Chapter 195: Anything Can Be Destroyed—It All Depends on the Energy Required!
"Something's wrong!"
While conducting a rapid scan using his instrument, V suddenly noticed that the injuries on the corpses' surface tissue displayed white blotches indicative of severe burns.
"Could these people have been burned to death by high temperatures…?"
Before V could dismiss this seemingly absurd idea, Jack Wells, standing beside him, pointed out a critical discrepancy.
"I don't think they were burned to death. If it was high-temperature burns, why is there no sign of scorching on their clothes?"
Jack's thoughts were in perfect alignment with V's. To uncover the true cause of death, they would likely need to perform an autopsy and examine the internal organs of the deceased.
"This is just too strange!"
Faced with such an incomprehensible scene, V's doubts deepened further.
"Let's not overthink it for now. Let's photograph the features of these corpses first."
As Jack spoke, he began taking photos of the corpses on the ground, uploading the images to their headquarters.
Meanwhile, V reported the situation to the other warriors through the team's communication channel:
"This is Squad 01. We've discovered a large number of human corpses with bizarre causes of death. All squads, stay alert."
No sooner had V finished his report than similar updates came from other investigation teams.
"Squad 03 has also found human corpses with strange causes of death."
"Same here with Squad 09."
"…"
One after another, responses echoed through the communication channel.
Clearly, these peculiar deaths were widespread and numerous, not isolated incidents.
This suggested that the suspicious heat source V was investigating likely had an area-wide killing capability. V had to be prepared for combat at any moment.
"It seems likely that the heat source captured by our reconnaissance drone is related to these deaths," Jack summarized after uploading the information.
"No mysterious alien life forms, just a bunch of unnaturally deceased humans. The cause of death? Probably some sort of virus."
V remained cautious, unwilling to fully endorse Jack's premature conclusion.
"Maybe. But we still need to be careful."
As V examined the corpses' distorted faces, he realized they looked as though they had encountered something terrifying.
Just as V speculated on other possibilities, a voice came through the communication channel:
"This is Squad 07. We've discovered a hidden passage in Sector 1698 of Sana."
"Based on the time of death of these corpses, I believe there might be a recently overrun shelter beneath the city."
"There could be key information in that shelter!"
Reed's discovery filled the warriors with excitement.
It meant they were closer to uncovering the cause of these deaths and the truth behind the suspicious heat source.
"Finally, some progress in this investigation!" The Astartes warriors were thrilled.
Even V felt some relief and prepared to head toward Reed's location with Jack.
But then, he noticed dense red heat signatures flashing on his helmet's radar.
These heat sources were rapidly converging on him and Jack!
'Wait! They're the real heat sources!'
In an instant, V realized that the heat sources were the true culprits behind the mass deaths.
"Jack!!"
V shouted, raising his rifle toward the incoming heat sources and unleashing full firepower.
As V's long-time partner, Jack responded immediately, raising his gun and joining the attack.
Their synchronized firepower set up an intense barrage within seconds.
But as the heat sources came into visual range, V saw their true form through his helmet's holographic screen.
They were blurry, shadowy "phantoms," just like their operation's codename—"Specters"!
"Holy… there really are 'Specters' here!"
Jack also saw the shadowy figures. Stunned and unsure how to proceed, he hesitated just as the Specters launched a rapid charge at him, almost as if they were flying.
"Fire—!"
"This is Squad 01! We're under attack by supernatural entities. Engaging now!"
Their voices blended with the roar of gunfire, shattering the eerie silence of the plaza.
Because these quantum-state Specters were invisible to the human eye, V relied on his helmet's dynamic tracking and hyperspectral imaging functions to pinpoint their positions.
However, it didn't take long for V to realize that their bullets were entirely ineffective against the Specters.
'No! They're immune to bullets!'
As a seasoned Astartes warrior, V knew his aim was not at fault. The Specters were simply unaffected by conventional physical attacks.
Jack quickly came to the same conclusion. He immediately issued a warning through their communication device:
"This is Squad 01! Physical attacks are ineffective against the Specters! I repeat, physical attacks are useless!"
"…"
At that moment, Li Ang , stationed behind the Stargate, watched the real-time footage from the investigation team and instantly recognized the Specters.
These were quantum soldiers from the Spectral universe.
