Chapter 18: Sea Without Light
Kui Xin took the elevator to Xueyao Shu’s office.
Once inside the elevator, Augus sent her a new work schedule.
There was only one item scheduled for the morning—onboarding training. In the afternoon, there were two items: training from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM, followed by a collective meeting for the field team at 6 PM, although the meeting agenda was not listed.
It seemed that there was very little to do in a day, but in reality, there was no free time at all. The training was tedious and exhausting, but it was necessary; Kui Xin was counting on these skills for her survival.
With a beep, the elevator stopped on the third floor.
As the doors opened, Xueyao Shu was waiting by the entrance.
“Captain!” Kui Xin put down her communicator and looked up.
“Perfect timing,” Xueyao Shu stepped into the elevator and pressed the close door button, then said, “Augus, basement level six.”
“Yes, the floor lockdown has been lifted,” Augus replied.
Noticing the surprise in Kui Xin’s eyes, Xueyao Shu patiently explained, “The Investigation Bureau has many hidden floors. The buttons for these floors are not marked in the elevator; only authorized individuals can command Augus to lift the floor lockdown and enter.”
“No wonder,” Kui Xin glanced at the elevator buttons, which showed a highest floor of sixty-six and a lowest of negative three, while Xueyao Shu had just mentioned negative six.
Could there be more hidden floors between negative three and negative six, or even below negative six? What was the purpose of these hidden floors?
The infiltration of the Mechanized Dawn into the Investigation Bureau wasn’t deep; the information chip handed over by Doctor Huang contained some vague speculations, while other details were not mentioned at all. Kui Xin was the first undercover agent to successfully penetrate the interior; unlike Doctor Huang from the medical center, who was also an undercover, her work was limited to healing and could not involve security duties, thus her access to information was limited.
Kui Xin was different; on her first official day, the training she received was related to the core secrets of the Investigation Bureau.
The elevator descended quickly and soon stopped. As the doors opened, Kui Xin caught a whiff of cold, damp water, and a chill rushed into the small elevator, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms.
The elevator hall was lit, but the underground level outside was shrouded in darkness, its depth and cold moisture intimidating.
Suddenly, the lights flickered on, illuminating the underground level.
The first thing that came into view was the tightly sealed silver metal walls, treated to prevent glare from the lights so it wouldn’t be blinding, but they were adorned with beads of water that sparkled at a glance.
Why was the humidity here so high?
“Come on, Kui Xin, let’s change into protective suits first,” Xueyao Shu led the way.
“It feels like a horror movie,” Kui Xin remarked, “What is this place, Captain?”
“The Specimen Hall—one of them,” Xueyao Shu said, “This place stores some specimens of xenomorphs. Once xenomorphs die, their bodies are hard to preserve, so we have to soak them in a special solution to constantly control humidity and temperature.”
They turned right, facing a long corridor. Xueyao Shu entered first, and red lights illuminated along the sides, while a mist of disinfectant sprayed down from the top of the corridor. Once the disinfection was completed, the red lights turned green before Xueyao Shu stepped out of the corridor.
Kui Xin mimicked Xueyao Shu and entered the corridor for disinfection.
“Some xenomorphs are frozen in liquid nitrogen, so it’s very cold inside; that’s why the protective suits are made of thicker material.” Xueyao Shu took out a protective suit and demonstrated how to wear it.
The protective suit was as thick as a spacesuit, and once worn, Kui Xin resembled a snowman.
She struggled to tug at the suit, and with Xueyao Shu’s help, she managed to pull up the zipper on her back, and they both put on glass helmets.
The protective suits contained communication devices, and even under the glass helmets, Kui Xin could still hear Xueyao Shu’s voice.
The final metal door opened, and Kui Xin walked side by side with Xueyao Shu into the “Specimen Hall.”
Then she was greeted with a shocking revelation.
A pale human body was submerged in a transparent glass tank filled with a light green solution, its head replaced with curling dark red tentacles that emerged from the neck, quietly floating in the green solution.
This specimen was nothing compared to what lay ahead.
Kui Xin turned her head and saw, in the glass tank on the left, a halved human body that had been parasitized by an xenomorph. The reason it was halved was that it had been sawed in two, clearly showcasing the grotesque cross-section of the body, with organs like the heart and intestines clearly visible.
