Interstellar Survival: Invasion

Li Yizhi grabbed the two stuck droids and pulled out two wires from her suit.
After connecting to the two droids, she took control of their systems.
The wire connection seemed to be working on the lightning droid as I could see the charged clouds in the sky expanding sideways, looking like they would collide soon.
The yellow star hanging in the sky was no longer visible, covered by the expanding black clouds.
The room we were in turned dark at a rapid pace.

”Everyone, withdraw.
A super thunderstorm is going to form here soon, ” shouted Li Yizhi.

We hurriedly ran out of the room.
Meanwhile, Zhang Bao ’er and the others were standing outside and looking at us as if watching a movie.

”Little fellow, give me the coordinates of Lightning immediately, ” said Li Yizhi to Dondon.

Dondon did as told and sent her the accurate coordinates of the spaceship.
At that moment, we could see that the two charged clouds in the room were about to collide.
A massive bolt of lightning seemed to have also formed in the sky.

”Senior, don ’t we need to have more of the two clouds touching? ” asked Baron Sisse.

”We can ’t.
To form a proper lightning strike, we need to limit contact and release all the accumulated charges in the clouds through a limited surface area.
Only then will we be able to achieve our goal, ” answered Li Yizhi.

The two clouds churned violently as the electrical currents in the clouds rolled like two giant dragons waiting for their chance to strike.
The clouds continued growing sideways, and only a small distance remained before the two clouds touched.

”Everyone, turn on your shields.
Take care of yourself, ” I ordered.

”Coordinates locked on.
The clouds are going to touch.
Get ready to defend yourself, everyone, ” said Li Yizhi right before the two clouds met in the middle.

Two blinding flashes rose from the two clouds as the charges rushed toward the point of contact.
Then, the charges collided.
A thick bolt of lightning cracked the sky open with a deafening rumble and a blinding radiance.
Even standing outside the room, we could clearly hear the sounds of the air itself being ripped apart by the lightning bolt.

Surprisingly, the giant bolt of lightning did not head toward the ground.
Rather, it soared into the sky like a dragon, heading toward the planet ’s atmosphere while radiating enough light to fill the entire lightning room.
With the soaring lightning as the backdrop, the two clouds were akin to two gods staring down on us mere mortals.

”Success! The lightning strike is probably heading toward Lightning.
We ’ll see if it can hit the ship accurately, ” said Li Yizhi.

”It ’s done already? That was fast, ” said Zhang Bao ’er in astonishment.

”To destroy a cruiser this size, we need a single overwhelming strike.
This planet can only create a strike like this once, ” said Li Yizhi.

Li Yizhi was right.
The two clouds before us were still colliding, but the electrical currents they were creating were much weaker than before, and most were discharged toward the ground.

”We have completed our work here.
We now need to return to the surface and see if Lightning was destroyed, ” said Li Yizhi as she tossed the lightning droid back into its room.

When Baron Sisse saw that, he stepped forth to pick up the water droid before returning it to its room.
After the two droids were returned, their rooms rapidly returned to normal.
The dark clouds in the sky slowly scattered while the gentle yellow star reappeared in the sky.
A massive rainbow could be seen on the horizon, radiating a beauty that gave off the feeling of a renewed life after a calamity.

”The sky clears after rain.
May everything will be smooth for us after this, ” said Old Du as he gazed at the distant rainbow.

”Let ’s just leave.
One moment, the sky is dark with a thunderstorm.
The next moment, it becomes a sunny day.
This is too freaky, ” urged Wind Spirit.

”Senior, it ’s time we leave.
If Lightning ends up destroyed, we need to leave the planet as soon as possible.
We also don ’t know if Spacetime is still safe.
We need to reconvene with Kelly and the others immediately, ” I said.

”Leave, leave, leave.
The only thing you know is to make demands.
Do you even know where the exit is? ” said Li Yizhi.

”Easy.
Just go back the way we came from, ” said Wind Spirit indifferently.

”We can ’t use the same path.
After the damage we did in the core, the door has been locked from the outside.
It can only be reopened from the outside.
This is a security measure built in to prevent the droids from leaving and doing massive damage on the surface in the event of a program malfunction, ” said Master Crystal.

”Where did you learn that from? ” asked Wind Spirit in astonishment.

”Dodo told me before we entered the core, ” said Master Crystal.

”What? Old fart, since you already knew about that, why did you not stop them from blasting those doors open? Yeah, we have successfully destroyed Lightning, but all of us are trapped here.
What the hell is that, old man? ” complained Wind Spirit, who was obviously grumpy because she was exhausted.

”Princess, don ’t worry.
Since there is an entrance, there will be an exit.
Let me think, ” said Master Crystal with a helpless tone.

”No need.
When I hacked into the droids, I discovered that the door was locked.
But I also discovered that there is a path to the surface behind one of these doors, ” said Li Yizhi.

