Chapter 37 35

It's a mess. Three hundred spaceships retreated from the Hyperion system under the heavy fire of the rebels, fleeing like humans when they are attacked by a swarm. The vicinity of the military portal is like a lunatic asylum, the traffic control system is overloaded, and the spaceships are huddled together like electromagnetic cars in a Tianlun Five traffic jam, and they are as vulnerable as quails under the pursuit of the Destroyer battleship. All the entrances and exits were also frantic: the spaceships of the Overlords lined up like sheep in a narrow passage, from the severed Modeya to the outgoing portal.Ships jumped into Hebron, and some were transferred to the Gates of Heaven, the Valley of the Gods, the Star of the Endless Sea, and Esquith.There are only a few hours left now, and the rebel army will enter the Ten Thousand Stars Network.

What is mixed is that hundreds of millions of refugees have been transported from threatened worlds into cities and reception centers, driven into a state of semi-madness by the inexplicable excitement caused by the outbreak of war.In chaos, riots broke out in the unthreatened Wanxingwang world: nearly 70 million citizens were quarantined in three beehive housing estates in Luthers because of the riots of the Jing Demon God, 30-story shopping malls were looted, and apartment buildings were destroyed. The mob takes over, the assembly center is bombed, and the portal station is attacked.The Autonomous Council asked the Balian for help, and the Balian declared martial law and sent the Bajun marines to seal off those beehives.

Separatist riots on New Earth and Maui|Covenant.Grannon︱Heydt's royalists have been quiet for three-quarters of a century terrorizing Thalia, Armaghast, Nordholm, and Risan.Qingdao︱Xishuangbanna and Renaissance Star also had riots from the Jing Demon Sect. The Olympus Overlord Command sent the combat troops withdrawn from Hyperion to various worlds of Ten Thousand Stars Network, and the blasting team sent to the torchship of the threatened galaxy reported that the destruction line had been installed at the base point of the portal, Just wait for Tianlun Wu to order. There is a better way, Counselor Elpidus told Graystone and the Council members.

The president turned to face the intelligence core ambassador. There is a weapon that can destroy the Ouster without hurting the Alliance's assets, nor the Ouster's assets. General Mopurgo snorted.You're talking about a bomb equal to a sudden death stick.He said: No way.Bajun's researchers have proved that the legacy will remain forever. Apart from this being unfair and violating the new Bushido norms, the inhabitants and invaders on the planets may also be wiped out together. Not at all, Elbido said: As long as the citizens of the Balian are properly covered, there will be no casualties at all.You also know that the death stick can measure specific brainwave wavelengths.Sudden death bullets can also be designed and manufactured according to the same principle.Domestic animals, wild animals, and even other human-like groups are not affected.

Feng of the Overlord Marine Corps.General Zedat rose to his feet.But it is impossible to cover all the population!Our experiments have shown that heavy excited neutrons from wide-death bombs can penetrate solid rock or metal to a depth of up to six kilometers.Nobody has a bunker like that! The projection of Advisor Elpidus placed his hands on the table.We have bunkers like this that can house billions of people on nine worlds.he said softly. Graystone nodded.The labyrinth world, she whispered, but it is impossible to transfer a large number of people like this. Otherwise, said Elpidus: Now you have made Hyperion your domain.Every labyrinth world has the ability to teleport, and the intelligence core can arrange to teleport the population directly to those underground bunkers.

There were chaotic voices around the long conference table, but Mena.Graystone's focused gaze never left Elpidus's face.She raised her hand for silence, then said: Just to clarify, we are very interested. The Consul sat waiting to die in the small shade of a low Neville tree.His hands are tied behind his back with a plastic fiber.His clothes were torn, but still wet; part of the water on his face was river water, but most of it was sweat. The two men standing in front of him had just finished searching his canvas bag.Shit, the first guy said: Nothing worth a fart in there, just this fucking antique pistol, he put Brown.Lamia's father's weapon was in his belt.

What a shame to get that fucking gray blanket, said the second. Then what's so good about flying in the end!The first person said, and then both of them burst out laughing. The Consul squinted at the two big men, their armored silhouettes reflected in the setting sun, and he guessed they were countrymen from their accents, from their slightly outdated appearance of Tyrannical tight armor, heavy multi-purpose combat guns, and tattered camouflage patterns Played his guess that they were deserters from some Hyperionian Self-Defense Forces unit. Judging by their attitude to him, he was sure they would kill him.

