The quantum keyboard's holographic interface shimmered with malicious intent, its azure projections slicing through the sterile air of Exam Pod 7-C. Lin Ye stared at the pulsing keys, each glowing node a mocking reminder of how far he'd fallen. Three months. Three months since he'd awakened in this metal womb orbiting Tau Ceti e, three months choking down protein slurry that tasted like liquefied regrets. The Federation's "historical enlightenment" streams played in his neural feed daily, reducing the burning of the Shaolin Temple to a bullet point in Primitive Energy Cult Case Studies Vol. XII.
"Simulation commencing in 3...2..."
The AI's voice snapped his attention to the biometric displays encircling the pod. His E-grade Spirit Core throbbed beneath synthetic skin, its certification sigil glowing like a dying star through the cheap polymer uniform. Through the translucent partition, he saw Chloe from Pod 7-B smirk as she activated her ocular implants - crystalline lenses that transformed her pupils into hexagonal targeting grids.
"One hundred credits says the Earth relic's core detonates before firewall initialization," she broadcasted, her voice modulator adding metallic harmonics to the venom. "I'll even volunteer to hose his genetic residue into the recyclers."
Lin Ye's fingernails bit into his palms. Eight centuries ago during the Ming Dynasty, he'd disciplined disciples for lesser insults at the Azure Dragon Sect. Now he counted heartbeats as the exam interface materialized - a shimmering lattice of quantum nodes that made his suppressed Divine Sense writhe like a chained dragon. Golden fragments of the Zhuangzi superimposed themselves over Federation algorithms in his vision, ancient philosophy warring with cold machine logic.
WARNING: Unauthorized energy pattern detected
Crimson alerts exploded across every surface. Lin Ye's occipital implant sent jagged pain through his skull as suppression fields activated. He recognized the trap now - beneath the Federation's sterile geometries pulsed the unmistakable rhythm of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Chains Formation. They'd embedded a Longhua Sect confinement array in the test module, its spiritual barbs disguised as cybersecurity protocols.
"Reinitializing simulation sequence."
His hands moved with ancestral muscle memory. Fingers blurred across holographic keys, inputting counter-sigils from the Scripture of Shattering Void Shackles. Each keystroke resonated with tactile memories - the drag of wolf-hair brushes on mulberry paper, the weight of jade meditation beads between calloused fingers. The pod's temperature plummeted, his breath crystallizing into snowflake fractals as suppressed spiritual energy brushed the containment field.
ALERT: Spiritual intrusion detected
Security protocol upgraded to Amber-3
"Primitive cockroach!" Chloe's laughter crackled through static. "Look at his biometrics! The savage's overloading like a damaged fusion core!"
Reality fractured. The exam pod's white walls dissolved into jade pavilions consumed by plasma fire. Lin Ye tasted blood as his Spirit Core shrieked warnings - the Federation implant was tearing through his meridians like barbed wire. Through the haze, he saw the firewall lattice morph into the Eight Trigrams configuration of a cleansing array, its rotating symbols mirroring the Tai Chi diagram above his ancestral tomb.
With a roar that shook the pod's restraints, he completed the final counter-sigil. The universe exploded in crimson light.
Agony lanced through every nerve. Lin Ye collapsed against the harness as suppression fields activated, his body convulsing with conflicting energies. Biometric readouts flashed catastrophe:
Heart rate: 187bpm
Core stability: 9%
Recommended action: Immediate neural purge
Darkness swallowed him. The last coherent sensations were the cold kiss of metal against his cheek and the rising whine of stasis rifles. Somewhere beyond the pod's quantum-shielded walls, a familiar scent teased his fading consciousness - osmanthus blossoms and gun oil, the haunting perfume of the Federation's first orbital bombardment.
System Alert
Candidate #11485 (Lin Ye)
Spiritual Resonance Anomaly: 99.83% match
Flagged for: Cultivator Sympathizer Protocol
Assigned Investigator: A-3 Verlac
Containment Team Dispatched: ETA 2.7 minutes
Observation Deck Transcript
Timestamp: 3023.08.14 14:23 GST
Security footage analysis:
00:07:23 - Subject's left iris exhibits golden fractal patterns (87% match to "Daoist Divine Sense Manifestation" archives)00:07:31 - Energy surge correlates with Ancient Beijing Timekeeping artifacts (see attached Han Dynasty sundial resonance chart)00:07:42 - Residual spiritual waveform matches Wudang Mountain's destroyed energy signature
Containment Protocol Recommendations:
Immediate termination via Protocol 9 (High-risk Cultivator Neutralization)Full memory extraction for Quantum Throne databaseBiological preservation for Soulforge experiments
Director's Handwritten Note:
"Specimen shows unprecedented energy harmonics. Delay termination until after the blood moon cycle. The Throne demands fresh tribulation data."
Incident Aftermath Report
Location: Exam Bay 7, Corridor 12
Cleanup drones whirred as they scrubbed blackened scorch marks from Pod 7-C's interior. Technician Jax adjusted his respirator, staring at the warped quantum keyboard. Molten holographic components had fused into an eerie replica of the Bagua diagram.
"Third incident this month," muttered his partner, scanning residual energy readings. "These Earth relics keep corrupting our systems."
Jax pried a twisted key from the console. The once-pristine Federation alloy now bore claw-like grooves resembling ancient seal script. "You ever wonder why we're still using their tech as exam modules?"
A shadow fell across the damaged pod. Both technicians froze as a silver-haired woman in an intelligence officer's uniform tapped the melted console with her data monocle. The scent of ozone and peonies filled the corridor.
"Because, gentlemen," Investigator Verlac said with a smile that chilled their augmented spines, "even dead gods leave useful bones."