amaotonovel Chapter 4316 Body of Steel (21)
Chapter 4316 Body of Steel (21)
Chapter 4316 Body of Steel (Twenty-One)
"My God, such a huge spaceship. Is Clark's hometown that powerful?"
On the Arctic ice sheet, Diana, wearing a thick research station coat, stood at the door of the spacecraft, watching everything in shock. Standing next to her was the expert.
“Let’s go inside and take a look,” the expert said. “There must be some secrets inside this spaceship that we don’t know about.”
Diana nodded. She took a lasso from her waist and held it in her hand. Although the experts had already been inside once and confirmed that there were no enemies or weapons, they still needed to be vigilant.
Walking through the spaceship's main entrance, the interior layout was quite simple: a passageway and a large hall. However, there were some items placed around the hall. The experts' purpose in coming here was to find clues from these items.
Diana looked around but didn't see anything particularly special. Not daring to touch anything, she went to the central circular platform and stood there watching the experts study it.
The experts' target was something that looked like a culture chamber. But the chamber was empty. Diana couldn't help but ask, "Did something escape from inside?"
"No, it doesn't contain animals or plants, it contains air."
"Air?"
“That’s right, Krypton’s atmosphere.” The expert paused for a moment before saying, “Visiting an alien planet is extremely dangerous for carbon-based life forms. This is because the environment on this planet may not be suitable for their survival, and there may be many unknown and deadly viruses.”
Diana suddenly realized and said, "I've heard that ancient viruses are trapped in the glaciers of the Arctic. Is that true?"
"Yes and no. It's a bit complicated to explain, but you just need to know that what might be hidden in an alien atmosphere is a hundred times more dangerous than some ancient virus. So if we want to do space exploration, we have to bring our air with us. Until we've tested the atmospheric composition of a planet, we can only continue using Earth's air."
"I see." Diana nodded, looking like she was humbly learning, and then asked, "This jar contains their air, but that little bit isn't enough for anything, is it?"
"Indeed, this is probably not intended for use, but more likely for observation and detection."
"Observation and testing?"
"Yes. After all, the state of a planet is too complex. The special radiation produced by certain celestial bodies may affect the atmosphere. We can't have astronauts wearing spacesuits and acting as human testing grounds. Therefore, we need a separate sample to observe the state of life-sustaining necessities in the current star system and confirm their usability."
"Is this the sample? Can it be used?"
The expert shook his head and said, "It's not certain yet. We need to take this back for testing. At the same time, we also need to study the atmospheric composition of Krypton so we can infer whether they could adapt to our atmosphere."
“I hope they can’t adapt,” Diana said. “Although I think that’s unlikely, after all, Clark is still alive and kicking.”
“This is different. Mr. Kent came from infancy, and his upbringing was no different from that of an Earthling. It is very likely that he developed the same antibodies as Earthlings during his growth. But these invaders did not.”
“If they don’t have antibodies, can we defeat them with the virus?” Diana asked.
"Theoretically it's possible, but we can't take the risk," the expert said, shaking his head. "Their internal environments are different. If a virus were to spread into their bodies, mutate, and then spread back to humans, it could lead to a mass extinction."
Diana gasped, then said, "Then let's not."
Next, the experts found another machine; it was mounted on a frame with a metal rod on top. Diana asked curiously, "What is this?"
"It should be some kind of testing instrument," the expert said. "Besides air, it should also test many other things."
"Food and water?"
"No need for that. We can just eat what's on the spaceship. The main thing is that we can't avoid things when exploring the surface, like air and sunlight. This thing looks a bit like a light tester, or more accurately, a radiation tester."
"Oh, so it's for detecting sunlight."
"That's right. If I'm not mistaken, there will be a large detection device on the spaceship that will generate data as soon as it enters the star system, while this small one should be handheld, for testing the surface radiation levels when landing on a planet."
"Is there a difference between the two?"
"Of course, the radiation levels vary depending on the distance from the star. If the goal is to explore a planet, then it's essential to test the surface radiation levels. This is a crucial criterion for determining whether a planet is habitable."
Diana nodded and said, "But this thing is broken, can you fix it?"
“I can give it a try,” the expert said. “It may not make it work again, but it should be able to extract the data.”
"But they must be using an alien script. Can we understand it?"
"Mathematics itself is a language," the expert continued. "In the end, there is a universal solution, and it is not difficult to decipher. However, it is limited to mathematics. If we were to find any historical materials, it would probably take several decades."
