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墨書 Inktalez
Isabella's ears were once again filled with that familiar sharp laughter, a sound so grating it set her nerves on edge. "Do you really think this little potion can stop us forever?" The wicked voice echoed in her mind, mocking her mercilessly. "This is just a temporary reprieve, Isabella. Accept reality; your time is running out. Prepare to face the end of your life."
The dark whispers pressed relentlessly against her heart, like invisible pincers tightening around her will, forcing her to the brink of collapse. Yet Isabella chose to ignore them, furrowing her brow and biting her lip, her inner resistance allowing her to endure this mental torment.
She stumbled to her feet, trembling hands gripping a control panel beside her as she tried to steady herself. Sweat beaded on her forehead, each step feeling like a battle. She knew she couldn't let the Worms take away her sanity. Only by staying alert could she continue forward and find a glimmer of hope for the truth.
However, the moment her palm touched the control panel, a cold sensation surged through it, followed by a faint glow emanating from the surface. The light appeared dim in the dark chamber, like an ancient machine long abandoned finally awakening.
Isabella's heart raced as she quickly withdrew her hand, warily watching the suddenly activated device. Jonas was equally startled; he swiftly raised his gun, scanning the surroundings with caution. Every corner of the cabin was filled with unknown dangers, and the suddenly illuminated control panel seemed to herald some long-hidden power awakening.
"What’s happening?" Jonas whispered, his expression serious. His finger tightened on the trigger as he focused intently on the glowing symbols, ready for anything.
"I... don't know," Isabella's voice trembled slightly, but she quickly steadied herself. Her gaze swept over the flickering symbols, and a spark of thought ignited in her eyes. "Perhaps... this ship still has some residual energy systems... we might have triggered something."
The glow on the control panel grew steadier, revealing more buttons and symbols. Isabella realized that this could be the answer she had been seeking. The voice in her head chuckled again, coldly delighted: "Go on, Isabella, keep pressing... let's see how far you can go."
Isabella felt the Black Worm lurking within her, occasionally gnawing at her nerves in an attempt to seize control of her body. But she gritted her teeth and resisted its advances. Though her hands trembled, her resolve was stronger than ever. "I won't let you control me," she silently vowed against those evil voices.
Enduring the torment within her, Isabella gently placed her hand back on the control panel, a flicker of determination rising within her. This was the only path to the truth; no matter how great the risks ahead might be, she could not back down.
Suddenly, the control panel flickered once more before all the lights in the ship blazed to life. A blinding cold light illuminated every corner of the cabin. Jonas immediately squinted against the sudden brightness, instinctively tightening his grip on his gun as his body tensed like a predator ready to pounce.
As his eyes adjusted to the abrupt glare, what lay before him made him frown deeply. The interior of the ship was filled with futuristic designs but was covered in a thick layer of black viscous substance that resembled some bizarre slime emitting a nauseating odor. The flickering lights cast an eerie sheen over it all, making it seem even more sinister.
Amidst the viscous substances, dried bloodstains could still be seen on the walls and floor, having turned a deep brown and mingled with the goo, creating a disturbing scene. With each step, Jonas felt the ground beneath him slick and slippery, as if he were treading on some decaying corpse. He looked down closely and noticed several patches of desiccated ash scattered about, remnants of bodies that had long since turned to dust, silently dissipating into the air.
However, what was most unsettling about this ship was not just the pervasive slime and bloodstains. As the lights flickered on, Jonas and Isabella also caught sight of strange "meat chunks" scattered throughout the cabin. These irregularly piled masses of flesh were found in every corner of the vessel; some were as large as a human head, while others were merely small clumps, glistening with a bloody sheen.
Jonas approached one of the larger chunks. Its surface was still coated with specks of black slime, resembling the remains of some unknown creature, though he couldn't be certain. As he drew closer, he caught a whiff of a putrid odor, as if the chunk was undergoing some abnormal decomposition process without fully rotting away.
"What are these things?" Jonas murmured under his breath, his face etched with confusion and disgust.
Isabella tightly covered her nose, her mind filled with whispers that seemed to mock them. Those sinister voices incessantly derided their situation. "Is this the truth you sought? Every inch here is steeped in fear and suffering."
"They... they really thought they could control these forces," Isabella said softly, almost to herself but also responding to the taunts. Her gaze fixated on the black chunks, an inexplicable chill creeping over her.
The atmosphere in the cabin grew increasingly bizarre; although the lights illuminated every corner, they did nothing to dispel the fear but rather laid bare the ship's filth and malevolence. Both Isabella and Jonas sensed that everything here had completely transcended human comprehension—like some abyssal evil was gradually eroding their sanity.
"We need to be careful..." Jonas warned himself and Isabella in a low voice, scanning their surroundings for a safe route, even though he knew deep down that there was no real safety aboard this ship.
"Is this what they left behind... or is it... some consequence of an experiment?" Isabella murmured, her expression grave and pained.
Jonas remained silent, silently praying that within this vessel there would be nothing more terrifying awaiting them.
Suddenly, the control panel flickered briefly before projecting a small holographic image. It depicted an alien figure strikingly similar to those Isabella had seen in her hallucinations—pale gray skin, enormous eyes, and two slender antennae extending from its back. However, this projection appeared quite disjointed; its movements were jerky like a malfunctioning robot—twisting at times and freezing at others—while the overall image flickered as if it were collapsing.
As this Alien Projection exhibited its unstable motions, it seemed that the ship's systems were slowly coming online. The lights on the panel brightened further, long-dormant systems began to activate, and a faint humming sound filled the cabin like some ancient machinery awakening from slumber. Instinctively, Jonas raised his weapon, nervously fixating on the projection as his fingers trembled slightly.
"What... what is this?" Jonas frowned, his tone filled with caution.
Isabella paused for a moment, then suddenly understood something. Her eyes widened, and her heartbeat felt like it was about to burst through her chest. "This is... artificial intelligence..." she murmured softly, then added more firmly, "the AI of this spaceship."
"AI?" Jonas was confused by it all.
Isabella slowly approached the control panel, her gaze sharp as she focused on the projection. The Alien Projection continued to twist and move erratically, like a broken video recorder, repeating disjointed motions over and over again. The sounds were muffled, mixed with sharp electronic noise, resembling something that was screaming.
"They... these aliens are trying to maintain the ship's operation through this system." Isabella's voice was low and resolute, as if she were talking to herself or explaining. "This is their last line of defense... They hope this AI can protect the ship, or perhaps... it's their final experiment."
Jonas gritted his teeth and said quietly, "If this AI is still running, then what exactly happened here?" He nervously glanced around; the abnormalities within the ship made him feel threatened.
As the Alien Projection flickered, more systems of the spaceship began to activate, and the atmosphere in the cabin grew tenser. Each mechanical sound echoed like whispers from an abyss. Jonas felt the walls around him tremble slightly, as if the entire ship were slowly awakening. Isabella's mind was filled with clearer whispers; the voices of the Worms mocked her, seemingly warning her that the secrets hidden within this ship were far more terrifying than she could imagine.
"It's restoring the systems..." Isabella said softly, her expression grave.
Jonas frowned at the distorted projection, sensing an ominous premonition. "So what should we do? Shut it down?" he asked.
"No..." A certain determination flickered in Isabella's eyes. "We need this AI to unlock more secrets of the vessel. If we can decipher its records, we might uncover the true origins of these Black Worms... and perhaps find a way to end them." Her voice carried a hint of urgency.
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