Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Psionics and "Descendants"
Upon confirming there were no immediate threats below, two mercenaries in the squads surrounding the pit quickly removed compact equipment boxes strapped to their backs. They unlocked the latches, pulled out the components, and swiftly assembled them into rope descent devices on the edge of the pit.
At this point, Samuel Young and the previously mentioned officer also approached the pit's edge. Without exchanging words, the two squads immediately began rappelling down into the underground parking lot, spreading out and securing the area upon landing.
Samuel and the officer followed closely, completing their descent.
As Samuel steadied himself on the ground, he observed the abandoned vehicles covered in dust and found no signs of any Mimic drones. He holstered his 1911 pistol and then took out a special grenade launcher from his back, which resembled an M79 but was more tactical and modern, with a 60mm caliber.
Holding the launcher firmly, Samuel and the others moved quietly to a more open area of the parking lot, taking cover behind support pillars. There, Samuel spotted the water-filled pit, glowing with a faint blue light, and the patrolling Alpha, just like in the movie.
He took deep breaths, steadying himself. Despite his extensive experience and readiness to face death, the tension of this potentially decisive moment was palpable. More than nerves, he felt the surge of adrenaline preparing his body for action.
The officer next to Samuel peeked out to observe the Alpha's movements, then signaled "three" to the mercenaries on either side. He turned to Samuel and, with a soft smile, said, "See you yesterday, boss."
"See you yesterday," Samuel replied, patting the officer on the shoulder.
With that, the officer and six mercenaries rushed out from cover, deliberately banging their weapons against the vehicles to attract attention. They shouted provocations at the Alpha: "Hey! Over here, you ugly bastard!"
The noise and movement drew the Alpha's attention instantly. Enraged, it swiftly covered the distance, extending its tentacles, which transformed into sharp metal spikes, targeting the officer.
Splat!
The spikes easily pierced the officer's body, pinning him to the ground.
"Cough!" The officer coughed up blood but showed no fear. Instead, he used his last strength to grab the spikes tightly, laughing defiantly, "Ha... ha...! Ugly thing!"
From his angle, the officer could see Samuel, who had sprinted towards the pit and leapt into the water.
"Roar!"
Rip!
The Alpha, enraged and fully focused on its attackers, didn't notice Samuel's movements. It tore the officer apart but was soon engaged by the remaining six mercenaries, who acted as a distraction and willingly faced their doom.
—
...
Underwater, Samuel gripped the launcher in his right hand, using his left hand to navigate by grabbing protruding rebar or walls while kicking his legs in a scissor motion to propel himself downward.
Within seconds, he passed through the layers of obstacles, reaching a wider section of the water where he saw it...
The massive anemone-like Omega.
Its core was a spinning, three-meter-diameter sphere, emitting a faint blue glow from its seams.
Seeing this, Samuel swam above the Omega and aimed the launcher at its core, pulling the trigger without hesitation.
Boom!
The 60mm grenade shot out, leaving a trail of bubbles and flame as it drilled into the core...
Boom!
The explosion shattered the core, rapidly spreading dark blue blood into the water.
Samuel, caught in the blast, felt his body tumble uncontrollably but quickly regained his composure. As he prepared to follow William Cage's example by immersing himself in the Omega's blood to absorb its powers, he noticed something strange. The once-dim underwater area began to glow again.
However, the light was not the usual blue of the Omega but a soft, golden hue.
To his shock, Samuel realized that his entire body was now covered in this faint golden light... and it was emanating from him!
The dark blue blood, affected by this transformation, no longer dispersed aimlessly but gathered around him, ultimately being fully absorbed into his body.
Samuel felt a sudden, intense headache that quickly subsided, leaving him with a sense of profound ease and clarity, as if he could do anything if he willed it...
!!
A flash of white light forced Samuel to close his eyes tightly, cutting off all external sensations. When the light faded, and he reopened his eyes, he found himself back in his office chair, staring at the computer screen, which now displayed "1993/06/08/04:14" in the corner.
Glancing outside to see the early morning view, he understood that he had successfully acquired the Omega's **Reset** ability and had reset time to a day before the operation began.
This confirmed that his **Reset** was a passive "skill" that he could also activate at will.
The fact that he had absorbed all the Omega's blood and his body was enveloped in golden light directly confirmed that he had gained psionic abilities.
When Samuel performed the blood ritual to open the first space gate, he could vaguely sense the emotions around him. Initially uncertain, he now knew for sure...
Reflecting on this, he massaged his temples, which ached slightly.
Understanding the "Warhammer 30,000/40,000" lore, Samuel knew that psionics was a double-edged sword; any backlash could make even death seem like a luxury.
The most concerning aspect was whether he had created a presence in the Warp.
It's well-known that psykers' souls shine like bright flames in the Warp when using their powers. One reason Samuel sought the **Reset** ability was to emulate William Cage's infinite "retries" to gain experience and find solutions.
However, **Reset** was insignificant in the face of the Warp.
Although there was a 99.99% chance his psionics came from the Emperor of Mankind, he couldn't rule out the possibility of it being a trick from the Chaos god Tzeentch. Therefore, he had to prepare for the worst.
At least with the **Reset** ability, he and ATLAS now had room for trial and error. With investigators systematically working, it wouldn't be long before they had secured UDF technology.
However...
"Descendants... arrival... two... descendants..."
???
Just as Samuel began contemplating humanity's future and potential paths forward, an even more perplexing issue arose with the cold voice's cryptic message echoing in his mind.
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