Official website of Wasteland Online.
Player communication section.
Players who were active in Hope Town opened a separate thread to share the intelligence they had collected in the settlement and discussed it.
Since the hotly discussed posts on the forum are basically related to the newly liberated Boulder City and the upcoming wave, this thread is not very popular. It is basically a few players from the Burning Legion who are communicating.
However, there are also advantages to having fewer people.
Everyone is basically discussing strategies and plots, and no one is coming out to discuss the topic.
Fang Chang: "In the 44th year of the Wasteland Era, the Production Department signed the 'Yunjian Province Revitalization Act' and confiscated all the research institutes of the Technology Department in Yunjian Province, including the research facilities related to the 'Perfect Life Form' project."
"Due to the long-term accumulation of contradictions and the overly simple and crude negotiation process, the peaceful incorporation turned into an armed conflict, causing some experimental subjects with unstable DNA to flee. Some of the experimental subjects fled inland, and some moved along the coastline... These materials are recorded in detail in the library of the Great Rift Valley. I remember that they were included in the official website setting collection a few months ago."
"Make a reasonable guess. The researchers who fled to the wasteland did not give up their mission. They traveled through mountains and rivers to Jinchuan Province. After the War Construction Committee was disbanded in the 45th year of the Wasteland Era, they found Singularity City and reached cooperation with local residents to continue the research on perfect life forms, and turned a small part or even most of the survivors into mutants."
"And the current Qi tribe is the descendants of those survivors 150 years ago."
After a simple review of the information collected by Lao Bai from the priest, Fang Chang expressed his guess. After hearing his conjecture, some players were shocked.
Ye Shi: "Fuck... Are the residents of Singularity City crazy?!"
Murder Dagger: "It's okay to turn into a mutant on your own initiative..."
Kuangfeng: "Not necessarily crazy, put yourself in their shoes, suppose you are a billionaire, and now there is a top scholar... or a group of top scholars with various titles standing in front of you. They tell you that they are studying technology that can reverse cell aging, but now evil forces are eyeing their immature research results. As long as you are willing to give them shelter and sponsor them to complete their research, not only you, but all mankind can use this novel technology."
Fang Chang: "Your example is actually not accurate enough. The pie drawn by the 'perfect life form' is more like Cell aging is much more fragrant, and the survivors at that time had just escaped from the protection of the War Construction Committee and were facing severe realistic survival tests... Now standing in front of you is not only a group of scholars with top titles, but also scholars persecuted by "traitors", who may also have some black boxes. You can not only get material rewards by funding him, but also you are in the upper hand morally, and everyone will support you, even if you accidentally take a little detour. (Slanting eyes)"
Even if the imbalance of responsibilities and obligations and the gap between reality and ideals are the root causes of the crisis, and the plan of the Production Department is just an advance prediction of the crisis, the military action of Yunjian Province is indeed the match that ignited the fuse.
In the eyes of the vast majority of survivors at that time, those people in the Production Department were traitors, and Ideal City betrayed their ideals.
A group of researchers who were persecuted by the Production Department and still did not forget their mission were carrying the aura of tragic heroes.
At the moment when the War Construction Committee collapsed, whether they went to Singularity City or Boulder City, they would definitely be accepted by the local residents.
Most of the people who could still lead everyone forward in that desperate era had a little ideal in their hearts.
Ye Shi: "But mutants... obviously not that kind of technology! (laughing and crying)"
Fang Chang: "Not for now. Don't forget that whether it is mutants or clones that grow eight times faster, they are all by-products of the 'perfect life form'. Although this by-product is not perfect enough, it is much more perfect than the original life form on this planet. A definite investment opportunity is in front of you, what reason do you have to refuse? (squinting)"
Kuangfeng: "The starting point of Singularity City is actually better than that of Boulder City. At least Jinhe City has no mutant slime mold and has not been hit by nuclear strikes. Although the industrialization rate cannot catch up with Boulder City, there is no severe survival crisis, and there is no shortage of food... I think this may be the reason why those researchers chose Singularity City as their new base."
Lao Bai: "Then some residents gave themselves up to the temptation of the perfect life form and became mutants?"
Fang Chang: "Combined with the information you got from the priest, it is probably true. And later, for some reason, they eliminated the original residents and gave penises to the mutants who originally did not have penises."
