305: Chapter 36 Mist and Choice

The cold, authoritative command for the "Purge Protocol" was like a massive boulder dropped into the deep waters of the "Silent Corridor." Although the command itself was pure information broadcast without any physical energy, the shockwave of its content was more intense than any weapon.

Inside the "ranger," a deathly silence lasted for several seconds before being broken by a series of urgent voices.

"S-1! Immediately perform a top-level analysis and trace on that command! Confirm the signal source, verify authorization tags, and check the encrypted signatures!" Excellence almost roared, his heart pounding in his chest. The coordinates for the source of the deviation mentioned in the command overlapped perfectly with the direction of the abnormal fluctuations they had monitored. This was no coincidence! Had the "Main System" finally discovered the threat, or... was this command itself part of that "threat"?

"Analyzing command..." S-1's voice remained steady, but the content of the report grew more alarming with every sentence. "Signal source direction: Cannot be precisely located. Originates from deep within the 'the gate.' The path is complex, showing signs of multiple relays or reflections, with significant differences from the 'Global Broadcast' characteristics in the 'Main System's' standard communication protocols. Authorization tags: Blurred and unclear. The emergency communication protocol format for the Tribunal/Balance Council matches, but the core identification codes contain damage and unresolvable noise, failing standard authentication processes. Encryption signatures: Partially damaged. Remaining fragments contain contradictions with the highest-authority emergency signature samples stored in the database."

"Contradictions? Be specific!" Stardust pressed, data streams surging wildly in her gray eyes as her fingertips left afterimages across the light screen.

"In the sample signatures, the dynamic encryption entropy used to identify 'Command Category - Purge Protocol' shows a deviation of approximately 0.3% compared to the corresponding entropy in the received command signature fragments," S-01's voice carried a rare hint of solemnity. "Although this deviation is small, it does not meet the absolute consistency standards required for highest-authority commands from the 'Eternal Tribunal/Balance Council.' Furthermore, the overall information structure of the command contains subtle redundant coding in the seventh, ninth, and eleventh Information Entropy Layers that does not conform to standard communication protocol architecture, suggesting it was added later or tampered with."

Deviations! Redundant coding! Suspected tampering!

"Do not trust..." The ancient warning echoed in everyone's minds once more. This "Purge Protocol" command, which seemingly came from the highest authority, was now shrouded in a thick shadow of doubt regarding its authenticity.

"Can you reverse-trace the ultimate source of the signal? Even just a general direction?" Excellence forced himself to calm down and think quickly, his voice carrying an imperceptible tremor.

"Attempting reverse trace..." S-1's voice paused for a moment, as if performing complex calculations. "Before reaching this sector, the signal underwent at least three instances of High-dimensional Information Frequency Hopping from unknown sources; the path has been completely obfuscated. Forcing a trace, the only certain 'previous hop' general direction also points toward... sectors Gamma-7, Delta-3, Epsilon-11. This highly overlaps with the 'deviation source' coordinates mentioned in the command and the direction of the abnormal fluctuation source we observed."

The command content wanted to "purge" that source, yet the command signal itself likely originated from that source, or at least passed through that region for "processing"?

"What is this? A thief crying 'stop thief'? Or some even more complex trap?" Mute's voice was full of confusion and wariness, the light from his fragments flickering uneasily like a candle in the wind. "Using forged 'Main System' commands to mobilize other corridor units to attack the very place where the command issuer is located? That makes no sense!"

"It might not be an attack on the command issuer themselves." Stardust's mind raced. She pulled up the star map and began sketching rapidly, her fingertips leaving pale blue trails across the virtual interface. "Suppose that fluctuation source is the facility mentioned in the ancient warning—the one that has 'fallen' and is controlled by the 'Traitor.' The 'Traitor' seized the 'key' and might have also gained partial or full control over that facility. If so, it is entirely possible for them to use that facility's communication system to pose as the 'Main System' and send false commands to other corridor units that are still in 'silent hibernation' and ignorant of the truth."

"To what end?" Evelyn Li asked, her spiritual projection fluctuating slightly, representing the intense calculations of her core program. "If they are the 'Traitor' and control a fallen facility, why would they proactively expose their position and use a fake command to invite others to 'purge' them? It's illogical. Unless..."

