Alpha Protozoan

The peak of Blood Mountain. Draped in a white robe, the Beastmaster gazed down toward the foot of the mountain, a faint, almost imperceptible smile gradually curling at the corners of his lips. A completely expected outcome. Those old relics had been degenerating for far too long. Clinging to remnants of the Era of Prosperity, they basked in sweet dreams spun from the relics of an old civilization, forgetting that this was no pre-war era of peace and prosperity, but a brutal wasteland where one had to tear meat with teeth and drink raw blood. As long as one thoroughly discarded bottom lines and fantasies, giving up everything that could be surrendered, even when faced with the encirclement of a rotting old civilization, the youthful newcomers were by no means incapable of putting up a fight. The Alliance was a nuisance, but nothing more. They had not cast aside enough; they were not bold enough. At least, not compared to him, who had long cast aside his humanity. Right then, a deep voice drifted into the sea of his consciousness, like a low hum echoing from the depths of the earth. "Those people have retreated." The Beastmaster nodded, replying in a faint voice. "I saw." "They took the intelligence from the cavern. I am afraid my existence has been exposed." The muffled voice carried a trace of hesitation, as if troubled by some concern. The Beastmaster raised an eyebrow with mild amusement. "You are afraid?" "No," the voice paused for a long while before speaking slowly again. "But I smell a repulsive scent." "'That fellow' is drawing closer and closer to us." *** At noon, twelve o'clock, the Alpha Mobile Task Force issued the order to fall back, withdrawing the two companies fighting on Blood Mountain. The Academy had deployed a total of three hundred individual drones, yet only one hundred were recovered. The two hundred operatives of the Alpha Mobile Task Force suffered even heavier casualties, with less than half returning. And even among those who made it back, most were severely infected. These wounded were placed in the Frontline Second Hospital, observed and treated by teams from the Alliance Biological Research Institute and medical personnel from the Science Committee. The composition of the toxic substance and how it had breached the Alpha Mobile Task Force's individual NBC defense systems remained subject to further investigation and study. Although both the joint command and the various factions outside the Academy had anticipated the difficulty of this initial assault, the Academy's actual performance still caught everyone off guard. How could one put it? It felt a bit like loud thunder with very little rain. "Seems those northern fellows aren't all that impressive after all." Watching the Alpha Mobile Task Force retreat from the front line, General Babita of the Empire had a faint look of disdain in his eyes. He suddenly felt his own men were capable again. Not long ago, Duke Garava, stationed in Dawn City, had expressed dissatisfaction with their inactivity on the front lines and urged them to devote more energy to the battlefield. Perhaps they ought to do something to win some glory for His Majesty the Emperor. The Empire's officers were not the only ones left wide-eyed by the Academy's performance; even General Lium, who had just recently improved his opinion of them, was taken aback. Who would have thought that after all their flashy maneuvers, they would end up thoroughly battered and fleeing back from the front line? "...Perhaps I should reconsider my assessment of these guys." Sitting on the bridge of the airship with one leg propped over his knee, Lium wore a contemplative expression as he tore open an ice pop and popped it into his mouth. Of course, another possibility could not be ruled out. Those marsh slugs might be feigning weakness intentionally to present themselves as harmless, waiting for an opportunity to fish in troubled waters. After all, aside from themselves, no one truly knew what schemes they were hatching. In truth, when it came to feigning weakness, Lium was overthinking it. Even the Academy itself was furious over the outcome. They had made thorough, meticulous preparations for this battle, only to lose to a bunch of primitives fighting with sticks and stones— At least, that was how Yang Kai saw it. "What on earth were you doing? Armed with the finest equipment, and you couldn't even take down a pack of mutants?" Having made a rare landing with his research vessel at Weifu Military Base, Yang Kai tracked down the person in charge of the Alpha Mobile Task Force and barked reprimands. "My apologies for disappointing you, sir." The fellow named Alpha Zero hung his head, looking as though he were earnestly reflecting on his mistakes. Yet Yang Kai could not detect the slightest shred of sincerity in him. Shaking his head, Yang Kai knew scolding was a waste of breath. Ultimately choosing not to press the matter, he waved his hand and dismissed him. After chewing out the commander who had drawn up the operational plan, he immediately went to find Chu Guang, who was inspecting the Second Hospital at Weifu Military Base, and briefly recounted what the Alpha Mobile Task Force had encountered during the operation. "...There is something abnormal about the mutants on Ten Peaks Mountain. The traits they display in their evolution are unlike anything we have ever seen. Furthermore, based on samples retrieved from the site by the forward units, we suspect a broodmother is hidden deep within Blood Mountain." After listening to Yang Kai's account, Chu Guang nodded. "We think so too." Yang Kai paused in surprise, squinting at him suspiciously. "How