Chapter 882 - 161 Ghost Arrival (1)

[Blais: What is that thing? EBM has silently paralyzed this city!]

[Munemasa: Impossible...this is just a theoretical technology, and EBM has turned it into a weapon?!]

There is indeed a record in Munemasa’s database: this is the technology of directional electromagnetic interference using the ionosphere within the atmosphere combined with orbital deployment capabilities—

To use this attack method, there must be precise deployment capabilities for large spacecraft in low Earth orbit.

Due to technical requirements, this spacecraft must be equipped with nuclear reactor-level energy, functioning as a massive particle accelerator, capable of controlled, directional generation and emission of these charged particles and auxiliary control lasers, disturbing the plasma layer in the atmosphere, forming a chain reaction, thus blocking the entire region’s communication with the outside world!

If it concerns only isolated systems, EMP is indeed defensible, and some devices can be designed with safety facilities to prevent EMP from burning out the entire system, automatically switching to the backup system during turbulence and short circuits, and locking the system inside a Faraday cage.

However, in a massive and complex system like the European Union, no system can exist in isolation. Once isolated, it means losing control of the European Union here...

The European Union’s greatest advantage is its size and stability, and this stability is built on its formidable military might, centered on the orbital mass launcher on the Moon.

The European Space Agency’s orbital mass launcher can accurately project strike projectiles to any location on Earth. By relying on this technology, the European Space Agency defeated the New America’s Space Army with a single shell.

However, military power may be the most dazzling part of a society, but it is only a part:

People with weapons still need to live on Earth. When the sky is covered by such weapons, any communication signals cannot penetrate the atmosphere, cannot penetrate the blockade area, and even telescopes on the Moon are interfered with by lasers. Who would dare to launch projectiles?

Assuming the worst, if these weapons learn to fire on their own in the absence of their owners, would the owner really be pleased?

The European Space Agency’s leadership in outer space is absolute, but these weapons could potentially sever the connection between the European Space Agency’s assets and themselves...

Anything that could lead to a loss of control instinctively repulses the authorities of the European Union, and this can be seen in the European Barrier system.

Everyone knows that this attack must be the work of the EBM Corporation, but at this moment, the only thing the European Union can do is issue a bellicose yet empty statement!

minutes is the time EBM estimates it will take for the European Union’s bloated bureaucracy to respond, and it is also the countdown to this pointless chaotic action!

Whoosh—

A floating car howled closer in the sky, and before the workers could figure out what was happening, a missile had already reached the factory zone first!

Boom!

A small factory collapsed in flames, with the shockwave overturning workers standing at the entrance. The worker who was shouting that the company was here didn’t even react before a massive metal beam fell from the sky!

"Where are the police? EBM is causing an uproar! You guys..."

Carl had been wandering the streets of the factory area and immediately called his fellow workers to take cover when he saw this scene, while he also turned to seek help—

Their principle all along had been to seek the police when in trouble, but when he turned, he saw an absurd sight:

The factory and civilian facilities were rebooting, and the European Union police cars, riot control robots, and drones on the street were also rebooting.

These pieces of equipment had given them immense security in the past few days, making them believe that EBM couldn’t pull off anything significant in Bremen.

However, the reboot of these high-tech gadgets was eye-opening:

After rebooting, the drones and robots headed towards the police station, like bees returning to their hive...

No, this is returning to their hive! These machines are returning to standby areas!

Police cars even automatically parked on the roadside and could no longer move, and even more absurdly, several police officers took out their weapons and fiddled with them a bit, shaking their heads at each other...

Their weapons seemed to be locked!

"No notifications received... What should we do? Continue?"

"Continue my ass, return to the station and standby! If there’s no order from above, don’t do anything! Otherwise, can you take responsibility if something goes wrong? Retreat!"

The police officer speaking clearly showed signs of fear, which greatly differed from Carl’s image of European Union police!

Without those high-tech pieces of equipment, they seemed no different from himself... No, they were even more timid and afraid of causing trouble!

Whoosh—Boom!

The second bomb smashed onto the street, and the explosion collapsed the building’s outer wall, with a large chunk of concrete smashing onto the makeshift podium!

Limbs and debris flew, choking smoke was inhaled into chests, and fellow workers panicked. Carl’s mind, as if stimulated, suddenly recalled his experience at the Foxstone Factory...

He still had energy, but what should he do?

Bang!

A loud noise came from behind, and a shadow covered Carl—

Everyone was drawn by the loud noise and turned to look, only to see a tawny giraffe engineering robot sweeping aside the rubble, escorting workers out from the explosion site...

The bionic robot’s red lights flashed, and a deep speaker sounded:

[Start the factory, use factory equipment to set up a defense line.]

Clack...

At this time, people suddenly noticed that the big guy, who had been standing dumbfounded at the door moments ago, had jumped into an engineering exoskeleton and was running with big strides toward the podium covered by stones.

Meanwhile, the speakers used in the factory to convey production arrangements suddenly blared out:

"Let’s rock it!"

...

"This is just a warning. EBM is forcing the police and Interpol to get lost. They’re demonstrating..."

Blais slammed the wall fiercely: "What’s your plan? Just hide in the factory until the European Union restores communication? The European Community Executive Committee might have already reached an agreement with EBM!

Putting all your hopes on the European Union, you’re doomed!"

Forget about the factory; even military-grade concrete walls aren’t unbreakable—

EBM has brought out their bottom-line experimental weapons aimed at the European Barrier; how do you know they won’t send a few ground-penetrating bombs your way?

Sure, the factory is reviving, but what use is the revival of a civilian factory?

While thinking this, Blais suddenly saw a streak of dark red lightning in his eye...

As a hacker, the ability to interpret the current and circuitry shown on his prosthetic eye display is a fundamental skill, so he could see the gradually rebooting civilian factory.

Just now, it seemed he saw a "familiar" color appear in those circuits...

Immediately afterward, the entire industrial area seemed to rain cyber data: dark red numerical streams and mosaics descended from the sky, infusing every line, every facility, every... every operating electronic device in this industrial area.

The European Barrier was completely disconnected, and the operation of the Black Wall was also interfered with by EBM’s equipment. Some kind of more human "digital being" was taking over this city.

His heart paused for a moment: it wasn’t a metaphor; the heart, equipped with a controllable electrical stimulation device, was indeed disrupted by current.

In his ear came a heavily synthesized voice, ringing directly into his auditory nerve:

"It seems Ryan and Perares have also been busy. The equipment on you is not bad."

Stiffly turning his head, Blais saw a stranger he had never seen before...

But despite Lille’s completely different appearance and cyber image, he was certain of this person’s identity—

"Ghost!!!"