We were relieved to hear that.
Even Wind Spirit had a relaxed smile on her face upon hearing the assurance.

”Senior, are you sure that the door— ” Baron Sisse was about to say something when Li Yizhi interrupted him.

”Give me a few minutes.
I need to perform some calculations to locate the door, ” said Li Yizhi as she sat down and sank into thought.

”Baron, what were you trying to say before? ” I asked softly while nobody was paying attention.

”When I accessed the droids ’ database, I had also discovered an escape door, ” whispered the baron.

”There is really such a door? Then we ’re saved! What misgivings do you have about this door? ” I asked.

”According to the database, the escape door seems odd.
Also, the door leads to the room housing Planet Cloudcast ’s rebirth program, ” said Baron Sisse.

”Rebirth? That means escape and survival, right? ” I asked, somewhat confused by the program ’s name.

”In the culture of the Eternal Civilization, the concept of reincarnation features prominently.
Nirvana, rebirth after death.
Therefore, I am very worried about the program behind that door, ” said Baron Sisse while looking at Li Yizhi, giving me an answer that wasn ’t really an answer.

”Nirvana? Rebirth after death? That ’s basically being reborn, right? ” I asked, still confused.

I saw that Dondon was constantly trying to contact Spacetime, but no reply came from the communicator.
With our task here finished, I was starting to worry about the safety of Spacetime.

”Calculation completed.
I found the escape door, ” said Li Yizhi as she stood up.

”Great.
Let ’s set off.
I ’m tired of this place, ” said Wind Spirit gleefully.

”Canyue, you ’re this squad ’s commander.
I have a mission for you.
After exiting, if you find that Lightning is not fully destroyed, please promise me that you won ’t allow those lion-faced beasts to reach Blue, ” Li Yizhi suddenly said.

”Of course.
I won ’t let those monsters reach Blue.
Protecting Blue is my eternal responsibility, ” I answered.

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Li Yizhi appeared relieved by my promise.
She then turned and started walking toward the terrace ’s upper level.

”Canyue, why is this beauty giving me an odd feeling? Won ’t she do something herself if those lion-faced beasts manage to survive? What ’s the point of having you promise to kill them? ” said Zhang Bao ’er softly into my ear.

”Maybe our encounter with the lion-faced beasts will turn bloody, and she is afraid that we will shrink from battle.
She is just making sure we will fight, ” I guessed.

”That old lady must be blind.
Do we look like cowards who would shrink from battle? ” said Zhang Bao ’er with disdain.

”Alright, alright.
Just charge in front when the battle starts later, ” I said.

We followed Li Yizhi to the fifth level, the highest level in the core.
There, a door different from any other door in the core was plainly visible.
Li Yizhi headed toward it directly.

”This is way too obvious.
I should have looked up here earlier.
Even I will be able to discover a door like this, ” said Zhang Bao ’er.

The door was peculiar.
Different from the doors around it, it was actually a door merged from two smaller doors and was twice as large as the other doors.
The left half of it was made of red steel, while the right was made of white stone.

I scanned the door with my probe.
The left side had a temperature reaching 100 degrees, while the right side had a temperature of negative 5 degrees.
Together, they formed a door of fire and ice.

”This door seems to embody the concept of yin and yang.
Old Du, the left half is too hot.
Install the bomb on the right, ” said Zhang Bao ’er.

Old Du stepped forth in preparation to install the bomb.

”Wait.
There is no need to bomb this door.
It can only be opened with a different method, ” said Li Yizhi as she stepped forth to open the door herself.

Baron Sisse suddenly stepped forth and offered, ”Senior, let me try. ”

Li Yizhi looked at the baron with an odd expression in her eyes.
That was an expression I had never seen her make.
A few seconds later, she stepped back and let the baron do his thing.

The baron stepped forth.
After studying the red and white door, he suddenly reached out with both hands and pressed the middle of the door.
Surprisingly, two circles appeared where he pressed.
With a push, the circles sank into the door.

Two electrical currents ran along Baron Sisse ’s arms, one red and the other white.
They started flowing rapidly along his arms.
The baron started shuddering while beads of sweat formed on his face.
He looked to be in extreme pain.

”Shit! The baron won ’t be able to hold on! ” exclaimed Zhang Bao ’er as he stepped forth to drag the baron back.

”Don ’t touch him, or you ’ll waste all his effort! ” Li Yizhi hurriedly shouted with a fierce expression on her face.

Zhang Bao ’er was intimidated by her fierceness and stopped.
Meanwhile, the electrical currents continued to assault the baron.
He resisted the shock with his willpower alone while we watched on painfully.
After about five minutes, the electrical currents pulled back into the door. 

The red and white light on the door dimmed.
With a loud boom, the door slowly swung open.
With the door to the rebirth room opened, the baron could no longer stay standing.
He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.