Chapter 199: Warp Travel

Inside the warp layer space;

This space resembled a tunnel without physical substance. The barrier separating it from the physical universe rippled like a sea surface disturbed by waves, casting a dim, ethereal glow that invoked an indescribable sense of tranquility.

On both sides of the ship's hull, the words "Aldrin - Dejia Shipping / Prosperity Star" were printed on the civilian transport vessel, which was currently navigating through the warp space carved and torn open by the Xiao-Tenchuan engine, heading towards the Arcadia colony.

At this moment, only three crew members were on duty on the bridge, ensuring the normal operation of the Aldrin.

Displayed on the main screen in front of the helmsman were the following readings:

"Main Universe Time: 2001/03/03 Zero-Eight Universe Time: 2511/03/03 Distance to destination: approximately 0.37 light-years"

This indicated that they had been traveling through the warp layer space for a full four days since leaving Prosperity Star.

Suddenly!

Buzz—buzz—!

The ship shook violently.

The tremor was so intense that it caused the teacup placed on the control console to spill its contents onto the metal floor.

!

Sensing something was wrong, the three crew members quickly sat upright and brought up all the data related to the ship's navigation.

?

After a thorough inspection, they found that all systems were functioning normally, with no potential hazards or threats.

What was going on?

The three crew members were bewildered.

They were originally part of a crew from a Fides-class frigate. To cooperate with the Investigation Department's infiltration and reconnaissance mission, they had undergone special training with the AI "App" and were now disguised as employees of a local shipping company from Prosperity Star, transporting nearly 50,000 tons of cargo to Arcadia.

As for how App had reassured the UNCS and UEG into believing that Prosperity Star's situation was stable and how this deal had come about, it wasn't within their concern.

However, having participated in intercepting a Reaper mothership before, these crew members were quite experienced. Yet, in just four days within the warp layer space, they had frequently encountered disturbances like the one just now.

But all the data showed everything was normal...

Could it be that warships and vessels traveling in warp space experience turbulence similar to traditional sea voyages?

Or was this something unique to warp space?

After confirming there were no issues, the crew decided to log the incident and have the company's technical team analyze it once they returned to Prosperity Star.

In a single-berth cabin on the Aldrin;

Beep—beep—beep!

The shrill sound of a phone alarm echoed through the somewhat cramped cabin.

"…"

A hand reached out from beneath the blanket, fumbling for the phone resting by the pillow. With muscle memory, the hand found the screen and silenced the alarm that had disturbed its owner's dream.

After a moment of stillness, the person finally threw off the blanket, revealing a messy mop of golden hair and a face that could be described as handsome.

Judging by his appearance, it was clear that he was one of the elite investigators: Leon S. Kennedy.

Leon, who had been fast asleep, actually woke the moment the Aldrin encountered the mysterious turbulence. However, after waiting for a while and hearing no alarms, he relaxed and went back to sleep.

Even though he had undergone genetic enhancement, Leon and the other investigators were still, in essence, "ordinary" humans who required rest, food, and other basic needs.

Opening his eyes, Leon first glanced out the porthole at the warp tunnel outside.

Then he got out of bed, walked over to the wardrobe, and changed into a gray work uniform typical of Prosperity Star's workers.

In front of the mirror, he tidied up his hair, restoring it to its usual parted style, before walking through the automatic door and into the narrow corridor of the ship's deck.

"Oh, my brother, you're finally awake! What's the matter? From the way you look, did you dream about Director Wang again?!"

Hearing the familiar teasing voice behind him, Leon didn't need to turn around to know it was his old partner, Mike.

"Stop talking nonsense."

Leon shook his head and walked alongside Mike toward the cafeteria on the lower deck.

"Hahaha!"

Mike raised his hand and habitually placed it on Leon's shoulder, laughing as he said:

"Cheer up! You'll have plenty of opportunities to invite the director out later. Speaking of which, we might be the first employees of the company to experience warp travel, right? Tsk tsk… ten years ago, I couldn't have imagined faster-than-light travel."

"Indeed," Leon agreed.

"Oh, by the way."

At this point, Mike took out his investigator-issued phone from his work pants pocket, unlocked it, and opened the photo album to show Leon a picture of him with a beautiful woman.

"Isn't that…"

Leon found the woman to be somewhat familiar.

"She's from the company's entertainment department, an actress named Laurie Fox! So, how about it? Jealous yet?" Mike put away his phone, clearly proud.

Hearing Mike's words, Leon couldn't help but mentally compare Laurie Fox with Ada.

Hmm, the director's looks and aura still surpass hers by far—no, they completely crush her.

Snapping back to reality, Leon furrowed his brow slightly as they stepped off the stairs to the lower deck and warned his friend:

"Now that you've got a girlfriend, you need to be careful. You absolutely can't leak any company secrets."

"Don't worry, do you think I'm some immature rookie?" Mike patted Leon's shoulder, saying:

"You've got to trust the company's entertainment department vetting process. The Fox family is squeaky clean, and Laurie has no issues with her character either.

Plus, after the body enhancements, I can't get drunk, so I won't be talking in my sleep. I've eliminated any chance of accidental leaks. If I do consider marriage, I'll make sure to have her sign our department's confidentiality agreement so she truly understands my life."

"Good to hear," Leon nodded.

Atlas's entertainment division had, since the late 1980s, risen to become a dominant force in the USA's entertainment industry.

Just like Mike said, their contracted celebrities had to go through multiple rounds of screening and final approval before being officially signed. There were no shady practices like "casting couch" or "astronomical endorsement fees."

Of course, the reason the entertainment division remained so clean was that any hint of such underhanded dealings would be snuffed out by the violent forces attached to the oversight department, ensuring they disappeared without a trace.

Such fear-inducing methods were harsh but effective in enforcing the rules.

As they chatted, the two reached the cafeteria.

However, they didn't grab trays for a meal. Instead, they headed straight for the table where Maggie Shaw and a dozen other elite investigators bound for Arcadia, including Forgrem, were sitting.

Forgrem, who was pretending to be Mike's cousin, had even gone so far as to dye his white hair black.

Mike stood by the table, his earlier playful demeanor gone, speaking in a serious tone:

"Everyone, the Aldrin is about to reach Arcadia. After that, we'll have five Earth days of rest.

During this rest period, we will pose as relaxed employees and family members on vacation, enjoying Arcadia's scenic beauty while conducting reconnaissance on the surface.

To avoid detection, we cannot carry any weapons or company-produced electronic devices when taking the orbital elevator to the surface, including our investigator phones. So, after this meeting, please lock all your personal devices in your cabins."

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