At first, still recovering from the shock of falling into the Huli River, still entangled in the ropes that bound him to the canvas bag and the useless falcon carpet, he thought the two were his. savior.The Consul fell straight into the water, having been submerged for so long that it seemed impossible for him not to drown, and was just brought to the surface by a strong current, then the tangled rope and the flying carpet. At the bottom, it was a valiant but losing battle.When he was still ten meters from the shallow water, one of the two men who emerged from the thorn bushes threw a rope to the consul.Then they beat him up, robbed him, tied him up, and from the seriousness of their looks they were now about to slit his throat and leave him to feed the first birds.

The taller of the two, with messy hair, crouched in front of the consul, and pulled a sharpened clay knife out of its sheath.Any last words, Dad? The Consul licked his lower lip.He'd seen a thousand movies and TV's, and in those movies, it was the main character who tripped his opponent's legs from underneath, kicked the guy unconscious, grabbed the weapon, and took out the other one with still being shot. With tied hands he shoots and continues his adventure.But the Consul didn't feel like a hero at all. He was exhausted, middle-aged, and aching all over from falling into the river.Both of them were thinner, stronger, faster than him, and obviously much more ruthless than him.He'd seen violence and even used it once but his life and training had been on the tense but peaceful path of diplomacy.

The consul licked his lower lip again and said: I can pay you. The squatting man smiled slightly, swinging the knife back and forth five centimeters from the consul's eyes.What will you pay for, father?We've got your Universal Card, which isn't worth a damn here. Gold, the consul said, knowing that this is the only word that has always had its power for thousands of years. The squatting man didn't respond. He looked at the blade with a sick look in his eyes but the other man stepped forward and put a large hand on his accomplice's shoulder.What are you talking about?dude?Where did you get the gold?

