"Captain——wow! This creature can stand so high!" Ale's muffled voice from behind broke Anmu's train of thought.
Anmu's gaze shifted to Ale's odd figure — his right hand holding two green-coated sample collection tubes, his body draped in a brownish-yellow rubber protective suit that seemed too large for his slender frame, hanging from his head to his feet like a melting caramel shell, both clumsy and comical.
"Hand those collection tubes to it," he instructed succinctly.
Ale passed them to a waiting One-Eye Robot nearby, mumbling to himself, "This GenShell reminds me of the MingShell I used to fish for by the lake when I was a kid. They look similar, though the MingShell is much smaller, about the size of a palm. I remember using Helix Grass mixed with mud as bait..."
"You stay here and observe. Once the sample collection is done, send it immediately for analysis in the sealed cabin," Anmu interrupted him.
"Understood!" Ale nodded, his eyes shining with excitement, having apparently forgotten his earlier fears.
Anmu walked slowly to the edge of the containment area, planning to leave temporarily before the official containment of the GenShell, to get some fresh air.
The first phase of tasks assigned by the system was already completed, leaving the remaining part to the module robots. This provided him with a brief respite. Despite these routine procedures being commonplace to him, during moments unrelated to tasks, he preferred to be alone to rebalance his overall state. This habit of self-regulation, which he had mentioned only to his old partner, was never disclosed to others.
In any case, he reminded himself not to let the chaos of the infected creature disturb his emotional stability. He stepped into the jelly-like wall, his figure gradually disappearing within it.
"Captain!" Ale's loud and anxious voice came through the helmet communicator, "Captain! Where should I stand?"
"Outside the isolation wall," Anmu responded calmly, his ears buzzing, "And turn down the volume of your communicator."
·
"Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble——"
With the deep rumbling sound, Ale felt his heart trembling along.
Inside the semi-circular jelly-like barrier, the GenShell stood quietly on the sandy ground, its branch-like appendages restlessly moving as if searching for something. Every so often, its brown abdomen would contract violently, accompanied by gurgling sounds and deep roars, involuntarily drawing Ale's attention.
At that moment, a line of One-Eye Robots slowly entered his field of vision.
These 1.49-meter tall robots, aligned neatly around the barrier's perimeter, formed an almost perfect semi-circle. Watching this scene, Ale was reminded of the salt mine slugs he used to observe by the lake as a child. Those tiny creatures would also gather in a similar manner, collectively dealing with prey much larger than themselves.
The GenShell stood motionless in the center of the semi-circle, as if waiting for some absurd ritual to begin.
Finally, three One-Eye Robots dashed into the barrier.
The leader, tightly gripping the green collection tubes, quickly circled the GenShell, finally stopping beside its thick limb. The other two companions swiftly unfolded themselves, retrieving large brown disinfectant cotton balls from the compartment and began carefully cleaning the GenShell's limb.
Hehe... Watching this scene unfold, Ale couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
As soon as the cotton balls touched the GenShell's skin, it suddenly stopped its rumbling growl and slowly turned its head.
What happened next was completely unexpected, leaving Ale unable to react in time.
The GenShell's massive head suddenly pressed down, lunging at an incredible speed towards the One-Eye Robot holding the collection tubes. In an instant, its wide mouth expanded into a huge gash, swallowing the upper half of the robot.
"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle, gurgle——"
With a series of sharp tearing sounds, the One-Eye Robot's modular frame began to twist and collapse. Yellow paint and broken parts fell like raindrops from the corner of the GenShell's mouth. The poor robot, its upper body deeply engulfed in the GenShell's massive maw, had only its metal arm clutching the sample tube left, still trembling slightly.
This sudden change left Ale stunned, his brain unable to process the scene before him.
A hot, bitter, rusty smell wafted from the barrier, jolting his senses and snapping him out of his daze. He started sneezing repeatedly, his nose tip turning slightly red.
The GenShell, however, seemed indifferent to the smell, continuing to murmur and silently suck on what was in its mouth.
Ale felt his nostrils and mouth filled with the smell of scorched metal and fuel, almost unable to breathe. He immediately activated his suit's circulation and purification system and instinctively reached for the electromagnetic baton at his waist, vigilantly watching the GenShell.
Suddenly, as if realizing something, he reached out to push the One-Eye Robot in front of him, trying to get closer.
At that moment, the captain's command came through the communicator: "Keep your distance!"
·
As soon as Anmu returned to the containment area, the scene before him seemed absurd.
In his years of experience, this was the first time such an incident had occurred at the beginning of a mission.
His primary vision interface flickered with process update notifications. The One-Eye Robot, almost swallowed in the GenShell's mouth, identified as number 13-31, had its status in the system changed from "active" to "awaiting recovery." The task process was quickly adjusted, with the original "extract biological samples" replaced by a newly inserted "protect sample tubes" directive, and the blue light on the interface rapidly listed the next steps:
First instruction, activate the deployed Electro-Spider Balls——
This would undoubtedly be tough for it, Anmu thought to himself.
Attempt to activate Electro-Spider Balls... failure.
He looked up in confusion. In the area formed by the module robots, an unexpected brown figure caught his eye:
Ale had already entered the jelly-like barrier and was walking alone towards the GenShell.
"Wait! Don't be reckless!" Anmu shouted in alarm.
Ignoring Anmu's warning, Ale confidently held the dark, muddy sandball, its center ignited with a small flame. His eyes sparkled with a mixture of determination and ingenuity, reminiscent of his childhood adventures.
Anmu's frustration was evident. He knew the unpredictability of infected creatures like the GenShell, and every unexpected move could escalate the situation. Yet, there was something in Ale's demeanor that held him back from intervening immediately.
Ale, focusing on the GenShell, slowly approached the creature. The GenShell, momentarily pausing its crunching, turned its massive head slightly, its eye catching the flickering flame. Ale's tactic seemed to be working, the GenShell's attention was now on the glowing sandball rather than the trapped robot.
"Be careful, Ale," Anmu warned through the communicator, his voice tinged with concern he wouldn't admit to.
Ale didn't respond, his entire concentration on the GenShell. He cautiously extended the sandball towards the creature, his heart racing with a mix of fear and excitement. The GenShell's massive form loomed over him, yet its movements appeared more curious than threatening.
In that tense moment, Anmu realized that Ale's unconventional approach might just be the key to diffusing the situation. While he prepared to intervene if things went south, part of him hoped for Ale's success.
The GenShell, intrigued by the flame, slowly inched closer, its huge eye fixated on the small light in Ale's hand. For a moment, the tension in the air eased, replaced by a silent understanding between man and beast.
Ale, under the watchful gaze of Anmu and the GenShell, stood at the crossroads of uncertainty and hope, his actions potentially changing the course of their encounter.