Chapter 996 - This Game Is Too Realistic

Chapter 996: The Labyrinth's Exit In the medical bay of the missile cruiser "Hunter," Jiang Xuezhou lay quietly on a medical bed, her body wrapped in bandages. A nearby intensive care monitor emitted a faint beeping sound. She was still alive. But she had not awakened. Staring at the smooth lines on the holographic heart monitor, Luo Yi, who had now removed his powered armor, frowned slightly and turned to the doctor nearby. "Is she still not awake?" Before the doctor could respond, a nurse beside him couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Give it some time. It's a miracle the kid is alive at all." Luo Yi chuckled wryly. "I didn't mean to rush..." He might have been a bit impatient. After all, everyone was baffled by the current situation. Not just him; many others wanted to quickly understand what exactly had happened and where things had gone wrong. As Luo Yi contemplated silently, staring at the life signs displayed on the screen, Lin Youyou, who had also been pondering for a long time, suddenly lifted her head. "Speaking of which, there's something strange." Luo Yi looked at her, puzzled. "What's strange?" With her index finger on her chin, Lin Youyou mused aloud, "After we applied the tissue repair gel, her wounds did begin to heal, but her metabolic rate and heart rate showed no change..." At this point, something seemed to click in her mind, and she added, "It was the same before." Luo Yi asked, "Before?" "That child named Ye Shi," Lin Youyou recalled. "We healed his injuries and fixed his prosthetics, but his metabolic rate and heart rate showed no signs of recovery... and his body temperature wasn't normal either—I always worried he'd faint." Luo Yi's brow furrowed slightly. Just then, a message popped up on the communication channel from staff in Department Eight. Without hesitation, he pressed the connect button. "Hello?" "Are you available now?" "I'm always available. What's up?" The person on the other side wasted no time. "Come to the lower deck's reserve warehouse—the emergency escape gear depot. We've discovered a new clue." "I'm on my way." Luo Yi nodded, ended the call, and swiftly left the medical bay, heading towards the warehouse mentioned by his colleagues from Department Eight. The warehouse wasn't far from his duty room, but it was a bit of a distance from the medical bay. It took him about five minutes to reach his destination, where he found the security personnel from Department Eight standing next to an open cabinet, alongside a warehouse employee who had reported the issue. "What happened?" The security officer who had called him waved in greeting before approaching him with a tablet. "We received a report from the emergency materials management warehouse staff that a hibernation pod in the reserve stock has gone missing, and the cabinet lock was forcibly broken." Luo Yi inquired, "Just discovered?" The officer nodded. "Yes, it was fine when checked yesterday, but today it's gone. Oddly enough, the security system failed. Does this sound familiar?" Luo Yi frowned. "Could it be a mistake by the warehouse staff?" After all, this was a hyperspace passage; no one could leave, so the missing hibernation pod had to be somewhere on the ship. And most importantly, he couldn't fathom who would steal such a thing. The officer shook his head. "I don't think so... because we've already found the missing hibernation pod." Luo Yi was taken aback, staring at the officer in confusion. "...So, what's the problem?" With a subtle expression, the officer continued, "The issue is... we found the missing hibernation pod at the 'incident site.'" ... In the security office on the lower deck, key participants of the "Dawn" project stood expressionless. Among them were Captain Zhao Tianhe, Executive Officer Wu Mengke, Dr. Wu from Department Five, and others. Their plan was flawless on paper. Yet for some reason, it ended in failure. Gazing at the screen showing the girl in slumber, Zhao Tianhe pinched his weary brow and sighed. "It seems the universe is far harsher than we imagined..." Wu Mengke watched him, a trace of worry in the crow's feet at her eyes. "So, we've failed?" Zhao Tianhe didn't reply. The twists and turns they faced were more intricate than any battle he'd fought. His experience was useless here. "No, we haven't..." Finally breaking his silence, Dr. Wu spoke up. All eyes turned to him. Including Zhao Tianhe, his cousin Wu Mengke, navigation