"We’ve arrived."
Sowhere in the Great Desert, the elevator leading to No.13 Shelter finally ca to a halt.
Based on the ti and speed of the elevator’s descent, Zhuang Lan silently calculated that the position beneath her feet was at least a kiloter, possibly even deeper, below the surface.
At the gate ahead, a Soldier wearing an exoskeleton pressed his arm against the wall’s control panel, completing the identity verification.
"Vrrr..."
Accompanied by an earth-shaking tremor, a gap cracked open on the wall before them, slowly widening with the wall’s movent, eventually revealing a path over ten ters wide.
Unbelievable.
That alloy wall was actually a seamless door!
It seems the Enlightennt Society indeed underwent quite a few changes during the ti she was away...
Surprised by the changes of her old employer over the past couple of years, Zhuang Lan was secretly wary, although she didn’t let the unexpected expression show on her face.
After all, at the mont her identity was Lieutenant "Marik," captain of the Desert Scorpion Spec Ops.
And prior to this, "he" had been here before.
Evidently accepting this fact, the Soldier didn’t have any intention of flaunting. After completing the identity verification, he turned around to face "Marik," stood firm, and said.
"The Ministry of Internal Affairs just sent a ssage, they approved the information you submitted. However, regarding your experiences during the escape and the combat power of the Alliance’s regular army, they still want to know so details, likely they’ll contact you for an interrogation eting."
"When?"
"In three days."
Marik looked at him expressionlessly, spreading his hands.
"Why not now? I’m idle anyway."
"We need to interrogate the guy you brought back from the Alliance first, see what we can pry from his mouth." After pausing, the Soldier continued in a relaxed tone, "Besides, you’re a hero, we need to settle you in first, can’t give you the sa treatnt as a prisoner."
It seems "Marik" has regained the trust of the Enlightennt Society.
Zhuang Lan felt a sense of relief though her facial expression remained unchanged, dutifully adhering to the character setting as she stated.
"I dare not claim credit, although the intelligence system bears half the bla, the fact that I ssed up is also indisputable... Many people paid with their lives for this."
Seeing the slightly downcast Marik, the Soldier standing at the door reassured.
"Don’t bla yourself, we don’t judge heroes based on success or failure, capturing soone under the Alliance’s ambush is already comndable... Of course, I’m sorry for your brothers’ ordeal."
He was also the leader of a group of young n.
It’s precisely for this reason that he understood Marik’s feelings at the mont.
While the two were conversing, a tall and slender man stepped out from behind the open alloy giant door.
He was dressed in a silver-gray suit, its fabric as smooth as silk, not a speck of dust visible.
Not just his clothes, his skin was likewise, smooth and delicate like the alloy wall beside him, with a pale and flawless complexion.
Appearance was perhaps his most insignificant attribute.
His graceful and elegant gestures were akin to a butler from an aristocratic manor in the classical era, as if even the most trivial matters could be arranged thodically in his hands.
Although his appearance was no different from a real person, Zhuang Lan could tell at a glance he wasn’t truly human.
But rather a cyborg.
Natural creations are bound to have flaws; only man-made things can be so pure without a trace of imperfection.
As Zhuang Lan observed him, the man standing at the door slightly nodded, speaking in a gentle tone.
"Hello Mr. Marik, I am your guide and lifestyle assistant during your stay in ’Utopia.’ You may call ’Butler.’"
"Although you’ve been here before, our Utopia wasn’t finished at the ti, and many things have changed since then."
"To help you quickly adapt to life here, I will guide you to reacquaint yourself with our ho."
Zhuang Lan nodded before bidding farewell to the soldier who escorted her here, then followed behind the cyborg self-identified as "Butler."
On the way to the shelter, the cyborg continuously introduced the situation of "Utopia" to him, particularly the changes over the past year.
According to the Watcher Organization’s intelligence, Marik’s last visit to Utopia was a year ago, where he stayed for ten days.
To avoid revealing a flaw, Zhuang Lan didn’t say much, only occasionally asking about unclear details.
After passing through a long corridor, the two arrived at a spacious underground space where a gigantic gear-shaped gate appeared before her eyes.
This gate resembled the entrance of many shelters.
The only difference was that it was not embedded in the wall but lay flat on the ground, like the lift platform of a freight elevator.
Upon discovering this, Zhuang Lan was slightly surprised.
It’s hard to imagine how much energy is required to open and close this giant door just once.
The energy reserves of the Enlightennt Society might exceed the expectations of the Watcher Organization; it would be great to figure out their energy sources.
While Zhuang Lan was silently contemplating this, the gigantic gear beneath their feet began to slowly sink, and shortly after the platform descended, an arch-shaped like a tunnel entrance erged from the nearby concrete wall.
That was the last door leading to No.13 Shelter.
Containing the excitent within her heart, Zhuang Lan walked steadily behind the "Butler," following it into the deepest core of the Enlightennt Society’s secrets—
This was the "handle" of the Torch!
