Otaku Translation: Carrying the Bases of Starcraft C198

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Chapter 198: The Strange

A short while later, the five of them boarded the shuttle. As the lift slowly ascended, the hangar’s upper deck retracted, revealing a vast expanse of open space.

The engines roared to life. With a smooth push of the throttle, the shuttle shot forward like a silver carp breaking the surface of water, swiftly detaching from and heading toward a specific section of the relay station above.

The entire relay structure resembled a massive ship’s helm, composed of two interlocking rings—one large, one small. The inner ring likely stabilized , while the outer ring housed energy systems. The long, central “rudder” was probably for auxiliary functions.

Based on drone footage, Tang Fang set their landing point at the rudder’s top—where the most energy channels were visible. Given the flow pattern of those glowing lines, it was highly likely this area led to the control core.

Soon after entering the relay’s ten-kilometer radius , the shuttle’s flight computer adjusted thrust automatically. The craft slowed down and gently touched down on a flat platform at the center of the rudder.

Before disembarking, Tang Fang retrieved several sets of from his system space. “We don’t know what awaits inside. Put these on.”

Arroz and Housen accepted theirs without hesitation—marine and marauder suits respectively. Walton and Churchill, however, looked positively gleeful. They had been eyeing the gear for ages.

Walton chose a marine suit, while Churchill, after a few seconds of deliberation, approached the with a sly grin, mimicking Housen’s movements. After much struggling, he finally managed to squeeze into the thing like a bull in a corset.

Claire hesitated before moving toward a marine suit—only for Tang Fang to suddenly grab her arm and toss her a instead. “You wear that.”

She gave him a side glance before stepping into it. Housen, ever the pervert, clapped Tang Fang on the shoulder with a leering smile. “Heh, heh… so you’re into that kind of thing too?”

Tang Fang didn’t even dignify the comment with a response. He simply moved to a marine suit and began suiting up.

Minutes later, they were all geared up and ready. Just as Arroz was about to open the hatch, Grant’s voice crackled through the comms.

“Tang Fang, the drones picked up something strange. I’ve sent you the footage.”

Tang Fang raised a hand to signal the others to hold. He rushed to the console and tapped a few buttons. A moment later, the central screen flickered to life, displaying an eerie image.

From afar, the rudder-like structure appeared massive and elegant, its surface etched with deep blue-glowing energy channels. It looked futuristic, almost artistic. But up close, the footage revealed something odd.

Every few kilometers along the hundreds-of-meters-wide energy grooves, there were dark, bulbous protrusions—like cocoons.

Tang Fang felt a chill creep up his spine. How could life exist in this frozen void? And yet, the cocoons looked unnaturally metallic—more artifact than organism.

“Tang Fang,” Grant’s voice came again, “another drone captured more strange footage.”

Another batch of images appeared—this time showing clusters of black cocoons clinging to the rudder’s surface. Every time the energy channels pulsed, the cocoons would flash with tiny points of light, creating a surreal, kaleidoscopic effect.

“Seems harmless enough,” Walton said, voicing his opinion. The black cocoons had a metallic sheen—clearly part of the structure’s design. What could possibly be dangerous about them?

“Nehemiah also thinks the same,” Grant replied through the comms. “But I can’t shake the feeling that these things are out of place. That’s why I told you all to stay on alert.”

Housen stepped forward, his expression serious. “My gut says this is no good.”

“Your gut?” Arroz smacked the back of his helmet. “That thing’s less reliable than Byron’s eyepatch.”

“Byron? How can he compare with me?” Housen muttered defiantly.

“Don’t forget,” Arroz smirked, “he used to be your boss in prison.”

“I…” Housen’s expression froze for a moment. “That’s all in the past. What I’m doing now is way more exciting than being a pirate. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll make history and be remembered forever.”

“Pfft!” Walton and Churchill nearly burst into laughter behind him. Hearing words like “make history” and “be remembered forever” come out of his mouth felt so absurd it made them want to smack him silly.

