Walk alone in the abyss

Compared with the complete defense system in the new federal territory, the Sherman Empire cannot be said to be slightly inferior in this area, but it can only be said to be a mess.

This made Yang Ming's team, who were used to stealing things from the New Federation, somewhat uncomfortable at the moment.

"Aren't they afraid that the enemy will suddenly attack?"

Law whispered:

"There is no gravitational detection device in the stable gravitational region outside the star, and in the airspace near the administrative star, half of the networked detectors have aged to the point where they cannot be used.

"For the patrol boats we encountered just now, the radars were not turned on to the maximum power, and a few male crew members could be seen drinking and dancing through the portholes.

"Simply!"

Yang Ming just asked back: "Do you think anyone would dare to fight Sherman head-on?"

The law is speechless.

At this moment, two 'serious' chairs have been added to the Feinan bridge.

Yang Ming was in charge of the driving area, 026 was in charge of the fire control area, and Hera temporarily sat behind the operation panel of the shipborne detector, watching Yang Ming and Lu complaining to each other with a smile.

It's been this way.

The chattering virtual assistant, the optimistic and cheerful maintenance man who was cautious in front of Yang Ming made Hera feel no sense of isolation.

After three galactic days of voyage and more than a dozen detours and transitions, Feinan has successfully entered the star system where Zubin star is located.

"Start planning the detection route."

Yang Ming greeted, and Lu immediately opened the three-dimensional star map, adjusted the ratio between the stars and the star distance, and condensed the details of the current star system into the two-meter-diameter projection as much as possible.

Yang Ming circled two planets.

"The number is marked according to the distance from the star, and the nearest planet is the No. 1 target, which is greatly affected by the star, and the detection instrument is prone to deviation.

"Planet No. 7, which is farthest away, is the second target, which is relatively hidden.

"Planet No. 6 is a gas giant planet, and the environment inside is very harsh. We have prepared two special drones, which have been launched when we passed by before, but it will take at least ten days to complete the monitoring. There is a high probability that there will be no drones there. Insect eggs, first-order and second-order insects cannot survive the storm of the gas giant planet.

"Except for Zubin Star, the other three planets are listed as the third target, and they will be investigated in order of priority."

026 raised his right hand beside him.

"speak."

026 wondered: "Boss, why don't we investigate Zubin Star?"

Yang Ming said with a smile: "There is a strict defense network around the administrative star. Although Zubin star is lonely, the near-planet defense system is still very comprehensive."

"We have to consider the considerations of the new federation when it does this kind of thing," Law added. "They are unlikely to take such a huge risk. Once they are discovered here, the entire plan will be exposed."

Hera raised her hand in a dignified gesture: "I think, the more this is the case, the more we need to investigate Zubin Star carefully."

Yang Ming asked, "Why?"

"The steps of placing the eggs are carried out by a small group of elite agents of the CIA."

Hera said softly:

"The CIA is best at all-round penetration. If they only transport female worms and no eggs, a container will not be too conspicuous.

"Iron logic and surprise are also the CIA's style of operation.

"They may create the characteristics of darkness under the lights, and although this Zubin Star retains the foundation of the defense system, it has not much activity itself, and there are large areas of uninhabited urban areas."

"To detect Zubin Star, we have to get too close to their defense system," Li thought carefully. "In this way, we have to bear a relatively large risk. I suggest carefully detecting other planets first."

Yang Ming clapped his hands, motioning the three elder sisters to look at him.

He said seriously:

"When I am closer to the Zerg, I should be able to sense them. In this case, we will use a multi-pronged approach.

"Lü is in charge of driving and vigilance, 026 is in charge of assisting Hera, and Hera is in charge of controlling various detection instruments, I will drive an invisible boat, and quickly maneuver on the surface of the planet to see if I can run into dead mice.

"This information was obtained by deciphering a document that was not completely deleted by the new Federal CIA, and the result may not be correct.

"This time, I'll treat it as a vacation, with a total of 20 Galaxy days. If you don't get anything, leave immediately."

"yes!"

Law and 026 agreed in unison.

Hera nodded slightly to Yang Ming, put on her glasses, and began to adjust the parameters of various detection instruments.

Feinan left the back of the asteroid, looked at Zubin star across the star, and went straight to the No. 1 target.

On the bridge, the figures of three women are busy with division of labor.

026 was running around in the maintenance worker's loose overalls, and besides work assistance, he would also keep bringing tea, snacks, and warmth to Hera.

Law sat on the captain's seat in a dignified manner, and controlled the Feinan to complete various difficult flights, avoiding areas where there might be airspace detectors.

Half a day later, Yang Ming drove a small ship and galloped back and forth on the surface of the No. 1 target planet.

Hera kept adjusting the nine various types of biological detectors installed on the Feinan, staring at the data feedback carefully, and occasionally tried to let go of her mind and use her body to sense.

After working continuously for more than ten hours, Yang Ming returned to Feinan.

Target No. 1 confirmed that there was no abnormality.

There was no feedback from the instrument, and Yang Ming and Hera didn't feel anything abnormal either.