Speaking of historical records, Diana was reminded of that damned "Serpent of Phrygia." She hoped the Arctic would help her break free from the Pharaoh's curse; otherwise, she would definitely plant that fraudster in the Golden Apple Garden.
Just as she was thinking this, Diana heard heavy footsteps outside. She turned around abruptly and saw several fully armed figures rushing in. They were dressed in black armor, completely encased in it, and the weapons they carried were clearly not human-made.
Diana cursed inwardly, then immediately drew her weapon and shielded the expert behind her.
"Don't get into a conflict with them," the expert said. "We've already got what we wanted. Let's send it back first."
Diana then realized that they were there to conduct scientific research, not to steal the spaceship. Since they already had the research samples, there was no need to waste time with these people.
So she grabbed the expert, whooshed into the air, and disappeared in an instant.
Diana looked back and couldn't help but smile. The aliens were clearly stunned, seemingly never expecting her to be able to fly.
Fearing a large force might catch up, Diana flew back to base with the experts as quickly as possible without stopping. After being unloaded, the expert breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you, ma'am. But next time, could you go a little slower? I'm a bit... airsick."
"I'm sorry," Diana quickly apologized, "I was so focused on flying fast. Are you alright?"
The expert gagged twice, waved his hand, and said, "It's not a big problem. I need to get those two things tested right away, otherwise..."
He didn't continue, but Diana understood what he meant. These aliens had already reached the Arctic, proving they had mastered the methods to move freely on Earth. They were bound to make a move next.
Watching the expert's departing figure, Diana felt a little uneasy. After thinking for a while, she decided to call Clark, hoping he would be on guard and not be attacked without knowing anything.
Diana picked up the satellite phone and dialed Clark's number on her cell phone. She said to Clark, "Hello? It's me. Yes, I'm in the Arctic. The doctor went to the spaceship and found a lot of useful things, but just as we were about to leave, the aliens came looking for us."
"I just wanted to remind you that they seem to be planning to descend to the surface. Now that they've found this place, they can't possibly leave you untouched. You must be careful; they are armed. How are you recovering?"
"That's good. Please be careful. The doctor's research should be completed soon. Once I have the results, I'll head back immediately... You're welcome. I'm also a part of Earth, and I can't just stand by and watch them cause trouble here. Okay, I'll wait for your news."
Clark hung up the phone and sighed inwardly. Diana was still as reliable as ever. Thinking back to the mess he'd made at her house when he was injured, Clark felt a deep sense of guilt. It must have caused Diana considerable trouble, perhaps even forcing her to move.
But the more this happened, the more motivated Clark became. He had to resolve this matter quickly so he could find a way to compensate Diana for her losses. At the very least, he had to buy her a new computer—a high-end one, costing several months' salary. How was he going to earn money if the world didn't stabilize soon?
With this in mind, Clark decided he would no longer sit idly by and wait for his fate. However, he could no longer act rashly.
Fighting these aliens would be easy, but the problem is that if a fight breaks out, it won't just be the aliens who suffer, but also Earthlings. He himself might also be exposed by the media. Now is not the time to escalate the conflict.
Thinking of Louise's previous plan, Clark immediately had an idea. After considering it, he called Louise.
“Louise, you’re already in London? That’s great, it’s safer there than in the Metropolis. Well, I’d like you to contact the officer you were dealing with. Yes, I need to speak with him.”
Three hours later, Clark, dressed in a Superman costume, reappeared at the military base, handcuffed, sitting at an interrogation table.
Clark then noticed that the gatekeeper looked visibly bewildered, as this was his third time entering the palace. He was probably wondering if he was trapped in some kind of time loop.
Clark, however, sat there leisurely, his mind racing with ideas for his next news story. He too wanted to write a blockbuster report so he could break free from his editor and become an independent journalist, like Louise.
This would not only allow him to earn more money to compensate Diana and support his mother, but also give him greater influence. Look at Louise; she could negotiate with military officers. When he was arrested, nobody was willing to listen to his opinions.
Clark has discovered that, for the military, superpowered individuals pose far less of a threat than journalists. Some things simply can't be solved with superpowers—it's time to use super reporting and super media.
As Clark pondered these thoughts, he keenly heard a commotion outside the military base. A slight smile played on his lips; they were indeed coming.
(End of this chapter)