blogombal Page 247
Page 247
“We… have lost Vegeta and Trunks.” Lin Ye’s voice was low, with a barely perceptible tremor.
A longer silence fell on the other end of the communication line, broken only by the faint background noise of the instruments. After a long while, Night Owl's voice came through again, lower than before: "...I saw the final image data. This is...one of the worst possible outcomes based on logical judgment. But, Lord Lin Ye, we must look forward. Their sacrifice has created the possibility for our continuation."
“I understand.” Lin Ye clenched his fist, a warm sensation emanating from the fragment of the Key of Creation in his palm, as if responding to his resolve, or perhaps offering silent comfort. “Check the data you downloaded from the archives, see if there’s any usable information, any clues will do. Also, closely monitor the external environment, and report any anomalies immediately.”
“Understood. The data decryption process has been initiated, but the corresponding key is missing, so the decryption progress is slow and is expected to take…” Night Owl’s words suddenly paused, and his tone changed slightly, “Wait! External sensors have detected multiple low-energy signal sources approaching from the direction of the ‘Pioneer’ wreckage! Identify features… match the moth-like parasitic organisms in the database!”
Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately brought up the radar interface. Sure enough, behind the light representing their escape pod, several faint red dots were flashing relentlessly, slowly but steadily closing the distance. These damned things could actually use their physical bodies to pursue targets at short range in the vacuum of space?!
“They’re not moving fast, but their trajectories are stable, and they’re steadily approaching,” Night Owl added, his voice tinged with seriousness. “Based on the current relative speed, we expect to enter their potential attack range after 80 standard hours.”
"They're relentless!" Lin Ye frowned. In pursuit of lightweight design and survival rate, the escape pods lacked any weapon systems. If these creatures caught up with them and damaged the outer shell, they wouldn't last even a minute in the vacuum.
"Maintain the current course and conserve energy as much as possible. We must find a way to shake them off, or... find a place to hide or use." Lin Ye gave the order, his gaze once again turning to the unfamiliar starry sky outside the window.
The stars outside the window, their positions and brightness unlike any star map he remembered, were sparsely scattered, radiating a cold and eerie light, confirming that they had indeed fallen into an unknown space, possibly distorted by some force. Despair, like cold vines, quietly coiled around them.
He closed his eyes, focusing his mind on his body, trying to sense the fluctuations of the fragment in his palm. The fragment still radiated a reassuring warmth and faintly conveyed an extremely vague sense of direction, like a flickering candle in the wind, weak and intermittent, as if disturbed by some invisible force. And what it pointed to was not any distant star, but rather that eerie band of colorful light stretching across the distance, slowly writhing like a giant wound!
What exactly is there? Is it the way out of this desolate place? Or the entrance to a deeper hell? Is the "Eye of the Void," which was only glimpsed briefly outside the outpost and interfered with the teleportation, lurking behind that bizarre veil?
Time ticked by in a suffocating silence. The energy percentage slowly but steadily declined, and the life support system's countdown tolled like a death knell. On the radar screen, the red dots representing pursuers followed like a persistent, unhurried wound, displaying the hunter's characteristic patience.
Suppression, waiting, uncertainty... every emotion is draining what little energy we have left.
About twenty hours later, just when Lin Ye was almost driven crazy by the deathly silence, the internal communication channel lit up again, and Night Owl's voice came through, this time with a hint of barely concealed excitement!
"Lord Lin Ye! I have successfully deciphered part of the data packets! They contain some encrypted observation records, and... a very incomplete warning message!"
"What is the content?" Lin Ye's spirits lifted, and he immediately sat up straight, as if he had seen a glimmer of light in the darkness.
"The observation records mainly point to that anomalous gravitational source, which is the culprit that caused the 'Pioneer' to crash and trapped us here!" Night Owl's speech quickened. "The data shows that it is not a pure material entity, but more like a... relatively stable spatial rift! Or rather, an 'anchor' fixed here! The unique energy characteristics it emits highly overlap with the radiation records of the edge region of the 'Void Graveyard' in the database!"
Spatial rift? Void graveyard? Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat! This was directly related to the edge of the "Void Graveyard" where "Eden" was located, which they had learned from Gadino's information!