did you know?" Chu Guang said, "A guess." Yang Kai: "..." Looking at the speechless Yang Kai, Chu Guang cleared his throat and continued. "...Such minor details are beside the point. The key is how we address the problem now." Yang Kai's expression turned serious. "What is your opinion?" "My opinion is... to wait for the experts' opinion." With that, Chu Guang turned his gaze toward the tightly closed doors of the isolation ward nearby. The operatives of the Alpha Mobile Task Force who had been evacuated from the front line were lying inside. Some had already awakened, but many remained unconscious. Heya was currently inside assessing the situation, and there should be results before long. At the same time, inside the ward, Heya wore a solemn expression as she stared at the tablet in her hands. It was an organic protein molecule unlike anything she had ever seen. It behaved like a virus, yet it was smaller than any known virus—less than seven nanometers, averaging around five nanometers. And that was not even the most astonishing part. What was truly baffling was that inside this "unnamed substance," apart from RNA storing genetic information, there existed a highly folded, knob-like macromolecular structure capable of storing mechanical potential energy like a clockwork spring and releasing it toward the tail through slow rotation. At the tail of this substance were at least four uniquely shaped protein chains. Driven by the "clockwork," they could perform simple mechanical motions like the flagella of protozoans, thereby propelling the substance to slowly diffuse from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration! To use an imperfect yet vivid analogy, this thing was virtually a nanoscale missile! It normally resided inside spores, with a single spore capable of harboring three to seven of them, which were released whenever the spore ruptured, whether actively or passively. The internal RNA was its "warhead," the folded macromolecular protein was its engine, and the protein chains at the tail were its "thrusters." Beyond drifting while attached to airborne particles, it could actively "migrate" from particle A to particle B. And this very characteristic was most likely the direct reason it had managed to breach the Alpha Mobile Task Force's gas masks. After all, as was widely known, gas masks containing activated carbon and similar media relied primarily on electrostatic adsorption to filter out "fine particles carrying harmful substances." Therefore, smaller particles were not necessarily harder to filter. According to experimental data, 0.3-micron particles were the most difficult to trap, which was why "filtration efficiency against 0.3-micron particles" was often used as the benchmark for filtration performance—for example, N95 meant "a filtration efficiency of 95% or higher against 0.3-micron particles." While a diameter of five nanometers alone was not enough to penetrate a gas mask, adding the trait of being "able to freely migrate using internal propulsion" changed everything. Judging by its behavior in clinical tests, these substances had left channels built from their own debris among the pores of the gas masks. They seemed capable of computing the shortest path from inlet to outlet, just like slime molds seeking food in a Petri dish. Yet what was truly eerie was that although its physical structure closely resembled a virus, its offensive strategy against a host was completely different from most viruses. When an ordinary virus injected its nucleic acid into a host cell, it usually utilized the host's cellular machinery to first synthesize the replicases and inhibitory proteins required for its own replication, followed by synthesizing the nucleic acids and structural proteins of progeny viruses. The end result was typically draining the host's somatic cells completely dry before a swarm of offspring moved on to torment the next target. These specialized substances, however, used a series of operations to write their own genetic material into the host cell's genome, much like HIV. Yet their goal was not self-replication, but assimilating the host—thoroughly remodeling the host's cells into an entirely different form. As for what form they were remodeled into, it was entirely random. Currently, there were ninety-seven observed cases. Seventeen had died, ten had exceptional immunity and remained unaffected, while the remaining seventy affected cases exhibited completely different phenotypes, with even the sites of pathological lesions varying wildly. For instance, some experienced a sudden two-hundred-percent increase in nervous system activity, while others regressed mentally to the level of an infant. Another had an extra finger sprouting from their shoulder—though that was relatively easy to handle, requiring only an amputation. As for more stubborn tissue proliferation, such as limbs that regrew after being amputated or original limbs suffering severe pathological degradation, other medical interventions would be required. It was not just the Alliance researchers who marveled at the phenomenon; the researchers from Yunjian Province were equally astonished, their faces marked by shared bewilderment as they whispered among themselves. "Incredible..." "Composed entirely of protein and nucleic acid, yet exhibiting the characteristics of living activity... Can this thing even be considered a virus?" "I wouldn't recommend using that term... I've never seen a virus display traits of life without relying on a living cell. Misleading terminology will only bias our research with subjective assumptions." "Whether that movement qualifies as vital activity is still