Armored train in the apocalypse

Chapter 263 Underwater Laboratory

Flooded area, Xiushui City.

A strangely shaped vehicle, neither quite a boat nor quite a car, was traveling on the water.

The surrounding area consists of rooftops of varying heights that emerge from the water.

"Woo——"

The deep sound of the ship's horn echoed, and the light drizzle rippled slightly before falling back onto the water's surface.

Although the armored train didn't undergo any major upgrades, its appearance has changed dramatically.

The train is 16 meters wide, with two "Alpine Hammers" on each side that act as "horns". A huge white arc ring surrounds the train, like ribs, protecting the entire train.

These rings covered the entire train.

Whenever a violent storm hits, the outer ring rotates to ensure the smooth operation of the train inside.

This is the final version of the anti-rollover frame developed by the factory manager and others.

The massive roll cage used almost all the bone material from the blue whale, with the core spine being integrated into the train chassis to enhance the train's resistance.

Now, if the armed train encounters the same vortex again, even if it can't escape, it doesn't need to worry about being torn apart by the water flow.

Inside the vehicle, Glasses looked back at the highest command platform, where a large patch of shadowy blackness appeared under the bright lights.

"You don't need to look at me, just follow your procedures to salvage it."

His voice carried a hint of laziness, yet it was as if it had given everyone a shot of adrenaline.

"Understood. Electromagnetic weapon program, first salvage operation begins."

"Diving personnel, please prepare."

"..."

On the deck outside the vehicle, looking at the surging waves, the second and third priests, who were only wearing shorts, turned to question the fully armed third priest with grief and indignation.

"Why do we have to go into the water again? Wasn't the data center already salvaged?"

The third brother smiled and secured the filming equipment to their chests with a strap. "The train conductor said you two did well last time, so keep up the good work this time. But this time we're not going to retrieve the data center; this time we're going to retrieve electromagnetic weapons."

The third priest said stiffly, "Can't we use someone else? I was in grave danger last time in the water..."

The third brother patted him on the shoulder and handed him the cigarette butt, which was now just a cigarette butt. "What do you mean by 'perilous situation'? You were just almost eaten by a crocodile. I've already taught that crocodile a lesson for you, and it definitely won't appear again. Besides, you two are the only two on the whole train with experience in swimming. If you don't go, who will?"

Seeing the third brother's blatant threatening tone and the rifle pressed against his lower back, the third priest cursed inwardly.

The second priest next to him felt his face stiff from the wind and rain, and couldn't wait any longer before finally interjecting.

“He is strong in combat, but I am just a puppeteer. If I go down, I won’t be able to come back up.”

"Yes, that's exactly what we need—you control the puppets. There are plenty of 'puppets' for you to control down here."

The third brother said with a forced smile.

"But……"

The third brother's face suddenly turned cold. "You grown men are so indecisive, give them a hand!"

Two members of the combat team went up and kicked him.

With a "thump," the second priest, who was physically weak, was kicked inside before he could react.

The remaining three priests clung to the train's mechanical arm, staring in terror at the floodwaters below that resembled an abyss. "Something's coming down there! Pull me up, up!"

"You son of a bitch!"

A loud curse came from the car.

The three priests looked up and saw the third brother's ferocious face and an enlarged gun butt.

Suddenly everything went black.

As the two men fell into the water, the third brother stood on the car and sneered.

The train conductor said that the second sacrifice would be useful for now, but the third sacrifice would be used to the death.

Since they're not on the same page as the train anyway, they'll be killed even if they don't die, so I might as well use them as much as possible while they're still alive.

"You guys stay here and watch. If they come up empty-handed, shoot them!"

After giving his instructions, the third brother hurriedly crawled out of the carriage, ran along the repaired armed hall in the middle to carriage number 1, and then entered the engine room.

To ensure the strength of the locomotive, there is only one formal entrance to the front of the train, located behind the "Alpine Hammer". Therefore, at other times, the only way to enter the front of the train is through the corridor of carriage number one.

The second floor is inaccessible; it's the train conductor's bedroom.

As soon as I entered the front of the car, I saw on the panoramic screen a group of "water ghosts" with membranes under their armpits and bloodshot eyes rushing towards me.

Judging by their appearance, they are all level one zombies.

The turbulent currents not only failed to hinder them, but actually increased their speed by a factor of three.

Just as the water ghost was about to pounce on the camera, a dark shadow flashed by, passing right through the water ghost at the edge of the frame and sending it flying backward.