On my ship, the Consul said: The Benaris. The squatting man held the knife up to his own cheek.He lied, Zeko, the Benaris was that old flat-bottomed barge pulled by the stingray.It belonged to those green-skinned guys we killed three days ago. The Consul closed his eyes, feeling nauseous, but fought it back.Batik and the rest of the cyborg crew had left the Benaris less than a week ago while the ship was at anchor, heading downstream to freedom.Apparently came across something else.Bettik metamorphosed, he said: Boatswain, didn't he mention the gold thing? The man with the knife grinned grimly.He made a lot of noises, but he didn't say anything, he said the boat was going to the goddamn Edge.I thought, without the stingrays dragging us, how could we go so far. Shut up, Ou Bing.The other guy squats in front of the consul, how do you have gold on that old barge, man? The Consul looked up.Don't you recognize me?I am the Consul of the Balian in Hyperion, and I have been there for many years. Hey, don't you fucking fool our man with the knife and said, but the other one cut him off.Yes, man, I remember seeing your face on the light curtain when I was a child, now that the sky is falling, what are you doing upriver with gold, brother of the Balian? We were originally going to take refuge in Time Fort.said the consul.He tries not to speak too eagerly, but at the same time appreciates every second of being alive. (Why?) Part of him thought: (You're tired of living and ready to die.) But that's not the way to die.Because of Saul and Rachel, there are others who need his help. There are several richest people in Hyperion, he said: The unit responsible for the evacuation would not let them take the gold away, so I promised to help them store it in the safe of Time Fort, which is a place in the north of the Horseshoe Mountain Range. old castle.I can earn commissions. You are fucking crazy!The man with the knife sneered: "The world in the north is full of Jing Demon God." The Consul lowered his head, not needing to hide his exhaustion and frustration now.We also found out.The cyborg crew all ran away last week, and some passengers were killed by the Jing Demon God.I went down alone. It's all bullshit!said the man with the knife.There was that sickly dazed look in his eyes again. Wait a minute, said his partner.He slapped the consul hard across the face.Where's the so-called golden ship, old man? The Consul tasted blood in his mouth.Upriver, not on the river, but tucked away in a tributary. Yes, said the man with the knife, laying it flat against the Consul's neck.He didn't need to slash the Consul's neck, just turn the blade around.I say it's all bullshit, I say we're wasting our time. Wait a minute, the other snapped.How far away? The Consul thought for a moment about the tributaries he had traveled in the past hour or two.The sun has almost reached the row of dead trees to the west.Just above the Karla Locks.He said. Then why don't you come down in a boat and fly over with your toy thing? Looking for help, the Consul said.The secretion of the adrenal glands had already diminished, and now he felt only hopelessly tired.There were so many robbers along the coast that it seemed too risky to go by boat.The Falcon Magic Carpet is safer. The one named Qi Zi laughed out loud.Put the knife away, Ou Bing.Let's go a little bit upstream, shall we? Ou Bing jumped up.The knife was still in his hand, but now the blade and his anger were directed at his accomplices. You're fucked out, man, huh?Your head between your ears is full of poop, eh?He's been bluffing so as not to kill the dog. Qi Zi neither blinked nor backed away, yes, he might be lying, and that's okay, eh?The gate isn't half a day's walk from where we're going anyway, eh?No ships, no gold, you slit his throat, eh?Just walk slowly and break your legs; if you had gold, you'd still do what you want with a knife, only rich, eh? Ou Bing vacillated between anger and rationality, then turned to one side, and slashed across a tree trunk eight centimeters thick with the knife in his hand.He had time to turn around and crouch before the Consul before gravity let the tree know it had been cut, and the whole tree fell back toward the river, its branches crashing to the ground.Ou Bing grabbed the consul's wet shirt front.Alright, let's go see what's in there.Brother from the Overlord League.If you babble, run away, or stumble any more, I'll cut off your fingers and ears for practice.Well? The Consul staggered to his feet, and the three of them walked back into the bushes and bushes. The Consul walked three meters behind Qi Zi, about the same distance from the European soldiers behind him, and walked back the way he came, away from the The city, his ship, and a chance to save Thor and Rachel. An hour passed.The Consul couldn't figure out what to do when he reached the tributary but couldn't find the boat.Qi Zi waved to them several times to be quiet and hide.Once I heard the sound of birds flapping their wings among the branches and leaves, and the other time there was some noise from the other side of the river, but there was no sign of people and no signs of rescue.The Consul recalled the burned buildings along the river, the deserted huts and the empty docks.The fear of the Thorn Demon, the fear of falling behind in the evacuation and falling into the hands of the Ousters, and the months of harassment by bad elements of the Self-Defense Forces had made this area a no man's land.The consul came up with all kinds of excuses and delays, but threw them aside.His only hope was that they would get close to the gate, and then he would be able to jump into the deep, fast water, try to stay afloat with his hands tied behind his back, and finally try to hide in there. The following is like a maze of small islands. However, even if his hands were not tied, he was too tired to swim, and the weapons carried by the two men could easily lock the target, even if he escaped into the waterway and the island ten minutes earlier than them.The Consul was too tired to be so quick-witted, and too old to be so brave.He thought of his wife and son, who had died years ago when people as vile as these two had bombed Brescia.The consul's only regret was not being able to keep his promise to save other pilgrims.Sad about this incident and sorry for not being able to see the final result. Ou Bing made a disdainful voice behind him, shit, Qi Zi, eh?You see, how about we suppress him and let him recruit with some