“Don’t vomit in the protective suit,” Xueyao Shu reminded her.
Kui Xin averted her gaze, forcing out, “I… I didn’t eat much for breakfast, I won’t vomit.”
“You’re one of the calmer newcomers,” Xueyao Shu said, “Lan Lan even threw up in her suit during her tour.”
“He wore a suit covered in vomit through the whole tour?” Kui Xin asked.
“Of course not; the Investigation Bureau isn’t that harshly abnormal,” Xueyao Shu chuckled, “He went back, took a shower, changed clothes, and returned for the underground tour in the afternoon.”
“How unfortunate for Lan Lan,” Kui Xin said, diverting her attention, feeling somewhat relieved, “I’ve seen a parasitic hydra; its tentacles are transparent, so the visual impact isn’t bad. But these dark red tentacles…”
These dark red tentacles were menacing, sinister, and bizarre, more disgusting than the tentacles of a parasitic hydra.
“This is called a Red Spine Hunter, and it’s fiercer than parasitic hydras. Humans infected by it hardly survive more than three days, meaning it needs to change hosts every three days,” Xueyao Shu pointed to the glass tank, “Look at the label below.”
Kui Xin leaned in to take a look, and the label contained specific information about the specimen.
“Species: Red Spine Hunter. Status: Growth Phase. Collection Date: 2083.02.19. Executor: Wei Zhi.”
“This Red Spine Hunter was killed three years ago during a mission by Team Leader Wei Zhi. She brought it back intact for researchers to dissect and study,” Xueyao Shu said. “Red Spine Hunters are extremely rare; they have a long growth cycle and need to change hosts every three days on average. This one has grown for at least two months—imagine how many people it must have killed to grow to this point.”
Kui Xin was shocked, “So many people died, and the Investigation Bureau didn’t notice?”
“This Red Spine Hunter was brought on a smuggling ship, which had over twenty people on board; they were all its food supply. By the time the smuggling ship drifted near the sea area of Hei Hai City, only one person remained alive, weak and barely hanging on. The Coastal Security Team found the ship he was on,” Xueyao Shu stared at the pale human body in the glass tank, “Of course, that lone survivor is now dead, and his body is in the specimen tank right in front of us.”
He spoke in a calm tone, narrating a bloody story with an air of normalcy.
“You just mentioned it’s in the growth phase?” Kui Xin inquired.
“Yeah, the stages are larval phase, growth phase, and mature phase,” Xueyao Shu said, “Follow me.”
He bypassed several specimen tanks and came to a gigantic horizontal metal cabinet, lifting its sealed lid.
Cold mist enveloped in chill emerged from the cabinet, revealing a solid block of transparent ice, within which was a small, semi-transparent parasitic hydra. Unlike the previous specimens, this one was tiny, about the size of a fist, resembling a jellyfish, soft and harmless.
“We haven’t collected any Red Spine Hunters in the larval phase, but we do have a parasitic hydra in that stage,” Xueyao Shu explained, “This is what it looks like in its larval phase. It’s very vulnerable at this stage. It drifts in the sea and can attach to fish. If fishermen happen to catch a fish that it’s latched onto, it can subsequently parasitize humans. If it isn’t caught, it continues to drift until it enters the growth phase, at which point it crawls ashore and seeks humans to parasitize, drawing nutrients to grow and reproduce.”
Xueyao Shu closed the cabinet, sealing it off: “Parasitic hydras melt upon death, so preserving them in ice extends the specimen’s lifespan.”
He then opened another adjacent metal cabinet, “This is a specimen of a parasitic hydra in its growth phase; what we encountered the other day was one of this stage.”
This parasitic hydra specimen, like the Red Spine Hunter, had its tentacles connected to a human torso, looking grotesquely alien. Because both the tentacles and the human torso were sealed in the ice, they appeared stiff and twisted.
“They’re not without weaknesses; parasitic hydras fear fire and cannot survive without water,” Kui Xin noted, “The flamethrowers on police cars can seriously injure them. Their usual habitat is near the sea, and they rarely go into urban areas—this is what Lan Lan told me.”
