Interstellar Survival: Invasion

”Bob ’s upgrade has been completed.
We can start the infiltration mission, ” said Temo.

”Commander, are we not going to try to contact Carter to see if we can get his help? ” asked Baron Sisse.

”Even if we managed to contact Carter, their battleships won ’t be able to go through the defensive perimeter around Pluto.
We don ’t have the time to keep waiting.
We need to look for the great sovereign of Planet Wisdom as soon as possible.
Dodo will send our action plan to Carter with secret codes.
That will have to do, ” said Zhang Xingxing.

”Don ’t even bother sending the secret message.
This is the headquarters of the robotic army.
It will be troublesome if our message is intercepted.
I suggest we move out immediately.
Don ’t put any hope on external reinforcements.
If help is really coming, we can make use of it during our retreat instead, ” I said.

Perhaps she was also worried about any mishaps.
Zhang Xingxing ultimately agreed with my suggestion.
However, she still had Dodo prepare the message in our emergency channel.
In case we failed the mission, the system would automatically send the message out.

At that point, Bob had left the upgrade room while complaining non-stop.
Zhang Xingxing hurriedly gave both Dodo and Bob a detailed action plan for the infiltration mission.
Since we had no idea where the great sovereign was, the two robots would have to act according to their own judgment after entering the city.

During the upgrading process, Temo had installed the robotic language of Black King on both Dodo and Bob.
Dodo had lived on Black King for about a year as well, so they were rather familiar with the empire ’s numerous systems.
After all the preparations were completed, Temo gave the two brave robots a small shuttle and had them join the other shuttles entering the city.

This was an extremely risky mission.
Nobody could guarantee that this city would work the same as the Black King Base.
However, Temo analyzed that the city on Pluto was built in a rush, so the empire was unlikely to have the time to design a completely new defensive system.
Thus, he decided to gamble on Pluto ’s base being similar to Black King Base.

”Dodo, prioritize your safety.
If anything goes wrong, retreat, ” reminded Dondon.

”Don ’t worry.
I ’ll try my best to complete the mission, ” said Dodo with the tone of a determined warrior facing death.

Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.

Perhaps it was because Zhang Xingxing was very convincing, but Bob stopped complaining after hearing the plan from her and silently followed Dodo into the shuttle.
With a final nod to us, they took off in the shuttle and flew toward the city in the sky.

A large group of transport ships happened to also be heading toward the city.
The shuttle manned by Dodo and Bob joined the convoy and followed them toward the line waiting to enter the city.

Gazing at the departing ship, I suddenly said, ”Should we do something to help them? This just feels like sending a lamb into a tiger ’s den. ”

”Canyue, what do you have in mind? ” asked Zhang Bao ’er.

”Should we create some chaos to make it easier for them to sneak through? ” I said.

”Can you elaborate? ” asked Zhang Xingxing.

”Do you see the changes on the ground? According to our laser scans, the super virus is altering Pluto ’s surface terrain.
The empire had definitely built their base so high up to avoid the threat of the super virus.
Look at those pillars.
They are the sole connection between the city and the ground.
If the super virus attacked the pillars, they would be distracted, ” I said.

”Good idea.
What are we waiting for? Let ’s do it.
Those two are going to face inspection soon, ” said Zhang Bao ’er in excitement.

”That ’s not a good idea.
To attract the super virus, the light wall protecting the pillars must be pierced.
That means we need to go down into the darkness.
We can ’t accurately judge the safe altitude where we can still attract the super virus, ” said Baron Sisse.
He was experienced enough that he saw through the issue of the plan immediately.

”The fiend once told me that the super virus can ’t attack in the sky.
Since our robotic friends are willing to take the risk for us, it is now our turn to take a risk for them, ” I said.

”But doing so does not fit the league ’s doctrine of optimal selection, ” replied Baron Sisse unyieldingly.

