dmims Page 253
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Lin Ye didn't answer immediately. His gaze, like two tempered daggers, was sharply fixed on the constantly twisting and writhing purple energy aura leaking from the damaged area of the historical log backup. Unlike the database's gentle blue-white, the light possessed an eerie, ominous vitality, as if it possessed its own malevolent life. In his mind, he rapidly communicated with that dormant entity.
[...Continuous analysis of the anomalous energy characteristics...does not match any known civilization's technology tree or standard energy signature in the database, with an error rate of less than 0.001%...This structure exhibits high concealment, a tendency to self-replicate, and targeted logical corruption...Based on comprehensive judgment, the probability of it being a malicious intrusion program or an advanced information weapon has increased to 89.2%...Highest level of alert is recommended.]
The whispered, cold, and objective analysis confirmed Lin Ye's worst suspicions. This thing was likely more dangerous and troublesome than the predators outside who only knew how to devour and destroy.
"Can it be isolated? Or... eliminated?" Lin Ye's voice was low and metallic as he asked the silent, dark gold guardian. This thing's existence was like a poisonous thorn, embedded in the heart of the still-ruined shelter they had just found.
The sentry strode with heavy, metallic steps toward the area, its resounding footsteps echoing jarringly in the empty, deathly silent hall. It extended its relatively intact arm, its fingertips probing out several hair-thin probes, gleaming with a faint diagnostic white light, cautiously attempting to touch the seemingly alive purple energy.
Zila——!
A blinding arc of purple electricity, like an enraged serpent, shot out from the damaged area, striking the sentinel's metal fingertip with pinpoint accuracy! A small ball of blazing white sparks exploded, accompanied by a foul odor, a mixture of burnt plastic and rotting flesh. The sentinel's arm jerked back, its movement so fast it left afterimages. Its fingertip, crafted from a special alloy, now bore a distinct crater, with wisps of flickering purple electricity still clinging to its edges.
“Direct contact is impossible.” The sentry withdrew its arm, its dark red optical sensor locked tightly onto the purple light that seemed even more active due to this “counterattack.” The electronic voice remained steady, but seemed to carry a subtle hint of unease. “This structure possesses strong energy exclusion and logical defense mechanisms. Attempts at data-level logical isolation… encountered active and strong resistance. It has deeply penetrated the underlying data encoding and physical storage sectors of the historical log backup area. Forcibly performing physical erasure or high-level formatting carries an extremely high risk: there is a 78.3% probability that over 47% of the valuable historical data in this area will be permanently and irrecoverably destroyed, and a 51.9% probability that it will trigger a violent counterattack from the structure, the explosive energy of which may affect the core link of the main database, causing… unpredictable catastrophic consequences.”
A chillingly calm risk assessment sent Lin Ye's heart sinking to the bottom. It was like a highly sensitive time bomb connected to his heart—it couldn't be defused, it couldn't be touched, and even monitoring it might trigger it.
"So, for the time being... we have absolutely no way to deal with it?" Lin Ye practically spat out the words through gritted teeth. This sense of powerlessness was even more suffocating than facing a pack of predators.
"Based on the current database status and available resources, it's confirmed." The sentinel's confirmation was like a final verdict. "It is recommended to adjust the processing priorities: the primary goal is to restore the basic functions of the database, obtain detailed information about the external environment to assess our own location and potential threats, and find a stable energy source to maintain our survival. In the meantime, I will mobilize the remaining available computing power to continuously monitor the activity fluctuations of this abnormal structure and attempt to build a dynamic logical firewall around it to slow down its spread as much as possible, but we cannot guarantee its absolute effectiveness."
That's all we can do. The most urgent thing is to survive. Without energy, let alone monitoring this bizarre "virus," even maintaining breathing and body temperature will be a problem; everything else will be meaningless.
"Sentinel, how long can the database's energy last?" Lin Ye asked the most crucial and cruel question at the moment.
The sensor on the sentry's head flashed regularly, seemingly calculating every bit of energy consumed. "Based on the current energy consumption mode, maintaining the minimum life support system (including basic air circulation, temperature kept at the survival threshold, standard gravity simulation), ensuring the integrity of core data storage, and basic internal lighting and sensor standby, the remaining energy can support... standard time unit: 71 hours and 32 minutes."