“Housen, were you sent by God just to be the class clown?” Churchill quipped, casually rubbing his hands over the mounted on his forearms. As a gunner, he absolutely adored these babies.

“You’re new here, so shut your trap,” Housen shot back, visibly irritated at being mocked by a rookie. “Unless you want to experience what it feels like to get roasted from behind?”

Churchill didn’t flinch. “Oh yeah? And how do you prefer your death served? Grilled or deep-fried?”

Tang Fang pinched the bridge of his nose. He silently questioned his sanity for putting these two together.

“Churchill,” Walton yanked him back and shoved a book into his chest. “Put this away.”

Tang Fang glanced at the cover. It read: .

A gunner who wanted to become an actor? What's next?

Just then, Arroz yanked open the hatch with ease, lifted both Housen and Churchill by the collars, and tossed them out like trash. “Let’s move.”

Tang Fang nodded, followed by Claire and Walton. The gravity compensation system ensured a soft landing.

The column-shaped structure stretched over twenty kilometers in diameter—an awe-inspiring sight. The shuttle had landed on a maintenance platform, likely used for storing automated repair drones. Following a connecting walkway, they reached a sealed door—apparently only operable from the inside.

Churchill suggested brute force. Tang Fang rejected it immediately. First, the structure was far too durable for any standard weapon. Second, as a major transit hub, it likely had defensive systems in place. One wrong move could trigger an automatic defense protocol.

Just as the group was at a loss, Grant’s voice crackled through the comms. After connecting, Tang Fang briefly outlined their predicament.

Upon hearing the report, Grant transmitted the latest data from the drones to the onboard computer of Tang Fang’s power armor.

It was a partial structural map of the relay station, focusing on the rudder section where they were currently located. Combined with the drone footage and architectural layout, Emma had analyzed it and provided what seemed like the most likely route to the entrance.

The distance was only about twenty kilometers. Considering that returning to the shuttle would take longer than walking, and since flying over the area would prevent them from scanning the environment up close, Tang Fang simply gave the five of them a nod and set off on foot.

The suspected entrance lay on the opposite side. As they followed the path, The Morning Star gradually disappeared behind them, swallowed by the vast horizon.

Under the glow of their helmet-mounted spotlights, the silver-gray surface of the structure reflected ghostly blue hues. The drones trailing behind them cast a faint light across the ground for several kilometers, illuminating the path ahead.

Space was cold, silent, and devoid of light. The ground beneath their feet was no different—lifeless, flat, and seamless. The entire outer wall of the structure looked as if it had always been there, carved in one piece without a single joint or seam.

As they walked, Claire used various instruments—an infrared thermal imager, an electromagnetic scanner, and a photodetector—to analyze the environment. The results were disheartening. Every reading except the fluctuating remained at zero.

Housen mocked her efforts, calling them unnecessary. Churchill, however, jumped to Claire’s defense, accusing Housen of being a brain-dead tool. Their argument nearly escalated into a physical confrontation before Arroz stepped in and delivered a swift, unceremonious “rear-first sandpiper drop” to both men, silencing them for good.

After another stretch of walking, a line of shimmering blue light began to rise along the horizon—clear, fluid, like flowing water. No need to guess; they had reached the energy channels.

“Hey! Look at this!” Claire exclaimed, holding up her multi-spectrum detector.

Tang Fang moved closer to examine the screen. The EZero energy curve had flattened out—not just high, but maxed out.

“What’s the big deal? EZero has always been active around here,” Churchill muttered dismissively.

Walton nodded in agreement. Only Tang Fang and Arroz exchanged a glance, worry creeping into their expressions.

Churchill was right—EZero activity had always been present. But never had it spiked like this. Even if proximity to the energy channels explained it, Tang Fang and Arroz weren’t convinced.

With capable of opening wormholes and manipulating , how could they possibly be unable to suppress EZero emissions? That didn’t make sense.

After some thought, Tang Fang could only think of two possibilities:

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