And also the core of the Torch Plan!
Dazzling light spilled onto the end of the alloy corridor.
And when Zhuang Lan finally passed through that final tunnel, everything that ca into view did not disappoint her; it even shocked her, leaving her stunned on the spot.
The scenery suddenly opened up!
The space expanded geotrically, making one irresistibly suspect they had crossed into another world or the surface.
Towering buildings stood like natural barriers on either side of the vast space, looking up was a blue sky, and looking down was an abyss with no bottom in sight.
However, even residents living at the lowest level need not worry, as the glowing strips embedded in the exterior walls of the buildings pass the warm light all the way to the bottom of this "shelter," sharing infinite prosperity and equality with every resident living in this shelter.
Transparent tubes and bridges crisscrossed between the buildings, connecting in the middle with glistening, transparent "crystal balls."
They floated between the buildings like soap bubbles, housing the almost extinct natural landscapes of this planet, for people to admire and relax.
Long strip-shaped vehicles shuttled back and forth in the thick tubes, either delivering passengers and goods into the crystal balls embedded in the air or carrying them from one end of the shelter to the other.
It was like a city built on a volcanic crater.
Of course, this was not an actual volcanic crater, at least, the sky above was fake.
Zhuang Lan knew how long she had ridden the elevator down; the actual depth here would only be more exaggerated than her conservative estimate.
There was no doubt that the Sun emitting dazzling light was artificial.
Including the blue so clear it was hard to look away, and the clouds white as cotton...these sights were extrely rare on the Wasteland.
Without exaggeration, this world buried deep underground indeed deserved the na "Paradise."
Any Waste Land Wanderer standing here would unhesitatingly call this place heaven!
Looking at the paused "Marik," the Butler spoke in a gentle voice.
"We built this underground world according to the standards of Dream City; coming from that era, you surely know what I an by Dream City."
Zhuang Lan nodded gently.
She knew what that was.
It was said that in the distant Prosperity Epoch, people feared the collapse of their hard-earned prosperity overnight, so they established a second ho in the eternal universe.
That was Dream City.
A space habitat with artificial day and night and gravity, where it was spring all year round, a Utopia that would not wither even if the prosperous world on the surface completely declined.
If Ideal City was a reminiscence by survivors half a century ago of the beautiful tis of the past, then Dream City embodied all the hopes and imaginations of people during the Prosperity Epoch towards future life.
Gazing at the closest "soap bubble," Zhuang Lan, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, sighed after a while.
"My brothers and I eat sand in the Great Desert, never expected you guys to be enjoying this already."
This was not just Marik’s sigh, but her own as well.
The Butler smiled and said,
"Because the opportunity has arrived."
"Opportunity?"
"The opportunity to enter a new era."
The Butler extended a forefinger and pointed at the transparent glass, with rings of transparent ripples spreading outward from its fingertip, the entire glass wall transford as if into a magnifying glass, bringing the distant scenery directly to the two standing at the shelter entrance.
As the distant scenery was magnified, Zhuang Lan not only saw the people in the Park clearly but also clearly saw the smiles on their faces.
"...Thanks to the celestial beings reaching out a helping hand to us, the situation is unprecedentedly in our favor. The upper echelons have adjusted their strategy toward the Wasteland. From now on, we don’t need to do anything, just wait patiently."
Zhuang Lan slightly frowned.
She had felt sothing strange since earlier; no one had ever ntioned the matter of reconstructing the "Desert Scorpion" to her.
"Wait for what?"
"Divine Punishnt."
"...Divine Punishnt?" Zhuang Lan was stunned for a mont.
"That’s right."
Facing Lieutenant "Marik’s" inquisitive gaze, the Butler nodded slightly and then looked toward the nearby utopia, speaking chilling words in a gentle tone.
"The flas of punishnt will scorch everything from the old world, and we will gain a piece of land for recuperation in the new world... as a reward for assisting the celestial beings in their mission."
When he said this, the Butler looked at "Marik," who stood beside him, and continued with a smile.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you earlier, your mission is complete."
Zhuang Lan asked.
"What do you an by complete?"
The Butler said in a gentle tone.
"This is the aning from the higher-ups. Specifically, which departnt, you’ll have to ask the insiders. In short, they hope I convey to you that we temporarily have no plans to rebuild the ’Desert Scorpion.’"
"Although many Soldiers are still performing field missions at this mont, aside from the tasks at hand, there will be no more new missions in the future. Once they complete their missions, they will return to this shelter one after another... Of course, we will calculate your rit based on your accomplishnts and arrange for you to live a better life in the new epoch."
Zhuang Lan looked at him in shock, and after a long ti, she slowly nodded.
"Sounds pretty good... though a bit regrettable."
The Butler looked at him, puzzled.
"Regrettable? I don’t understand what you an."
Zhuang Lan remained silent for a mont and turned to look at the corridor behind her leading to the outside world.
