Chapter 48 - "He was Just a Little Mushroom."
"Lu Feng!"
Hubbard shouted. He saw Lu Feng's fingers press downon the edge of the cabin door until they turned a bloodless white.
The slightly lowered eyelashes and blank expression seemed to strive to conceal their master's outburst, but the trembling fingers already revealed the entire truth.
Amidst the all-encompassing sea of flames, his voice was hoarse, yet still calm and forceful as he said, "Prepare to attack."
Unexpectedly, the attack was by no means difficult.
In that instant, the monsters' attacks seemed to have slowed greatly. It was as though they had stopped persistently and madly attacking people in search of something, and were just carrying out an ordinary hunt instead.
Amidst this ordinary hunt, some monsters turned aroundand went in the direction of the Abyss, while others continued attacking the research institute. Of the monsters that had already entered the research institute, more than half of them were killed by the Simpson cage. Then the Simpson cage ran out of power and gradually went out, but the research institute began its counterattack and effectively resisted the monsters' offensive.
As for the monsters in the periphery, they were solidly blocked off outside the line of defense by the PL1109's micro nuclear bombs and heavy weapons—this was the wilderness, so apart from the tiny courtyard on themountaintop, there was no need to hold back for fear of harming innocents. Just like the time when they flew abovethe vast flatlands of the Underground City Base, the fighter fleet was truly fulfilling its role here.
The monsters inside were gradually wiped out.
The heavy weapons had built up an insurmountable and smoky line of defense around the research institute. The monsters of the Abyss naturally had noteworthy intelligence. After doing a little thinking, the monsters in the back turned around, retreating in the face of unfavorable odds.
Their arrival was as abruptly tempestuous as a tsunami, and their departure was like the tide slowly receding. Atop this sorrowful mountain peak, two hours later, all was still.
Red, white, all sorts of liquids covered the open space in front of the research institute. At noon, when the sunlight was at its most glaring, the bloodstains glistened.
The PL1109 slowly landed. The human military officers paid Pauli Jones a visit at the white building.
Seemingly bearing no feelings of animosity resulting from the differences between humans and xenogenics, they eagerly asked what exactly had happened earlier. The Highland Research Institute likewise treated them as compatriots. After explaining the stable frequency, Pauli Jones, as the research institute's leader, thanked the Northern Base for its selfless aid.
"How is the base?" he finished by asking.
However, the response he got was silence.
In the suffocating silence, a voice suddenly came from the emergency communication channel.
"This is the Northern Base." Dr. Ji's voice was tremulous. "Hello. Requesting information on the situation."
"This is the Highland Research Institute. Hello," Pauli said.
"The Northern Base... The monsters are falling back." Amidst the crackle of static, Dr. Ji's voice was hoarse. "The people of the base have retreated to the Magnetic FieldCenter's core laboratory. The number of survivors... is 342, and 136 are seriously injured."
"Air strikes are ineffective, and thermonuclear weapons cannot be used. Requesting light weapons and troops." He gasped heavily for breath, as though he were suppressing something. "The monsters are no longer madly attacking humans, but they still have not given up on taking surviving humans as their prey. We... we are still desperately holding the core laboratory's line of defense..."
Pauli stared silently at the blank screen.
"Are you hurt?" he finally asked.
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Amidst Dr. Ji's formulaic tone, his voice finally took on an additional tremor of emotion. "I'm hurt, Mr. Pauli. We've never met, but..."
He didn't finish his sentence. After a hurried gasp for breath, however, he changed the topic. "I have served the base for twenty years and pride myself on my outstanding intellect, but I have not helped the base achieve any breakthroughs whatsoever, Mr. Pauli."
"In the past, I've heard the people of the Northern Base say that you presided over the research and development of the genetic examination instrument. Now, they say thatyou've extracted a stable solution, which may be why the artificial magnetic pole still has yet to malfunction amidst today's storm of distortion."
"Thank... thank you," Dr. Ji said. "We will defend the magnetic pole until the final moment. But please also... prepare for the magnetic field to disappear... Please... please take care of yourselves."
What followed were only the sounds of disordered breathing.
Amidst the intermittent static, background noise, commands, gunshots, screams, and the sounds of goods being toppled and walls collapsing faintly came through.
It was silent within the Highland Research Institute.
At last, someone asked, "Then... will we still die?"
