manynovel Page 257
Page 257
Sizzle—! Crack—!
The purple light and blue-white energy collided violently, producing a sickening electrical noise. A stronger burnt smell filled the air, along with an indescribable mental pollution that felt like countless people whispering and roaring in one's ear, making one feel irritable and restless.
"How...how did it suddenly become so ferocious?!" Li Sha barely managed to stand by holding onto a cold crystal pillar beside her, her face pale and her voice trembling with fear.
Lin Ye's eyes sharpened as he stared intently at the struggling purple light, a terrifying thought flashing through his mind. "It's a signal! That location signal!" he gritted his teeth and said, "The signal this thing emitted before it was sealed not only attracted the enemies outside, but it's very likely... it also activated itself! Or, it might be one with that 'higher-level will' outside, working together from the inside!"
It's like a trapped wild beast hearing the call of its own kind, becoming even more frenzied and aggressive!
[Analysis supports this hypothesis.] The whispering sounds were intermittent due to interference. [The activity of the anomalous structure is positively correlated with the received energy feedback from a specific external frequency band. Maintaining the current seal stability requires an additional 1.5% of the energy reserve, and the state is extremely unstable.]
Energy reserves plummeted like a floodgate had been opened, 17.8%...17.5%... At this rate, let alone sustaining a seventy-hour flight, even surviving the next hour was questionable! Once the internal seal was breached, they would immediately face a direct attack from this bizarre virus, with unimaginable consequences!
"The seal must be reinforced!" Without hesitation, Lin Ye rushed towards the central query platform again. He knew his condition was extremely poor; the aftereffects of excessive mental exertion were far from recovered, and forcibly guiding the fragmented power again would be tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst. But he had no choice!
"Lin Ye! Your body..." Li Sha's heart clenched when she saw his pale face and unsteady steps.
"I can't worry about that anymore!" Lin Ye roared, his right hand slamming heavily onto the energy interface. The familiar, nauseating sensation of consciousness being stripped away instantly washed over him, even more intense than before, as if countless hands were tearing at his soul. His vision blurred, and he heard endless buzzing and illusory roars in his ears.
On that invisible battlefield of data and energy, he saw the purple core, originally bound by blue chains, expand to a new size. Countless tendrils of purple code extended from its surface, frantically assaulting and corroding the barrier formed by the runes of order. The barrier was already covered with fine cracks, from which strands of purple malice seeped.
"Go back!" Lin Ye gathered all his will and communicated with the dormant fragment within his body. This time, the fragment seemed to sense the immense pressure from the outside world and the threat from its own source (or level), and instead of responding passively, it actively released a scorching power.
boom!
A far purer and more refined force of order, mixed with the immense computing power injected by the Sentinels, surged into the data battlefield like a tsunami. The new order runes were no longer chains, but transformed into sharp swords gleaming with white light, precisely slashing at the rampaging purple tentacles while simultaneously welding together the cracks in the barrier.
The purple core emitted a silent shriek, struggling even more violently. The two sides engaged in the most direct and savage struggle at the data level. Each collision consumed enormous amounts of energy and further strained Lin Ye's already fragile spirit.
In the real world, Lin Ye's body trembled violently, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. Li Sha was horrified, but dared not approach him, and could only clench her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms.
Sparks flew from the Sentinel's massive body, as maintaining such a high intensity of energy output and computing power put a tremendous strain on it.
Time ticked by in agonizing seconds. The energy reserves eventually stabilized at 16.1%, the rate of decline slowing, but the purple light in the sealed area continued to flicker stubbornly, creating a stalemate with the blue and white energy.
Just as Lin Ye felt his consciousness was about to completely collapse, the violent purple light, like a ferocious beast forcibly pressed back into its cage, let out an unwilling, twisted hiss before suddenly contracting and being suppressed back into the depths of its core, leaving only a faint and ominous pulse.
The cracks in the barrier were temporarily repaired, but the repaired areas were dark in color, and the structure had clearly become more fragile.
