359: Dead Base

The power armor boots of the six members of the Spear Falcon squad crunched on the cracked, unnaturally purple ground, making a dull rustling sound.

Three standard hours had passed since they fast-roped down from the Corporal-class frigate hovering thousands of meters above.

The frigate in high altitude had now entered full-spectrum stealth mode, like a silent ghost.

Besides providing relay communication and long-distance maneuverability for the squad, it was also the last aerial firepower barrier they could call upon if they encountered insurmountable danger.

There was no other way; even on the surface, communication equipment seemed to be severely interfered with. As long as the distance was a little further, it would basically lose effective communication function.

Captain Chen Liya half-crouched behind a weathered giant rock, her tactical goggles displaying real-time reconnaissance data transmitted by drones.

Originally, she had wanted to contact her colleagues in the executive department within Honeycomb Experimental City, but it was clear that, due to unknown reasons, contact had been lost.

There was no other way; she could only collect information herself.

The four Hummingbird-style reconnaissance drones she released were conducting a fan-shaped scan of the designated reconnaissance area in low-altitude silent mode.

In the split-screen display at the corner of her goggles, several shocking scenes were shown.

What was originally marked on the map as a Nova People resource outpost was now just a twisted metal skeleton and scorched earth; the ruins were covered with huge claw marks and the eerie sheen of some corrosive slime after it had dried.

There were no signs of life there, only dead silence.

"Hound One, Hound Two, report scan results for Sector B and Sector C," Chen Liya ordered the squad members.

"Hound One reporting, no moving heat sources found in Sector B, environmental radiation readings normal, but multiple areas of high-concentration unknown organic residue detected."

"Residue material scan complete, results do not match any objects in the company's geological database."

"Visual identification confirmed, original outpost building structure suffered non-explosive physical destruction, repeat, non-explosive destruction."

Ma Si's voice came through, tinged with suppressed tension. The drone he was controlling hovered above a huge communication tower that looked as if it had been flattened by something.

'Good heavens, this can't have been done by a hammer that gained sentience, right?'

'Or is someone on Three-Body Star mastering the True Body of Haotian!?'

Ma Si had recently become obsessed with archeology of early Eastern Federation web novels and was a bit deranged. Luckily, he only thought it to himself, otherwise he would have faced the Captain's 'friendly sanction.'

"Hound Two reporting, Sector C is an abandoned Trisolarans small mining facility, also with no signs of life."

"However, the extent of damage is far less than that of the Nova People outpost in Sector B. Most facilities remain relatively intact, and the damage is closer to natural wear and tear. Overall assessment, it seems more like it was abandoned," another squad member added.

After hearing the report, Chen Liya's brows furrowed slightly.

The two areas, separated by only twenty kilometers, presented vastly different scenes of destruction.

The Nova People's stronghold looked as if it had been run over by a rampaging giant beast, while the Trisolarans' facilities seemed more like empty shells left behind after their owners had calmly departed.

This discrepancy instinctively made her uneasy.

"Attention all, change route. Abandon direct traversal of Sector B, we will proceed by flanking along the canyon edge towards Sector D. Investigate Sector C along the way, maintain stealth," Chen Liya issued new orders.

Sector C was marked as a Trisolarans border monitoring station. Considering its geographical location and scale, the possibility of finding useful intelligence or discoveries was unlikely.

But since they were already here, they had to confirm it.

So, Chen Liya decided to first visit the less damaged Trisolarans mining facility (Sector C), and then proceed to the more distant Sector D, another larger Trisolarans base.

The squad moved through the rugged terrain like shadows, their power armor's stealth mode helping them blend into the environment as much as possible.

Along the way, they deliberately avoided several areas where drones detected strong but chaotic life signals; the energy signatures in those places partially matched known monster signals.

Although they were confident they could clear them out, their current mission did not require such unnecessary complications.

After swift movement, they arrived at Sector C, the small Trisolarans mining facility.

As the drones had scouted, there were no traces of intense combat here. Mining equipment lay quietly, covered in dust, but its structure was largely intact.