officers, and other high-ranking military officials—Luo Yi, a sergeant ready to report, included... Dr. Wu directed his gaze to the surveillance feed, looking at the unconscious girl on the holographic screen. He swallowed hard. "We succeeded, it's just that the outcome isn't what we originally envisioned..." Zhao Tianhe frowned. "What do you mean?" Wu Xinghuan shifted his gaze from the screen, focusing on the captain. "You assumed that the Gemini would launch a neutron torpedo when we refused to follow orders... right?" Zhao Tianhe nodded firmly. "Knowing Gemini's captain, Song Yuchuan, he would do just that." Wu Xinghuan continued probing, "What kind of a person is he?" Zhao Tianhe responded without hesitation. "He's like a wolf—ruthless to others, even to himself. If there are ten radicals among a hundred civilians on board, he'd consider the other ninety collateral damage." Wu Xinghuan pressed further. "So, you didn't hesitate to open fire first." Zhao Tianhe didn't shy away, nodding decisively. "Yes, dealing with a beast leaves no other option. In such a scenario, it's either you live or I die... Shouldn't we be discussing this now?" "We must, because this is the crux of our current predicament." Wu Xinghuan's unwavering gaze locked onto Zhao's as he spoke earnestly. "Now if you were the captain of the Gemini, or rather, Song Yuchuan himself... You face an opponent who understands you thoroughly; he wouldn't hesitate to make the worst choice immediately... If you were him, what would you decide?" Zhao Tianhe's pupils dilated slightly—a near-instantaneous response popped into his mind. "...I would strike first." Wu Xinghuan pursued relentlessly. "You would strike first because you know your opponent sees you as a beast. You're well aware he wouldn't hesitate or feel guilty about killing you... So, how would you proceed?" The security office air went still, an audience of eyes glued to the two of them. Silence prevailed. After a prolonged pause, Zhao Tianhe shifted his gaze elsewhere. "I would hide a neutron bomb in the landing craft..." Wu Mengke, stunned, widened her eyes incredulously at Captain Zhao. The other officers mirrored her shock, their expressions uniformly dismayed—not at the captain's choice but at his capacity to empathize and make such a probabilistic judgment from the opponent's viewpoint. Possibly, no one was on that landing craft from the beginning... Wu Xinghuan, however, was not satisfied with that answer, pressing on doggedly. "Merely that? To go down with your opponent? You still have missions unfulfilled; your ruthlessness should extend not just to others but also to yourself..." Zhao Tianhe remained silent for a while longer but ultimately disclosed the final contingency plan. "...I would upload the crew's consciousness to the ship's server. Before the enemy's neutron torpedo hits us, I would first end my own life, ensuring we're undefeatable from the outset and guaranteeing that the Lagranian point's command is executed correctly, even posthumously." In essence, the conflict wasn't over interests but rather differing beliefs. They weren't enemies. He even considered atoning for his past actions after everything was over. Perhaps by using the backup archives and data on the server to bring back to life the comrades he had once killed with his own hands. There was no need to further deduce the situation; they now understood the complete story, and the truth was far more brutal than they had imagined. Zhao Tianhe's Adam's apple moved slightly. In that moment, he seemed to age years. "... I'm sorry, comrades. I underestimated their resolve." "You don't need to apologize. It's already happened... we just didn't know because we were in a superposition." Wu Xinghuan gently shook his head, then his gaze returned to the girl on the holographic screen. He continued to mumble as if talking to himself. "To be honest... the moment I saw her, everything made sense." "We are in a superposition state, in two different states originating from two parallel timelines, α and β. Our entanglement exists at two crossing points—one at the beginning, one at the end." "The young man named Ye Shi is our beginning, and the girl named Jiang Xuezhou is our end. In their own cycle, it is reversed—Jiang Xuezhou is the beginning, and the young man is the end." "And we are already dead." He had finally discovered a new concept in physics. Information could travel not just faster than light but also across