TIC Chapter 26

 Chapter 26

“You need help,” Hein remarked, raising an eyebrow as he sheathed the weapon in his hand and turned his gaze to meet Shen Bing’s.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that—it’s not like I’m a zombie,” Shen Bing said, taking a deep breath. “You must have heard about the cadet who piloted a dual-engine craft into our base while under a neural invasion by a Blocker.”

“So? Is he trapped?”

Shen Bing gave a helpless smile. “Yes, he’s trapped. But not by the Blocker—he’s trapped by himself.”

No sooner had the words left his lips than Mark—who had been idly playing a video game nearby—burst into laughter. “No way! What kind of idiot is that? He actually managed to trap *himself*?”

“It happened because I gave him an order: the longer a Blocker remains inside a host’s brain, the more residual data it leaves behind. And this cadet actually pulled it off—he managed to preserve a complete data stream within his mind. Since he’d never undergone any training to resist Blockers, he had to resort to this method to complete the mission—a method that effectively binds the enemy, yes, but also shuts down his own consciousness. I imagine it won’t be long before Char gets wind of how this cadet performed during the incident, at which point they’ll undoubtedly demand that I return him to Char fully conscious.”

“Alright, I suppose in a twisted sort of way, the guy counts as a ‘hero’—even if he is a total bonehead. Fine, I’ll do him a favor and refrain from mocking him any further.” Mark shrugged his shoulders and went back to his game, adding as an afterthought, “Just don’t tell me that boneheaded rookie’s name happens to be Xiao Yan.”

Shen Bing paused for a moment. “You guys… know him?”

“Huh? It really *is* Xiao Yan! That guy looks like he’d fall apart if you just tapped his bones—but his brain actually seemed to work pretty well! How on earth did he manage to trap himself like that?” Mark asked, his eyes wide with astonishment.

Liv, too, wore a look of concern; surprisingly, the other team members all stopped what they were doing and turned their attention toward Shen Bing.

“How do you want me to help you?” Hein finally asked. “Enter his subconscious, tell him that it’s all over, and bring his core consciousness back out of the subconscious realm.”

As Shen Bing finished speaking, the gazes of all the special forces soldiers bore down on him like razor-sharp blades. An ordinary person would have crumbled under such pressure instantly, yet Shen Bing’s expression remained completely unperturbed.

“You must know that I will never enter anyone’s subconscious again.”

In that moment, it was as if Hein’s eyelids were bearing the weight of infinite pressure—sagging with an air of utter despondency, as if on the verge of shattering.

“I... I went through that ordeal with you. Of course I understand how you feel, and I know exactly why you’re wondering why I won’t go in there myself. My neural pathways were damaged during that previous exploration; I can no longer withstand the strain of subconscious projection. But I know that *you* can.”

“I won’t help you. The human subconscious is the filthiest place imaginable—a cesspool where every vile impulse converges. I refuse to let myself sink into such a place ever again.”

Just then, the adjutant walked in and snapped a crisp, military salute toward both Shen Bing and Hein.

“Report!”

“What is it?”

“This is an official dispatch delivered to you from the Shiar.”

The adjutant tapped lightly in front of Shen Bing, and a holographic projection unfolded before them.

Shen Bing gave a wry smile. “Just as expected—they’ve issued a direct order for us to wake Xiao Yan.”

“It was inevitable. If we were to wait until Xiao Yan was repatriated to the Shiar before attempting to wake his consciousness, the delay would be far too long. His thoughts would become chaotic, the information architecture he has established would suffer irreparable damage, and the speed at which his brain interfaces with the terminal would be drastically reduced,” the adjutant replied. Shen Bing closed his eyes, steeled his resolve, and stood up. "Activate the terminal. I’ll be the one to link with his brain."

"Yes, sir!"

"Xiao Yan?" Mark let out a loud whistle. "Boss—that guy didn't get killed by zombies, didn't get taken out by the swarm of assassins, yet in the end, he managed to get himself killed by sheer stupidity!"