torture?Well?Then we'll find the barge ourselves.If there is such a boat. Qi Zi turned around, wiped away the sweat from his eyes, frowned contemplatively, looked at the consul, and said, "Hey, yes, I want to save time and make a fuss, what do you say?" It's a good idea, but let him explain it completely, eh? No problem, Ou Bing grinned grimly, put the gun on his back, and stretched out the knife. Don't move!There was a loud voice from above.The consul fell to his knees, and the two former self-defense army robbers quickly took off the weapons they were carrying with skillful movements.There was a flash of light, a loud noise, and the surrounding branches, leaves and dust swept past. The Consul raised his head, just in time to see a fluctuation in the cloud-covered evening sky. Just below the cloud layer, he felt a weight pressing down from above, and Qi Zi raised his head. Picking up his long gun, Ou Bing aimed the gun, and then all three of them fell down and rushed forward, not like soldiers who were shot, and not like all the recoil in the equation of ballistics, but like The tree that Ou Bing chopped off with a knife earlier fell down. The Consul lay facedown in the sand and stones, eyes wide open, unable to blink. (Shock weapon,) he thought, only to feel his thoughts stagnant like old oil, a whirlwind blew up, and a huge thing he couldn't see landed on the ground between the three bodies and the river bank.The Consul heard the humming of hatches and the soft click of the turbines as they stopped.He still couldn't blink, let alone raise his head, and his field of vision was limited to a few pebbles, a sand dune, a small mound of grass, and a busy ant, so huge at such a close distance that it seemed suddenly to the consul's eyes. The moist but unable to blink eyes are very interesting.The ant turned and scrambled quickly across the half-meter distance between itself and the wet goodness.The consul thought in his mind to the unhurried footsteps behind him: (Hurry up!) Holding his armpits with both hands, he snorted, and a voice that sounded familiar but was exerting force said: Damn, you have gained weight. The Consul's heels dragged on the ground, crushing Qi Zi's twitching fingers. Maybe Consul Ou Bing couldn't turn his head to see their faces, and he couldn't see the person who rescued him. A groaning and cursing dragged through the uncamouflaged floater's starboard door and pushed into the long, soft-leather passenger seat. Theo.Governor Lien appeared in the consul's field of vision. After the hatch was closed, the red light inside the plane shone on his magical baby face.Excuse me, the young man leaned over and fastened the seat belt over the consul's chest, I had to knock you down with those two guys.Theo sat up straight, buckled himself up, and turned the lever.The Consul felt a jolt in the floater, then lifted off.Slightly circles, then turns to the left like a plate on a frictionless surface.The acceleration caused the Consul to press against the seat. I don't have a choice.Theo said in the faint noise inside the floater: The only weapon allowed on this type of aircraft is the shock gun used in riot control, and the most convenient way is to knock down all three of you with the lowest energy After that, I will quickly rescue you.Theo pushed his glasses up on his nose with a familiar flick and turned to grin at the Consul.The old saying among the foreign mercenaries kill them all and let God decide who they are and who is who. The consul moved his tongue reluctantly, made a sound, and drooled a little on his face and the leather seat. Relax, Theo said, turning his attention back to the instruments and the scene outside.After two or three minutes, you can speak clearly.I'm staying low and flying low, so I'll be back in Keats in about ten minutes.Theo glanced at his passenger.You're in luck, sir, you must be dehydrated, those two guys wet their pants when they went down.The shock gun is a very human weapon, but it can also be embarrassing if you don't have a replacement pair of pants handy. The Consul wanted to express his opinion on this weapon of humanity. Wait a minute or two, sir, Theo.As Governor Lane said, he reached out and wiped the Consul's cheek with a handkerchief.I should warn you first, it can be a little uncomfortable when the shock wears off. At this moment, the Consul only felt that someone had inserted several thin needles into him. How the hell did you find me?asked the consul.They were several kilometers above the city, still flying over the Huli River, and he was sitting up and speaking more or less clearly, but the Consul was grateful to have a few more minutes before he had to get up or move around. What, sir? I said, how did you find me?How could you know that I came back here along the Huli River? President Greystone informed me with the FTL communicator, the old one-shot communicator in the consulate, which is extremely confidential. Graystone?The Consul was shaking his hands, regaining feeling in those rubber sausage-like fingers.And how did Graystone know I was in trouble on the Hooli?I left Grandma Celie's comm in the valley so I could communicate with the other pilgrims when I got to the boat.How could Greystone know? I don't know, sir, but she clearly showed you where you were, and said you were in trouble.She even knows about your crash on the Falcon Carpet. The Consul shook his head.That lady has sources we never dreamed of, Theo. Yes, sir. The Consul looked at his friend.Theo.Lien has served as the governor of the new territory of Hyperion for a year now, but old habits are hard to break. The title of officer comes from the fact that he served as the vice-consul and chief assistant under the consul for seven years.The last time he saw the young man wasn't so young now, thought the Consul; heavy duty had wrinkled that young face. Like it was over a week ago, and like it was years ago. By the way, the Consul said carefully: Thank you, Theo. The governor nodded, obviously thinking about something.He didn't ask the consul what he saw north of the mountains, or about the fate of the other pilgrims.Below them, the Hooli River widens and curves toward the capital, Keats.In the distance rose low cliffs on either side, their granite walls shimmering in the twilight.Clumps of evergreens trembled in the breeze. Theo, how is it possible that you have time to come to me in person?The situation in Hyperion must have been a mess. Indeed, Theo ordered the autopilot to take over, turning to look at