"Unless the 'purge' is fake and the lure is real," White Elder's aged voice rang out slowly, carrying a sharp insight that seemed to pierce through the mists of time. "This command is titled 'Purge Deviation' and assembles 'Designated Units.' What I fear is that its true purpose is not to purify that place, but to use it as bait to lure remaining loyal units out from the shadows to converge upon it. Once they are gathered, they can be wiped out in one fell swoop, or perhaps ambushed so their 'keys' can be seized to strengthen the Traitor. This is a strategy of 'fishing,' or 'luring the snake out of its hole' to annihilate them all at once."

White Elder's words sent a chill through everyone's hearts.

Indeed, if the "Traitor's" goal was to seize more "keys" and completely paralyze the "Silent Corridor" network, what could be more efficient than impersonating the "Main System" to issue a muster command, bringing those scattered and hidden loyal units right under their nose?

"Then how do you explain the 'deviation source coordinates' in the command being their own location? Isn't that basically telling everyone, 'I'm here, come hit me'?" Mute was still somewhat puzzled, the light from his fragments dimming slightly.

"What if the 'Traitor' has absolute confidence that the incoming 'purge units' aren't enough to threaten them, and might even be subverted or destroyed instead?" Stardust analyzed, her gray pupils contracting slightly. "Or perhaps those coordinates are a total trap—the real 'Traitor' and their lair are elsewhere, using a decoy facility to draw fire? Or... the 'deviation' is real, but the 'Traitor' hopes to use other corridor units to 'purify' that source—perhaps something in that facility they can't fully control that is still resisting, or the deviation itself is a byproduct of their experiments and they need outside forces to 'clean up the mess'?"

There were too many possibilities, a mix of truth and lies that was hard to distinguish. But regardless, the command itself was full of suspicious points, and the intention behind it was highly likely to be malicious.

"S-1, in your judgment, what is the credibility of this command? Should we comply?" Excellence asked the most critical question, his voice carrying a heavy expectation.

S-1 fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing all information in a complex logical balance. "Based on existing information: the signal source is suspicious, authorization verification failed, there are signs of tampering, the transmission path is bizarre, and it contradicts the ancient warning 'Do not trust.' Comprehensive assessment: the probability that this command is forged or maliciously tampered with is as high as 87.3%. Recommendation: Do not respond, maintain silence, increase vigilance, and continue observation."

Do not respond! An 87.3% probability of being forged or tampered with!

This conclusion aligned with the intuitive judgment of Excellence and the others. But the problem was not entirely solved.

"Assuming this command is fake—a lure or a trap by the 'Traitor,'" Excellence's brow furrowed as his gaze swept over everyone on the bridge, "then how will other corridor units still in 'silent hibernation' react when they receive this? Can they identify the suspicious points in the command like we did? S-1, do you have any data on the current status, intelligence levels, or possible behavioral logic of other corridor units when faced with a suspected forged high-level command?"

"Insufficient information," S-1 replied with a hint of helplessness. "The degree of independence and autonomy of each corridor unit during 'silent hibernation' is unknown. Their built-in 'protocol priorities' and 'command verification mechanisms' may also vary depending on the unit model, era, and the last command received before hibernation. Some units may have decreased judgment due to long-term silence, energy depletion, or system damage, making them more likely to obey seemingly authoritative commands. Others may have stricter verification protocols built-in and choose not to respond or to verify further. Reliable prediction is currently impossible."

"In other words, it's very likely that some corridor units will be tricked by this fake command and head to those coordinates to assemble." Stardust's expression was grim, her fingertips leaving trails of anxiety on the light screen. "If it's a trap, they will face immense danger. Even if it really is a deviation source that needs to be 'purged,' if the 'Traitor' has set a trap there, these units will still suffer losses. Regardless, the issuance of this fake command means the 'Traitor' has begun taking proactive action. They are no longer satisfied with hiding in the shadows; they are starting to stir the pot, muddy the waters, or... draw in the net."

Proactive action, stirring the pot. This meant the relatively "static" threat posture they had previously theorized had likely been broken. The potential crisis was accelerating.

