After Dr. Chen finished speaking, he turned around and was about to return to the aircraft, but Shen Siwei quickly grabbed his arm and said, “How could the Life Tree collapse?”
“No time to explain!” Dr. Chen said anxiously.
However, without a clear explanation, no one would believe that the Life Tree was about to collapse. The guards dutifully stayed by, while the medical staff placed Amor in the life pod, appearing calm and composed.
“Ah!” Dr. Chen pushed his glasses and helplessly explained, “Here’s the situation: two nights ago, Amor suddenly contacted me, saying he wanted to discuss some scientific research issues with me. After I came to the top floor, he took me to the core power station and locked me up there.”
Shen Siwei asked, “Didn’t you resist?”
“He’s a Margan, how could I defeat him? Besides, he had a gun.” Dr. Chen sighed and continued, “He forced me to create an ultra-large electromagnetic pulse weapon. I tried to refuse by saying there were no materials, but the core power station had everything. I also thought about calling for help when he left, but no one heard my cries.”
Unlike a normal power station, the core power station was huge, covering several acres. It was indeed difficult to find someone hidden inside.
At that point, Shen Siwei also realized why they had encountered unstable currents earlier. Presumably, Dr. Chen was conducting experiments.
“An electromagnetic pulse weapon?” Klet furrowed his brow. “Does he want to destroy all electronic devices?”
“At first, I couldn’t figure out what he wanted to do until he mentioned the pulse range of the weapon, which had to include the vertical train at the center of the Life Tree.”
Shen Siwei asked, “Does he want to disrupt the transportation of the Life Tree?”
“It’s more than just transportation!” Dr. Chen tapped his left palm with the back of his right hand, showing an anxious expression. “Just now, the electromagnetic weapon absorbed all the stored energy in the core power station. Now the entire Life Tree is without power, and naturally, transportation has come to a halt. But the problem is—”
“The vertical train is still suspended in the central passage.” Klet spoke with a grave tone.
Shen Siwei gradually realized the severity of the situation and asked with a serious expression, “What will happen if the vertical train is hit by the pulse attack?”
“The braking system will fail.” Dr. Chen gave a direct answer. “Even in the event of a power outage, the braking system would normally function to prevent the vertical train from falling. But if the braking system fails, all the vertical trains will fall to the lower levels. It’s a disaster!”
The vertical passage at the center of the Life Tree was like the trunk of a tree, not only supporting the entire Life Tree but also containing numerous small pipes for various cargo and passenger trains to travel through.
If all those trains fell simultaneously, the resulting explosion would be enough to destroy the connecting passages between the lower levels and the second floor, followed by the collapse of buildings on the second floor and above.
The scene was unimaginable, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe it as the end of the world.
“How can we stop it?” Shen Siwei couldn’t help but speak faster.
“The activation command has already been executed, so there’s no way to stop it!” Dr. Chen said, “There’s only about fifteen minutes left—no, it’s less than fifteen minutes now. The weapon will release an extremely powerful electromagnetic pulse. Hurry and save yourselves!”
“If there’s still time, can’t we destroy the weapon?” Klet asked.
“No, the weapon is fully charged and can be activated at any time. Destroying the weapon would only bring about the same result sooner,” replied Dr. Chen.
Shen asked, “Then why did Amor reserve fifteen minutes?”
“Who knows,” Dr. Chen said. “But he mentioned wanting to be with his loved one. Perhaps he wanted to say goodbye in fifteen minutes? I don’t know what that madman was thinking. If it weren’t for the power outage, I would still be trapped in the core power station.”
“It seems there’s no other choice,” klet said to Shen. “Should we leave?”
“We can’t,” Shen replied, frowning.
He felt responsible for the current situation and for allowing Amor to vent his anger. Moreover, his connection to the Tree of Life was different from others. It was his mother’s legacy, and how could he just watch it collapse?
“We still have a chance to save Malken and the others if we leave now,” klet suggested.
“What about the others?” Shen asked.
Even if they could save ten or twenty people, what about the thousands of others?
“You can’t worry about everyone, Captain Shen. Focus on saving your own life,” Dr. Chen said, noticing that Shen wasn’t wearing an oxygen mask. Surprisingly, he asked, “Can you breathe?”
Shen didn’t have time to explain. Most of the guards and doctors around them were trying to use communication devices to contact their families, but all communication had been cut off, leaving them helpless.
“Is there no other way?” Shen asked. He believed that the guards and doctors wouldn’t leave the Tree of Life unless it was the last moment. They all had loved ones and unfinished business. No one could accept the fact that the “end of the world” had arrived so suddenly.
However, Shen understood why Amor had reserved fifteen minutes. Before doomsday arrived, everyone needed to prepare themselves mentally.
“If we delay any longer, Malken and the others will be in great danger,” klet reminded.
“I’m aware,” Shen said calmly.
He was keeping an eye on the time. If there truly was no other way, he wouldn’t delay saving the Nightingale team. However, at that moment, Dr. Chen suddenly spoke up, saying, “There might be another way.”
“What way?” Shen asked.
“The weapon is movable. If someone can take the weapon far away and exit the range of the pulse through the vertical passage, at least the Tree of Life can be saved.”
“How far is needed?” Shen inquired.
“A few hundred kilometers away,” Dr. Chen replied.
“How is that possible?” klet frowned. “With just over ten minutes, these aircraft can only reach the third level.”
“Well…” one of the guards who had been standing nearby couldn’t help but interject, “General Miller’s official vehicle is a supersonic fighter jet, currently parked in the underground hangar. Shall I bring it over?”
Shen knew about the existence of that fighter jet. Its maximum speed could reach five thousand kilometers per hour, so in just over ten minutes, it could go quite far.
“Bring it over first,” Shen said.
