Flying the dual system is taxing Xiao Yan's abilities. As soon as his thoughts began their command organization, they are dissolved. Any protection he attempts to erect mentally is rapidly destroyed. He tries to speed up his thought processing to avoid the blocker, but the hacker quickly adapts and invades further. Xiao can only concentrate on keeping control of the main terminal.
This is a deadly game and he must stay one step ahead of the blocker, anticipate where they are targeting and consolidate the data into an area of his mind he can protect.
They are now 11 minutes from the base.
But each minute may as well be a century.
Finally a female's stern voice penetrates the cockpit. "This is No. 2 Research Base, pilot please report your identification number.
"Xiao Yan ID1665...encounter...Blocker...Invaded"
In the control room, the liaison officer quickly connected with Colonel Shen Bing,
"Colonel, we have an emergency."
"report."
"Craft K388 approaching from base 14 shows a single pilot, who is neither Captain Jon, nor Captain Ying."
"Who is piloting the craft? "
"Xiao Yan, ID1665, a student of the Central Academy of Sciences"
"Is he on the manifest?"
" He is."
"And they have been invaded by a blocker?"
" Yes, Xiao Yan is currently operating a dual engine system alone. Do we approve entrance and provide technical support?"
"How can a mere student operate a dual engine craft under the attack of a blocker? Does anyone have the ability to provide support? What is his neuronal processing rate? Test it using the access terminal."
A short time later a stammering stunned voice sounded through the com.
"Reporting, I..It's.....300 trillion mega-neuro-rate."
Hearing this, a ripple disturbed the calm of Colonel Shen Bing's eyes.
"Connect me to Xiao Yan."
Xiao, gritted his teeth against the push of the invasion. The blockers neuronal speed and knowledge base far exceeded his expectations. The fortress he had created, to protect his mind, was being destroyed level by level.
"Xiao Yan, this is Col. Shen Bing, Commander of No. 2 Base."
"Colonel, I'm not going to make it."
Please.....
"I'm sorry, I cannot provide any technical support at this time."
The commander's tone was as calm as if he was denying Xiao Yan nothing more than a cup of tea.
"Colonel are you kidding me? Two of the captains have already succumbed and there are 12 students aboard."
Xiao Yan's excitation ripples along his nerves, the disturbance allowing for a slight fluctuation in his focus, and the blocker took advantage this instantly. The hacker began to tear right through into his subconscious. Xiao's mind started to collapse around him. His fate is dangerously close to the other two captains.
The technical support the base can provide is to have a third person hook up to Xiao through a remote source, separating him from the blocker.
"Calm yourself, Xiao Yan. We will have to remotely hook up to the control system, to eliminate the blocker. The minute we open the channel to give you support, the blocker will detect us. If we give you direct assistance the blocker can access our system. As long as you stay disconnected from the base, the blocker should stay with you. As long as you can hang in there as you approach the platform, we can disconnect you remotely and the information from the blocker should stay with you. This could be an important moment to gain an advantage over the Surge organization."
"...and If ....I fail?"
"You will crash."
'So because we are just students, our lives do not mean anything?" Xiao Yan asked indignant.
The Colonel spoke of Xiao Yan crashing so easily, as if it didn't matter.
If made he made it through this and had a chance to face this damn Colonel...He will punch that asshole right in the face!
"I don't know about the other students, but you are a very important resource for us. Your processing speed on the terminal is more than enough to ensure your value."
Resources?
He is a living person!
Although Xiao Yan is just a reserve, he understands the cruelty of the military. This characteristic is the reason Xiao Yan had made no effort to enter into high level military employment. It all seemed like a tar pit, dealing with people that would kill him without blinking an eye.
"Listen to me, how you think will be represented on the terminal. It's an expression of information and commands depend on your unique way of thinking. "
"Nonsense!"
He is just handing him textbook blather.
"How you think determines how the blocker will destroy you."
Communication with Shen Bing was interrupted.
Xiao Yan just wants to vomit.
Was that suppose to be a helpful hint?!
He is going to die.
Because of this shit Colonel, this cold blooded madman!
The constant strain of his thoughts dissolving and reconstructing has brought Xiao Yan to the point of complete exhaustion.
So...
He let go completely.
His fortress collapsed and only a lush forest, that he envisioned, stayed present in his mind.
Deep greens, and a gentle rippling wind.