"What do we do?" Evelyn Li asked, her voice tinged with urgency. "Sit back and do nothing? Or do something?"

Sitting back and doing nothing for self-preservation seemed like the safest choice. They could barely protect themselves and were weak; getting involved in what might be a struggle between the "Traitor" and "loyal units," or even between the "Traitor" and the remnants of the "Main System," was like striking a stone with an egg.

But Excellence's brow furrowed even deeper. He remembered what Mute had mentioned regarding the "Silent Corridor's" duties as an "observation station," "filter," and "incubator." He remembered the importance of the "keys" and the potential harm of "distorted echoes." If the "Traitor's" plot succeeded, if they seized more "keys," created more "distorted echoes," or even compromised the stability of the "the gate"... the consequences would be unthinkable. It wouldn't just be for the "Order Domain"; for those trapped within the "Corridor," it could also mean total annihilation.

Furthermore, the "Do not trust" warning and S-1's "high suspicion" rating both indicated that this command was highly likely to be malicious. If they sat by and watched other potentially surviving corridor units—ignorant of the truth—be lured into a trap by this fake command, were they not indirectly fueling the "Traitor's" arrogance and weakening the already scant remaining forces of the side of Order?

"We cannot simply sit back and do nothing," Excellence spoke slowly, his voice carrying a sense of resolve as if he had made a firm decision. "But we cannot rashly respond to the command and walk into a trap either. We need a method... that can warn others without exposing ourselves, or at least without dragging us directly into the center of the whirlpool."

"You want to send a warning?" Stardust immediately understood his meaning, a light flashing in her gray eyes. "Warn other units that might have received the command that it might be a forgery, and remind them not to be fooled?"

"Exactly." Excellence nodded, his gaze firm. "But the warning cannot be sent in our name, nor can we directly say the command is fake—we have no concrete evidence, and our own identities are suspicious. We need to use a more... covert and safer way."

"By using that ancient warning?" Mute said thoughtfully, the light of his fragments flickering slightly. "To 'leak' that 'Do not trust' warning in some way? So that other units 'accidentally' receive it too?"

"It's a potential approach, but difficult to execute," Stardust analyzed, her fingertips gliding rapidly across the light screen. "That ancient warning signal is extremely faint and fragmented; we only happened to capture it under very specific conditions. Trying to 'package' it into a signal that other units can stably receive without exposing ourselves requires high-level technique and carries great risk. Once the 'Traitor' or their accomplices monitor it, they will immediately know that besides their intended targets, there are 'others' watching this matter who might possess information detrimental to them. This would move us from the shadows into the light, which is very dangerous."

"Perhaps... we don't need to send 'information,' but rather create a 'phenomenon'?" Evelyn suggested, a spark of inspiration in her voice. "Since the 'Traitor' is trying to use fake commands to create chaos and draw attention, could we, without exposing ourselves, create a tiny bit of... 'noise' along the transmission path of that fake command or near its target area? It would be just enough to make other alert units suspicious. For example, we could simulate a very low-intensity energy disturbance related to 'Chaos Erosion' or 'System Error.' This would cause units receiving the command to discover 'anomalies' while en route to assemble or when verifying the command itself, leading to caution, delays, or even a complete halt in response."

"Creating controllable 'noise'?" Excellence's eyes lit up, as if seeing a glimmer of light in the darkness. "That's an interesting idea. We don't need to directly say 'the command is fake.' We just need to create some reasonable, inconspicuous 'minor trouble' in the relevant areas to make things look less than 'perfect,' thereby triggering reasonable doubt in other units. For instance, we could create a bit of information interference at a node along the command's path, causing undetectable 'attenuation' or 'distortion' in certain parts of the command. This would make it more consistent with the characteristics of 'interference' or 'transmission loss,' lowering its credibility. Or, near the target coordinates, we could create slight, atypical energy fluctuations to make it look less like a pure 'offset source' and more like a 'problematic area.'"

"Feasible, but it also requires precise control," S-1 evaluated, its voice carrying a hint of caution. "Any active energy or information operation carries the risk of detection. We need to select areas and methods with the lowest risk and greatest difficulty to trace, ensuring that any operational traces self-annihilate or blend into the background noise within a short time."

