Chapter 12 Mountains
Soon the day arrived to head for the mountains.
"The full name of the mountains is [Clustered Mountain Protection Outposts]. They are used to resist the first wave of attacks from external hostile forces and buy more buffer time for the empire's homeland. They are the most important line of defense."
"It is also the place where the Molten Knight Project was first tested. I was born here."
Liuying naturally helped An Ming fasten his seat belt and explained everything about the Qunshan Base to him. "This is your first time flying in the star field, so you may feel a little dizzy."
Worry was revealed in her beautiful eyes. Liuying leaned close to An Ming with her delicate face and said seriously, "If you feel uncomfortable, hold my hand tightly. It will be here soon."
"I'm not a child anymore, it's okay."
"Huh? So 14 years old is not considered a child?" A smile flashed in Liuying's eyes. She held An Ming's hand and leaned back in the chair. She did not have any good memories of the mountains. If it were not for An Ming's company, she would rather never go back in this life.
After a slight vibration, the hatch slowly closed. An Ming originally wanted to refute something, but he lost the opportunity as the spacecraft started.
As An Ming's first star domain flight, the journey through the mountains was exciting enough. This route was top secret within the empire, so the process was noticeably bumpy.
An Ming soon could no longer calmly appreciate the Milky Way outside the window. A slight dizziness forced him to hold Liuying's hand tightly.
Liuying found that she no longer blushed even if someone held her hand recently, but she just felt a sweet feeling in her heart, as happy as eating a cake.
Looking at An Ming's profile, Liuying was a little distracted. Should she ask him why he felt this way?
The spacecraft quickly regained stability. An Ming could see a dark outline not far away through the window. It looked like a space outpost made up of mountains, loyally performing its guard duty outside the empire.
Outside the mountains, one can vaguely see dense debris floating in space. Countless debris and corpses formed a circle of death.
"We call it the 'Dead Sea.'
Liuying had a complicated expression. A large number of rotten and mutilated cavalry could clearly be seen in the Dead Sea. How many modified human lives were sacrificed among them?
The remains and corpses of stinging insects are floating in the Dead Sea. The peace and stability that the empire portrayed to the people is obviously just a lie that can be exposed at any time.
The empire has woven a beautiful dream called peace for its people, but the truth lies in the silent Dead Sea.
This peace is an illusion brought about by the burning lives of countless cyborgs, and the only things that are crushed under the empire's forward steps are burnt ashes.
"Are there no ordinary people among the Molten Knights?"
"You'll be the first."
Liuying tightened her grip on An Ming's hand slightly. Before An Ming, there were ordinary people who had tried to drive the Molten Knight, but their lives were undoubtedly devoured. Even if the compatibility was sufficient, there was far from enough life to support driving the Iron Knight for a long time.
The reason why all Molten Knight pilots are genetically modified humans is that, firstly, they can be easily recreated if they die, making them strategic consumables; secondly, after being genetically modified, they possess vitality far exceeding that of ordinary people, allowing them to support long-term combat by controlling the cavalry.
An Ming has shown great fighting talent and physical fitness during his years in the academy, so Caesar decided to let him give it a try. Perhaps he could create the first Molten Knight truly driven by a human.
There is a deeper reason behind this, which concerns the future and destiny of the empire, but Liuying and Anming do not know it yet.
The spaceship slowly drove into the starport and docked. Under the dim light, An Ming stepped into the mountain base for the first time. The depressing atmosphere and very little artificial light made this place seem dead silent and terrifying.
Liuying had not realized the oppression of the mountains until she met An Ming, only then did she realize how sad everything she had experienced before was.
"Welcome to Qunshan. I'm B31, and I'm in charge of your activities in Qunshan," An Ming had just landed when he saw a burly young man coming towards him and gave a very standard salute.
A dense crowd of people can be seen in the shadows behind B31. They are all young boys and girls, about the same age as fireflies, but with no expression on their faces, like a group of stiff zombies.
An Ming couldn't even see despair and numbness in their eyes, only habit and obedience.
Liuying once mentioned to him that after birth, the cyborgs would be connected to dreams for training, and obeying the empire's orders was a seal engraved deep in their souls.
An Ming recalled what Liu Ying had said:
"If we are born to die, then what is the meaning of living?"
B31 turned his gaze towards Liuying and saluted more respectfully, "Senior A07, welcome back to the mountains. Thank you for your hard work in the mission."
“…” Liuying pursed her lips and sighed with a complicated look in her eyes. She really wanted to say to B31, “Don’t call me that name anymore,” but was she really qualified to say that now?
"What do I need to do?"
"The debugging of the Iron Knight has been completed. According to the instructions of the senator, we just need to enter and start it," B31 looked at An Ming with obvious admiration in his eyes. You know, there are very few ordinary people who are qualified to control the Molten Knight in recent years. Even if they have that ability, most people will give up for fear of death.
It is extremely rare to find someone as fearless as An Ming, not to mention that he is so young and has a bright future.
B31 led An Ming and Liu Ying to the Iron Cavalry storage area. The modified people not far away also left one after another. An Ming had been extremely depressed since he came to the mountain base. After seeing the conditions of those modified people, he felt an indescribable sadness.
The past told by Liuying is just words. Only when An Ming experiences it in person can he truly feel the heaviness and sadness contained therein.
"Don't blame yourself," Liuying quietly held An Ming's hand and said softly, "An Ming is a very gentle person, so he was sad after knowing this, but this is our fate."
An Ming looked at Liuying's gentle smile and silently made up his mind to protect her future.
After following B31 through a complicated road, the three came to a heavy dark gray door. With the sound of mechanical rotation, the door slowly rose upwards.
Under the dim light, the silver-white cavalry stood quietly in the center, its lightless pupils staring at An Ming, as if waiting for his arrival.
"what should I do?"
"Touch the Iron Knight."
B31 answered truthfully, then slowly backed away, "Senior A07, it's time for you to leave."
Liuying shook her head without even thinking, "I want to stay here."
B31 paused, but didn't force it.
The heavy door closed again. As for whether a knight or a devil would come out from it, time would tell.