Alien Relic Hunter

"You are talking to me so much just because you want to prove that the residents on the Ark are all beta-type clones?" Ke Lan didn't show any surprise on his face. "Then how do you explain it? Now What about those over forty years old who lived on the Ark?”

"Not everyone is a clone that has been cloned in batches." The prophet said, "The clones are just a means to fill the gap in the population. Most of the clones are used as consumables and put into front-line battles. The army, as well as high-risk jobs such as miners and off-ship maintenance personnel. The personnel in these jobs are highly mobile, and few people work in the same position for more than three years. Because of this, other people are very It is difficult to realize the true identity of these clones, and the aftermath of their 'use period' expiration can also be carried out in extremely secretive ways."

"Do you know why the undead crew would rather choose the unethical method of cloning clones instead of using robots to fill those vacant positions?" the prophet asked again.

"Because of the cost?"

"No...if the answer is this, it would be too simple." The prophet shook his head, "The reason why they chose clones is simply to deceive themselves and others...You may not know that the humans on the Ark are in danger. Reversely heading towards destruction.”

"What's the meaning?"

"The beta-type clones had been successfully developed in the year 750 of the New Era, but at that time it was a period of high incidence of shipboard riots. The members of the Undead Crew Association were worried that the announcement of this technology would stimulate more people's emotions and add fuel to the fire. The effect of oil... As a result, this technology was sealed as a taboo, and the scientists involved in the project also signed the strictest gag order."

"Of course, even if they signed a gag order, many of them died in various 'accidents' in the next few years. Until New Era 762, Mary, the last biologist involved in beta replicants, ·Jie Lante was also stabbed to death by her husband with a fruit knife during a family conflict. After her death, the only people who knew about this project were the members of the Undead Crew."

"Did you come here just to tell me these stories?" Ke Lan couldn't help but ask.

He always felt that the other party was trying to delay time, but he couldn't do anything about the other party.

"I'm just telling you a story while stalling for time." The prophet said, "This space can only limit you for a while, but for me, this time is enough."

"..."

"Let's go back to the original topic - for more than a hundred years after Marie Geraint's death, this technology went silent like the countless abandoned cases in the institute. Until New Era 840, Ark detected Where Alpha is located.”

The prophet paused for a moment, then continued: "In the year 875 of the New Era, amidst all the expectations, the Ark finally arrived in the Alpha Star solar system. The following year, it entered the Alpha Star low-Earth orbit."

"In the same year, Ark sent an advance team to explore Alpha Star; in New Era 880, Ark's top management decided to land Ark on Alpha Star. After twenty years of preliminary preparations, Ark successfully broke through in January 900 of New Era The atmosphere has landed on the equator of Alpha Star - these things you mentioned are all test points for the compulsory history courses in compulsory education, and anyone on the street can recite them by heart," Ke Lan said.

"Then you should also know that in the first few years after Ark landed on Alpha Planet, the Field Corps... ah, no, it probably wasn't called this name at that time... suffered unbearable losses, and it was precisely because of the shocking The number of casualties allowed the body modification bill, which had been resisted, to be passed."

"……what do you want to say in the end?"

"Along with the human body modification bill, there was also a proposal to restart the beta clone program... However, this proposal was not proposed in the joint parliament, but was voted on within the Undead Crew Association. "The prophet said eloquently.

"How do you know these things? To be honest, I doubt the authenticity of every word you say."

"It doesn't matter how I know these things, and it doesn't matter whether you believe what I say, you just need to listen to me go on - in the beginning, beta clones were only used to fill the number of cannon fodder troops. Gap... In 903 of the New Era, a total of less than 100,000 beta-type clones were 'created', accounting for only 0.2% of the entire Ark population. But in 910, this proportion had increased At seven percent...then do you know what proportion of the current 50 million people in Ark are beta-type replicants?"

"How many?"

"Thirty percent." The prophet shrugged. "Fifteen million of the residents on the Ark are clones who have been secretly cloned. They can only live to be about forty years old and will die of various causes. A disease caused by the collapse of mitochondria - of course, these data will not be officially released to the public... The activity of these clones' cells is very low. Even if they are combined with normal humans, it will be difficult to give birth to the next generation... You You should also notice that in recent years, there have been more and more specialized hospitals and clinics treating infertility, right?"

"..."

"But even with the current medical level of mankind, the only way to solve this 'disease' is gene editing surgery...or simply borrow someone else's promoted cells to make a test-tube baby. But the problem is, it's not Everyone has enough money to do such an operation."

"..."

"Logically speaking, the Undead Crew Association should have realized that this is a vicious cycle that will have serious consequences. But for some reason, their attitude is still very negative... At the same time, in order to prevent panic, they have never told the truth Make it public. The only method they adopt is to 'create' more beta replicants to fill the gap caused by the decline in the number of naturally born people."

"That's why the proportion of clones will increase year by year. Is this what you want to say?"

"Do you remember what happened twenty years ago?" The prophet suddenly changed the subject.

"Twenty years ago?" Ke Lan was stunned for a moment. If he had to say what big thing happened twenty years ago... then it would only be "that thing".

The recent memetic crisis was the second "ship-wide blockade" order in Ark's history, and the first time occurred twenty years ago.

That year, an indigenous creature called the "Iron Flying Insect" broke through the fleet's defense line and rushed directly into the Ark through several airports that had not had time to close - even though the upper levels of the Ark promptly executed the order to block the entire ship. , but still more than one million people died in this tragedy.