up for debate, but I agree with your point. What about 'Alpha protozoan'? How does that sound?" "...No objection here." "Agreed." The operatives of the Alpha Mobile Task Force had brought the substance back in their own flesh, so naming it after their designation was fitting enough. *** After a brief discussion, the clinical analysis report was finally brought out of the lab. Heya handed the report to Chu Guang, who was waiting outside the laboratory doors, and summarized its contents in terms he could easily understand. "...In summary, we know that the Alpha protozoan possesses high penetrative ability and alters the genetic material of those infected. According to our calculations, an individual must have a Constitution attribute of at least twenty points to achieve complete immunity against infection." "Twenty points of Constitution?" Standing beside Chu Guang, Yang Kai frowned, asking in bewilderment, "What does that mean?" Rather than answering directly, Heya glanced toward Chu Guang, her eyes asking if she should disclose the information. There was nothing to hide about such matters. Chu Guang explained succinctly. "It's an Alliance medical assessment metric. We set the baseline for all bodily functions at five. Twenty points of Constitution roughly means about four times the baseline metabolic rate and immune system efficiency... Mind you, it's not a rigorously precise metric, merely an operational reference." Still, if twenty points of Constitution was enough to completely shrug off the Alpha protozoan's effects... To be frank, the offensive capability of this thing was somewhat lackluster. Moreover, the mutants clearly possessed Constitution far exceeding twenty points. Their physical stats started at levels twenty or thirty, so even soaking in an environment filled with Alpha protozoans would not affect them. Yet numerous mutant abominations still existed on Blood Mountain, all boasting immense combat capability and regenerative power. Torch had most likely found some other method to grant them stable evolution. Like gulping down a massive bowl of broth infused with protozoans, for instance. After hearing Chu Guang's explanation, Yang Kai had a general grasp of what twenty points of Constitution meant, nodding thoughtfully. "I see." Most members of the Alpha Mobile Task Force were ordinary humans. From what he knew, while those men were fitted with certain cybernetic prosthetics, they had not redundantly reinforced their immune systems. Realizing this, his face shifted slightly. Good grief... Didn't this counter them completely?! Unaware of what was running through Yang Kai's mind, Heya saw that neither had any questions and continued. "Furthermore, tracing the origin of the Alpha protozoan, we infer that it is a product of a mutant slime mold broodmother. It is currently uncertain whether their movements are governed by a broodmother's consciousness... though personally, I lean toward believing they diffuse unconsciously much like spores, their macroscopic behavior not directed by a unified will." Pausing for a moment, she added: "For convenience of research, we intend to designate the suspected broodmother inside Blood Mountain as the Alpha broodmother, merging the Alpha protozoan project with it." "That's up to you. Do whatever is most convenient," Chu Guang said, nodding without consulting the Academy. He then asked the question that concerned him most: "What about the transmission rate of this virus? Is there a risk of an outbreak?" "No need to worry about that for now. After all, they aren't true viruses and do not replicate like them. You can think of them as submunitions mounted on the spore missile." Feeling that description might lack rigor, Heya paused and added another line. "Of course, that assumes no new mutations arise. Broodmothers can evolve on their own, after all, and now a pack of madmen is helping this one along." Hearing the analogy of missiles and submunitions, Chu Guang, who had harbored some confusion, instantly grasped the distinction between the Alpha protozoans and spores. As expected, professional reports required professionals to interpret them. "And what about a cure?" Heya said solemnly: "In mild cases, once the infected individual leaves the contaminated area, their own immune system can clear it. But once the immune system is overwhelmed and the majority of stem cells are compromised, the infection becomes irreversible. At that stage, macroscopically visible mutations will manifest in the host. The normal cells carrying the original DNA will instead be treated as errors that must be purged, while the diseased cells fused with the Alpha protozoan's genetic material become the new normal... That is roughly how you can understand it." "In other words... those men are completely beyond saving?" Yang Kai stared at the door behind her with a complicated expression, his thoughts unreadable. "Not necessarily." Heya hesitated, glancing at the Academy researcher and then at Chu Guang. After a moment, she continued: "According to our analysis, the biological prostheses produced by Xiao Yu can fight poison with poison. In theory, as long as a trace of original cells remains within the host, it can use them as a blueprint to generate corresponding mimetic replicas to replace diseased limbs. However, a mimetic body will still differ significantly from the original... Therefore, whether to use this treatment requires their personal consent." Moreover, Xiao Yu's biological prostheses were currently used only on a limited scale within Shelter 404, partly to monitor side effects and partly to manage risks and avoid widespread social controversy. Whether to