The numbers, accurate to the minute, are like a cold hammer, striking everyone's heart.
“Three…three days?!” Li Sha’s voice rose instantly, filled with disbelief and terror, her face deathly pale. “What will happen after three days?! What will become of us?”
"Once the energy is depleted, the life support systems will shut down sequentially. The internal temperature will drop below freezing within 3.7 standard time units, air circulation will cease, and the concentration of exhaust gases such as carbon dioxide will continue to rise to lethal levels. Final result: cessation of life activities." The sentinel calmly depicted a scene of despair in its emotionless electronic voice, each word like a nail hammered into a coffin lid.
Despair, like an icy tide, once again engulfed the dilapidated hall. Having barely escaped the encirclement of the predator army, and before they could even catch their breath, the noose of depleted energy had already tightened around their necks.
Lin Ye took a deep breath of the cold, thin air, forcing his wildly beating heart to calm down. Panic is a catalyst for death; he had already learned this lesson from countless brushes with death. "Sentinel, does the database itself have an energy harvesting device? For example, to absorb radiation from the external environment, or... if there's a star nearby, to collect light energy?"
"The design incorporates a multi-mode energy harvesting array, including high-energy particle capture, background radiation conversion, and stellar photon absorption capabilities," the Sentinel replied. "However, after the 'Great Collapse' event, the local space energy environment is extremely chaotic and filled with highly corrosive and disruptive unknown contaminants. Standard energy harvesting arrays are inefficient in this environment, with an estimated harvesting efficiency less than 2% of normal. Furthermore, the multi-level barrier system used for filtering and purifying energy suffered damage exceeding 40% during the jump impact. Forcibly extracting unprocessed chaotic energy... has an extremely high probability of causing energy core overload, system logic disorder, or... its energy fluctuations could become a catalyst for activating that anomalous structure, with unimaginable consequences."
This road is almost completely blocked, and the risks are enormous.
"What about the surrounding area?" Li Sha pleaded, as if grasping at a last straw. "Could you scan our surroundings? See if there's... if there are any other spaceship reactor wreckage? Or any energy sources that haven't completely died out? Even if it can only sustain us for a little while!"
The sensor on the sentry's head flickered faintly, seemingly weakened by low power. "Due to reduced power priority and the physical offline status of the main sensor network, the effective detection range of the external environment scanning function has been greatly reduced. Currently, it can only maintain a basic scan of a spherical area with a diameter of 500 meters outside the database."
"What are the scan results?" Lin Ye asked immediately, his eyes sharp.
"The database is currently located inside a... massive, enclosed metal structure. Approximately 31% of the structure remains intact. Preliminary morphological analysis suggests it may be the core compartment or central storage area of a 'Titan'-class interstellar mothership or a super-large industrial ship. Multiple residual energy signals have been detected, but the vast majority are extremely weak and unstable, filled with high-intensity harmful radiation and spatial distortion interference, making them unsafe to use." The sentinel paused for a fraction of a second, seemingly processing the final data. "Only one... source point with a relatively concentrated energy signal, low in intensity but relatively stable fluctuations, has been detected. Coordinates: Northwest of the database's current location, approximately 430 meters in a straight line."
A relatively stable energy source! Although weak, in this desolate and chaotic energy desert, it was like a lone lamp in the dark night, bringing a faint but real hope!
"Can you determine what sent that signal?" Lin Ye's heart raced slightly as he pressed for an answer.
"The signal characteristics are blurry and severely interfered with by the surrounding environment, making accurate material identification and model matching impossible," the Sentinel analyzed. "However, the energy signature spectrum analysis shows that it was not produced by natural decay or chaotic collisions, but has obvious characteristics of artificial technological creation. It is suspected to be... some kind of small, low-power operation or hibernation standby... unknown technological device."
Still operational technological equipment? Deep within this forgotten metal graveyard, burying countless civilizations? Could it be the relic of another "Observer," like a database? Or a base left behind by some other survivor? Or... some unknown, even more dangerous trap?
Opportunity and danger, like twins, were presented to us at the same time.
