Chapter 64: Like a…
Gusu City.
“This is Ankang Road Hospital. Tell the operator that the hospital is at full capacity and cannot accept any more patients! Stop sending patients here! This isn’t a plague at all!”
“Are the ‘Gatekeepers’ not doing their jobs?! F***, paying those bullshit tech companies two hundred million in licensing fees every year—can they be of any use?! Hurry up and identify and cut off the spread of information; don’t let the panic fester!!”
“The ‘Observers’ have uploaded a list of suspicious individuals. Everyone on the list has already been arrested and sent for interrogation. Two mid-level Human Alliance officials confessed that they were coerced by the Black Cross Inquisition. Their wives were both kidnapped by the Divine Court.”
“Mom… please don’t… bite me anymore… it hurts…”
It was currently 10:00 PM. The canopy lights had switched to night mode. Yet, the entire city was exceptionally busy.
A massive crowd blocked the entrance to the transport station. Armed with weapons and cameras, the crowd seethed with righteous indignation, their voices boiling over.
“Let us out!”
“Why aren’t we allowed to leave Gusu?!”
“Open the transport station!”
Rock sat inside a vehicle, exhaustedly smoking a cigarette. He hadn’t slept well for several days; at most, he would close his eyes for two hours before being interrupted by various mission orders.
His eyes were completely bloodshot.
Riot control armored vehicles tightly encircled the crowd: “Warning, do not gather! Disperse immediately!”
The gleaming barrels of cannons were aimed squarely at the mob.
Some were genuinely stupid; some were trying to defend their idea of fairness; and some were simply there to incite emotions and fish in troubled waters.
There was no time left to differentiate the underlying motives of these people one by one. They could only suppress them using the simplest and most direct methods.
Gusu City could not be allowed to descend into chaos.
Rock couldn’t help but space out for two seconds. He had his built-in AI connect to the work group chat: “Is anyone heading over to handle the mission at Apartment 817? What’s the situation over there?”
He lived in Apartment 817. This was now a high-risk zone in Gusu City.
Fortunately, his wife and child had already evacuated beforehand.
In the work group, someone sent a photo: “Hard to say, this Fungus Human is a bit tough to kill.”
At Building 817, a blood-red mass burst through a window and squeezed its way out.
This mass could no longer be called an organism. Its body was a soft, strip-like mass with several tentacles, and its surface was covered in mycelia that swayed with the wind. As the wind blew, pink spores scattered down in flurries.
Fungus Humans.
This was the collective term given by the scholars of the Ancient God Biology Corporation to this class of mutated species in Gusu City.
A Fungus Human like this one, capable of spreading massive amounts of spores, was classified as a “Fungal Mother.”
And those individuals who were already brain-dead, aimlessly scurrying around the city with intense, aggressive desires, were called “Sporelings.”
Research indicated that even after the mycelia were stripped from the Sporelings’ hosts (humans), their brain-dead state could not be reversed. In essence, the host was dead.
These Sporelings were not contagious. The actual reason they killed humans was due to the scarcity of survival resources in the Underground City.
The slightly intelligent Mothers had reasoned: The population of these creatures called humans is too large (and they clear out the mycelia and Sporelings), which affects the survival of our species.
Evidently, no institution had yet developed a vaccine. These spores entered unchecked, spreading indiscriminately.
Protective suits in Gusu City were sold out instantly, and the people finally recalled the terror of being dominated by radiation sickness on the surface.
Fortunately, not everyone infected by these spores would succumb. For instance, Rock had previously shown early signs of fungal infection (a skin condition) due to frequently handling Fungus Human incidents, but surprisingly, his body had healed on its own.
After dealing with an emergency mission, Rock’s heart was heavy. He was just about to go buy a cup of coffee to wake his brain up when his superior’s call suddenly came through: “Come to the City Hall conference room.”
Rock froze for two seconds, then obediently drove over.
He rarely visited the municipal building either. It was a brutalist-style piece of architecture with a rigid, quadrangular exterior, completely poured from concrete—a rugged design. Rumor had it that there was a massive air-raid shelter beneath this building, large enough to fit everyone in Gusu City for refuge… Of course, the ones closest to the air-raid shelter were definitely the high-ranking officials of the municipal government.
“Such an extravagant place, yet they only built two floors.” Rock walked inside, had his identity verified, and a stern-faced secretary led him through the cavernous lobby.
The secretary said, “No need to be nervous. We merely discovered an issue in the report you submitted, so we need you to recount it during the meeting.”
Heart pounding with apprehension, Rock walked into the conference room. This conference room was probably used for negotiations, as Rock noticed a lounge area.