The Feinan began to head towards the second target planet. The three carbon-based life forms on the ship took the time to rest, and the law had no dead ends around the clock... working non-stop.

Twelve days in a row.

Feinan circled around in the star system, and Yang Ming flew the small ship for countless thousands of miles.

No trace of bugs.

Not only the planet itself, but also the satellites. Yang Ming also searched them carefully.

The detection drone in the gaseous planet sent back relatively comprehensive data, but also found no trace of the Zerg.

Lu felt that maybe the coordinate point analysis was wrong, or the information itself was misleading.

The tired Hera couldn't care less about maintaining the image of a lady. She lay half-lying in a chair with the blanket sent by 026 wrapped around her body. The dark circles under her eyes were already very obvious.

She said slowly:

“There is another possibility that our current detection methods are ineffective.

"The Zerg are a very magical collective life form. Their civilization level is actually higher than the human technological civilization of the galaxy. They themselves are the most sophisticated instruments.

"According to past data, when the insect swarm is relatively fragile in the early stage, they will evolve various means to save their lives.

"There is a connection between insect swarms, this has been proven. In the past two years, dozens of low-level insect swarms have been wiped out, and the remaining insect swarms are likely to have evolved accordingly."

"Well," Yang Ming said with a smile, "these bugs are very smart. Maybe their shells have turned into stone by now."

026 whispered: "Then we still want to explore Zubin Star?"

Yang Ming crossed his arms and thought for a while.

"Go and investigate," Yang Ming said, "We're here."

Lu smiled and said: "I knew the boss would make such a decision. We have already planned the route map. We can hack some of the defense satellites first, and then send small stealth ships into the planet's atmosphere. Because we cannot orbit the planet unscrupulously, we must rely on The small stealth ship is approaching the surface, changing the detection method."

Yang Ming shrugged: "I'm going to continue working hard. If I'm discovered, just turn on the particle transmission machine and pull me back."

"You can't go," Hera said suddenly.

Yang Ming blinked.

Hera would not let personal feelings affect her work. She must have her own reasons for saying this.

Hera sat up and stared at Yang Ming: "Didn't you say that when you come into close contact with the Zerg, it will trigger a Zerg riot."

"Yes, they will most likely be afraid of me."

"There are tens of millions of people on this administrative star."

Hera said:

"If there is a swarm here, and the number 014 represents the batch of swarms planned to be sown early, and after the stimulation of the past two years, there may already be a high-level queen.

"If they are triggered to riot, it will lead to disaster. The Zerg will kill life forms that are not of its own species. This is their characteristic.

"There is no powerful imperial fleet nearby. After the disaster occurs, the losses cannot be stopped in time."

Lu said aside: "I suggest giving up this operation. In this case, even if we find that there are bugs underground on Zubin, the boss cannot directly log in to kill the bugs, and the purpose of our coming here will not be achieved."

Hera frowned and looked at Law: "Why give up? If there are really bugs here, we can also notify the empire and save tens of millions of human lives."

Ludao: "My personal emotional tendency is naturally to save lives, but this has nothing to do with the boss's core interests. We still have to bear a lot of risks. We can find a way to let the empire dig up the planet. On the surface, search and verify bit by bit.”

026 tried to interject: "That..."

Hera said slowly: "We have the most sophisticated instruments for testing. If we don't try this, the time cost of the first half month will be completely sunk."

Lu said: "Risk estimation is part of my job. After all, Zubin is the administrative star of the Sherman Empire, and the risks that cannot be estimated are too great."

"Maybe we can try it on the outside," Hera said, "We can't just go back empty-handed."

Law: "What's the point of trying to go to the outside? If you want to detect the hidden Zerg, you must conduct detection near the surface. The boss can't get close to the atmosphere rashly."

"You two," Yang Ming said with a smile, "can you look at the crew member No. 3 next to her who raised her hand? She has been raising her hand for a long time."

Ritsu and Hera turned to look at 026 at the same time.

The eyes of the mechanical thinking body and the biologist are a bit sharp, and they seem to be asking 026 who to choose to support.

"I can go to the surface for exploration on behalf of the boss," 026 said softly, "I have been on the ship for two years and have been bound to this particle transmission machine after meeting the conditions. I can transmit it back directly, and I will not cause any harm to the Zerg." reaction, and the ship operation is also very familiar."

Ritsu and Hera nodded at the same time, both thinking this was a good idea.

Yang Ming looked at 026 hesitantly...

Is this little girl really reliable?

…

What makes Yang Ming quite gratified is that 026, who has been training for more than two years, is now able to stand alone.

On the backside of Zubin, over an uninhabited city, the Feinan was suspended in stealth. The small stealth ship driven by 026 has used the cover of the uninhabited city to stick to the surface and scan slowly.

The two detectors mounted on the stealth ship are fully powered and continuously transmit back underground data.

On the projection screen, you can still see 026's slightly nervous round face.

Wearing a blue loose maintenance suit and a pair of white gloves, she looked like a young master operating machinery on a construction site.

