Chapter 312: Mine Infiltration and Screams

Inside the Intelligence Department Command Center.

Nearly a hundred staff sit at their consoles, watching a holographic screen displaying the colony's real‑time status.

Standing at the center, the middle‑aged‑looking supervisor Qiao Er Mi Le hears the report and orders:

"Project that operative's biometric data onto the main screen and establish contact."

"Affirmative." The staff begin execution.

The main screen now shows the operative's data…

Yi Lian Na Cha Er Si De.

25 years old.

UMID‑171339.

（UmbrellaIntelligenceDepartment/Umbrella Intelligence Department）

It lists name, age, employee ID and other basics, but the physiological status shows a red "No Signal".

This indicates that all nanobots injected into the operative's body have almost simultaneously gone offline.

Achieving that would require deliberately blocking the transmission signal, or suffering a high‑energy attack, such as a large‑caliber plasma cannon squad "vaporizing" the operative, leaving not a single nanobot.

Otherwise, if the operative died or was severely wounded, the local intelligence would still receive the transmission.

However…

An electrical accident can't be ruled out, but such cases are truly rare.

Shortly after, Yi Lian Na Cha Er Si De's physiological data came back online, everything normal except a slight burn on her right hand.

The staff report again: "Supervisor Mi Le, operative Cha Er Si De is requesting communication."

"Connecting." Mi Le replies immediately.

"Affirmative."

Soon the main screen switches, showing Yi Lian Na wearing a safety helmet, stained work clothes, a grimy face, yet very young.

At this moment, the operative is inside a dimly lit power distribution room.

Seeing the link established, Mi Le asks: "Cha Er Si De, please explain the collective nanobot dropout five minutes ago."

"Yes…" Yi Lian Na immediately lifts her sleeve, her glove‑blackened right hand, and explains awkwardly:

"Sir, I was doing a routine check per the neighboring unit's request, didn't expect a minor accident, that might be why, and also…"

Yi Lian Na puts down her right hand, picks up an empty small syringe, and shows Mi Le:

"Sir, I have already injected backup robots."

Hearing this, Mi Le nods lightly and continues: "Has the A Xisi Mine reported anything? Can you confirm any anomalies?"

The A Xisi Mine they refer to is actually an asteroid in the colony's asteroid belt, a body only nine kilometers in diameter.

Their colony lies in the star system Ka Li Si Tuo, about 460 light‑years from the Solar System, which on a planar star map appears in the Solar System's lower‑right corner.

It is one of the many new colonies of the past thirty years, belonging to the Space Wild Wolves‑controlled Ao Si Lu sector, whose governor is Sui Bian's fourth son, Rus.

Now, on June 25, 2089, Ka Li Si Tuo has 800 million people, mainly on the Second Orbit, on terraformed colonized planets.

About ten million reside in the asteroid belt between the Third and Fourth Orbits, rich in rare metals.

However, A Xisi, where Yi Lian Na is stationed, does not meet the standards for asteroid colonization, so it is managed and built by unofficial firms outside UEG and Umbrella.

Currently about nine thousand miners, engineers and their families live permanently on A Xisi.

Every three months the company in charge sends three transport ships to deliver supplies to A Xisi and haul out the extracted ore.

While the transport ships are arriving or before they depart, A Xisi is effectively isolated.

If the mine could be entered freely, the company would have a problem.

However, employees and their families may apply to leave A Xisi with the regularly scheduled transport ships.

Yi Lian Na is a resident young operative on A Xisi, and the only operative there, given the mine's nine‑thousand‑person scale.

Yet recently Yi Lian Na reported a surge in fights and quarrels on A Xisi.

It could be an anomaly or simply stress‑induced mental illness; fights do occur in small mines.

Moreover, such incidents don't require a sheriff or Umbrella's intervention; armed security from the various corporations can keep order.

Hearing Mi Le's question, Yi Lian Na shakes her head lightly: "Cannot confirm yet, sir, but I'll keep investigating, rest assured."

Mi Le furrows his brow, thinks, and says: "Your solo capability is limited; I'll dispatch another operative to infiltrate A Xisi covertly and assist you, to fully verify any anomalies."

