T6 Seraph-Ballista-class Interstellar Long-Range Hunter-Killer Ship · No. 1.
"About five more minutes' sailing ahead, and we'll be clear of this region! Then all this communication interference and spatial interference will be gone. We can go back to warp!" Tao Beibei looked at the interstellar radar, where an empty region had already appeared.
It meant they were at last sailing out.
Zhao Chen, on his throne, glanced at the starship's navigation chart and the interstellar radar.
But he showed no feeling at all.
He only gazed silently at the three technology files he had finished editing.
"Panther-Girl. Make ready. The moment we sail out of the communication-interference zone, send these three top-secret data files back to the Owl Dragon Star System at once!" Zhao Chen looked to the Panther-Girl beside him.
"Your Majesty…" The Panther-Girl looked at the resolve on Zhao Chen's face and spoke hesitantly.
"Whether or not we get out in the end, we must be ready for everything. If we get out safely, so much the better. But if… this will at least be a safeguard left for them," Zhao Chen said calmly.
The Panther-Girl said nothing more, only answered quietly, and stood behind His Majesty.
Whatever happened, she would stay at His Majesty's side.
For she was His Majesty's guard.
Five minutes later,
T6 Seraph-Ballista-class Interstellar Long-Range Hunter-Killer Ship No. 1, trapped here, at last sailed out of this 'mire'.
"Go to warp at once! Full-speed withdrawal!" Tao Beibei shouted at once.
The department in charge of warp mode worked it faster than ever in their lives.
This T6 Seraph-Ballista-class Interstellar Long-Range Hunter-Killer Ship began to accelerate as well.
"Are we out of the communication-interference range?" Zhao Chen asked.
"We are," the Panther-Girl answered.
"Then send these four[1] out," Zhao Chen said.
"Yes," the Panther-Girl said.
She began working the equipment to contact the Owl Dragon Star System.
The connection was soon made.
"Transmission starting. Because the files are so large, it's expected to take five minutes to send them all," the Panther-Girl answered.
Five minutes.
That should be enough.
Zhao Chen closed his eyes.
Barring something unexpected,
they would most likely not escape the reach of this spatial collapse this time.
They had wasted too much time trapped back there.
Zhao Chen worked it out in his head: in about six or seven minutes, the effect of this star system's spatial collapse would catch up with them.
And to sail clear to a safe area, they needed at least fifteen minutes of warp at full speed.
So Zhao Chen knew this would be their last stretch of time.
Zhao Chen looked at everyone on the bridge: Tao Beibei, the Panther-Girl… and all the crew.
There was the black technology of revival, true; but in a collapse from three-dimensional space into two, whether it was a true death,
whether their life signals could be gathered so they could be revived,
that, Zhao Chen truly dared not promise.
And whether he himself could be reborn and revived after his own death.
That, too, was something Zhao Chen had never tried.
Nor had the System given any clear answer.
So Zhao Chen now took this to be the last moment of his life.
He silently pressed the record button on his handheld terminal.
He began quietly to speak some words.
These were the last things he had to say.
……
Owl Dragon Star System · supreme communications department.
This place was charged with receiving communications sent from every part of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire; it could be called the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's ears.
"Reporting, we've received a message from T6 Seraph-Ballista-class Interstellar Long-Range Hunter-Killer Ship No. 1!" a communications petty officer called out in haste.
At this, the head of the department changed color.
Others might not know much of this interstellar warship, and think it no more than one T6-grade interstellar warship.
But she had been notified early on,
to watch especially for the communication signal of T6 Seraph-Ballista-class Interstellar Long-Range Hunter-Killer Ship No. 1.
Who would have thought it would turn up right here?
She at once got in touch with Lady Lilith, the supreme secretary officer.
Lilith's holographic image appeared before her.
"Lady Secretary!" The department head looked respectfully at this supreme secretary officer of the Empire before her.
"I am on my way to your department now. From this moment, all communication information and content concerning T6 Seraph-Ballista-class Interstellar Long-Range Hunter-Killer Ship No. 1 is designated top secret. Keep strict control of the staff handling it. Nothing is to leak out. I will be there within five minutes! At the same time, try to contact this interstellar warship; if you can get through, put it straight through to me!" Lilith's voice was plainly very anxious.
The department head at once gathered her trusted people, a group of three to take over the work of handling communications with Seraph-Ballista-class Interstellar Long-Range Hunter-Killer Ship No. 1.
And to do as Lady Lilith required.
But very soon they came to a startling result.
"Lady Secretary. The Seraph-Ballista-class Interstellar Long-Range Hunter-Killer Ship is using its full communication capacity right now to transmit some top-secret files to us. Because the top-secret files are so large, they take up all the communication bandwidth. Unless they stop transmitting, we can't talk to them!" the department head reported.
Lilith heard this report.
Panic appeared in Lilith's eyes.
As Zhao Chen's right hand, and the one who shared his pillow, she knew very well what this meant.
If she guessed right, these encrypted files being sent were very important technologies.
The precious wealth he was leaving them!
Lilith bit her lip lightly.
That damned fellow!
"Keep the channel open. I'm coming right now!" Lilith forced herself to calm down.
A few minutes later, Lilith reached the department as fast as she could.
"This way." Seeing Lilith arrive in person, the department head at once pointed to a small private room beside them.
Lilith walked in without a word.
There were only three people in the room.
"The communications and transmitted content of T6 Seraph-Ballista-class Interstellar Long-Range Hunter-Killer Ship No. 1 have been cut off entirely from the outside network. They're handled by this room's own quantum network. Only the four of us know about this. Absolutely confidential!" the department head explained.
Lilith went to the communication equipment and looked at the top-secret file contents being transmitted.
She could guess what they all were.
Most likely T6-grade technologies.
Technologies every interstellar power in this universe dreamed of.
But in Lilith's eyes now, they were all worthless.
She clenched her fists and demanded of the department head, "Can't we break off this reception? I want to speak to them!"
The department head shook her head. "I'm sorry; this communication and transmission was started by them. It takes up all the bandwidth, so we simply can't send anything back. Even if we refuse to receive it, we still can't get through to them."
Lilith turned sharply and faced the wall.
No one could see Lilith's face at that moment.
Lilith bit her lip, and struck the wall with her fist.
"You selfish bastard!"