Chapter 277: First Contact
— Meanwhile - Riverine Containment & Research Facility —
Back at the Portal Containment Zone, the facility and all the equipment used to monitor the portal were operating at full capacity. Both General Richard J. Colt and Dr. Eric Steiner remained inside the secure control room, closely monitoring the situation.
General Richard placed his empty coffee cup onto its saucer. It was the third cup of coffee he had finished in the past hour. He was both nervous and anxious about the current situation.
They had already compared every recorded parameter from before and after the bomb test. The only difference was a few minor changes in the portal’s parameters after the detonation, yet those small changes had somehow allowed them to establish a response from the portal.
It was almost as though God Himself had guided them.
Near the portal, the expedition team stood on standby. The combat personnel were conducting final checks on their weapons and equipment, while the scientific team waited nervously.
"How is it, Doctor? Have we learned anything from the drone footage we sent to the other side?" the general asked the officer reviewing the live recordings.
"Yes, General. It appears there are humans on the other side. Based on our preliminary analysis, their level of civilization resembles that of ancient China, possibly around the Tang or Ming Dynasty. I’ve already sent images of their clothing to historical experts. They’re trying to determine the exact period because the clothing appears to be a mixture of several styles, and many of the garments don’t match typical Tang or Ming attire."
"What exactly are we dealing with?"
The officer glanced at the latest report sent by the analysts before answering.
"There are two possibilities, sir. Either we’ve somehow established a connection to Earth’s ancient past, or we’ve opened a gateway to an entirely different world with its own history and civilization. Based on the available evidence, however, the analysts believe the second possibility is far more likely."
He continued.
"If that’s the case, then we have no idea what level of technology exists over there, what scientific principles they operate under, or even whether they’re biologically identical to us. They may possess abilities or phenomena we’ve never encountered before."
"You mean if we send a team through, we’re likely to encounter surprises we have no way of preparing for," the general concluded.
"That’s one way to put it, sir. Also, based on the structures visible near the portal, it appears there was some kind of conflict on the other side. There are clear signs of battle, and the clothing samples we recovered came from several bodies near the area."
"Whatever happened over there, it looks like someone attacked the site and killed the people working around the gate, who appear to have been construction workers. As for the blood and skin samples collected by the drones, they’re still being analyzed in the lab. The results haven’t come back yet, sir," the officer explained.
The general nodded solemnly before turning toward Dr. Eric Steiner.
"Dr. Steiner, is your team ready? We’ll begin the operation soon."
Dr. Steiner looked toward the scientists he had assembled. Every one of them looked nervous, yet their expressions also carried unmistakable excitement and curiosity.
"Yes, General. They’re ready. Nervous, but ready," Dr. Steiner replied.
"Then we’ll begin the operation in thirty minutes. Tell the portal monitoring team to stand by."
"Yes, sir!"
The officer immediately relayed the orders to the monitoring team and every unit assigned to support the expedition. The drone operators continued surveying the other side, hoping to gather any last-minute intelligence before the mission began.
They needed to move quickly. The diplomatic situation overseas was becoming increasingly tense, and they had no idea how long the portal would remain stable.
The situation was far from ideal, but they had no choice except to take the risk.
Even if it was a gamble, they intended to maximize the expedition team’s chances of survival.
Once every preparation had been completed and no unexpected problems had arisen, it was finally time for the operation to begin.
The general checked his wristwatch against the base’s official clock before giving the order.
"Operation Phantom Gate, begin."
With that command, every officer, soldier, and scientist focused completely on their assigned duties. Like a fully drawn bowstring, the entire operation was stretched to its limit. Every change in the portal’s parameters was carefully monitored and immediately recorded in the database.
The expedition team slowly advanced toward the portal.
At the front were veteran soldiers, a combined force of Navy SEALs and Delta Force operators.
Behind them came the diplomatic personnel and the scientific team, accompanied by dog-like quadrupedal drones carrying large amounts of equipment and supplies.
The vanguard team, consisting of elite soldiers, passed through the portal.