No aliens, no bizarre theories—this was the world of the movie Spectral!
'Confirmed at last!'
Li Ang , exhilarated but without time to waste, used his authority to issue a command to the team:
[Use the plasma discharge guns immediately to repel them!]
The plasma discharge guns were special weapons Li Ang had prepared for the Astartes warriors. Before the mission began, V had noticed an unusual pistol in his gear—this was their lifesaving tool.
Against quantum-state Specters, regular rifles were useless. Only pulse energy weapons could harm them.
Although more powerful pulse weapons were still under development, the team would have to rely on the plasma pistols for now.
The moment Li Ang 's command came through, V quickly drew the plasma discharge gun. As the Specters closed in, V fired, releasing bursts of energy.
In an instant, several Specters disintegrated into mist-like particles, dissipating like exploding flour.
Realizing the plasma weapons worked, V and Jack regained confidence and launched a counterattack.
With their seamless cooperation, dozens of charging Specters were obliterated into nothingness.
"Nice work, V!" Jack exclaimed triumphantly.
Jack let out a sigh of relief, feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted off his chest. For some reason, when he saw the spectre rushing toward him, a visceral fear of death gripped him.
Even after the immediate threat of the spectre had been neutralized, the fear lingered in Jack's heart, growing heavier instead of dissipating.
"These damned things are way too freaky!"
Jack couldn't help but curse under his breath, as if doing so might calm his nerves.
"This is Team 01. The spectre in our area have been eliminated. Have there been any casualties in the other teams?"
V ignored Jack, who was still shaken, and used the comms system to inquire about the status of the other squads.
"Report from Team 03: no casualties."
"This is Team 09: we've successfully neutralized the spectre."
"…"
After a round of status updates, V confirmed that all Astartes soldiers had reacted promptly during the skirmish. In a split second, they had drawn their plasma discharge weapons, dispersing the attacking spectre.
[All investigators are to immediately Evacuate Sana City—move, now!]
Just as the soldiers began to relax, relieved that the mission had resulted in no casualties, Li Ang 's urgent order came through. His tone betrayed a sense of urgency, suggesting something far more terrifying was still lurking in the shadows.
In truth, Li Ang 's haste stemmed from the fact that the dispersed spectre soldiers weren't truly "dead." The plasma weapons had merely disrupted their forms, but given time, the particles would reassemble, allowing the spectre to "revive."
No matter how powerful the plasma discharge weapons were, they had limited ammunition. Once the energy was depleted, the Astartes soldiers would face a counterattack from the revived spectre's.
"Yes, sir!"
Upon receiving Li Ang 's orders, the Astartes soldiers quickly and efficiently Evacuated Sana City. Shuttlecraft descending from the skies landed to pick them up.
In less than five minutes, all investigative team members had boarded safely, leaving the danger zone far behind.
As the Falcon shuttle returned to the other side of the Stargate, the scattered particles in Sana City began to coalesce. The spectre's reformed, good as new.
---
The Base Beyond the Stargate
By now, all data and information sent from the frontlines had been organized and uploaded to the company's headquarters database by the technical team.
Having confirmed that the world beyond the Stargate was the "Spectral" Universe, Li Ang was certain the spectre's were humans in a Bose-Einstein condensate state.
Based on the original storyline, the condensate technology originated in an Eastern European country named Moldova. By utilizing energy from nuclear power plants and the element rubidium as raw material, Bose-Einstein condensates were mass-produced.
This material could gather particles into the same quantum state at temperatures close to absolute zero. When it passed through a human body, it caused severe damage to internal organs, the brain, and skin, resulting in swift death.
Though the Astartes soldiers had undergone significant cybernetic enhancement, retaining only a few human organs—such as their brains—severe brain damage would leave them no better off than ordinary humans.
"Using condensate technology to create spectre soldiers… now that's an interesting concept."
Li Ang shook his head and sighed.
While condensates were not as weaponizable as plasma, their creation process was complex and expensive. Still, for producing spectre soldiers, the technology was undoubtedly effective.
These soldiers embodied the kind of attack state Taylor from The Three-Body Problem could only dream of. They were invisible to the naked eye, silent in movement, capable of releasing massive energy at close range, and even causing destructive explosions.
