In the void beyond the Second True Immortal Arm, the fleet of the Haissen Federation sailed in silent procession. Occasionally, figures with skin as dark as pitch and a single eye would pass by the viewport of the Dao Ding.
“We Haissen people are the eighth-ranked advanced civilization in the Orion Arm. Now that the various races of the Orion Arm are sending expeditions into the Perseus Arm, we certainly cannot be left behind.”
In the flagship’s command center, the fleet commander raised his right hand high. Before him sat a round table, surrounded by the high-ranking officials of the fleet.
“Hmph. Those arrogant Burkes, always trailing just behind us, have repeatedly claimed they would surpass us. But what is the result? They have withdrawn from this expedition. They might even surrender the Buerkreek Star Domain. Truly a bunch of people whose reach exceeds their grasp.”
“It’s not just the Burkes; the Singers and the Kustarians have also pulled out. We have far fewer formidable competitors now.”
“Precisely. Having lost this opportunity for massive territorial expansion, they will surely regret it in a hundred years. By then, perhaps our Haissen Federation will have already secured the sixth, or even fifth, ranking position, ha ha ha!”
“The various races of the Perseus Arm have long ceased to exist. From now on, the Orion Arm and the Perseus Arm will merge into one—our space will expand.”
The Haissen officials around the table grew highly excited, voicing their optimistic speculations one after another.
The fleet commander shrugged. “Don’t get too comfortable, everyone. Do not forget that the main fleet of the Davassi people is located only six hundred light-years away from us.”
“What are the Davassi people to us!” someone immediately retorted. “They are merely the twenty-sixth ranked race in the Orion Arm. Although we are only a detached fleet branch, we are still slightly stronger than the main Davassi fleet. Why would those Davassi dare to provoke us!”
This branch fleet of the Haissen Federation comprised a total of two hundred thousand vessels—one hundred thousand warships, and the other hundred thousand consisting of habitation and transport ships. The total population being transported was one billion.
“How much farther to our target star domain, and what is the status of our voyage?” A stern-faced elderly Haissen addressed the fleet commander with this inquiry.
The fleet commander appeared highly respectful toward the elder, replying, “According to the Perseus Arm star charts we possess, we are very close to the target domain now. The maintenance crew is servicing the superluminal drive, and the navigation team is performing the final micro-adjustments to the route. Just one more short-range spatial jump, and we will arrive at the target domain.”
“And specifically, when can we depart?” the elder asked again.
The fleet commander extended two fingers, resembling tentacles, and stated, “Three standard hours.”
“Excellent. I can hardly wait to lay eyes on our new territory,” the elder blinked.
The fleet commander nodded, then turned to a Haissen on his right. “Any news from the escort fleet?”
The addressed Haissen was the Commander-in-Chief of the escort fleet, responsible for all military affairs. His standing within the fleet was second only to the fleet commander.
“No news of importance,” the Commander-in-Chief replied, though he paused, suddenly recalling something. “Ah, yes, a small matter—I just have a nagging feeling that something isn't quite right.”
“What is it?” The fleet commander immediately focused his attention. Both he and the Commander-in-Chief were experts at the peak of the Third Level, possessing exceptionally keen intuition. Their talents were considered the finest among the Haissen. Since this expedition was of such great significance, the Haissen Federation had dispatched its most exceptional personnel to this fleet.
It should be noted that the elderly Haissen was an expert at the absolute limit of the Third Level. He had been retired for a long time, but because this expedition was too crucial, he had been brought out of retirement once more to serve as the fleet’s Chief Advisor. Therefore, when the Commander-in-Chief mentioned his unease, the fleet commander immediately took it seriously. The elder’s eyes also flashed, and he said gravely, “Even the smallest clue might hide a major problem. Tell us what happened so everyone can hear.”
“Yes, Commander-in-Chief,” the officer nodded, replying, “One standard hour ago, a message came from the vanguard fleet. They detected some biological entities drifting in the vacuum outside.”
“Cosmic lifeforms? Like Space Stingers?” the fleet commander inquired.
“No,” the Commander-in-Chief shook his head. “They are quite large—about the size of a fist. The vanguard fleet captured one and sent it to the experimental team. The biological analysis division is currently studying it. Preliminary analysis suggests they are not intelligent life. Further details await deeper investigation.”
“Fist-sized organisms?” The elder pondered for a moment. “I will go to the experimental team to take a look later.”
“That would be much appreciated,” the Commander-in-Chief said respectfully.
Following this exchange, they discussed several other matters.
In the biological laboratory of the Haissen Fleet’s Experimental Group, several technicians were analyzing the “mysterious” organism. They had confined the creature inside a strictly sealed, semi-circular transparent dome, observing its behavior and measuring its vital signs.
