Chapter 16: Fleet Law and AI Protocols

"28th Paratrooper Brigade, emergency call on Port 16 Channel!"

An empty magazine dropped to the ground, splattering droplets of dark red mixed with water, but it was swiftly absorbed into the night, just like the surging darkness before Lu Yuan. The rain pelted down like stones, striking him as he turned to shout desperately into the communicator on his shoulder, "We're trapped on Elevation 241.3 and need immediate support, we need…" But the downpour, gunfire, howls, and steam transformed the faint noise of static into an all-consuming wave of despair that soaked through his front and back.

The boiling rain did nothing to extinguish the fleeting bursts of fire, and mist rose to shroud countless flickers of violet lights. A bloodthirsty thirst seemed to radiate from them. Phantom-like shadows rushed past Lu Yuan's side, and in his panic, he clutched his helmet and scrambled to retrieve a few tracer rounds from the mud beneath his boots.

Lu Yuan's heart clenched and released; his hands trembled as he loaded his rifle, staring out at a field littered with corpses, all staring back at him, unblinking, their eyes fixed firmly on him.

"You abandoned us," the corpses said in unison. The mist dispersed, and those violet lights drilled into the bodies, animating them as they rose, standing before Lu Yuan and pointing at him in unison.

"Do you still remember our creed?"

Lu Yuan gripped a bullet tightly, his head bowed, but a familiar face reflected in the muddy water beneath him. "You're our commander," it said.

"But you sent us to die!" the face screamed, as maggots devoured its features, leaving only a skull. Startled, Lu Yuan staggered to his feet, rain pouring down on the skeletons standing around him. They wore badges of red lightning and teal stars, swords of honor hanging at their sides.

"You sent us to die!"

Their screams filled his mind, burrowing deep, no matter how tightly he covered his ears. He collapsed into the mud, warm and sticky, barely able to breathe but finding a brief reprieve from the heart-wrenching guilt tearing him apart.

When Lu Yuan finally regained his senses, he found himself alone in the vast emptiness. A breeze swept across the field, rustling the patchy grass. A droplet of water brushed his nose as he struggled to his feet, and a slender shadow stretched long in the moonlight, covering him.

"I'm disappointed, Lu Yuan," she said, her steely gaze locking onto him before he could explain. She lifted her mouth in a mocking smile, her lips red as blood.

"Why should I come to rescue you?" She turned her head, stars shimmering, leaving only a dim and fading shadow.

One cold glare sent Lu Yuan staggering backward, falling to the ground. She looked down at him, scrutinizing him before finally turning away with disdain. "Oh, forget it."

"A coward, that's all."

A wave of anger surged in Lu Yuan, and he chased after her with all his strength. When he was exhausted, he found her standing just a step away. Her hair, dyed with hues of violet pansy, exuded a faint fragrance. He reached out, but his hand closed on empty air.

"Where are you? Where are you?" Her mournful voice rang out, and Lu Yuan turned, only to see her pale, emotionless face staring back. She gave him a gentle push.

The ground vanished beneath him, and everything around him sped away, as if he had been falling in a bottomless abyss all along.

…

"Ah!" Lu Yuan suddenly opened his eyes, a white light flooding his vision. Instinctively, he waved his hand to block it, encountering a freezing surface. His reflex urged him to pull back, but a fragment of thought in his muddled mind urged him to reach out, to grasp and escape this place.

So he fought his urge to recoil, grabbing onto the cold surface firmly, shivering as he dragged his body toward an empty edge. With a loud "thud," he felt a falling sensation once again, and his vision went dark. A sharp pain shot up from his nose, leaving him groaning in a heap. After some time, his foggy mind regained a sliver of clarity.

With this moment of awareness, Lu Yuan managed to move his arms and inched his way along the floor until he felt a wall at his back. Only then, leaning against it with effort, did his eyes adjust to the light filtering through the red and white glow.

Although he had regained partial control of his body, he was still weak, his lower half numb with cold. He struggled to piece together his fragmented thoughts, but each attempt to recall the strange, surreal images in his mind brought only throbbing pain. He took shallow, steady breaths, feeling the pain recede and his senses gradually return, making him aware of his current state.

Trauma-induced awakening.

He remembered the last thing he saw before losing consciousness: Zhang Yueyang pounding on the cover in front of him, shouting something. He immediately realized that Zhang Yueyang was calling to him from outside a cryogenic pod, which meant he was likely in an adjacent pod. But where was he?

Anxious, he ignored his worsening symptoms, his hoarse voice calling out, "Yueyang! Cough… Yueyang! Answer me!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the echo rattled in his ears, making them buzz. Trembling, he rubbed his eyes. He'd seen people forcibly awakened from cryosleep too early for various reasons and knew he should stay still and wait for medical help. But with his friend just meters away, how could he wait?