Suddenly every nerve in his body vibrated and flamed with the blocker's attack, and the tree trunk that he was staring at burned up and everything dissolved into a vast sea.
Xiao Yan dismantled the information around his mind, and scatters it to the corner of his consciousness, where they can only be extracted from.
In that moment all that existed was the sea and chaos, all of the information he harbored was in disarray.
Xiao Yan chased down all the data that was running through the terminal into his mind, the blocker chasing him as he gathered it all amid the waves and water.
This was all that was left of this consciousness.
Every minute...every second, was crucial.
Shen Bing emerged from his office and headed to the command center. He folded his arms and watched as the craft approached the base.
"Open the landing dock."
"Yes."
The liaison pressed the button and looks on worriedly at the descending aircraft.
Sure enough, at a distance of 50 meters from the base, the aircraft is not lined up with the hatch. It is hovering a bit below the opening.
"Colonel?" The liaison officer looked back and this time he agreed to ready the necessary technical support, an opportunity to save their lives.
"Now wait." Shen Bing narrowed his eyes.
Forty meters...
Thirty meters...
"Colonel!" The liaison turned back again. She was also a soldier. Her comrades-in-arms were all struggling outside.
Shen Bing's lips curled.
The liaison turned to the holographic screen and saw that the aircraft was climbing at a near-vertical angle, regaining a level position less than five meters from the door then crashing through the hatch.
"Disconnect all data transmissions and enter wireless signal shielding."
"Yes!"
Shen Bing finally gave the order.
"Now."
__________
In the cabin, darkness surrounded the students as they closed their eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
Right before the craft had leveled, and crashed into the hatch, all system functions had shut down.
"Why is the power out?"
"Did we crash"
What's going on? "Where the hell are we?"
Lily pushed at her safety harness so hard the material vibrated in her hands, but there was no movement.
This meant that the aircraft had completely lost power.
"Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan, are you there?"
Lily began to shouted loudly.
Suddenly light burst into the cabin, and the students instinctively squinted against the unexpected brightness.
The hatch had been opened.
Several officers stood outside the craft, the commander was about 27years old, with short neatly cropped hair and cold fierce eyes. The students felt nervous in his presence.
"I am Colonel Shen Bing, Commander of the base."
He saluted those who had managed to dodge the call of death and then he and two officers headed to the cockpit door, to disconnect Xiao Yan from the system.
As the door opened, Lily could see that Xiao was still linked to the terminal with his head slumped down. It was obvious that the officers were not connecting to the system but to Xiao Yan's brain.
"What are you doing? What is wrong with Xiao Yan?"
Lily went to rush over, but was stopped by one of the other officers.
Shin Bing hummed in disdain.
"Welcome to Base 2, you have all worked hard today. The dinner is quite delicious tonight, please enjoy."
And with that, all of the students, were forced to leave the cabin.
As they exited, Lily went to say something but was blocked once again. "That is Colonel Shen Bing, we must obey his orders."
Sin Bing is well known outside the Shire as a military research elite. He had conducted many external investigations and written several very valuable research reports. The military valued him well and he was in line to be promoted to General.
In front of such a man, they are not worth mentioning. Even if Shin Bing were to throw them to the zombies, no one would dispute his decision.
The two original captains were carried out of the aircraft and Shen Bing's secretary approached him and whispered "Colonel, we will need a blocker specialist for them to regain their mental faculties."
Shen Bing inhaled sharply. "Do you intend for me to do it myself?"
The secretary nodded.
"I will not enter anyone's mind, the subconscious is a terrible place."
Shing Bing leaned against the cabin door and stared at Xiao Yan's face.
Shen Bing, leaning against the cabin door, stared at Showan's side face. "Was the information extracted?"
"All traces and information left by the blocker were successfully extracted."
" "Then what about him?" When can you wake him up?"
"His brain has been overloaded with the information transfer, when he encountered the---"
"The reason is clear, what was the result?" Shen Bing interrupted with clipped impatience.
"He was already in a mental coping state within his own subconscious. He will not awaken unless someone goes in to inform him the situation is safe and secure."
"So this guy ended up trapping himself?" he laughed
"Yes."
" What a rookie."
"Colonel ..."
"At least Xiao Yan was able to get the information you---" The secretary tried to plead once again, but the proposal was strictly choked off.
"i said that I won't go into another's mind again. It is impossible, just let him lie there and we will send him back to the Shire, they can deal with it there."
Finished with the conversation , Shen Bing turned away.