Origin Chapter Five: Ancient Surviving Technology, Preparing to Return to the Secret Base

From the other end of the communicator came a metallic clang, followed by a flurry of hurried noises. Then a voice spoke, “Who are you?”

It was unmistakably the voice of Adjutant Qin...

The young man managed a bitter smile. He suddenly realized his voice had changed, and, besides, this was the highly classified frequency of the secret base’s communicator. For an unfamiliar voice to call on this line, it was little wonder that Adjutant Qin was so flustered. Yet, something still felt off—Adjutant Qin had served him for many years, always composed and steady. In terms of courage and resolve, he was no less than himself in his youth—a rare talent among military strategists. Even when facing life and death in battle, Qin had never so much as furrowed his brow, let alone show panic in such moments as this.

Now, as the silent youth stood by, Los asked warily, “What is your relationship with the General? How do you know about that family on Konai?”

The young man raised his head and replied solemnly, “Because I am the General.”

Both Minister Los and Zaku stood dumbfounded, their mouths agape, exchanging incredulous glances between the youth claiming to be the General and each other, again and again. Yet the young man paid them no mind.

“I am the General. Adjutant Qin, do you know why I woke not in the secret base, but in the back room of a butcher’s shop?”

“You are the General?”

“Yes, I am the General!”

“Please wait a moment, sir. I am triangulating your location now. Once successful, I’ll send Captain Chen to bring you back. General, is your current environment secure?”

“It is safe. Tell Xiao Chen to prepare for three. I have two friends to bring along.”

“Yes, General.”

The communication ended.

“Minister Los, and you, Zaku, soon my men will come for me. I wish for both of you to return with me. Things have reached a point where we must speak further.”

The General made his invitation to Los and Zaku with gravity.

Zaku, unsure how to respond, simply looked at Los, who replied with absolute certainty, “Zaku, you have nothing to fear. I am now utterly convinced that this is indeed the General. I would stake my life on it.”

Zaku trusted Los, and his assurance swept away any hesitation Zaku had. He simply replied, “Very well.”

Los looked at the youth before him—not merely a boy, but a man with the General’s soul—his face full of disbelief, yet no doubt remained in his heart.

As Minister of the Department of Technological Expeditions, Los had never witnessed a soul-transference resurrection himself, but several fragments of ancient data acquired by his department from the depths of the cosmos suggested its possibility.

Yet, so much of that ancient knowledge had been lost—his department had only managed to retrieve a scant few details, not nearly enough to fully reconstruct, let alone test, that technology. The data, while vast, was ancient—were it not for one fragment containing a decipherable language protocol, it might have taken centuries to decode.

These ancient records were inscribed upon a specially treated alloy. Tests of its composition and age revealed these relics to be over seven billion years old. Most of the metals constituting the alloy had been found in star systems already explored by the Empire, but three remained unidentified, with no matches in the current databanks. One in particular began to decay upon testing, as if self-destructing, though fortunately, much more slowly than scientists feared. They had enough time to decode and preserve the data.

Even these few fragments allowed the Department of Technological Expeditions to expand the Empire’s reach by many times in mere decades, and to begin exploring the dimension of time itself. Under Los’s leadership, the department had driven technological progress further in a few decades than the Empire had in a thousand years. It achieved unparalleled breakthroughs in cosmic deciphering, and the expansion of colonial frontiers provided new spaces for the Empire’s population and technological demands.

It was thanks to these ancient remnants that the department found a new direction: to seek out more such relics. Yet, for decades, not one new fragment had been found.

“Could it be that the General unearthed the resurrection technology described in those ancient records?” Los wondered silently.

The General seemed to read his thoughts. Rising to his feet, he gently patted Los on the shoulder. “Minister Los, I know you have many questions, but I cannot answer them here. When we reach the secret base, I will tell you everything.”

Los did not press further.

At that moment, the assistant named Zi Fei hurried in, his voice slightly anxious: “Boss, there’s a stranger at the door asking for ten pounds of meat and two taels of aged tangerine peel. He’s alone, with no nearby vehicle, and there are military police patrolling outside. I thought it best to check with you, in case it’s a trick.”

The General’s eyes brightened. “Let him in. My soldiers have come for us.”

Zaku, puzzled, asked, “How do you know?”

“He’s Captain Chen Fei, whom I personally trained to lead my special forces.”

Los and Zaku were quick-witted and understood at once. Zaku gestured for Zi Fei to discreetly bring Chen Fei inside.

Soon, Chen Fei, in plain clothes, followed the assistant into the room. The moment he entered, he scanned the space; none of those present appeared connected to the General, which put the seasoned, battle-hardened Chen Fei on high alert. After all, this was a time of crisis, with the secret base having just undergone a series of inexplicable incidents. And before those mysteries could be unraveled, a stranger called claiming to be the General. Even a veteran special forces officer could not help but be on edge.

By instinct, Chen Fei’s hand drifted toward his concealed weapon. Seeing even Chen Fei unnerved, the General’s suspicions about the gravity of the situation only deepened.

“Chen Fei, it’s me. I am the General.”

Hearing the youthful voice, Chen Fei immediately straightened, snapped a textbook salute, and declared, “General, I am here by order to escort you back to the secret base. Please prepare to depart with your companions.”

The assistant, Zi Fei, asked in confusion, “The situation outside seems unsafe. How will we get out?”

Chen Fei exchanged a smile with the General, who merely nodded in silence. Los, standing by, seemed to grasp what was about to happen; his mouth formed an O, surprise written all over his face.

Chen Fei drew three hexagonal metal boxes from his pocket. The boxes were unadorned, each with a single metal button in the center. He handed one to each of the three, and then took out another box of his own, etched with peculiar runes that resembled a totem—simple, symmetrical curves, each ending in a glowing turquoise dot.

Chen Fei looked at the General, placed his box in front of the others, and the General followed suit, bringing his box close to Chen Fei’s.

With a soft “click,” the two boxes magnetically joined.

The General turned to Los and Zaku, signaling them to do as he had. Los did so, pressing his box to Chen Fei’s, which attached with the same soft sound. Seeing this, Zaku followed suit.

Now, all four boxes were connected.

Chen Fei addressed the three: “Now, please press the button on your boxes.”

All three obeyed. As each button was depressed, a turquoise light flashed from the seam around it. Chen Fei pressed his own box as well.

Zi Fei suddenly felt a sting in his eyes and reflexively blinked. In that instant, a faint breeze brushed his face. When he reopened his eyes, the four figures who had stood before him had vanished.

Aside from the makeshift bed, a few bloodstained bandages, and several bottles of medicine, nothing seemed to have changed.

Yet Zi Fei was no fool. He sensed, with crystal clarity, that something monumental was about to unfold.