the Consul.It might be hours or minutes before the Ousters actually invade. The Consul blinked.Invasion?Did you mean landing? Not bad at all. But the fleet of the Alliance It was a complete mess, and it was difficult for them to stop the chaos army from invading Ten Thousand Stars Network. Wanxing.com! The whole galaxy is about to fall.Threatened elsewhere, the Overlord ordered the fleet to go back through the military portal, but apparently those ships in the galaxy found it hard to get out.No one told me the details, but it's clear that apart from the defensive circles the Overlords have set up around the planets and portals, everything else has fallen to the Ousters. What about the spaceport?The Consul thought of his beautiful ship as a wreck. It has not been attacked yet, but the Overlord Army has been withdrawing the landing craft and supply ships as quickly as possible, leaving only the basic combat power of the Marine Corps. What about the evacuation plan? Theo laughed.The Consul had never heard such a distressed sound from the young man.The evacuation plan depends on how many officials and big figures of the Overlord Alliance can be accommodated on the last evacuated landing craft. Did they give up on saving the people of Hyperion? Sir, they can't even save their own people, the word from the ambassador's FTL communication line is that Graystone decided to let the threatened world of Wanxingwang fall, so that the Overlords can regroup, and it will take a year or two Time to build defenses during the time debt generated by the chaos. My God, said the Consul softly.He has worked on behalf of the Balian for most of his life, and has always been conspiring and planning to make the Balian fall and avenge his grandmother, which was his grandmother's lifelong career.But now that it really happened What about Jing Demon God?He asked suddenly, seeing the low white buildings of Keats City appearing a few kilometers away, the sun shining on the hills and rivers, like the last blessing before darkness. Theo shook his head, there were still some relevant reports, but now the main source of panic has been replaced by the Ousters. But it's still not in Wanxing.com, right?I mean, Jing Demon God. The Governor gave the Consul a sharp look.In Wanxing.com?How could it be in Wanxing.com?They haven't given Hyperion a portal yet.Haven't seen it near Keats or Endymion or Port Romance either.All the larger cities don't. The Consul didn't say anything, but he was thinking, (My God, my betrayal was unreasonable, I sold my soul to open the time tomb, but the Jing Demon God is not the reason for the decline of Wanxingwang Destroyer! They always Smarter than us! My betrayal of the Hegemony is part of their plan!) You see, Theo said eagerly, grabbing the consul by the wrist: There's a reason why Graystone made me drop everything to go to you.She also ordered your ship to be released Very good!Consul said: I can listen!You can't go back to Tokavale, Gracestone wants you to avoid the Raider's defenses and wander the system to make contact with Traitor units. Chaotic army?why would The president wants you to negotiate with them.They know you, and she's figured out a way to let them know you're coming.She thinks they'll make you think they won't destroy your ship.But she has not been confirmed in this regard.It's going to be risky. The consul reclined in the leather chair.He felt as if he had been hit by the shock gun again.negotiation?What the hell am I negotiating with? Graystone said she'll be in touch with you via FTL on your ship as soon as you leave Hyperion.This matter must be done quickly.Just today, before all the first worlds under attack fall to the Traitors. The Consul heard of the first wave of worlds under attack, but did not ask if his beloved Maui-Covenant was among them.Perhaps, he thought, it would be best to include it.He said: No, I want to go back to Shizukagaya. Theo adjusted his glasses.She won't allow it, sir. oh?The consul smiled slightly, how could she stop me?Throw my boat down? I don't know, but she said she wouldn't let you do it.From Xio's words, he was really worried.The Overlord Fleet does have radar sentinels and flare ships in orbit, sir, to escort the last of the landing craft. Well, said the Consul, still smiling, let them try to knock me down and see.Anyway, it's been two hundred years since a manned spaceship has landed near Totsukadani; every spaceship lands perfectly, but the crew disappears.Before they could hit me, I was already hanging on the Jing Demon God's tree.The Consul closed his eyes and imagined the boat landing empty on the plain above the valley.He imagined Thor, Doohey, and the others miraculously returning and running to the ship to seek refuge and use the medical equipment inside to save Hatt.Mustin and Brown.Lamia, use the frozen fugue and sleep capsule inside to save little Rachel. God!Theo whispered, the startled tone bringing the Consul back from his reverie. They flew over the city to the last bend of the river.The cliffs here are much higher, and they get higher as you go south, until you reach the head of King Billy carved on the mountain.The sun was just setting, staining the low clouds and the houses on the cliffs to the east red. Fighting is raging over the city.Lasers shot in and through the clouds, and ships dodged like gnats and burned like moths too close to a flame.While parafoils and vague levitating force fields float beneath a ceiling of clouds, Keats City is under attack.The Ousters have come to Hyperion. Oh, that's fucking awesome, Theo whispered in awe. Along the forested ridge northwest of the city, there was a flash of fire, and a contrail showed a shoulder-launched rocket heading straight for the Alliance floater. Hurry up!Theo yelled, turning back to manual control, flipping various switches, causing the skimmer to veer sharply to the right, trying to turn directly into the radius of rotation of the little rocket itself. The explosion at the tail of the plane sent the Consul forward into the seat belt, and his vision blurred for a moment.When he could see clearly again, the cabin was already filled with thick smoke. In the mist, only many red warning lights were flashing, and a dozen urgent voices warned that the system failure of the floater.Theo is sternly bent over the Almighty Lever. Hurry up!He repeated it needlessly.The floaters spun nauseously, finding a point of focus in the air, then losing it, and they rolled all the way, slanting toward the burning city.