Liv shot him a fierce glare. "Mark!"

Mark laughed heartily, then suddenly slapped Liv on the back. "Hey, Liv—don't tell me you've actually fallen for that kid?"

Liv rolled her eyes at Mark, shook off his hand, and stepped up to Hein. She pleaded earnestly, "Colonel... Xiao Yan has served on missions with us, and he even saved Maya. He is our comrade; I hope you can help him wake up. Furthermore, Colonel Shen Bing is your friend; he has suffered severe neurological trauma in the past... Entering Xiao Yan's subconscious this time will be incredibly dangerous."

Hein remained silent, not uttering a single word.

Shen Bing walked over to the terminal and took his seat. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and gripped the armrests so tightly that his knuckles turned faintly white.

Only then did the secretary realize that Shen Bing was terrified.

"Colonel... If you..."

Shen Bing kept his eyes closed, a bitter smile playing on his lips. "If I don't go, are *you* going to go instead?"

The secretary lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Colonel. You and Colonel Burton were the only ones to successfully make it out of that operation alive; I never imagined that mission would inflict such lasting trauma upon you both."

"You’ve always looked up to me, but now I have to tell you the truth: I’m just an ordinary man—a cowardly, ordinary man."

Having said this, Shen Bing reached for the neural-link helmet. Just as he was about to put it on, someone grabbed his wrist.

"I'll do it."

It was a voice devoid of any emotion, yet it instantly brought a sense of calm to everyone present.

"Hein!" Shen Bing’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Hein pulled him up from his seat, then—without the slightest hesitation—picked up the helmet and placed it onto his own head.

"Hein..." Shen Bing grasped his hand. "Thank you. And... please be careful."

"What's the neural-link speed for this guy's brain?"

Hein stared straight ahead as the researchers beside him began calibrating the system. "Three hundred trillion."

Hein raised his eyes to meet Shen Bing’s gaze, a cruel line curving across his lips. "Faster than even you?"

"Yes... So, if any situation arises that you feel you cannot control, withdraw immediately. Do not linger!"

The greater the speed of the brain, the higher the complexity of the individual's thought processes; the deeper the dimensions of thought one can construct, the more dangerous the immersion becomes.

"Neural calibration!"

"Subconscious link established!"

In an instant, Hein’s vision hurtled through a kaleidoscopic tunnel, moving so fast it felt as if he were plummeting into a black hole.

Just as he attempted to steer the direction of his thoughts, a burst of light flared ahead; he shot through it abruptly, plunging into a pool of azure liquid. He remained on high alert, yet discovered that the liquid was warm, cradling him with a soft, yielding embrace. Occasionally, a gentle current would drift past his ears, teasing his hair—lightly twining around the strands, like an embrace, or perhaps a caress. He furrowed his brow and continued to descend; he had expected the depths to grow darker the further he went, but to his surprise, the currents grew even calmer, faintly shimmering with an inner radiance.

The very next moment, Hein’s face slowly emerged from the depths of the water; his gaze fell upon a vast, sprawling expanse of green fields. In the realm of the mind, the laws of nature ceased to exist.

Without needing to struggle, he effortlessly rose from the water, his body becoming as light as a feather. As the tips of his toes touched the grass, he spoke in a cold, measured tone: "Are you certain you sent me into *his* subconscious?"

Standing before the monitoring console, Shen Bing grew tense.

"Hein, what’s happening? If there is any anomaly, I will pull you out immediately!"

"No need."

Hein stepped onto the green fields. He crouched down, his fingers brushing against the blades of grass; as a gentle breeze swept past, grass seeds scattered—a sparse, drifting flurry—rising upward to drift toward the azure sea suspended overhead.

"What do you see?"

Shen Bing crossed his arms, his fingers unconsciously digging into his own flesh.

"It’s too calm here." Hein scanned his surroundings, searching for the core manifestation of Xiao Yan’s consciousness. “Calm? You need to be careful—the calmer the subconscious appears, the more traps lie hidden within it!”

“Mm.”

