"They... seem to be able to feel us?" Rebecca whispered in surprise to Dorio.
Dorio nodded, signaling her to step back. "The report mentioned a global consciousness network. These individuals are clearly part of that network. Our presence, to them, is like a stone cast into a calm lake."
Shinji Ikari, Asuka, and Rei Ayanami were also assigned tasks—assisting in recording the surrounding environment and biological forms. Shinji held a data pad, carefully photographing various peculiar plants and insects. His movements were gentle, as if afraid of disturbing them. Asuka was more interested in the flying creatures; she adjusted the telescope function of her data pad, tracking several "Woodsprites" or jellyfish-like organisms playing among the canopy, attempting to analyze their flight paths and swarm behavior patterns.
Rei Ayanami sat quietly on a rock covered in bioluminescent moss. Her gaze was not focused on any specific object; instead, she seemed to be sensing the omnipresent, subtle bioelectric signal fluctuations. She rarely took the initiative to activate the recording function of her data pad, attempting to translate this blurred perception into a data stream.
"It feels... strange," Shinji whispered to Asuka after recording a cluster of crystal-clear mushrooms. "Everything here... seems to be alive, and... breathing."
Asuka set down her data pad and snorted. "It's just a lot of plants and animals. But... it's definitely more interesting than that gray metal at the base." She stretched, taking a deep breath of the flower-scented air. "At least I don't have to smell engine oil and disinfectant."
Rei suddenly spoke, her voice so light it was almost drowned out by the forest's background noise: "They are... whispering."
Asuka and Shinji both froze and looked at her.
"Whispering? Who is whispering?" Asuka asked.
Rei raised her finger, pointing gently to the interconnected glowing neural tendrils around them, then to the ground, and finally to the sky. "Them. All of them." A flash of unreadable emotion crossed her red eyes. "Many... voices. Mixed together. I don't understand."
Shinji instinctively tried to sense it too, but he could only feel the moisture in the air and the pulsating glow of the plants; he couldn't capture the abstract information as Rei did. Asuka frowned and tried to concentrate, but gained nothing.
Osiris (the second avatar) noticed the conversation. As the pilot who first achieved high synchronization with an EVA, Rei's mental perception was inherently different from ordinary humans; it was not surprising that her sensitivity to this biological consciousness field was higher than others. He issued an instruction to Rei via an encrypted channel: "Attempt to record the characteristics of the 'whispers' you perceive. Frequency, intensity, pattern changes. No need to understand the content, just record the data."
"Yes," Rei responded calmly, refocusing her attention on perception. The data pad began recording non-standard sensor data based on her subjective descriptions.
Just then, the motion sensors at the perimeter of the camp emitted a faint alarm. Everyone instantly entered a state of high alert. Maine made a gesture and moved forward silently with Dorio, using the dense vegetation as cover. The stealth field of Osiris's power armor activated, his massive frame becoming blurred where he stood. The EVA trio and Rebecca's group quickly retreated behind cover in the center of the camp.
Through the sensors and Maine's shared vision, they saw the bushes swaying not far away. Several figures cautiously poked their heads out. They were not human.
They stood nearly three meters tall, with slender blue bodies, golden eyes, and long tails. Their ears were pointed, their facial features sharp, and their bodies were painted with complex patterns using natural pigments. They held spears and bows made of bone, wood, and stone. Most striking were the long neural queues hanging behind their heads like braids, currently swaying slightly as if possessed of life.
They were the Na'vi.
These Na'vi were agile and alert. They had clearly discovered the exploration team's camp but showed no immediate intent to attack. They touched their neural queues together quickly, seemingly communicating silently. Their gazes swept over the camp's defenses, the strange instruments, and finally landed on the wreckage of the crashed aircraft across the stream. Their eyes showed complex emotions—sadness, anger, and a deep wariness.
The leading Na'vi, an exceptionally tall male wearing more bone ornaments, took a step forward. He raised his spear, but the tip did not point at the exploration team; instead, he pointed it toward the sky, then slowly traced a strange arc while emitting a melodious and rhythmic sequence of syllables.
He was attempting to communicate.
Osiris (the second avatar) quickly analyzed the other's body language and vocal frequencies. There was no obvious hostility, more like a tentative greeting or a warning.
"Everyone, maintain restraint. Do not make any threatening movements," Osiris's voice sounded in everyone's comms. "Maine, attempt non-verbal communication. Express that we have no hostile intent."
Following orders, Maine slowly stood up from behind cover. He hung his weapon on his back, spread his hands, and showed he was unarmed. Dorio performed the same action.
Seeing their actions, a flash of surprise crossed the golden eyes of the Na'vi leader. He emitted a few more syllables, his voice slowing down as if asking a question.
The first contact began in a delicate and tense atmosphere. The true masters of this planet had noticed these uninvited guests.
In the clearing before the temporary camp, Maine and Dorio spread their hands, expressing a non-hostile posture with slow, clear movements. The Na'vi squad, consisting of about six or seven individuals, remained vigilant, but the leader lowered his spear slightly. His golden eyes scanned Maine sharply, seemingly evaluating his intentions.
Osiris (the second avatar) hid under the stealth field, observing everything calmly. His sensors recorded every subtle movement of the Na'vi, their vocal frequencies, and the tiny fluctuations of those iconic neural queues. When they communicated, these queues would briefly touch those of their companions, clearly a vital method of their communication.
"They are exchanging information at high speeds through a biological neural network," Osiris reported to his main body via the consciousness link. "Its efficiency far exceeds speech. Preliminary judgment suggests this connection may share sensory information, emotions, and even memory fragments."