Cargo hold separation preparation... 3... 2... 1..."
There was a slight impact, and the cargo hold separated from the cockpit, like a sub-cabin released by a mother ship. It was pulled by an invisible force and slid into the entrance passage of the "ice coffin".
Gravity returned, a weak lunar gravity. The cargo hold moved smoothly on the conveyor belt, surrounded by walls that shone with a cold metallic luster. There was no visible monitoring equipment, but both Si Qi and Shao Wei could feel an omnipresent, cold gaze scanning them. This was the "Scavenger" system.
"Fault code: 734, the cargo hold positioning signal is weak, requesting to extend the scanning confirmation time by 5 seconds." The voice of the Red Falcon came at the right time, imitating the system alarm.
"…Approved. Extend the scan by 5 seconds."
Now is the time!
The cargo door made a hissing sound as air pressure was released, and began to slowly open a gap!
Si Qi and Shao Wei, like cheetahs poised for a long moment, darted out the moment the door opened wide enough for someone to pass through! Outside was a narrow maintenance passageway filled with pipes and cables. According to the map, this passageway could bypass the main surveillance area and reach the perimeter of the core database!
They crept swiftly along the passage, their movements as light and nimble as ghosts. The weak gravity made every step require extreme caution. The only sound in the passage was the low-pitched hum of the operating equipment and the sound of their own suppressed breathing.
"The scan is complete, no abnormalities found. Cargo hold transfer continues." The electronic voice sounded again.
They successfully avoided the first round of scanning!
Following the map in their memory, they crossed several intersections, avoided a team of patrolling small cleaning robots that looked like metal spiders, and finally arrived at an alloy door that had no markings but emitted strong energy fluctuations.
Core database entrance.
There is a biometric identification terminal next to the gate.
"We need the highest level of authority..." Shao Wei whispered, his brow furrowed. It was impossible for them to have the biological information of the IGEC's top brass.
Si Qi, however, pulled the key he'd obtained from the archives from the lining of his infiltration suit. The key required Shao Wei's biometric information to unlock it. "When Bai Hu was transmitting data earlier, he mentioned that this key uses the same encryption protocol as some of IGEC's older systems. Perhaps... we could try reverse-accessing it and create a temporary permissions vulnerability."
This is a gamble with all your might.
Shao Wei immediately understood what he meant. He pressed his finger on the key's sensing area while looking at the camera on the identification terminal. The key emitted a faint blue light, and the permission verification bar on the screen began to jump wildly, with a large number of garbled errors appearing!
"Warning! Illegal access attempt detected! Defense mechanism triggered!" The shrill alarm instantly resounded throughout the passage!
"Hurry!" Si Qi roared.
The alloy door made a heavy mechanical sound, and amidst the chaotic conflict of authority, it slowly opened a gap! But at the same time, the heavy isolation gates at the front and back ends of the passage were rapidly falling! Automatic weapon stations, flashing red lights, also appeared on the wall!
They are trapped!
"Go in!" Si Qi pushed Shao Wei into the crack of the door, and he followed closely behind. The moment he squeezed his body into the door, the alloy door behind him slammed shut, and a blazing laser brushed his heel and shot into the door, leaving a burning mark!
Inside the door lies a vast space, resembling a cosmic star map. Countless streams of luminous data race through the void, forming an immense, ever-evolving three-dimensional network. There are no physical servers here, only pure energy and information. This is the core of the "Ice Coffin," IGEC's "eye in the sky" that monitors the world.
And in the center of the data star map, a complex, ever-changing geometric shape composed of light hovered. That should be the "index" or "core" of the database.
"Intruder confirmed. Execute decontamination protocol." A cold electronic voice echoed in the space.
The data streams around them began to distort, condensing into several "Scavenger" guards composed of pure energy, holding light spears and approaching them! These guards had no physical form, and conventional attacks were ineffective!
Shao Wei looked at the approaching energy guards, then at the ever-changing geometric core in the center. A flicker of determination flashed in his icy blue eyes. He suddenly rushed forward, not at the guards, but directly at the center of the data star map!
"Shao Wei!" Si Qi shouted in horror.
The moment Shao Wei's hand touched the geometric shape of light, the entire space shook violently! All data flows became chaotic, and the energy guards' movements froze for a moment!
"Its defense... is based on logic and authority!" Shao Wei's voice trembled, filled with pain, as if he was fighting against some enormous force. "My genetic sequence... the original code of the 'Twin Project'... was identified by it as a 'high-priority anomaly'... It is trying... to analyze and... devour me!"
