Chapter 994 - This Game Is Too Realistic

Chapter 994: Deviation Across all decks of the missile cruiser Orion, the voice of the ship's command broadcast echoed through the corridors, the mess hall, the bars, the bathrooms - above the heads of every crew member. "Good evening to all crew members of the Orion missile cruiser. I am Zhao Tianhe, your captain." "I apologize for disturbing your rest at this hour, but I ask you for ten minutes of your time to patiently listen to this broadcast." "I’m sure you have all noticed that our ship has encountered an unprecedented situation as we entered the hyperspace corridor and, due to unknown reasons, has stopped at a temporal rift..." "In order to escape our current predicament, and for the future of human civilization..." "We must unite!" Within the broadcast, Captain Zhao Tianhe of the Orion missile cruiser candidly disclosed the events to the crew and explained the joint operational plan devised by the First, Third, and Fifth Departments. The operation is codenamed "Dawn." They will disguise themselves as the corpses of allied forces, maintaining silence in the deep sea-like outer space to deceive observers, and pass through a historical blackout spanning two centuries until their timeline coincides with that of a child from the post-apocalyptic year 215. This broadcast, personally sent out by Zhao Tianhe, caused quite a stir aboard the cruiser. It was not only because the identity of the boy called Ye Shi as a "time traveler" was officially acknowledged but also because they learned of the Gemini's unfortunate fate. They unknowingly became executioners, killing those who were once allies... In the cafeteria on the lower deck, a group of flushed, red-faced crew members were engaged in a heated argument. A man with a scruffy beard pounded a fist on the table, roaring in unbridled anger. "This is absurd... just because of suspicion, we fired neutron torpedoes at them?!" Across from him, Xiao Yong, with arms crossed, sat in silence for a long time before speaking up. "I don’t think our captain was wrong. We couldn’t possibly execute the plan called 'The Final War.' Conflict was inevitable. It might have already happened the moment we refused to carry out the orders, and the Gemini’s torpedoes were aimed right at us." The man with the scruffy beard glared at him with rage. "Where’s the evidence? Just because you say so?" "There’s no such thing," Xiao Yong shook his head, meeting his gaze unflinchingly. "Here in outer space, the dead have no say. I’m not afraid; I’d rather have died with those on that ship, but what’s beneath my feet cannot be handed over to them. I have family on Earth... so they had to die." "You..." The two seemed on the verge of coming to blows but were pulled apart by colleagues nearby. Watching the endless argument about the Gemini, Lin Youyou, in a corner of the cafeteria, couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sorrow. She couldn’t fully agree with either Xiao Yong’s words or the decisions made by the captain and her peers from the First Department, even if they might be right. Those were comrades who had once fought alongside them, survivors of that very war. If everyone expressed their demands with such intensity, even if they managed to survive this present crisis by a stroke of luck, they’d surely lose everything in some future high-stakes gamble. Perhaps their current entrapment within the hyperspace corridor was destiny’s punishment... She looked at Ye Shi, quietly eating beside her, and couldn’t help but ask. "Do you think what we did was right?" She wanted to know how history would judge them. After pausing his chopsticks, Ye Shi remained silent for a while before answering. "I don’t know. In the history I know... it was you who bombed us, but who knows? There's a long list of unknowns to follow, including the Orbital Dropforces, the establishment of the Post-War Reconstruction Committee, and so forth. To us, the breakup of the Post-War Reconstruction Committee seems so distant, while you are dealing with things even before their inception." Seeing the maturity beyond his years, Lin Youyou felt a pang of sympathy, wanting to pat his head but stopped herself, remembering he disliked being treated like a child. "You speak of your people’s judgment; what I want is your personal judgment." "Me?" Ye Shi was momentarily taken aback, then after some thoughtful contemplation, he said, "I would likely tend to agree with your actions." "Why?" Lin Youyou asked, unable to hold back. "I killed over 3,000... and they were our comrades." "Perhaps because I live in an era where it's ‘kill one or face the death of many?’" Ye Shi shrugged. "From another viewpoint, you just saved an entire planet of people." It was actually just a consolatory way of putting it. Even he wasn’t sure how to assess the matter. From the perspective of the survivors, those who died were merely the ones