Alien Relic Hunter

In addition, the entire experimental building is in a state that cannot be recognized by AI...so we can basically determine...

The whole building has been infected by that 'thing'.

Yes. Lin Qiming nodded.

So? What do you want me to do? Ke Lan asked.

Since the other party did not further pursue the abnormality in his body, he would naturally not continue to dwell on the topic - obviously, the undead crew would know some secrets related to him that he knew nothing about.

Otherwise, the person who came to the door now should not be the deputy chief of the crisis management department, but a team of heavily armed elite agents.

Although Ke Lan was very interested in these secrets, now was not the time to discuss this. He looked into the other person's eyes and said word by word: I think that with my ability, I can't help you.

Don't refuse in a hurry, listen to me finish the matter first. Lin Qiming said, If it is not the laboratory building of the institute that is contaminated, we can launch the entire block into low-Earth orbit like the East 9th District. And then destroy it with artillery fire... But the section where the institute is located involves too many things. It is no exaggeration to say that if we really do this, the level of human science and technology will be set back at least thirty years.

Oh. Ke Lan said expressionlessly, The one who violated the ban was Professor Smith, not me. What's the use of looking for me? Can I solve the problem?

But Professor Smith is dead. Lin Qiming did not have any dissatisfaction because of Ke Lan's attitude, but explained very patiently, According to the analysis of the research institute, you, as a 'source of infection' in the biological sense 'Mother', maybe you're the only one who won't be infected by it.

Perhaps? Shouldn't scientific research advocate rigor? I am very confused about this group of experts and scholars who have the highest salary in Ark, squander a lot of research funds every minute, and can decide the life and death of ordinary people at will, 'Maybe 'How did these two words come out of their mouths? Ke Lan asked in a deep voice.

All those who neglect their duties will be held accountable afterwards. Lin Qiming shook his head, But now, you are our last hope.

The last hope? There are obviously many solutions, why should you place your hope on me?

Yes...theoretically speaking, there are indeed many safer, more appropriate solutions with a higher success rate, but we don't have time.

No time? Why? Ke Lan was a little confused. Now that the mode of infection has been clarified, as long as the infection route is cut off, the number of infected people will not expand... As for those who have been infected, they will die soon anyway. For organ failure, you don't even have to execute them yourself, you just need to destroy the bodies. I don't believe that the combined power of the institute and the security bureau can't even handle this little thing.

But the problem is that the laboratory building of the biomedical group was contaminated... In the underground icehouse of this building, there are still more than a thousand units of active cells of erosion seeds, as well as various types of cells from Alpha Star. Gene samples of indigenous creatures and biochemical weapons of Alpha civilization... If these things are swallowed by 'it', 'it' is likely to undergo secondary mutation... By then, the source of infection may not be as simple as visual contact.

Lin Qiming paused and continued: Experts from the institute believe that 'it' is still an imperfect and incomplete individual. If it can evolve into a perfect state, the way of transmission of 'it' should not be sight, but should It’s… ‘cognition’.”

Cognition...

Yes, to put it simply, everyone who knows the existence of 'it' will be infected, and no one will be spared - this also includes you, me... and even the members of the crew association. By then, the situation will be It will be completely out of control.”

The moment you know that 'it' exists, you are equivalent to being infected by 'it'... Oh, this is the true meaning of 'spiritual pollution'... That Professor Smith really created something incredible. Something. Ke Lan couldn't help but reveal a helpless smile.

Experts from the institute named it 'memetic infection'. The principle of this type of infection is currently unknown to us. The only way to fight it is to eliminate the source of 'it', Lin Qiming said. .

Does the origin of 'it'... refer to the lump of flesh that was injected with the cells of the Seed of Erosion?

That's what 'it' looked like three hours ago... As for what 'it' looks like now, no one knows.

Besides 'memetic infection', does this thing have other threats? For example, high temperature, corrosiveness, toxicity, radiation, etc. Is 'it' proactively aggressive? Ke Lan asked.

Sorry, we don't know anything about this. Lin Qiming shook his head, We are trying to modify the AI ​​logic of the autonomous robot to make it enter the biological laboratory building along a pre-established patrol route in order to obtain more and 'it' Relevant intelligence, but the signals of all robots that entered the experimental building have disappeared, so it can be basically concluded that they have been destroyed.

...

However, peripherally infected people do not show aggression. Although the 'eye-like organs' generated on the surface of the infected person will search for nearby infectious targets, they will not drive the host's body to perform any activities - There are a large number of examples that show that infected people are conscious before death and do not lose control of their bodies. They can even gain extra vision with the help of these 'eye-like organs'. Lin Qiming said, referring to peripherally infected people , should be people outside the contaminated area who were infected because they accidentally looked directly into the eyes in the video or picture.

There were definitely not a few people like this in the early days of the accident... This kind of infection method was impossible to guard against, and even the top managers of Ark were not spared...

Ke Lan was suddenly curious, whether anyone among the undead crew members had been succumbed...

But the 'origin' should be completely different from these secondary infected people, right? Otherwise, you can solve the problem just by relying on autonomous robots. Ke Lan said, If that thing has a mutation that is not weaker than Type B If I have enough combat power, I might enter the experimental building alone and deliver food to the other party, right?

The actual combat power of the opponent is unknown for the time being, but it can be initially determined that 'it' has a certain degree of self-awareness and has a very low probability of being intelligent.

Just tell me to go and die. Ke Lan couldn't help but complain.

We will provide you with the most complete logistical support and technical support... Lin Qiming said.

