Mendel, nighttime.
Due to the emergency, the satellite's "Pseudo-Sun" had been adjusted to a special mode, illuminating the entire satellite as if it were daytime.
After several hours of emergency containment, the bio-leakage situation seemed to have improved, and the internal chaos within the satellite had somewhat subsided.
However, intense clashes between the Garrison and civilians erupted at the Spaceport.
Given the unique nature of the Mendel Satellite, the entire Spaceport was automatically sealed to prevent toxic substances, hazardous materials, or pathogens from being carried off-world. This triggered massive unrest.
Inside the Spaceport control room,
Several flustered Garrison members, drenched in sweat, shouted:
"Still no contact with Commander Watt? Where is he?"
"No luck. He took leave today—his wife is undergoing surgery."
"Where's the location?"
After a hesitant pause, the reply came: "Near the explosion and leakage site..."
"We can't wait any longer. Send personnel to pacify the crowd and dispatch distress signals to nearby stations for assistance!"
"Understood!"
The Garrison members sprang into action.
In a concealed underground safe house—a windowless 50-square-meter room—
Natarle stood behind Li Xin, one hand resting on the chair back as she watched the surveillance screens.
Under Li Xin's control, the screen split into ten smaller windows, each displaying footage from different locations.
"These are the only remaining cameras in the bio-leakage zone. Some were destroyed in the initial explosion, while others seem to have been damaged by something."
Natarle's eyes swept across the monitors until she pointed at one. "Zoom in here!"
A soft click of the keyboard enlarged the window to fill the 50-inch screen.
The image showed a thick, blood-colored vine, strikingly vivid, growing and spreading at a visible rate.
Li Xin manipulated the controls, and parameters appeared on the screen. After a moment, his face paled. "...20 meters long!?"
"What about its thickness?"
"About the size of a person..."
Natarle's expression turned grave. "Where is this camera located?"
Li Xin typed, and the display switched to a topographic map. "It appears to be near the target research institute."
After a moment's thought, Natarle said, "Focus on this plant. Its presence where it shouldn't be is a clear anomaly."
"Understood."
Soon, numerous surveillance feeds appeared, with a few selected and enlarged.
The screens showed blood-colored vines everywhere—bursting through shattered structures, creeping from ground fissures, emerging from sewers...
They writhed like serpents, some adorned with plump, diamond-shaped crimson leaves, others desiccated and blackened, twitching incessantly, while still others branched out like sprawling nets engulfing the ruins.
At that moment, Li Xin suddenly spoke: "They seem to be absorbing the leaked toxic substances. The toxic and hazardous gases in the research institute's air detection system are rapidly decreasing."
His expression relaxed: "It appears these plants are the institute's biological defense measures."
Natarle, however, remained completely vigilant, still frowning tightly: "Don't let your guard down. Ingesting this much toxic material isn't necessarily a good thing. Still no contact with Captain Zhao Qi's team?"
With a grim expression, Li Xin bit his lip: "No. There's some kind of strong interference on their end - completely unreachable."
Slender fingers tightened on the chairback as Natarle's gaze sharpened: "Find me a viable route through. I'll go assess the situation personally."
"What?!" Li Xin turned his head in surprise toward Natarle, then stood up, "I-I'll go with you!"
Pressing him back into his seat by the shoulder: "What would you accomplish? Focus on your own duties. I need your support here."
"But—"
Li Xin tried to protest, but one cold glance from Natarle silenced him immediately.
"Thank you."
With quiet gratitude, Li Xin operated the computer to accelerate information gathering.
Natarle methodically provided him with screening parameters.
Ten minutes later, they established a fast and reliable route.
"From now on, maintain uninterrupted phone and radio contact. I need you to locate the source of the signal interference."
"Understood."
"Where's the equipment room in the safe house?"
"Behind that door."
"I need to gear up."
"Take whatever you need."
Shortly after, Natarle emerged wearing a black combat uniform and carrying a QBZ-191-5 automatic rifle, ready to depart. "Badgiruel!" Li Xin stood and turned toward her, then bowed deeply, "Please help the Captain and the others, they—"
"Wasn't I brought along precisely as insurance?"
With those words, she turned and left.
"Thank you!"
One hour later, following Li Xin's real-time directions and constantly adjusting her route, Natarle successfully reached the vicinity of the target research institute.
Climbing to the top of a collapsed ruin, Natarle pulled down the goggles from her helmet. The built-in electronic telescope began magnifying the distant scene. The research institute area was in complete disarray - pristine white walls scorched black by fire, the main building collapsed into a heap of tangled wreckage. But to her surprise, Natarle discovered the explosion hadn't originated from the target institute, but from an adjacent building.
"So Captain Zhao Qi's team didn't cause the explosion? There are definitely others here."
Lifting her goggles, Natarle pressed her index finger to the earpiece: "Li Xin, what's the communication status?"
"No problems, clear reception."
Frowning: "The explosion came from a different research building. Captain Zhao Qi's survival chances are high. I'm moving in closer now - keep monitoring my surroundings."
"Roger!" Li Xin's voice carried excitement, "That's great! I knew—"
"Quiet!" Natarle snapped, "No unnecessary chatter during missions. Keep comms clean."
"Yes, yes..."
Descending from the ruined high ground, Natarle continued her approach. Rounding a corner, she suddenly encountered a blood-colored vine as thick as a fist.
As if sensing approaching movement, the vine writhed and began crawling toward Natarle like a snake.
Rat-tat-tat-tat
Raising her rifle, she fired. The blood-colored vine instantly burst apart, splattering blood-like sap in all directions.
Upon touching the ground, it sizzled and emitted a plume of blue smoke.
Natarle caught a pungent odor and immediately felt dizzy.
Reacting swiftly, she retrieved a black metal block hanging from her belt.
Pressing a button on its side, the metal block rapidly unfolded into a triangular shape.
She pressed it against her face, and with a faint whir of machinery, it tightly encased and secured half her face.
After several deep breaths, she inhaled a bitter special agent through the simple gas mask, and the dizziness instantly subsided.
Meanwhile, the shattered vine writhed on the spot like a decapitated snake, its wound splattering juice that evaporated into thick blue smoke in an instant.
Quickly stepping back, Natarle contacted Li Xin: "Log this: Red vine juice has strong anesthetic properties."
"...—, sss..."
Pausing in surprise, Natarle pulled out her phone—no signal.
She hurried back the way she came, and after about 20 meters, her phone regained signal as Li Xin's voice crackled through her earpiece: "Badgiruel! Respond if you receive! Badgiruel! Respond if you receive!"
"Received!"
A relieved sigh came from the other end: "Thank goodness! The signal cut out suddenly—gave me a scare."
Natarle gazed thoughtfully toward the direction of the vines.
"Check carefully—see if the interference correlates with the presence of vines."
"Got it, give me 30 seconds!"
Soon, Li Xin's excited voice returned: "Badgiruel, you were right. The signal interference is coming from the vines."
"Is it stronger with thicker or more numerous vines?"
"No, it's the leaves—the red leaves. The more leaves on the vines, the stronger the interference."
Hearing this, Natarle's expression darkened.
Li Xin marveled, "Incredible. Who'd have thought a life form could possess such an ability."
"You're right—life forms shouldn't have such targeted capabilities."
Li Xin's wonder cut short: "You're saying..."
"Whether it was originally a biological defense system or not, it certainly isn't one now."