26: Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne and Echoes of the Ancients

A 3D scan of the ruins beneath the ice rotated slowly on the main screen of the Command Center. Its staggering scale, scenes of destruction, and eerie energy signals left the entire Command Center in dead silence.

This was definitely not naturally formed, nor did it resemble the style of humans or the known Scrin. It was an ancient battlefield that had slept for a million years or more, a frozen tomb of a civilization.

"Commander, the energy signal analysis is complete." The Chief Researcher of the Combat Laboratory broke the silence, his voice trembling with disbelief. "Those energy signatures similar to the Scrin... the core frequency is older and more stable, like... a source. Whereas the Scrin's energy is more like a... crude imitation of this source energy."

The source? The Scrin were just imitating?

This conclusion sent a chill down Sun Zheng's spine. If the Scrin were just imitators, then how powerful must the true source civilization have been? And how did they perish, only to be frozen at the lunar pole?

"What about those biological fossils?" Sun Zheng followed up.

"The scanning resolution isn't high enough, but preliminary morphological analysis shows these biological structures... are not carbon-based. The molecular arrangement of the bones and shells is different from any known organism; it's closer to... silicon-based or some kind of energy crystal life."

Silicon-based life? Energy crystal life? Sun Zheng felt his worldview being refreshed over and over again. The Moon, Earth's satellite, actually hid such a staggering secret!

"Are there any recognizable buildings or symbols in the ruins?"

"Yes, but they're very blurry. We've scanned repeating geometric patterns on several relatively intact domes, mainly spirals and concentric circles. We can't decipher their meaning yet."

Spirals and concentric circles... Sun Zheng subconsciously touched the glimmer keystone fragment on his chest. Similar flows of light seemed to be spiraling within the keystone. Was there a connection between the two?

The amount of information was too much to digest at once. But Sun Zheng knew the most urgent thing was to assess the risks. Were these ruins an opportunity or a trap?

"Have you detected any active defense systems or signs of life?"

"We haven't found any active energy weapon signals or life signs. Those faint energy signals are more like... some kind of dormant core power source, or... sealing nodes?"

Dormant? Sealing? Sun Zheng's intuition told him that he must not easily wake this frozen land of death. Rashly drilling or going deep could trigger unpredictable consequences. The Scrin's interest in this place was likely for more than just resources.

He immediately issued orders:

Full Alert: Designate the area around the North Pole as a top-level restricted zone. Dispatch additional Rocket Troopers for constant patrols. Establish temporary defensive outposts at the scanner deployment sites, equipped with prism towers and patriot missiles.

Non-contact Research: Suspend all physical drilling. Research is limited to remote scanning and signal analysis. The Combat Laboratory will form a special task force to fully decipher the ruin structures, energy signatures, and geometric symbols.

Resource Extraction Adjustment: Postpone the plan to build the main mining base at the North Pole. Instead, build small mobile automated mining points at the edge of the ruins where signals are weak. First, mine the easily accessible silicate ores and avoid disturbing the core area.

Information Blackout: Classify this discovery as a secret of a higher level than the 'deep space gate' incident. Strictly prohibit unauthorized personnel from accessing the data.

"We need time and more knowledge to understand this place," Sun Zheng said to the core base personnel. "Before we lift its veil, we must maintain the utmost reverence and caution."

After handling the emergency at the North Pole, Sun Zheng focused once more on the development of the main base. Enhancing their strength was imperative. He approved the next-generation main battle tank R&D project submitted by the Combat Laboratory—the 'phantom tank'. This tank, with stealth capabilities and sniper firepower, would become the ace for future reconnaissance and surgical strikes.

At the same time, he began planning the next key structure—the Chronosphere. Whether for strategic mobility or responding to sudden crises, Chronosphere technology was vital.

As the lunar 'night' fell, Sun Zheng stood alone on the Command Center's observation deck, looking at the distant silhouette of Earth. The Moon beneath his feet was no longer a desolate satellite, but an iceberg burying cosmic-level secrets.

The frozen ancient city, the Scrin who imitated the source, the 'deep space gate' from decades ago, the glimmer keystone within him... these seemingly isolated events seemed to be linked by an invisible thread, pointing toward a massive mystery spanning time and space.

And he, this Red Alert Commander who had accidentally ended up on the Moon, had unknowingly stood at the eye of this mystery's storm.

He tightened his grip on the keystone fragment, feeling the faint resonance within it that seemed to span a million years.

"No matter who you are, no matter what happened here..."

Sun Zheng's gaze pierced through the void, becoming incredibly determined.

"I will uncover the truth. And this Frozen Throne might just be my first step toward the sea of stars."