Hera concentrated on analyzing the various data returned from the stealth ship;

Law is closely monitoring the planet's defense forces, as well as the gravitational changes in the outer airspace.

They were ready to abandon the small stealth ship at any time and pull 026 back to escape together.

026's humming sound came from the communication channel, she seemed to use this method to embolden herself.

It was rare for Yang Ming to relax, standing by the porthole, watching this 'old' executive star with dark clouds everywhere.

The Sherman Empire has existed for tens of thousands of galactic years, and these administrative stars have also experienced glory and desolation more than once, leaving a profound historical accumulation.

In the surface image sent back by the stealth boat, Yang Ming saw a city that had long since died.

Only the wreckage remains of the towering building, which has been standing for an unknown period of time. Except for the main structure, the rest of the building has been weathered, like a lonely flagpole.

The relatively low buildings are covered with all kinds of plants, making it look like a weird jungle.

The ground was covered with shards of glass, various synthetic fabrics were floating everywhere, and occasionally some animal carcasses could be seen.

Why do people abandon this place?

Is it because of the dark clouds in the sky and the acid rain that will fall from time to time, and the harmful substances floating in the air remain high all year round?

No, these are not the main reasons, technology can help people adapt to the environment here.

There may be only one reason for the gradual abandonment of this place: the continuous decline of the economy, and young people being sucked away by planets with more opportunities.

Yang Ming turned his head and glanced, and found that Hera's brows were tightly wrinkled, and her lips were slightly pursed.

"What's wrong?" Yang Ming walked over slowly, with his hands behind his back, "Is there anything unusual? Are you feeling unwell?"

"It's because I suddenly feel a little irritable," Hera said in a low voice. "The data is normal, and no signs of life have been found in the mantle layer. Do you feel anything?"

Yang Ming shrugged.

Hera took off her glasses, rubbed her sleepy eyelids, and continued to stare at the display screen.

Sudden.

"Boss," 026's voice suddenly sounded, "Do you want to see this?"

Yang Ming followed the sound, and Lu immediately opened the video communication.

"Which one?"

"this!"

026 pointed the camera at the window, and a relatively complete wall was filled with figures in silver-gray exoskeleton armor and black tactical helmets.

white ghost.

This should have been painted in the past two years, and the degree of weathering is not high.

Yang Ming shook his head and smiled: "There may be human activities here, be careful."

"Yeah!" 026 quickly pointed the camera at himself, "I'll continue to concentrate on my work!"

"Not quite right," Lu's projection appeared beside Yang Ming.

"What's wrong?"

"Energy," Lu said softly, "this city is obviously no longer inhabited, but some of the circuits buried underground are still functioning normally, and there is still energy transmission in a small area."

Yang Ming called up the bird's-eye view of the city below.

Law quickly marked several coordinate points, and circled the area where the energy feedback was abnormal.

Yang Ming's brain seemed to be hit by an electric current, and he immediately thought of something.

"Law, bugs feed on radiation."

"Yes boss."

"It's not just natural stars that can provide stable radiation, the energy of stars also comes from hydrogen fusion," Yang Ming frowned, "Invade the database of this administrative star and check whether they have a large-scale nuclear industry here .”

Li was silent for ten seconds.

An uneasiness gradually grew in Yang Ming's heart.

Soon, Law spoke again: "This planet used to have many fusion nuclear fuel cell production bases for ships, but they were abandoned hundreds of years ago due to technological innovation. It stands to reason that it is impossible for fuel to remain for such a long time, unless It was the New Federation that artificially activated some deactivated reactors...and boss, our detection instruments are mainly aimed at the depths of the earth's crust."

"Hera changed the detection target to the outer layer of the earth's crust! Law marked the location of these abandoned factories, found these energy sources, and guided 026 to investigate!"

"Good boss."

"clear."

The bridge of the Feinan fell silent.

The small ship driven by 026 began to move towards the location marked by Ritsu.

Ten minutes later.

Hera's calm voice sounded first:

"There is a bioenergy reaction in the area around 3,000 to 12 kilometers underground. It is very weak. I am adjusting the parameters... If it is a conventional detection instrument, it is impossible to capture these anomalies."

"boss!"

026 said quickly: "There are some irregular cracks in the ground buildings here, which seem to have collapsed towards the bottom, but the feedback from the terrain plotter shows that there are no gaps in the ground... It seems that there is something wrong, boss, I I found a transportation hub sign for an underground mine, but the plotter feedback... there is no cavity below..."

No cavity?

Yang Ming ordered decisively: "Leave there and return to Feinan."

"Yes, boss."

Hera's expression on the side changed slightly.

She looked up at Yang Ming, her lips trembling slightly, and she turned the screen in front of her half a circle, facing Yang Ming.

Dense green dots appeared on the screen.

If the earth is 'skin', then these green spots will be the capillaries under the skin.

The number in the upper left corner of the screen is constantly beating, and it has reached seven figures at this moment, and it is still soaring.

"Obviously, in order to avoid detection, they retreated from near the mantle layer to near the surface, disguised as rocky material," Hera whispered, "This planet is finished."