He looked around. Surrounding him were bigwigs he had previously only ever seen on television. They sat in their chairs, dressed in traditional formal wear; their power endowed them with an overwhelming aura of pressure and an intimidating filter. Rock felt a little breathless.
But as his gaze swept to the very front of the crowd, his eyes couldn’t help but light up.
It was Xiu.
Unlike his past image of rolling around in the mud wearing a combat suit, Luo Xiu was also dressed in formal wear today. His messy blond hair was combed back and fixed with pomade, exposing his forehead.
Xin Zhui stood behind him, smiling cheerfully. Though he was smiling, it wasn’t the least bit gentle; he looked like he was ready to stab everyone present at a moment’s notice.
“Rock,” Luo Xiu spoke, holding up the file in his hand, “in your operation report regarding the protest incident on March 9th, you stated that after firing your weapon, you saw dust spray out from the target’s body. Is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Could you describe it in detail?”
“Yes. That night, I followed orders to snipe and kill Divine Court operatives who had infiltrated Gusu City. More than a dozen colleagues were operating simultaneously with me. My mission target was an elderly man whose physical condition appeared to be in his sixties. After my bullet struck his head, I did not see blood or brain tissue. Instead, I observed a cloud of pink dust explode outward.”
“Excellent. It seems this is the source of the infection. You were previously infected by the fungus yourself; is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“How many days did it take for you to recover?”
“About two or three days.”
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
Luo Xiu gave a slight nod to the secretary.
The secretary led Rock to the adjacent lounge area: “Please wait here for a moment. Mayor Luo Xiu would like to see you shortly.”
Rock stared blankly for a moment, then slapped his thigh and laughed.
Who would have thought that after not seeing him for half a year, the captain had become a mayor.
With this, whose backing in the bureau could possibly be stronger than his?
The conference room wasn’t soundproof, and Rock could hear Luo Xiu’s voice.
“Regarding the classification level of the Fungus Humans, I have a somewhat different view.”
“A biochemical infectious disease has broken out in Gusu City; this is an objective fact. On the very first day I returned to Gusu, I deliberately made contact with this pathogen. It did not survive on the surface of my body for more than two hours.
“Perhaps you gentlemen will say this is because my degree of mechanization is relatively high, and I have undergone multiple genetic modifications. But the witness just now is an ordinary civil servant, and he also only fell ill for two or three days.
“The fungus is not as terrifying as everyone imagines, and there is no need to panic over rumored possibilities. Major corporations and universities have all received fungal samples and have begun targeted research on a vaccine.
“I do not believe it is necessary to make this overly public and trigger society-wide panic; the situation is still within controllable parameters. We do not need the intervention of other Human Alliance cities in Gusu City’s internal affairs.
“Enhance 24-hour patrol and surveillance, and complete city-wide sanitation. The Fungus Humans this time are a vicious terrorist attack by the Divine Court targeting the Human Alliance’s underground cities. They disregard life and are attempting to spread a biochemical infection to secure illicit benefits. They are no longer satisfied with occupying just Yinshan City.
“The Divine Court surely has a targeted vaccine internally. Their goal is to spread their so-called ‘Gospel’ during Gusu City’s most perilous moment. We will not let their conspiracy succeed. Rooting out Divine Court spies is the primary focus of our work for the coming week.”
Xin Zhui’s eyebrow twitched upward at this moment. Unfortunately, Luo Xiu couldn’t see it.
…
…
The meeting finally concluded, and Rock, waiting in the lounge, sat on pins and needles.
Soon, Luo Xiu walked over and, just like before, affectionately patted him on the shoulder.
Luo Xiu seemed no different from the past. They chatted about the developments of the past half-year, about the recent situation in Gusu City, and even talked about Xiang Nanli—”He went to the surface to work again before the lockdown? Didn’t we arrange a school for him? His heart is still as wild as ever. But going to the surface is fine; Gusu City has been too chaotic lately anyway.”
As they walked to the entrance of the municipal building, the secretary ran over and whispered a few words into Luo Xiu’s ear.
“Ah, apologies, Rock. I can’t treat you to a meal after all. Immortality Tech has sent an expert delegation… Let’s get Xiao Yan and Bodhi together next time. Let the people from our old team have a gathering.” He was a parachuted executive and needed people to do things for him. His old colleagues were the perfect fit.
After speaking, Luo Xiu turned and headed back into the building.
Rock couldn’t stop himself from speaking out: “Xiao Yan passed away. She was one of the Fungal Mothers.”
The smile on Luo Xiu’s face froze slightly.
