Infection
In the control room, when Colonel Lu's voice was heard, everyone who had been on edge felt relieved. Shen Xingtang even had to support herself against the nearby wall to stand firm, and Zhang Ge was sweating profusely.
Mr. Qiu's voice was slightly hoarse, "Hard work."
But as soon as he finished speaking, he noticed the black mecha in the group of mechas, and his expression froze for a moment.
"Mr. Qiu, we need to inform others to evacuate as soon as possible!" A staff member turned around and said, "The collapse of the underground at the base is still ongoing. We have barely protected the fusion weapons, but it's challenging to ensure the environmental conditions on-site. At this collapse rate, if the base underground completely collapses, and the fusion weapons fall down, it could trigger an explosion."
The soldiers of the border army remained on the surface, and the seismic activity from three hundred meters below reached the surface.
Several cracks appeared on the ground, and the underground space communicated by the pollutant tentacles seemed like a twisted and eerie beehive. Stimulated by the deprivation of its abnormal crystal, almost everything shattered. The extent of its root system was unknown, but given the current vibration, the entire interior of the restricted area became extremely unsafe.
After receiving the message connected to the control room, almost all the mecha pilots started moving.
Colonel Lu didn't have time to explain other things to the others, "This place is not safe. Currently, there is no obstruction from pollutants. We must leave the restricted area immediately and leave the Koria pollution zone through a jump."
The mecha squad at the base was also evacuating, except for the necessary border army remaining behind. Everyone else received the order to retreat.
Colonel Lu looked at the black mecha in the arms of You Su, and after the abnormal crystal was dug out, he found that their artillery had an effect on the previously indestructible pollutant tentacles. Obviously, the formidable defense of the pollutant was derived from its regenerative abilities and the energy carried by the fusion weapons. Now that the abnormal crystal had been dug out, the pollutant could probably only rely on the energy of the fusion weapons.
The fusion weapons turned into pollutants might be easier to deal with than the situation twenty years ago, where they couldn't be deactivated or carried.
The premise was that the pollutant, now without the abnormal crystal, wouldn't explode in this collapse incident.
"We have limited time," Colonel Lu looked at the black mecha and the tank mecha, "Can these two mechas jump through space?"
Huo Yan spoke, "I'm temporarily okay, but on You Su's side—"
Qi Sicheng and the others saw the cockpit of the black mecha being pierced. The medical mecha said, "We can only rescue the person. With this kind of penetration, it's likely that the internal systems have been damaged, equivalent to losing protection, fully exposed to the environment."
"Can you open the cockpit immediately?" Qi Sicheng asked.
"It can be opened," the medical mecha approached, "Directly pry open the cockpit, prioritize taking the mecha pilot away."
Yuan's startup couldn't hold up for too long, and an unconscious mecha pilot couldn't actively jump through space.
You Su asked Theo, "Any response from Yuan?"
"There's a signal, but no other response," Theo had been trying to contact Mecha Yuan since it lost its response, "Perhaps the cockpit was damaged, limiting its functions."
No matter how powerful an S-class mecha was, its core was still in the mecha's core. If the cockpit was damaged, the mecha's intelligence would also be restricted.
Upon hearing this reply, You Su directly said to the nearby medical mecha, "Open it directly, prioritize saving people."
The external penetration hole on the cockpit of Mecha Yuan was very obvious. The medical mecha could only use special tools to disassemble the outer panels of the cockpit routinely. The vibrating environment brought great difficulties to all operations, but fortunately, among the border army, there was a medical mecha with dual skills, rich in repair knowledge. He chose to operate the tools at the first opportunity.
The disassembly by the medical mecha was much rougher than that by the repair technician, but fortunately, Mecha Yuan was only penetrated and worn out, without damaging other components. The entire disassembly process went smoother than expected.
However, when the cockpit door opened, the dim cockpit environment supplied a continuous stream of oxygen. The male pilot was unconscious in the pilot seat, and the mechanical middle part suffered a penetrating injury. The broken mechanical arm was split into two, with some mechanical parts still connected. The disconnected part could vaguely see the mechanical nerves inside.
KID and the people from Gale were speechless when they saw this. The medical mecha who was responsible for disassembling the cockpit also had a stunned look.
There was a very obvious penetration point on the back of the cockpit seat. When Mecha Yuan took the risk to charge forward, the pollutant tentacle attacked the front of the cockpit seat. The young man seemed to have anticipated this and probably used the mechanical arm to block the fatal blow at that time. What was astonishing was that in such an environment, he could think so calmly, switching to the Flowing Fire Sword to extract the abnormal crystal. It was as if the pain caused by the breaking of the mechanical arm during the destruction of the tentacle was inconsequential to him.