"Wow, this spear is really powerful! It can even penetrate a level one zombie!"

The third brother found an empty control panel and sat down, watching the live broadcast on the screen with great interest.

But the remaining water ghosts still charged forward relentlessly, raising their hands, their fins unfolding like blades, their scarlet eyes revealing an undisguised thirst for flesh and blood.

"We're doomed, we're doomed. I should have given them both knives."

The nervous third brother kept slapping his thigh.

Suddenly the screen shook violently, and bubbles mixed with dark red spread in the water.

The lighting was chaotic, making it impossible to discern anything clearly.

But soon, a blinding blue light burst forth in the water, and electric sparks coiled around each of the water ghosts like octopuses.

With the intervention of electric light, the image quickly stabilized.

The once menacing water ghost seemed to have been frozen in place, floating motionless in the water.

The camera's owner hesitated for a moment, then swam over and stuffed a red crystal into the zombie's mouth. After doing the same, the zombies seemed to be injected with new energy.

It actually started to move.

However, his eyes changed from scarlet to pitch black.

The third brother glanced furtively at the train conductor on the control panel, then sighed.

I was hoping to see some excitement, but now that the train conductor has made his move, there's no suspense left.

However, the thought that the train conductor would personally lead the operation made the third brother eager.

Since the armed train got on track, the train conductor has not only failed to lead the team on missions, but has also visibly reduced the number of times he has taken action. His fixed time to take action is when he recharges every week.

"All officers of the armed forces, except for Xiao Ba and He Jie, will follow me."

"Yes!"

Qu Hang, Yu Yue, and others answered in unison.

"Combat team..."

"exist!"

Upon hearing that he was involved, the fully armed third brother immediately stood up, chest out and head held high, his new all-black military uniform making him look even more spirited.

Meeting the expectant gaze of his third brother, Su Huan smiled slightly.

"Stay on the train."

"You stay in the front of the car and keep an eye on things to prevent any accidents."

"The rest, come with me into the water."

Su Huan finished speaking decisively, leaving his third brother dumbfounded.

He took a few quick steps, wanting to say something, but was stopped by He Jie, who was grinning mischievously.

"Don't you know that military orders are absolute? Just stay here and watch."

The third brother sat back down dejectedly, staring at the screen with a gloomy face, as if he could travel through time. In just a few words, the situation on the screen had reversed. The second priest had mastered eight first-tier water ghost puppets and was fighting the third priest and other water ghosts to a standstill, with blood spreading further and further away.

Various red and black eyes lit up in the dim light.

Dozens of figures silently bypassed the chaotic underwater battlefield and swam into deeper waters.

Su Huan's deep blue eyes searched carefully below.

Li Xiuhua's laboratory is located underground in a mountainous area on the outskirts of Xiushui City. It used to be a very remote military restricted area. Later, with the development of the times, the surrounding area gradually became populated, and the military restricted area was converted into an electromagnetic laboratory.

If the apocalypse hadn't come, this lab might have been relocated in a few years.

Even if it's unguarded, ordinary people would definitely have a hard time finding such a place.

Fortunately, Shu Wei had defined the general area, and before Su Huan had even swum a few laps, several seasoned soldiers in the team had already recognized the laboratory entrance.

The barbed wire perimeter was covered with barnacles and rust-colored sediment. Next to it were several crooked support posts with warning cables, which had been de-energized, wrapped around them and swayed silently with the ocean current.

The goat swam to the front of the group and led the way.

The group did not bring any additional lighting equipment; they relied mainly on the faint light emitted by the train conductor from time to time.

Fortunately, everyone was highly skilled, so it did not affect the event.

Soon, led by the goat, the group arrived at a dark, large door.

After observing it closely for a long time, Su Huan could barely make out the shape of the door.

I have no idea how these guys found it.

However, he didn't care about that. He waved his hand, and immediately an expert swam forward to try to open the door.

Li Han, who was at the back of the group, also stepped forward. With a wave of his hand, all the mutated plants that had quietly gathered around retreated, and even the water plants on the door retreated, taking away a large clump of mud.

Su Huan was thinking about how to forcefully break down the door later.

Although I haven't learned about it, given the habits of the Eastern Empire, they will be extremely cautious when it comes to war, so this door is not easy to open.

"Ok?"

Su Huan looked up in astonishment.

"Rumble--"

In the short time it took to bend down, the door opened!
Before he could react, a powerful suction force pulled everyone, including the mud, into the doorway.

ten minutes later.

A group of people stared blankly at the scene before them.