time. Their meeting across spacetime was the best proof. Whether this memory was eventually interpreted as a dream, déjà vu, or a psychological effect... they had left a mark on each other's timeline proving their existence. He considered naming this remarkable discovery, but after some thought, he decided against it. Better to leave that to future generations... About this special field where information entwines with information. The room remained silent for a prolonged period. Breaking the silence eventually was Wu Mengke, the executive officer of the starship, or you could say, the second-in-command. "…For some reason, after hearing you say that we were already dead, I suddenly felt relieved." She let out a wry smile, her gaze complex as she eyed the surveillance screen. "At least… their existence proves that our choices were not wrong." Zhao Tianhe glanced at her with a hint of surprise in his eyes. "In what way?" "In every way," Wu Mengke mused for a moment before continuing, "The young man we saw earlier was from the shelter... This child must be one of the wastelanders." Zhao Tianhe nodded. "Perhaps." Wu Mengke looked at him, her usually serious face softening into a gentle smile. "Actually... it's quite nice, isn't it? Although they are clearly different from us, I still see many things in them that we once celebrated, like love and courage... and many other things that I cannot even describe." Luo Yi seemed to understand the executive officer's thoughts, and after a moment of reflection, he said, "Are you talking about... hope?" Wu Mengke smiled and nodded. "Perhaps. Anyway, I think it's good to entrust the future to them." They hadn't turned into beasts. They were still human. Given that, there was nothing to fear. As for death, it was only a destined event. At this moment, she seemed like a kind-hearted grandmother. Though she wasn't actually that old, merely middle-aged. "Perhaps you are right," Zhao Tianhe spoke up after a moment of contemplation. According to Dr. Wu's theory, the Gemini's landing craft never had people on board from the start, only neutron bomb warheads, and possibly bionic robots or intelligent programs poised to take over the starship. In other words, it wasn't them and the Gemini that were in a superposition, but they themselves. Whether they died at the exit or entrance of the hyperspace channel, their deaths were destined. This implies that the "Dawn" plan was never feasible from the outset. They were bound not to reach the future 200 years later and fulfill the promise made to that child. After a pause, Zhao Tianhe turned to Dr. Wu Xinghuan. "So according to your theory, there’s nothing we can do... is that right?" Wu Xinghuan shook his head. "That's not accurate; even if our deaths are destined... there is still something we can do." Seeing all eyes on him, he took a deep breath and continued, "As I mentioned earlier... we are currently in a superposition state. Even if our superposition in the future has collapsed, there are things we can do in this remaining nonexistent time." Zhao Tianhe asked solemnly, "And what is that?" "Our exit," Wu Xinghuan replied firmly, locking eyes with him. "We can decide which future to choose for ourselves..." The group watched him, their expressions ranging from surprise to seriousness, skepticism to disbelief... Zhao Tianhe pressed further. "Can you explain more specifically?" In this moment, Wu Xinghuan appeared unprecedentedly calm, systematically stringing together the chaotic clues. "We did receive messages from the future, right? Due to the quantum entanglement of the superposition state and some unknown field. Anyway, we indeed saw them." "We share this common memory, even though it never occurred in our timeline. We know an organization called the Alliance will emerge 200 years later, filled with idealism and passion. They will end the Age of Wasteland, bury the old era, and lead our children into a new epoch!" "That shared memory acts as their coordinates; that's where we aim to go—the future where those two children exist!" This might sound like a dying man's fantasy, but the shared memory wasn't entirely fabricated; it genuinely existed in their minds. A memory capable of resonating with each and every one of them! It was precisely through this shared resonance for the future that they hadn't given up until this point. Zhao Tianhe looked earnestly at him. "How do we get there?" "It's both simple... and complex. We must form a closed