53: being chased

The rhythm of deep space navigation is a duet of monotonous engine hums and cold data streams. The dawn glided along its pre-set exploration route like a cautious metal fish, moving through interstellar space that appeared empty but was actually filled with subtle material flows. The radar-absorbent coating on the hull swallowed most of the radiation, while the forward nodes of the Truth Listener network, like extended slender tentacles, continuously sent filtered environmental information back to the bridge. Resource collection had not stopped, only becoming more refined; SCVs, like diligent scavengers, selected and separated valuable materials from sparse asteroids and dust clouds near the route, maintaining a slow but steady growth of the resource pool.

However, the peace was only a facade. Whether it was the eerie characteristics mixed with chaotic energy displayed by the Aberration monsters in the last encounter, or the danger of 'energy disturbance' hinted at by the Ashes Graveyard decoded from the ancient beacon, Han Zhe was constantly reminded of a cruel fact: in this universe, many threats do not merely act on the physical plane. The Warp—that non-material realm filled with disordered energy and abominable existences—its pollution and erosion are equally lethal, and even harder to guard against.

His soldiers, those loyal clone warriors, were equipped with cmc armor cast from Simulated Taosteel-II alloy and held Gauss Weaponry of considerable power, enough to handle most physical threats. But their souls and their will were no different from being naked in the face of the whispers of the Warp and the direct impact of chaotic fell energy. A successful psionic scream or a foul curse of Chaos could plunge an entire squad into madness, mutation, or worse—becoming puppets controlled by the enemy.

"keystone, report all research progress on Warp defense technology, especially protection schemes suitable for individual soldiers or small units." Han Zhe pulled up the relevant files in the bridge's tactical analysis area. This issue had been listed as a high-priority long-term subject during the anvil forging project, but it had been suppressed by the more urgent hull repairs and weapon integration.

"Based on the information turbulence and Concept Anchoring principles parsed from the stc fragment (omni-shield fragment), combined with Imperial general psionic suppression technology (database extremely incomplete) and the analysis of Aberration energy signatures, individual-level Warp protection research has achieved phased results." keystone's voice was accompanied by the unfolding of complex data models.

"Current primary directions are 'Psionic Interference Field' and 'Conceptual Mind Armor'."

· Psionic Interference Field: Integrating miniaturized information turbulence crystal arrays onto the surface of individual armor (such as CMC) or inside helmets. This array does not generate a powerful shield, but instead continuously emits an extremely weak, yet specific frequency of 'background noise' used to interfere with, refract, or 'dilute' low-intensity Warp influences (such as chaotic whispers, fear auras, and slight mental suggestions) infiltrating from outside. It has limited effect against high-intensity psionic attacks or direct contact with demonic entities.

· Conceptual Mind Armor: More experimental. Utilizing concepts involving 'information anchoring' from STC technology, it attempts to load specific 'Cognitive Reinforcement Protocols' and 'Logic Firewalls' into the soldiers' neural interfaces. It aims to strengthen the soldiers' mental capacity to identify and resist chaotic and profane information, preventing cognitive pollution and mental breakdown. However, this protocol may affect the soldiers' creative thinking and adaptability in extreme situations, and its long-term effects are unknown.

"Integration Scheme: 'tranquility' Individual Anti-Warp Module (Experimental). Integrates the micro-interference array and basic mental reinforcement protocols into the cmc armor helmet and spinal neural interface expansion slot. Requires consumption of special materials (miniaturized variants of high-purity information turbulence crystals). The resource point cost per module is approximately 300 points. Small-batch trial production is currently possible."

Three hundred points a set! That was more expensive than a long nail sniper rifle! But Han Zhe did not hesitate. Soldiers were precious, especially clone soldiers who had been nurtured, trained, and possessed combat experience. Losing a soldier was not just a matter of three hundred points, but a loss of combat power, morale, and future potential.

"Approve trial production of the 'tranquility' module. First batch... twenty sets. Priority distribution to Alpha Squad, Beta, and Gamma Squad leaders, as well as reconnaissance units." Han Zhe made his decision. "Meanwhile, continue technical optimization with the goal of reducing costs and increasing protection strength. Try to research whether a similar, area-of-effect Warp protection field can be developed for the dawn itself, even if it only covers key areas (such as the bridge and Hive center)."

"Command confirmed. 'tranquility' module production line starting. Shipboard protection field research project established."

Just as the 'tranquility' modules began intensive production, the dawn's voyage led to a new discovery.

"Truth Listener-12 (located approximately zero point two light-minutes to the front-left of the route) reports: Captured faint, non-natural electromagnetic signal residue. The signal has dissipated, but the residual characteristics have a 7% spectral similarity to the previously intercepted Ashes Graveyard beacon. Simultaneously, abnormal microscopic gravitational ripples were detected in the area, suspected to be the recent passage of a faster-than-light object," keystone reported.