who didn’t make it into the shelters, and the shelter residents were seldom affected. Yet, those save eventually died as well, in drawn-out suffering, passing on their agony to the next generation. Eventually, those who survived became the first of the wastelanders. From that angle, the so-called “Final War” plan might have been a merciful choice. Without the wastelanders, organizations like the Enlightened would likely never come into being, nor the likes of the Torch Church or the Celestials... On the flip side, the Post-War Reconstruction Committee might also vanish, including cities like Stone City and Singularity City, whose seeds were sown by the former in the wasteland. It would become a future solely composed of shelter residents. They would probably rebuild a new Human League on the wasteland entirely based on the preordained standards of the “Ark Plan.” It’s hard to say which future would be better. But if he had to choose... "I think what you did was commendable... don’t be too hard on yourself." Watching Ye Shi resume eating, Lin Youyou was momentarily stunned, then, coming to her senses, quipped. "Now you’re the one comforting me." Chewing his food, Ye Shi replied slowly. "The first part was to comfort you, but the latter part is genuine." "Didn’t expect you to be so considerate." Smiling at the intriguing young man, Lin Youyou rested her chin on her hand and suddenly, with a sly grin, remarked. "So, is that young girl named Jiang Xuezhou your girlfriend?" Ye Shi nearly choked on his food, coughing with a flushed face. "What are you talking about! There's no way I... Well, we’re not like that, just teammates." Seeing the embarrassed young man, Lin Youyou couldn’t help but laugh and patted him on the back. "Haha, don’t fret. In our time, it’s not unusual to have deeper relationships with teammates. Was it taboo where you’re from? I mean no offense if it is, just curious about how people from 200 years ahead interact... in terms of relationships." She was straightforward about her nosy nature. "I wouldn’t know, ask Fang Chang; he knows more." Ye Shi deflected, hastening his eating pace. "Really? But I'm more curious about that girl Jiang Xuezhou," Lin Youyou chuckled, playfully, "If I could live to 200 years later, could you introduce me to her?" "Sure, I guess…" Ye Shi replied vaguely. If they did meet 200 years later, he wouldn't even need her urging; he’d flaunt his legendary experiences eagerly to everyone he could, boasting with pride. Lin Youyou had no idea what he was thinking, but she remembered his words, smiling brightly as she said. "Then it's a promise." … Though the tragic fate of the Gemini shook the 3,000 officers and men aboard the spacecraft, fortunately, the disturbance did not last long. Most adjusted within a day or even half. It's not because they lacked humanity. But because the crew knew, their captain spoke at least one truth. That truth is that, now more than ever, they must unite. Not only to save themselves but to save the people of the future and the child who accidentally entered their timeline and became trapped with them. Even if just to eventually hold the captain accountable who ordered to destroy allied forces, they had to unite to overcome the pressing challenge. With this shared belief, both supporters and dissenters of Zhao Tianhe set aside their disputes at this critical juncture. And, Operation "Dawn" officially transitioned from initial mobilization to the implementation phase. The engineers from the Fourth Division deployed repair robots, carrying out a series of improvements on the ship's exterior, including its paintwork. Their plan was to disguise themselves as the Gemini, becoming the surviving side, and after exiting the hyperspace corridor, communicate with the Lagrange space station under the guise of the Orion, leaving a record behind. Following that, they aimed to develop an intelligent lifeform known as "Celestials." Even if this "intelligent lifeform" were to be artificial—it didn’t matter. They needed the future "observers" to witness the birth of the "Celestials." Although, truth be told, Ye Shi was not particularly hopeful about this far-fetched plan, he was nonetheless deeply moved by their determination and selflessness. Logically speaking, as someone who had inexplicably appeared on this ship, which happened to be stuck in the hyperspace corridor, he wouldn't be surprised if someone suggested eliminating him. Yet no one did. Instead of greeting him with hostility or exclusion, they tended to his injuries and showed genuine concern. Regardless of whether these crew members believed what he said, they treated him as a living, breathing person. Ye Shi asked himself: he wasn't as noble as they were. To remain calm in the face of despair and not succumb to the darker sides of human nature was already an overachievement for him. It was precisely because they accomplished what he couldn't