"Where is the warning message? Where did it come from?" Lin Ye pressed, sensing that this might be the key.
"The warning message's source is unknown, the signal format is unrecognizable, and the only signature is the codename—'Observer.'" Night Owl's voice carried a hint of confusion. "It's a fragmented broadcast that the 'Pioneer' accidentally intercepted before it completely lost contact. The content is very incomplete, but it mentions several key words... 'The void is not disorder, they are searching... for the key... return... Eden is not paradise, but a cage... beware... beware of the whispers from the graveyard...'"
A key? Return? A cage? Whispers?
These words, like cold shards of ice, struck Lin Ye's heart, bringing a chilling cold and a deeper fog of confusion. Gadino, the former creator god, saw "Eden" as the last ecological ark, the lost land of the right to life, a place of hope they must reach. But this mysterious "observer" directly points to "Eden" as a "cage"? What terrifying truth lies hidden behind these diametrically opposed assertions? Whose words are true? Or... are both part of the truth?
"Is there any other information? Is there any more specific data about that spatial rift?" Lin Ye suppressed the turmoil in his heart and continued to ask.
“It’s gone, the core data is too badly damaged. But there’s one crucial record about that spatial rift!” Night Owl’s tone became urgent again. “Its stability isn’t constant; it fluctuates periodically, and its energy decays at specific times, creating relatively weak ‘windows’! According to the residual calculation data from the ‘Pioneer’s’ main computer, they originally planned to use the next weak point to force a jump to escape, but clearly… they failed. And the next weak point is expected to appear after… 105 standard hours!”
105 standard hours! Lin Ye's gaze instantly locked onto the countdown timer on the life support system—less than 100 standard hours remaining! Time was hanging by a thread, almost a matter of life and death!
"Coordinates! Are the specific coordinates of the weak point recorded?" Lin Ye's voice rose with urgency.
“Yes! But it’s only a relative coordinate calculated based on the last known position of the ‘Pioneer’! We need to determine our exact location in this distorted space before we can calculate the specific route to the weak point!” Night Owl presented a harsh reality.
The problem seems to have returned to square one—they are like a lone boat lost on a vast ocean, without a compass or a nautical chart, how can they determine their location? How can they navigate?
In this desperate predicament, Lin Ye suddenly felt an unprecedented, clear, and intense throbbing from the fragment in his palm! No longer the vague direction of before, this time, the direction of the sensation was absolutely clear, like a beam of light raised in the darkness, pointing directly to the very center of that strange, colorful band of light!
At the same time, an extremely faint "voice," seemingly resounding directly from the depths of his mind, began to emerge faintly!
This is not any known language; it is more like a projection of pure emotion—confusion, longing, anxiety…and a faint…guidance?
Are the fragments guiding us to survival? Or... is it a trap laid by the terrifying "Eye of the Void"? Or perhaps, is this the "whisper" from the "Void Graveyard" that the "Observer" warned us about?
A chill ran down Lin Ye's spine, making his scalp tingle slightly. The unknown is always accompanied by the greatest fear.
But does he have a choice?
Staying put means running out of energy or being overtaken and torn apart by the parasitic creatures behind. Heading in the direction the fragments indicate might lead to an even more terrifying trap, but at least... there's a glimmer of hope to escape this desperate situation!
Take a gamble!
Lin Ye's eyes sharpened, and without further hesitation, his resolute voice came through the communication channel: "Night Owl, adjust your course and lock onto the new coordinates I shared with you! We'll head to the weak point of that rift!"
"You...you have a way to pinpoint the location?" Night Owl's voice was filled with surprise and disbelief.
"I suppose so, relying a bit... on intuition." Lin Ye didn't elaborate on the fragment's mysteries. He firmly gripped the control levers and began adjusting the escape pod's thruster angle. A faint trail of flame lit up in the void, tracing an elegant arc. The escape pod resolutely turned, accelerating towards the depths of the all-consuming, colorful band of light—the one guided by the fragment, the one from which the whispers echoed!
"Then... what about the pursuers behind us?" Night Owl looked at the signal point on the radar, which was also accelerating its approach.