Suspected beacon-related signal! And a faster-than-light wake! What did this mean? Had another ship (or something else) just passed through there? Was it the source of the beacon? Or another explorer (or marauder)?

"dawn, adjust course and head to the signal residue area. All-ship Level 1 silence, passive sensors fully open. hound-ii platforms, move forward for reconnaissance, maintain stealth," Han Zhe ordered immediately. A clue had appeared; it had to be seized.

The warship slowly turned, like a giant whale diving into the deep sea, shutting down most active emission sources and relying solely on passive reception and the Truth Listener network to capture information. Two newly commissioned hound-ii platforms were quietly released from the broadside; their small, disc-shaped bodies almost completely blended into the starry background as they accelerated toward the target area.

Hours later, hound-ii sent back clearer scanning data.

The target area was a relatively empty patch of interstellar space, but it was not devoid of everything. Scans showed a large amount of extremely tiny, non-natural metal and ceramic particles scattered here, resembling debris from the disintegration of some small spacecraft or device. The source of the gravitational ripples was already difficult to trace, but the residual traces showed it was definitely not a natural phenomenon. More importantly, within a relatively concentrated cluster of debris particles, the hound-ii's high-precision sensors discovered a larger, roughly fist-sized, irregular polyhedral crystal fragment. The surface of the fragment flowed with an extremely faint, ghostly blue light that shared the same source as the beacon signal.

"Discovered suspected beacon component debris. Sample recovered," reported the hound-ii operator (a member of Gamma Squad).

The sample was quickly sent to the dawn's analysis bay. After preliminary testing, this crystal fragment was indeed an ancient energy-information storage and transmission medium. Its technological lineage was identical to the discovery in the Megastructure Debris Mountain, but it was more miniaturized and sophisticated. The fragment was severely damaged and the internal stored information was unreadable, but its energy signature highly matched the signal captured by the Truth Listener.

"It can be confirmed that we are navigating along an activity trajectory related to the Ashes Graveyard beacon," keystone concluded. "The residual wake indicates that a unit with faster-than-light capabilities recently passed through here and may be related to this beacon fragment. The destination of said unit is unknown."

Was it the creator or user of the beacon? Or a third party that destroyed it? Han Zhe had no way of knowing. But one thing was certain: they were not the only ones on this route.

"Continue exploring in the current direction and maintain high vigilance. Analyze the fragment's material and attempt to reverse-engineer its potential manufacturing process or energy source; this might provide us with more information regarding the civilization behind the beacon," Han Zhe instructed. Simultaneously, alarm bells rang faintly in his mind. Faster-than-light units... Could it be the Imperial Navy? Eldar pirates? A Tau Empire expedition? Or... some other unknown force, perhaps even Chaos?

Whatever it was, the dawn had to be prepared for every eventuality.

A few days later, the first batch of twenty "tranquility" modules was completed and distributed to the designated soldiers. The installation process required the soldiers to enter medical pods for brief neural interface fine-tuning and module implantation. Alpha-01 was the first to undergo the modification.

When he donned his cmc-2a model armor again and activated the systems, the sensory data feeding back felt subtly different. It wasn't an enhancement of sight or hearing, but rather an... indescribable sense of "tranquility." Previously, during deep-space voyages or tense standbys, that subconscious, minute anxiety toward the endless darkness and the unknown felt as if it were separated and smoothed over by an extremely thin, flexible filter. Simultaneously, a tiny, inconspicuous icon indicating the stability of the turbulence field appeared on the internal helmet display interface.

"How do you feel?" Han Zhe asked through an encrypted channel.

"Reporting to the Captain: cognitive clarity is unaffected. However... my perception of environmental 'noise' seems to have decreased; there is a... 'cleaner' feeling," Alpha-01 reported after carefully experiencing the sensation. "The module is functioning normally; no discomfort."

Initial feedback was positive. This at least meant the soldiers now had a basic line of defense when facing low-intensity Warp mental pollution.

Just as the "tranquility" modules began to be deployed and the exploration delved deeper, the "Diting" network captured an anomaly once again—but this time, it wasn't a signal, but a physical entity.

"'Diting-07' (deployed to the rear-right of the flight path) reports: detected unidentified objects moving at low speed. Quantity: three. Volume: small (approximately five to ten meters in diameter). Speed: approximately 0.005C. Trajectory: irregular, but generally oriented toward the rear of the dawn's flight path—the direction we came from. Energy signature: weak, mixed, non-natural. Not identified as known vessels or common space organisms," keystone reported with a hint of confusion.

Low speed, small size, three of them, coming from behind? Was it some kind of space organism? Or... reconnaissance units? Tailers?

Han Zhe immediately pulled up the enhanced, blurry images transmitted by Diting-07. Against the backdrop of starlight, those three objects were merely inconspicuous dots, but upon magnification, he could see their irregular silhouettes—seemingly cobbled together haphazardly from dark biological tissue and crude metal. Their surfaces featured faint spots of light that flickered like breathing.