“Yes, aquatic xenomorphs generally share weaknesses of fearing fire and being unable to survive away from water. That’s why they haven’t proliferated massively within urban environments,” Xueyao Shu said, “The xenomorphs in Hei Hai City are all aquatic, and as for terrestrial xenomorphs… I’ve yet to see them with my own eyes; perhaps inland cities keep records of them.”
“Are there mature xenomorphs?” Kui Xin asked eagerly.
Xueyao Shu nodded slightly: “Some exist.”
“Some?” Kui Xin asked, confused.
“It was split in half; one half was sent to the laboratory at Black Sea Academy for research, while the other half is kept here,” Xueyao Shu said, “Come with me.”
They passed the glass tanks containing bizarre creatures and the grotesquely overgrown human internal specimens, arriving outside a separate room.
Xueyao Shu verified his iris, and Augus said: “According to your permissions, you have three minutes for the tour.”
The metal door opened. This time, an intense cold air poured out, which could be felt even through the thick protective suit, far more severe than that of the ice cabinet storing parasitic hydras.
Once inside, Kui Xin was stunned; as she looked up, she momentarily thought she had entered an underwater tunnel in an aquarium, where she could see water and swimming fish through the glass. But this was not an aquarium; it was a large ice storage facility, filled with blocks of transparent ice.
Inside the solid, clear ice, a tentacled xenomorph stretched its limbs, its massive form nearly filling the entire ice storage. Its yellowish eyes had slits for pupils, and the suckers on its thick tentacles were larger than soccer balls.
This specimen was exceptionally well-preserved, almost lifelike. Kui Xin felt her heart race as those yellow eyes fixed on her. Unfortunately, this specimen was only half; she could only imagine what it looked like when it was alive through this partial body.
“The Kraken,” Xueyao Shu said, “Impressive, right?”
“The Kraken?” Kui Xin was jolted back by the familiar term.
“A mythical sea monster from folklore; in the past, when technology wasn’t as advanced, people believed there was a creature called the Kraken that lived in the deep sea, dragging ships underwater to consume their crew,” Xueyao Shu recounted, “The legends are true; the Kraken is actually a xenomorph. However, modern people no longer believe in these kinds of sea monsters. The Investigation Bureau secretly eliminates these xenomorphs to maintain order in human society.”
The Kraken vessel and the Kraken beast—could it be that the name of the cargo ship transporting mysterious goods was derived from this legend?
“How did the Investigation Bureau successfully eliminate a terrifying xenomorph like the Kraken?” Kui Xin asked.
Xueyao Shu replied, “This Kraken didn’t die at the hands of the Investigation Bureau; it died naturally and washed ashore. The Kraken doesn’t need to parasitize humans; it can hunt by itself, though it sometimes does prey on humans.”
As time was up, Xueyao Shu led Kui Xin out of the ice storage.
“Does the Investigation Bureau preserve specimens of xenomorphs only for teaching purposes?” Kui Xin inquired, “It seems very costly to maintain temperature and humidity control while also utilizing liquid nitrogen twenty-four-seven; it must require a lot of resources, right? Similar teaching effects could be achieved using pictures and holography.”
“It is indeed very expensive, and technical means could substitute for teaching.” Xueyao Shu admitted, “That’s why the Investigation Bureau doesn’t preserve xenomorph bodies solely for educational purposes.”
Kui Xin pondered, “It must be for research purposes as well. Captain, you mentioned the Black Sea Academy; are they also researching xenomorphs?”
“Yes, exactly,” Xueyao Shu confirmed, “Having finished the tour of the specimen hall on basement level six, we’ll now head to basement level five; there are some other things I need you to understand.”
They exited the cold specimen hall and changed back into regular clothes in the changing room, then sprayed the disinfectant again before returning to the elevator.
“Augus, basement level five,” Xueyao Shu glanced at the elevator clock, “We have plenty of time.”
Augus replied: “The floor lockdown has been lifted.”
The elevator ascended, and the doors opened just seconds later.
“Do we need protective suits this time?” Kui Xin asked, “That thing is really difficult to wear.”
Xueyao Shu answered, “Not this time, but you’ll need to change into a sterile dust suit.”