"...How did he continue to operate at that time?" the medical mecha asked.
But at this moment, Huo Yan shouted, "Exposed environment, quickly bring the person out."
His voice immediately woke up everyone else. Before he spoke, the cockpit of the white mecha on the other side had already opened.
You Su's mecha entered standby mode automatically, and he jumped out of the open cockpit, going from the medical mecha's arm into the cockpit. His movements were very fast. Upon contact with Mecha Yuan, he was exceptionally careful. He positioned the injured hand of Mecha Yuan properly and lifted the unconscious person from the chair.
Colonel Lu had seen many injured soldiers, but someone like Mecha Yuan was the first time he had seen a mecha pilot like this.
He was clear-headed and rational. He could recklessly seize the initiative at a critical moment, and he could think of the most appropriate way to deal with changes precisely down to the millisecond. At this point, Colonel Lu couldn't figure out how this person thought.
Colonel Lu: "Notify the control room to prepare the medical team!"
"Colonel, the control room is ready. Let's evacuate as soon as possible!" a soldier said.
Hearing that the medical team was ready, the worried mecha pilots relaxed slightly.
However, things were not over yet. Escaping from the Koria pollution zone was the current priority.
You Su forcibly invaded Mecha Yuan's consciousness and brought it into the key of Apprehension, carrying Mecha Yuan back to the cockpit. By now, the ground had cracked open several trenches, and in the distance, mechas continued to fly out from the direction of the base station. When flying out, they also saw YDS and people from the Second Star Domain.
"How did Hu Luobu do it?" Zhao Lejie said unexpectedly.
"YDS and Black Crow came to help from outside the restricted area. When you entered the underground, they happened to be near the base station," Qi Sicheng explained, "The mecha pilots from the Second Star Domain also came to help."
Ji Qingfeng was slightly stunned when he heard this, "People surnamed Bai?"
"Competition is competition, urgent situations are pressing. They also voluntarily contributed their efforts," Qi Sicheng led the people of Gale and flew at the forefront. In the rear, he noticed the Border Army, "The problem we face next is not something we can solve."
Most mechas were evacuating, and a small number of mechas continued to move towards the base station.
With no interference from pollutants inside, they quickly found the exit of the restricted area with the guidance of the Border Army. As soon as they went out, they faced a densely packed pollutant. Qi Sicheng took the initiative to lead a few mechas forward, saying, "We, Gale, will cover you. The rest of you, go to the jump coordinates."
KID did not refuse. Their mechas were significantly damaged and couldn't be compared to Qi Sicheng's few mechas.
"Wait a minute?! Is the one crawling in front of me my daughter!?" Ji Qingfeng scanned the pollutants in the scorched earth below, and there was a black elongated worm flying.
Zhao Lejie couldn't help but say, "You talk about losing your daughter every day. The fire in the restricted area is so intense that your daughter might have been roasted."
"No, wait... it seems to be that iron wireworm." A mecha pilot from Gale spoke, "Look at the radar. There's a reaction from an S-class pollutant source."
As soon as the words were finished, everyone looked down together. It seemed that the black wireworm also noticed them, and its escape speed increased. It plunged into the scorched earth, disappearing. Ji Qingfeng, who had just reunited with it, hadn't looked at it much and couldn't see it anymore. "How did it run so fast!?"
Other mecha pilots: "..."
Being ridden by you for so long, providing food and drink, and still having to consider your mood—shouldn't you be trembling instead of coming over like this!?
You Su landed in the middle of the team. In front of him were Lu Xi, who was pulled by Lin Yao, and a group of five mechas that were almost worn out. The cockpit continuously supplied thick oxygen, mixed with the smells of oil and blood, creating an unpleasant odor.
Theo said, "I've maximized the oxygen! You Su, why do I feel like we're always rescuing people."
Inside the cockpit, two people's mental powers were connected. Theo, who was initially unwilling to the intrusion, had become accustomed to it.
Theo adjusted the cockpit temperature to 27 degrees. Theo's cockpit used to have a lower temperature, and the first time it was adjusted to this temperature, he himself found it a bit uncomfortable. "Back then, when you were injured, and the cockpit was filled with blood, I didn't see you ask me to raise the temperature."
