10: Chapter 10 Meltdown Protocol

The red light from the isolation door cut grid-like shadows across Lin Yuan's face.

He stared at the double-helix symbol on the holographic interface. The Biological Armor on his left arm emitted a low hum, resonating with the constant metallic drone deep within his skull.

"Identity verification failed. Threat level: Unknown mutant."

The AI's voice carried the calmness characteristic of Lin Weiguo:

"Recommended protocol: Immediate Purification Protocol."

"You recognize this."

Lin Yuan raised his left arm and tore open the cuff of his tactical suit. Scarlet patterns appeared where the armor fused with his flesh, and spiderweb-like veins had spread to his shoulder blades.

"lin clan bloodline. STC emergency adaptation. State: Irreversible."

The holographic interface flickered.

Gene sequence comparison... Match rate 89.7%.

The hydraulic locks emitted a hissing sound of pressure release.

"lin clan bloodline confirmed. Mutation source: STC emergency adaptation protocol. State: Irreversible fusion."

The AI's tone remained unchanged:

"You have brought the tribute."

"I want full access to Level B-3."

Lin Yuan lowered his voice, ensuring the surveillance microphone captured every syllable:

"Ventilation system map, remote door-opening protocol for the Level B-2 armory, and all files on the holy blood project."

"Request denied. Core protocol restriction: Level B-3 is the Ark command hub, open only to Lin Weiguo or authorized successors."

"Then redefine the authorization."

Lin Yuan drew his improvised power sword. The blade sliced his palm; droplets of blood hit the surface of the armor and were instantly absorbed, causing the humming to rise sharply.

"Upload my gene sequence. Use the complete Biological Armor data as a temporary access key."

Silence.

A harsh, metallic scraping sound from T-001 came from deep within the ventilation shaft.

Outside the isolation door, a plasma cutter was burning through the Level B-2 blast door, emitting a dull hissing sound.

"Transaction confirmed."

The AI finally responded:

"You will gain limited system control over Level B-3: surveillance of Level B-1 to Level B-2, remote access control, and read-only access to holy blood project archives. In exchange, the complete gene sequence of the Biological Armor will be uploaded to the Ark database for... subsequent research."

Subsequent research.

Lin Yuan thought of the green-skinned embryos floating in ARK-03.

But of two evils, choose the lesser.

"Deal."

Blue light erupted, and data streams poured out.

His vision overlaid a three-level structural map: on Level B-1, five red dots were moving on the periphery of the medical area; the Level B-2 armory was displayed in dark gray, marked "Meltdown Protocol Ready"; Level B-3 was marked as "Gene Sample Storage Center."

Lin Yuan turned to look at the cryo-pod in the center of the room.

Golden liquid swirled slowly within the transparent pod.

Rat Eye knelt beside it, hands clasped, his lips moving silently.

Scarface stood against the wall, toying with his last fragmentation grenade. His gaze was fixed intently on the golden liquid.

"LY-001."

Lin Yuan read the file number:

"Lin Yuan's exclusive gene adaptation body. Extraction date: Three months ago. Source: ARK-03 gene bank."

Rat Eye jerked his head up. His cloudy eyes burned with a nearly insane light.

"The blood of the God-Emperor..." his voice trembled, "This is the Holy Grail bestowed upon you by the God-Emperor, my lord. Inject it, and you will attain eternal life, obtain purification..."

"And obtain the qualification to become a test subject."

Lin Yuan called up the deep-level files:

"Forced Evolution Protocol. Gene Lock countdown: 71 hours and 32 minutes. If not injected within the time limit, the sample will automatically degrade and release mutagenic spores. That is not a cure; it is kidnapping. The body will become a breeding ground for the Grandfather's pre-programmed routines; after 72 hours, you either submit to forced evolution or become a spore spreader."

Scarface's fingers froze.

No one in the wasteland would refuse an instant cure. But Lin Yuan had refused it cleanly and decisively.

"You... don't want to live?"

Scarface's voice was dry.

"I want to live. But not as a programmed puppet."

Lin Yuan closed the file and called up the Level B-1 surveillance.

"That canister of stuff is bait, a shackle left for me by the Grandfather, and the ultimate weapon the Scavengers want."

In the surveillance footage, five figures in heavy power armor were passing through the Level B-1 specimen room.

The armor bore the Anvil Gang insignia, but the shoulder pads were retrofitted with bio-sensor antennas that did not belong to wasteland technology. The leader carried a plasma cutter, its muzzle emitting blue smoke.

"Vanguard."

Lin Yuan zoomed in on the footage, noticing stitching marks on the neck of one person's armor, with Tyranids bone plates faintly visible beneath the skin:

"Martin used the holy blood project on his elites. These people have been partially adapted with Tyranids genes; they are more dangerous than T-001."

"They have cut off all retreat routes."

Scarface leaned closer to the monitor, his expression grim:

"The main elevator is gone, the ventilation shafts are blocked by T-001, and the Level B-2 blast door won't hold for more than five minutes. If we retreat to the Level B-2 armory..."

"We will die."

Lin Yuan brought up the detailed structural diagram of the Level B-2 armory and pointed his finger at a hidden program node:

"The Purification Protocol preset by Lin Weiguo. If unauthorized personnel enter, or if the access control is forcibly breached, the entire Level B-2 activates a meltdown mechanism. It's not an EMP trap; it's a plasma meltdown. 3,000-degree high heat for fifteen seconds, turning everything into steam."

Scarface's face instantly turned pale; he staggered back and hit the wall.

"You... how did you know?"