[The abnormal structure's activity has been forcibly suppressed, temporarily restoring stability.] The whispered voice carried a hint of weariness. [However, the sealing structure has been damaged. Maintaining the current stable state requires an additional 1.2% of energy. Warning: This abnormal structure exhibits extremely high adaptability and learning ability; the next impact may be more violent and the interval may be shorter.]
Lin Ye abruptly withdrew his hand from the query platform, staggered back a few steps, and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. He felt as if his brain had been ground down by a grinding wheel, the pain was unbearable, his vision was blurred, and he could barely stand.
"Lin Ye!" Li Sha rushed forward to support him, her voice trembling with tears, "How are you?"
"I...I'm not dead yet." Lin Ye gasped for breath, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible. "How much energy...is left?"
“16.1%,” the Sentinel replied, its optical sensors also dimming considerably. “Furthermore, due to the intense energy confrontation and maintaining the enhanced seal, the energy consumption rate is about 12% higher than the predicted model.”
To make matters worse!
The internal problems were not only not resolved, but the beast had become a gluttonous monster that needed to be fed more and more energy to be barely contained! And they didn't even have enough energy to get to their destination!
"Can...can we still leave?" Li Sha's voice was filled with despair. The enemy hadn't even arrived yet, and the bomb in her own house was about to explode.
Lin Ye wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, forced himself to stand up straight, looked at the path leading to "Eden" on the star map, and then looked at the energy readings and the sealed point in the historical log area, which, although suppressed, was still unsettling.
Leave? There's not enough energy, the internal situation is unstable, and we might be tracked along the way.
Stay? It's like sitting and waiting to die; the enemy will come knocking sooner or later, and the internal bomb could explode at any moment.
It seems that no matter which option you choose, it's a dead end.
But the unwavering determination in Lin Ye's eyes never faded; instead, it burned even more fiercely in this desperate situation. He took a deep breath, suppressing the metallic taste in his throat, and said resolutely, "Go! We must go!"
He looked at Lisa and the sentry, his tone quick and resolute: "Staying here is certain death! Charging out offers at least a sliver of hope! If we don't have enough energy, we'll find it along the way! This thing inside is unstable, so we'll try to find a solution before it explodes again, or... gamble that we can find 'Eden' first!"
He pointed to the star map: "Sentinel, recalculate! With our current 16.1% energy, considering the extra consumption of that thing inside and the higher base energy consumption, how far can we go by taking the most energy-efficient route? Are there any nearby places where we might be able to find supplies?"
The sentinel's eyes flashed rapidly as the star map zoomed in and out, marking key information. "Recalculation complete. Under current conditions, the maximum range is approximately... 71 standard hours. Unable to reach the originally planned 'KS-734 wreckage group.' However, along the flight path, there is a weak signal source, numbered T-9, not recorded in detail in the database, approximately 58 standard hours away from the current location. Signal signature analysis... suspected to be a small outpost or the wreckage of an independent spacecraft; there is an extremely low probability of finding usable supplies."
58 hours! An unknown signal source, which may provide supplies or may turn out to be a false alarm!
This was almost a high-stakes gamble with lives at stake. They were gambling that they could find supplies before their energy ran out, that the virus inside wouldn't break out prematurely, and that the pursuers outside wouldn't intercept them along the way.
"Let's go there!" Lin Ye said without hesitation. "Set off immediately! Minimize the power consumption of all systems that are not essential to operation, prioritizing the thrusters, basic life support, and... sealing that thing inside!"
"Command confirmed. Flight path corrected to T-9 signal source. Database final departure procedure initiated. Countdown: 3 minutes." The sentry responded in a deep voice, his massive body turning to the main control console to begin executing a series of complex commands.
The deep, powerful hum of engines echoed once more within the hall, but the sound was more strained than before, like the unwilling roar of a severely wounded beast. The entire database slowly adjusted its course, heading towards the newly marked, almost invisible T-9 signal source on the star map, beginning this uncertain and perilous escape.
Lin Ye leaned against Li Sha, gazing at the cold, desolate star ruins rushing past the observation window, feeling the faint warmth emanating from the fragments within his body and the stabbing pain deep within his brain.
Beset by internal and external troubles, energy depletion, and surrounded by powerful enemies.