"Thank you for the assistance, sir." Yi Lian Na replies gratefully.

"Alright, stay in touch." Mi Le says.

"Affirmative."

After that, Yi Lian Na ends the communication.

Mi Le turns his head rightward and orders the staff who reported Yi Lian Na's status:

"Contact the captain of Hai Dao, tell Intelligence we need courier assistance, and notify Lin to prepare to go to A Xisi."

"Understood, supervisor."

Although Mi Le feels that Yi Lian Na, still in her internship and with less than two years as an operative—a 'rookie'—is overly nervous, treating ordinary stress‑induced violence as an anomaly.

To be safe, Mi Le still prepares to send one of the most experienced local operatives immediately to A Xisi for an in‑depth probe.

Instruction given.

Mi Le continues, via the main and auxiliary screens, focusing his thoughts and energy on the entire Ka Li Si Tuo star system.

Compared with the nine‑thousand‑person A Xisi, the eight‑hundred‑million‑person colony system is far more significant.

———————

…

Three hours later.

Between the third and fourth orbits of the Calisto star system, on the outer edge of the asteroid belt.

A Resolute‑class escort ship belonging to the Space Wild Wolves Legion ended its "compressed" and "stretched" jump flight and chose to dock in this sector of space.

"She" is the Pirate ship tasked with defending the low orbit of the colonized planet.

Inside the hangar.

A Fisher EU V‑type transport used for reconnaissance started its engines, closed its tail hatch, and was guided by ground crew holding red fluorescent sticks, departing the deck and slowly moving toward the air valve.

However, just before passing the air valve's isolation membrane, the Fisher EU V activated its Optical Camouflage, leaving the hangar in stealth mode and heading into outer space toward Axis in the asteroid belt.

In the cabin, only one "passenger" sat beside the tail hatch.

The "passenger" wore a black pressure‑proof suit, with a helmet on the seat next to the left hand, and a portable black equipment box at the feet.

Moreover, this "passenger" had slightly long black hair, a rugged face, but his eyes were lifeless and he seemed lacking in spirit.

He was the Lin‑surname intelligence officer, ordered by Miller to assist Ilena in investigating the anomaly.

At this moment, Lin was looking at the individual screen on his right wrist, sliding his left index finger across it, repeatedly reviewing information about the Axis Mine, various reports submitted by Ilena, and Ilena's own data.

Time passed swiftly in silence.

Nearly forty minutes later.

"Beep!"

Accompanied by a harsh sound, the indicator light at the top of the hatch flashed red.

Seeing this, Lin closed the individual screen, picked up the helmet beside the seat, put it on, and with a "Ci~!" signaled that the helmet and suit were sealed.

Immediately after, the helmet's built‑in comm transmitted the pilot's joking words, saying:

"This flight is expected to reach its destination in seventy‑five seconds, so passengers, please be ready and remember to give our crew a good rating."

"Hehe, will do," Lin said with a low chuckle.

The Calisto Intelligence Department, the Pirate ship, and another Resolute‑class vessel belonging to the Space Wild Wolves maintain good relations.

Thus, these two Resolute‑class ships often assist the Intelligence Department with various missions and, of course, exchange harmless jokes.

Soon.

Cabin lights shut down one by one, leaving only the hatch's top indicator light flickering red, while the cabin began depressurizing.

Seventy‑five seconds later.

The indicator light turned from red to green, then immediately went out, plunging the cabin into total darkness, but the hatch swung open, revealing a vast starry sky to Lin and, beneath the Fisher EU V, the gray, rough‑surfaced asteroid Axis.

Seeing this.

Lin activated magnetic attraction with his left hand, grasped the portable equipment box, bent his knees and leapt, "floating" out of the cabin into the boundless void of space.

Floating more than ten meters away, he used two small thrusters on his back to adjust direction, maintaining a steady glide three to four meters above Axis's surface.

During this time, the pilot had closed the hatch, and the Fisher EU V, still in stealth mode, continued to monitor Lin until he reached a low‑rise building area exposed on the surface, using shadows to reach an air‑valve entrance.

Someone opened the air valve from inside, allowing Lin to enter the interior of Axis.

After confirming everything was in order and hearing no distress signals, the pilot finally piloted the Fisher EU V to return.

