Chapter 18. Demonic Flame’s Death Screening
The prisoners who were sleeping directly at the door hurriedly backed away to make room for the four demons who entered. No one dared to block their way, it would mean death. Because Demon Flame doesn't care if someone blocks their way intentionally or unintentionally.
Although he knew very well that he was powerless against the armed soldiers, Charles involuntarily held his breath and covered his girlfriend with his arms. However, their actions were practically meaningless. Because like other prisoners, they knew what was coming. The Demon Flame is here to select the most vulnerable and useless among the prisoners and take them away. And so far, not one such unfortunate has returned.
The first demonic flame moved forward slowly. Before him, the prisoners ducked aside like ghosts in the false hope of not being discovered by him. However, his compound eyes did not miss the slightest movement in the room. Without hesitation he passed between the prisoners. The expression of such an ugly creature is absolutely unreadable. His compound eyes betrayed no emotion. Instead, they give off a strange sense of indifference. Like a butcher, his profession is to kill livestock without feeling any emotion about it. Or more accurately, like a farmer who is walking through his living garden, removing diseased plants.
A demonic flame wields a whip and points it at a particularly hungry alien whose race Charles doesn't recognize. Two other demon flames came from the door, walked quickly towards the wailing man, grabbed him and threw him high out of the door. He made a muffled sound and fell to the ground. The sound of bones breaking could be heard throughout the cave, a sound that heightened the prisoners' fear. However, the guards seemed unfazed. The fourth Demon Yan who was still by the door grabbed the prisoner who had no resistance at all and threw him completely out of the door.
The scene caused another prisoner to apparently lose his mind. He let out frantic screams and waved his arms aimlessly, his voice clearly indicating his poor mental state. He then burst out, bumped into another prisoner and fell. Before anyone could react, however, he was back on his feet, meandering like a rabbit. The demonic flames remained completely calm, not even turning their heads. Their eyes were enough to catch the man's movements. Finally, the demon flame at the door pulled out his electric whip, adjusted the settings on the handle, and held it tightly. When the screaming prisoner finally came close, he swung, striking him like lightning. The man jerked, and the screams stopped, leaving an eerie silence. The prisoner stared at the guard with wide eyes, then fell down as if he had been doused with water. A slight gasping sound came from his throat, indicating that he was still alive, but he was unable to move due to the intensity of the shock.
The two guards following the first Demon Flame hurried over to the man and led him roughly to the door, just as they had done with the previous victim.
Demonic Flame seems to be no longer interested in this. He moved on slowly, his compound eyes scanning the room for his next victim. In the process, he also walked towards Charles.
Charles felt panic creeping in on him. but why? He wasn't hungry enough to be taken away. He is not currently in danger. The demonic flame was just patrolling, and it also patrolled in his direction. Still, his legs unconsciously moved closer to the wall. He doesn't want to die. He wants to go on living. Death, of course, would free him from the torment of this place. But he couldn't leave his lover here. He can't do this. Ultimately, despite all the pain here, his will to live remains.
The demonic flames slowly approached. Due to the structure of his eyes, his vision is unpredictable. Then he stopped. He raised his whip and pointed it at Charles. "You," he said.
Charles choked. The word seemed to echo in his mind. he? Why him? No, this must be a mistake. Or was he referring to someone else? Is it the man lying next to him?
Two other demon flames approached, intending to take him away. He was indeed chosen.
Charles stood up quickly. "But I can still work," he shouted. "I'm not too weak. I'm still useful to you. I can work." His voice was almost out of control. He was so panicked that he couldn't think straight. He felt fear threatening to consume him. It felt like it was killing his sanity, destroying him completely.
"It's you," Moyan repeated nonchalantly, then turned around.
"Charles," screamed his lover, leaping at him and clutching his arm. She is crying. She cried for him.
"Joan, stop crying," he said to her in a soft voice, surprised at how calm he suddenly felt. "Water is too precious, don't waste it like this. Even your tears."
She relaxed her hold on him slightly and looked into his eyes. "No, you're worth it," she struggled to say, her voice trembling.
Two demon flames grabbed his shoulders and tried to pull him away from her. However, her grip was so firm that they failed for a moment. Charles gave Joan a gentle kiss, feeling her lips and her tears. No, he couldn't leave her.
She held his hand and tried to stop him from leaving. She refused to let go.
"No, Joan. Let me go. Or you'll die too," he begged her.
Some of the prisoners stood up tremblingly, holding on to Joan until she finally let go of Charles.
"Charles," she screamed, all her despair bursting out in the scream.
"I love you, Jean," he shouted as the two demon flames pushed him towards the door. He didn't even resist. He just tried to look at her as best he could. In the process, he didn't notice that he was being pushed around, but not thrown around as he normally would. Four demon flames gathered at the door and pushed him out. "I love you," he shouted into the cave again, and the door closed behind him.
Joan cried. He had just confessed his love to her. This was the first time he'd done this in the weeks they'd been together. A few weeks since they met here. And now he's gone. Gone forever. He was probably dead at this point. She would never see him again. Although she always knew in her heart that this would happen one day, she never wanted to admit it. She never wanted to accept it. Now, all hope is lost. In fact, those hopes never really existed. He was the only reason for her to persist in this hell and continue to live.
She slumped to the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks. Precious tears were shed freely. Yesterday, she was willing to endure everything for it. But none of that matters now.