The PL1109 fleet had brought fire support, but it was limited after all. Supposing the Northern Base had already run out of strength to hold out and the magnetic field that enveloped the entire world still could not escape its destiny of vanishing, how many days would the Highland Research Institute be able to last? There had been endless sacrifices and a stable frequency, but there was still no hope for survival.
Humankind's aspirations were still the full moon in the water.
Nobody replied.
In the deathly silence, the atmosphere was a lump of congealed rotted flesh.
Someone laughed softly, and it was like a knife sliding across the frozen rotted flesh and opening up a mocking cut.
But amidst this deathly stillness, the hissing static suddenly paused, and another unfamiliar voice came through.
"Hello." The other party's pronunciation was choppy, so the syllables could only be distinguished with difficulty.
"My deepest apologies. Our instruments broke down, so we were unable to successfully send anything to the emergency communication channel until now. This is the Underground City Base's command center."
The air was stagnant.
"This is the Highland Research Institute," Pauli replied. "How is the status of the Underground City Base?"
"Everything is well at the Underground City Base," the other party said. "After the collective monster attack two months ago, the base closed its ground entrance and adopted a full blockade mode. Today, the flatland was arrive at the Northern Base in half an hour to render assistance."
He said, "Northern Base, please persevere for thirty minutes."
There was a noise that sounded like something sliding to the floor. Afterward, the doctor's voice came through, low but very resolute.
"It will be done."
———
Pauli Jones's voice came through the communication channel.
"The stable frequency has covered the entire world," he said. "Please do not worry about substances distorting."
"Roger." The Underground City Base's operator held back the excitement in his voice. "Although we do not know what you did—thank God, and thank you."
Information kept coming.
"The Northern Base is continuing to defend," a young voice said. It seemed as though someone else had taken Dr. Ji's communicator.
Then came information from the Underground City Base.
"The transport plane fleet has landed."
"To the Northern Base's survivors, please indicate your location."
"Commence the breakout."
In the end, they scooped out the full moon in the water.
The sun rose bit by bit. Amidst the howling cold wind, the winter sunlight was glaring and devoid of any warmth. On the test tube racks, glass sparkled. In the still atmosphere, there seemed to be the sound of one heartbeat after another.
Original residents, newcomers, xenogenics, military officers—they kept watch in front of the communication channel, waiting for information on the Underground City Base's assistance and the Northern Base's condition. Even the vine that had always been guarding the research institute extended a single tendril through the window.
They also occasionally whispered to each other.
"How many of ours have died?"
"Uncle Shu died. His body is downstairs."
"What about Tang Lan?"
"Haven't seen him."
The breakout and counterattack had begun. Nobodyreported on the situation through the communication channel, so everyone held their breaths as they waited.
Amidst this silent tension, Pauli Jones got up from in front of the computer.
Because of his age or his emotions, his footsteps were somewhat faltering. With a creak, he pushed the door open, and what he looked at first was the extinguished Simpson Cage—blood and bodies were everywhere outside of it, but the interior of the Simpson cage was spotless. Then he turned his gaze forward.
Outside the laboratory door, the black figure who had been leaning against the wall slowly lifted his head as well.
Those eyes seemed utterly vacant, age-old layers of ice covering a green ocean.
They only needed to meet to know who the other was.
Pauli Jones's gray-blue eyes were filled with grief.
"Child," he said gently.
Lu Feng did not respond to him, but his gaze traveled downward to settle on the sheet of white paper that Pauli Jones was holding in his hand.
Pauli's fingers trembled as he held the paper out. On the paper were several hastily scribbled lines. An Zhe's writing could not be described as beautiful. All of his strokes were plain and simple, so clear as to be reminiscent of a lake in springtime.
"Pauli, thank you for looking after me. I am the Northern Base's inert sample. Perhaps my frequency will be of help to you, but if not, I'm sorry.
P.S. Please be sure to remember our agreement."
"Was he really that inert sample?" Pauli Jones asked.
"The sample was a part of him." Lu Feng took the snow-white slip of paper, and his voice was slightly hoarse as he said, "What was your agreement?"
"If there came a day when the Arbiter of the Northern Base arrives..." Pauli said, "I should say that An Zhe left of his own will."
The rims of Lu Feng's eyes reddened slightly.
