"."
Hearing Sui Meng's question, Halsey said nothing more and simply turned her gaze to Cortana at her side.
A single exchange of looks was enough to convey all necessary instructions.
Cortana's blue hologram dipped her head slightly, and her focus snapped back to the massive holo star map at the control room's center.
Her hands moved gracefully in the air, like a master conductor directing a symphony composed of vast monitoring data.
Uncounted strands of softly glowing information streamed around her, interweaving, filtering, and comparing, forming a splendid waterfall of data.
At the same time, her voice filled the control room, narrating in sync with each step of her operation to ensure everyone present could follow the logic behind the complex analysis:
"Prioritizing retrieval of all recorded datastreams within the pulse's effective coverage.
Filter parameters: emphasize natural energy fluctuation peaks not attributable to background radiation sources, anomalous gravitational disturbances, micro-scale spatial wrinkling beyond known physical models, and any residual information radiation bearing the characteristics of a sapient civilization."
Her operating speed exceeded common comprehension. Information on the star map shifted like tidewater. Constellation tracings brightened and dimmed. Light points representing different energy levels and signal types flickered like fireflies on a summer night.
"Initial wide-area screening complete. Based on anomalous signal intensity, duration, and spatial distribution patterns, seventeen high-value system coordinates have been tagged with signatures indicating either advanced-civilization ruins or persistent anomalous energy residues."
As she spoke, she highlighted several coordinates with the strongest signal characteristics in striking blue, then quickly pulled related items from the intelligence database—decrypted cores from the Earth Federation and the Unification Church's internal repositories, as well as captured classified files—for rapid cross-matching and correlation.
"According to the Earth Federation's highest-level, top secret dossier 'Prometheus Project,' final volume, and the Unification Church's bishop-and-above 'Relic Provenance' core documentation…"
Cortana integrated shards of information from different origins as she articulated clearly to Sui Meng, Halsey, and the others:
"One high-priority coordinate repeatedly mentioned—and exceptionally strong in signal—lies in a dim region at the edge of the Pegasus Nebula, marked by early Federation explorers as the planet Tavorantis.
Current remote spectra and gravimetric scans indicate a world about 1.3 times Earth's size, an ocean planet sealed beneath a global ice shell with an average thickness exceeding five kilometers; a vast liquid ocean likely exists beneath the ice.
There, under the frozen abyss, another, even more ancient 'Primordial Marker' appears to be sleeping."
She deftly brought up relevant archival text excerpts, enhanced deep-space imagery, and scattered log entries recording anomalous gravity and energy radiation from the world.
"A rather ironic fact is that the Federation's official knowledge system harbored a massive, possibly fatal bias."
Cortana's tone was even, but her content provoked thought. "Based on incomplete information, they long believed the Markers were created by the 'Tavorantins,' an ancient advanced civilization.
Records show the Federation poured enormous resources into exploiting three imperfect red Markers they possessed or had replicated. Using a faint quantum entanglement between those and the Earth's Primordial Marker, they attempted a complex triangulation and finally locked onto distant Tavorantis."
Cortana traded a quick glance with Halsey. The latter nodded slightly, signaling she could proceed with deeper, bolder inferences based on the present intelligence fragments and logic chain.
Cortana's projection flickered subtly, as if her core was running full-bore to process a flood of possibilities:
"Reading the records in context, and combining them with Marker properties we have confirmed through combat and analysis—namely psychic contamination, distortion of lifeforms, and a final vector toward 'aggregation'—we can construct a highly credible tragic-civilization model.
The Tavorantis civilization—likely brilliant in its time—also discovered the Marker at some point.
They were likely seduced by its facade, or by a misunderstood prospect of 'limitless energy,' and tried to use that unknown power to solve energy crises or other existential dilemmas in their development.
The reckless act culminated in a catastrophic, uncontrollable corpse-mutant outbreak. Their proud social structures and military power crumbled swiftly under internal attack.
A very few Tavorantins may have taken an extreme, desperate final measure to prevent the Marker-guided 'aggregation' ritual from completing.
From the files' oblique references to a 'rapid global freeze,' they may indeed have succeeded at the last moment—by a self-destructive means—locking the entire world, and the threat upon it, in ice, at the terrible cost of their civilization's total extinction."
When Cortana's coherent, rigorous account ended, Sui Meng crossed his arms, metal fingertips tapping lightly on his vambrace. He pondered for a beat, then rendered judgment:
"Whether or not Tavorantis is the direct origin of those who created the Markers, the world itself—having made deep contact with a Marker and brought about the annihilation of an advanced interstellar civilization—is an extreme sample of immeasurable archaeological and threat-assessment value.
Since the Earth Federation and the Unification Church invested resources there, they surely left a trove of original research records, environmental logs, and perhaps physical evidence—either intentionally archived or abandoned due to sudden events.
Dispatch an elite reconnaissance unit with multidisciplinary experts to conduct an initial survey of the system. It may help us extract critical information on the Marker's essence, mechanisms, and clues to the force behind it.
That's far more efficient than blind searching across the Galaxy."
"Fully agree with your assessment." Halsey nodded, approval in her eyes and the gleam of scientific hunger. "It's likely a node rich in lost knowledge—perhaps preserving first-hand material on resisting the Marker that other civilizations, later devoured by the blood moons, never left behind."
Just then, Cortana appeared to complete another deep, parallel analysis.
She manipulated the star map again and tagged several more coordinates scattered across different arms—seemingly unrelated—with a striking, warning-tinged amber.