“Captain,” Rock couldn’t help but feel nervous, yet felt something blocking his throat, “…Are your ideals still the same as they were back then?”
He had heard what Luo Xiu said in the conference room.
And he also knew that many people might die because of that decision.
What were Luo Xiu’s ideals? He graduated from Donglan University at the age of 28, didn’t stay in Luoyang City, broke ties with his family, and brought Xin Zhui to Gusu. He joined the Investigation Bureau, starting from the very bottom as a regular team member, just like an ordinary person with no background.
He, Xin Zhui, and Rock went through training together, often stumbling back to the dorms drunk, arms slung over each other’s shoulders.
When Xiu got drunk, he would stand on the bed, slurring his words as he envisioned the scene of himself becoming the President of the Human Alliance—”I’m going to give everyone houses and money; I’m going to bring the people on the surface back! We can all spend our lives eating well and being lazy, or we can strive to realize our own self-worth…”
And in the end, Xiu would always get knocked out by Xin Zhui.
Luo Xiu stared at him for three seconds: “Of course.”
…
The Survivor Base, currently consisting of exactly three people and one dog.
A sled board glided across the snow.
Gospel: “March 27, New Calendar Year 947. Night. The great leader Xiang Nanli sets foot in his base for the very first time. He does not yet know what hardships and obstacles he will face in the future, but at this moment, accompanied by his loyal warrior Gospel, his heart is filled with—”
Xiang Nanli interrupted it: “Ahhhh, Xiao Fu, could you keep your voice down? This is too embarrassing!”
The sled came to a halt in front of a dilapidated little tower. Its exterior looked much like Squidward’s house, though much larger.
A faint glimmer of light spilled from a second-floor window.
In the dead, silent night where only the wind could be heard, it appeared exceptionally cozy.
The terrain of the base was flat, featuring three massive chimneys. According to the records in the survey report, this was the thermal conduction device of the ruin.
The middle chimney extended a full 6 kilometers deep underground, extracting magma and condensing it below ground, before converting it to electrical energy via complex equipment and transporting it back to the surface.
The other two chimneys were more traditional geothermal extraction devices. One was an extraction well, the other a reinjection well. Next to them was a matching high-temperature heat pump unit.
Both sets of devices had been abandoned for hundreds of years, and many components were damaged.
Xiang Nanli hadn’t even inspected them closely yet, and he already felt a headache coming on.
The tower before them had once been a “Radio and Television Broadcasting Station,” playing piercing alarms at 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM to signal the start and end of work shifts. In addition, it concurrently functioned as an external communications hub.
“This place was looted.” Xiang Nanli walked into the tower, looking around. “Perfect, we can use it as a warehouse.”
The lobby had originally housed a massive set of communication equipment, but it had clearly been hauled away; all that was left was a ring of rust on the concrete floor and severed wires. The front door was also broken and couldn’t close at all, letting the wind whistle through. However, it was currently taped together, making it barely usable for now.
Beichen, wrapped in a blanket, was sitting in the second-floor office roasting by the fire.
He had set up an iron stove, inside of which coal briquettes were burning. The fungal strains he had brought all the way from Gusu City had been transferred from plastic bags into clean glass containers.
Twelve days had passed, and the originally microscopic pink particles had grown into bizarre-looking, deep-red fibrous strands, their surfaces covered in a layer of mold-like fuzz.
Every day, Beichen would feed the fungus with plant extracts he derived along the way.
He placed the glass container in the corner, then pulled out his notebook (a tablet computer the size of a notebook), opened a memo named “Unknown Fungal Experiment Record,” and typed a new line with the keyboard.
“This unknown fungus was originally photophobic. But during its evolutionary process, it demonstrated astonishing adaptability… I suspect this fungus relies on parasitism to spread its spores. But what happens to the parasitized organism? I have no samples. Cannot conduct experiments.”
“If I could create a clone to use as an experimental subject for inoculation… uh, wait, that idea is too dangerous. And Xiang Nanli has no money.”
“Currently, fungal research has a very low priority at the base. I had better not let Xiao Fu see this offline experiment log; being classified as a ‘Mad Scientist’ will do me absolutely no good.”
It was at least forty or fifty degrees below zero outside.
Xiang Nanli sat down by the stove, holding out his hands: “So comfortable, I was freezing to death out there.”
He had undergone genetic modification and was wearing a thermal protective suit, so originally, he shouldn’t have felt cold at all. But whether it was assembling machinery or writing code, both required precise manual operations.
Xiang Nanli had taken off his gloves to work, and his knuckles were frozen bright red.
