Chapter 911: Sanpimu Star (4)

During a break, Tailan walked to Woke's side.

"They didn't tell you the whole truth, did they?"

"What do you mean?"

"The energy field here... it's not just for testing communication equipment. They are monitoring something underneath."

"Why do you think that?"

"Expert Zera is measuring psionic resonance frequencies. This kind of measurement is usually used for... tracking large-scale psionic activity, or detecting the readiness status of psionic weapons."

Hearing Tailan's words, Woke's pupils constricted slightly, and he began to speculate in his heart.

Psionic Amplifier Array! Are they monitoring that system?

Just then, an alarm sounded.

"Attention all personnel, an unauthorized space jump signal has been detected. Defense systems raised to Level 3 alert. All stations, take your positions immediately. Repeat, an unauthorized space jump signal has been detected..."

"Zera, confirm the signal's source and nature. Suonisi, assist her. Woke, come with me."

"Yes! Sir!"

Woke followed Kemake out of the analysis room and entered the command corridor.

Soldiers on the ship ran to their respective combat stations, and blast doors closed one by one.

"Sir, I should return to the communications department..."

"Not for the moment."

Kemake interrupted Woke.

Upon reaching the Bridge, the display screen showed multiple unidentified targets emerging from jump status, located right at the edge of the Sanpimu Star defense perimeter.

"How many ships?"

Kemake asked while looking at the display screen.

"At least 40 signals, sir. The scale ranges from frigates to cruisers. The signal characteristics... do not match the known Canaan Star Alliance; there are anomalies."

"Anomalies?"

"The energy is unstable, sir. And the ship models are not on record; they might be ships from the Canaan Star Alliance's latest research."

"Activate the defense array, but keep weapons on standby. Dispatch space reconnaissance planes. All units, prepare to respond to a potential attack, but do not fire without explicit orders."

Kemake's orders were relayed.

The frigates on the outskirts of Sanpimu Star began to adjust their formation, forming a defensive barrier to protect the more important ships and the planet below.

Sanpimu Star surface.

For soldiers newly transferred here, the environment of Sanpimu Star was oppressive, but Corporal Rui En had already been serving here for eleven months and was accustomed to this environment.

"Rui En! Stop staring at the sky, the energy conduit is fucking clogged again!"

The shout came from the bunker entrance, accompanied by the roar of heavy machinery.

Rui En sighed, pulled down the protective mask to cover his face, and walked toward the source of the sound.

Although the atmosphere of Sanpimu Star had been terraformed to be breathable, the high concentration of metal particles and radioactive dust made it necessary to wear protective gear for the entire duration of outdoor work.

Dibu 7-D was located on a plateau in the equatorial region of Sanpimu Star and was one of tens of thousands of defense nodes on the planet's surface.

At the center of the defense node were the main turret and the Command Center, with barracks, power plants, hangars, communication arrays, and two weapon platforms extending around it.

"Which section is it this time?"

Rui En asked, walking to the side of the engineer Sailimu.

Sailimu said with dissatisfaction.

"Section C-4, it's those damn Sandworms again; they just love to build nests next to the energy conduits. Did the idiot who designed this thing not think about the problem of subterranean creatures?"

Rui En checked his equipment and spoke.

"Because the designer never set foot on Sanpimu Star. In the design room in orbit, everything looks perfect."

"Agreed."

Sailimu grunted in agreement and handed Rui En a detector.

"Be careful, the radiation readings were a bit high during the last cleanup. Those Sandworms somehow broke the outer shielding of the conduit."

Rui En nodded and followed a team of engineering soldiers toward the faulty area.

The subterranean ecosystem of Sanpimu Star was a constant headache.

Native creatures had mutated into various troublesome forms after planet-wide terraforming and radiation exposure.

Sandworms were one of the most common types of giant annelids, capable of growing up to ten meters long, and they had a strange preference for energy radiation.

Upon reaching Section C-4, the problem was clear at a glance.

The ground was slightly raised, and the surrounding soil showed signs of energy leakage.

The Engineering Team captain ordered.

"Get to work, first establish an isolation barrier, then dig it out. Rui En, you are responsible for monitoring radiation levels."

The team members skillfully set up the equipment.

Three excavators began to remove the surface rock and soil, while a mobile Energy Barrier formed a protective circle around them to prevent the spread of hazardous materials.

Rui En noticed an unusual energy pattern on the detector and muttered to himself.

"Strange."

Sailimu's voice sounded over the communication channel.

"Is there a problem?"

"Not sure. There is some energy source fluctuating in the distance, not a pattern I'm familiar with."

Sailimu walked over, took a look at the detector, and said.

"It might be Qu testing their new toys again. I heard they recently got a new Psionic Detector Array."

"Maybe."

"Corporal!" The shout of an engineering soldier interrupted Rui En's thoughts.

"We found the problem!"

Rui En shook the questions from his mind and walked toward the engineering soldier.

The excavation site revealed the outer shell of the energy conduit, with a clear damage point on it.

It had been bitten through or drilled through by something from the outside in.

Around it was a viscous, glowing substance; it was the mucus secreted by Sandworms, used to solidify their tunnels.

"Standard procedure: neutralize the mucus first, then repair the damage. Medical team on standby, there may be biohazards."

The Engineering Team members began to work.

Rui En continued to monitor the radiation, but his mind was still on that anomalous energy reading.

This was not the first time he had noticed this strange fluctuation.

Over the past few weeks, he had occasionally detected similar patterns, always very faint, as if some large energy device was being tested or operated in the distance.

The repair work lasted for two hours.

The damage was repaired, the radiation readings returned to normal, and the Sandworm tunnel was sealed by injecting fast-setting foam.

The Captain of the Engineering Team clapped his hands and said.

"Pack up, back to base for decontamination. I don't want anyone bringing Sandworm mucus back into the living quarters."

The team returned inside the bunker.

After passing through the airtight doors and the Purification Procedure, the group took off their protective suits.

Rui En took a deep breath; although the air inside the base was also recycled, compared to the environment outside that always carried the smell of dust and radiation, it smelled almost fresh here.

The interior of Dibu 7-D was a small underground city capable of housing thousands of soldiers and technicians.

The corridors were gray metal, the lighting was white, and every space was utilized to the maximum.