In stark contrast to Shen Bing’s extreme vigilance, Hein’s furrowed brows slowly relaxed. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, feeling the rippling water leave trails of light across his face. A soft rustling filled his ears; carried on the wind, there seemed to be a gentle, ceaseless melody.

“Yes... it is dangerous here.”

Hein replied faintly.

It possessed a beauty and tranquility utterly unlike reality—so captivating that one would wish to linger here forever... to surrender to it for all eternity.

“What’s wrong? I’ll be right there...”

“No need.”

Hein opened his eyes, his gaze turning sharp and piercing, and continued forward.

Finally, Hein spotted a towering tree—its branches and vines intertwining to bridge the gap between this verdant field and the ocean suspended overhead.

And there, nestled deep within the trunk of that very tree, lay Xiao Yan.

Hein pressed his palm against the trunk; beneath the bark, he could feel the surging flow of blood and the rhythmic beat of a heart.

“Hey, Rookie! Wake up!” Hein’s hand struck Xiao Yan’s cheek with unsparing force.

In that very instant, the seawater suspended in the heavens came crashing down, a torrential deluge threatening to overturn everything in its path. Hein gripped the tree trunk with all his might, barely managing to avoid being swept away. The water—once so gentle and mild—transformed instantly into razor-sharp blades, slicing into Hein’s flesh as blood spilled from his wounds, tracing the contours of the surging waves.

“Hein! What’s happening now? Do you need me to sever the link? Hein!”

Hein gritted his teeth and closed his eyes; his body slowly began to turn translucent, dissolving into the turbulent waves.

Just as the seawater was on the verge of subsiding, a massive wave tore through the tree trunk, stripping away its layers piece by piece. Hein’s form materialized once more; with unstoppable force, he plunged his arm into the trunk and hauled Xiao Yan out.

In the split second before the waves could surge again, Hein slammed his forehead violently against Xiao Yan’s head.

The searing pain forced a muffled groan from Xiao Yan’s lips, and at last, he opened his eyes. His gaze sank into the bottomless blue depths of Hein’s eyes, and an expression of dreamlike bewilderment washed over his face.

Hein glared at Xiao Yan, mouthing the words: "Stop all of this!"

Hein... Burton?

Why was he here?

Xiao Yan stared at him blankly; the turbulent world around them gradually settled, and the seawater—as if drawn by some unseen force—surged back toward the heavens in great, rushing currents.

Hein gripped Xiao Yan’s shoulders, and the two of them tumbled onto the grass; the air around them was thick with a moist, fresh scent.

"Where... am I?" Xiao Yan gazed around him in bewilderment.

Only then did he realize he was sprawled across Hein’s chest, his palms braced against Hein’s sides, while Hein’s arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, holding him close. Their noses were nearly touching; instinctively, Xiao Yan turned his head away. He felt the tip of Hein’s nose brush against his cheek, and the other man’s breath occasionally grazed his lips—a sensation that felt like the prelude to a kiss.

Hein cast a cold glance at Xiao Yan. "Your subconscious."

"...What?" Xiao Yan was stunned.

Beneath him, Hein shifted his position; Xiao Yan could feel the other man’s calves slowly brushing against his body. His mind stirred with agitation, and the ocean hovering above his head began to ripple with surging waves.

"In your attempt to preserve the data the 'Blocker' had implanted in your mind, you trapped yourself. This is simply your brain’s way of self-preservation. In your current state, you cannot perceive any external stimuli—anything originating outside your own mind—so you remain unaware that you are safe, and that you and your team have already successfully entered Base 14."

"Then... what about the Blocker?"

"The moment you entered the base, Shen Bing issued an order to jam all wireless signals. Consequently, the Blocker’s intrusion into your mind ceased."

There was not a single ripple of emotion in Hein’s voice; he was merely stating a fact that seemed to hold no personal significance for him. He released Xiao Yan, rose fluidly to his feet, and pulled Xiao Yan up along with him.

"So... we need to get out of here?"

"Not 'we'—*you* do."

"I... I don't know how."