Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 321 The Unstable Genesis Star (Fifth Update)

"They must have discovered the signal from Spock's remains and determined that it was far more valuable than this wrecked ship!" Kirk concluded instantly, a chill running down his spine. "They arrived before us and are likely on their way to the signal source! They might even have already succeeded!"

He dared not delay for even a second longer.

"Mann, leave two men to guard the shuttle, establish a defensive position, and maintain communications! The rest of you, move towards us immediately! We must get to the signal source right away!" Kirk ordered rapidly.

"Roger that!" Mann didn't hesitate and immediately assigned Rebecca and Pila to stay behind, while he led Valerie, Jack, Dorrio, Falco, and Mowell to quickly evacuate the Klingon wreckage and rush towards the shuttle.

Soon, the two teams joined forces.

Kirk glanced at Rebecca and Pila who were staying behind, nodded, and then waved his hand: "Everyone, follow! Quickly!"

With the remaining members of Mann's squad serving as the vanguard and flank protectors, and Kirk, Chen Yu, Carroll, and McCoy positioned in the center, the group began their rapid march toward the location where the Enterprise's sensors had locked onto the photon torpedo beacon.

Beneath your feet are soft or sharp new soil and rocks, surrounded by a silent and unfamiliar alien ecosystem, with ozone and a sweet, organic fragrance permeating the air.

But at this moment, everyone was on edge, their eyes constantly scanning the surrounding crystal clusters and jagged rocks that might be hiding enemies.

Chen Yu's mechanical body made a low rumbling sound as it moved, and his sensors were fully activated, monitoring any energy fluctuations or signs of life in the environment.
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The team moved quickly through the strange and unfamiliar environment, with newly grown, colorful lichens underfoot that made a slight squelching sound when stepped on, and the air filled with a strong scent that was a mixture of ozone, sulfides and some kind of sweet pollen.

The towering crystal clusters all around refracted changing light from time to time, and a deep tremor, like the pulse of the earth, came from afar.

Chen Yu's massive mechanical body did not stop working as it moved; the sensors around him continuously collected environmental data.

Suddenly, his voice broke the silence of footsteps and breathing in the team's communication channel: "Environmental scans show anomalies. The planet's energy release rate, frequency of geological activity, and rate of evolution of biological signals all far exceed reasonable models of natural evolution."

His voice carried a cold, analytical tone: "According to my preliminary calculations, the spacetime here seems to be in a highly compressed state, forcibly compressing the planetary evolution process, which should have lasted for millions of years, into a scale of months or even days."

Carroll explained to him, “This is one of the known side effects of the ‘Genesis Device’—‘hyper-evolution’. The device’s energy reshapes the planet while also greatly accelerating its evolution.”

Chen Yu turned his optical lens to her and asked a more pointed question: "So, what is the decay rate of this unstable state? According to the theoretical model of the 'Genesis Project,' how long is this rapid change expected to last?"

More importantly, could such a dramatic release of energy and reorganization of matter prematurely deplete the planet's core energy, leading to its rapid decline and death? Current data is insufficient to support reliable predictions.

His concerns were not unfounded.

In his database, any process that violates the laws of nature and is forcibly accelerated is often accompanied by huge hidden dangers and backlashes.

Carroll's answer carried a hint of uncertainty: "Theoretical models predict that this hyper-evolution will gradually decay as the energy of the 'genesis particles' dissipates, eventually stopping and allowing the planet to enter a normal, slow evolutionary trajectory. But..." She paused, her tone becoming more somber, "we lack long-term observational data on real planets. Genesis is the first and only successful case, and it's so 'young'."

Is its internal energy balance as stable as the model predicts? How significant is the entropy increase effect caused by this forced time compression?

I...cannot give a definite answer. Perhaps it truly will be like a prematurely aging infant, bursting forth with brief vitality before quickly fading away.

This conversation made the atmosphere in the team even more tense.

They not only have to track the dangerous Klingons in an unstable, rapidly changing environment and search for Spock's remains, but also face the unknown disasters that may erupt at any time on the planet itself.

This planet is like a ticking time bomb; no one knows when it will run out of energy, or when the compressed spacetime will undergo even more drastic distortions.

"Stay alert, speed up!" Kirk's voice rang out, carrying an unwavering determination that drew everyone's attention back to the most pressing task at hand. "Regardless of what the future holds for this planet, our current objective remains unchanged!"

The group fell silent again, with only the sounds of hurried footsteps and breathing echoing in the air.
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After passing through a strange forest covered with glowing vines and giant purple fungi, the group found themselves in a wide-open space filled with jagged rocks.

And in this open space, they spotted their target—a group of Klingon soldiers clad in heavy armor and with menacing expressions.

They seemed to be hunting down a target, a small, ragged child with pointed ears and a typical Vulcan hairstyle...?
The boy moved with extraordinary agility, weaving among the rocks to evade the Klingons' capture, but he was clearly exhausted and cornered.

The moment Kirk and his men appeared, the Klingons immediately spotted them.

Unexpectedly, without the slightest hesitation or warning, the squad leader, upon spotting the new intruders, let out a savage battle cry and raised his disruptor (a Klingon energy weapon) to fire in their direction! Crimson beams of energy grazed the rocks as they flew past.

"Fire!" Kirk ordered without hesitation, while quickly seeking cover.

However, the ensuing battle scene left the people from the Warhammer universe and the cyberpunk world feeling a sense of... absurdity.

In Chen Yu and Mann's squad's eyes, these Klingons were crude in their tactics, uncoordinated, and had poor shooting accuracy. They charged without any strategy and relied entirely on brute force.

Their seemingly fierce appearance and wild battle cries contrasted sharply with their actual combat strength.

"That's it?" Rebecca even had time to complain. She didn't even use the plasma bombardment she was carrying on her shoulder. She just used the explosive gun hanging on her arm to accurately fire and suppress two Klingons who were trying to charge.

(End of this chapter)