The entrance process this time was much simpler; after disinfecting and donning the dust suits, they neatly tucked their hair under the hats.
Unlike the cold, quiet atmosphere of the specimen hall on basement level six, there were several people on basement level five, seen busily working at their stations through the glass isolation windows.
“What is this place?” Kui Xin asked in surprise.
“The laboratory, a facility for researching xenomorphs; this laboratory belongs to us,” Xueyao Shu succinctly stated, “The Investigation Bureau collaborates with many institutions, such as the biological technology laboratories of the Black Sea Academy, the cell research institute of the Federation government, and various research departments under private foundations. These research entities share a common research focus—xenomorphs.”
Kui Xin looked around the laboratory and inquired, “Researching how to combat them?”
“Not just that,” Xueyao Shu said meaningfully, “They are more focused on how to extract value from them.”
“Extracting value?” Kui Xin turned back to look at Xueyao Shu.
He led her deeper into the laboratory, saying, “You’ll see for yourself.”
An older researcher spotted Xueyao Shu and exclaimed, “Hey, Xiao Shu, bringing a newcomer?”
“Yes, please continue with your work; we’ll just need ten minutes,” Xueyao Shu politely replied.
“Great,” the researcher glanced at Kui Xin, “It’s been a while since we had a new recruit; young lady, make sure to do well.”
As the researcher returned to work, Xueyao Shu picked up a vial containing a light blue liquid from the table.
“This is the venom of the Red Spine Hunter in its unrefined state. It has strong corrosive properties and can even corrode metal,” he explained while donning gloves, taking a metal sheet and dripping the liquid onto it.
With a sizzling sound, a small round hole appeared on the one-millimeter thick metal sheet.
“Hunting xenomorphs is very dangerous; our bulletproof tactical suits can’t withstand the squeezing of parasitic hydra tentacles, nor can they resist the corrosion from Red Spine Hunter venom,” Xueyao Shu warned, “They are dangerous species, but their bodies also hide treasures.”
“Both parasitic hydras and Red Spine Hunters grow and reproduce by parasitizing humans. They share a common characteristic—they only parasitize living beings. The humans parasitized by them, no matter how deformed their bodies become or how much they lose their sanity, they will continue to live until all nutrients are drained. Even if their bodies wither down to a skeleton, even if they can hardly move, they still live,” Xueyao Shu placed down the light blue vial, “They secrete a special substance that maintains the host’s life, allowing the host to linger on.”
“Like leeches?” Kui Xin connected the dots, “Leeches secrete an anticoagulant when they suck human blood; while their bloodsucking act is harmful, the anticoagulant found within them can be used in medicine.”
“Exactly that,” Xueyao Shu smiled, “They are terrifying monsters, but they also hold value. If we can understand the composition of their secretions and synthesize it artificially, it could lead to significant breakthroughs in the field of medicine.”
“Do we have any results?” Kui Xin asked curiously.
“Of course,” Xueyao Shu approached another table, retrieving two vials, “This one contains a substance extracted from parasitic hydras, which functions as a powerful anti-inflammatory and pain-reliever. And this vial accelerates wound healing and promotes cell division. Both of these have been widely applied in the Investigation Bureau.”
Kui Xin exclaimed, “Didn’t I receive this type of medication when I had surgery on my head? The wound healed at an unbelievable speed.”
“Likely yes,” Xueyao Shu agreed, “It’s very effective. In the past two years, our field casualties have significantly decreased, thanks in part to these research outcomes; researchers are continuously trying to uncover more value from xenomorphs.”
“The main value of xenomorphs is in researching pharmaceuticals?” Kui Xin asked, “Are there other uses?”
“There are three types of value: the first in the medical field, the second evident in material science.” Xueyao Shu replied, “Material science isn’t a research focus of the Investigation Bureau’s laboratory; it’s outsourced to biotechnology companies. However, there are samples stored in our laboratory.”
On a corner table laid a piece of pitch-black fabric; Xueyao Shu picked it up: “Give it a tug, Kui Xin.”
Kui Xin grasped the material and pulled it; the short piece of fabric stretched several times its length instantly, forcing her to step back, as if there were no limit to how much it could extend.