"More things like the Aberrations? But much smaller in size and slower..." Han Zhe frowned. What did they want? Tracking? Reconnaissance? Or some behavior he couldn't comprehend?

"Order the dawn to maintain course and speed. Release a hound-ii for a stealthy approach to perform close-range identification and monitoring. Alpha Squad, don your armor equipped with the 'tranquility' modules and standby in Sortie Bay 2, ready to respond to any contingencies. The entire ship is to maintain radio silence; observe their intentions." Han Zhe chose a cautious response. Before understanding the opponent's true nature, it was unwise to act rashly.

A hound-ii quietly detached from the fleet, flanking around and slowly approaching the three uninvited guests under the cover of interstellar dust.

As the distance closed, clearer images were sent back. They were indeed twisted fusions of biology and machinery, but far smaller and simpler in structure than the Aberrations encountered previously. They looked more like... insects? Or perhaps some kind of automated reconnaissance units? They didn't seem to have clear sensory organs, relying instead on instinct or preset programming to drift aimlessly in the void, occasionally adjusting direction, but overall moving toward the general area where the dawn had once been.

"Behavioral pattern analysis: non-intelligent, seemingly following simple environmental stimuli or chemical/energy trail tracking. No active scanning or communication signals detected," keystone analyzed.

"Could they be some kind of... 'larvae' of the Aberrations? Or reconnaissance sub-units?" Han Zhe speculated. "Are they tracking the traces we left behind? For instance, residual radiation from the thrusters, or the faint energy signatures emitted when the Taotie-II System processes matter?"

If that were the case, it meant those monsters were not only highly aggressive but might also possess some primitive tracking capability. There might even be a colony or hive structure that dispatched these sub-units for wide-area searches.

"hound-ii, attempt to collect a sample using the miniature capture net. Exercise caution; if there is a violent reaction, destroy it immediately and withdraw," Han Zhe ordered. He needed more information about these creatures.

The hound-ii carefully extended its mechanical arm, and a nanofiber net with a weak electrical discharge function popped out from the tip, casting toward one of the "sub-units."

At the very moment the capture net was about to make contact, the faint spots of light on the sub-unit's surface suddenly flared! The entire small body jolted as if activated! It didn't attack the hound-ii; instead, it suddenly accelerated with an explosive force completely inconsistent with its slow drifting. It lunged a distance toward the dawn—specifically, toward the line connecting the hound-ii and the dawn—then curled its body. The light on its surface flashed violently a few times before dimming completely, as if it had exhausted all its energy, turning into a dead, drifting piece of wreckage.

The other two sub-units reacted almost simultaneously: activation, sprint, flashing, and death.

"Self-destruction? Or some kind of... signal transmission behavior?" keystone's voice carried a hint of doubt.

"Detected an extremely brief high-frequency Psychic Pulse! Low intensity, but with clear directionality! The pulse direction... the distant endpoint cannot be precisely located, but it points generally toward a certain point in deep space!" keystone reported immediately after.

Han Zhe's heart sank. These weren't "larvae" or simple reconnaissance sub-units at all! These were some kind of Living Beacons! Or alarm triggers! Their mission was likely to wander the vast starry sky, and once they contacted specific energy signatures (like those left by the dawn), they would self-destruct and send a directional alarm signal!

They had been marked! Marked by whatever was behind those monsters!

"All hands, Condition One! Cancel radio silence, active scanning at full power! Search for any abnormal energy or spatial disturbances in the vicinity! Calculate the possible reception range of that Psychic Pulse!" Han Zhe's voice rang out on the bridge, carrying an unquestionable urgency.

The dawn instantly transformed from a lurking state into a porcupine. All sensor power was pushed to the maximum, scanning beams sweeping into the darkness like searchlights. The Diting network entered active mode, straining to capture any minute anomaly.

A few minutes later, bad news arrived.

"Detected Warp ripples! Bearing: the general direction in deep space where the Psychic Pulse was pointed! Intensity... rising rapidly! Something is approaching! Volume... massive! Energy signature... same source as the previously encountered Aberration, but a hundred times stronger!"

An Aberration far larger and more dangerous than the individual encountered before—or perhaps their... Mother ship, a Hive-vessel—was following the death signal sent by the sub-unit, approaching at high speed!

"dawn, turn! Engage the enemy! Main cannons charging! Shields to maximum! All combat personnel to stations! 'tranquility' modules, activate at full power!"

The steel warship carved a sharp arc in the void, the menacing giant cannons at the bow beginning to gather the light of destruction. Inside the bridge, red alarm lights spun frantically, reflecting Han Zhe's tense and determined face.

The individual anti-Warp equipment had just been commissioned, and the true test had already come howling in.

This time, they would face a deeper darkness and a more twisted malice.