But his eyes remained as sharp as a steel blade that had been tempered.
"Trying to kill me... isn't that easy!"
[WARNING: Hyperspace sensors have detected an unidentified spatial disturbance approximately 1.2 light-years behind us! Feature matching... 87% similarity to the energy signature of the previously encountered 'Hunter'!]
The whispered alarm, like the tolling of the final judgment bell, exploded in his mind.
They were caught up with after all!
Chapter 542 Death Chase
The whispered alarm was like a bucket of ice water poured over Lin Ye's head, instantly clearing his mind, which had been clouded by overexertion. The chill spread along his spine to every part of his body, even making his fingertips feel slightly numb.
"Pursuers?! So fast?!" Li Sha also heard the warning whispered directly to the two of them. Her hand holding Lin Ye tightened suddenly, the last bit of color draining from her face. Her voice trembled with extreme fear, tinged with a sob, "We...we just got rid of them, didn't we?"
"Sentry! Signal confirmed! Number, type, and speed of the enemy? Estimated contact time?" Lin Ye suppressed his surging blood and the stabbing pain deep in his mind, issuing the orders at lightning speed. His voice was hoarse, yet it carried a cold composure that had settled upon him after being pushed to the brink. Especially in situations like this, he couldn't afford to panic!
The sensor lights on the sentinel's head flashed wildly at an unprecedented frequency, clearly mobilizing all resources for detection and calculation. "Hyperspace disturbance signal confirmed! Target is one... no, three independent signals! Rapidly exiting hyperspace travel mode! Energy signature highly matches the 'Void Predator' class high-speed detection ship recorded in the database! Based on its exit speed and current relative vector calculation... estimated earliest contact time: 45 minutes in standard time units!"
“Three! Void Predators!” Li Sha gasped, just hearing the name was enough to feel the chilling intent to kill. 45 minutes! They hadn’t even seen the distant, hopeless T-9 signal source! Despair, like cold vines, once again coiled around her heart.
"Can we speed up? Or change course to avoid it?" Lin Ye asked urgently, his eyes fixed on the thin, winding line on the star map that led to the T-9.
"The database is currently in a state where acceleration beyond the design limits is not possible. Change course to evade..." The sentry paused for half a second, seemingly simulating calculations, "...recalculating the path and consuming additional energy for maneuvering will delay the arrival time at the T-9 signal source by approximately 15 standard hours, and there is no guarantee that we can completely shake off the tracking. The other side clearly possesses more advanced sensing and tracking technology."
The sentry's answer shattered any thought of taking shortcuts. The disparity in raw power was starkly evident at that moment. They were piloting a heavily damaged, energy-depleted ancient database, cumbersome and slow, while their adversary was a high-speed warship specializing in tracking and hunting, like a shark smelling blood.
"What about the defense system? If we get caught, how long can we hold out?" Lin Ye asked this most brutal, yet unavoidable, question. He needed to know the worst-case scenario.
"Based on the known weapon configuration of the 'Void Predator' class and the current defense status simulation in the database..." The sentry's voice was flat, but the numbers he reported sent chills down one's spine, "...If targeted by all three forces simultaneously... the maximum withstand time... is estimated to be no more than 5 minutes in standard time units."
"Five minutes?!" Li Sha exclaimed in shock, her body trembling slightly. This was even shorter than the eight minutes they had previously assessed for resisting a large-scale attack! This couldn't even be called resistance; it was merely a death throes! They couldn't even mount a proper counterattack!
Despair, like an icy tide, engulfed them once more. Pursuers as swift as the wind were behind them; the road ahead was long and hopeless; and a bomb lurked within their ranks, ready to explode at any moment. What to do? What should they do?
Li Sha looked at Lin Ye, her eyes filled with helplessness and fear, as if he were the only piece of driftwood in this sea of despair. "Lin Ye... what... what do we do? Surrender... or..."
"Surrender?" Lin Ye suddenly looked at her, his eyes sharp as knives. "Don't even think about it! The 'higher level will' behind it is likely targeting the fragments or the database itself! Surrendering is tantamount to courting death, and might even lead to a fate worse than death!"