"Should we go?" Li Sha looked at Lin Ye, her eyes filled with struggle and fear. Outside lay the unknown, perilous interior of a gigantic shipwreck, and within the database lurked an "information bomb" that could explode at any moment. Leaving this relatively familiar fortress to explore that completely unknown darkness—the risks were self-evident.
Lin Ye remained silent. His gaze swept over the ominous purple halo again, and he felt the lingering pain in his body from the previous battle and space jump, before finally settling on the countdown timer for the constantly decreasing energy displayed by the sentinel.
Staying means certain death; the energy will run out in three days, and death is inevitable. Going out to search for that unknown energy source, however, may lead to all sorts of unpredictable dangers... lurking parasites, bizarre spatial phenomena, and even the potential to trigger hidden dangers within the database, causing all efforts to be in vain.
This is an incredibly difficult choice, and every step could lead to hell.
Time passed in the oppressive silence, each second feeling as long as a year.
Finally, Lin Ye raised his head. The hesitation and deliberation in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a steadfast and resolute determination. He had made his choice.
“We have no choice.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an undeniable power, echoing clearly in the hall. “Sentinel, your mission is to repair and maintain the database as stable as possible, especially to keep a close watch on that ‘abnormal structure,’ and build the strongest firewall you can. Lisa, check all your equipment, especially your protective suit and detectors, and make sure they are in optimal condition; we may need them.”
He moved his still slightly aching arms and chest, feeling the power hidden beneath his muscles, and the faint yet tenacious response from the fragment of the "Key of Creation" deep in his palm. This was his greatest reliance.
“I’m going out, finding that energy source, and bringing it back,” he announced his final decision.
"You're going alone? That's too dangerous!" Li Sha blurted out, her face full of worry. "At least let me go with you! More people means more protection!"
“No.” Lin Ye shook his head, refusing decisively. “Going together would make us a bigger target and riskier. You stay here and assist the sentinels in monitoring the internal situation. Your engineering knowledge might be helpful in maintaining system stability.” He paused, his gaze calmly fixed on Li Sha, his tone even carrying an almost cold calmness. “If… if I don’t return within a certain time, or if uncontrollable anomalies occur within the database… you should activate the final contingency plan, or… find a way to leave on your own.”
He didn't say what the "last resort" was, but Lisa and the Sentinel both understood what it meant.
Having said that, Lin Ye no longer hesitated, turned around and strode towards the massive passageway door that was severely deformed, its metal twisted, and seemed ready to completely jam at any moment. He summoned the strength he had recovered somewhat, placed his hands on the cold metal door, and pushed hard.
Creak...click...!
A sickening metallic scraping and cracking sound rang out as he forcefully pushed open the massive door, leaving only a crack wide enough for one person to pass through. Outside, there was an impenetrable darkness, thick with dust and unknown dangers, and an even clearer, chilling aura, a mixture of rust and decay.
Just before taking a step, Lin Ye turned back for one last look at this dilapidated yet profoundly knowledgeable hall, his gaze lingering for a moment on the corner that shimmered with an ominous purple light.
Inside the unknown, colossal wreckage, an unknown energy source, shadows lurking within the database, and a dwindling energy countdown overhead…
The road ahead is still full of thorns, and every step is on the edge of life and death.
He took a deep breath, resolutely turned sideways, and disappeared into the darkness outside the door.
Chapter 535 The Abyss of Debris and the Guiding Light
The heavy, broken doors of the database slowly closed behind Lin Ye, shutting out Li Sha's worried gaze and the sentry's dark red vigilant eyes. The hinges emitted a teeth-grinding grinding sound that carried far in the deathly silence.
A stench of rust, dust, and some indescribable, decaying organic matter assaulted Lin Ye's senses, instantly filling his lungs with cold, foul air, causing him to wince. The weak force field generated by his environmental stabilization bracelet tried to filter out the harmful components, but he could still feel the bone-chilling cold and the potential threat of radiation.
What lay before him was not the open space he had envisioned, but an incredibly vast vertical passageway that stretched both upwards and downwards into the boundless darkness! Or rather, it resembled a main elevator shaft or resource transport pipeline inside a colossal warship. Its diameter was likely several kilometers, and the surrounding walls were covered with thick, rusted, and broken cables, as well as various twisted and deformed metal structures whose original appearance was unrecognizable, making it as unsettling as the intestines of a monster.