"We need a detailed plan." Stardust began pulling up star maps and energy flow diagrams, her fingertips moving quickly across the light screen. "We cannot directly reach the target coordinate area, but along the command's likely transmission paths, closer to our side, there are several 'node' areas where 'Silent' energy is relatively thin and the chaos background interference is slightly stronger. We might try low-intensity operations there to simulate natural energy disturbances. Meanwhile, we must be prepared to cut connections at any time and enter a deeper state of concealment."

"Senior Mute," Excellence looked toward the flickering fragments, his voice filled with concern, "regarding the 'key' and the 'echo,' can you recall any other characteristics or ways they might be abused? Specifically, if a 'Distorted Echo' is triggered on a large scale, what other impacts would it have besides potentially attracting 'the listeners'? Are there any characteristics we could detect from a distance?"

He had to consider the worst-case scenario—if the "Traitor's" goal wasn't just to lure other units, but to use the cover of the "Purge Protocol" at those coordinates to perform some dangerous ritual or experiment that required a large-scale gathering. For example... using the stolen "key" to forcibly trigger a massive, extremely dangerous "Distorted Echo"?

Mute's fragments pulsed with light as he thought hard. "A 'Distorted Echo'... its impact isn't just in the signal itself. A large-scale, high-intensity 'Distorted Echo' could disturb the stability of the 'Silent' substrate in the area, even creating unintended and dangerous 'resonance' with the 'the gate.' If this 'resonance' spirals out of control, it might temporarily weaken the 'the gate's' ability to 'filter' chaos in a localized area, leading to intensified Chaos Erosion or even tearing open temporary, unstable 'fissures.' Additionally, the 'Distorted Echo' itself carries strong, abnormal 'Order-Information Entropy' signatures. If the scale is large enough, it could be captured by highly sensitive detectors with the appropriate Perception capabilities, even from a great distance."

Disturbing the "Silent" substrate, dangerous resonance with the "the gate," potentially tearing open chaos fissures, and... emitting abnormal, remotely detectable information entropy signatures!

"In other words, if the 'Traitor' really plans to make a big move there, we might be able to detect the specific energy or information entropy disturbances caused by the 'Distorted Echo' from afar?" Excellence confirmed, his voice tense.

"Theoretically, yes. But the premise is that the scale must be large enough, our detectors must be sensitive enough, and we must know what signatures to look for," Mute answered, the light from his fragments dimming slightly.

"S-1, adjust our passive monitoring array. Besides continuing to listen for that abnormal fluctuation, add scans for signatures like 'large-scale abnormal information entropy release,' 'localized instability of the Silent substrate,' and 'abnormal resonance of the the gate.' Focus monitoring toward the target coordinates," Excellence ordered, his voice firm and beyond question.

"Command recorded. Adjusting monitoring array parameters. Sensitivity to energy disturbances in specific frequency bands is expected to increase by approximately 15%, but monitoring capabilities for other bands will decrease accordingly," S-1 responded.

"Do it. Also, regarding the plan to 'create noise,' Stardust, Evelyn, work with S-1 immediately to develop a detailed proposal," Excellence assigned tasks quickly, his voice carrying a sense of urgency. "Requirements: First, ensure absolute concealment; operational traces must dissipate on their own or be impossible to link to us within a very short time. Second, the interference effect must be enough to trigger reasonable suspicion in other corridor units with basic verification capabilities, but it shouldn't be so obvious that it alerts the 'Traitor' to third-party intervention. Third, the operation must be conducted outside our safety distance, and we must have a contingency plan to immediately abort and enter a deeper level of silence if there's any risk of exposure."

"Understood." Stardust and Evelyn immediately threw themselves into the work, their fingertips tracing busy paths across the light screens.

"Senior White Elder," Excellence turned toward the simple wood carving, his voice respectful, "next, we may need you to exert more effort to strengthen the Perception and protection of our area. If that 'Traitor' or their minions truly possess some unknown remote detection or sensing method, we'll need your 'heart' to provide early warning."