When she spoke again, a hint of doubt touched her tone:
"One more potential situation to report, Lord Primarch, Doctor. In deep analysis of the Grand Device's pulse-wave propagation telemetry across the full span of space, our sensor web captured a subtle but unmistakable anomaly—
When the pulse's leading edge reached and transited these specific systems, its spectral signature exhibited asymmetric attenuation and characteristic frequency distortion.
This effect can be preliminarily categorized as the pulse encountering some unknown, localized 'interference' or 'modulation' during propagation."
She brought up more detailed, magnified waveform comparisons—placing smooth traces from normal propagation alongside traces with faint burrs and troughs after transiting these systems.
"By our current models, in near-perfect vacuum without massive gravity wells or special spacetime structures—such as wormholes or spacetime foam—the Device's pulse propagation should remain highly intact. It should not display this kind of directed phenomenon.
I have preliminarily excluded likely natural confounders within these systems—known pulsars, black hole accretion disks, dark-matter clouds, and so on.
So for now I cannot determine whether this is an unrecorded cosmic natural phenomenon—say, a unique interstellar medium distribution—or
whether it implies these systems harbor environments or naturally occurring fields capable—by mechanisms or techniques unknown to us—of faintly influencing or even 'filtering' the Device's pulse; or, more intriguingly, traces of activity by some sapient entity."
The unexpected finding dropped like a stone on calm water.
It suggested that in this universe, newly "cleared," secrets still lurked—unknown and perhaps unnoticed.
"."
At that, Sui Meng's gaze flicked quickly between the amber-marked system coordinates and Tavorantis, and his decision was made.
He turned to Halsey and Cortana. "We can't ignore any potential lead. Cortana, sync these systems with interference signals to the Diwuzu Legion."
Then to Wu Ji: "Order the 3rd, 7th, and 9th Companies to each detach a rapid-reaction flotilla built around a cruiser with destroyers and scout craft. Send them to these three systems for initial reconnaissance.
Priority: covert observation; gather environmental data; assess the nature of the anomalous sources; avoid contact with unknown forces unless necessary.
Report immediately on any discoveries. No unauthorized action."
He paused, fixing on the coordinate for Tavorantis, where the more direct, critical knowledge likely lay.
"As for Tavorantis," he said, weight in his voice, "I'll personally lead my battle group there.
Our objective is a thorough sweep: recover all Federation research archives and experimental data, and any physical evidence linked to the Marker.
We must learn what the Tavorantis discovered, and what caused their end. It might reveal deeper secrets behind the Marker."
The moment he finished, Halsey stepped forward, eyes sparkling with a near-childlike curiosity and a top scholar's unyielding insistence:
"Then you will count me in on this dig, child.
Faced with the remains of a likely unfamiliar ancient civilization—and whatever mess the Federation left—you need the best scientific mind onsite to make the calls.
Deciphering nonstandard information carriers, analyzing unknown tech artifacts—those aren't problems you solve with bolters and power armor."
Her tone carried a natural confidence. In archaeology and reverse engineering, she was unmatched in the Empire.
Sui Meng had no objection. He nodded slightly:
"Of course, Doctor. Your expertise is key to this operation.
We'll need you to decode what the Tavorantins left and evaluate the Federation's research. Wu Ji, coordinate arrangements. Ensure Dr. Halsey's safety and research needs receive top priority aboard the fleet."
"Directive acknowledged, Lord Primarch." Wu Ji's projection bowed slightly. "The battle group is entering pre-departure readiness. Dr. Halsey's dedicated lab and secure quarters are undergoing initial calibration aboard the Renwei Yonggu."
Hours later, the Tavorantis system.
It was a dead, frozen space, as if even starlight had iced over.
A feeble, elderly red dwarf dimly lit its system, providing a meager trickle of heat.
At the focus lay the world called Tavorantis.
It was a realm ruled by absolute cold. The vast planetary surface was covered in endless white ice plains stretching to every horizon, with ice thick enough to bury mountains.
Colossal glaciers like twisted scars scored the surface, reflecting the star's light and making the world look like a rough-hewn, giant frozen marble.
There was little sign of cloud movement, no shimmer of open water—only ancient stillness.
More chilling still was a massive husk floating in Tavorantis's orbit.
It was a twisted, utterly dead "flesh" celestial body—a blood moon's remains.
What once may have writhed and radiated baleful power now looked drained of all life and color, a dull, withered dark brown. Its surface was scored with dry, riverbed-like cracks and impact craters.
It hung there like a giant beast's carcass nailed in a cosmic graveyard, wordlessly telling of the terror that had come—and of the final, ultimate purgation wrought by the Grand Device.
The system was a civilization's cemetery—heavy with ill-omened past.
In that hush, space near Tavorantis buckled violently.
Reality's fabric tore like cloth under an irresistible force, opening a vast rift that flickered with energy arcs.
The Imperial-class flagship Renwei Yonggu's prow emerged first, sliding from the tear, followed by a dozen smaller ships that, set against Dead Space's fleets, were still colossal.
This compact elite fleet, with the Renwei Yonggu at its heart, plunged into the gravesite like a flood of steel, its killing aura a stark contrast to the starfield's deathly quiet.
Maintaining a rigorous guard formation and adjusting posture, the fleet began to orbit the frozen dead world—examining it like an ancient coffin—ready to unveil secrets it had hidden for countless ages.
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.