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墨書 Inktalez
I felt as if I had been hit by that gun, nearly collapsing to the ground. Images flashed through my mind at lightning speed; no matter how desperate I was to save someone, how frantic I felt, there was no way I could overlook such a large weapon. I was certain that during the rescue of Liu Squad Leader, I had not seen that gun.
However, if the gun was missing, the complexity and danger of the situation would increase exponentially.
Liu Squad Leader was more concerned about the lost gun. The importance of a weapon to a soldier is undeniable; losing a gun is not merely a disciplinary issue but also the greatest humiliation for a soldier, even if there are irrefutable reasons behind it.
What worried me were the series of consequences triggered by the loss of the gun. How to proceed from here was completely beyond my control. In an instant, I felt that I could no longer participate in the unfolding of this matter; it should be Li Squad Leader who made the decisions.
Reluctantly, I returned to the Sealed Chamber and searched every corner but found no sign of that gun. I jumped out and asked Cao Mingzhe, but he could only shake his head in confusion. However, he recognized the seriousness of the situation and his expression grew grave.
Liu Squad Leader struggled to sit up, wanting to search for it himself. I told him, "There's no need to waste your energy; I've looked very carefully. When a person and a gun go missing at the same time, it's obvious what happened. Let Li Squad Leader decide."
Liu Squad Leader painfully lay back down, his expression complex.
I could understand his feelings because before this, I had trusted Song Guilong without any doubt. Now, I felt as if I had been stabbed in the heart; it was an indescribable pain that came from deep within. This society has always suffered from a lack of trust; I did too, but I longed for someone trustworthy and believed I had such people in my life. However, as this situation unfolded, I increasingly felt the scarcity and hopelessness of trust.
I briefed Xiao Guolin on Cao Mingzhe's condition and instructed him to keep an eye on him to prevent any further trouble before retreating into the transition chamber. Let Li Squad Leader make the decisions; I felt utterly exhausted both physically and mentally.
I forcefully tapped on the overhead light in the transition chamber; the filament behind the cover flickered momentarily, providing a bit of illumination. Although I had a penlight flashlight, I knew that its power source was too precious and important for us to waste. The dim light in the transition chamber would have to suffice.
Li Squad Leader's cabin was next to Liu Squad Leader's cabin. The transition chamber was cramped; I knelt on the ground and turned the handwheel while listening for a "click." After hearing it, I gently pushed up on the cover of the Sealed Chamber.
With a splash, thick and foul-smelling liquid poured over me like a waterfall from the circular hatch. With a loud thud, I pulled down the hatch cover and crawled out of the transition chamber, vomiting onto the ground. It was blood—lots of blood—turning me into a bloody mess. My vomit was stained crimson.
The light outside the Escape Pod was actually dimmer; if they didn't come closer, they couldn't even tell whether the wetness on me was water or blood. However, the pungent smell of blood was unmistakable. Upon seeing this, Xiao Guolin collapsed to the ground, unable to stand, while Liu Squad Leader, a tough man, broke down in tears.
I truly lacked the strength to re-enter the Escape Pod; my exhaustion stemmed from deep within. Seeing my condition, Xiao Guolin felt that calling me again might push me over the edge, so he crawled into the transition chamber on his own. However, instead of opening the hatch above, he twisted open the door to the Sealed Chamber below.
The personnel in that chamber were mostly intact; only one soldier had sustained minor injuries and had regained consciousness. Without fully understanding the situation, the four of them refrained from making any rash moves and waited for rescue inside the Sealed Chamber.
When they crawled out of the Sealed Chamber, they first saw my condition. I had fallen silent, completely drained. Xiao Guolin assessed the situation and all four of them began to weep.
Zhao Squad Leader took another soldier back into the transition chamber and pushed open Li Squad Leader's Sealed Chamber door, and blood flowed once more. The hatch wouldn't budge; one soldier remarked, "It seems something is blocking it."
Zhao Squad Leader reached in with one hand and upon touching something, he started crying again. He pulled out a severed head, and only then could the hatch be opened.
Inside that Sealed Chamber were three people; only one soldier survived—he was sitting near the hatch, responsible for closing it. His injuries weren't the worst among them, but he had been severely traumatized. He had already awakened in the Sealed Chamber and perhaps had never lost consciousness; however, his expression of sheer terror and his insistence on wearing a breathing mask were heart-wrenching to witness.
Even though my mental state wasn't the worst here, I could no longer participate in their activities below. I didn't want to see what they would do next, but their actions were unavoidable before my eyes.
That head belonged to Li Squad Leader; another soldier had his spinal cord severed but still had his head attached. Later, Xiao Guolin told me that a piece of metal had crashed down onto the Escape Pod, severing two necks—an utterly horrific scene. I didn't go into that Sealed Chamber; I believed that just one glance would etch this nightmare into my memory forever. The two bodies were placed in sleeping bags and returned to that Sealed Chamber. The time for rescue was unpredictable; without freezing or preserving methods available, those two corpses would have to decay in a sealed chamber. Otherwise, an ensuing epidemic would claim all our lives. Their deaths were painless—this was our only solace.
Next came a period of deep despondency. I stripped off all my clothes and meticulously wiped away the bloodstains until my skin turned red and painful. There was no extra water to wash away the blood; I could only dry rub myself clean. There were spare sleeping bags available, so I cut one down to fit myself. Without needing to look, I knew I resembled a beggar.
In Zhao Squad Leader's chamber was a Medic who took charge of the injured soldiers immediately. He quickly recognized the severity of the situation; that soldier who had suffered immense psychological trauma needed someone to care for him—and thankfully, Cao Mingzhe was gradually regaining his senses. He didn't have any serious injuries aside from nerve damage that might not be fixable but wouldn't threaten his life.
Liu Squad Leader had a comminuted fracture in his left shoulder which was temporarily stabilized with a splint—this provided some relief but wasn't life-threatening. However, his head injury posed some danger; he had a depressed skull fracture. Currently, there were no signs of intracranial bleeding, but if it occurred under these circumstances, it would be tantamount to a death sentence. Therefore, it was best for him not to move around much; for safety's sake, the Medic insisted he wear a helmet at all times—even while sleeping.
As for my daring act of getting him out of the Sealed Chamber, the Medic's evaluation was: not killing him was quite a skill in itself.
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