Embers Ad Infinitum

Because there are lights in the laboratory, Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao do not need to use flashlights and can see the corresponding scene clearly from a distance:

Three gray-white metal beds are placed side by side, placed inside arched instruments of the same color. Above them, there are wires with circular sheets hanging down.

At this time, there was a white corpse on each of the two metal beds. They were wearing tattered blue and white checkered clothes. They were lying in a very standard position, except that their heads were tilted to the side.

The other one was empty and clean, not even collecting dust.

"Is the air purification system here always on?" Shang Jianyao looked up at the ceiling without finding the point.

Otherwise, after so many years, not even a bit of dust has fallen.

Jiang Baimian ignored his words, walked to a metal bed with human bones, and observed it carefully for a few seconds.

She organized the following words:

"There are many traces left on the metal surface, indicating that the body rotted here..."

As she spoke, she turned her head and looked at the metal bed without bones:

“And it’s very clean up here.

"Preliminary judgment is that after the destruction of the old world, there should be no people or corpses lying here."

What she meant was that Long Yuehong might have really hallucinated just now.

The honest Shang Jianyao immediately retorted:

"Perhaps the corpse above woke up on its own and staggered away, and then the laboratory's cleaning robot came and processed it?"

Judging from the current situation, this laboratory uses robots extensively due to its high level of confidentiality. Jiang Baimian cannot deny that there is no cleaning type.

She even suspected that the robots here entered a "sleep" state after the arrival of "Yuan Nao" and no longer performed their duties faithfully.

And Ole, the former emperor of "Prime City" and the father of "Source Brain", most likely holds the identity of this laboratory, and is directly recognized by the robots.

This is what Jiang Baimian deduced from the fact that there was no obvious damage in the laboratory.

Stop telling ghost stories... Long Yuehong was not grateful at all to Shang Jianyao for speaking up for her.

At this time, Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao were communicating verbally while carefully inspecting the empty metal bed.

They didn't find any clues worth caring about.

Jiang Baimian immediately came to the operating area of ​​this instrument.

There lay a stack of stapled papers.

Jiang Baimian is quite familiar with this:

Experiment record book!

Looking closely, Jiang Baimian found that the experiment record book remained open, with many items listed on it:

"Serial number", "heartbeat", "blood pressure", "frequency", "intensity"...

Perhaps this experiment had just started when the old world was destroyed, so except for the numbers under the serial number column, everything else was blank.

The serial number column contains three sets of numbers:

“14 (left bed);

“27 (middle bed);

"32 (right bed)."

Jiang Baimian turned his head and once again cast his gaze on the three metal beds inside the arched instrument.

According to her experience, the empty bed is the left bed, numbered "14".

She quickly informed the team members of this information.

"This should be the number of the experimental subject..." Bai Chen said to himself while observing his "defense zone", "What is the basis for the numbering?"

Long Yuehong suddenly had a flash of inspiration:

“Could it be the ward number?

"14 refers to the experimental subject living in ward 14?"

When the "old tune team" entered this hall along the corridor just now, they noticed that the ward doors were marked with numbers.

Bang bang, Shang Jianyao applauded Long Yuehong by slapping the side of the "Berserker" assault rifle.

"It's very possible." Jiang Baimian also agreed.

She was silent for a moment and her tone became serious:

"Since the experiment record book says so, it means that there were indeed three people lying here at that time.

"And now there are only two skeletons left."

After hearing the words of the team leader, although Long Yuehong was mentally prepared, she was still shocked and blurted out:

"Did one 'run away' just now?"

"Maybe he ran away when the old world was destroyed. He went out to fool around during the day and came back to sleep at night. As soon as he lay down today, he found an outsider coming in, so he had to sneak away." I don't know who Shang Jianyao's brain made up the complete " process".

Quite, quite humane... Jiang Baimian didn't know how to evaluate it.

Long Yuehong glanced at Bai Chen and subconsciously retorted:

"When the old world was just destroyed, these experiments, uh, the volunteers probably weren't dead yet.

"If what we just guessed is correct, then they were all still in a vegetative state at that time."

Shang Jianyao smiled and said:

"So do you think a dead person sneaks away from reality, or a vegetable sneaks away from reality?"

It’s not realistic, okay! Long Yuehong roared in her heart.

Jiang Baimian's expression changed slightly and he said in a deep voice:

"At least Jiang Xiaoyue, a vegetative state before the destruction of the old world, still has a corresponding soul corridor room to this day.

"When the old world was destroyed, it is not impossible for a certain vegetative person to be stimulated and suddenly wake up..."

Pong! Shang Jianyao took a picture of the side of the "Berserker" assault rifle and suddenly realized:

"I see!

"Northern Company and this secret laboratory are studying how to inherit the power of 'darkness' so that humans can gain special abilities, and there is no more suitable experimental subject than a vegetative person who has lost his own consciousness.

"Without self-awareness, there will be no conflict with the erosion of 'darkness'!

"The old world was destroyed because something went wrong in this type of experiment. The 'darkness' broke through the barrier and completed large-scale erosion, which caused the corresponding human consciousness to be dissolved and became a 'mindless person'.

"A small number of representatives of these vegetative people have become a blessing in disguise because they have no self-awareness. They have become the lackeys of the 'darkness' and woke up.

"Jiang Xiaoyue is, so is the person on this bed, and so are the 'Doctor', 'Charlie' and 'Vice Dean'!"