“But there’s a problem,” Dr. Chen said with a troubled expression. “The fighter jet that takes away the weapon won’t be able to escape the range of the pulse. When the weapon finally activates, all the electronic instruments of the fighter jet will fail, and you will fall from a height of nine kilometers…”
“But isn’t my body invincible?” Shen Siwei said.
“That also has its limits,” Dr. Chen said. “Your skin can withstand the impact of a nuclear blast, but at nine kilometers high…”
“It’s too dangerous,” klet frowned.
Even without klet’s reminder, Shen Siwei knew how terrifying the acceleration at nine kilometers high could be.
“What about setting it on autopilot?” klet also suggested.
“There’s a speed limit for safety, and it won’t fly very far,” Shen Siwei said.
“And there’s another problem,” Dr. Chen said with a push of his glasses. “A few hundred kilometers would be enough to fly out of the top level and the third level, but not out of the second level and the bottom level. Even if we deactivate the safety speed of the fighter jet and all electronic instruments fail, it will crash through the second level when it falls from the sky, with a high probability of causing the collapse of the second level and above.”
The top level and the third level were relatively small in size, so even if the fighter jet crashed, there would be no concern about damaging the structures of those two levels.
However, the bottom level and the second level were both large in size, so if a “bomb” fell from the sky, it would only cause immeasurable damage.
“So we need someone to manually operate the fighter jet after all the electronic instruments have failed, keeping the jet sliding forward until it’s out of the range of the Tree of Life,” Shen Siwei pondered.
“That’s right,” Dr. Chen nodded and pushed his glasses. “In the end, it’s a crash landing.”
“I understand,” Shen Siwei took a deep breath and said calmly, “I will go.”
“Didn’t you hear what he said?” klet became visibly angry. “This is a suicide mission, i won’t allow it”
“I understand, but it can only be me,” Shen Siwei said. “No one is more suitable than me.”
“I disagree,” klet grabbed Shen Siwei’s wrist without hesitation. “We’re going to the third level now to join Malken and the others.”
“And then?” Shen Siwei stood still and didn’t move. “Are we going to watch the collapse of the Tree of Life together in the aircraft?”
“That’s still better than you going to die alone.”
“Klet please, I have to go,” Shen Siwei held klet’s wrist in return. “Amor has ended up like this, and it’s my fault. I can’t just stand by.”
“You don’t need to say anymore,” klet’s face turned serious. “I won’t let you go to die, absolutely not and that’s that.”
“I have a chance of survival, it’s not a death sentence for me.”
“Well, excuse me for interrupting,” Dr. Chen interjected weakly. “Our current location is to the east, so if Captain Shen wants to take away the weapon, the best route is towards the deep sea. Although the impact of the fighter jet hitting the sea surface would still be significant, compared to other places, the chances of survival have greatly increased.”
“Did you hear that?” Shen Siwei said. “I can make it through.”
“Bullshit!” klet cursed, “Can you breathe when you fall into the sea?”
Shen Siwei took a deep breath and fell silent.
It was time for the guards to bring Miller’s official vehicle to the side of the exit channel. It had been exactly five minutes, and everyone was looking at Shen Siwei, waiting for his final decision.
“klet, let me try,” Shen Siwei’s tone softened. “Things might not be as bad as you think. Believe that I can survive.”
“No,” klet said firmly, clenching his jawline.
“Do you remember when we evacuated civilians together?” Shen Siwei said. “Now there’s a way to save these innocent people. If I turn a blind eye to their deaths, then I wouldn’t be myself.”
From birth until now, Shen Siwei’s mission had always been to guard the Tree of Life. He couldn’t bear to witness the destruction of the place where he was born and raised. He couldn’t imagine a future world with only a few people like them, wondering how human civilization would continue.
It wasn’t about abandoning klet; it was about him stepping up in this situation. Among all the people present, only his body was special enough to have a chance of survival.
The surroundings fell silent, as if one could hear the heartbeat of the guards and doctors. Dr. Chen cleared his throat and seemed hesitant, as if he wanted to say something.
Shen Siwei’s attitude was clearly determined and wouldn’t easily change his mind. klet seemed to realize that and pursed his lips, asking with a still troubled expression, “Are you sure you want to go?”
“Yes,” Shen Siwei said.
“Then I’ll go with you,” klet said, dropping that statement and walking towards the fighter jet on his own.
Shen Siwei was taken aback and quickly grabbed klet. “Wait, now is not the time for you to be stubborn!”
“You said that if you didn’t save those civilians, you wouldn’t be yourself right?,”Klet stopped his steps and turned to look at Shen Siwei. “If I let you die alone, then I wouldn’t be myself either.”
“I told you it’s not a death sentence,” Shen Siwei couldn’t help but feel frustrated. “My body won’t be injured. Can you say the same?”
“I can breathe underwater, can you?” klet asked.
“The condition for you to breathe is to survive,” Shen Siwei said. “What if you lose consciousness at the moment of the crash?”
“You keep making me believe that you’ll be fine, so why don’t you believe that I’ll be fine?”
“Because I’ve undergone modifications, isn’t that obvious?”
“Then tell me, how are you going to breathe when you fall into the sea?”
“Can’t I find the right time to eject from the plane?”
“That also has some risks.”
“Cough, Captain Shen…” Dr. Chen couldn’t help but interrupt. “We’re running out of time.”
“Did you hear that?” klet walked straight towards the fighter jet. “We’re running out of time.”
“klet!” Shen Siwei couldn’t help but shout in anger.
“If we’re going to die, we’ll die together. If we’re going to survive, we’ll survive together,” klet half of his body stepped into the fighter jet and decisively said to Shen Siwei, “If you keep blabbering, I’ll destroy this fighter jet right now.”
Shen Siwei: “…”
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