Kuang Feng: "I heard that the reason why the earliest mutants did not have reproductive organs was to prevent the spread of DNA... It should not be difficult for those researchers to add back the deleted things."
Quit smoking: "But why did they do this..."
Kuang Feng: "Who knows? Maybe the residents of Singularity City did not have a pattern at the time. (squinting)"
Fang Chang: "In fact, it is easy to understand from another perspective. Someone and your grandfather are You promised that you would complete the perfect life form in 20 years and turn everyone into a more perfect new human being. You believed it. As a result, you took over your grandfather's job, and now you are almost a grandfather, but you still haven't fulfilled your promise. "
"At this time, a bunch of powerful eunuchs in the settlement were angry every day. They claimed that their sacrifices and dedication were deceived and asked you to change them back. However, you and the scholars you sponsored had no way to do it. After all, this is an unfinished technology. No one has been to the future to see how far it is from the end. You can only settle for the second best and meet their other requirements... at least put their penises back. "
"Anyway, this technology is almost finished. Everyone says so. You believe it after hearing it so many times. When the last piece of the puzzle is completed, everything will be fine. "
"Then a new problem arose. From some unknown day, a group of mutants who had never been human for a day appeared in the settlement. They found that they could knock out those weak bamboo poles with bad ideas with one punch. Not only did they live longer, but they almost never got sick or caught a cold. It was just that their appearance was a little unpopular... You can use your imagination to think about what this meant in the wasteland at that time."
"When more than 99% of the entire settlement were new generation mutants and old humans who joined them out of their worship of violence, the era of old humans was over."
"Except for a few radicals who still remember where they came from and where they are going, they will continue with their previous plans and continue to complete the "perfect life form" that will be completed at an unknown time. But most mutants will think that they are already the most perfect form, and what they need to do now is to open up the living space for mutants in this world and completely turn old humans into livestock in the farm."
"Some old humans will be loyal to them, or cooperate with them, in order to become a mutant and have the opportunity to survive in the new world. "
Kuangfeng: "From this perspective, the routes and programs of mutants and the Torch Church are highly overlapped…"
Ye Shi: "No wonder they can pee in the same pot…"
Lao Bai: "By the way, Fang Chang, how was your conversation with the captain of the caravan of the Pine Cone Farm?"
Fang Chang: "That matter has been settled… He agreed to cooperate with our investigation in the settlement. In exchange, we only need to take his family with us when we retreat."
Quit Smoking: "666!"
Kidney Fighter: "Awesome! You are worthy of being Brother Fang Chang! The most realistic man in the whole server! (Funny)"
Fang Chang: "Get lost!"
Ye Shi: "But then again, why are these profiteers running out one by one?"
Kuangfeng: "Isn't this obvious? Before, I smelled the smell of the lake, but this time the fire has burned my eyebrows. (Squinting)"
…
The browsing room of Shelter No. 404.
Chu Guang, leaning on the sofa, finished reading the posts on the forum and reorganized the intelligence collected by the frontline players.
Just at this time, the Alliance Biological Research Institute completed the analysis of the remains of the cyborg mutant, and Heya brought the analysis report in person.
"The analysis results are out. The mutants in Jinhe City are genetically related to the mutants in Qingquan City... Most of the mutants in this area are probably spread from there."
Walking to the sofa opposite Chu Guang and sitting down, Heya stretched out his index finger and lightly stroked in the air, pushing the light blue window in front of him.
"This is the detailed analysis result."
Stretching out his index finger and clicking on the light blue holographic window, Chu Guang took a simple glance.
The dense data and various graphics on it were beyond his knowledge, but he believed in Heya's professional level.
"What about the Great Desert? "
Heya said concisely.
"According to the samples sent from Pioneer City... the correlation between the two is very low, I tend to think that they are branches with different origins."
"Branches with different origins refer to..."
"In short, their ancestors are mutants born from different research institutes, and each has made some improvements on the original basis. I remember that there is also a research institute on the West Coast that is engaged in the research of "perfect life forms", and the clones of the Legion are the by-products of such research facilities."
When he said this, a trace of emotion appeared on Heya's face, and he continued.