"Then... a fight to the death?" Li Sha's voice trembled.
"Five minutes? That's suicide, not a fight to the death," Lin Ye's voice was icy. His brain was working at an unprecedented speed, analyzing every possible option and assessing every glimmer of hope. The only way out seemed to be finding the T-9 signal source before being caught and obtaining enough supplies to turn the tide, or... some other turning point. But a 58-hour flight, and the enemy would arrive in 45 minutes! The time difference was too great!
Wait! Time difference!
A fierce glint flashed in Lin Ye's eyes, like a trapped beast baring its fangs. "Sentinel! If we disregard everything and send all non-critical energy, including... including temporarily reducing the energy supply to the internal seal, to the propulsion system for overload acceleration, how quickly can we reach the T-9 signal source?"
Upon hearing this, both Lisa and the Sentinel fell into a brief silence.
Reduce the energy supply to the internal seal? What does that mean? Li Sha was the first to react, her face turning deathly pale: "Lin Ye! You're crazy! That's too dangerous! What if the things inside escape..." She couldn't imagine the scene. With pursuers in front and traitors behind, it would be a true case of being attacked from both sides, with no chance of survival!
“I know it’s dangerous!” Lin Ye interrupted her, his eyes unwavering, even sharper. “But this is the only way we can buy time! If we get caught, we won’t last five minutes! We’ll all die! Let’s take a gamble and get to T-9 ahead of time. Maybe we’ll have a sliver of hope! Sentinel, calculate! I need the exact numbers!”
The sentry paused for a moment, its red optical sensor scanning Lin Ye's resolute face, seemingly weighing all the variables. "The plan is feasible. Reducing the internal seal's energy supply to 80% of the minimum required for stability and lowering the life support system's power consumption to the survival threshold allows 92% of the remaining usable energy to be temporarily transferred to the propulsion system. It is estimated that... the time to reach the T-9 signal source can be shortened to 49 standard hours."
49 hours! That's still much longer than 45 minutes! The time difference still exists!
"Not enough! Still not enough!" Lin Ye roared, veins bulging on his forehead, his fists clenched so tightly his nails almost dug into his flesh. The immense pressure and mental exhaustion pushed him to the brink of collapse, but he forced himself to think. "What other way? Any way! No matter how dangerous!"
[...suggestion.] The whispered voice echoed in his mind again, carrying a pure calm that transcended emotion: [We can utilize the structural characteristics of the database itself.]
"Speak!" Lin Ye responded immediately, as if grasping at the last straw.
[The database's external armor has structural damage at the junction of the third and fourth quadrants on the port side. During the previous internal data confrontation, the corresponding area in that region also experienced energy leakage. If… a 'controllable' energy leakage explosion were created here, the resulting reverse shock force could greatly increase acceleration for a short period.] Whisper proposed a seemingly insane solution.
Self-harm! Gaining thrust by intentionally causing damage!
"This...this will further damage the database! And if not controlled properly, it could directly lead to structural collapse!" Li Sha exclaimed. As an engineer, she was all too aware of the enormous risks and uncontrollability of such an operation. This was practically robbing Peter to pay Paul, and robbing a load-bearing wall at that!
"But this is currently the only method that can significantly shorten the time!" Lin Ye stared intently at the sentry, as if trying to find the answer. "What is the success rate? How much time can it shorten exactly? I need precise data!"
The sentinel was calculating rapidly, with the subtle hum of high-speed components emanating from within. "Simulation calculation... Considering the current structural strength, energy pipeline distribution, and explosion yield control accuracy... success rate 67.4%. If the operation is successful, it is expected to generate a powerful boost lasting approximately 3 standard minutes, reducing the time to reach the T-9 signal source... to 41 standard hours."
41 hours! Although still far longer than the 45-minute (0.75-hour) contact time with the pursuers, at least... it shortens the time by 8 hours! These 8 hours could be the difference between life and death! Moreover, this plan has another hidden benefit—creating an explosion and energy leakage might interfere with the pursuers' sensors to some extent, buying them a few extremely precious, undetected minutes?