———————

…

Inside the air‑valve isolation chamber.

Lin, feeling gravity again, stood in the center, waiting for the chamber to repressurize.

Soon after, the person who had manually opened the air valve, seeing the repressurization complete, manually opened the isolation chamber door to let Lin fully enter Axis.

Exiting the isolation chamber.

Entering the interior corridor.

Lin saw, beside the left‑hand terminal, a cleaning cart and Ilena, dressed in dark‑red work clothes, her expression solemn and alert to both sides of the corridor.

Seeing Lin exit the isolation chamber, she hurriedly operated the terminal to close the hatch.

Lin, without waiting for a reminder, removed his helmet, opened the cart's lid and tossed it in, then quickly shed his suit and shoved the portable equipment box into the cart.

Without his suit, Lin wore a yellow work uniform similar in style to Ilena's, marked as a cleaner's, with stains and wear.

Seeing Lin finish changing in just over ten seconds, Ilena's shoulders slumped as if relieved, and she seemed about to speak.

But Lin glanced at the still‑operating monitor at the corridor's end, gripped the cart's handle, and whispered, "We'll talk later; let's go first."

"Mm." Ilena nodded in agreement.

Next, Lin followed the familiar Ilena, trying to avoid the cameras as they went deeper.

Most corridors and passages of the Axis Mine are narrow and dimly lit, indeed prone to inducing claustrophobia.

Because it was night, they encountered few people and attracted no attention; after all, at this hour, people either return to their cabins to rest with family or go to outsourced entertainment zones with coworkers to drink, eat, and enjoy various pastimes.

Even though the period wasn't entirely peaceful and stress was high, people still turned to alcohol and pleasure to temporarily escape their woes.

Even the security guards in the monitoring room, who had dealt with numerous violent incidents, might be dozing now, barely focusing on the screens while awaiting the upcoming shift change.

This gave Ilena, who understood the routine, an opportunity to act covertly: she readied the cart and used the intelligence officer's dedicated phone to jam the monitoring cameras along the way, allowing Lin to slip into Axis unhindered.

Arriving at the chaotic, variably sized corridor of cabin area "06", the number of personnel began to increase.

There were drunken miners slinging shoulders, and employee wives cradling infants, who stopped complaining about their husbands and hurried back to their relatively spacious, bright square planted with abundant green vegetation, returning to their cabins.

At this moment, Lin and Ilena entered the cleaning room.

Lock the hatch.

Turn on the lights.

Ilena's face showed unabashed admiration as she extended her right hand and smiled, "Ilena Charlesde, it is my honor to receive your assistance, sir!"

Lin also extended his right hand, shaking hers and replying, "Lin Shunsheng, cooperating with you should be my honor."

"No, no, no, I'm far from being an officer. You, sir, have handled dozens of alien infiltration cases and even hold the title 'Night Judge,' while I just finished my internship, and the first anomaly I reported might be a case of making a mountain out of a molehill…"

Ilena released her grip, shaking her head repeatedly as she spoke a string of words.

Finally, she also spoke to Lin with extreme respect: "I hope the commanding officer won't be angry about my mistake; actually, when I was undergoing training, I already regarded the commanding officer as my goal to strive for."

"…"

Lin still had that dull, lifeless look in his eyes, but he gave a faint, genuine smile, withdrew his right hand, and said:

"You're still young; you'll eventually become an excellent intelligence officer. Moreover, for people like us, even the slightest abnormality should be given utmost attention, so what you did was correct."

Speaking, Lin lifted the cart's cover, took out the protective suit, half-squatted on the ground to fold it, and continued:

"First put these things into your sleeping cabin, then devise an investigation plan."

"Yes, commanding officer." Ilyena responded to the order and helped tidy up.

When no one was left outside, the two of them left the cleaning room and calmly entered Ilyena's sleeping cabin.

At this moment, most of the lights in the sleeping quarters area had been switched off, fully entering night mode; everything fell silent, except for faint, energetic music drifting from the entertainment area in the distance.

However...

"Ah! Ah! Stay away from me and my child! You're not Todd! You're not! Help!"

The woman's panicked scream shattered the tranquility here.

(End of chapter)