The flames of war at the edge of the Kuiper Belt and the ancient pressure of Titan seemed to become distant background music.
The Ark was like a silver shuttle sliding into ink. Under the precise control of robots, it followed the encrypted star map coordinates provided by the Titans and silently shuttled through a desolate star field obscured by high-density stardust and abnormal gravitational fields.
This place is far away from the main shipping routes, and even the starlight seems thin and distorted, like a forgotten corner of the universe.
"Entering the outer star field of the test area, the spatial curvature is abnormal and gravitational turbulence is frequent. It is recommended to switch to low-power coasting to avoid active scanning."
The robot's cold electronic voice echoed across the bridge.
On the main screen, the light band representing Vitrum's regular patrol route flickered in the distant periphery, while they were going deeper along an extremely hidden gravitational undercurrent that meandered like a biological blood vessel.
Mark stood at the bow, his golden-red pupils penetrating the ship's armor, scanning the dead silence like an invisible probe.
What the super-perception captured was not only the dangerous physical environment, but also an indescribable smell in the air, a mixture of the unique rusty smell of Vitrum's energy, the stench of organic decay, and a kind of... cold, sticky spiritual whisper with endless hunger and malice.
This whisper is like a maggot attached to the bone, trying to drill into the depths of the mind and evoke the most primitive fear.
It's the residual pollution of the Old Ones!
"Damn... this place smells worse than my stinky socks!"
Rudy was wearing a special filter mask, but he still couldn't help retching. He hugged his bomb backpack tightly, as if it was his only comfort.
Atomic Eve's face was pale. Her physical perception was particularly sensitive to energy and mental pollution, and she was currently trying hard to suppress feelings of nausea and dizziness.
"It's not just the smell... I feel... this space itself hates living things. It's rejecting us."
"Titan's warning was not empty." The robot called up the environmental scan data.
"High concentrations of entropy-increasing pollution and non-Euclidean geometric distortions have been detected in the space background radiation, which are typical characteristics of areas where the Old Ones are active."
"Vitrum's establishment of an experimental area here is tantamount to building a cardboard house on a boiling pool of venom."
"It's right down there." Mark's voice was low and cold, with the certainty of a hunter locking onto his prey.
His super perception penetrated layers of stardust and distorted space, locking onto the gray planet that had been forcibly transformed and looked like a giant metal tumor.
The surface of the planet was covered with honeycomb-shaped alloy structures, but those structures were covered with dark purple substances that looked like living moss or blood vessels and were pulsating!
Countless energy channels lead to the depths of the earth like twisted blood vessels, but the energy flowing through them also has a disturbing dark purple color.
In the planet's orbit, several frigates floated lifelessly like dead whales.
There is the experimental area!
"The scans show that the planetary defense system has periodic energy troughs, which is consistent with the data provided by Titan."
Robotic precision reporting.
"The trough lasts 17.3 seconds. The Ark can use this window to conduct a low-altitude incursion. Target: the entrance to the main ventilation duct in the experimental area."
"This pipeline leads directly to the core laboratory and is relatively weakly defended. The outer guard's life signal... has been confirmed to be silent."
"17 seconds... enough!" Atomic Eve took a deep breath.
"My babies can't wait!" Rudy rubbed his hands together.
"Action." Mark said concisely.
He no longer held his breath, his muscles slightly tensed, like a cheetah ready to pounce, and his spirit was like a rock, forcibly isolating himself from the intrusion of the old whispers.
The Ark cut into the shadow of the planet like a ghost, relying on the planet's gravity to glide, when the defense system's energy reached a low point!
"Now!" the robot commanded.
The Ark suddenly accelerated, like a black lightning tearing through the night sky, diving towards a huge alloy pipe on the surface of the planet that was constantly inhaling and exhaling dirty gas!
At the same time, Atomic Eve pressed her hands lightly, and the invisible material reorganization force field instantly acted on the edge of the pipe mouth, forming a visual and energy shielding layer!
call out--!
The Ark accurately sank into the huge pipe entrance, causing almost no ripples, and the shielding layer quickly healed.
Inside the pipe is a huge space that is dark, damp, and filled with pungent chemicals and a strong smell of corruption.
Thick energy cables and transmission pipes were coiled around the metal walls like giant pythons. A low, irregular mechanical hum could be heard in the distance, but there was no sound of guards' footsteps.
"The scan shows no life signals inside the pipeline. The defense system is in low-power standby mode. The path is clear."
Robot Report.
Mark and the other two stepped out of the spaceship, and Eve and Rudy turned on the low-light mode of the tactical eyepieces.
"It's too quiet..." Rudy muttered, tightening his grip on the straps of his bomb backpack nervously.
"The pollution concentration... is ridiculously high." Eve's face turned even paler. Her material perception was like being stuck in a quagmire.
Mark didn't speak, his golden-red pupils scanning the darkness.
What the super perception captured was no longer clear individuals, but the malice and hunger that permeated the entire space and attached to the metal pipes and walls like a thick and sticky fog!
This malice does not come from a certain source, but is everywhere!
It was as if the entire space itself was a huge living creature full of malice!
"Something's not right…"