The moment they emerged, the eight-man team moved like a well-oiled machine. They advanced in perfect silence, swiftly checking every nook and cranny around them. Their weapons were raised, lasers sweeping across the cavern walls.
Their surroundings consisted of little more than a massive cavern. Around the portal they had just emerged from stood a gate-like structure. The construction appeared unfinished, or perhaps it had been interrupted by something.
The team leader, Harrison, raised a clenched fist, and every man immediately froze.
He then followed it with the hand signal for a perimeter check.
A few moments later, Harrison spotted several bodies lying motionless on the cavern floor. He signaled to the team with a hand gesture, indicating that he had found corpses.
The team slowly and cautiously approached the bodies to examine them. There was no movement, no breathing, and the large pools of blood surrounding the corpses were more than enough to indicate that they couldn’t possibly have survived such massive blood loss.
One of the soldiers, wearing protective gloves, examined the bodies for rigor mortis.
"Rigor mortis hasn’t set in yet. Blood’s still warm. Possible hostiles nearby," he reported in short, concise sentences.
The team immediately shifted into formation and conducted a rapid sweep of the entire cavern.
Only after thoroughly clearing the large open cavern did the team slow down, though they remained fully alert.
"Command, this is Reaper One. Ten minutes since arrival. No movement, no contacts. Three deceased natives on site, very recent. Blood still warm. We’re green to bring the diplomatic team across per mission brief. Science team will follow once the diplomats are in position," Harrison reported.
After a brief moment, the diplomatic team entered the cavern. Some of them were startled by the sight of the bodies, while a few were veteran diplomats who had served in war zones, so they merely glanced at the corpses.
After the diplomatic team arrived, a middle-aged diplomat who had clearly witnessed his share of violence and bloodshed in war zones let out a sigh, made the sign of the cross, and silently paid his respects to the deceased.
"We’ve got three native bodies about twenty meters to your left. Killed very recently. No hostiles in sight right now, but we have to assume they’re close. Your call, sir. We can hold here for initial contact protocols or push a little deeper under heavy cover. Your team has priority per the briefing," Harrison told the leader of the diplomatic team.
"We’ll hold here for now. Please secure the outer perimeter, Captain," the diplomatic team leader replied.
About ten minutes later, just as the team was preparing to declare the area secure enough to establish a forward operating base while the vanguard team pushed farther out to secure the surrounding area, a series of footsteps echoed from the tunnel leading deeper into the cave.
The vanguard team immediately swung their rifles toward the tunnel entrance.
As the footsteps drew closer, they saw a woman wearing crimson and black armor that resembled ancient Chinese armor, though it was adorned with skull motifs. Her long, wild black hair resembled a lion’s mane. She possessed strikingly beautiful features, and her figure was comparable to that of a top model, yet carried the toned physique of a seasoned athlete.
"Huh? Who are you people?" the woman asked, tilting her head.
Then her gaze shifted to the corpses on the ground before returning to the newcomers. Her eyes were filled with caution and suspicion.
The leader of the diplomatic team immediately recognized the language she had spoken.
"It’s... it’s Chinese!"
He quickly stepped forward and replied in Chinese.
"Miss, please remain calm. We weren’t the ones who killed the people on the ground," the diplomatic team leader explained immediately, afraid of causing a misunderstanding.
"Of course I know. All of you are mortals. There’s no way people like you could kill cultivators. Even if they were only low-ranking cultivators, the gap between you is still enormous." The woman scratched her head before continuing.
"What I want to know is, who are you people?"
At that moment, Captain Harrison asked, "Sir... what are you talking about with her? Is she hostile?"
"No. She’s not, at least she doesn’t seem to be. She just wants to know who we are," the lead diplomat replied before turning back to the woman in black and crimson armor.
The lead diplomat raised both hands slightly to show that he was unarmed and kept his voice calm and respectful.
"We are not from this world," he said clearly in Mandarin. "My name is Brandon Lee. We are a diplomatic and exploration team sent from Earth, a place beyond the portal you see behind us. We came here in peace, hoping to make contact with the people of this world."