"Ignore them!" Lin Ye's voice was resolute, filled with a do-or-die determination. "Full speed ahead! This is our only chance. We must get there before our energy runs out! Either break through, or... die!"
Two tiny escape pods, like moths drawn to a flame, spewed their last bit of power and rushed toward that unknown and dangerous, eerie realm of light, a place where hope and destruction intertwined.
Behind them, the shadow of death relentlessly pursued them.
Ahead lies the gate of fate, its outcome uncertain.
Their lives and deaths will depend on the fragile "window" of that spatial rift within 105 standard hours, and on whether the mysterious whispers lingering in Lin Ye's mind are a guide to salvation or a call to depravity.
Chapter 523 Whispers and Coordinates
Inside the escape pod, time seemed to be stuck in a thick, viscous darkness, each second dragging on endlessly. The only clear thing was the crimson countdown timer on the control panel, its cold, rapid beat like a drumbeat pounding on the heart. Outside the window, an eternal void stretched out, dotted with strange and eerie starlight, like watchful, cold eyes. Ahead, the approaching band of colored light, like the slowly opening throat of a colossal beast, exuded a chilling, ominous allure.
Lin Ye leaned back in the cold chair, his eyes closed, but his mind was as focused as a fully drawn bowstring. The fragment of the Key of Creation in his palm continued to radiate a steady warmth, like a solitary lamp in the dark night. The clear sense of direction was unwavering, firmly locking onto the central area of the colored light band. At the same time, the "whispers" echoing directly in his mind became clearer, no longer chaotic fragments of emotion, but gradually coalescing into a vague yet strangely rhythmic stream of thought.
[...the return...channel...key...]
[...obstruct...clear...approach...]
Time is running out...
The whisper was devoid of emotion; it was not an invitation, but rather a cold, procedural command, or rather… an unquestionable call from some being based on instinct.
"Who are you? What exactly is 'Eden'? And what does 'cage' mean?" Lin Ye tried to answer in his mind, voicing his questions.
There was no direct answer. The whisper stubbornly repeated those keywords, but the moment he uttered the question, the warmth of the fragments in his palm seemed to intensify slightly, as if some connection had been confirmed.
He took a deep breath of the cold air and connected to Night Owl's communication. His voice was hoarse from the long silence and tension: "Night Owl, the 'voice' in my head is clearer now, and I'm pretty sure it's related to the fragments. It's repeating the words 'return,' 'channel,' and 'key.' Have you made any new progress in the decryption? Especially regarding the 'key' and 'channel.'"
A weary but still focused voice came from the other end of the communicator: "Lord Lin Ye, data decryption is still in progress. We've just deciphered a small portion of the physical model of that spatial rift. It's confirmed that it's not a natural wormhole. The model shows obvious signs of human intervention in its internal structure, like a 'backdoor' that was forcibly opened and barely maintained."
"A human-made 'backdoor'?" Lin Ye immediately caught the key word. "Who opened it? What was their purpose?"
“The data is severely lacking, making it impossible to determine who opened it. The model shows that this ‘backdoor’ is extremely unstable, requiring a huge amount of energy to maintain, the source of which is unknown. The periodic weak points recorded by the ‘Pioneer’ seem more like brief ‘breathing periods’ caused by fluctuations in the energy supply of this unstable system.” Night Owl paused, his tone becoming more serious. “Furthermore, I’ve detected a significant increase in the pursuit speed of those parasitic creatures behind us. They seem… to be strongly attracted by some force from that area of light, or perhaps they are strictly following the ‘mastermind’s’ orders, doing everything in their power to prevent us from getting closer.”
Lin Ye's brows furrowed tightly. The situation was more complex and troublesome than he had anticipated. The path to survival indicated by the fragments was an extremely unstable artificial "backdoor," while the pursuers behind them were like hyenas that had smelled blood, drawing ever closer. They were now walking a tightrope over an abyss, with certain death beneath their feet and deadly threats from both sides.
"Based on our current speed and the direction indicated by the debris, recalculate the time it will take to reach the expected weak point coordinates," Lin Ye commanded, suppressing his distracting thoughts. Now was not the time to panic; he had to remain calm.
