85: Furnace Probe and Mercury Purgatory

The discovery of the Outpost beneath the Martian North Pole's ice was like a bolt of lightning cutting through the darkness, showing humanity a clear path to delaying the disaster. With time of the essence, Sun Zheng immediately convened a top-level strategic meeting at the Guanghan Palace base.

On the star map, five flickering points of light within the Solar System were like five Swords of Damocles hanging overhead, but also like five fires of hope waiting to be ignited.

“The locations of the five beacons are in environments that get progressively more extreme.” Colonel Falcon pointed at the star map, his tone solemn. “In Mercury's Corona, temperatures reach thousands of degrees Celsius, with radiation intense enough to instantly vaporize conventional materials. Beneath Venus's atmosphere, there's high temperature, high pressure, and sulfuric acid cloud corrosion. In Earth's deep seas, there's ultra-high pressure, darkness, and unknown creatures. Mars's deep geological structures are extremely difficult to prospect. In Saturn's rings' ice core region, there are high-speed ice particle impacts and complex gravitational environments.”

“We must split up and act simultaneously,” Sun Zheng said decisively. “We don't have time to explore them one by one. Every beacon we activate adds a measure of strength to the cage and buys more time for Earth.”

“I propose forming five elite special exploration teams, equipped with vehicles and equipment specifically modified for extreme environments, to set out at the same time,” Colonel A001 suggested.

“Agreed.” Sun Zheng nodded. “The ‘hope’ and the newly built ‘defender-class’ destroyers will serve as mobile support platforms, responsible for long-range command and emergency rescue for Mercury, Venus, and Earth in the inner Solar System, and Mars's depths and Saturn's rings in the outer Solar System.”

Orders were quickly dispatched. The entire base, like a precision war machine, began operating at high speed around the five targets.

The ‘Furnace’ Exploration Team: Target is the Mercury Corona beacon. Their core vehicle is the newly developed ‘Corona-class’ high-temperature reconnaissance boat, featuring a hull with a special reflective coating, an active cooling system, and a high-power energy shield.

The ‘Abyss’ Exploration Team: Target is the Earth Mariana Trench beacon. Their core vehicle is the ‘Hadopelagic-class’ 10,000-meter submersible, possessing ultra-strong pressure resistance and deep-sea detection equipment.

The ‘Toxic Cloud’ Exploration Team: Target is the Venusian atmosphere beacon. Their core vehicle is the ‘Strong Acid-class’ atmospheric probe, corrosion-resistant and capable of hovering in Venus's middle atmosphere for long periods.

The ‘Boring’ Exploration Team: Target is the Martian deep-layer beacon. Their core vehicle is a large-scale geological drilling platform and underground exploration robots.

The ‘Ice Dust’ Exploration Team: Target is the Saturn ring beacon. Their core vehicle is the ‘Icebreaker-class’ high-speed escort boat, highly maneuverable and equipped with an ice dust deflection force field.

Sun Zheng decided to personally lead the first team to depart, the ‘Furnace’ Exploration Team, heading to the most hostile and high-risk area: Mercury's Corona. He needed to personally verify the beacon activation process and the challenges they might encounter.

Several days later, the fully modified and tested Corona reconnaissance boat, escorted by the hope, broke out of lunar orbit and began its death-defying journey toward the innermost planet of the Solar System—Mercury.

During the voyage, as they drew closer to the Sun, cosmic background radiation intensified sharply, and temperatures began to soar. Even through the thick hull, one could feel that heart-palpitating wave of heat.

Inside the Corona, Sun Zheng and several top pilots and Engineers wore specialized cooling suits, staring intently at the various data. The reconnaissance boat's shields were already active, emitting a faint blue glow as they resisted the external high temperatures and radiation.

“Entering Mercury's orbit! The target beacon coordinates are located in the active Corona zone at the boundary between Mercury's dayside and nightside!” the navigator reported.

Through the viewport, Mercury's cratered surface, scorched red by the Sun, came into view. At its edge, the Sun's massive Corona was like a burning ocean, constantly erupting with million-degree plasma and intense radiation storms! It was an absolute forbidden zone for life!

“The beacon signal is weak, but we can lock onto it. The coronal interference is too strong for remote activation; we must make close-range contact.” The Engineer looked at the point of light on the sensor that was flickering in and out of view amidst the violent energy.

“Lower altitude, cut into the edge of the Corona! Watch out for plasma jets!” Sun Zheng ordered calmly.

The Corona was like a moth to a flame, charging into that purgatory without hesitation. The moment the shields touched the Corona, they emitted a piercing screech, and energy readings plummeted!

“Shield load at 85%! External temperature exceeds 3000 degrees Celsius!”

The reconnaissance boat struggled to maintain balance in the violent energy turbulence, dodging lethal plasma jets. Every maneuver was fraught with danger.

“Beacon sighted! It's right ahead at the edge of that massive coronal hole!” the pilot shouted.

There, at the edge of a relatively calm “cave” in the Corona, a primitive-looking tower structure made of dark, heat-resistant material stood silently on Mercury's rocky surface. At the top of the tower, a crystal emitting a faint blue light was stubbornly resisting the endless destructive energy around it. That was the order beacon!

“Get closer! Prepare the docking activation sequence!”

Under immense pressure, the Corona slowly approached the beacon tower. Just as it was close enough and the engineering robot was preparing to extend its mechanical arm for contact, a sudden change occurred!

The sensors emitted a piercing alarm!

“High-energy life reaction detected! Coming from deep within the Corona! It's extremely fast!”

A white-hot shadow, seemingly composed of pure energy, suddenly lunged out from the ocean of the Corona, pouncing toward the Corona at an incredible speed!

It wasn't a Scrin! Its energy signature was more primitive, more violent, and filled with the wildness of the Sun itself! Was it an energy lifeform born within the Corona? Or... a Guardian of the Sun corrupted by the void whisper?

“Emergency evasion!” Sun Zheng roared!

But it was too late! That white-hot energy shadow slammed hard into the Corona's shields!

BOOM—!!!

The shields instantly overloaded and shattered! The reconnaissance boat tumbled violently, its hull grazed by high-temperature plasma, and parts of the armor melted instantly!

The Corona lost control, falling toward Mercury's surface! Meanwhile, that white-hot energy shadow circled in the air and dove down once more!