The dome itself was constructed from some form of composite material capable of withstanding immense external force, as well as high heat, extreme cold, and strong acids. Essentially, it was nigh-indestructible.
The organism inside the dome resembled a mass of flesh, most of its body encased in a carapace. Parts of it were soft tissue, through which several pulsating blood vessels were visible. At the edge of the soft tissue were two small points that appeared to be eyes, along with several unrecognizable, bizarre organs.
The mysterious organism had barely moved since it was first placed in the dome.
“Twelve spectral analyses, seven acoustic scans, eighteen X-ray projections, and thirteen bio-wave detections have all been completed. Input the data into the Superbrain for analysis.”
One researcher beside the dome stood up, stretched, and tapped twice on the screen before him, converting the data into various fluctuating graphs.
Several other researchers approached, gathering before the screen to view the analysis results. After watching for a while, as the graphs continued to shift, they narrowed their eyes, showing traces of confusion.
One of them shook his head. “What exactly is this thing? Over half of the incoming data from various light wavelengths, sound waves, and penetrating particle rays were blocked by its shell. We only gathered superficial information. Even the Superbrain cannot reach a conclusion.”
“Patience. All characteristics of this organism are highly peculiar. It might be a specific cosmic life form unique to the Perseus Arm. The Superbrain will require a significant amount of time for a comprehensive analysis,” stated an older, seemingly very learned Haissen. He was the head of this laboratory, the supervisor of the biological analysis department, and a renowned biologist within the Haissen Federation.
After a few more moments, the screen suddenly darkened, displaying a line of large Haissen script:
“ANALYSIS FAILED!”
The researchers gasped. This situation was highly unusual.
The laboratory supervisor shook his head. “It seems recognizing this organism from the outside is impossible. We will have to dissect it to see what’s inside. Collect internal tissue samples for further testing to obtain deeper data and see if we can decipher this creature.”
He tapped twice on the screen. From beneath the dome’s floor, two mechanical arms extended. One arm was empty; the other held a gleaming surgical scalpel—a single-molecule blade capable of slicing through nearly any biological structure.
Simultaneously, a holographic projection appeared before the lab supervisor. The image depicted a semi-circular dome, complete with the mysterious organism and the mechanical arms, rendered in a perfect one-to-one scale with reality. It looked exactly like the real thing.
The supervisor rolled up his sleeves and extended both hands beneath the projection’s dome. His hands merged with the positions of the mechanical arms in the image, making the projected arms appear like a pair of gloves fitted onto his own hands.
At the same instant, the physical mechanical arm nearby jolted, emitting a crisp clack. Above the holographic projection, the words “CONNECTION SUCCESSFUL” appeared in a string of text.
The supervisor moved his hands. The mechanical arm inside the real dome mirrored his exact movements. It was clear that the holographic projection and reality had been linked.
This setup functioned as a three-dimensional touchscreen based on holographic projection, also serving as an input device. This prevented his hands from making direct contact with the unknown creature, avoiding any unforeseen consequences.
Having finished his movements, the supervisor turned to the other researchers. “The universe is vast, and there are too many unknowns. For those of us in scientific research, it is best to proceed with caution.”
“That is proper protocol,” the few researchers concurred.
The supervisor nodded, fixing his gaze upon the mysterious organism in the projection, and murmured to himself, “Alright, let’s see what you have inside.”
With that, he controlled the mechanical arms to turn the mysterious organism over and examine it. When he reached the soft tissue area, he positioned it against the blade’s edge. He used one mechanical arm to hold the creature steady, preventing movement, while the other arm brought the single-molecule blade down in a single cut through the midline of the soft flesh. Pfft!
A jet of crimson and green blood sprayed out, first striking the mechanical arm, then splattering onto the transparent dome and the floor plate.
Where the blood touched, a sizzling sound erupted, accompanied by wisps of white smoke.
“This is…” the laboratory supervisor exclaimed in surprise. “Acid. Biological acid.”
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
A piercing alarm blared. The researchers immediately panicked. One technician frantically manipulated the screen and shouted, “It’s bad! The composite protective shell is being corroded! The floor plate is corroded too! How is that possible? The composite shell and the floor plate were designed to resist strong acids!”
“I see it,” the laboratory supervisor said, his eyes wide. He saw that the single-molecule blade held by the mechanical arm had lost its edge, becoming pitted and scarred. The single-molecule blade had actually been dissolved by the creature’s blood!
“The corrosiveness of this acid is extraordinary; it exceeds the limits of the composite material! We must try to salvage it immediately!”
“It’s no use! The floor plate is about to be corroded through! There isn’t time! C—!”