Long Yuehong wanted to say that Shang Jianyao was once again using his imagination to take advantage of special mental patients, but the more he listened, the more surprised he became, but in the end he felt that the other party's speculation made some sense.

No matter what, at least the logic is self-consistent and can explain some phenomena!

Jiang Baimian fell into deep thought and asked after consideration:

“Then why is there still ‘Wuxin disease’ now?”

"The erosion of 'darkness' is still continuing, but it has been resisted and weakened a lot. For example, Zhi Sui's Dawn has been fighting against the 'Nightmare', so now there are sporadic 'unintentional diseases', and sporadic people are awakening. ." Shang Jianyao answered confidently.

Jiang Baimian did not comment on whether his guess was correct or not, and said with a "ha":

"According to your logic, you and I are now considered lackeys of the 'darkness'?"

Only by being corroded by the power of "darkness" can one complete his awakening.

Shang Jianyao replied sincerely:

"We are not qualified enough, we are too weak."

"Only those who have entered the so-called 'new world'?" Bai Chen joined the discussion.

Jiang Baimian's heart moved and he said to himself:

"Returning from the 'New World' will carry the power of 'darkness', causing an outbreak of 'Wuxin Disease' in the surrounding area?"

The "Old Tune Team" previously speculated that the source of "Wuxin Disease" is the "New World". If a strong man who enters the "New World" does not destroy his physical body, it is equivalent to establishing a node connecting the dust and the "New World"." Wuxin” spread quickly.

This can effectively explain why cases of "unintentional disease" appeared simultaneously within the "Pangu creatures" during the turmoil in the "Primordial City", and why people would get "unintentional disease" after staying in the area around Yan Hu for a long time.

Now, it seems that this guess can be combined with Shang Jianyao's "imagination" just now.

Without waiting for Shang Jianyao and others to respond, Jiang Baimian looked around and said:

“What is the relationship between ‘new world’ and ‘darkness’?

"Well, let's talk after we leave the ruins. Remember to remind me when we return later to search Ward 14."

"Okay." Long Yuehong quickly glanced elsewhere, focusing on observing the "sleeping" robots.

Fortunately, none of these guards were "awakened" by the voice of the "Old Tune Team".

For some reason, Long Yuehong always felt a chill on the back of her neck, but it wasn't to the extent of being blown by someone or blown by the wind.

Based on the tactical manual, he did not hide the matter. He turned around and said to Jiang Baimian and others:

"Do you think it's spooky here, especially the back of your neck?"

"No." Jiang Baimian and Bai Chen shook their heads at the same time.

At this moment, Long Yuehong glanced out of the corner of his eyes and discovered that there was a figure on the empty metal bed!

"There!" He moved the muzzle of the "Berserker" assault rifle over in horror.

Then, he saw clearly that it was Shang Jianyao lying there.

This guy sneaked up on the metal bed at some point.

"..." Jiang Baimian squeezed out a smile and asked Shang Jianyao, "What are you doing?"

"I was wondering what the vegetative man saw after he woke up." Shang Jianyao replied calmly, "Then I tried to restore the scene."

Jiang Baimian's eyes moved slightly and he asked seriously:

"Then what do you see now?"

"The ceiling is quite clean." Shang Jianyao replied with regret or emotion, not knowing whether it was regret or emotion.

Jiang Baimian was startled for a moment, then his heart moved:

"Try wearing the 'Angel of Life' necklace."

She remembered that when she used the "Angel of Life" necklace, she sensed the darkness that seemed to come from the "Doctor" with the help of the aura contained in it.

Shang Jianyao's eyes lit up, he picked up the tactical backpack placed next to him and took out the "Angel of Life" necklace inside.

He showed no signs of paralysis, for he was always lying down.

The silver pendant held by Shang Jian Yaozuo then lit up a little, like the moon reflecting sunlight.

After a few seconds, Shang Jianyao smiled and said:

"There are some dark shadows on the ceiling. They poke out a little from time to time, and then quickly shrink back."

Long Yuehong subconsciously looked at the ceiling and found that it was silvery white with no black shadows.

Jiang Baimian considered and said:

"You, try to contact them and use your own consciousness."

"I tried it, but it didn't work." Shang Jianyao has always been proactive in this regard.

"Shoot and see?" Bai Chen suggested.

"Okay." Shang Jianyao raised the "Berserker" assault rifle.

Jiang Baimian immediately stared at the guard robots, fearing that the gunfire would wake them up.

when!

A bullet hit the metal ceiling.

Nothing unusual happens.

The guard robot didn't wake up either.

Jiang Baimian pondered for a moment, exhaled and said:

"I'll try again later when I have the opportunity. Now I'll find Lao Ge first."

Shang Jianyao, who values ​​relationships, quickly put away the "Angel of Life" necklace and got out of bed.

Several members of the "Old Tune Team" formed a battle formation and walked towards the metal door on the side of the semicircular hall.

After passing through two large open doors in succession, they saw a giant computer.

The computer was not running and seemed to have been damaged, and a tall figure stood in front of it.

The figure, who was 1.9 meters tall, seemed to be Gnawa.

His whole body was wrapped in a strange white costume, and he stood there as if there was no electricity.

Sensing someone coming in, the figure turned around suddenly.

A little red light emitted from his eyes, and a cold voice came out from his mouth:

"Nothing at all!"