The sphere containing the database seemed to be embedded in a recess in the side wall of this huge pipe, like a barnacle parasitizing the ribs of a whale.
"This place... is really oppressive," Lin Ye muttered to himself, adjusting his breathing. The faint light projected from the bracelet on his wrist could only illuminate a small area around him; further away lay bottomless darkness, seemingly capable of swallowing all light and sound.
He tried to recall the scan information provided by the sentry—the relatively stable energy source was in the northwest, about 430 meters away. In this complex three-dimensional environment, both the so-called "northwest direction" and the straight-line distance needed to be reassessed.
[Environmental scanning assistance activated... Creating a rough 3D map...] A faint whisper sounded. Although its capabilities were greatly reduced due to energy depletion and previous overload, its basic environmental analysis functions remained intact. On Lin Ye's visual interface, the rough outline of the surrounding pipe walls began to appear, along with some faint specks of residual energy, most of which were red or yellow, representing dangerous radiation.
He carefully moved forward along a relatively wide metal walkway on the pipe wall, which looked like a maintenance passage. There were no railings at the edge of the walkway, and looking down was a dizzying, pitch-black abyss, with occasional gusts of cold air rising from below, accompanied by a wailing sound.
After walking about a hundred meters, a fork in the road appeared ahead. One road continued horizontally along the pipe wall, while the other went up, leading to a gap partially blocked by a huge metal barrier.
[The horizontal path has low residual energy, but its structure is relatively stable. The upward path...weak signs of life detected...non-human, potentially aggressive.] The whisper provides the clue.
Life activity? Lin Ye's eyes narrowed, and he immediately became alert. He held his breath and carefully sensed. Sure enough, from the gap above, he could faintly hear a series of subtle, chilling scraping sounds, like some kind of multi-legged creature crawling on a metal surface.
Not wanting to cause any unnecessary trouble, he decisively chose the horizontal path. However, just as he took a few steps, a soft "click" sound suddenly came from behind and above!
Lin Ye suddenly turned around, lowered his body, and placed his right hand on his waist—where a high-frequency cutting blade powered by energy fragments was tucked away from a damaged maintenance robot in the database.
Suddenly, something pried open a larger gap in the metal barrier above, revealing several pairs of compound eyes gleaming with an eerie green light that stared intently at him! Then, a creature roughly the size of a hound, resembling a spider but with its carapace covered in disgusting pustules and bone spurs, lunged out from the gap! Its mouthparts opened and closed, revealing a dense array of sharp teeth dripping with viscous fluid!
The speed is amazing!
Lin Ye's pupils contracted, and he reacted almost the instant the opponent pounced! Instead of retreating, he took half a step forward, dodging to the side and narrowly avoiding the attack that was powerful enough to bite through steel plates! At the same time, the high-frequency cutting blade in his right hand silently unsheathed, bringing with it a faint blue light, and precisely slashed upwards towards the spider monster's relatively soft abdomen!
puff!
A sickening cutting sound rang out, accompanied by the cracking of its shell and the splattering of green sap. The spider monster let out a sharp screech, crashed heavily onto the walkway, twitched a few times, and then lay still.
But the crisis was not over! At the breach, more eerie green compound eyes lit up, densely packed, at least seven or eight of the same spider monsters were scrambling to squeeze out!
Don't get entangled in a fight!
Lin Ye made a snap decision and turned to run! Although the high-frequency cutting blade was sharp, it was not a wise move to deal with so many monsters, especially in this narrow and dangerous passage.
Whoosh!Whoosh!
A chilling whooshing sound came from behind—it was the spider monster's spray of sticky, corrosive white silk! Without turning his head, Lin Ye relied on the environmental model provided by Whisper and his honed combat instincts to perform incredibly swift evasive maneuvers in the corridor, sometimes sliding sideways, sometimes rolling, narrowly avoiding the deadly silk. The silk clung to the corridor and the adjacent pipe walls, immediately emitting a sizzling corrosion sound and emitting white smoke.
He moved with incredible speed, like a ghost, gradually leaving the spider monsters some distance behind. But the road ahead was not smooth sailing. The walkway was broken and collapsed in many places, forcing him to jump and climb at times, a truly perilous journey.