These are all minor... The key question is, how can you be sure that I will not be infected by 'it'? Is it because 'it' comes from my cloned cells?

This is the conclusion reached by experts after research...

But wasn't this accident also caused by the experts? Ke Lan interrupted, Let me ask, is this the request of the Immortal Crew Association?

Yes. Lin Qiming answered bluntly, The crew will assign you to handle the accident. The researchers, the Safety Bureau and the Crisis Management Department will fully assist. From the time you take over this task, you will receive temporary support from these three departments. Supreme command authority.”

Then I let you die now, okay?

Okay. Lin Qiming took out the pistol without hesitation, put it against his temple, and turned on the safety.

Seeing that this guy was about to pull the trigger, Ke Lan directly picked up the electronic calendar on the table and smashed it——

Bang!

The gun fired, but after being hit by Ke Lan, the bullet did not penetrate his head, but hit his thigh, and blood gushed out.

It's just that Lin Qiming seemed to feel no pain, and the expression on his face hardly changed. Ke Lan even wondered whether this guy had undergone some special surgery to block pain nerves...

Okay, I believe it... Just stop the bleeding first. I have something else to ask you. I don't want you to go into shock due to excessive blood loss. Ke Lan said.

Lin Qiming didn't speak, silently tore open his trousers, inserted two fingers into the bloody wound, and clamped the lead bullet hard.

The soft lead-core bullet has been severely deformed. It is estimated that it hit the hard leg bone after being shot into the leg - the strength of human bones enhanced by level 3 or above is almost the same as steel.

He is a ruthless person. Ke Lan commented when he saw the other party throwing the deformed warhead into the trash can beside the table without saying a word.

The other party did not carry any medical equipment, so Ke Lan simply took out the small first aid kit he carried with him and threw it on the table.

Thank you. Lin Qiming looked up at Ke Lan and opened the first aid kit - his technique was very skillful. It only took less than ten minutes in total for debridement, disinfection, suturing and bandaging.

Fortunately, the shot did not hit any major arteries. Apart from dyeing the dark gray combat pants black and red, the amount of bleeding was still within a controllable range.

Looking at Lin Qiming's slightly pale face, Ke Lan asked: How can I be sure that I will not be infected by that thing?

There is an encrypted folder on the desktop of the tablet, which contains unmosaic photos. The password is 20211224. Lin Qiming replied.

Ha... this method is really simple and crude. Ke Lan clicked on the folder and then entered the password.

Just when the last digit of the password was left, his fingers stopped.

He looked at Lin Qiming and asked, Why are you still here? If...I mean if, I am also infected, if you stare at me like this, you will be the next one to suffer.

If an accident really happens, there must be a detailed report from witnesses, so I will not avoid it. Lin Qiming replied, If an accident really happens, after I submit the report, my deputy will take over My duty is to clean up the scene.

Yes, after all, you are not even afraid of death. Ke Lan nodded, But... by cleaning up the scene, do you mean destroying both of our bodies?

It only includes me. Lin Qiming shook his head, According to the requirements of the crew association, if you are infected, we need to send you to the designated place as soon as possible at all costs.

The designated place? Where is it?

I don't know. We won't be told the details of this mission until that happens.

It's likely that they want to treat me as a precious experimental specimen. Ke Lan smiled nonchalantly and entered the last digit of the password.

Lin Qiming did not answer, but looked at Ke Lan seriously.

I'm going to open the picture file. If you want to change your mind now, it's still late. Ke Lan finally reminded.

Lin Qiming shook his head.

If you regret it now, it's too late. Ke Lan clicked on the picture.

It was a face, vaguely identifiable as the face of a young woman, but apart from her original facial features, this face was completely occupied by densely packed eyes - those raised tumor-like The growths covered the skin in layers, and almost half of them had burst open, revealing the eyeballs wrapped under the skin.

Just seeing this scene is enough to make people feel creepy.

No wonder the researchers in the previous video were so frightened. What's more, they didn't even know how the woman was infected at that time.

However, when Ke Lan felt a little strange, he always felt that these eyeballs seemed to be moving - they were chasing the focus of his sight. No matter which corner of the face he looked at, these eyeballs were in contact with him. Staring at each other...

Ke Lan took a look at the suffix name of the picture file. It was .JPG instead of .GIF. This was indeed a stop-motion picture rather than a dynamic picture.

But those eyeballs of different sizes are really moving.

However, after considering the incredible way of infection of this thing, Ke Lan didn't bother to ask Lin Qiming.

The information attached to this photo is equivalent to a virus, and the photo file itself has become a dangerous source of infection.

If the memetic contagion predicted by those unreliable experts really occurs, then not only photos...any carrier carrying information related to it will become the means and channels for it to spread. …

Cognition is infection, which is probably the essence of memetic infection - and the only way to remove the threat from cognition may be high-intensity physical brainwashing, which will be related to memetics All memories and cognitions of the infected person are erased from the mind of the infected person, or the person is simply transformed into a mental patient whose perception of the outside world is different from that of ordinary people... In this way, the risk of memetic infection may be avoided. .

It's just that after such a round of tossing, this person is basically useless...

It's been five minutes. Lin Qiming said. Even his tone was inevitably more nervous. Do you feel any discomfort? Such as itchy skin, joint pain, or respiratory distress?

[P.S. Thanks to book friend 20211201152729343 for the 100 starting coins. 】

[P.P.S. I wish everyone a happy Christmas Eve, I don’t have to fight anymore...]