"Watch your step, please," Arthur cautioned.
Hardly any animals could be seen on the land soaked in pollution, and the surviving plants had undergone extensive mutations. They swayed at the slightest sound, displaying colors far more garish than normal, while black pollutants seeped from the depths of the soil hidden beneath shadows and foliage. As if possessed by an inexhaustible vitality, every blade of grass and every tree manifested its uncontainable energy through excessively lush blooms.
The last time humans had visited this place, they had brought a certain amount of devouring-type weaponry to clear narrow paths. However, in the short time that had passed, the exposed ground had once again been reclaimed by the overgrowth.
"You’re quite skilled at this," Gela remarked. Every step he took felt like sinking into a deep velvet carpet, as flexible, climbing tendrils attempted to snag the traveler's feet.
*Stay.*
*Stay deep within this earth.*
Countless silent lips seemed to whisper, issuing a wordless invitation.
"The humans of Kamlan learned long ago how to coexist with pollution." The young man smiled as he stepped over a rapidly swaying vine, his movements light despite the heavy protective suit. "You should see Kim from the garrison; she’s the one who truly knows how to handle these things. The new generation of humans born in Kamlan learns how to deal with crawling xeno-pollution from the moment they open their eyes. Compared to them, I’m just a novice."
When the Hard-wing transport ship finally loomed before them, its actual size—vastly different from what they had seen via deep-space communication—made the male insect look up in awe. They stood atop a cluster of buildings, gazing at the outsider that lay in an abrupt, eternal slumber amidst these human ruins.
"It smashed through the ground," Sakti finally spoke, his gaze sweeping over the massive, crumbling breach. "It’s a miracle it didn't completely disintegrate."
"The ship was accompanied by intense combustion during its fall. The high temperatures melted a significant portion of the outer hull and destroyed its defensive weaponry." Arthur gestured for them to look at the sections still bearing traces of melting; deep marks remained to this day, still clearly discernible. "I’ve done a rough scout of the hull itself. There’s not much noteworthy information left. The central control system is destroyed, making it impossible to retrieve any relevant records. It’s long since become an empty shell."
"I’m going underground." The Core Species did not hesitate. His female-type body meant he no longer needed to avoid most of the world's lethal hazards; with the added 'buff' of pollution immunity, his durability had been pushed to an entirely new level. He had once fallen directly into a rift within the Great Sacrificial Grounds of the Pedipalp Tribe and climbed back out unscathed; the pollution and haze before him now were no different from a light mist.
"I’m coming with you." Gela was using an information linker to monitor the area. "It’s difficult to get an accurate scan, but the pollution index is still within tolerable limits. If there are any issues, I will return immediately."
Golden-brown eyes looked at him. For a moment, the male insect thought the other would refuse. But in the end, Sakti simply made a gesture. "Follow me, and follow my lead in everything. As for you—" He turned his head toward the human standing nearby.
"I’ll stay here," Arthur said smoothly, immediately stating his position. "Don't worry, I’m not that arrogant. Living a long, long life is quite important to me." He gestured toward the particle gun and the large-scale devouring weapon at his side. "We’ve brought enough equipment. There are no wild beasts on this planet, nor are there any fast-moving xenos. It’s quite safe here."
"I’ll give you six star-hours." The human adjusted his optical brain and began strictly verifying the settings. "Communication will be affected in areas where the light tide is present. If you haven't safely returned by the scheduled time, I will seek external rescue. Is that acceptable?"
"It is."
The young man was clever enough not to ask what they were looking for, nor did he show any curious desire to pry into their secrets. He possessed a natural, reassuring sense of boundaries.
"We’ll be back as soon as possible," Sakti promised.
Analyzing the mysteries carried by this body would no longer affect the direction of the Core Species' future path. But humans instinctively sought meaning. They pondered where they came from and where they were going, as if the origin and the destination were both indispensable.