Commander Gabriel Caro was sitting on the command chair on the bridge, busy updating the ship's log to the latest status, when Captain Noah sent news from the surface of the planet. They suspect a crashed spacecraft has opened a hole in the planet's surface after the previous day's shocking discovery. Today, the captain once again returned to the scene of the incident with a team that was equipped and prepared. As the sun orbits the planet, some sunlight once again hits the accident site, and by this time the team has arrived. They were equipped with large searchlights to further illuminate the eternal dusk, and heavy excavation equipment, ready to begin digging.
Ever since the traces were found and it was determined that it was a crashed ship, rumors and speculation spread throughout the Republic ship. Since such news always travels at the speed of light and travels faster than official information, within just a few hours, almost everyone knew about the discovery. Since then, speculation has swirled around the spacecraft as to what exactly it was. The most widely circulated theory is that it must be part of the Mandela. Little thought has been given to whether it might have been part of the Mandela given the circumstances at hand. Because the desire to finally find out the fate of the Mandela far outweighs confirmation of its destruction. After all, the Mandela has been missing for nearly half a year. And this uncertainty is more unbearable for many than the certainty of its destruction. Because some of the crew and the Mandela officers had already established friendships.
Some of these friendships stem from previous service together, and some even date back to school days together. And even for those who didn't know anyone on board, the ship's fate still struck a chord. After all, this is a Starfleet ship, part of their larger family.
Carol herself firmly believed that it was not the Mandela that crashed here. Unlike most of the crew, she had all the observations, and the facts presented a completely different picture. Jeffrey used a triangulation scanner to determine the age of the trees. The trees in the old forest section are over two thousand years old, while the new trees are thirty years old. This is too old to have regrown after the Mandela crash. No matter what kind of spaceship this is, it is certainly not the missing spacecraft. Furthermore, there are no other missing Federation ships in this area of the universe. Therefore, there are many indications that the remains of the spacecraft they found are not from Earth. The most exciting question is which race this ship belongs to.
She turned on the speakers because there was no visual connection.
"Commander, you must come down and take a look," the captain's voice came from the bridge. He looked shocked and excited. "You must witness it with your own eyes. And you must bring Ingemar with you. After all, he was the one who discovered this situation."
Carol raised her right eyebrow. This was a trait she picked up from Jeffrey, and she did it whenever she didn't know how to assess a situation. "Captain. Can you tell us what you found?"
"No, I can't describe it in words. Come here quickly. As soon as possible." Then he cut off the contact, leaving Carol no chance to say anything else.
She sighed helplessly. At this moment, she had no other choice but to go to that planet. She looked at Ingemar sitting at his post and gestured for him to go with her. He was all smiles. In the morning, he was very disappointed that he couldn't go. But after discovering the ruins, his sense of adventure was ignited. However, initially he was excluded. Now he could finally see with his own eyes what he and the scientists discovered yesterday in the shuttle.
Soon after, the two traveled to a forest without any leaf cover. The hot and humid air immediately made them sweat like rain. Despite hearing about it, they still didn't expect it to be this hot.
Four large spotlights were placed around it, illuminating the entire scene as if sunlight were shining directly on it. The excavation equipment is still around but has been moved to the side. The rest of the work must be done by hand and a simple shovel to avoid damage.
At this moment, she caught a glimpse of a cave not far away, with the door open and leading to the ground. She knew this was the place they were looking for. They approached cautiously, full of curiosity and expectation. Entering the mysterious shipwreck, they discovered some unusual equipment and technology. Where do they come from? Who built it? Countless questions raced through her mind, but she understood that this was one of their most important discoveries, one that could change the entire history of the Federation.
In the center of the field, there is a huge sunken hole. It is very deep, and in the center of the hole, there is a protruding object. Under the spotlight, the metal shimmered, making it obvious at a glance that it was not naturally formed. Although much of the surface was damaged and scratched, it was still confirmed to be a spaceship. However, due to the severe damage, it is difficult to tell which race this spacecraft belongs to from its appearance alone.
Two new officials approached slowly. When Noah saw them, he waved to them. He stood at the excavation site and watched as a technician tried to use gas welding to cut a passage into the interior of the craft. It seems they haven't found the actual entrance yet, or can't open it again due to damage. Furthermore, the entire ship has not yet been completely excavated. At least half is still buried underground. Maybe the entrance is there.
Carol carefully observed the wreckage of the spacecraft. The original shape is barely discernible. The force exerted on the craft at the time of impact must have been enormous. Surprisingly, the spacecraft did not completely break, but the entire spacecraft drilled into the ground intact. This must be due to the special conditions of the site, as the soil is very soft due to high humidity and offers little resistance to crashing objects hitting at smaller angles.
The size of the ship can only be estimated based on the parts that have been excavated. It appears to be slightly larger than a Federation starship shuttle and can accommodate up to ten people. For longer tasks, this can become quite cramped and uncomfortable. However, the ship may be similar to a Federation shuttle and only used for short trips. Or, it could be a survival capsule for a much larger ship that ran into trouble on its approach to the planet.
The captain noticed her scrutinizing gaze and observed her quietly for a moment. "Do you recognize what type of ship this is?" he asked, his voice not exactly hopeful.
Carol expected him to ask this and shook her head. "No, but it's not surprising considering the damage to the hull. I can't even tell if it's the front or the back of the ship, the bottom or the top."
Noah nodded. "Even Jeffrey can't be sure. It means something unusual," he said with a smile. "However, when the metal was analyzed, it was found that its structure indicated that it came from outside the Federation. Romulan, Klingon and Thorian metal structures were also different from this." He continued to report.
Carol understood what he said. "Then this remains belongs to a species we don't understand yet," she concluded.