As he leaped across a crack nearly three meters wide, a rusted steel plate beneath his feet suddenly broke off! Lin Ye instantly lost his balance and plummeted downwards! He reacted swiftly, his left hand shot out, his five fingers gripping the edge of the crack like steel hooks! His body hung suspended above the endless abyss of darkness, a chilling wind blowing down upon him.
[Warning! High-intensity chaotic energy field detected below! Survival probability from falling is less than 0.01%!] The whispered warning sent chills down his spine.
He gritted his teeth, his arm muscles bulging, and using the strength of his waist and abdomen, he swung upwards with a mighty effort, barely managing to touch the edge on the other side with his right foot before finally managing to climb up with difficulty. Looking back at the bottomless crack that seemed to lead to hell, even Lin Ye felt a wave of fear.
Don't stop! The crawling and hissing sounds are getting closer from behind!
He continued running, following the whispered directions, weaving through the maze-like giant pipes. After walking about two hundred meters more, he rounded a huge, rib-like protruding metal structure, and the sight before him made him stop in his tracks.
Ahead lay no longer an empty pipework area, but a relatively "crowded" space. Countless metal boxes and cabinets of varying sizes, broken shelves, and the wreckage of all sorts of oddly shaped mechanical equipment were piled up like mountains, forming a complex area of ruins. These wreckages were covered with a thick layer of dust, but their original purpose was still faintly discernible—this place seemed to be a huge supply warehouse or workshop area.
According to the sentinels' scans and whispered confirmations, the relatively stable energy source is located deep within these ruins!
Lin Ye cautiously stepped into the ruins. His feet crunched over the soft dust and tiny metal fragments. The air seemed even more stifling, and the stench of decay grew stronger.
Guided by his energy senses, he navigated through a jungle of abandoned equipment and shelving. Finally, after pushing aside a tilted container filled with some kind of black granular substance, he saw his target—
It was an oval-shaped metal capsule, about the height of a person, half-buried among other debris. The surface of the capsule was covered in dust, but some blurry markings and interfaces could still be vaguely seen. On the side of the capsule, there was a small observation window, from which a soft, steady milky-white light was emanating.
It's the energy signal it emits!
Lin Ye was overjoyed and was about to step forward to examine it more closely.
suddenly!
Click…click…click…
A soft, rhythmic sound, like the working of some kind of precision machinery, emanated from inside the oval-shaped metal cabin!
Immediately afterward, under Lin Ye's vigilant gaze, the smooth shell on the side of the metal cabin suddenly and silently slid open a crack! A slender structure, like a mechanical arm, with a red dot flashing at its tip, slowly emerged from the crack and precisely aimed at Lin Ye!
A cold, synthesized electronic voice, seemingly distinct from that of the sentinel, emanated from the cabin, remarkably clear amidst the deathly silence of the ruins:
"Unknown life form detected approaching... Scanning... Identity unidentifiable... Unauthorized unit..."
"In accordance with Article Zero of the security agreement...defensive deterrence is activated."
The red dot at the tip of the robotic arm suddenly flashed with a dangerous light!
Chapter 536 The Hibernating Engineers and Energy Trading
In the darkness, the sudden flash of red light, like the eye of a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, was cold, precise, and filled with undisguised hostility, instantly locking onto Lin Ye. The dust in the air seemed to freeze in that instant. Then, a cold, emotionless electronic voice rang out, each word like a shard of ice hitting the ground, the phrase "defensive deterrence" clearly defining the bottom line... one more step, and the attack would follow.
Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat, his adrenaline surged, but the instincts honed through years of danger suppressed any rash reaction. He immediately stopped, quickly raising his hands, palms outstretched, indicating he was unarmed and had no intention of attacking. Use the high-frequency cutting blade? The thought flashed through his mind but was immediately dismissed. The fact that his opponent could activate and lock on without his knowledge meant they must have something to rely on; acting rashly would only worsen the situation.
"I meant no harm," Lin Ye said in a deep voice, his words echoing through the empty wreckage. His gaze, like a highly precise scanner, quickly and meticulously examined the oval-shaped metal hull. Its streamlined design and various subtly visible, intricate interfaces made it resemble more of a high-level life support pod or mobile workstation than a combat unit. "I was just passing by. I detected an unusual energy signal here and came to investigate."