Chapter 10

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 10: Biological Research Station

Mo Chuan saw their reactions and smiled helplessly. "To you, this seems absurd? To us, the future world is just as absurd." She sighed lightly, adding, "It’s like discovering that in your future thirty thousand years, humans are ruled by endangered gorillas."

That was mind-blowing. Luo Yu shook her head gently, needing a moment to process.

After the three of them digested what Mo Chuan had said, Luo Yu finally asked, "So, the two in our tail section are currently being isolated for observation?"

Mo Chuan nodded. "Yes, after your emergency landing early the day before yesterday, we detected abnormalities in the cabin. Considering the risks of gene invasion from outer time, we relocated them. I’ve been waiting for the genetic sequencing results, which is why I didn’t explain this situation to you earlier."

After hearing Mo Chuan’s explanation, they finally understood that the locals considered the presence of "invasive species" on the spaceship, so they had enforced strict isolation on the two from the tail section while also scanning their memories to determine the purpose of their arrival. This was to ensure that these extraterrestrial guests wouldn’t harm the local ecological environment.

If viewed this way, the locals had been rather considerate towards the three of them. Luo Yu exchanged glances with Zhu Huai and Ying Zhao, signaling them not to ask too many questions and to patiently wait for Mo Chuan to finish detailing today’s arrangements.

"Actually, I shouldn’t have told you this so early. The Biological Research Station still has some blood tests to complete," Mo Chuan said, looking seriously at the three of them. "But one of the conditions is quite serious, and it probably won’t last through the day. Considering they are essentially your colleagues, I believe you have the right to know. So, I held a brief meeting this morning, and the elders agreed to let me take you to see them."

The three exchanged glances again. They had suspected this situation yesterday, and now being able to personally verify the whereabouts of the two trainee members would at least allow them to analyze the impending developments further.

"Alright, thank you for taking us to see them, Professor," Luo Yu readily agreed.

"Um…" Zhu Huai hesitantly raised her hand, like a student wanting to ask a question. "Do all three of us have to go? I still want to check the recovery panel on the control panel in the hangar…"

Before she could finish, Mo Chuan smiled and answered, "I know the control panel was repaired yesterday, and the sky curtain won’t malfunction. Since the main issue has been resolved, we can look into other minor problems later. I suggest all three of you join me for a trip to the Biological Research Station."

Zhu Huai pressed her lips together, recognizing this familiar gentle and polite demeanor. Not wanting to resist, she smiled quickly, "Alright, let’s go together; we’ll follow your arrangements, Professor."

Mo Chuan nodded, picking up the detection dog she had placed on the round table earlier. "This little guy ran out of battery while I was playing with it. It says it must connect to the power supply on the time capsule control panel, or there’s a risk of data loss. So, we’ll first swing by the hangar and then head to the research station."

They followed Mo Chuan out of the ninth cliff dwelling, following a familiar route to the hangar where the Shan Hai Jing was parked. Zhu Huai placed the detection dog back on the control panel’s base, automatically connecting the power, and a green light indicated it was charging.

As they exited the operation room and passed by the Shan Hai Jing, Mo Chuan stopped. "You have something in your cabin that I’d like to take with us today," she said, tapping the cabin of the Shan Hai Jing. She turned to Luo Yu, "According to our latest detailed scans, there is biological information and seawater components in this area. Did you equip a biological sample library here?"

To think that could even be scanned, Luo Yu was momentarily taken aback. All spacecraft from the Space Administration were equipped with a global biological sample library, containing samples of thirty thousand representative plant and animal species and a small vial of seawater. This was designed to respond to potential civilizational crises.

"Yes, it contains biological and seawater samples," Luo Yu replied truthfully. She was becoming increasingly curious about how humanity had evolved and wanted to see what Mo Chuan’s "Biological Research Station" could uncover.

Mo Chuan was satisfied with this honest answer. "I believe this will greatly assist us in our subsequent investigation. Please retrieve it; we will analyze it at the research station."

Without saying more, Luo Yu opened the cabin door and walked inside. In a moment, she returned, carrying a black box and handing it to Mo Chuan. "It’s all here."

Mo Chuan took it, examined it closely, and simply smiled, saying "Good." She then carried the box, turned, and led the three out of the hangar.

Outside, a spacecraft waited for them on the helipad. Just like when they returned from the riverside, the four lined up in two rows to board.

The Biological Research Station was farther from here than the riverside. This time, they did not fly at low altitude as before, but quickly ascended into the clouds after takeoff. After flying for over half an hour, they began to descend slowly. Ten minutes later, the aircraft gently hovered over a wide lake.

"Alright, everyone, we’re going to drop into the lake now. Don’t be nervous; we’ll take a shortcut underwater and reach quickly," Mo Chuan said just as the aircraft’s cockpit announced, "Oxygen infusion complete. Preparing to dive." The wings quickly folded, and the entire aircraft silently sank into the lake.

Once completely submerged, they turned to see a school of colorful small fish swimming by, almost at face level. This thrilled Zhu Huai and Ying Zhao in the back row, who leaned back and forth between the two windows, peeping excitedly.

