bookbashuk Chapter 966 Vermouth, who sees through everything
Chapter 966 Vermouth, who sees through everything
"Shua——!!"
A deep, steady mechanical sound broke the almost stagnant silence in the room without warning.
The sound wasn't harsh, but it carried the undeniable sense of activation unique to precision machinery, emanating from the depths of that matte "giant box," as if some slumbering ancient creation had been suddenly awakened.
Under the sudden, contraction of everyone's pupils, the enormous object that had been lying horizontally, resembling a hibernation pod, began to move!
It is neither translation nor rotation, but rather, with its center as the axis, it is as if it is being slowly lifted up by an invisible giant hand, from a horizontal state to a vertical state!
The heavy base made a dull creak as it rubbed against the ground, but the entire lifting process was exceptionally smooth and precise, exuding a cold, hard industrial aesthetic.
When it stands completely vertically, its shape also changes subtly—it is no longer a completely vertical flat panel, but forms a smooth, slightly backward-leaning "V" shape, like a futuristic recliner carefully designed for the human body, or rather, a kind of "interface" for in-depth interaction.
At this moment, the vertically open "cabin interior" was finally fully revealed to everyone.
The interior is not the complex wiring or mechanical structure one might imagine; on the contrary, it is unusually simple, even “spacious”.
The bulkhead is the same matte dark gray, but the inner surface is covered with a layer of special black fiber fabric that looks very elastic and shimmers with a subtle metallic sheen. It has a high-end feel and seems to automatically conform to the body shape of the person who touches it.
And between the veins of these fibers, a faint blue light flows and pulsates as if it were alive.
The light was not constant, but rather like a jellyfish in the deep sea, constantly changing subtle brightness and flowing patterns, carrying a strange and beautiful bioluminescence that illuminated the entire cabin in a deep blue.
What's even more unsettling is that the flowing blue light doesn't seem to be random. It seems to be subtly connected to an invisible focal point in front of the cabin, and it seems to be undergoing imperceptible synchronous changes with the subtle frequencies of breathing and even heartbeats of the people in the room.
The entire device, though made of metal and unknown materials, now exudes a sense of gaze, almost like that of a living being, silently "staring" at the five uninvited guests who have intruded into its territory.
Vermouth gasped, her eyes filled with shock.
Almost instinctively, she quickly turned her gaze to Kiel behind her.
Kiel was the only one here who seemed to know about this thing.
Vermouth tried to glean more information from Kiel's eyes—was it danger?
Is it an opportunity?
Or is it an incomprehensible horror?
Kiel's face appeared even paler under the pale blue light.
She bit her lower lip tightly, her body trembling slightly, but her eyes were fixed on the vertical hull, her expression extremely complex—a deep fear, the pain of long-forgotten memories being stirred up, and a kind of... awe-inspiring trembling.
She didn't speak, but her reaction said it all: this thing was far beyond the ordinary and extremely dangerous.
McCallan and Vodka were completely stunned. Their gun-holding hands unconsciously lowered, their faces filled with disbelief and intense wariness.
What they were looking at was beyond their understanding of "tools" or "equipment".
It's not like an inanimate object; it's more like a living, silent being observing them...
The breath of the baijiu also stopped for a moment.
But his shock was quickly replaced by an almost burning curiosity and a resolute desire to explore.
His gaze was fixed on the interior of the cabin—in the center of the pulsating blue light and black fibers, near what should be the "head" position, something was hanging.
A sleek, matte black full-coverage mask made of a fiber-like material.
The mask has two dark lenses for the eyes that appear to be able to see in one direction, and tiny air intake grilles for the mouth and nose.
Several extremely thin, semi-transparent hoses extended from behind the mask and connected to the bulkhead.
Baijiu's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
Without looking at anyone else, he reached straight in and into the cabin shrouded in a dark blue light, removing the black mask.
It feels cool to the touch, is very lightweight, and has a unique material.
He held the mask, turned around, and his gaze met McCallum's, who was staring intently at him.
McCallen's expression changed drastically when he saw Baijiu's actions and eyes.
He knows baijiu (Chinese liquor) too well; that look in his eyes signifies... the most insane kind of decision.
He blurted it out almost without thinking, his voice trembling with nervousness: "Baijiu! You wouldn't really be planning to..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning couldn't be clearer.
Baijiu didn't answer, but just looked deeply at McCallum, his eyes filled with unwavering determination and a sense of entrustment.
Then, without hesitation, he gripped the mask, lifted his foot and took the first step forward—towards that vertical, pulsating blue light, ominous "V"-shaped hull!
"Baijiu!!" came a hurried, panicked shout.
This time it's Kiel!
She rushed forward and grabbed Baijiu's wrist, which wasn't covered by a mask, with such force that her nails almost dug into his skin.
She looked up and said, “You can’t go in. The intelligent entity will change you, inside and out. You will no longer be yourself, just like them.”
Her words were broken, but the terrifying message they contained sent chills down everyone's spines.
The action of drinking baijiu stopped.
He looked down at Kiel, who was clutching his wrist tightly and whose face was deathly pale.
This once calm and even ruthless female agent now revealed her deepest fear, not for herself, but for him.
The silence, lasting only a few seconds, felt incredibly long amidst the eerie blue light and the low hum of the machinery.
Then, Baijiu gently, but with unusual firmness, pulled his wrist out of Kiel's grasp.
He didn't even offer a word of comfort or explanation.
The next moment, without hesitation, he turned around, faced the cabin space that emitted a faint blue light, took a deep breath, and then—stepped in!
He carefully leaned into the "V"-shaped indentation, his back pressed against the cool, elastic black fibers, and slowly lay back.
Just as his body made full contact with the bulkhead—
"Om..."
A deeper, more resonant hum then sounded.
Above, the hatch that had been vertically open—now it should be called the canopy—began to slowly and smoothly close downwards! The sound of metal rubbing against special materials was cold and reassuring.
The eerie blue light inside the cabin became more concentrated as the hatch closed, almost completely enveloping the liquor.
Lying inside the cabin, Baijiu swiftly and precisely put the black mask on his face at the last moment before the hatch was completely closed!
The fibers at the edge of the mask automatically extend and contract to fit closely to his facial contours.
The world behind the lens was instantly filtered out, leaving only the eerie blue light flowing inside the cabin, seemingly possessing life.
"Click."
A soft clicking sound.
The hatch was completely closed.
That vertical, streamlined "giant box" pulsating with a ghostly blue light has once again become a complete, closed, and silent entity.
Only the flowing blue light on the surface became more active and brighter, as if it had been completely activated by the access of the "host".
There was deathly silence in the room.
Vermouth, McClane, Kiel, and Vodka stood frozen in place, staring blankly at the enclosed capsule.
The only sounds were their own heavy breathing and a faint, lower humming that seemed to emanate from inside the cabin, like the flow of energy.
The liquor is inside.
A dialogue began with that "intelligent entity".