loop with their timeline!" Eyeing the now serious crowd, Wu Xinghuan directed his attention toward Luo Yi at the door. "I recall you conducted a tally, hearing the explosion were 227 people... correct?" Luo Yi nodded in agreement and reported, "Yes... Also, there's something else I need to report: the hibernation pod we found in the landing craft was our missing one." Wu Xinghuan snapped his fingers and looked around energetically. "The timeline has already shifted; this is the most direct evidence! And at the moment we sent that child away!" "So as I said earlier, our 'Dawn' plan didn't fail; it simply differed from our expectations!" "Back then, we were unaware of our deaths, believing an armed team was on that landing craft. Only when we found it empty did we realize our error—that our enemies were even more ruthless and resilient than we imagined!" Zhao Tianhe gradually understood his meaning. "The timeline intertwines for a first time... and it needs a second entanglement to form a loop. Is that what you mean?" "Exactly!" Wu Xinghuan's gaze was sharp as he looked around at everyone. "We've successfully received the information from the future; we've foreseen our deaths and even know how many will survive and how many will perish." "227 people heard the explosion... Neutron radiation travels faster than sound waves. Under what circumstances can you hear a neutron bomb explode?" "...Though it's an obvious point to make, only the living can hear the explosion of a neutron bomb." Luo Yi's eyes widened instantly, as did many others present. He'd had this vague sense long ago but had ignored it amidst the cluttered clues. Zhao Tianhe fixed his gaze on Wu Xinghuan, suddenly letting out a hearty laugh. "It seems I'm the ghost here." Not just him. Almost all the senior officers in the bridge at that time didn't hear the explosion or the alarm triggered by it. It wasn't until someone rushed in to report the situation on the lower deck that they realized something was wrong. He finally understood why. The equipment hadn't malfunctioned. They simply wouldn't live to hear the alarm sound in the "next second." Yet, even in this timeless hyperspace corridor, they managed to exchange information through some unknown field. In other words, their communication wasn't just with the future—they were experiencing some form of resonance with each other too. Adjusting his expression, he looked fearlessly at Wu Xinghuan and said, "Go on, tell us... for the sake of the new epoch 200 years from now, what can we, the soon-to-be dead, still do?" "There is only one thing you can do—return to the moment you entered the hyperspace corridor, stay in your position... and await death." Facing his cousin, Wu Xinghuan painfully uttered these words, then turned his gaze to Luo Yi standing in the doorway. "And for you, including me and the 227 people who heard the explosion, we are the neutron radiation survivors. While we may have escaped immediate death, it's only a matter of time." "Even so, we have some time before we die of suffocation or hunger... We need to complete the time loop in this window, guiding the girl on the treatment bed to us, and we must also prepare weapons for them to defeat the enemies we couldn’t." "Looks like we should leave something other than 'Heaven and Man.'" Wu Mengke quipped. Luo Yi raised his hand, earnestly addressing the group. "I'll handle the hibernation pod... The emergency equipment management warehouse is right next to my office. I heard the explosion, and I'll unlock the warehouse immediately and haul the pod to the landing craft." Koala, after a moment of silence, also raised his hand. "I'll take on the guiding task... I heard they collided with the lower deck; my workshop is nearby, and I'll make a holographic guidance device to lead the girl, um, to where the hibernation pod is?" "That’s not enough," Zhao Tianhe shook his head and glanced at Wu Xinghuan, who seemed about to speak. "She must activate the ship's warp drive, right?" "Correct, and there's more," Wu Xinghuan nodded, remaining composed. "Two hundred years from now, the Sky Men captured our starship and took control of it... At least in terms of most of its systems, including weaponry. We also need to help her and her friends reclaim control of the ship." "Dude, you're asking a lot from us." Koala was sweating profusely, uncertain how long he'd survive once out of the hyperspace corridor. "Don’t worry, brother," an AI expert from Section 