From behind him came the sound of heavy footsteps, which belonged to a dark-skinned Indian man.
Holding An Zhe's backpack in his hands, Rum silently held it out to Lu Feng.
Inside it, a few objects had been neatly packed.
A copy of Base Monthly, a silver four-pointed star badge, and a black pistol.
Lu Feng gripped the edges of the backpack. He bowed his head and stared at the contents within, his expression difficult to make out.
"He was brought here from the Abyss by our people...
He was a good child, and he led a good life here," Pauli murmured while looking at him. "I know that the base could not accept him. Did you know this entire time he was here?"
Lu Feng's gaze finally shifted from the backpack to Pauli
Jones.
"I didn't know," he said.
The expression on Pauli Jones's face trembled violently, and he closed his eyes in anguish.
"I am deeply sorry," he said.
Their unexpected reunion was their final parting. It turned out that this sort of icy torture existed as well.
The bitterly cold wind blew through the mountain peak.
After a long silence, Lu Feng asked, "Where is he?"
"The Simpson cage is a high-energy force field and collider. Any matter that enters it will be bombarded and disintegrated into tiny pieces by its high-energy particle flow," Pauli said hoarsely. "I believe you saw for yourself."
The backpack thudded to the ground, and the muzzle of the gun rested against Pauli's temple.
Lu Feng stared at Pauli with an icy expression in his eyes.
"Where is he?" He repeated the question, articulating one syllable at a time. All of his emotions exploded at that moment, and his icy eyes contained a faint madness. He was like a convict who, despite having already been sentenced to death, still wanted to repeatedly confirm his sentence.
A sorrowful smile appeared on Pauli's lips, and he looked up at the limitless distant sky with his loving gaze. He was fully aware that what this man before him needed was only a white lie, even though they both understood everything.
"His frequency has been sent out to the entire world. He will deliver everything from the distortion," Pauli Jonessaid. "He's right by your side. There's no place where he isn't present."
Lu Feng only looked at him in the same manner as before, and they remained in that stalemate until Lu Feng's fingers shakily loosened and the pistol clattered to theground. With a "bang," it struck the corridor's iron railing and triggered a drawn-out metallic hum.
"My apologies," Lu Feng said hoarsely. "I..."
He closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and did not finish his sentence.
"There's no need to be like this." Pauli looked at him with a tender gaze. "You can shoot me or vent your feelings however you please, child."
"Thank you," Lu Feng said hoarsely. "If he is still around, I will."
That was the most calm yet despairing sentence Pauli Jones had ever heard.
In that manner, they stood side by side in the late-wintercorridor, all the way until the blood-like setting sun dyed the mountains and the Abyss and until the communication channel's volume was turned up inside the laboratory.
Amidst the static, there came excited shouts.
"They're falling back—they've fallen back!"
"The tide of beasts is dispersing."
"The breakthrough succeeded."
From the channel, the cheers of victory rang out. The fragmented scraps of celebration were mixed with bits of information, such as how the Underground City Base's paratrooper unit sacrificed more than six hundred people, how the Northern Base's actual number of survivors was a hundred or so, or how people were eagerly asking why the distortions were no longer occurring and what exactly had happened at the Highland Research Institute.
Grief and joy overlapped little by little, despair and hope existing together. Everything was fortunate, and everything had its price.
The sacrifice of countless people, the sacrifice of one person.
A trickle of tears flowed slowly from the corners of Pauli Jones's eyes.
Suddenly, a mass of white floated down from Lu Feng's shoulder, drifted on the wind to land on Pauli's clothes, and extended soft hyphae to touch him with.
"What is this?" Pauli asked as he held it.
"The inert sample," Lu Feng said. "The thing most important to him."
Pauli Jones naturally knew who Lu Feng was referring to. Between the two of them, there was only one "him."
He stared at the hyphae, then reached out to touch it, and the hyphae gently wrapped around his finger. Pauli asked softly, "Why did it approach me of its own accord?"
Lu Feng said, "I don't know."
"This is an asexual spore, a fungus's propagule." Pauli Jones had a slightly stunned look in his eyes. "He never told us what species he belonged to. So he was a—"
While looking at the spore, Lu Feng murmured, "He was a mushroom."
His voice was hoarse, but it seemed to contain endless compassion and tenderness. "He was just a... little mushroom."