The Hard-wing transport ship had smashed a massive hole through the unconventional entrance of the underground facility, which meant they couldn't find a proper path during the initial descent. The entire lower half of the ship was almost submerged beneath the ground, having gouged out deep cracks.
Sakti took this in stride. This female body was... truly wonderful. He strolled along the rubble and sliding soil as if taking a walk, not even needing to use his insect wings.
But his partner wasn't so lucky. A male insect's physical constitution couldn't compare to a female's, especially when the white insect was bundled in a thick, heavy protective suit. Sakti heard the other's faint panting, so he reached out to take Gela's hand, leading him forward.
It didn't matter if they didn't find answers. He treated this trip as a sightseeing tour; having adjusted his mindset, the Core Species' mental pressure had plummeted.
"I'm fine," Gela buzzed lowly. "If I'm going too slow, you can just carry me." He wasn't one to be stubbornly prideful in strange situations, clearly accepting the fact that he was slowing their progress.
"No need." Sakti smiled as he watched the other climb up and down. To fit both the tail and the wings inside, the humans had to find the largest size of protective suit for the male insect. Wearing such a thing made him look doubly comical. "If you get tired, just tell me. I’ll carry you on my back—give you a piggyback ride."
Gela: "..."
He still remembered the last so-called "ride." it happened right after the other had won his first challenge match. At that time, the expressionless black Core Species had grabbed him tightly in front of all the spectators and held him aloft while circling the arena, scaring the bewildered Gela so much he nearly fainted.
When they finally stepped onto solid ground, Gela quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Climbing for nearly forty micro-cycles was far too grueling.
They stood in a dark corridor. After long ages, the two intruders advanced along spiral patterns. Those were marks etched by the corrosion of insect blood.
"We’re very close to the model wreckage of VX197," the male insect whispered, his soft words stirring echoes.
It was too quiet. It felt as if they were standing inside a giant tomb.
"Although the humans haven't permitted us to visit the model wreckage yet, Arthur transferred some temporary permissions to me—he believes there might be paths underground that need unlocking."
Sakti’s scent gland sensed the air, the smell and temperature conveying details buried in the darkness to him. No living things, no sticky sensation of an insect breeding nest, even the scent of plants had gradually faded away; only the lingering resonance of pollution surrounded them.
The female insect's vision and information-sensing capabilities allowed the Core Species to remain unaffected by the environment, but considering his companion, he still turned on the lights.
None of the imagined dangers existed. They were simply walking through an empty shell of the past. Interconnected paths and countless ruined, collapsed doors formed a massive web, extending continuously downward. The Golden Crow motif remained in every corner, proclaiming that this silent tomb had once been part of the Fifth Army.
...
Most areas appeared lifeless. Some items were scattered messily across the floor, as if they had undergone a thorough looting. Sakti even saw patches of marks from old-fashioned laser weapon fire on some of the doors.
"Other people... or other insects have been here."
It looked as if someone had used a gun to spray a firework of bullets here. This meticulous method of searching was quite familiar; it was the same style used by interstellar pirates when scavenging a transport ship. They took what was useful, tossed the useless on the floor, and forced open doors they couldn't unlock, leaving everything in a chaotic mess.
The lockdown issues Gela had worried about were resolved; everything had long since been smashed or looted into pieces, with every door that could be torn open left agape.
"This looks more like a medical base," Sakti quickly judged based on his experience. Unlike a more direct frontline garrison base or an armory, the Legion would establish more complete, large-scale integrated medical zones further back. They would store the genetic samples of their higher-ranking officers to provide more detailed treatment and conduct preparatory cultivation.
For those in the midst of war, the frequency of sustaining fatal injuries was much higher than for normal citizens, and the risk of early-stage pollution was equally high. The Old Federation, regarding the subject of how to eliminate rejection reactions and obtain a large number of replacement parts as quickly as possible, had approved applications for cultivating replacement cloned organs using gene bank samples under strict limitations.
