Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 214 Deep-sea hydrothermal vent tubular worms
Several rope-like things extended to the water's surface, wrapping around the struggling zombies.

It has a translucent indigo blue color, flickering in and out, and its end extends all the way to deeper underwater.

"Will it continue downwards?"

"These zombies are like bait."

The soldier operating the underwater detection equipment suddenly said.

As a highly professional drone pilot, he also took on the mission of the first underwater exploration.

"Let's get closer and observe the vines up close."

Only a few people were deep in thought; the staff below were quickly taking screenshots, recording videos, and storing the data in an orderly manner.

Several small-scale discussions also took place.

"What kind of mutated plant is this?"

"It's hollow inside, it can glow, and it feels like a deep-sea worm."

"This is freshwater, how could there be deep sea here..."

"This is just speculation; the information has already been uploaded."

The train database is unified, and all the laboratories of Professor Ma, Factory Director Deng, and Director Xu can access this data.

Based on the uploaded images, various experts quickly provided several relatively reliable answers after consultation.

The whole process took only about three minutes.

Xiao Zhao received the message, brought up a comparison image on a nearby monitor, and said to Su Huan, "Based on observation, the surface of the vine is covered with tumor-like suckers, which are over twenty meters long and are translucent indigo blue. It is very likely that it is a mutation of a deep-sea hydrothermal vent tube worm."

"A worm?" Su Huan examined the comparison images carefully and asked with interest, "What is this thing? An insect? A plant?"

Xiao Zhao swiped a few times, and various information about the worm appeared on the screen.

"It is an animal, without a cell wall, and contains mitochondria, but this is currently just a guess. It is uncertain whether the prototype is a worm, and further confirmation is needed."

"That's easy, just let the third brother eat those baits."

Su Huan pinched his chin.

Yu Jing's eyes flickered, and the mechanical puppet behind her stepped out.

No sooner had Su Huan spoken than the fighting team annihilated the struggling zombies on the screen.

Before the body could sink, it was grabbed by the mechanical arm on the train.

The vines below felt the pull, and a sudden blue light flashed, dragging the zombie underwater.

Before he could drag it back, the mechanical puppet had already jumped into the water with a splash, its long sword cutting through the waves, severing the "vines" cleanly, and being lifted up by the mechanical arm.

The blue light spread underwater like lightning, and in an instant, a huge "blue net" with a diameter of more than forty meters opened up at the bottom of the water.

At first glance, there are more than a hundred "vines".

Like a water snake awakened, it fiercely attacked the armed train.

"The materials have been extracted and are being tested."

"Then let's move forward," Su Huan said calmly.

No one paid much attention to the dozens of vines; for the survivors, the hundreds of twenty-meter-long deep-sea worms were a terrifying nightmare.

However, for an armed train with hundreds of carriages each over thirty meters long, it is nothing more than underwater weeds.

The exploration equipment skillfully dodged several waving vines, moved slightly forward, and captured the scene beneath the train on the screen.

The blue worm clung to the train with its claws outstretched, only to find that it couldn't get entangled. It was only about twenty meters long, but the armored train was sixteen meters wide. It could only futilely lash out at the train's thick armor, trying to find a gap to squeeze through.

But how could that be possible...?

Vice President Deng personally oversaw the process, ensuring that not only were the vines so thick, but not even a single drop of water could get in!

Everyone who witnessed this scene was enveloped in a strong sense of security.

Especially the staff below the command center.

Their screens can switch between various scenes inside and outside the train, showing them watching the raging flood outside while enjoying a warm and clean space inside the carriage, knowing full well that there are ferocious and terrifying mutated monsters right beneath their feet, yet feeling powerless to do anything about it.

That feeling was absolutely amazing!

Leaving aside the importance of the command post work, the mere fact that one can sit in a safe corner and monitor the situation at any time is enough to make people flock to it.

Su Huan didn't seem to feel anything as he looked at the few vines that had been snapped by the train.

As his individual strength increased, the sense of security that the train once provided for him gradually diminished.

He even imagined how exhilarating it would be to jump from the roof of the tallest office building next door into the surging water below.

Let the pitch-black flood completely engulf you.

As for the dangers in the water...

That's only a danger to ordinary people; the train conductor could boil this body of water directly!
The train continued its journey, cutting through the waves, and entered the city's main thoroughfare.

