Chapter 637: The Dead City
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The crew moved on once again and left behind the dead city.
The world that was veiled in darkness gave everyone a foreboding feeling, but thankfully the darkness was slowly fading away. A huge, operating plasma reactor was in front of them and the radiant glow from the engines lit the skyline and broke the veil of darkness.
Vivian suggested that they checkout the area near the reactor, and Hao Ren let the car's autopilot system to determine the best route forward as they went along a slope up the metallic mountain range. As they close in on the reactor, the details of the facility appeared before them. Hao Ren saw on the facility's conical shape had many other spiralling roads etched on surface, a faint light was darting along the road as the pinnacle of the reactor spew light that stretched on miles on end, until they see a steel bridge of the far end, not knowing exactly what it is for.
As they were half way through the rector's side, the Northstar's computer suddenly beeped. At the same time, Y'zaks frowned as well. "Seems like there's something up ahead."
Hao Ren immediately stopped the car by the road side and Lily immediately leaped on all fours as she sneakily crawled forward to scout ahead. She was lying down on a giant metallic board as she popped her head out before turning back to the rest, motioning earnestly.
The group immediately went towards her as Lily pointed towards the road, her voice hushed. "Look, a supply convoy!"
Hao Ren looked dumbfoundedly at the straight road that stretched towards the top of the reactor. The road was lined with strobes that glow in light blue, probably serving as some sort of guiding mechanism as lines along lines of transport vehicles back and forth on the road in a very regulated manner.
"There's no signs of life..." Vivian frowned before tossing one of her bats towards a transport truck. Due to the reactor's operation, the atmopshere around the area was not stable, and Vivian's little bats finally had some use.
Speaking of which, she had not used her bat sensor for quite some time already...
The little bat struggled against the wind as it went forward before latching on unceremoniously onto the roof of one of the trucks. It looked about on top of the roof as it skittered about looking for a gap. Any zoologist seeing this would probably start questioning themselves if they were to see a bat doing that. But alas, the bat returned disappointedly as the entire vehicle was sealed except for the cargo hold.
"It's a hopper on the back, and is filled with something that looked like fuel for the reactor." Vivian said as she assimilated the bat back into herself, frowning as she went. "There are no entrance, no signs of life as well. Seems like it is automated."
Hao Ren pondered for a bit before making a rather daring decision. They were to tail the cargo transport.
Lily too had mustered her courage as she scampered about the vehicles, and realised that there were no reaction to her antics. Neither were there any patrol robots or the likes on the tracks. Thus all of them concured that the automated system was 'blind'. Hao Ren and the rest got into the car and started tailing one of the trucks that left the reactor. As they went through the steel roads for a good while, and a few corners later a steel forest-like facilities appeared before them.
The steel forest was blocked by a mountain range prior, and no one had saw it on their way up.
Hao Ren carefully drove the car into the area as massive clanking rang around him. The area was filled to be brim with black, massive machinery or buildings, as if the city itself was a factory proper. Large number of trucks and other vehicles followed the track from the reactor to here as they zipped through the steel forest. Large mechanical arms raised and lowered as it coordinated with the arriving trucks and filling the hoppers without even ceasing for a moment.
A thunderous noise came from above and the startled Wuyue looked up, what she saw was a ten square meter odd steel block was moving across the air with the help of thrusters as it slowly slot itself into a 'mountain block' not too far away. By the looks of things, it was probaby an automated storage system.
The whole factory city was in full throttle as the whirring of machines and passing of vehicles was all over the place. Under the guiding strobes and high-powered lighting system, the area was as bright as day. But... there were no one here.
Hao Ren led everyone out of the car and they investigated this bizzare area before them. They did not worry about an alarm system summoning guards. They did not expect to see anyone here in the first place. Y'zaks even planned to pull a meteor down to blow the place up in hopes to startle the locals into appearing, but that plan was nipped in the bud by the rest.
Lily drew her Frostfire claws as she led the team on high alert, sniffing as she went. "There's only steel and oil scent here..."
The group passed by an operational manufacturing dias and beside it was a control room-like facility, and the door was ajar. Nangong Sanba raised his crossbow as he cautiously approached the door to check what's behind it, only to find a room with lit lights and grumbling machineries.
"No one here." Nangong Sanba came out of the control room as he shook his head. "The entire system is automated."
Hao Ren sighed. "Forget about it. I think the entire planet is automated."
But just as he spoke, a sharp wail came from behind them!
Hao Ren immediately turned back in alarm, but what he saw was a small inverted triangle machine coming at top speed towards them. The machine seemed to be a patrol bot as it swiftly circled the group while letting out a series of buzz, before finally speaking normally. "Civilians detected."
Nangong Sanba responded unconciously. "Pardon me?"
A series of buzzing noise came from the robot again as it spoke. "Civilian detected. Condition excellent. Please follow me towards the examination station. You may access the shelter after decontamination."
As it finished, the robot turned towards another direction and sped on. After a few moments it turned back to realise that Hao Ren and his group have yet to move. "Civilians, please follow me towards the examination station. If not, coercive measures will be taken."
Y'zaks had formed a kill curse in his hand as he pondered if he should blast the robot to smithereens or not. Hao Ren motioned for him to stand down. "Lets follow and see what that robot is up to."
The group then followed the robot as they navigated through the area and headed towards the deep end of the steel forest. Passing through even more automated factories and machineries as they went, they too saw even more unmanned vehicles and and transfer platforms moving about. The scene was so bizzare as if even when their masters had long gone, the machines was programmed to continue working tirelessly. Finally the group was brought into a rectangular building and only then the noise outside was dampened.
The building was clean and well lit. The first half of it was a giant hall, and the scale of it reminds Hao Ren of a departure hall at the airport. There were advanced robots busying themselves in the hall, cleaning and maintaining the place.
Lily quickly retracted her claws, worrying if she would dirty the place. At the very least, she was better than most normal huskies in this respect. "I never thought the planet has a place like this."
"A sealed man-made facility could always lead someone to forget about what's going on outside." Vivian said as she realised something. "I remember sleeping in the old king's tomb before and waking up to find my surroundings not changing much, and the world was still the same. But as it stepped out of the tomb, the country itself had already been blown to bits... If someone had lived here for ten thounsand years, he would probably not even know how the world had changed outside."
Things that mades Vivian sigh was always things that no one knew how to respond. So Hao Ren could only shrug as he followed the robot towards the hall. Just as they approached the door on the far end of the hall. The sidewall lit up and a human silhouette appeared on it!