The doors to the living quarters were ajar, empty inside, with some personal items scattered about, as if the occupants had only temporarily left.

"No signs of combat, no bloodstains, no indications of a hasty evacuation," Ma Si muttered, inspecting a dormitory. "Captain, it looks like they received a notice and then just walked out in an orderly fashion?"

Chen Liya did not reply, only gesturing for the squad to continue towards their final objective, Sector D, her sense of unease growing stronger.

By the time the outline of Sector D, the Trisolarans base, appeared on the horizon, it was local dusk. The lingering rays of the setting sun cast an eerie golden-red glow over the silent base.

The defensive fortifications on the base's perimeter appeared intact, automated turrets stood silently, but their energy cores were clearly shut down.

"Drones, low-altitude infiltration, maximum power for life signal scan," Chen Liya commanded.

The drones silently glided over the base, and the images they transmitted made all squad members hold their breath.

The interior of the base was equally silent; vehicles were neatly parked in the garage, dormitory doors and windows were closed, and equipment on the training ground was neatly arranged.

Everything was in perfect order, except, it was completely empty.

"Life signal scan complete, zero results. No human or Trisolarans life signs. Communication nodes inactive," Ma Si reported, his voice tinged with incredulous confusion.

Chen Liya made a gesture, and the squad, in tactical formation, cautiously entered the base.

The sensors on their power armor were fully activated, scanning every corner.

They passed through empty plazas, checked barracks and the command center, finding nothing.

It wasn't until they pushed open the door to the base's cafeteria that the sight before them sent a chill through even the experienced members of the Spear Falcon squad.

In the cafeteria, tables were neatly arranged, and on them were highly decomposed, unrecognizable food items. Knives and forks were still placed beside plates, and some chairs even had jackets draped over them.

Solidified soup bowls, moldy bread, dried wine glasses... It was as if, at some instant, all the Trisolarans who were dining suddenly rose collectively and calmly departed, leaving the food to rot in time.

"No attack. There are no traces of combat or struggle here," Chen Liya's voice was low. She walked to a dining table, and her tactical goggles' microscopic scanning function showed that the food's decomposition level was relatively consistent, indicating they were abandoned at roughly the same time.

"They left at the same time, and they left unhurriedly."

She suddenly looked up, towards the direction of Sector B outside the base.

The Nova People outpost twenty kilometers away was in ruins, yet here, this Trisolarans base, was so perfectly preserved, even people who hadn't finished a meal managed to leave in an orderly fashion?

"This doesn't make sense, does it?" Ma Si also realized the problem. "If monsters caused the destruction of the Nova People outpost, why did they spare this Trisolarans base so close by?"

"If the Trisolarans evacuated in advance to avoid disaster, how would they know the monsters were coming? And why did they only evacuate their own people, abandoning their neighboring Nova People to their fate?"

"Although they are divided, they are still of the same origin, so why would it come to this?"

A terrifying thought exploded in Chen Liya's mind. Was there a possibility that these Trisolarans were not 'evacuated' at all, but 'recalled'?

If so, wouldn't this place be a trap?!

"Cease exploration! All personnel, withdraw from the base immediately! Repeat, withdraw immediately!" Chen Liya issued the order without hesitation; her intuition was screaming at her.

Beneath this calm surface, there was definitely a huge danger or an astonishing secret hidden.

The squad members swiftly and orderly withdrew from the silent cafeteria and base buildings, returning to the relatively open outer area.

"Hound Three, Hound Four, ascend, conduct a carpet scan of the base and a five-kilometer radius around it. Don't miss any traces, no matter what they are."

"Even natural traces, record them for me!"

"Also, underground spaces. Release the 'Mole' reconnaissance robots, drill and sample. I want to know what's down there!"

Chen Liya spoke rapidly, giving orders while leading the squad to retreat to a vantage point about one kilometer from the base, establishing a temporary defensive position.

Drones buzzed into the sky, their multi-spectral scanning beams sweeping across the ground like invisible combs.

Several fist-sized "Mole" robots quickly burrowed into the ground, beginning their descent.