There was more debris on the water's surface: various stalls, furniture, small vehicles... floating on the surface, while many more things sank to the bottom.

The images on the screen changed several times, transforming into a completely new perspective of the underwater city.

The familiar streets, signs, and streetlights of the past are now submerged in the flowing water, as if they have been frozen in time.

The greenery along the street was reduced to bare, black tree trunks that gradually rotted in the water.

Rows of vehicles were stuck on both sides of the road, covered with a thick layer of silt and unknown plants. The windows of the buildings on both sides were broken, leaving only dark holes with several dark figures going in and out.

Because of the overcast weather, visibility on the water was extremely poor, and underwater it was pitch black.

Fortunately, the searchlight at the end of the train's robotic arm has enough power; although it cannot illuminate the entire body of water, it is sufficient for its purpose.

How deep is the water now?

Su Huan suddenly asked.

"More than twenty meters."

"It seems to be getting deeper..."

"Yes, as we went deeper into the flooded area, the floodwaters became deeper and deeper. According to tests, the salinity in the water increased, which means it was no longer just a flood; there must be seawater intrusion as a cause."

Xiao Zhao explained.

As the chief flight attendant of the research team, Xiao Zhao's main task is not research, but to allocate resources to assist various laboratories.

More often than not, he would explain to the train conductor "what Professor Ma and his team are doing".

What recent achievements have been made? What new functions have been added to the train? How do you use them?

Most of the time, Su Huan didn't care what they were doing, as long as they could get what he asked for done.

Suddenly, a swaying zombie appeared in the scene.

The people who witnessed this scene were somewhat surprised.

But as the train moved into the city center square, even the faintest sounds inside the engine room disappeared.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the image projected onto the panoramic sunroof in front of the car, their mouths agape in shock, their pupils reflecting thousands upon thousands of corpses suspended in the water.

Some of these corpses were decomposed into skeletons, some were covered in strange slime, and some were transformed into zombies.

Without exception, they were all entangled by vines.

Whether they are alive or dead, they are all locked at the bottom of this water!

All you can do is look up and watch the armed train slowly glide across the water!

The atmosphere inside the car froze for a good five or six breaths, followed by a frantic gasp of cold air.

Even Su Huan couldn't help but frown.

The density of corpses here is comparable to the mass graves on the platform when the train crashed through! What's worse, the fact that so many corpses could be entangled proves that there are hundreds or even thousands of vines underwater!

It wriggled into a huge shadow at the bottom of the water.

The train's propeller ripped apart a floating corpse, and the next moment, the entire underwater area glowed with a ghostly blue light.

Su Huan's eyelids twitched; he finally understood how others felt when they saw his electric fence.

"Can the train increase its speed?"

Xiao Zhao stared blankly at the panoramic image ahead, then snapped back to reality upon hearing the voice, swallowing hard. "Due to the train's size, its movement efficiency in water is very low..."

"Then let's prepare to live underwater for a while..."

As soon as Su Huan finished speaking, countless vines surged forth.

This is no longer the minor skirmishes of the past.

In an instant, countless corpses and vines completely surrounded the armed train on the water, and some of the surviving zombies howled, venting their thirst for flesh and blood.

"Boom——"

The front of the car was immediately knocked off balance, creating a large splash.

"The armed train is about to enter deep-sea operation mode. All departments are ready. Each train conductor is to lead a team to check the status of the oxygen generator and other equipment!"

"High command of the armed forces, assemble immediately at the front of the vehicle!"

"Combat teams, enter the carriages for security. All unauthorized personnel, return to your rooms and are prohibited from moving around!"

"The Armed Forces Hall is now under lockdown..."

"The armed train is about to enter deep-sea submersible..."

"Countdown, ten, nine, eight, seven..."

Xiao Zhao's slightly hurried voice came through the car's public address system.

The train, which was in the process of production, quickly changed its status. The crew of the manufacturing and research groups carried out equipment inspections under the organization of their respective chief purser and senior attendants, while ordinary production staff quickly returned to their rooms, locked the doors, and waited for the next order to be broadcast.

Rapid footsteps echoed in the armed forces hall.

Senior officers, including He Jie, who were training soldiers, ran at top speed.

In just over ten seconds, it rushed from the back of the car to the front.

