Chapter 194: The All-Star Investigation Team! Nuclear Disaster! Bizarre Cause of Death!
Seeing the puzzled expressions of the Astartes warriors present, Morgan Blackhand felt it was understandable.
After all, he himself had initially assumed that the aircraft sent for reconnaissance had experienced some sort of malfunction or that the airspace might be affected by some peculiar magnetic interference.
It wasn't until Morgan dispatched a dozen reconnaissance drones for a more detailed investigation and captured footage from multiple angles of the airspace that he began to firmly believe in this bizarre phenomenon.
"I understand that you may find this hard to believe, but based on the intelligence we currently have, the heat source that appears and disappears so suddenly is real," Morgan explained.
According to Morgan's description, the suspicious heat source behaved like a flickering light, intermittently "flashing" into visibility.
Such a strange and erratic trait immediately raised V's suspicions.
If Morgan's information was accurate, then it was possible that an unusual extraterrestrial lifeform truly existed on this version of Earth.
One of the potential traits of this alien species might be its ability to conceal itself or manipulate its body temperature at will to Evade detection.
"Seems like the weird stuff on this alternate Earth is even trickier than I imagined," V mused to himself.
Morgan, however, was focused on conveying the mission to the Astartes warriors, paying no mind to their personal thoughts.
"In any case, this matter has garnered the boss's full attention. The results of your investigation will directly influence our subsequent strategic deployments," he said firmly.
"So, I hope everyone here will remain alert and carry out this crucial reconnaissance mission flawlessly!"
The Astartes warriors, realizing the importance of the task, responded in unison, "Understood!"
'No wonder the boss assigned us specifically for this mission. It seems like it's both challenging and critical...' V thought to himself.
Morgan continued, "In half an hour, a Thunderhawk shuttle will transport us to the outskirts of Sana."
As he spoke, Morgan brought up a holographic map of the Sana region, projecting its terrain model for everyone to see.
"Once you're deployed to Sana, I will remain concealed on the shuttle, remotely directing your decisions. Of course, the highest orders will still come directly from the boss."
He zoomed in on the terrain model, explaining, "Your mission is to infiltrate the city on foot and gather as much intelligence and as many clues as possible."
"Does anyone have questions?" Morgan asked, scanning the room.
The Astartes warriors, understanding the gravity of the mission, collectively replied, "No questions, sir."
"Good!" Morgan smiled, shutting off the holographic display.
"Prepare yourselves and head to the logistics depot to retrieve any equipment you need. Dismissed!"
The warriors stood up and saluted, shouting, "Yes, sir!"
Morgan grabbed his black trench coat and left the meeting room to report to Li Ang .
Meanwhile, V's expression turned solemn as he watched Morgan leave.
For some reason, he had a bad feeling about this mission, sensing it might be even more perilous than their previous missions on Pandora.
"V, what's on your mind?"
Jack Wells, V's longtime partner, walked over and asked with concern.
Years of fighting side by side meant Jack could easily guess what V was thinking.
"Are you worried this mission will be dangerous?" Jack chuckled, slinging an arm over V's shoulder.
"What's there to worry about? It's just a heat source investigation. We've dealt with worse before, remember? Arasaka soldiers, the Na'vi... this is nothing."
Jack didn't take Morgan's warning about the flickering heat source seriously.
"No way these Earthlings are stronger than us star warriors!" Jack declared confidently.
V, however, shook his head. "I don't think it's that simple. We need to stay cautious. Better safe than sorry."
Jack laughed, patting V on the shoulder before leaving the room.
As V donned his jacket and headed to the logistics depot, the bitter cold wind of this Earth's winter cut into his face. It was a stark contrast to the perpetually temperate climate of the ideal city he was used to.
Passing by the construction site of a frontline base, V couldn't help but marvel at the efficiency of the AI robots building it. Within half a day, the base's framework was already taking shape.
