Chapter 5
1564words
An encrypted file, glowing with crimson energy markings, penetrated all the firewalls of the "Leviathan" and projected directly in front of Nikolai's command seat. It wasn't an ordinary order, but an ultimatum.
The wording of the document was cold and severe, filled with unquestionable authority. It commanded Nikolai to perform "neutralization disposal" on "Unknown Specimen G-618-01" according to imperial protocol within twenty-four standard hours—a term enough to make any sentient being shudder.
If he failed to execute this order before the deadline, he would be immediately stripped of all duties as First Fleet Commander and escorted back to the capital star by a special fleet to face trial by the Supreme Military Tribunal. The charges would be "dereliction of duty, concealment of truth, and... endangering imperial security."
This was no longer a warning, but a preview of a judgment.
Nikolai looked at the document silently, his face completely expressionless. His entire life had been guided by the principles of loyalty and order, with the Empire serving as the cornerstone of his existence. And now, this very cornerstone was demanding that he personally strangle the fragile hope that might harbor the ultimate secret of the universe.
He faced the first and most cruel test of loyalty in his life.
He chose not to respond immediately, but instead closed the file and locked himself in the biological laboratory. Twenty-four hours—he had to find a reason within this limited time that could convince himself, and perhaps even the entire Empire.
He pulled up Felis's deepest genetic map, a string of life code more complex than the Milky Way galaxy. Bypassing all conventional matching programs, he directly used his highest authority to compare this map with the Empire's mythological-era gene bank.
It was a database regarded by all rigorous scientists as a "junkyard," filled with various debunked, mythologically-tinged ancient genetic templates.
Time was passing by second after second, and countless comparisons all resulted in "match failed."
Just when he was about to give up, an ancient gene template marked as "Mythology/Non-scientific," almost buried by data dust, caught his attention. The code name of this template was—"Harmonizer."
According to the long-lost creation mythology of the Empire, "Harmonizers" were ancient beings born at the beginning of the universe from the fusion of the first ray of "light" and the first fragment of "darkness." They did not possess powerful attacking capabilities, yet they were the only existence capable of harmonizing various extreme energies in the universe and maintaining the stability of the cosmic strings. They were the balancers of the universe.
Nikolai's fingers began to tremble slightly. He took a deep breath and dragged Felis's gene sequence onto this almost legendary template.
The matching program started.
The progress bar moved slowly, each advancement pulling at Nikolai's heartstrings.
Fifty percent... eighty percent... ninety percent...
When the final number froze on the screen, Nikolai's breathing completely stopped.
【Match rate: 99.9%】
An absurd, yet undeniably real answer appeared before his eyes.
She... actually had a direct connection to the oldest and most ethereal myth of the Empire.
Nikolai returned to the medical pod with exhaustion throughout his body and enormous shock in his mind.
Felis, or perhaps she should now be called by her true name—Serena, was sitting quietly by the bed. Since fully awakening that day in the control center, she had become unusually silent. Those clear eyes were always filled with complex thoughts, swinging between scrutiny and dependence.
She could keenly sense the increasingly heavy psychological burden weighing on Nikolai, almost crushing him. Her "Felis" instinct made her long to comfort him as she had in the past; but her rationality as "Serena" made her harbor suspicion and vigilance toward this alien who had imprisoned her.
This internal struggle eventually reached a strange reconciliation.
Seeing Nikolai walk in, she said nothing, but simply stood up and walked to a blank wall. She extended her finger, and at its tip, a faint energy aura, almost invisible to the naked eye, began to flow.
She began to draw on the cold metal wall with this thread of light.
She drew landscapes of Earth. Rolling mountains, rushing rivers, endless fields of wheat swaying in the breeze, and... the warm glow of countless lights in bustling cities.
These illusory lights and shadows brought a gentle warmth from another world to this cold cabin.
"In my homeland," she began speaking, her voice soft yet clear, carrying a hint of suppressed homesickness, "we believe that between people, there is something invisible called a 'connection.' It's not maintained through orders or force, but through sharing... sharing stories, sharing scenery, sharing sorrow and joy."