Xiao Qing took off his backpack and pulled out a slab of pork ribs frozen stiff as a board, setting them near the charcoal fire to thaw: “This is the last half a pound. Starting tomorrow, we’re eating nutrient paste.”
He hadn’t just brought pork ribs; he had also brought star anise, cinnamon, and fennel. In short, Dongfang Qingdi had packed up all the unused seasonings from their kitchen, and he certainly hadn’t slacked off on cooking for Xiang Nanli during the journey.
Xiang Nanli hadn’t felt the hardships of starting a business in the slightest. Anyone who didn’t know better would think they came to the base for a picnic.
Perhaps it was a matter worth rejoicing over that human society hadn’t entirely ended. As long as he had credits, Xiang Nanli could buy almost any daily necessity required for survival. However, relying too heavily on the Human Alliance wasn’t a good thing for the base’s development.
Dongfang Qingdi marinated the pork ribs, placed a sheet of iron over the coal stove, brushed a layer of hot oil on it, and set the ribs on the iron sheet to roast.
A sizzle rang out, and the aroma of meat drifted up.
Xiang Nanli swallowed his saliva in disappointment: “The current focus of the base is to restore the energy supply as soon as possible. I plan to repair the 2,000-meter deep well first. As long as this system can start operating, it will be enough to support the base’s early development.”
He had never repaired such massive equipment before, let alone studied the relevant professional knowledge!
But everyone got through things this way; he’d just have to bite the bullet and do it.
Dongfang Qingdi: “Mm, I’ll go down the well tomorrow to take a look. You just stand guard outside; I’ll synchronize my vision to you.”
“Can’t we do it today?”
Xiao Qing shot him a glance: “You need to sleep today.”
Xiang Nanli gave an “Oh,” pulled a radio out of Xiao Qing’s backpack, and hooked it up to an external antenna.
After tweaking it for a moment, a voice emerged from the radio; it was a Gusu City news station: “…Just moments ago, the public security bureau staff cleared out Mother No. 3. Let’s see what a professional thinks about this fungus. Hello, Professor.”
“Currently, the spread of the fungal infection has slowed, and the majority of the public is healing naturally. For those severely infected patients whose bodies have died and are solely controlled by mycelia, our research has found that they are not contagious. Their attacks on humans stem from an instinct to compete for air and water… Only the Mothers can scatter spores… I believe Gusu City’s alert level can be lowered to Level 2…”
“This spore belongs to the subdivision Pucciniomycotina. It is a parasitic fungus, but unlike other parasitic fungi, it possesses unique fungal vesicle deposits, exhibiting characteristics similar to dermatological cysts… We have temporarily named it ‘Black Silk Spore Fungus’.”
Xiang Nanli listened very intently. As he listened, the little robot across from him suddenly spoke: “That’s not right.”
“They,” Beichen scratched his head, not knowing how to best express it, “they will undergo co-evolution. Those people haven’t recovered; they are in the incubation period. The Sporelings will also scatter spores, just a different type of spore.”
Once the spores erupted, a terrifying number of people would die miserably. It would become a plague even more horrifying than the Black Death of the Middle Ages.
Beichen foresaw that future, yet he remained powerless to stop it.
Xiang Nanli’s brows furrowed: “Is it that serious? Then wouldn’t many people die?”
“Actually, I brought some fungal strains from Gusu City. But there is no laboratory here. Furthermore, researching a vaccine will consume a massive amount of funds, and there’s no guarantee of success,” Beichen replied hesitantly.
Gospel shrieked: “Xiao Fu will build a laboratory for you right now! Hurry and research the vaccine; humans are too fragile! The Black Silk Spore Fungus will steal humanity’s future!”
Dongfang Qingdi coldly refused: “No. The house has no money.”
“Ahhhh, you despicable war criminal! How can you treat human lives like grass?!”
Xiao Fu ran to Dongfang Qingdi’s feet, jumped up, and bit his knee.
One was a rogue servitor fanatic, and the other was an Omnic supremacist.
Disagreements were inevitable.
Xiang Nanli coughed: “The people of the Human Alliance are also labor… cough, no, they are also people. I agree with building a laboratory. However, the current priority is not researching a vaccine; there’s no way we can beat those massive laboratories in vaccine development anyway. The laboratory’s current mission is to genetically modify crops and develop agricultural products better suited to the base’s environment. We can’t keep importing food forever, nor can we turn all the residents into robots, right? Xiao Bei, the laboratory will operate on an eight-hour workday, is that okay?”
As for what Beichen used the laboratory for outside of working hours, that was beyond Xiang Nanli’s control.
