The following days saw the expedition team undergo comprehensive physical examinations under military arrangements.
This was no perfunctory check-up, but a meticulous, item-by-item screening. Every physiological indicator exceeding normal values was meticulously analyzed by medical personnel until the cause of the abnormality was identified.
It was no exaggeration to say that every member of the expedition team was like a newly sprouted seed, cherished by the military, and thus carefully tended to.
The long-term effects of weightlessness had been severe for everyone, with issues such as decreased bone density, reduced muscle strength, and endocrine disorders requiring adjustments.
Only Ou Zhanpeng's physiological indicators were unusual, showing no abnormalities whatsoever, stunning everyone. Ling Xiao's physical condition was also excellent; while not on par with Ou Zhanpeng, he was far better than everyone else.
These two individuals piqued the interest of all medical personnel, who collectively submitted reports requesting the formation of a research group to study their excellent physical condition. If the reasons could be found, it might completely solve the problem of space sickness that had plagued the aviation industry for over a century.
It was only upon learning the origins of Ou and Ling that the excited medical personnel had to back down: it turned out their genes had been modified before they were even born. This was a legal red line, and crossing it would spell ruin; no one had the desire to spend their lives in prison.
After four or five days of arrangements, the expedition team was finally cleared to depart. The group, high-spirited, floated into the spacecraft and secured themselves firmly in their seats.
“Control tower, sky-earth shuttle 027 requests clearance for departure!” Ou Zhanpeng skillfully contacted the control tower, swiping his finger to activate a series of switches.
“Sky-earth 027, you have clearance for departure. Smooth journey!”
“Thank you!” Ou Zhanpeng replied. The spacecraft gently detached from the space station, suddenly tilting and executing a sharp ninety-degree dive downwards.
The abrupt change did not elicit any complaints; everyone burst into laughter amidst the violent jolts.
They were all seasoned astronauts, and their earlier flight training had been far more exhilarating than this!
Not long after, the spacecraft entered the atmosphere at the equator, leveling off at an altitude of twenty thousand meters and heading directly north.
Midway through the flight, the spacecraft suddenly received an unfamiliar communication signal. Ling Xiao casually tapped it and his spirit immediately lifted: “Emergency distress call, one hundred and forty kilometers ahead at sea!”
Ou Zhanpeng found himself in a predicament. By convention, military personnel were obliged to respond to distress signals when off-duty, but the sky-earth shuttle was neither a combat nor a rescue platform. Moreover, the fuel it carried was scarce, making any rescue impossible.
“Forward it,” he said resignedly.
“Alright!” Ling Xiao agreed, about to forward the message when he received a new one: “Someone has responded, it’s the Navy’s mother ship!”
Everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief, but Ou Zhanpeng still felt uneasy: “Let’s go take a look, it’s on the way anyway!”
The spacecraft lowered its altitude and soon reached the vicinity of the incident.
Still tens of kilometers away, Ou Zhanpeng spotted a colossal ocean liner on the sea, estimated to be at least one hundred thousand tons.
When the spacecraft arrived, the ship had already ceased its voyage. A swarm of colossal squids had climbed onto the ship, like bold rats crawling on a wild boar.
Ou Zhanpeng’s mind went blank: “What is this situation? Squids can attack giant ships now?”
The others wore similar expressions, looking as if they had seen a ghost.
Only Ling Xiao calmly stated, “I’ve actually heard of this. Sea monsters have been rampant these past two years. The authorities have tried many ways to deal with them, but it’s said the source is hidden in the deep sea, and they can’t find it no matter what.”
As he spoke, two friendly signals appeared on the radar.
Ou Zhanpeng, with his sharp eyesight, pointed forward: “Over there, it’s a drone!”
Ling Xiao’s eyes widened. He glanced at the radar, then out the window: “Are you kidding me? That’s dozens of kilometers away, and you can see it?”
Ou Zhanpeng realized he had exposed himself but immediately asked in a tone of great surprise, “You can’t see it?”
“Of course not!” Ling Xiao scrutinized him. “If your demeanor and actions weren’t so familiar, I’d suspect you were an alien species in disguise!”
Ou Zhanpeng quickly found an excuse: “Perhaps it’s because I spent so much time observing satellites on Jupiter that my eyesight has improved.”
Improved eyesight?
Everyone’s faces were creased with dark lines, but upon reflection, it seemed to make some sense.
As they spoke, two high-speed stealth drones flew over the giant ship and opened their bomb bays, dropping several aerial bombs.
Anyone unaware would have been stunned: weren’t they responding to a distress call to provide aid? Why were they dropping bombs?
Were they trying to sink the giant ship?
However, the bombs dropped by the drones were not conventional ordnance. When they reached an altitude of over two hundred meters above the ship, the eight aerial bombs unfolded like Transformers, morphing into eight rotorcraft drones, each about the size of a tabletop.
They descended separately and immediately engaged the colossal squids that had climbed onto the ship. The scattering gunfire accurately hit the squids below. Any part of their tentacles or bodies struck by the drones caused the squids to immediately twitch, retract, and fall uncontrollably into the sea.
Although the ammunition fired by the drones was not of large caliber, it was specially designed electric shock rounds, highly effective against sea monsters.
More colossal squids continued to arrive from afar. The drones in the air circled repeatedly, identifying targets before dropping their payloads again.
This time, the weapons were not non-lethal. The aerial bombs split upon entering the water, releasing several supercavitating micro-torpedoes that independently attacked, piercing the bodies of the colossal squids. A barely audible explosion followed, turning the squids into a mass of rotten flesh from within.
The effect was remarkable, despite the modest display of force. In a short while, all the colossal squids in the water were eliminated, leaving not a single one.
Only after confirming the crisis was resolved did the two drones unhurriedly turn and head back.
“Only two years, and look at this!” Ou Zhanpeng said, filled with emotion. “Has the Navy developed this quickly?”
The Navy had been equipped with a large number of drones before, but this kind of long-range, purely drone-based combat was truly unheard of. Yet, without a doubt, this was a textbook emergency rescue.
“What else could it be? The aliens, of course!” Ling Xiao said.
Just as Ou Zhanpeng was about to respond, a massive shadow appeared underwater near the giant ship, and his heart tightened: “Something’s not right!”
The relief the group had just felt was replaced by renewed tension as their eyes collectively turned towards the water's surface.
With a muffled roar, as if a heavy bomb had detonated underwater, a colossal whale, of indeterminate length, breached the surface and swallowed the carcasses of seven or eight colossal squids in one gulp.
The whale then plunged back into the water with a splash, creating immense waves that caused the giant ship, which a level twelve typhoon couldn’t budge, to sway from side to side in the swell, shaking many of the colossal squids that had fallen onto the deck into the sea.