After a moment of silence, Night Owl's reply carried a heavy weight: "Calculation complete. If we strictly adhere to our current course and speed, and ignore any potential spatial disturbances in that area of light, we will arrive at the target coordinates approximately 3 standard hours remaining in our life support system. However, Lord Lin Ye, this is only the most ideal theoretical value. The gravitational field and spatial structure of that area are completely unknown. Once we enter its influence zone, the actual travel time will become extremely unpredictable. Moreover... the most critical problem is that our energy reserves may not be sufficient to sustain us until then."
When life support reaches level 3, will energy run out before life support systems can sustain them? This is practically a death race designed to be lost!
“There’s no other way.” Lin Ye’s voice deepened, but his eyes suddenly sharpened, like a drawn sword. “Night Owl, do the calculations. If we actively shut down all non-essential systems, including most life support functions, and prioritize the saved energy for the thrusters, can we maximize our effective range? What are the limits of our bodies?” He had to make a choice, a cruel one. Suffocating or freezing to death was far better than being torn apart by those parasites, or becoming an eternally floating coffin in this void.
Night Owl paused for about five seconds, clearly performing rapid simulations, before replying, "It can be executed. Shutting down the auxiliary life support systems and maintaining only the bare minimum oxygen supply and basic insulation can extend the full-power operation time of the thrusters by approximately 15 standard hours. However, the trade-off is that the cabin temperature will plummet to near freezing, and the oxygen concentration will drop to dangerous levels. You will need to rely entirely on your physical abilities to withstand it. Optimistically, under these extreme conditions, we might be able to reach the edge of the target area before the life support systems completely fail."
"Then let's do it!" Lin Ye said decisively without hesitation. "Implement the energy redistribution plan immediately! Let's take this gamble!"
"Understood! Energy redistribution procedure initiated... Warning, this operation is irreversible. The cabin environment will deteriorate rapidly within thirty seconds. Please be prepared to respond." Night Owl's voice also revealed a resolute determination.
Soon, Lin Ye felt an even more violent vibration coming from the escape pod beneath him, a sign that the thrusters were operating at their maximum power. At the same time, the already dim lights inside dimmed by half again, the faint sound of circulating air almost disappeared, and a bone-chilling cold seeped in like a tidal wave, instantly raising goosebumps on his exposed skin. He immediately and silently activated his internal energy circulation to resist the rapidly descending temperature, while simultaneously making his breathing longer and deeper to minimize oxygen consumption.
The whispers in his mind seemed to sense his resolute will to die, becoming slightly clearer and... "satisfied"?
[...correct...choose...to be near...]
[...obstacles...must...be removed...]
“Obstacles…” Lin Ye thought to himself, “Does it refer to those persistent parasites behind us, or… other things that might exist in the light band ahead?” He glanced at the radar screen, where the red dots representing the pursuers were still stubbornly flashing, and the distance seemed to have closed by a small grid compared to before.
"Night Owl, continue monitoring the pursuers' movements. Also, don't stop, keep trying to decipher the data, focusing on the 'Key to the Ark' and the 'Observer'! We need to know more, even just a few bits and pieces!" Lin Ye emphasized. Information is now a more precious resource than energy.
“Yes, Lord Lin Ye, I will continue to work hard,” Night Owl replied immediately.
Two tiny escape pods, like two lonely boats adrift on a dark, icy ocean, trailing faint trails of light, resolutely sailed into the depths of that all-consuming, bizarre, colorful realm of light. Inside, a rapidly descending, chilling cold and suffocatingly thin air filled the air; outside, the relentless shadow of death, radiating intense malice, loomed; and ahead lay the so-called "back door" and "passage," their fate uncertain, guided by mysterious whispers.
Lin Ye clenched his fists so tightly his nails almost dug into his palms, but the unwavering warmth emanating from the fragment of the Key of Creation became his only source of strength. He knew that every single second from this moment forward was a race against death. Beyond that seemingly finished, dazzling field of light, what awaited him and Night Owl—a new world of survival against all odds, or… eternal silence and annihilation?