Beichen pondered for a moment and gave a slight nod: “Xiao Fu transferred a lot of data to me. As long as we have the resources, some of it can be easily replicated.”
“Good, good. I’ll send a signal to those two ‘Screw’ robots and have them dig out a foundation for the laboratory first. Make a list of whatever you need after the lab is built, and I’ll figure out a way to get it for you.”
When Xiang Nanli made a decision, Dongfang Qingdi rarely objected.
He sliced the roasted pork ribs with a knife and placed them on a plate. Then, he boiled a bowl of soup using dehydrated vegetables.
“If a vaccine can be developed,” Dongfang Qingdi narrowed his eyes slightly, “…there will be a lot of room for manipulation.”
Gospel quietly wrote into its memory stick: “March 27, New Calendar Year 947, 9:00 PM. The first meeting on the Base Development Plan concludes.”
“The meeting held a discussion regarding the recent ‘Black Silk Spore Fungus Murders.’ The loyal Gospel continues to work tirelessly to save humanity. The great leader Xiang Nanli reprimanded Dongfang Qingdi’s erroneous ideology and reaffirmed the fundamental principle of ‘Peaceful Coexistence Between Humans and Omnics.'”
“Xiang Nanli approved the construction of the base’s first laboratory and offered spiritual encouragement to the base’s chief scientist, Beichen. Furthermore, it was decided to restore the base’s energy supply at all costs! With this, the Survivor Base enters a new era of rapid development!”
…
…
Inside an Omnic City. Two Omnics were awakened from their hibernation pods.
The physical appearance of these two Omnics was extremely close to human. Although they couldn’t pass a “biological assessment” and would still be scanned as Omnics, to the naked eye, there was no difference between them and heavy cybernetic humans.
They stepped out of their hibernation pods and exchanged a glance: “Did you also receive a mission?”
“I suppose so. But isn’t it bad to openly say it out loud?”
“It’s fine, they’re all sleeping.”
“What mission did you receive?”
“Sorry, I cannot say.”
The two Omnics went their separate ways, only to meet at the exit at almost the exact same time.
The atmosphere instantly became a bit awkward.
“What a coincidence. You are also heading to the surface.”
“Yes.”
Half an hour later.
“I am executing a classified mission; could you please stop following me?”
“So am I. According to calculations, this is the fastest route to the destination.”
Transport Omnics A and B finally felt that something was amiss.
“Uh, are you also heading to ***° E, ° N?”
“Yes. Your mission wouldn’t happen to be from—”
“Alpha.” The female Omnic answered.
Alright then.
“It seems we received the same set of directives. Shall we go together?”
Just half a day ago, Alpha had issued a directive: Transport excess strategic resources from the Omnic Legion to a specific location.
Only, Omnic A couldn’t understand why his transported resources included the activation button for an unknown nuclear bomb.
Back when the Omnics evacuated Planet Centauri, they left behind everything they couldn’t use on the surface. Especially things like food and medicine. This could be interpreted as reducing their baggage, or it could be interpreted as Alpha doing it intentionally. Artificial Intelligence lacked a mouth; this man’s thoughts had always been difficult to guess.
These items later became crucial survival resources for the remnants on the surface, feeding a massive population.
But for some unknown reason, these people attributed their thanks to the “grace of God” rather than the “Omnic Legion,” and even went so far as to develop the Black Cross Inquisition!
“I’d rather not. It seems our resource manifests are different.” She rejected him coldly.
Boom—
The space capsule launched, catapulting the two Omnics from the satellite back down to the vast, desolate expanse of Planet Centauri.
Like a star falling from the heavens.
Ah, yes. The Omnic cities were currently built on artificial satellites.
—
Author’s Note:
[Active AI Roster of the Human Alliance (24-Hour Work Schedule)]
Pangu: The AI boss. Has an endless amount of work every day, yet simultaneously seems to do nothing at all. When under high stress, likes to watch kitten videos; white cats are its absolute favorite. Obviously very strong, but has an unexpectedly fragile heart of glass. Uses the avatar of a middle-aged male, but self-identifies as female.
Scavenger: Antivirus software independently developed (?) by the Human Alliance. Sometimes deliberately releases viruses that only it can kill in order to earn money. Avatar is a sphinx.
Gatekeeper: Public opinion management. When things are relatively slow, it allocates 20% of its memory to go play soccer; its skills are terrible. Its temper is actually even worse, a classic “tough at home, coward abroad.”
Observer: Responsible for cybersecurity supervision. Avatar is a green eye. Enjoys hacking into the network devices of lawless elements and, exactly one second before they are arrested, blasting a troll-like pop-up: “Human Alliance is watching you.”