This time, You Su could only carry the person horizontally, with the injured person's breathing weak, and the damaged arm placed in his arms. However, this posture was uncomfortable, forcing You Su to use his left hand to operate the flight. "Are the vital signs stable?"
The vital signs nerve line originally connected to You Su was now connected to Ying Chenlin. Theo monitored Ying Chenlin's condition throughout.
"Stable, very stable," Theo said. "Vital signs are stable, but his hand needs to be dealt with as soon as possible."
You Su lowered his gaze slightly, and Ying Chenlin's pale face had faint black marks. The original black stains from the energy liquid completely spread, and for some reason, You Su felt that Ying Chenlin's face seems thinner than before.
He was driving the mecha and suddenly noticed movement in his arms.
Theo made a surprised sound.
You Su returned to his senses and looked down. He saw Ying Chenlin curled up against his chest, rubbing against him, and the movement made You Su's left hand shake as he operated the mecha. The shaking of the entire mecha surprised the surrounding mecha pilots, but fortunately, You Su quickly stabilized. "He can still move," You Su commented.
Theo: "Of course, he can move! Be careful not to press on his hand!"
After a while, Theo asked again, "You Su, your face looks a bit red. Do you want to lower the temperature a bit?"
You Su didn't speak, but after a while, he raised the temperature by two degrees. "No need."
Qi Sicheng's formation was holding up well, coupled with YDS and Black Crow's mecha pilots in the rear. The group safely reached the jump point. The mecha pilots of the Border Army did not evacuate. When they returned to the Koria Management Bureau, they saw a huge starship parked outside the Koria. The starship bore the emblem of the First Star Domain, and the mecha pilots landing were all astonished. They didn't expect the First Star Domain's military to arrive as well.
In the control room, the busy work of the staff continued. The threat from Koria was far from over.
"All alliance mecha pilots have evacuated from the Koria pollution zone, and the First Star Domain military has taken over the follow-up treatment of the Koria pollution zone." The staff reported.
On the communication screen, the chairs of the Second Star Domain's Alliance and the Presidents of the Dawn Galaxy were relieved to hear this.
The arrival time of the First Star Domain military was nearly four hours faster than the expected time. Presumably, they had been continuously jumping, shortening the journey. Now, the follow-up treatment of the Koria pollution zone could only be handed over to the First Star Domain.
"Ah, Ms. Shen!?" Zhang Ge shouted.
Shen Xingtang: "I'm leaving the rest to you."
Shen Xingtang did not stay in the control room. As soon as the news of KID's mecha pilot's jump came out, she rushed to the jump area, leaving all the follow-up tasks to Gale Zhang Ge. Jiang Simiao and others only knew what had happened when the news was leaked in the control room. Seeing Shen Xingtang run away, Jiang Simiao didn't care about anything and followed suit.
As soon as they arrived at the entrance, they saw Ying Chenlin, who was being held by You Su. The nearby medical team was already prepared. You Su handed the person over to the medical team and followed suit. Seeing this, Jiang Simiao nodded at Shen Xingtang and immediately followed You Su.
Shen Xingtang looked up at the high ground and saw KID's group.
Lu Xi was anxious on the side, helping to carry two medical kits. Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao were supporting Huo Yan, walking down. Ji Qingfeng and Lin Yao, one tall and one short, supporting the tall Huo Yan, had a subtle and humorous feeling.
"Look at Brother You, how powerful he is, picking up Chenlin and running." Lin Yao said, "If you pick up Brother Huo and run, we can run even faster."
Ji Qingfeng: "Can you carry someone with a waist injury!?"
Lin Yao: "You can't carry him."
The medical team standing below watched the three people move from the mecha cockpit. It was the first time they had seen a wounded mecha pilot making jokes. When Huo Yan was pressed onto the stretcher, the man took a deep breath, not knowing how long he had been holding his waist injury.
Shen Xingtang held back the tears in her eyes, took a few steps forward, nodded slightly at the other side, and then asked Jiang Simiao, "What's the situation now?"
"Preliminary diagnosis is irreversible damage to the right arm, moderate infection, and mental power exhaustion." Jiang Simiao informed her of what the doctor said, "It seems that Chenlin has better control over his mental power than before. According to the doctor, mental power exhaustion is the lightest among all his conditions. The doctor is currently concerned about the penetrating injury to his arm."
Shen Xingtang sighed slightly, "The mechanical arm should be fine, right?"
