The Purifying Flame and the Dusty Journey

At the very moment when the Heart of Hermes ignited, it did not bring about the anticipated explosion or shockwave. Instead, an almost colorless energy field of utmost purity emanated from the silver-white hull in ripples. This energy field was neither scorching nor freezing, but carried with it an undeniable will to "purify" anything deemed as "foreign."

The gigantic monster, formed from condensed biomass and towering several dozen meters tall, was the first to face this energy field. As the colorless energy swept through it, countless twisted limbs, eyes, and screaming mouths that made up its body seemed to be thrown into a furnace of supreme temperature, instantly disintegrating and vaporizing! There were no screams, no struggles; the colossal entity exuding terrifying pressure dissolved swiftly like snow under the sun in this silent purifying flame, leaving behind only wisps of dark purple energy symbolizing its essence pollution, which were also completely neutralized and annihilated by the energy field.

The biomass carpet covering the entire hangar began to wither, shrivel, and carbonize rapidly as if splashed with strong acid under the effect of the purification energy field, eventually turning into thick, dry ashes. The tentacles entwining the Hermes also suffered immediately, crumbling and turning into dust the instant the energy field lit up.

However, this purifying flame came at a cost.

Evelyn, being closest to the source of the energy field, was directly impacted. When the pure energy washed over her body, the part of her that had recently merged with the contamination from the "eye," screamed in agony as if encountering a natural enemy! A violent rejection reaction erupted within her, with two distinctly different types of energy properties wildly colliding inside her body, trying to tear her apart!

Her liquid metal skin was instantly covered with spider-web-like cracks, new energy patterns flickering on and off. Her body trembled violently due to excruciating pain. Consciousness once again fell into chaos, hearing simultaneously the icy warnings from the original Evelyn and the tempting whispers from the alien energy within her.

But at the same time, she felt that the energy released by the core of Hermes somehow resonated strangely with her Omega core, and even deeper, with the "rule fragments" belonging to the original Evelyn. While the purification energy destroyed the alien parts within her, it also "tempered" and "calibrated" her core and body in an extremely domineering manner, forcibly erasing unstable factors, pushing her existence towards something... more pure, closer to the essence of a "dimension tuner."

This process was unbearably painful yet brought about a peculiar sense of transcendence. It was as if a rough ore was being smelted by fierce fire, removing impurities, revealing its true brilliance.

The shaking of the hangar grew increasingly violent. Although the purification energy field cleared away the biomass, it destabilized the base's already fragile structure. Large chunks of the ceiling peeled off, huge cracks appeared on the surrounding walls, and the entire underground space seemed ready to collapse entirely, burying them along with the Hermes.

"Evelyn! Get in quickly! We need to take off immediately!" Dr. Carter's anxious shout came from the cockpit. He was frantically operating the console, attempting to forcefully initiate the takeoff procedure before the ship's systems fully stabilized. The engines of the Hermes started to emit a low rumble, the hull vibrating slightly.

Evelyn suppressed the tumultuous energy conflict within her body, staggering towards the boarding ramp that had just opened. Her body remained in an extremely unstable state, every step accompanied by intense pain and sparks of leaking energy, yet her gaze was unusually determined.

Just as she stepped onto the boarding ramp, the main load-bearing structure of the base finally gave way under the strain, emitting a grating sound of breaking! The entire hangar ceiling tore apart like it was being ripped by a giant, bringing tons of rocks and metals crashing down upon them!

"It's too late!" Dr. Carter let out a despairing cry as he watched the rapidly approaching shadow on the radar screen.

Evelyn looked up abruptly, staring at the collapsing ceiling coming down on them like the end of the world. Indigo-blue light flared suddenly in her pupils! She no longer tried to escape but pressed both hands firmly against the cold hull of the Hermes, pouring without reserve the power undergoing painful transformation within her - power originating from the same source as the purification energy field - into the ship's energy shield system!

An indigo-blue energy shield, denser and more dazzling than ever before, enveloped the entire Hermes instantly! Like a massive, sacredly glowing iris bud, it wrapped around the spacecraft and Evelyn who had just stepped through the hatch.

Rumble——!!!

The collapsing ceiling and countless boulders smashed violently onto the energy shield, producing deafening noise! The shield flickered and deformed intensely, seemingly on the verge of shattering. Evelyn felt her consciousness and energy core hammered repeatedly by a ten-thousand-ton hammer, silver "blood" with electric arcs oozing from the corner of her mouth.

But she held on! So did the shield!

"Maximum engine power! Vertical takeoff!" Dr. Carter roared, pushing the thruster lever all the way down!