The warm yellow emergency lights came on, and the wide passageway was dry and bright, with no standing water on the ground, only watermarks left by the people who had climbed up.

"Has the military region's waterproofing been done this well?"

Vice President Deng, who was accompanying the team, also looked shocked when he saw the laboratory.

The goat shrugged. "I've never been to a military region like this before I was discharged, so I don't know. Maybe this is the standard..."

"Nonsense, the whole province is flooded and beyond saving, but this place is dry?"

Vice President Deng looked left and right.

Startled, Goat quickly tried to stop him, saying, "This was changed from a military region after all..."

Vice President Deng scoffed, "Do you think this is a novel? If you go to the wrong place, a bunch of traps and hidden arrows will jump out and shoot you dead..."

Watching the two figures walk away, Su Huan turned to look at the expert who had just opened the door.

"By the way, how did you open the door so fast?"

The latter took off his oxygen mask and spread his hands blankly. "I just tried it, and he just opened it... To be precise, he didn't lock it at all."

"Unlocked?"

Su Huan narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled twice.

"It's quite interesting, let's go inside and take a look."

……

In the hall, six ring accelerators were arranged on a shockproof platform, their coils covered with thick insulating putty, and you could even smell the fresh smell of a brand-new product.

At this moment, everyone was gathered around a platform in the center, gazing up at the pinnacle of human technological achievement and falling into collective contemplation.

The electromagnetic railgun is 9.8 meters long, 2.4 meters high, and 1.5 meters wide.

The overall design features a streamlined matte black finish, with two gallium nitride-coated tracks extending in parallel with a 50mm gap between them. The tracks contain superconducting electromagnetic coils, and the surface is covered with fine discharge patterns.

The gun barrel base is supported by a titanium alloy frame, with an adaptive hydraulic buffer at the bottom. Six sets of supercapacitors are arranged on each side, each set being 1.2 meters long and 0.8 meters wide, and the surface is covered with a carbon fiber heat dissipation mesh.

Vice President Deng was leading several experts up and down the hills to conduct an inspection.

"The main body of the cannon is intact, without any signs of damage..."

"The laser rangefinder is intact and undamaged..."

"Infrared tracking module complete..."

But as the experts continued their reports, the atmosphere grew increasingly strange and silent.

Standing behind Lu Xiao, Gao Yuan turned his ring while giving Tong Zizhan a meaningful look.

'What happened?'

Tong Zizhan returned home in disbelief.

How would I know?

Gao Yuan, "The military, you really don't know?"

Tong Zizhan, "When I left the company, my authority was only one level higher than yours."

……

Bai Lu suddenly said, "Train conductor, once we find this, our mission will be complete, right?"

"Ah"

Su Huan scoffed lightly, his eyes already brimming with vigilance.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the railgun, along with the surrounding electromagnetic weapons, had been placed in the room beforehand.

Just like the ammunition in an armed train, it's usually kept in the ammunition depot. Except in special circumstances, who the hell would put all the bombs in the front of the train?
The situation in the laboratory was as if someone knew they were coming and brought out all the valuable items in advance, just in case they didn't know which ones were the most valuable, so they arranged them according to their importance!

It could be considered a coincidence that the door opened with a touch.

But if we think this situation is just a coincidence, then all the suffering we endured in our past lives would have been for nothing.

Feeling the narrow eyes glancing at her, Shu Wei cautiously shook her head.

"Although Black Kite knows the location of the laboratory, the weapons inside are only a supplement to Black Kite's needs, and it is not worth spending a lot of manpower and resources to come to the flood zone."

Su Huan remained noncommittal, glancing at the little cook on the other side who was sensing with her eyes closed.

After a long while, Yu Yue opened her eyes, her round almond-shaped eyes filled with a hint of confusion.

"There are no people, no animals, not even plants."

Su Huan pondered for a moment and said, "Goat, Yu Yue, Qu Hang, the three of you lead a team to search the inside of the laboratory, and be careful not to touch anything."

"clear."

The armed men left in a hurry.

While engrossed in studying the electromagnetic railgun, Deputy Chief Deng suddenly looked up and shouted, "We have the cannon, but where are the shells?!"

Xiao Zhao walked around among the small devices with a camera in her hand.

Upon hearing Vice President Deng's call, his gaze instinctively fell on the box at his feet. Just as he was about to ask if it was the right one, he saw a piece of paper on the box.

The pupils shrank suddenly.

He cried out in a hoarse voice, "Train conductor, something's wrong!"

(End of this chapter)