He reminisced about his early days at the company, running errands with nothing but a few old guns and a malfunctioning Relic chip in his head. Now, he was equipped with state-of-the-art cybernetic implants and genetic modifications, making him the company's most advanced human warrior.
Finally arriving at the logistics depot, V presented his ID to the supervisor.
"I'm V, employee ID A001. Here to collect my gear," he stated.
Recognizing him instantly, the supervisor called out to his staff, "A001!"
The logistics team brought out several crates marked "A001," containing V's personalized Mark X power armor and standard-issue weaponry.
V quickly geared up, but he noticed an unfamiliar pistol among the equipment. Shrugging, he took it with him anyway.
"Have Jack and Reed been here already?" V asked.
"Yes, they just left," the supervisor replied.
"Good."
V adjusted his gear, ready to face whatever awaited him.
V nodded slightly and headed outdoors. It was midday, yet the sky outside was dim and gloomy.
Not far away, a spacious vertical takeoff and landing pad hosted several Thunderhawk transporters designed specifically for carrying Astartes warriors.
Due to the Astartes' massive stature—averaging over 2.5 meters in height—smaller aircraft like Scorpion fighters or ornithopters were unsuitable for transporting them.
Only these large transporters were fit for deploying Astartes warriors into action.
Before long, under the coordinated direction of Morgan Blackhand, V and the rest of the Astartes boarded the Thunderhawks.
This investigation team, composed entirely of high-ranking officers, was an impressive lineup.
This arrangement was intentionally made by Li Ang —not only to train these individuals in collaborative combat but also because he had great faith in their capabilities. If they were to uncover the truth, Li Ang wanted it done thoroughly. He had no intention of wasting time on fruitless investigations.
Once all the Astartes had boarded, the pilots closed the shuttle doors, sealing the cabin completely. The ground crew nearby quickly moved to a safer distance, crouched low, and raised their right thumbs to signal the pilots for takeoff.
Seeing this, the pilots inside the shuttle acknowledged by raising their right hands. They then powered up the engines.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the Thunderhawk's engines released a powerful jet stream, blowing the nearby ground crew to the point where they could hardly open their eyes. Slowly, the shuttle lifted off. Once it reached its designated altitude, the engines shifted, accelerating the shuttle.
Within seconds, the transporters disappeared from the range of visibility of the ground crew.
---
Inside the Thunderhawk's cabin.
With the engines running at full capacity, the Astartes could feel the intense vibrations shaking the cabin. David, seated near the back, began to understand the phrase "feeling like your soul is trailing behind."
The other Astartes in the cabin frowned subtly, silently grumbling about the uncomfortable ride. The shuttle was ascending to low-Earth orbit, 200 kilometers above ground, before heading 8,000 kilometers away to the Sana'a region.
Fortunately, the Astartes were accustomed to such conditions. Once the cabin's violent tremors ceased, they were replaced by a sense of weightlessness, indicating that they had reached low-Earth orbit.
Without their safety harnesses, the Astartes would have floated around like metal cans, colliding and clanking into each other.
"Hey, V, look out the window," called Jack Wells, who had turned to peer outside the cabin.
Following Jack's reminder, V shifted his gaze to the porthole. What met his eyes was Earth, shrouded in a layer of gray smog. The planet, once blue and pristine, now looked like it had been draped in a dull, gray blanket.
"This is pollution caused by nuclear explosions," said Reed in a low voice, breaking his usual stoic demeanor. "Dust, debris, soil, and various waste materials from the detonations have entered the lower orbit. These impurities block sunlight, causing significant cooling of the Earth's surface. That's why we see abandoned cities and a desolate environment."
As Reed explained, he couldn't help but recall the events of over a decade ago. If it weren't for the establishment of the Galactic Consortium, they might have faced the same nuclear aftermath as the humans here.
---
V fell silent, his feelings complicated as he looked at the ruined planet. He felt an urgency to uncover the truth about what had happened here. What exactly was that suspicious heat source?