"Hold on, Yueyang! I'm coming!" Gritting his teeth, he scratched at his cheek, forcing himself to stand with every ounce of strength he could muster. Squinting to adjust to the painfully bright light, he leaned against the wall, moving inch by inch toward where he'd fallen out of the pod.

After only a step or two, waves of exhaustion flooded over him, forcing him to rest every few steps. He called Yueyang's name repeatedly, unable to keep track of time, uncaring of how long it took. Finally, an ill-placed step sent him crashing backward.

That fall drained the last of his strength, and Lu Yuan lay on the ground, pain shooting through his body. His urgency receded, and he realized that in his current state, he could hardly save himself, let alone anyone else. As he lay there, fatigue overtook him, and he drifted back into a deep sleep.

In his dreams, chaotic images flashed, settling on the walls of Fortress Starstone, a deathtrap with no escape. Azure trails of bullets filled the air, black-red and blue-white forces clashed. Orange flames engulfed the battlefield, scattering limbs into the deathly glow. Beneath the dull helmets of paratroopers, Lu Yuan saw the familiar faces of comrades passing by: Yue Dong, Zhang Yueyang, Shen Zihua, Zhang Chengzhao… They clutched their swords of honor, charging toward Ivan the Terrible without a single glance at Lu Yuan beside them.

Lu Yuan woke up with tears on his face. But he could feel his strength returning. Swallowing his nausea, he pushed himself up on his knees and called out, "Yueyang, Yueyang, I'm coming…"

A sentence half-formed, Lu Yuan's words caught in his throat as he looked around blankly. The dimly lit, chaotic cabin was layered in thick debris; the ceiling had gaping holes, with numerous cables hanging down. At the far end, a row of cryo pods were sealed shut, except for one that was open—the one he had been in. As for Zhang Yueyang? There wasn't a trace of him.

Lu Yuan stood frozen, staring dazedly at the pod he'd just exited. The amber-colored residue of cryo-liquid was still imprinted faintly in the shape of a person, with the hilt of a sword protruding from a gap. He walked over heavily, pulled out the honor sword, and reattached it to his belt, noticing that his uniform was, surprisingly, in perfect condition.

He slumped down, burying his face in his hands for a moment before heading to the cabin door. Dust coated the door, which naturally didn't open on command. Lu Yuan gave it a strong pull, but it wouldn't budge.

"Call the AI! Open the door!" Lu Yuan said, restraining an inexplicable anger. All he remembered was Zhang Yueyang pulling him out of space and into a warship. Beyond that, his memories were hazy—how could he remember the details?

Nothing happened.

A sense of dread crept into Lu Yuan's mind. The ship's AI should prioritize monitoring the bridge, power core, combat stations, and cryo chambers. Once a ship enters Lightwall travel, regardless of the situation, the AI should respond to the cryo pods. If the AI wasn't responding, there could be only one possibility…

"Bzzz…" The cabin's intercom crackled to life, and Lu Yuan exhaled in relief, calling out to the ship's AI again.

The static persisted for several seconds before a standard mechanical, emotionless female voice responded.

"Identity confirmed: Paratrooper Captain Lu Yuan. Access rights transfer in progress. Functionality at 70% capacity. You requested to open the auxiliary cryo pod in Midsection 2?"

"Yes," Lu Yuan replied, feeling a sinking dread. According to the AI communication protocols, the response he just received aligned with emergency procedure for a heavily damaged warship transferring authority to surviving personnel.

"Confirmed. Power transfer initiated. Please wait."

Lu Yuan dared not probe further, only hoping things weren't as dire as they seemed. Yet the image of the Solar Corona under siege remained vividly in his mind. He bit down on his lip, telling himself that the expedition fleet was unbeatable. This was just a surprise attack—he had survived far worse battles before!

"Access rights transfer complete," the AI's next words left Lu Yuan momentarily stunned.

"Attention, Captain Lu Yuan. You are the sole survivor on the Xiyun frigate. Pursuant to Fleet Law Article 9, Section 1, bridge command has been transferred to you. Additionally, by Order 167 issued by Fleet Command, the fleet is now in self-evacuation status. It is advised you proceed immediately to the nearest control terminal to retrieve ship information."

Lu Yuan clutched his forehead, fists clenching and releasing, hands rubbing restlessly. Suddenly, he slammed his fist against the door, yelling, "You're lying!"

The AI's tone remained cold, devoid of any trace of emotion.

"Captain Lu Yuan, as per the Second AI Directive: an AI may not deceive, conceal, or mislead any human individual, unless that individual lacks sufficient access rights. Therefore, Captain, all information provided is accurate."