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墨書 Inktalez
Everyone else was busy rescuing the injured. It wasn't until all the people in the overturned vehicle were dragged out that a few soldiers worked together to right the SUV, and only then did they notice the three of us standing frozen in the middle of the road.
In an instant, everyone's faces changed. I saw expressions of despair that resembled the end of the world. I couldn't help but feel anxious, grabbing Xiao Guolin's shoulder, trying to shake him awake. "What happened? What's wrong with you? What's wrong with them?" My voice was loud enough to frighten myself.
"Black Sandstorm is faster than us; we can't go back," Xiao Guolin said without resisting my shaking.
I turned my head sharply to the side. Yes, the black low wall seemed to grow taller, yet it still felt very distant. I thought I could outrun it on foot. So I said, "It's still far away."
"Sometimes you can't trust your eyes; it might become an accomplice to Black Sandstorm." Xiao Guolin grasped my hand, and in that moment, I felt a sense of comfort from a senior. "Its wind has arrived, which means it is here. Even if it's just a trace, even if it looks like it's still on the edge."
This silence didn't last long before Li Squad Leader shouted, "Turn around, go back!" At his command, everyone jumped into the SUV and rushed toward Camouflage Net. Even those with severe injuries moved with surprising agility.
As soon as the vehicle entered Camouflage Net, I sensed something was wrong. The Camouflage Net was shaking violently—not swaying in one direction due to wind but shaking chaotically as if wind were blowing from all directions. It felt like an invisible giant hand was tearing at it randomly.
No one else noticed the abnormal shaking of Camouflage Net. All the soldiers quickly formed a line as soon as they got out of the vehicle. Li Squad Leader pointed out four injured personnel: two severely wounded and two lightly wounded, instructing them to bandage their wounds on the spot. Then he ordered, "Liu Squad Leader, take two soldiers from Guard Company and lift the last Escape Pod out of the original Excavation Pit. Move it to Eleventh Exploration Area. Everyone else immediately head towards Eleventh Exploration Area."
I understood Li Squad Leader's words immediately; this meant we were going to take refuge in the Escape Pod.
The Test Pit that I had overseen digging became a joint project for all members of the Archaeology team. The construction on the Test Pit was paused, and the Escape Pod was hoisted up and sent to Base Camp for repairs. The only operational Escape Pod remained in the excavation site of the Excavation Pit. The Eleventh Exploration Area, being the latest to start and having the shallowest excavation depth, was chosen for placing the Escape Pod. This not only made it easier to secure but also eliminated risks of collapse and burial. I couldn't help but admire Li Squad Leader's meticulous thinking for making this correct decision in such a short time.
The three of us from the Archaeology team naturally did not line up with the soldiers but stood behind Li Squad Leader. After he issued this command, I noticed one soldier from Guard Company had an unusually pale face.
Sure enough, this soldier suddenly said, "Report to the squad leader: The generator truck and control vehicle have already evacuated. There is currently no power supply."
The words struck the man like a massive boulder. Li Squad Leader shouted frantically at the Guard Company soldier, "Who ordered the generator truck to leave? Why didn't you say anything sooner? Are you trying to get us killed?"
A torrent of unreasonable words and spittle flew into the face of the Guard Company soldier. But it was all for naught; it wouldn't change the current situation.
Our project relied on self-sustained power, with a military-grade generator truck working day and night to supply electricity for the construction and the Living Area. The importance of the generator truck was undeniable; its presence had become a norm. Not considering this variable was a flaw in Li Squad Leader's plan, and it truly caught him and everyone else off guard.
The soldier had discovered the generator truck's withdrawal while searching for Song Guilong. If he hadn't been on-site, I doubt anyone would have thought of this. The soldier clearly felt wronged and angry, but he didn't show it. In this situation, survival was the most pressing issue.
After his outburst, Li Squad Leader made another surprising decision. "Everyone move towards Seven Excavation Pit, descend into the Excavation Pit, and enter the Escape Pod."
We were shocked. The soldiers shouted in unison, "Yes," and orderly advanced toward Seven Excavation Pit, which was the excavation site. Although I was astonished by this decision, seeing that Xiao Guolin and Cao Mingzhe raised no objections, I followed the group.
Just moments ago, when the vehicle turned back, Li Squad Leader had reported to command and had a brief argument over the Walkie-Talkie with Commander at headquarters. Although their exchange was short, I gathered from snippets that headquarters disagreed with his decision and preferred he force his way back to Bunker One. At that time, Li Squad Leader had been driving and, after a few heated words, angrily tossed aside the Walkie-Talkie microphone; however, he stood firm on his decision.
Now faced with this situation again, when he reported back to command, he was met with a barrage of insults. This time, Li Squad Leader did not shout; he clearly felt uneasy about the current state of affairs and sensed the weight of responsibility bearing down on him. Yet he maintained his stance: "We can't go back now; it's impossible. We didn't have a chance earlier either. I can guarantee that with my integrity."
As if to validate his words, darkness suddenly enveloped us.
I had experienced this kind of darkness twice in my life. The first time was in Qingdao on a summer noon; one moment it was bright and sunny, and in the next instant, it felt as if a black curtain had been drawn across the sky—so dark that one couldn't see their hand in front of their face. It felt like doomsday had arrived, as if Satan ruled the world. Then all streetlights flickered on, illuminating every room. Everyone looked on in shock; it was the darkest and quietest noon I had ever experienced, as if all humanity awaited judgment day in silence.
In the end, what came wasn't Satan or judgment day but rather the largest rainstorm I had ever seen—like a dam bursting.
This time it was equally dark but arrived more abruptly. It felt like closing my eyes. In an instant—yes, just a blink—and then I couldn't open them again; thus, darkness fell upon me.
Even the most experienced desert workers felt a sense of panic in this situation. At that moment, a faint light flickered on in the team. Xiao Guolin held up a pen-shaped flashlight and rushed to the front of the group, shouting, "Everyone put on your goggles and follow me!"
I was very close to Li Squad Leader, and the first thing I heard was a cacophony coming from his walkie-talkie. It sounded somewhat like the static noise we get when tuning a radio. However, this sound was louder and growing increasingly intense, as if it were trying to spread throughout the desert. I even wondered if this noise would eventually explode.
But then the subsequent sounds made me realize just how peaceful and pleasant the noise from the walkie-talkie was in comparison.
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