use them on people outside Shelter 404 required the explicit approval of Chu Guang himself, as the Administrator of Shelter 404. Understanding the inquiry in Heya's eyes, Chu Guang pondered for a moment before speaking. "I have no objections. However, Xiao Yu's biological prostheses are still in the experimental phase. All consequences must be borne by the test subjects themselves." Before the Slime Mold Research Community was established, the signatory parties had already engaged in limited data sharing on topics related to slime mold research. Thanks to the disclosure of relevant data, the Academy was well aware of Xiao Yu's properties; otherwise, they never would have left such a massive broodmother unchecked. Consequently, there was no issue of leaking secrets. The harmless neutralization protocol for slime mold had itself been the prerequisite for founding the Slime Mold Research Community and locating its headquarters in Qingquan City. Faced with the option Chu Guang presented, Yang Kai hesitated for only a fraction of a second before agreeing without hesitation. "...We have no objections on our end. As long as it aids in overcoming the Alpha broodmother on Blood Mountain, feel free to try it." He felt no moral burden making such a decision. Ultimately, the survivors under the Science Committee were merely tools raised by the Academy to achieve its goals. They had never hidden this fact, and the survivors who joined the Alpha Mobile Task Force had long reconciled themselves to their fate. Knowing they had no chance of becoming researchers, they had made the most pragmatic choice. Early on, they had excised the portions of their brain tissue related to individuality, voluntarily dedicating themselves as "fruiting bodies" under the vast collective of the Alpha Mobile Task Force, trading it for a more respectable standard of living for themselves and their families compared to the grim struggle for survival. It was merely a transaction, with a clear price tag. Once they became members of the Alpha Mobile Task Force, their bodies no longer belonged to them. Their superiors' will was their will. Even dying like worker bees would elicit no complaints from them; at most, they might display the instinctive fear of a living organism at the moment of death, but they would harbor neither resentment nor hesitation. Heya, however, did not know the Academy's internal workings, and she felt a flicker of hesitation at Yang Kai's ruthless decisiveness. In her view, one ought to at least consult the patients and their families. Yet seeing Chu Guang nod, she said nothing more. After all, this was the outcome she desired, and for the patients participating in the experiment, it might not be a bad thing... Watching Heya return to the isolation ward, Chu Guang looked at Yang Kai. "You heard her. The situation on Blood Mountain will be extremely tricky for your Alpha Mobile Task Force. I imagine you didn't treat Constitution as a key assessment criterion when selecting operatives." Yang Kai's brow twitched. He coughed and said: "That's not difficult to solve. We can just replace their NBC systems with full-containment environmental suits. As long as they don't inhale outside air, they won't be infiltrated by those... Alpha protozoans." "You mean having them carry oxygen tanks?" Chu Guang asked with an odd expression. "Wouldn't that be far too bulky?" Besides, such equipment could not simply be conjured up on the front lines out of thin air. Transporting gear from the rear took time. And if the Academy had not prepared such gear in the first place, they would still have to tackle research, development, and production. Chu Guang's intention was to have someone else assault the positions on Blood Mountain. Whether handed over to the Alliance or the Legion, it was better than having the Alpha Mobile Task Force batter itself against the enemy while suffering severe environmental penalties in terrain they were ill-suited for. Yet Yang Kai showed no intention of giving up. If he backed down now, it would be an open admission of the Academy's incompetence. Even if their allies understood their difficulties, it would not change the fact that the Academy's prestige within the Slime Mold Research Community would suffer. And from what he knew, the Chief Technology Officer paid close attention to the Slime Mold Research Community—no less than to Shelter 0. In other words, this was not a trivial issue that could be brushed aside. Rather than abandoning the field, he preferred to let the Alpha Mobile Task Force try again. In any case, those men were not his students. He did not even know their names. If they fought with all their might and still failed to take the position, that was merely their own lack of ability; it could never be pinned on him. After weighing his options, Yang Kai suddenly looked up and uttered words that left even Chu Guang stunned. "...If every operative is inoculated with that biological prosthesis, does that mean the risk of infection by the Alpha protozoan disappears entirely?" "In theory... I don't know." Chu Guang stared at him in slight disbelief, as if looking at a madman. Even though the players could respawn, Chu Guang had never encouraged them to try attaching tentacles to themselves. After all, the procedure was not without side effects—such as healed wounds turning into Xiao Yu's fruiting bodies, among other things. Yet this man did not care in the slightest. "Then let's test it!" Turning his gaze toward the tightly shut doors of the isolation ward, Yang Kai spoke with cool indifference, sounding as though he were reassuring himself. "It's not as if they have anything left to lose."