that he felt so deeply touched. Ye Shi was someone who reciprocated others’ gestures. He would treat others the way they treated him. Thus, even though he knew all of this was simply part of a game’s storyline, it became increasingly difficult for him to regard these people as mere NPCs. They seemed more like friends to him. Or rather, they were his friends. He wanted to help them find their way out of this labyrinth— For the sake of their reunion two hundred years later! Ye Shi strained to recall every detail about the Celestials and shared them without reservation with the staff of the "Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Department." As the tenth department of this starship, even though it ranked last in the departmental hierarchy, it was more vital than the Fifth Department. All the intelligent programs on the ship were maintained by this department. Sometimes, they even collaborated with other departments to develop AI applications and assist the First and Third Departments in handling potential electronic warfare intrusions. These engineers of the Tenth Department were genuine programming experts, graduates of the Human League’s top universities. Though they may not match Xiao Jiang’s extraordinary talent, their professional capabilities were by no means inferior to his versatile skills—in fact, they all embodied such proficiency. With Ye Shi’s assistance, they completed the design of the "Celestials" with relative ease. This would be an intelligent lifeform capable of self-evolution. It was entirely modeled on the extreme conservative factions within the Human League’s aerospace forces. Its mission: to purify the wasteland’s ecological environment and restore the age of prosperity, even if it meant sacrificing all the wasteland survivors. By the standards of the Scientific and Ethical Committee, such an AI, replete with anti-human traits, would be deemed illegal from top to bottom; in times of peace, both developers and sponsors would face lawsuits and sentencing. But they could no longer afford to be concerned over legalities now. According to Ye Shi, even if they didn’t act, the extreme conservatives at the Lagrange station would develop something similar, or even transform into such entities themselves. This is an established future fact, an irreversible truth that has occurred. Their task was to usurp it. To have this AI masquerading as a demon kill and replace the real demon, only to be ultimately slain by a "hero" in the distant future. Thus, a causal loop across time would form a closed circle. And to ensure the demon could be vanquished, they designed a fatal backdoor into the "Celestials," a key, of sorts. It was a set of encryption keys. Anyone who entered this key could automatically format the "Celestials," burying the atrocious demon once and for all. Ye Shi would have gladly taken on the role of "exorcist," but sadly, according to Dr. Wu, he possessed observer attributes. Should he bring this key into the future, it could very well become invalidated. In other words, this glorious mission could only be accomplished by the Orion missile cruiser itself, which created the Celestials. According to the "Dawn" plan, they would head to the geosynchronous orbit near the Gemini missile cruiser’s wreckage two hundred years later, to reunite with Ye Shi at his timeline. This was an indispensable link... After nearly 300 hours of efforts, the preparations were finally complete. With the help of the Orion's crew, Ye Shi once again laid back into the cryopod where he originally awakened. He would return to hibernation using the same unreliable method, to be placed by the Orion crew into the nearly-destroyed scientific research vessel. According to Captain Zhao Tianhe, he wouldn’t have to wait long; they would rescue him at the site of the accident two hundred years later, waking him from the cryopod. Looking at the crowd assembled before the pod, a complex expression flitted across Ye Shi’s face, finally unable to resist voicing his thoughts. "...If you don’t appear on my timeline, then I’ve designed the Celestials." What a wasteland plague! This was simply absurd! "I promise you, we will never abandon you. After all, that place is also our home." Luo Yi placed a hand on Ye Shi’s shoulder, solemnly and earnestly making a promise. "We will definitely meet, in the distant future." "Let’s hope... for me, according to you, it would just be a blink of an eye; if not, I won’t have to hope or wait too long." At this, Ye Shi took a deep breath, looking at the familiar faces and the eyes burning with passion. "But I believe in you, all of you..." "Let’s begin!" "Take care..." Koala patted his shoulder, then followed Luo Yi out of the room. Lin Youyou cast a worried glance his way but eventually followed the others. Wu Xinghuan was the last to leave. He was the theoretical designer of the entire plan, and at this point, the most anxious