The Hermes' engines emitted a thunderous roar! Powerful anti-gravity engines overcame their own weight and the collapsing pressure above, rising like a beast breaking free from chains! The spacecraft pushed through falling boulders and metals, forcibly breaking through the precarious hangar dome, piercing through the rock layers above the base, shooting upwards like an arrow swimming against the current, heading towards the pale dawn sky!

Amidst the tremendous roar, the entire Icarus base along with that eerie purple cradle utterly collapsed and sank, buried forever beneath the Nevada desert.

...

The Hermes broke through the atmosphere, entering low Earth orbit.

The roar of the engines gradually subsided, replaced by a profound, heart-stirring silence. Outside the window lay the vast, boundless darkness of the universe, and below floated the blue-and-white giant planet—Earth.

From this perspective, Earth remained beautiful, like the most brilliant sapphire in the universe. But Evelyn knew that beneath this beautiful surface, chaos was spreading, unknown threats were breeding, and the shadow of the "eye" loomed over every corner.

She collapsed onto the cold metal floor, gasping for breath. The internal energy conflict had finally subsided, but bodily damage and energy depletion left her barely able to move. Indigo-blue shield energy slowly receded back into her body, revealing her newly transformed yet scarred form. Her skin's luster became more restrained, resembling the finest obsidian, while energy patterns became more complex and deep, flowing with star-like radiance. Her aura also underwent a subtle change, losing some of its previous coldness and mechanical feel, gaining an ineffable depth that seemed to resonate with the universe itself.

"We...made it..." Dr. Carter slumped in the pilot's seat, drenched in sweat, his voice hoarse from extreme tension. "The Hermes is...extremely unstable...forced ignition has caused permanent damage to the core...and the recent energy overload nearly broke the shield system..."

"Can we still...reach...Prometheus?" Evelyn asked with difficulty.

"Theoretically yes. Backup power is sufficient, and the main propulsion system is operational." The old man checked the system readings. "But we have virtually no defensive capabilities now. If we encounter an attack en route..."

"It'll be fine." Evelyn interrupted him, her tone weak yet carrying an unshakeable confidence. "I can already...sense it..."

She closed her eyes, consciousness diving back into the quantum realm. This time, she no longer felt the previous chaos and interference. After being "cleansed" by the energy of the Hermes core and "tempered" by the alien biomass within her, her perception of the quantum field became unprecedentedly clear and acute.

She could "see" the energy strings constituting reality vibrating gently, "hear" the whisper of gravitational waves transmitted from distant galaxies, and even "touch" the texture of time itself flowing ceaselessly like a river.

Then, she sensed him.

Lucas.

His node signal was no longer as weak as before, barely detectable. At the moment when the Hermes core ignited and the purification energy swept through the hangar, his node seemed to have been stimulated or resonated strongly, like a dying spark rekindled.

The signal remained unstable, filled with chaotic and contradictory fragments of information, but it was much stronger and...more active. She could even catch a glimpse of...a trace of conscious thought?

"...Evelyn...?" An extremely faint call, seeming to come from the depths of the soul, echoed directly in her mind.

Evelyn's heart skipped a beat. Was it really him? Had he regained consciousness?

She tried to respond, to establish a clearer connection. But that fleeting conscious wave disappeared quickly, overwhelmed by stronger quantum noise and chaotic information. The signal turned blurry again, leaving behind only a fragmented message that sounded like a warning:

"...Prometheus...trap...amplifier...is...bait...the real...core...is..."

The signal ended abruptly here.

Prometheus is a trap? The resonance amplifier is bait? The real core is elsewhere?

This revelation exploded like thunder in her mind! Could there be flaws in the "final protocol" devised by the original Evelyn? Or perhaps...had the protocol been tampered with by the "eye"?

She immediately shared this discovery with Dr. Carter.

After listening, the old man's face turned extremely grim. "How...how could this be? The final protocol was the life work of the original Evelyn..." But he soon calmed down, "No, maybe...maybe this is part of the plan? A...double insurance?"

He quickly accessed the deepest encrypted files about the final protocol backed up from the "cradle" computer, searching for clues.

Meanwhile, Evelyn submerged her consciousness back into the quantum realm, attempting to reconnect Lucas' node for more information. But there was nothing but chaos, unable to capture any clear signals anymore.

The Hermes sailed alone in the silent universe, heading towards the death space station floating in darkness. Yet, aboard the ship, the two individuals found themselves plunged into thicker mists and greater dangers.

Ahead, Prometheus: was it the hope to save the world, or...a meticulously laid trap leading to destruction?