”Ignore the so-called doctrine.
We have never been the ones to strictly follow the league ’s doctrine, ” I replied.
The baron ’s words had reminded us of some unhappy memories.

I looked at Zhang Xingxing and received an encouraging look in return.

The moment Zhang Xingxing hinted her approval with her eyes, I ordered Temo, ”We ’re running out of options.
I believe that using Markus to create a disturbance and provide cover for Bob and Dodo is our best choice.
Temo, bring the ship lower and pick a suitable position to start attacking. ”

Surprisingly, Temo did not argue and immediately brought the ship down into the storm.
We were no longer that far away from the light wall.
According to our scans, we were descending three kilometers away from the light wall.
Temo had the ship enter invisible mode and turned off all light sources in the ship.
We relied only on laser scans to navigate.

We were surrounded by darkness, and the only sound we could hear was the hiss of the wind outside.
Our system indicated that the temperature outside was as low as negative 235 degrees.
That was an extremely harsh environment, but it was optimal for the super virus.

Soon, Markus was less than one kilometer from the ground.
We were probably low enough that we could attract the super virus ’s attention if we created an opening in the light wall.

”Commander, our shuttle is reaching the checkpoint soon, ” Dodo reported.

”Dodo, try to delay your approach.
A few minutes later, we will attack the pillars below the city and create a disturbance.
Use the chaos to get through the defensive perimeter.
As a precaution, stay clear of the communication channel unless absolutely necessary, ” ordered Zhang Xingxing.

Suddenly, our system indicated that on the ground right below Markus, intense movements had been detected.
According to our laser scans, the entire ground was turning like waves, and the terrain was changing rapidly.

”Weird.
If Pluto has such violent tectonic movements, why does the planet look so stable and unchanging from the satellite images? Look at that, even a mountain is being turned over.
The satellite images have never captured something like this, ” said Kelly.

Through the system, we could clearly see the intense changes below us.
The ground was even rising to a height of hundreds of meters in the air.
The sight of the intense ground movement combined with the violent storm around us gave us the feeling that we had arrived at hell.

”This doesn ’t look like tectonic movement.
If a planet has such violent tectonic movements, the planet is probably near destruction, ” Temo remarked.

”If this is not tectonic movement, then something must be wrong with your ship ’s scanners.
I thought this was an advanced ship. ” Domo sneered.

”If you ’re unhappy with my ship, feel free to leave.
The airlock is over there.
Nobody is stopping you, ” replied Temo coldly.

Taking the terrifying storm outside into consideration, Domo shut his mouth.

”Temo, if these are not tectonic movements, why are the scans displaying such intense changes on the ground? ” I asked curiously.

”I believe these movements are real, but they are simply not tectonic movements.
Rather, they are movements of the super virus.
You have been looking at the super virus ’s body, ” said Temo, offering an extremely shocking theory.

”What? Something so big is a single life form? How can a life form grow to such a size? ” asked Zhang Bao ’er in shock.
He found Temo ’s explanation hard to believe.

”It is not impossible for unknown life forms to grow to excessive sizes.
We have all seen Jupiter II.
Is that a small life form? But if this super virus is a single-celled organism, then this cell is really excessively big, ” said Zhang Xingxing.

”Exactly.
If this is really the super virus, then it could very well be the biggest cell in the universe, ” said Kelly.

”While we can ’t be sure that this is the absolute biggest cell in the universe, we can be sure that it is definitely the biggest known cell in the universe, ” said Old Du.

”From my observations, this monster can move around 100 meters into the air.
I suggest damaging the light wall at an altitude of 100 meters from the ground.
Temo, start the attack.
Dodo and Bob are going to be inspected soon.
We don ’t have much time, ” I said, bringing everyone ’s attention back to the mission.

”Temo, get started.
Are there any weapons on Markus that can hide the source of the attack? ” asked Zhang Xingxing.

Temo did not answer.
Rather, he rapidly worked on the control desk.
A small drone could be seen separating from the ship.
It flew toward the light wall.