"Yes, that's that thing." The prophet seemed to have guessed Ke Lan's thoughts through his expression, "Actually, the invasion of iron-skeleton flying insects was entirely led by the undead crew, and the actual damage caused by these insects It’s not that big.”

"That is to say..."

"That's right, twenty years ago, it happened to be the time when the first batch of beta-type clones were approaching their 'life'." The prophet nodded.

When β-type replicants are "created", they are already adults around twenty years old. Although they can "live to forty years old", their actual life span is only about twenty years - if there are a large number of " Forty-year-old residents died at similar times. Even if the causes of their deaths were different, it would arouse people's speculation and suspicion... But if they died of a "natural disaster", then everything would become very reasonable. .

"Now do you know why the undead crew is so eager to start a war?" The prophet let out a strange chuckle, "After all, the second 'twenty years'... is coming soon."

The second twenty years will be the expiration date for the second batch of "β-type clones"... No one knows how much new technology the undead crew will invest in restoring production after the invasion of iron-skeleton flying insects. of replicants... But the "dying days" of replicants invested in large quantities at one time are basically the same...

If what the prophet said is true... Ke Lan doesn't dare to think about it anymore...

"Even so, are you still unwilling to join me?" The prophet spread his hands towards Ke Lan, "Or to put it in a more appropriate word... abandon the darkness and turn to the light, what do you think?"

"How do you want me to believe your one-sided story?"

"Isn't it true that what the immortal crew said to you is just one-sided?"

"Even if what you say is true, I will not join a heretical sect... This does not count as turning from darkness to light. If you don't know how to use the idiom, don't use it randomly."

"I still have a lot of things I haven't told you... Not only the Ark, but also this Alpha star and the lost Alpha civilization, there are many secrets hidden. If you know these secrets, I believe you will change your mind. ." The prophet said calmly.

"Then you might as well tell me these secrets. You can tell me and I can listen. Whether I believe it or not, and whether I will change my mind, is another matter."

"Then I'm afraid you won't be able to fulfill your wish. This space will disappear soon...and my ceremony will come to an end." The prophet's figure took a step back and disappeared into the white light.

"What ceremony? You should explain it clearly!"

Vaguely, Ke Lan seemed to hear what the other party was saying, but before he could hear clearly, the surrounding environment began to change - the thin layer of water on the ground suddenly gathered from all directions, and in just a few seconds A huge waterspout was generated inside.

Ke Lan was right in the center of the waterspout. Looking at the water curtain that was getting closer and closer to him, he could only try to turn the living armor into an anchor and drive it into the ground... But the next second, the ground also disappeared. .

Ke Lan, who lost his point of focus, was instantly swept up into the air by the waterspout.

"Fuck you." Ke Lan couldn't help but cursed in his heart. He simply imitated the previous person's transformation and turned the living armor into an egg-shaped shell to cover his whole body.

He didn't know how long he had been sloshing in the rushing water. When he realized that everything had stopped, his location had changed from the mysterious reset space to the platform at the top of the core tower.

But at this moment, the area of ​​this platform has expanded dozens of times, almost the same size as the core control area below.

In addition to Ke Lan, Asano Akira, Layton and others, as well as the mobile troop soldiers who entered the tower, also appeared on this platform.

In the center of the platform, a prophet wearing a black robe stood on a copper pillar about two meters high. Almost endless viscous blood gushes out from the slot at the bottom of the copper pillar and spreads on the platform. Come.

"The goal has been achieved." The prophet glanced at Ke Lan and said, "I have to thank the crew for providing me with so many sacrifices. Otherwise, I really wouldn't be able to fill up this ruins in a short time. 'Appetite."

"What on earth are you going to do?" Ke Lan asked the prophet loudly.

"You will see it with your own eyes soon." After saying that, the prophet slowly raised his arms and recited obscure prayers in Alpha language.

no! Ke Lan knew that his eyelids were beating wildly, and a strange feeling of fear suddenly occupied his whole heart - "His ritual must be interrupted!" He shouted to the others, "Even if it triggers a time and space storm! Otherwise, by the time the ceremony is completed, it will be too late!”

"What ceremony? What on earth is this guy doing?" Layton asked.

"Don't ask this now! Just kill him!" Ke Lan ignored the explanation and directly condensed the living armor into a drill bit more than three meters long that rotated at high speed, and rushed towards the prophet——

"Bang!!"

A loud bang exploded on the platform, and Ke Lan flew backwards. Around the prophet, a circle of energy arc appeared that was as solid as substance.

"It's a reactive energy shield!" Layton exclaimed.

Reactive energy shields are also a creation of Alpha Civilization, but due to the particularity of the generation mechanism, this type of energy shield is difficult to miniaturize, and it is even difficult to mount it on a battleship. This type of energy shield is basically used in defense projects of large ruins. Up to now, Ark has discovered no more than ten reactive energy shield generators.

The biggest difference between this type of energy shield and ordinary energy shields is that it has the ability to fight back. Any external attack will trigger a powerful one-way explosion. It is very similar to the reactive armor invented by humans. It is precisely for this reason that it It will be named "reactive energy shield".

If Ke Lan hadn't instantly protected his whole body when he caused the explosion, his body would have been torn apart by the shock wave generated by the explosion.

Even a light armored vehicle that was slightly closer was overturned to the ground by the aftermath.