However, the spectre's were not without weaknesses. They couldn't penetrate walls made of ceramics or pure iron, and being observed at the quantum level caused them to collapse.
Yet despite these flaws, humanity in the Spectral Universe chose to mass-produce spectre soldiers. Moldova's research team scanned human experimental subjects with molecular-level scanners, forcibly extracting complete neural networks. Using 3D printing and condensates as a consciousness "vessel," the first spectre soldiers were born.
"Using uncontrollable spectre as soldiers is hardly a wise decision," Li Ang mused.
In his impression, these beings—trapped in limbo between life and death—endured constant pain and torment. Like maddened demons, the spectre launched indiscriminate attacks on all living creatures.
In the film's original story, the spectre escaped due to a safety accident. They absorbed energy through various means, rapidly multiplying exponentially. Within days, they wiped out millions of innocent humans.
This catastrophic event compelled warring nations to set aside their differences and unite against the deadly spectre.
"Anything can be destroyed—it just depends on how much energy you have."
Li Ang muttered to himself.
The spectre's, though impervious to conventional bullets, could be disrupted by high-temperature plasma. However, the company's plasma weapons could only scatter the spectre temporarily, not kill them outright.
A complete eradication required nuclear or hydrogen bombs to level the area and isolate the spectre from any energy source. The most effective solution was to infiltrate the nuclear power plant and sever the connection between their neural networks and the condensates—a "cutting the cord" approach to permanently terminate the spectre.
It was likely that Li Ang 's team hadn't encountered the spectre initially because all humans in the area had perished. Lacking energy to maintain their quantum states, the spectre had either moved elsewhere or dissipated.
Regardless of the specifics, the spectre posed an unparalleled threat, their ability to multiply resembling a plague. Left unchecked, they could doom every living organism on Earth, reducing the planet to a ghostly wasteland.
Saving the Spectral Universe's Earth was a race against time.
After careful consideration, Li Ang resolved to dispatch a fully armed "anti-spectre task force" to rescue the humans in Sana City.
---
Three Days Later: The Base Beyond the Stargate
"We've successfully completed consciousness control over the clones using the polymer device," Morgan Blackhand reported to Li Ang , detailing their progress.
"Next, we'll have the Tyrant issue orders to the clones, commanding them to carry out reconnaissance and combat missions."
The polymer device Morgan referred to allowed control over unconscious life forms. Following Li Ang 's orders, a batch of factory-cloned humans had been outfitted with neural controllers and combat chips, transforming them into battlefield-ready soldiers.
The Tyrant, tasked with leading the clone troops, would receive directives from headquarters to ensure mission completion.
"Good. Proceed with the next phase of operations," Li Ang instructed.
With an army of clones ready in just three days, Li Ang felt reassured that no Astartes soldiers would suffer casualties. These clones, devoid of consciousness, were essentially "living dead," puppets controlled by polymers.
The Tyrant, as the leader, could also be replaced if necessary, ensuring an unbroken chain of command.
"Yes, sir!"
Morgan promptly departed to finalize the mission plans.
---
Sana City
In an underground bunker dozens of meters below ground, three soldiers sat tensely at a control console, monitoring screens with unwavering focus.
The cramped, dimly lit, and poorly ventilated safe house was their last line of defense.
Due to the stifling heat, the soldiers had shed their heavy armor and helmets. Unlike standard troops, their weapons weren't conventional rifles but oversized plasma discharge guns, powered by disposable battery packs.
"This sucks... How much longer are we stuck in this hellhole? I just want to breathe fresh air," one soldier complained, breaking the oppressive silence.
"At least three more months. Hang in there," their older leader responded, clearly the commanding officer.
"Three months?!" another soldier exclaimed, frustrated. "I can't take it anymore! I'd rather go out and fight those spectre head-on than rot in here!"
"Go ahead, then. No one's stopping you," the commander replied coldly.
The soldier fell silent, realizing he had no real desire to die. Grumbling aside, none of them dared venture outside.
As silence returned to the bunker, the three soldiers focused on the screens again, resuming their monotonous yet vital vigil.
For nearly a decade, this underground existence had been their reality—a life of constant dread, eventually giving way to numb despair. They remained, unwilling to risk exposure to the deadly, unseen predators above.
Their fear of the silent killers, the spectre, kept them trapped, their lives hanging by a thread.
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