person. Ye Shi gave him a reassuring look of "don’t worry about me," then closed his eyes with a characteristic nonchalance. At worst, it was just death. It wouldn’t be his first. Yet, thinking about Jiang Xuezhou waiting for him somewhere in the cosmos, the defiant attitude he had moments ago suddenly turned into an ache in his stomach. Guang, buddy! I’m begging you on my knees! Let me go back, don’t make me restart! The cryopod’s hatch slowly closed, icy chills crept from his spine to his brow. His breath crystallized on the pod’s glass as he felt his alert consciousness waver, as if slipping into that pitch-black abyss once more. A twinge of fear emerged in his heart. But it was too late for regrets, he could only charge through. As always. Outside the chamber, Zhao Tianhe fixed his gaze on the cryopod, then nodded towards the crew in exosuits and spacesuits beside him. "Let’s proceed." The staff returned a knowing gesture, then lifted the cryopod, heading towards the cordoned-off room. Per the plan, they would return the cryopod to the scientific vessel, restore the site as much as possible, and remove all devices that might interfere with quantum entanglement observation. Then... Everything would revert to the exact moment it all began. And the research ship that accidentally entered their time would become the Gemini's landing craft. There might be a few combat personnel aboard. But it didn’t matter. The Third Department’s space combat team stood prepared, fully armed and waiting. They would secure and disarm these unexpected visitors, confining them in cryopods until the causality loop closed two hundred years later. Suddenly, without any warning, the room's lights flickered, as if portending some anomaly. Watching Luo Yi, clad in power armor, Wu Xinghuan instinctively held his breath, feeling his palms damp with sweat. At almost the same moment the Fourth Division engineers withdrew with their equipment from the isolation area, the ship seemed to shake slightly as if it had collided with something. Everyone present felt the tremor— It seemed like the echoes of an explosion reverberating through the ship. Everything appeared to have returned to the origin of the temporal distortion. Luo Yi, amidst his astonishment, couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement as he instinctively tightened his grip on the assault rifle in his hands. Had they succeeded?! Yet, there was a nagging feeling of unease— Were there too many people who heard the explosion? He recollected the clues he'd gathered from the Fourth and Eighth Divisions. Only about 200 people, precisely 227, had heard the explosion. But now, there seemed to be no less than 100 people onsite alone. There was no time left to deliberate; unless something unexpected happened, the people from the Gemini had likely already landed on their lower deck. "Prepare for combat!" Xiao Yong shouted vehemently, leading the charge. The emergency doors slammed down, sealing off the area to prevent air leakage. Fifty combat personnel swiftly took their positions, proceeding in a surrounding formation toward the site of the incident. Arriving at the entrance of the gymnasium, they first lobbed in a short-range electromagnetic pulse grenade to suppress any potential drone equipment within. Then, two heavily armored power suits advanced, leading the charge into the room. There lay a small craft-like vessel, its two-meter metal shell dented and contorted. It was certainly not the vessel they had seen before— The ship had changed! Which meant... Success!? Everyone held their breath, tension palpable as they maintained formation, drawing closer to the ship. Xiao Yong signaled to Luo Yi with a clenched fist. Luo Yi nodded and moved forward, reaching out to grab hold of the twisted metal door panel, and with brute strength enhanced by his power suit, tore it off. Their weapons aimed at the ship’s interior, sealing off every possible blind spot. But there was no one... Luo Yi's hope dwindled. And as they laid eyes on the all-too-familiar cryopod, despair washed over the group like a wave, sinking their spirits. Watching the frontline status on the holo-screens, Wu Xinghuan stood frozen beyond the isolation zone, his face turning an ashen pale. "How could this..." Zhao Tianhe looked sternly at the navigator by his side, who wore a grim visage and shook his head. "We’re still in the hyperspace corridor..." They hadn’t escaped. It was as if they had wandered a loop in a forest, only to find themselves back at the original, marked spot. Executive Officer Wu Mengke sighed, rubbing her aching brow with a forefinger. "Well, we didn’t walk away empty-handed, the ship did change... something might have gone wrong somewhere." Glancing at her dumbstruck cousin, she shook her head and pressed a button on the communicator with her finger. "...Let’s get our people out first, and then we can talk." To be continued...