This is no longer walking a tightrope, but dancing on the edge of a knife, risking everything, including this database ark and their own lives!
Lin Ye took a deep breath. The air was filled with the smell of burning and cold metal, as if it carried the scent of rust. He looked at the pale-faced Li Sha, then at the silent sentry standing there, his eyes filled with a resolute determination, a do-or-die attitude with no way out.
“There is no other choice. Execute this plan!” He spoke each word clearly, his voice low but carrying an undeniable force. “Sentinel, immediately begin calculating the optimal explosive yield and detonation point to ensure it is ‘controllable’! Lisa, prepare your tools and the energy cores you’ve found. Once we reach the T-9 signal source, we may not have much time to search slowly. We must swarm like locusts and quickly acquire anything that might be useful! Even a half-used energy bar, or a piece of armor plate that can be detached to be used as a shield!”
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the dilapidated hall before finally settling on Li Sha's worried face. His tone held an almost cruel calm as he added, "At the same time… prepare for the worst. If… if we ultimately cannot escape, before being captured, I will try… to completely destroy the fragments and the database core." He patted his chest, where the fragment of the "Key of Creation" lay hidden. "I will not leave it to the enemy, nor will I allow ourselves to become their pawn."
To perish together! This is the last resort, and also the most resolute form of resistance.
Li Sha's body trembled violently. Looking into Lin Ye's eyes, which held a resolute determination as firm as a rock and a chilling coldness, she knew he wasn't joking. After the immense fear subsided, a strange courage, infected by this resolute resolve, welled up from the depths of her heart. She forcefully wiped her face, forcing back the tears from her eyes, and nodded heavily. Her voice, though still trembling, was equally firm: "I understand. We live together, we die together…!"
"Command confirmed." The sentry's voice remained cold, but his execution efficiency was extremely high. "Initiating calculation of explosive yield and detonation point. Personnel cleared from the third and fourth quadrants on the port side. Energy reallocation in progress... Internal seal energy supply reduced to 80%... Life support system power consumption reduced to the survival threshold... Propulsion system energy input increased to 92%... Ready."
The main thruster nozzles at the tail of the database suddenly became brighter, and the eerie blue plasma tail flames stretched and became unstable, propelling the behemoth into a violently trembling, unstable acceleration. At the same time, the outer armor plate in a certain area on the port side slowly opened under the operation of the robotic arm, revealing the complex and damaged energy pipes inside, which occasionally crackled with electric arcs, like a wound about to fester.
"Detonation countdown: 10, 9, 8..."
Lin Ye gripped a cold, rune-covered metal pillar tightly beside him, his knuckles turning white from the force. Li Sha also clung tightly to another structural pillar, closing her eyes and awaiting her fate.
"...3, 2, 1! Detonate!"
boom! ! !
A muffled, massive explosion, seemingly emanating from the very depths of the database, suddenly erupted! The entire database shuddered violently, even experiencing a brief, heart-stopping tilt! Outside the observation window, a dazzling burst of light, a mixture of energy and metal fragments, exploded on the port side, like a flower of death blooming in the starry sky!
Immediately afterwards, a powerful, almost savage thrust came from the side, slamming Lin Ye and Li Sha against the fixed object like rag dolls! The database speed soared to a dangerous level in just a few seconds, and the outer armor emitted a teeth-grinding groan, as if it were about to disintegrate at any moment! Countless tiny fragments fell from the ceiling.
[Boost successful! Acceleration exceeded expectations by 12%! Estimated arrival time at T-9 signal source: 40 standard hours!] The sentry's report rang out amidst the aftershocks of the explosion.
But bad news followed!
[Warning! Due to reduced energy supply and the impact of the recent explosion, the stability of the internal seal has dropped to 87%! The activity of the abnormal structure has begun to recover! It has been detected that it is accelerating the decomposition of the remaining seal!] The whispered alarm pierced Lin Ye's mind sharply.
[Warning! The pursuers have completely escaped hyperspace! This database has been locked! Extremely fast! Estimated contact time revised: 38 minutes!] The sentinel also transmitted the latest tracking information.