"I just gained access to Level B-3."

Lin Yuan stared into Scarface's eyes:

"But you knew all along. This was your final trump card. You were always hesitant about whether to tell me. If we had retreated to the Level B-2 armory using conventional tactics, we would already be scorch marks on the wall."

The air solidified.

Rat Eye stopped praying and looked at Scarface uneasily.

Scarface's Adam's apple bobbed, and he subconsciously reached for the suicide dagger at his waist.

"I..."

Scarface's voice was hoarse, "I thought you were like the others. You would sacrifice us to survive, you would rush into the armory to grab those guns..."

"I will take those guns. But not in that way."

Lin Yuan said calmly:

"Tell me the details of all the traps on Level B-2. Every wire, every pressure sensor plate. This is your pledge of allegiance. Either prove you are worth keeping until the end, or I will open the isolation door and throw you to the Scavengers."

Scarface looked at Lin Yuan.

This person had refused the holy blood, refused the shortcut, and even refused the execution suggested by the system.

In twenty years in the wasteland, the only rule Scarface had learned was to trust no one. But at this moment, he realized that the person before him was a leader who would not sacrifice teammates casually. Principles were not bargaining chips.

"There are three decoy weapon cabinets on Level B-2."

Scarface took a deep breath:

"The real armory is in the mezzanine, and the entrance has a gene-sensing lock that only the lin clan bloodline can open. The decoy cabinets don't contain guns; they are liquid nitrogen traps that freeze you upon touch. The third and seventh metal floor panels are pressure-sensitive; stepping on them triggers ceiling-mounted automatic turrets..."

Lin Yuan listened while marking the holographic interface, constructing a 3D defensive model.

"Very well."

After hearing the final details, Lin Yuan nodded:

"Now, Rat Eye."

Rat Eye stood up straight abruptly.

"I order you: no self-harm."

Lin Yuan's voice was not heavy, but it carried unquestionable authority:

"Under no circumstances are you to harm your own body without my permission. This is an order, not a request. Understood?"

Rat Eye was stunned, looking at those eyes that remained clear amidst hallucinations and reality.

This was not pity; it was a leader's definition of a tool. He needed him to live on as an observer, a decoy, and a part of future plans, rather than using self-harm to express cheap loyalty.

"As you command... my lord."

Rat Eye lowered his head, his voice trembling but firm.

Lin Yuan turned to the monitor.

The Scavengers vanguard had arrived before the Level B-2 blast door, and the leader raised his communicator.

"Ghost of ARK-11, can you hear me?"

The electronically processed male voice echoed with a metallic quality:

"I am the Commander of the Scavengers First Infiltration Team. We know you are on Level B-3, and we know you have LY-001. Hand over the sample and the gene key, and I will allow you to leave alive. This is the mercy Uncle Martin gives you, nephew."

Martin.

Lin Yuan's fingers paused on the control panel as he looked at Scarface:

"Where is the emergency valve for the Level B-1 ventilation shaft?"

"It's on the west side of the specimen room, but it's manual control, and T-001 is still..."

"It is within my access range now."

Lin Yuan entered the code and pressed the confirm key.

In the surveillance, the ceiling of the Level B-1 specimen room suddenly sprayed a large amount of white mist, and the temperature sensor plummeted to minus twenty degrees.

Frost formed on the Scavengers' armor, slowing their movements.

An angry shriek came from deep within the ventilation shaft. T-001 smashed through the grate, pouncing on the intruders like gray lightning.

"Using one knife to kill another."

Scarface muttered, watching T-001 exchange fire with the Scavengers on the monitor.

"Let them consume each other."

Lin Yuan brought up the Level B-2 access control:

"We need to evacuate through the Level B-2 emergency passage before they decide a winner. That path leads to the ARK-07 underground pipe network, which the Scavengers don't know about."

"But Level B-2 has a meltdown trap!"

"I know where the trap is."

Lin Yuan looked at Scarface:

"And you know how to bypass it. Lead the way."

Scarface gritted his teeth and nodded.

Lin Yuan took one last look at LY-001 in the cryo-pod.

The golden liquid swayed gently. The countdown at the edge of his vision flickered: 71 hours and 15 minutes.

After 72 hours, this canister of liquid would become a lethal spore bomb.

"Close the holy blood pod."

Lin Yuan ordered the AI:

"Lock the temperature and maintain the status quo. No one is to approach until I return."

"Command confirmed."

The AI responded:

"Warning: Gene Lock countdown continues. After 71 hours and 14 minutes, the sample will begin the degradation program."

"I know."

Lin Yuan turned and walked toward the isolation door, his improvised power sword emitting a low charging sound in his hand:

"Open the door. We are going to get the real weapons."

The isolation door rose slowly, revealing the dark passage leading to Level B-2.

Scarface walked in front, followed closely by Rat Eye, who clutched his dagger tightly.

Lin Yuan took one last look at the monitor. T-001 had just torn open a Scavengers armor, and the remaining four were fighting back with plasma weapons; Level B-1 had become a slaughterhouse.

Martin's voice rang out again in the communicator, laced with amusement:

"You think refusing the holy blood will keep you free? Nephew, your internal gene resonance has reached 45%; you are becoming our most perfect work. The countdown has begun. Whether you inject LY-001 or not, in 72 hours, you will..."

Lin Yuan turned off the communicator.

"Move."

He said to Scarface.

The three of them disappeared into the darkness leading to Level B-2. Behind them, the Level B-3 isolation door slowly descended, sealing off the holy blood sample from the clamor of the outside world.

The countdown ticked on in the silence.