"Problem." You Su shifted his gaze and looked at Shen Xingtang. "His right arm was pierced by the pollution at that time. The tentacle was polluted with the tissue fluid of the pollution. While penetrating the mechanical arm, those tissue fluids also reached his injured position, constituting a direct infection."
Compared to pollution infections in other exposed environments, the most severe was the infection in the right arm that was pierced.
In contrast, issues like mental power depletion, which require rest to resolve, are too simple. The problems caused by the direct infection of the right arm are not that simple. Adding to the fact that Ying Chenlin originally had a genetic disease, the medical team is most concerned about all the subsequent problems that may arise from this direct infection.
"Rebuilding a new mechanical arm for him is simple. The doctor is concerned about the potential risks of this infection." Jiang Simiao stared at the rescue room, "They are currently debriding the wound, removing all infection threats before proceeding to the next step—"
Before she could finish her sentence, a doctor walked out of the rescue room.
Everyone's gaze turned to the doctor, who untied the medical mask and explained, "There are two issues that need to be explained to you now."
The nerves in the mechanical arm are already connected to Ying Chenlin's own nerves. The pollution infected the mechanical nerves, and some of the infection would also spread along the nerves to the upper part of the arm. Of course, the infection speed of the machinery is not as fast as the human body's nerves. Due to the doctor's forced intervention and the emergency measures taken at the time, the source of infection has been intercepted as much as possible.
Ordinary pollution infections can be quickly resolved by doctors.
However, this pollution is too special. Firstly, it carries a large amount of energy with the fusion of weapons. Secondly, its pollution source map is almost chaotic.
"The patient should have taken emergency measures for the first time after the mechanical arm was shattered. This emergency measure was good, basically blocking the infection in the arm." The doctor explained, "But infection is inevitable. We are currently analyzing the pollution and have used emergency serum. We cannot predict the consequences of the infection for the patient. This is the first issue that must be clarified. In addition, there is a second issue."
Shen Xingtang's heart tightened, "What is the second issue?"
"The patient's physique and mental power are different from ordinary mecha pilots. Physical damage and mental weakness will also weaken his resistance to infection." The doctor sighed, "The combination of these two issues makes his condition so strange, and with a genetic history of illness recorded in his medical records, we need to consider all possibilities."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xingtang became anxious, "Can't it be resolved?"
"It can be resolved, but we are worried that this infection will affect the mecha pilot." The doctor looked worriedly backward, "The patient is a mecha pilot, and his mechanical arm has already affected his operational proficiency. The results of the infection have not been completely cleared. We are afraid that this will affect his subsequent mecha operations."
You Su looked at the doctor upon hearing this. "Is the consequence of the infection benign or malignant?"
"Generally, pollution infections are malignant. We are already extracting anti-interference serum based on the pollution tissues that the mecha was exposed to."
The doctor said, "I'm just telling you the worst-case scenario, but it's not entirely hopeless... I heard that there was a mecha pilot in the First Star Domain Military who was severely injured due to direct pollution. At that time, a very outstanding doctor solved the problem. We have already sent someone to contact that doctor, but the doctor has gone to the military headquarters. We don't know if we can find him."
"As long as we find that doctor, it should be fine, right?" You Su said.
Shen Xingtang looked at You Su, "Do you know that doctor?"
At this time, footsteps suddenly came from the end of the corridor, and the footsteps of many people came at the same time.
Everyone looked towards the end, only to see several doctors in medical suits carrying medical equipment hurrying over. There were also several soldiers wearing the combat uniforms of the First Star Domain Military protecting them. Shen Xingtang, standing in the middle of the crowd, saw the man who fell last in the team. He was the major general of the First Star Domain Military they had only seen on the communication screen.
"Major General!" The doctor looked surprised at the man.
The major general walked to the front of everyone and said to the doctor, "This is the doctor who treated me back then. He is good at dealing with infection problems. The patient inside is very important. He is a mecha pilot, and we hope to save his right hand and his career, and let him leave Koria healthy."
"I am the chief of the medical team of the First Star Domain Military." The leading doctor didn't have time to say more. "Where is the patient? Send me the medical report."
Shen Xingtang looked at the major general, then glanced at You Su, as if she had found the source of that familiar feeling when she first saw that person.
Jiang Simiao stared in amazement, "Wait a minute, that person and You Su—"
You Su frowned slightly, looking at the middle-aged man standing in front of him, his eyes slightly cold.
The man in military uniform, with a stern face and no expression, just nodded slightly when he saw You Su. "You Su, long time no see."