Time crawled by in excruciating agony. Every minute felt incredibly long. The frigid temperature sluggished Lin Ye's thinking, forcing him to rely solely on circulating his energy and his unwavering willpower to stay conscious. On the radar, the red dot representing the pursuers flashed steadily, like a Damocles' sword hanging overhead.
After an unknown amount of time, just as Lin Ye felt he was about to reach his limit, Night Owl's voice broke the silence once again, this time with an uncontrollable excitement and urgency!
"Lord Lin Ye! I've made a discovery! I've successfully deciphered part of the encrypted data packet, which is a deeper analysis of that anomalous gravitational source, the spatial rift that's trapping us!"
Lin Ye snapped out of his daze and forcefully dispelled the drowsiness in his mind: "Get to the point!"
“The data shows that this artificial ‘backdoor’… is not only fluctuating, but it also seems to have a smaller, relatively stable signal source nested inside! The characteristics of this signal source… are highly similar to the data fragments about ‘Observer’ and ‘Eden’ that were desperately protected at the end of the ‘Pioneer’ logs!” Night Owl spoke rapidly.
"What do you mean?" Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat.
"That means, inside or near that 'back door,' there might be a more complete warning or message that the 'Pioneer' crew failed to send out! Or... something left behind by that so-called 'Observer'!" Night Owl's voice was filled with excitement at discovering a major clue. "Moreover, the coordinates of this hidden signal source are slightly off from the general direction indicated by the debris! If we rush directly to the weak point, we might miss it!"
Just then, the fragment in Lin Ye's palm suddenly emitted a strong, clearly corrective tremor! A whisper in his mind also rang out simultaneously:
[…corrected…course…deflected…7.3 degrees…acquired…information…key…]
The fragmented and deciphered data both point to a new, more precise target!
"Received! The fragment is also giving the same correction command!" Lin Ye responded immediately, without any doubt. "Night Owl, adjust your course immediately according to the new coordinates! We're heading to the location of this hidden signal source!"
"Understood! Recalculating the route... New coordinates have been entered... Heading adjustment in progress..." Night Owl executed the command without hesitation.
The exhaust plumes of the two escape pods deflected slightly, tracing elegant arcs against the dark backdrop as they accelerated toward a more precise, but potentially more dangerous, target.
"Energy situation?" Lin Ye asked, while trying to adapt to the slight overload brought on by the new flight path.
"The thrusters are operating at full power, and the energy reserves are decreasing slightly faster than expected. According to the new route, we expect to reach the hidden signal source in about 1.5 standard hours before the life support system completely fails." Night Owl reported an even more precarious figure.
1.5 standard hours! That's practically dancing on a knife's edge!
"That's enough! As long as we get there before we're completely exhausted!" Lin Ye gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on the ever-expanding, increasingly bizarrely colored nebula ahead. "I have a feeling that the information inside might be even more important than we think!"
He paused, his voice lowering, carrying a barely perceptible fluctuation: "I hope Vegeta and Trunks... their sacrifice will bring true value."
On the other end of the communication, Night Owl paused for a moment before answering firmly, "It will definitely happen, Lord Lin Ye."
Silence returned to the escape pod, broken only by the roar of the thrusters and the low hum of the instruments. The cold persisted, the oxygen was thin, but a new, determined spirit, fueled by a strong desire to explore, permeated the space between the two.
They are like moths drawn to a flame, knowing full well that what lies ahead might be self-destruction, yet they still go without hesitation. Because within that flame might lie the only key to illuminating the darkness and revealing the truth...
Chapter 524 The Edge of the Graveyard
The frigid temperature, like an invisible knife, relentlessly sliced away the remaining heat within the cabin, bringing a bone-chilling cold that seeped through the metal walls. Lin Ye's eyelashes and brows were already covered in fine frost, and each breath exhaled instantly condensed icy mist. The control screen in front of him appeared somewhat sluggish due to the low temperature. He gritted his teeth, desperately maintaining the rapid circulation of energy within his body to combat the freezing cold that could chill his blood, while simultaneously forcing himself to retain a sliver of mental clarity, carefully sensing the guidance emanating from the spiritual object in his palm and the continuous whispers in his mind.