Garbled code! Garbled code! Everything was garbled.
Just like the records he had left behind.
Which meant...
Zhou Tianming quickly stopped that train of thought.
He waited quietly for a moment, but no attack came.
However, his expression remained grim. This indicated the second scenario—passive triggering.
In other words, without a defense mechanism, he would never be able to remember the other party's information.
Staring at the screen filled with garbled text, he took out the tape he had been carrying on his belt.
He had previously discovered that this tape was entirely made of [Psycommu Alloy].
But considering that the Black Tortoise hadn't been repaired, if any issues arose after using it, there would be nowhere to escape. Thus, he had never attempted to interact with it using his Mental Power. Now, seeing the distorted garbled code on the screen and the protective measures for the tape, he was almost certain that this tape was one of the research institute's achievements.
What exactly was it?
Zhou Tianming began typing on the keyboard to search through the computer's contents.
He soon found information that remained intact amidst the garbled code.
Among it was an account of the discovery of [Psycommu Alloy]. It seemed they had been subjected to even stronger, more direct mental attacks. From the description, Zhou Tianming felt as if their Mental Power had been drained.
To counter these attacks, they developed two types of [Psycommu Liquid/Solid Alloy] to create helmets that could defend against mental assaults. His eyes lit up, but he didn't rush to look into the helmets. Instead, he continued reading.
One record mentioned the person behind the mental attacks, but it wasn't garbled, meaning it was written by someone else.
"That vile woman has gone mad! She wants to drag us down with her. She actually cloned an army using her own body and the genetic samples of her lover, calling it 'protecting the world.' She's insane! What did we do wrong? Nothing!"
Reading this, Zhou Tianming was puzzled.
Was there such a plotline in the Gundam SEED world?
He mentally reviewed the entire storyline from beginning to end.
The only instance of cloning was the Copy People from the library. Could it be them?
But they didn't seem to possess any mental attack abilities.
He continued reading.
"She's a witch—an immortal witch! Gone, all gone!"
Large sections of familiar garbled code appeared in the information.
So, this woman was the enemy?
But Zhou Tianming quickly dismissed that idea because the descriptions about her weren't distorted, meaning she wasn't the one responsible for the garbled information.
Further down, there was more legible content:
"We captured one of her clones. After repeated research, we imprinted her mind onto Mental Alloy. We succeeded!" The passage was followed by extensive research data, much of it gruesome.
This group had gone to extreme lengths to imprint her Mindpower—Mindpower extraction, personality disintegration, brain transfer, neural synapse implantation... It sent chills down Zhou Tianming's spine.
These human experimentation methods immediately reminded him of the Newtypes from the UC universe.
Was this woman a Newtype?
Yet, as if there were some taboo, the records never included a clear photo of her face or her name.
Was it because of psychic attacks?
Knowing someone's appearance and name could make you a target—such abilities weren't unheard of among psychics.
Glancing at the floating corpses around him, Zhou Tianming couldn't bring himself to judge.
"Don't preach kindness without enduring others' suffering."
But these people's methods were vile—they deserved their fate.
With that thought, any guilt Zhou Tianming felt about taking their research vanished, replaced by cold justification.
After browsing for a long time, he found nothing particularly shocking in the remaining documents—just routine research reports. Among them were the formula for Psycommu Alloy and blueprints for a Mindpower-resistant helmet.
Looking at the rare metals listed in the synthetic materials, some of which he'd never even heard of, he realized he'd need to consult a specialized mining or metal materials company once he returned.
Next, he attempted to decode the garbled sections, trying every combination, splicing, and conversion method he knew.
All attempts failed, but he noticed something odd.
No matter what he did, the garbled data refused to yield any coherent information.
Normally, even scrambled or corrupted data could produce some fragmented meaning after reconstruction—even if nonsensical.
But this was different. It was as if the fundamental ability to convey information had been obliterated. Despite the massive volume, not a single valid word could be pieced together. The more he worked on it, the more unsettling it felt.
For the next week, while Natarle and White Rabbit handled repairs on the Black Tortoise, Zhou Tianming buried himself in the Satellite's Data Center, searching for more clues. Unfortunately, little was useful, and there was no information about the Satellite's origins.
The records were riddled with gaps and abrupt cuts.
If it was intentional deletion, the sheer number of blanks made it seem more efficient to just wipe everything.
If unintentional, then why were all the valuable contents meticulously erased, leaving only trivial details? The Satellite wreck was steeped in mystery and strangeness.
After extensive repairs, the Black Tortoise was finally mobile again.
Using the Satellite's structural blueprints, Zhou Tianming dug a massive hole beneath the underground warehouse, tearing open its floor.
This saved them the trouble of hauling materials—the alloy was simply pushed down from above, landing smoothly in the Black Tortoise's patched-up storage hold.
With all possible tasks completed—repeated checks, crafting replacement parts, stocking up on backup materials—the two agreed there was no reason to delay further. It was time to return.
The accident had cost them nearly a month. Fortunately, their food supplies were ample, and with only two mouths to feed, disaster was averted. Still, given the Black Tortoise's post-repair speed, they had to carefully ration their daily food and water.
At sea, you could fish. But in Cosmic Space? What were they supposed to eat—aliens?
Three days later, the Black Tortoise had traveled far from the Satellite, now just an insignificant speck against the Cosmic backdrop.
Black Tortoise – Bridge
Natarle bit her lip, her face etched with worry. "You've made your decision?"
"Mm." Zhou Tianming nodded, holding the mysterious tape in his hand. "With this, there won't be any problems."
"But—"
Stepping forward, Zhou Tianming pulled Natarle into an embrace and kissed her.
The two shared a deep kiss before finally parting.
"Trust me." Zhou Tianming flashed a radiant smile. "How could I bear to leave such a beauty like you behind?"
Blushing, Natarle lowered her head and leaned against Zhou Tianming's chest, giving his arm a sharp pinch. "Hurry back."
This adorable demeanor—utterly lovable.
Cupping Natarle's chin, Zhou Tianming kissed her again without hesitation.
Time passed... passed... passed...
Natarle suddenly pushed Zhou Tianming away, flustered and annoyed. "Are you going or not?!"
"Going, going." Embarrassed, he wiped his mouth and quickly ran off.
Wow, the ancients weren't lying—the gentle embrace is a hero's grave. I almost forgot the real task.
The Vermilion Bird, its body 80% repaired and patched with metallic hues, spread its wings and flew away from the Black Tortoise.
A day later, it returned to the satellite wreckage.
The discovery he made in the Consciousness Space a few days ago had given him an idea for leaving a message.
For Natarle's safety, he had waited a few days before returning alone to conduct the experiment.
After all, what he was about to do was essentially provoking the enemy repeatedly.
If his speculation was wrong, and the mental attack wasn't a passive ability, they might very well come knocking.
Why take such a risk?
Why not?
Images of Natarle—her smiles, her frowns, her every movement—flashed through his mind.
Zhou Tianming was brimming with confidence.
When you're fully prepared, death won't come knocking.
Right, Amuro?
At the highest point of the satellite wreckage, atop a tower that pierced the sky, the Vermilion Bird landed.
A white glow of Mental Power enveloped his entire body, like a pure white sun.
[Sense]—activated!
The gears on the tape began to turn, and the song started playing.
Zhou Tianming closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.
Then—his eyes snapped open!
SEED—unleashed!
His pupils contracted sharply, his gaze calm, icy, utterly lifeless.
Under the effect of [Analyze], Zhou Tianming began to think.