Chapter 378

Chapter 378: The Sacrifice

“Proceed to the isolation room.”

In an atmosphere that had plummeted to freezing point, Wencheng commanded the team to retreat.

The soldiers, silent and somber, formed a line and entered the elevator on the opposite side. As the metal doors were about to close completely, Wencheng overheard Haines issuing instructions to the staff in front of him:

“Initiate the airtightness test.”

“Yes.”

A button was pressed on the other side, and the gas within the disinfection chamber began to be rapidly evacuated, with the pressure gauge’s readings plummeting swiftly.

The protective suit worn by the man writhing on the ground started to inflate slightly, each fold smoothing out due to the pressure difference, resembling a large inflatable toy.

However, the subtle shift in pressure revealed another truth—the protective suit was leaking.

Haines worked diligently on the screen, quickly identifying the source of the leak. It was a worn area on the inner calf of the suit, where tiny holes were steadily releasing air.

The female scientist swiftly manipulated the screen before her, documenting the issue comprehensively before issuing a new directive:

“Restore the air supply.”

“Understood.”

The operator, sweating profusely under the gaze of his highly rational superior, canceled the airtightness test command, and fresh air began to fill the disinfection chamber once more.

Haines moved to the other side of the control panel, promptly dispatching two commands to Vladimir and the laboratory:

【Cancel the exploration team’s plans for the next two days.】

【Reinforce the inner calf area of the protective suit for enhanced abrasion resistance.】

“Ms. Haines… what should I do next…”

As the air pressure in the disinfection chamber normalized, the writhing movements of the figure on the ground lessened significantly. Muffled groans and indistinct murmurs of documents occasionally emanated from the speakers.

The staff member swallowed hard, and despite the unsettling scene, chose to seek guidance from his superior.

“Continue monitoring, document everything, and alert me immediately if any anomalies arise.”

“Understood.”

The operator at the control panel wiped away any beads of cold sweat and focused intently on the screen before him.

Haines glanced at her terminal and only re-entered the elevator after receiving confirmations for both commands.

Two hours into the infection, the soldier exhibited clear signs of oxygen deprivation and instinctively pressed the connection button to remove his helmet. After obtaining sufficient oxygen, he lapsed into a deep sleep.

Four hours into the infection, the soldier suffered prolonged convulsions, accompanied by incoherent utterances.

Six hours into the infection, the soldier entered a state of shock.

Nine hours into the infection, the soldier’s vital signs vanished.

…

Twelve hours into the infection, the soldier’s vital signs reappeared, though his skin remained cyanotic.

Fifteen hours into the infection, the soldier began to crawl across the floor of the disinfection chamber.

After recording these observations, the Observer, eyes bloodshot, trembled and pressed the button that would connect directly to Haines once again.

“Mr. Haines, you really need to take a look at this…”

—

Five minutes later, a group of scientists gathered around the screen displaying footage from the disinfection chamber, watching the soldier who crawled erratically.

He could no longer be called human; his pupils were cloudy and vacant, and his pale, grayish skin was covered in black veins and cyanosis, resembling an unconscious life form that had just been born into this world.

Most of the time, his behavior resembled that of a simple, single-celled organism, roaming on the ground like a paramecium swaying with the currents.

At times, he seemed to recall some memories of being human, trembling as he opened his mouth wide before the cameras, like an animal waiting to be fed.

“Does he know what he is doing?”

one researcher asked.

“Perhaps…”

Haines pondered:

“We could… give it a try.”

—

Forty-eight hours later, Wencheng and nine soldiers were released from the isolation chamber.

They received new protective suits, which had been thickened overall and partially redesigned.

The group gathered their weapons and entered the disinfection chamber to begin the airtightness test.

In a corner of the disinfection chamber lay a charred corpse, curled up and only about half the size of an average person.

Leaning against the wall, it hugged its legs tightly, its body shrunk into a ball, with no visible distinguishing features.

Haines’s voice came through the communication device to every soldier’s ear:

“It has been confirmed that direct contact with alien creatures will lead to irreversible infection, and there is currently no possibility of treatment.

“Biological samples have been obtained, and the exploration goal is to confirm as many locations of the ring section fragments as possible and document them.

“It is best to reactivate the system to establish contact with the main body of the spaceship.”

After the test, the large door ahead opened, and Wencheng led the team out of the spaceship once again.

The perspective shifted to the laboratory, where Haines and the others stood around a transparent, sealed experimental chamber, observing the alien creature wrapped in three layers of sealing.

A large metal box hung in the middle of the sky, allowing observation from any angle.

The sealing devices opened layer by layer, and soon only the inner cage remained completely sealed.

There was no sound or vibration from within, as if everything had died…

“Open it.”

Haines ordered calmly.

A special mechanical key was inserted into the groove, and with a crisp sound, the sealed metal box transformed back into a metal cage.

The two fast-growing livestock animals that had once been inside were completely gone, leaving not even bones behind.

As everyone watched, a grayish-white, viscous liquid slowly spread across the bottom of the metal cage, pooling at the edges and dripping down to the ground.

Throughout this process, the mysterious liquid exhibited no signs of life aside from its extraordinary stickiness, which was in stark contrast to the action records submitted by Wencheng.

The puddle of liquid lay quietly on the floor of the transparent experimental chamber, stopping its movement once it reached its limit, failing to entirely cover the ground.

“It seems dead.”

someone whispered.

“Let’s observe some more.”

another replied.

Thus, everyone began to observe this gelatinous substance at close range, remaining cautious as it was their first encounter with alien creatures (even if they were dead).

The surface of the liquid was magnified continuously, and soon the researchers saw familiar structures.

It resembled cell structures; while not identical to what they knew, it indicated a similar basic composition between the alien creature and humans.

Half an hour later, the puddle showed no signs of change, a conclusion not reached by mere observation but confirmed by multiple precise instruments.

Haines glanced at the electronic clock on the wall and issued a new command:

“Bright light exposure.”