---
In the desert region of Sana'a, a city once bathed in abundant sunlight, the effects of nuclear war had left it as dark and desolate as other ruined urban areas.
From above, the Astartes could see the city's exotic architectural style, which hinted at its former glory. Yet the human conflict had turned this desert metropolis into a crumbling wasteland.
Before long, the Thunderhawk pilots began the descent toward the outskirts of Sana'a. Once the engines rotated into a vertical position, the shuttle hovered before gently touching down on a flat desert area. As the doors opened, the eager Astartes disembarked under Morgan Blackhand's command.
Descending from the shuttle, the warriors immediately assumed defensive stances, their sharp gazes scanning the surroundings. Equipped with Mark X power armor featuring advanced air filtration systems, the Astartes were unaffected by the fine desert sand.
After a brief assessment, they found no signs of anomalies or life in the area.
"What kind of hellhole… How could there be a heat source here? Does this look like a place where anyone could survive?" Jack Wells muttered, skeptical that the reconnaissance team had provided accurate intel.
V said nothing but silently began to doubt the credibility of the information as well.
Boom!
As the shuttle took off again, lifting sand in its wake, the area returned to its earlier lifeless silence.
"All units, listen up!" Morgan Blackhand's voice came through the internal communication channel. "You will now split into teams of three, forming ten groups. Begin a distributed search of the Sana'a region. Stay alert and report any findings immediately. If you encounter insurmountable danger, I will provide firepower support or call in bombers."
After the briefing, V activated his helmet's holographic interface for additional visual assistance. His assigned partner was Jack, with their codenames set as 01 and 02, respectively, to ensure efficient communication.
"This mission is to investigate the suspicious heat source in Sana'a. If you encounter danger, retreat immediately and report back. Avoid engaging unless absolutely necessary. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" the Astartes responded in unison.
"Let's move out," V ordered, leading the team toward the ruins of Sana'a, located five kilometers away.
Though this mission was primarily a reconnaissance operation, the warriors were outfitted with the most advanced gear available. After all, no one could be certain whether the heat source was a ferocious alien creature or something else entirely.
---
Several minutes later, V and his team reached the outskirts of a desolate town. The remnants indicated that the area had once been prosperous, but now only silence and decay remained. Judging by the signs, the town appeared abandoned for at least five years.
After reporting the findings, V and his team split up to search different areas, converging toward Sana'a's main city.
Thanks to the power armor's enhancements, V and Jack quickly reached the city's edge, where they were greeted by a haunting sight—scattered white bones and shattered skeletons littered the ground, blown apart by the wind.
Strangely, the corpses' clothing remained intact, with no visible damage—no bullet holes or cuts. It was as if these individuals had died in an instant. This was eerily similar to the scene they had encountered in the previous town.
"V, any thoughts on this?" Jack asked, staring at the corpses. Initially, he had assumed the area had been hit by nuclear strikes, but the state of the bodies suggested otherwise.
V crouched near the remains, examining them before glancing toward the city center. If they wanted answers, they would have to venture further into the city.
"Let's keep moving," V said, leading the team toward the heat source's last known location.
---
Eventually, V and Jack reached a plaza near an abandoned park. The area was surrounded by shops and other facilities, and, unsettlingly, more corpses.
Unlike the earlier bodies, however, these showed no signs of decomposition—as if they had died only recently.
"Could these recent deaths have been mistaken for the heat source?" V wondered, suspecting that these individuals might have been misinterpreted as the suspicious heat signals.
As he and Jack approached, they discovered the corpses' bizarre condition. Although their skin showed no external injuries, their internal blood vessels appeared ruptured, causing extensive damage from within.
This revelation left V deeply unsettled. What kind of attack could cause such damage? Could it have been some sort of ultrasonic weapon, rupturing blood vessels from the inside? Yet, as he observed further, even that theory seemed insufficient to explain the scene.
For now, their investigation raised more questions than answers.
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