Thrive in Catastrophe by 焦糖冬瓜

Chapter 24 Fall or Flight

Flying the dual system is taxing Xiao Yan's abilities. As soon as his thoughts began their command organization, they are dissolved. Any protection he attempts to erect mentally is rapidly destroyed. He tries to speed up his thought processing to avoid the blocker, but the hacker quickly adapts and invades further. Xiao can only concentrate on keeping control of the main terminal.

This is a deadly game and he must stay one step ahead of the blocker, anticipate where they are targeting and consolidate the data into an area of his mind he can protect.

They are now 11 minutes from the base.

But each minute may as well be a century.

Finally a female's stern voice penetrates the cockpit. "This is No. 2 Research Base, pilot please report your identification number.

"Xiao Yan ID1665...encounter...Blocker...Invaded"

In the control room, the liaison officer quickly connected with Colonel Shen Bing,

"Colonel, we have an emergency."

"report."

"Craft K388 approaching from base 14 shows a single pilot, who is neither Captain Jon, nor Captain Ying."

"Who is piloting the craft? "

"Xiao Yan, ID1665, a student of the Central Academy of Sciences"

"Is he on the manifest?"

" He is."

"And they have been invaded by a blocker?"

" Yes, Xiao Yan is currently operating a dual engine system alone. Do we approve entrance and provide technical support?"

"How can a mere student operate a dual engine craft under the attack of a blocker? Does anyone have the ability to provide support? What is his neuronal processing rate? Test it using the access terminal."

A short time later a stammering stunned voice sounded through the com.

"Reporting, I..It's.....300 trillion mega-neuro-rate."

Hearing this, a ripple disturbed the calm of Colonel Shen Bing's eyes.

"Connect me to Xiao Yan."

Xiao, gritted his teeth against the push of the invasion. The blockers neuronal speed and knowledge base far exceeded his expectations. The fortress he had created, to protect his mind, was being destroyed level by level.

"Xiao Yan, this is Col. Shen Bing, Commander of No. 2 Base."

"Colonel, I'm not going to make it."

Please.....

"I'm sorry, I cannot provide any technical support at this time."

The commander's tone was as calm as if he was denying Xiao Yan nothing more than a cup of tea.

"Colonel are you kidding me? Two of the captains have already succumbed and there are 12 students aboard."

Xiao Yan's excitation ripples along his nerves, the disturbance allowing for a slight fluctuation in his focus, and the blocker took advantage this instantly. The hacker began to tear right through into his subconscious. Xiao's mind started to collapse around him. His fate is dangerously close to the other two captains.

The technical support the base can provide is to have a third person hook up to Xiao through a remote source, separating him from the blocker.

"Calm yourself, Xiao Yan. We will have to remotely hook up to the control system, to eliminate the blocker. The minute we open the channel to give you support, the blocker will detect us. If we give you direct assistance the blocker can access our system. As long as you stay disconnected from the base, the blocker should stay with you. As long as you can hang in there as you approach the platform, we can disconnect you remotely and the information from the blocker should stay with you. This could be an important moment to gain an advantage over the Surge organization."