Inside the No. 6 carriage, Hu Shuo, who was inspecting the reserve supplies, suddenly stopped, put his foot down, and frowned as he looked at 428 beside him, who was Su Leiya, the "profile expert" who had just surrendered.

The other party has special abilities and is a professional investigator, but for some reason, the train conductor did not assign him to the armed forces, but instead put him in the logistics group that Hu Shuo was talking about.

The other party is, after all, a first-level evolved being. Although she is currently only a first-level attendant, as long as she doesn't betray the train and works hard, she will definitely have a place on the train.

So Hu Shuo always kept her by his side and taught her some basic skills.

Besides teaching, it also carries a layer of surveillance.

But now there's an unexpected situation. I'm busy running errands, what if something goes wrong if I leave her here?
Are you suggesting we lock them up?
Seeing this, Su Leiya innocently raised her hands, with a hint of pitiful charm, "Don't worry, go do what you're doing. I won't do anything reckless. Besides, this is just some basic food. Even if I steal some, how much could I possibly eat?"

Hu Shuo thought about it and concluded that at this critical juncture, it was better to go through a bit of trouble than to make a mistake.

So he calmly said, "It's just that there's an emergency on the train, and I'm afraid you won't know what to do. Come with me."

As soon as the two entered another carriage, they heard that the countdown had ended.

The train began to sink rapidly into the water.

The people in the corridor began to close the car windows. In a fleeting glimpse, Hu Shuo saw a vine twisted like a bronze pillar emerge from the water and lash against the car window.

The flight attendant who was closing the window was so startled that he took several steps back.

Hu Shuo patted the other person's shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Don't panic, the train conductor is here, they can't cause any trouble. Have you checked the rest room?"

The flight attendants immediately calmed down.

"The lounge has been cleared out, and everyone has returned to their rooms."

"Okay, let's double-count everyone, make sure no one is missed!"

"understand!"

……

Inside the engine room, Su Huan listened to the reports from various departments, feeling quite emotional.

His administrative work has paid off; he no longer needs to do many small things personally, and everyone on the train can be of use to him.

Become his tentacles, and all the information on the entire train will be gathered to him.

This is the power of systems and organizations.

Each gear only needs to turn, and the entire force becomes like a war machine, rolling forward.

As the train sank completely into the water, the fiber optic cable of a small drone in the sky was also severed, and the image was frozen on the turbulent water.

"What's the next step?"

He Jie, who had been holding back for several days, asked menacingly.

Su Huan glanced at him helplessly, "What are you, a 'firepower specialist,' supposed to do underwater?"

He Jie was momentarily speechless.

He said bitterly, "If I had two electromagnetic weapons right now, I would have blasted these bugs to smithereens!"

"Yes, it'll be available in a while. First, let's find all the 'manipulators' in the team."

After speaking, Su Huan stepped down from the command platform and bumped into his secretary who was rushing over.

The other person nodded and followed behind him.

Vice President Deng also ran over, trembling, followed by several nervous researchers.

Thanks to the detection equipment that was released in advance, we can still see what's happening outside.

Thousands of vines intertwined with the train, dragging it deeper and deeper into the depths.

"Vice President Deng is in good health," Su Huan said, still having the leisure to greet him.

Deputy General Manager Deng wiped the sweat from his round face and quickly said, "I felt the train conductor needed me, so I came right away."

Su Huan smiled. "This is the one you told me about last time that can conduct electricity, right?"

He placed one hand on a lighter-colored metal box.

Vice President Deng nodded. "Yes, that's it. All other places are insulated from electricity. Only here can the power be conducted to the robotic arm outside. However, we need to adjust the resistance inside the robotic arm."

"No need to bother."

Su Huanqing said in a clear voice.

As soon as Vice President Deng looked up, he saw the increasingly bright electric light bathing Su Huan's eyes in a deep blue and clear state.

Thunderstorm.

A violent current surged out along the vehicle's conductive devices.

The train wrapped in vines on the screen became slightly brighter, especially its deep blue color, which grew brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding.

Electricity leaked out from the gaps in the vines.

In an instant, the entire body of water was illuminated.

The soldier operating the detector watched with great interest, skillfully maneuvering to avoid underwater debris while keeping the image stable and the train centered.

Just as he was having a great time playing, he suddenly found that the screen went black.

He slapped his thigh suddenly, "Holy crap!"

(End of this chapter)