Humans had abandoned the Old Earth, and then gradually abandoned parts of their bodies. In subsequent generations, the Data Firmament was perfected; if not constrained by law, the useless flesh could, to an extent, be discarded altogether. The personality attached to it would turn into infinite data; thoughts could be deconstructed, and souls could be read. It was hard to say whether the immortality that eradicated death was a gift or a curse.
A small amount of emergency power was barely usable, while most of it had been completely destroyed. Universal script was written at every entrance.
When the calamity first occurred, this place might have fallen into chaos. However, as hundreds of years passed, everything that once was had turned to dust. Lives polluted by the xenos had long since decayed and vanished, leaving no trace behind.
Some lights flickered to life after the starter switch was pulled, proving that a small portion of the system here could still function normally. They followed the trail of blood to the end of the main corridor.
The heavy alloy door of a massive laboratory stood open with a deep crack, like a dark, slender eye. The identification text was completely destroyed and unreadable, making it difficult to judge the scene behind the door. That heavy valve had been closed from the outside and should have been firmly locked. It was as if the medical team of the past had used all their strength to bar the pollution outside, preventing the things sealed within from being destroyed.
Until its electronic lock pad was melted by acidic blood.
"Are you going in?" Gela asked softly as he fumbled to pull down the power switch on the wall, trying to connect the intermittent power facilities. The long exploration made his breathing feel constricted, but more than anything else, Sakti's reaction worried him.
The little adventure had reached its end. If only an empty room remained here, he didn't know where his partner would look next to find his past.
"I'm going in." Sakti smiled and patted the male insect's head through the protective suit. "Don't worry, I won't be hurt by anything."
The fool who never feared the unknown stepped into the sealed place.
Fortunately, power was still supplied here. Just like the model wreckage of VX197 buried away, the energy system of a large base station was sufficient for some facilities to hibernate for hundreds of years until they were reactivated by some accident.
The overhead lights instantly dispelled the darkness, causing Gela to instinctively take a step back. He gripped his partner tightly, making a choking sound.
"My god..." he whispered, almost unable to stop himself from trembling.
In the center of the hall facing the entrance sat an object far too conspicuous—an adolescent, early-form insect was coiled inside a human medical pod. It had deep black scales, sharp talons, and two pairs of long, hard wings that trailed down; even under the brilliant light, they only emitted a faint, dim luster.
Decades of time were frozen in this small scene. Those scales were still as beautiful as new; because it was sealed in a relatively airtight enclosure, not even dust could cover them. The flowing blood had almost burned through half the pod and had even etched deep spiral grooves into the floor, as if the infinite self-healing ability of the insect race had been exhausted by the time it struggled to this point.
This insect appeared to have an excellent genetic grade; because it was not yet an adult, its body could just barely fit into the narrow pod.
When the Hard-wing and Grey-wing tribes had launched their war of expulsion, both sides aimed to completely eradicate the other's bloodline, attempting to crush every larva and every egg. The insect that crashed into the Golden Crow ruins had wanted to find a place that could heal it, but human equipment was destined to be useless. The xenomorphic creature had coiled itself into a small ball, its scaled claws tightly clutching its own tail, huddled inside the cold glass pod in search of a false hope.
It had been dead for a long time.
Behind it, countless massive transparent containers stood from floor to ceiling. This was what the male insect had seen in that fleeting report; at the time, he couldn't understand the meaning of those brief, garbled characters until he stood here.
One deformed body after another, their development halted, was immersed in liquid. From serial number 001 to 012, grotesque scaled tails or crippling defects were laid bare, like a compiled exhibition of failures.
The thick cables and connectors were still the style from two hundred years ago, deeply embedded into the spine and nape of every inferior husk, presenting an indescribable, grotesque form—like infants with adult bodies still connected to their mother's umbilical cords.
They were defective products that had never known luck, failing to obtain a soul or open their eyes in time, just as the tragedies of this universe far outnumber the miracles. All the monsters whose growth had ceased floated in the depths of this silent, empty, unvisited underground ruin, as if fallen into a tender sleep.
***