“This is a new biological material extracted from a tentacle-like xenomorph. It can’t be mass-produced yet, but it has excellent elasticity and is resistant to cuts from sharp objects.” Xueyao Shu casually took an experimental knife and brushed it against the fabric, leaving no mark; when he stabbed it with the knife, the material remained unscathed.
“It seems that these are just the tip of the iceberg regarding research outcomes,” Kui Xin remarked.
“Yes, just the tip of the iceberg; there are many more research results from the research institutions we collaborate with,” Xueyao Shu explained, “Kui Xin, you need to remember that our primary aim is to eliminate xenomorphs to maintain public safety, not to capture xenomorphs for profit. New pharmaceuticals and materials are merely supplementary gains; considering the risks, our profits are minuscule… I’ve lost track of how many teammates and colleagues have died in combat; the Investigation Bureau holds memorials every year, and I attend each one.”
Kui Xin replied calmly, “I will do my best to survive.”
She had already made up her mind. On the very first day of crossing into the Second World, Kui Xin resolved to do whatever it took to live, to avoid all bad endings and move towards a happy conclusion.
“Captain, you just said there are three uses for xenomorphs; what’s the third one?” she asked.
Xueyao Shu patted Kui Xin on the shoulder: “Come with me to basement level three, and you will find out.”
“Basement level three? I remember it being a temporary detention room, where some criminals awaiting trial are held,” Kui Xin said, following him.
“Basement level three is a temporary holding area, but you might not know that it houses more than just ordinary criminals,” Xueyao Shu explained. “It’s the most securely guarded place in the whole Investigation Building, divided into an eastern zone and a western zone; the eastern zone holds common offenders, while the western zone is different.”
After taking off their dust suits, they went back to the elevator.
Kui Xin suppressed her curiosity, waiting for the mystery to unfold.
Heavyweights always make a grand entrance. She had learned about xenomorphs and understood their dangers as well as their values, but what awaited her next? What was coming up?
The elevator doors opened, with two armed security officers standing on each side.
Stepping out of the elevator, there were paths to the left and right; Kui Xin had a brief glance and noticed that both areas were blocked by heavy metal doors. Xueyao Shu led her to the right and then scanned his iris.
The door rumbled upward. This sound of the metal door opening was different from before; the other floors opened silently and smoothly, while this one made a loud clamor. Looking closely, the metal door on basement level three was over thirty centimeters thick, likely weighing tons.
The security measures were indeed strict.
Xueyao Shu’s footsteps echoed in the empty corridor, and the cells along either side were not separated by iron bars but by bulletproof glass. Many of the cells were empty, and it seemed that there were very few prisoners in the western zone.
“A new prisoner arrived a few days ago; his physical condition is very poor, and he might die in a few days; the doctors can’t save him,” Xueyao Shu said, “I’ll take you to see him.”
This prisoner must be special, Kui Xin thought.
As they didn’t walk for long, Xueyao Shu stopped.
He turned and pointed to one of the cells, indicating for Kui Xin to look.
“Ugh,” Kui Xin gasped involuntarily at the sight of the prisoner.
The male inmate was lying on the ground, staring blankly up at the ceiling of his cell; the visible skin on him was an eerie gray-blue color, and the joints on his hands were twisted and protruding, with his fingers growing unthinkably long and limp, resembling tentacles—tentacles of a xenomorph!
The prisoner suddenly coughed, then vomited a mass of blood and flesh, which twitched slightly on the ground.
“He’s been parasitized by a monster?” Kui Xin asked in disgust.
Even though she hadn’t eaten much for breakfast, she couldn’t withstand the repeated visual shocks; she was nearly ready to vomit.
“No, he hasn’t been parasitized by a monster,” Xueyao Shu stated calmly, “He has turned himself into a monster.”
He looked at Kui Xin: “This is the third use of xenomorphs that I wanted to tell you about.”
“Some illegal religious groups collect and refine the blood of xenomorphs for some evil purposes. They ingest the blood in an attempt to gain power.”
“They refer to xenomorphs as the remnants of ancient gods, and the extracted blood is called ‘Divine Blood.’ People who acquire extraordinary powers through ‘Divine Blood’ are termed ‘Heterogeneous Blooded.’”