She turned her head, looking at Nikolai, and for the first time, something greater than personal emotion appeared in those complex eyes of hers.
"You're very lonely, aren't you, Commander?" she said. "Everyone on this ship obeys you, but no one can 'con-nect' with you. You've locked yourself in a cage bigger than mine."
Nikolai's heart was pierced deeply by these words.
He looked at the flowing, warm landscapes on the wall, and then at the girl before him who was telling human stories. At this moment, the scales in his heart tilted decisively.
However, this brief tranquility was soon broken by a decisive rupture.
The adjutant stopped him in Nikolai's private meeting room.
"Commander, I beg you to immediately execute the council's orders." There was a hint of painful, final plea in the adjutant's voice.
"I cannot." Nikolai's answer was simple and resolute.
"Why?!" The adjutant's emotions fluctuated violently for the first time, "For an alien creature of unknown origin, full of danger, are you willing to betray the empire you have fought for all your life? Your actions already constitute treason!"
"No, you're wrong." Nikolai stared directly at the comrade he once trusted most, his gaze sharp as a knife, "I'm not betraying the Empire, I'm saving it. Her existence may concern something more important than the Empire's survival—the balance of the universe."
"The balance of the universe? Commander, you've started believing in myths that have been thrown into the dustbin of history?" The adjutant's eyes were filled with disappointment, "You're no longer the rational commander we once knew!"
"Perhaps," Nikolai's tone carried a hint of relief, as if unburdened, "But sometimes, truth is hidden within myths."
The argument ultimately could not be reconciled.
The adjutant looked at Nikolai before him, knowing that he had completely fallen into some kind of "obsession" that he could not understand. He slowly stepped back, straightened his body, and gave an impeccably standard, yet utterly cold military salute.
"I understand, Commander." His voice returned to calmness, but beneath that calm was a complete rupture, "I will faithfully fulfill my duty."
After speaking, he turned and left. Nikolai knew that from this moment on, they were no longer comrades.
At that moment, a new urgent mission directive was transmitted to the flagship.
【Highest Directive: First Fleet to immediately abort all missions, proceed at full speed to the Talos star system, and investigate the root cause of the energy tidal disruption at all costs.】
Nikolai looked at the crimson area on the star chart representing the extremely dangerous anomalous stellar region, without a trace of fear in his eyes.
He knew the Council was pushing him to the edge. The Talos system was now the most dangerous graveyard in the entire universe, with this mission having only a one-in-ten chance of survival.
But he had no choice, nor did he need one.
He returned to his command seat, with his back to the empty bridge, and calmly opened a triple-encrypted private communication channel.
Facing a void of darkness, he issued a long-premeditated command in a voice only he could hear:
"Activate Project 'Ark'."
When the "Leviathan" exited the hyperspace channel and reached the edge of the Talos star system, even imperial soldiers accustomed to cosmic wonders couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.
This place could no longer be called a "star system."
It resembled more a palette of colors spilled by a deity. Space itself displayed an eerie, liquid-like distortion, with countless shattered asteroid belts stretching across the stellar regions like solidified scars. The light from distant stars was pulled into grotesque shapes, sometimes dimming like ghost fires, sometimes erupting in piercing, unnatural colors.
The laws of time and space were on the verge of collapse here.
"All readings have failed..." the Chief Scientist murmured, staring at the chaotic snow of static on the screen, "The universal constants here... are changing in real time. Commander, this is a graveyard of physical laws."
Nikolai's expression was extremely grave. Looking at the scene before him, his mind recalled that cold description from "The First Prophecy"—【When the string resonates again, even the stars will collapse with it.】
This was no longer speculation, but fact. The "signs of collapse" mentioned in the prophecy were manifesting before his eyes.
"Prepare a 'Ghost' class small assault craft," Nikolai issued an order that shocked everyone, "I will lead the team personally to enter the core zone for detection."
"Commander, that's too dangerous!" The deputy's voice immediately sounded over the communication channel, filled with urgency.
"This is an order." Nikolai's tone was unquestionable. He turned around, his gaze falling on Serena who stood behind him, "You're coming too."
This time, Serena didn't hesitate at all, she just nodded firmly.
