BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM-Chapter 1305: An unexpected reunion (2)
Chapter 1305: An unexpected reunion (2)
Thirty minutes later, Rick led a tired but unharmed group of humans into the still-under-construction operation center. Gwen, Floyd, Martha, Aaron, Mickey, Ben, and Allan looked dirty and exhausted, but otherwise fine.
“Erik!” Ben’s face lit up. “You won’t believe how strong things are here! I can’t wait to fight them!”
Floyd dropped his pack with a groan. “First, please tell me you have food and somewhere to sleep. The forest trek was brutal, and I don’t have the energy to deal with Ben’s battle nonsense.”
“We do,” Erik said. He gave a look at June, and he brought something to eat. The group ate in silence. They were too hungry to even speak, and it was understandable.
Floyd and Ben ate like starving animals, while Martha and Gwen were more composed. Aaron, Mickey, and Allan wolfed down their portions without pause, but not without manners like Floyd and Ben.
“June, show them to the quarters we prepared.”
As June led the others away, Erik pulled Rick aside. “How did they get to Mur? And why take such a risk and bring them here? What about the eggs at the base?”
Rick’s expression turned serious. “The eggs are safe. The clones you sent arrived some time ago. I offered to come here because I had been alone for too long and needed a change of scenery. I’m you, after all, master. I like to walk exactly like you do.”
Rick paused. “As for the rest, apparently Becker and the others got worried that something happened to you and sent their strongest soldiers to find you. Coincidentally, their strongest soldiers are also your friends.”
Erik frowned. “This was a stupid idea! If I might have even died here, what made them think they could survive alone? The chances you were alive, or that they found you before a thaid found them, were basically non-existent.”
“They landed close to the tree,” Rick said. “Making it had been a good idea. It tells our allies where we are, and it was a giveaway of your condition. If you were in no shape to make a tree so huge, you wouldn’t have made it. Just growing one told the others you were alive.”
[It makes sense. For once you did something good without me having to tell you.]
Erik nodded. “Did they tell you how they came here? Even with Becker’s resources, the sea route is extremely dangerous without a plane.”
“They took one,” Rick smiled. “Becker’s found one to make the journey. They crossed practically undetected.”
[This means Becker can send someone else. If we keep in contact with him, he might bring more clones here or send someone to help with the servers.]
[Then there is nothing we can do, but at least we tried.]
“There’s one more thing,” Rick said, lowering his voice. “The others are in no way able to survive here alone, master. You need to give them powers.”
“I know. I was discussing the same thing with Amber and was thinking about what I could give her and the others. Adding some more people will not make a difference.”
Rick nodded. “You should.” The clone sighed. “I don’t know what happened here, but based on what my brothers told me once they got to the first shelter, things are not so simple here.” He turned around. “Since we are in the underground city, I guess you already killed whatever thaid was infesting it, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then you know how things are. Thaids here are difficult for us to deal with; for them, they are impossible. I didn’t come here alone. Some of my brothers came with me, and we were the main attack force. The others helped. Floyd and Martha were particularly useful, but they didn’t go far from just being useful. In a direct fight, they are doomed.”
Erik knew things would be like this if someone from Mannard came here, and that was why he was adamant about going with his clones only. Amber and the others were just a plus; he couldn’t prevent them from coming.
“I don’t have powers to give them at the moment.”
That was the crux of the problem.
“Don’t worry, master, I’ve covered that up already. I and the others came across some interesting abilities on our way here,” Rick said. “And since we were thinking about the matter during the journey, we collected their blood and brain crystal.”
[Why is it your clones have more wisdom than you?]
Erik said in annoyance.
[Wisdom has nothing to do with intelligence,] the system said. [Intelligence is about processing information and solving problems, while wisdom comes from experience and good judgment. You could be the smartest person in the world and still make unwise decisions.]
<Weren’t you the one saying I should be careful about the powers I give? Didn’t you say too many neural links in a short time period might lead to mutations?>
[This can be managed with proper caution. You could have explained the situation to the others and prevented them from forming too many neural links too quickly.]
[A month.]
<That’s exactly the problem…>
Rick then left to rest, and Erik went back to the server room to help the clones clean the area.
…
…
…
Two hours later, Erik gathered with the others in the cleared conference room. Gwen had her usual stern gaze, but Erik noticed it softened a little when she looked at Allan.
[Try being happy for her.]
“So, tell me—how exactly did you plan to survive here if we were dead?” Amber asked, shooting Gwen a disapproving look.
Gwen straightened in her chair and turned to her.
“We have a way to contact the base. We would have just needed to hide and wait. If you were alive, the clones would have helped.”
“We are not going to leave Mur in the foreseeable future,” Mira said. “We are very close to finding the blackguards and to finally having a full picture of why the thaids spread.”