Si Qi understood instantly! Shao Wei was using himself as an "abnormal sample" to impact and interfere with the core logic of the database! This was tantamount to suicide!
He no longer hesitated and rushed to the center. Next to Shao Wei, he placed his hand on the geometric shape of light!
boom--!
An even more violent shockwave struck! Si Qi felt as if his consciousness had been torn into a vortex of information! Countless chaotic images, sounds, and fragments of data washed over his nerves! He saw more of the covered-up experimental accidents, saw Shao Qing's younger face, saw Aunt Shao Wen's desperate eyes, and even... saw the monitoring data of himself and Shao Wei during their embryonic period!
The simultaneous access of the two core "products" of the "Twin Plan" brought about information overload and logical conflicts, which far exceeded the instantaneous processing capacity of the database!
"Core logic overload! System collapse critical point!" The "Scavenger" guards became illusory and uncertain, and the electronic sound also became noisy.
"Now!" Shao Wei screamed, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. "Destroy it! Or... modify it!"
Modify? How to modify such a huge system?
Si Qi's gaze was fixed on the madly flickering geometric shape, seemingly poised to disintegrate at any moment. A mad idea formed in his mind. Destroying it might temporarily solve the problem, but IGEC would soon rebuild. If only it could be modified... if everything about the "Twin Project," about them, could be changed from "anomalies that must be purified" to...
His mental power was concentrated with unprecedented intensity, and the willpower of a top-level Alpha was pushed to the extreme. Following the chaotic data flow, he forcibly injected a simple command into the core, which was enough to subvert everything.
"Redefined: Project 'Twin', Alpha permanently linked, non-threatening, included in the category of...natural mutation. Clearance: Sealed, Encrypted, Highest Level."
He defined his own and Shao Wei's existence as part of "nature"! This was undoubtedly tampering and deception, but at the moment the system logic collapsed, this instruction was implanted like a virus!
The radiant geometry suddenly erupted with a blinding white light, then suddenly dimmed! All data flows paused for a moment, then began to flow again in a new, slower pattern. The energy guards dissipated like smoke.
The vibration of space stopped.
The shrill alarm also disappeared.
All that remained was the geometric shape in the center, its light now much softer, and a new status prompt that appeared in the void:
"Core database logic update complete. 'Anomaly' records reclassified. Authority changes confirmed."
Success? They... modified the IGEC's core judgment?
Si Qi fell to one knee, gasping for air, his mind hollowed out. Shao Wei collapsed to the ground, unconscious, his face pale as a sheet, his nose bleeding profusely, clearly traumatized.
Si Qi crawled over and picked up Shao Wei, feeling his weak pulse, his heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand.
At this moment, the cold electronic voice sounded again, but the tone seemed to have a very subtle, imperceptible change:
"A high-priority permission change has been detected. Temporary administrator privileges have been granted to: Siqi, Shao Wei. Warning: Illegal modification has been recorded and the highest alert has been triggered. The IGEC Council will intervene and verify within 3 standard days."
Temporary admin rights? Highest alert?
Before Si Qi could digest this information, the alloy door behind them slowly opened again. Hong Falcon's anxious face appeared at the doorway: "Hurry! The entire base's defense system is rebooting! If we don't leave now, it will be too late!"
Si Qi picked up the unconscious Shao Wei and stumbled out of the database. The hallway was in chaos, red lights flashing, and various systems were struggling to resume operation.
They ran back along the same route, rushing back to the cargo hold transfer area before the isolation gate completely fell. Somehow, Red Falcon forcibly took over a small emergency escape boat.
The three of them squeezed into the narrow escape boat. The Red Falcon pushed the joystick hard, the engine roared with overload, broke free from the traction of the "ice coffin", and shot into the cold night sky of Antarctica like an arrow.
Below, the "Ice Coffin" base was like a giant beast awakening, with countless searchlights lighting up, searching for traces of invaders.
The lifeboat rocked violently in the wind and snow. Si Qi hugged Shao Wei tightly, wiping his bloody nose with a handkerchief. Looking at his tightly closed eyes and fragile neck, he felt an unprecedented panic.
They succeeded, in a nearly miraculous way, temporarily eliminating the IGEC's "purification" threat and even gaining unexpected permissions.
But at what cost?
Committee Member Shao's condition was dire. The IGEC's scrutiny hung like a sword of Damocles over his head. Shao Qing, on the other hand, would never give up.
This adventure is far from over. It just pushes them into a more complex and dangerous unknown situation.
Si Qi lowered his head, resting his forehead lightly on Shao Wei's cold forehead, and whispered in a voice that sounded like an oath:
"Whatever comes next, I will never let go again."
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