"My brothers... I promised them to avenge them."
A sudden look of realization appeared on the Butler’s face, and then he smiled lightly, speaking in a gentle tone.
"Such things are no longer important. Your enemies will be reduced to ashes in the final divine punishnt, becoming insignificant radioactive dust drifting away... Let the past hatred stay in the past, which will help us go further."
Zhuang Lan nodded, casting her gaze toward the distant giant do.
The Robot gardeners trimd the lawn neatly, while people in Blue Jackets strolled along the Park’s paths, and so were walking their dogs.
The vending machines provided unlimited ice cream to the Children, and attractive-looking androids were distributing what seed to be free balloons.
A family sitting on a bench chatted and laughed, perhaps discussing matters about the new epoch.
All of it seed like a dreamlike beauty, yet for so reason, there was always a sense of unreality lingering in Zhuang Lan’s heart.
It’s not that those images were false or a simulation of holographic images.
As soone engaged in intelligence Work, she could tell that those people were undoubtedly real... at least much more real than the androids standing beside her.
At this ti, she suddenly recalled the first impression she had upon eting this "Butler."
The perfect things must have flaws, only man-made creations can be pure to such an extent without any impurities.
That giant do was such an existence.
Or rather—
The entire utopia was like this.
The people here did not seem to be living; instead, they seed to be kept by so high and mighty entity, arrayed within transparent crystal bubbles.
A chill crawled over Zhuang Lan’s heart, but facing the smiling gaze, she still nodded.
"It’s quite good."
...
anwhile, in a small room on the surface above No.13 Shelter, a dical Miracle lay on the operating table, forcefully fitted with a mory Extractor, enduring a solid round of "electrotherapy."
The Enlightennt Society seed not to intend to bribe him with a honey trap, opting for heavy torture right from the beginning, which left the dical Miracle sowhat disappointed after much anticipation.
At least give him a chance to "correct and return to evil"!
But his disappointnt didn’t last long, as soon his vision went black, disconnecting from the connection.
In the room of the special interrogation chamber, a doctor in a white coat stood beside the operating table, puzzled by the error ssage on the control panel, scratching his head in frustration.
"Strange."
The officer standing beside him, seeing a result, quickly inquired.
"What’s strange?"
The doctor fiddled with the control interface for a while, then withdrew his index finger from the touchscreen, looking at the officer with a bewildered expression.
"The mory extraction Device did start, but the experintal subject had no response to the external stimuli input by the experintal equipnt... be it visual signals or auditory signals. This feels as if..."
He hesitated for a while, then spoke in an uncertain tone.
"It’s as if this guy’s mind is empty."
"Empty?!"
The officer beside the operating table was taken aback.
How could soone’s mind be empty?
He had never encountered such a strange situation before!
Usually, the survivors they captured from outside, whether a Manager of another Shelter or a Waste Land Wanderer who dominated a certain region, their brains could be drained clean in no ti, and they had never encountered a situation where they couldn’t read mories.
Seeing the perplexed doctor, the officer couldn’t help but suggest.
"Shall we try again?"
The doctor shook his head.
"Let’s wait a couple of days before trying again. This guy’s mind has suffered severe trauma, and I fear he won’t wake up anyti soon. Continuing the experint risks turning him insane. Though you may not care, it’s a significant loss for us."
Honestly, he also found it strange.
Logically, even if a dog were tied to the operating table, sothing should be readable, at most it would be sothing abstract.
As an expert in neuroscience, he suddenly felt a bit intrigued by this stubborn guy.
Could the Alliance have mastered a way to counteract the mory extraction Device?
This might beco an interesting experintal material.
The officer standing aside hesitated for a mont, finally nodding reluctantly at this suggestion.
"Alright then..."
Even if it wasn’t, he couldn’t think of a better solution.
At this mont, the two had no idea that the guy lying on the operating table beside them had actually awoken, just hadn’t opened his eyes.
When they first put on the mory Extractor, the dical Miracle had been hoping to see so interesting visuals, but his vision went black, disconnecting.
Seeing a critical scene about to be missed, the dical Miracle, who had finally made it into the main plot, couldn’t bear it, quickly reconnecting with the headset.
Hard work pays off.
After almost half an hour of persistent attempts, a faint light finally penetrated his eyelids, imprinting on his Ga character’s retina.
Then he heard the Quack say that he was crazy and needed further observation.
The dical Miracle sneered inwardly.
He wasn’t crazy, he was just fine.
But thinking that this might be a chance to infiltrate the Enlightennt Society, he eventually restrained the impulse to scare the two by opening his eyes, silently disconnecting and returning offline.
His intuition told him the chance to beco the next Pangolin was right in front of him!
Soon after, a ridiculous post appeared on the official Forum—
"Brothers, how to act like a madman? (Awkward)"
"Online waiting, quite urgent."
-
(Hand slipped, the plot happening on the space side wasn’t finished, will post it tomorrow.)
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