10 placed an arm around his shoulders, patting him reassuringly. "We've got you covered! You focus on designing the navigation device to help her find the warp drive switch. We'll leave a surprise for the tomb raiders on the engine." Koala sighed in relief, managing a weary smile. "That's good... I'm not really up for hacking, especially against experts." Someone raised a hand. "I've got a question. Can't we design it while in the timeless space? Or even... involve the dead in the program design?" A helping hand is always welcome. After all, there are plenty of talented individuals on this starship, not just the programmers from Section 10. However, Dr. Wu shook his head, dismissing the idea of exploiting bugs. "It's futile. Any changes we make within the hyperspace corridor will be erased, apart from the memories that have been proven to persist... nothing else will remain." Noticing the disappointed expressions, he suddenly changed his tone. "But we can rehearse it a few times... as many times as needed, given that information can be retained through the resonance field. This doesn't violate the principles we've discovered." Watching everyone brainstorm and come up with more ideas, a faint smile appeared on Zhao Tianhe's typically stern face as he quipped, "Who would've thought the dead could do so much?" Wu Mengke smiled. "After all, we're not dead until the 'next second' arrives." Zhao Tianhe was silent for a moment, looking both relieved and somewhat wistful. "Still, there's a bit of regret. I had a date with someone I met online... planned to go to Schron City for a vacation after the war." By then, it might be called Fry Port. He'd heard the scenery was lovely. Wu Mengke looked at the typically stern officer with surprise, as if seeing an anomaly in the wasteland. Noticing her odd gaze, Zhao Tianhe returned a peculiar look. "What's the matter?" "Nothing..." Wu Mengke shook her head, somewhat dazed, "Just never heard you mention it." Zhao Tianhe chuckled. "Hahaha, why talk about such things at work? It’d make you think I’m less serious." To be honest, he wasn’t particularly serious; just an ordinary human. Away from colleagues' eyes, he had his own life, with some unsorted files in his virtual machine that he likely wouldn't have time to delete. He generally maintained a stern demeanor for work purposes. But knowing he’d soon die, it felt like a burden lifted off his shoulders, and he embraced his true self. "I already think so..." Wu Mengke pressed her forehead with her index finger, seemingly overwhelmed. "You should take that secret to the grave, thanks." "You're welcome! Just pretend I was talking out of my backside, hahaha." Smiling, Zhao Tianhe glanced at the terminal screen. His grin turned contented, dissolving his earlier wistfulness. "But speaking with you now, I suddenly feel there’s nothing to regret." Wu Mengke sighed. "What do you mean?" Zhao Tianhe replied with a smile, "Don't you think that girl... and that boy, feel like our children?" Wu Mengke paused, her brows raising slightly. "Did you spit such nonsense while chatting as well?" Zhao Tianhe coughed. "Alright... I was being serious." Gazing at the girl on the medical bed through the holographic screen, Wu Mengke slowly said, "I’ve always thought so… If I had a granddaughter or great-great-granddaughter, she’d probably be just as brave and strong." "Guess I'm a bit slow then," Zhao Tianhe laughed, "But now I see clearly. We don’t need to go 200 years into the future; they are our continuation... They’ll see the world we won’t." Wu Mengke joked, "If only everyone could see it as clearly as we do." "That's impossible." The kind smile vanished, replaced by the sturdy resolve in Zhao Tianhe's angular face. In a flash, he was once again the unsmiling captain. Determination wasn’t something exclusive to beasts. But the beasts seemed to misunderstand repeatedly, thinking that being more ruthless, with no limits, and scaring standing people would cage humanity. He’d show the guy on the Gemini and those lunatics at Lagrange Point precisely how wrong they were, how laughable their dreams were. "Those old relics dream of taking over, fantasizing about supplanting us after all's done... They can dream on." "Whether it's 200 or 2000 years, even with one foot in the grave, I'd drag them into the coffin! Let’s lie together!" Originally, this section's title was "Morphogenetic Field," but more talk felt like a spoiler, so I kept quiet. To be continued...