Luo Yu turned to look silently out the window. The scene was reminiscent of visiting an aquarium and evoked some childhood memories. She was unsure what moment sparked her thoughts, but suddenly felt a sense of melancholy at the bottom of this deep lake.

As the aircraft continued to descend, the color of the lake water darkened. After descending for a while, the aircraft began to steer and move forward, entering an underwater tunnel. The scene outside the window started to feel oppressive, and the air temperature noticeably dropped.

Luo Yu sensed her clothes tightening slightly. They were all wearing the self-cleaning constant temperature suits they had put on after waking up. She recalled that a nurse had introduced it earlier; this fabric felt thicker and snugger now, indicating that the temperature control function was active.

"We’re almost there. The Biological Research Station is equipped with many large detection instruments. These machines dislike heat and cold, and they require very specific humidity levels. That’s why the research station was built near this underground river, where the temperature and humidity are relatively stable year-round," Mo Chuan explained leisurely. While she spoke, the aircraft passed through the narrow tunnel and surfaced. They could now see a gently sloping ground ahead and a massive entrance to an underground cavern through the window.

The aircraft landed on the platform and came to a smooth stop. The three of them followed Mo Chuan out and saw a robot waiting for them.

"Hello, the station master is waiting for you."

Mo Chuan responded with an "Hmm," gesturing for the three to follow. She then walked alongside the robot, easily leading them inside.

The entrance to this cave looked naturally formed. After walking about two hundred steps, they arrived at an artificially constructed corridor. They passed through three identity verification barriers and officially entered the Biological Research Station.

As they moved deeper, the space became wider and brighter, with more corridors branching out. Many staff members walked back and forth, tall and robust, turning their heads to observe the newcomers.

Mo Chuan walked quickly, her strides long. The three of them had to take two steps for every one of hers, scrambling to keep up to avoid falling behind. They didn’t have time to take a closer look at their surroundings.

After about five minutes, they crossed three corridors and came to a large door. Next to it, a sign read "Primates."

Entering through the door and turning two corners, a noise of wheels rolling across the floor broke the previously quiet corridor. Soon, they saw two people bringing out a Mobile Bed, on which someone seemed to be lying, covered by a blanket.

"We’re still a step late," Mo Chuan said softly as she stopped in the corridor.

The three immediately understood her words; the person lying there was one of the trainee members from their tail section, and it looked like they had just passed away.

Standing in the middle of the corridor, they watched as the two people with the Mobile Bed approached them. The person in front nodded when he saw Mo Chuan. "Professor Mo Chuan, this Test Subject suffered brain death five minutes ago. We’re now taking them to the cold storage."

Mo Chuan stepped forward and lifted the blanket, revealing a corpse with a bluish face. Luo Yu furrowed her brow, recognizing it as the male scientist from the wind tunnel laboratory.

"Do you need to check again?" Mo Chuan asked, turning back.

Luo Yu shook her head, took out the recorder she had retrieved from the time capsule, pressed the power button, and stated, "Trainee member 014, died due to hypoxia and suffocation from an unexpected emergency landing. Died in the line of duty."

After she finished speaking, Mo Chuan covered the body again. The two staff members nodded at them and left with the Mobile Bed.

"Let’s go; the station master is still waiting for us," Mo Chuan said as she led the three forward, turning at the end of the corridor and entering a heavy door that led to a completely enclosed room.

Inside the room, a person sat with their head down. Hearing the noise at the door, they looked up and, upon seeing Luo Yu, jumped up excitedly. "Captain! You’re alive!"

At a long table on the other side of the room sat an elderly lady with graying hair. Upon seeing Mo Chuan and the three enter, she smiled and greeted them, "Welcome! Today, her condition is more stable."

Luo Yu recognized the one who had called her was Trainee member 015, the historian, who was seemingly flapping in the air, blocked by a transparent wall.

"Captain! Captain!" 015 called urgently to Luo Yu. "I understand what’s happening! I have genes here that they don’t have. You need to negotiate with them for my privileges!"

But the elderly lady pretended not to hear, pointing to the equipment on the table. "This is a record of us receiving her; you can take a look."

The equipment was a closed helmet meant for individual use. As Luo Yu hesitated, Zhu Huai stepped forward, saying, "I’ll take a look."

After Zhu Huai put on the helmet, Luo Yu heard 015 continue to shout, "Captain! Talk to them! If they need to extract my genes for reproduction, I can cooperate, but I want privileges!"

Mo Chuan glanced at 015 lightly. "We don’t need your genes to reproduce. We have fully achieved asexual reproduction here."

015 was stunned for a moment, then yelled in anger, "That’s impossible!"

"This is a fact," the elderly lady replied. "Our v chromosomes went extinct over a hundred years ago."

015 stood dumbfounded, stepped back two paces, and let out a piercing scream, "That’s impossible!!!"

Just then, Zhu Huai had just taken off the helmet and looked around. "What was that noise? Were they killing a chicken?"