Two minutes passed, then turned into five minutes, and then five minutes turned into ten minutes.
Every once in a while, Jackma would click on his light box and aim the flashlight at the wall-mounted timer, frowning and watching the passage of time.
Finally, the communication speaker installed on the door rang, but contrary to the automatic message he expected, the station-wide communication system was replaced with the same scream and whine as his screen, but twice the previous volume.
"Damn! What the hell happened!!"
His hands were pressed against his ears, as if his fingers and dirty palms could block the screams at hundreds of decibels.
Jackma knocked open the door with his elbow and knelt in the public aisle, but the sound was always with him, and the deck speakers were also wailing crazily.
As a result, he found that other doors were opened one by one, but this only amplified the sound: screams came from everyone's living room, and other employees staggered out of their cabins.
"what is going on?"
He shouted these words loudly, but no sound came out of his throat, and no one nearby responded.
Before all hell breaks loose, Guardsman Moss Baines was telling stories about his pets.
It's not a particularly funny or interesting story, but on the Overwatch deck, anything to pass the time is considered a welcome pastime.
Their rotation work was very simple. They spent twelve consecutive hours looking at the scanning screen that showed nothing, reading inspection reports that were the same as before, and discussing what to do once they were transferred out of this dilapidated military depot, or
Looking forward to the day when they can return to real fleet service.
It's just that many unpleasant things happened today, including useless code that interfered with the system.
Under Mose Baines' quick reaction, the weapon array was activated, the defense turret stared into the void, the shield was opened, and layers of spherical invisible force protected the ugly shell of the space station.
The security officer's eyes wandered over the timer on the console. Seven minutes and 41 seconds had passed since the interference began. He called it "interference" because it sounded more reassuring than "damn screams."
And gained a lot of science.
Currently, damn sharp-jamming is being broadcast over their internal communications network, reaching every deck at an insane volume.
They couldn't turn it off and no one knew why.
"The lights have just gone out at No. 2 West End!"
One person shouted:
"Oh, fuck...and West End One, West End Three, the whole East End, and—"
At the same time, the lights on the command deck also went out, and the backup generator started operating, bathing everyone in a headache-inducing emergency red light.
"It's been detected. It's an external signal."
The officer at the console next to the security officer tapped the screen - it was one of the few devices on the space station that seemed to still be functioning.
"Whatever it is, that's where it comes from."
The command deck was always hot and the air filters never worked properly, so tension wasn't going to work.
"Details?"
The security officer wiped the sweat on his forehead with his sleeve.
The officer jabbed his fingertips to the screen again.
"A passive broadcast signal, recorded here in the archives just ten minutes ago, as the signal was processed and archived by our contemplatives, it... spread, like some kind of disease, it flooded
Specific space station systems: the communications array, and the more primitive components of the power grid."
Moss Baines resisted the urge to curse.
"What about the gravity system?"
"Still operating normally."
"Shield system?"
"Still holding on."
"Oxygen, weapons, escape pods."
"It's all still there. It's a simple, cruel, random piece of abandoned code. It can't shut down complicated things, it's just communications, auspiciousness and... It seems that the lighting network is offline, they are all the most basic systems, but
All are filled with intrusive code that hinders their functionality."
The security officer looked back at his scanning screen, which was consistent with the damage feedback he had seen ten minutes ago.
"Scanners, lights, and communicators... well, we're blind, deaf, and dumb, and you know we're going to be screwed if this keeps up, and the Tin Man will have demerits all over our resumes. Look,
Let’s see.”
Saying these words did not make a difference in the development of the situation. For the first time in countless shifts, the security officer absentmindedly buttoned his uniform jacket.
"Aren't you worried that this might be an attack?"
another officer asked, and Moss Baines shook his head.
"Who's going to attack here? Our weapons and shields are still working, there's nothing to worry about except for those Tin Woodmen to hold them accountable, and that will be... Come on, don't piss off the Tin Woodmen.
their profit margins."
Just a few years ago, he would have worried about all the people forced to work in the dark. Now he worries first about himself: the bosses and the red-coated ones won't tolerate serious production delays.
If this continues, he may have to pay a large sum of money in compensation.
A young officer next to him scratched his unshaven chin and said with complaint:
“So, how can we be blamed for production stagnation?”
Mose Baines tried his best to remain patient. This guy was new, he had only been on the job for two months, and he was not integrating well. The bionic equipment that replaced his left cheek, temple and eye looked too expensive at first glance - this
Huo is obviously a rich man who is trying to be cheap.
Maybe his wealthy father sent him here as some kind of punishment. No matter what the truth is, as long as he wants to continue to maintain this kind of virtue, he will be a difficult bastard to deal with.
Moss Baines snorted.
"What explanation do you think the Tin Woodman would hear? What a mess the pirates have made of us? Why the hell would anyone target a place like this? If everyone could find it, there wouldn't be anything worth robbing."
"Sir! A special situation has been discovered! Yes, it's a ship--"
Mose Baines stood up in his seat, opened his mouth, and stared out the window of the command deck at a ship that should not exist——
A figure shrouded in shadow licked his lips on the command seat, watching the image of the Star Pirates Space Station slowly expand in the eyeball display. They were sneaking in such a close state, and the instruments and weapons of the space station were unaware of it.
But when they got dangerously close to the space station, the ugly outline was enough to see with the naked eye.
"A little closer, a little closer."
The being on the command throne spoke slowly to the bridge crew.
"Keep screaming."
"damned--"
The monitor is still flashing a large amount of confusing data, flickering afterimages, lengthy messages and traced signals that are simply impossible to exist.
One moment it showed thirty-five ships huddled on top of each other, the next nothing but a vacuum.
The ship outside the inspection window is getting closer and closer, and it can be seen with the naked eye. Even its armor plating is clearly visible, with several layers of black and bronze - reflecting the dim brilliance of the stars in the distance.
"Looks like an Astartes strike cruiser, a big one."
The guard bit his lower lip, unable to take his eyes away from the approaching ship.