"This old man understands." White Elder's mental fluctuations were steady and powerful, like a towering mountain. "Should any alien thoughts or treacherous malice probe this place, I shall ensure they never return."

With arrangements in place, everyone took their positions. The atmosphere inside the ranger grew even more somber and busy than before. A "Supreme Command" of unknown origin and filled with suspicion was like a massive boulder thrown into a calm lake; it didn't just create ripples, it likely heralded the violent eruption of undercurrents beneath the surface. Their small, accidental team of "temps" had to make the most difficult and critical choices in the mist—how to protect themselves while doing as much as possible to stop (or at least delay) a massive conspiracy that could sweep through the entire Silent Corridor network and perhaps even broader regions.

The appearance of the forged command marked the beginning of a contest in the shadows that was evolving in an increasingly intense and unpredictable direction. They had been forced into this silent yet perilously dangerous chess game.

The next step: wait and see, or make a move to break the deadlock? Every step could involve life and death, the future of this "Silent" land, and even the direction of the fragile balance between "Order" and "Chaos."

The plan to "create noise" was the first exploratory stone they cast into the mist. How much of a stir would this stone cause, and how much time and space could it buy for them and those potentially deceived, unwitting "colleagues"?

No one knew the answer. They only knew they had to act, even if it was just casting a tiny stone from the shadows in an attempt to disrupt the game.

Just as everyone was tensely formulating the "noise-making" plan, S-1 suddenly issued a low-pitched alarm.

"Warning! Detected a new, faint signal pulse from the Deep Information Sea! Signal characteristics... are highly similar to the 'base frequency' of the previously monitored abnormal fluctuation source, but the intensity has increased by approximately 0.1%! The pulse duration was extremely short, only zero point three standard seconds, but the information entropy signatures it carried... showed an unprecedented, brief, and sharp peak!"

Stardust immediately pulled up the data charts. On the screen, the faint curve representing the abnormal fluctuation had, in the moment just passed, suddenly shot up into an extremely sharp but rapidly receding "needle-like" spike. Though brief, this spike was far higher than the background noise, appearing exceptionally conspicuous.

"What is this? A one-time energy burst? Or... some kind of signal?" Excellence's heart leaped into his throat.

"Analyzing information entropy peak..." S-1's voice carried a rare sense of haste. "The peak characteristics show approximately 12% morphological similarity to an extremely ancient internal protocol signal used to mark 'High-Priority Event Trigger' or 'Emergency State Activation'!"

High-priority event trigger? Emergency state activation?

Could it be... the "Traitor" had already begun to act? That fake "Purge Protocol" command was just a prelude, and the real "main event" was only now beginning?

"S-1, put everything into analyzing this pulse signal! Try to extract any possible valid information! Also, increase the sensitivity of all monitoring arrays, especially toward the target coordinates! Senior White Elder, please also..." Before Excellence could finish, all the lights in the bridge flickered simultaneously without warning.

Immediately following, an extremely faint but hair-raising non-linguistic mental noise—like countless fine whispers mixed together—swept past everyone's consciousness like a cold tide. It felt like suddenly hearing a faint, meaningless murmur from the next room in the dead of a silent night.

Everyone froze.

"Just now... what was that?" Evelyn's voice carried a hint of a tremor.

"Mental pollution... or rather, 'cognitive noise'," White Elder's voice took on a hint of gravity for the first time. "Extremely faint, but the source... is very distant and carries a clear directional intent. It wasn't aimed at us; it's more like the 'aftershocks' unintentionally leaked when the 'thoughts' or 'will' of some powerful existence underwent violent activity, which just happened to sweep across our area."

"Directional intent..." Excellence murmured to himself, his gaze fixed on the eternally silent silver-gray expanse outside the viewport. "Pointing... toward those coordinates?"

"Precisely," White Elder confirmed.

That distant shadow they had indirectly "touched" was not just emitting fluctuations and forging commands; now, it was even starting to leak the aftershocks of its "will"!

The storm had truly arrived.

And would the "stone" they cast be able to create even a single useful ripple in this impending, colossal wave?

No one knew. They could only hold their breath in the darkness, waiting for the next moment to descend.