"To be honest... I am actually quite surprised that those technicians were able to use limited equipment to produce such outstanding research results during that special period when materials were expensive and scarce. "
As a singularity technology isolated from the "horizon" of human civilization, the perfect life form is a mountain that the academic community has been climbing without results in the prosperous era. Even with the rich DNA sample library provided by the colonized planet, the research progress is still slow.
It is conceivable how difficult this grand project is.
However, in the early days of the wasteland era - the most desperate era, the settlements still retained a certain ability to develop new technologies and make some unexpected improvements on the existing results.
This is actually quite difficult.
"Indeed, if we put aside the negative impact of imperfect technology, what they did is indeed quite surprising."
Looking at Heya with a look of emotion, Chu Guang suddenly thought of something and continued to speak.
"By the way, the alliance's troops have collected some interesting clues in the south, which may be related to Shelter No. 117-"
Before he finished speaking, Heya stood up from the sofa with a sound and supported his hands on the coffee table.
"Where is she! ? "
Chu Guang was stunned by her sudden reaction.
"She..."
"Karen!" Staring at him intently, Heya said excitedly, "My mentor! Where is she! ?"
"Ahem... Don't get excited yet."
Looking at Heya who was about to poke her nose in his face, Chu Guang coughed lightly, signaling her to calm down.
Finally realizing her own gaffe, Heya's cheeks turned red, and she quickly sat back on the sofa, put her fist to her lips and coughed lightly.
"Sorry."
"It's okay, I understand. "
After all, she slept for nearly twenty years. When she opened her eyes, everything had changed. Professor Karen was probably her only relative in this world.
According to the news from Shelter 401, the professor was probably still alive and went to the south with the people of Torch.
Chu Guang also had many questions in his mind.
Looking at Xiao Qi, he said.
"Xiao Qi, please make me two cups of black tea."
Xiao Qi pouted, looking a little unhappy, but when she heard Chu Guang's order, she still responded obediently.
"Okay, Master. "
After a while, X-16 walked in with a graceful step, put two cups of black tea on the table, nodded politely, and then gracefully left the browsing room.
Looking at Heya who was gradually calming down, Chu Guang slowly spoke.
"I don't have any specific information about your mentor, but when my shelter residents were active in a place called Hope Town in Jinchuan Province, they found out that a group of shelter residents came to the settlement 20 years ago and traded some supplies from them with medicines."
"There is only one clinic in that town. The doctor who works in the clinic is now a pastor in the town. He still has some impressions of those people... According to his recollection, those shelter residents stayed in the town for a while, bought a lot of supplies, and also inquired about the Singularity City."
"Singularity City..." Chewing the word quietly, Heya's eyes were blank.
Chu Guang looked into her eyes and asked.
"Haven't you heard your mentor talk about it? "
Heya shook his head.
"No..."
"Is that so..." Chu Guang thought for a moment and continued, "If that's the case, I'm more inclined to believe that they collected clues about Singularity City from the wasteland, and after learning about what happened a century and a half ago, they took the initiative to contact the 'Qi' tribe. "
Unless there is a special mission to be performed, most blue coats tend to contact the survivors on the surface. Those people may have even been to Boulder City, but they left on their own because they were disappointed with those arrogant nobles.
Singularity City is also a settlement in the blueprint of the War Construction Committee. They do have reason to try their luck further south.
Heya muttered to himself.
"What on earth... does she want to do?"
"I don't know, but according to the results of our investigation, twenty years ago was exactly the first time point when the 'Qi' tribe showed its aggressiveness. I'm more inclined to believe that the residents of Shelter No. 117 reached some kind of agreement with them since then... There should have been no church at that time, and the torch should have been just a torch. "
Looking at the steam rising from the teacup and Heya who was silent in the mist, Chu Guang sighed softly and continued.
"I promised you that I would tell you the clues I collected about Shelter No. 117, but I hope you don't have too much psychological burden."
"Well..." Heya nodded slowly, but the confused expression exposed her emotions.
In her impression, her mentor was a very kind person, kind, capable, and brave, like her mother.
She tried to understand what Professor Kallen was doing, but the closer she got to the truth, the more she felt like she was falling into a thick fog.
Cooperating with mutants...
What exactly do they want to do?
Didn't they agree to rebuild a beautiful new world on the surface after the gate was opened?
Heya vaguely remembered what her mentor had said to her.
One day in the future, she will have a very long dream, but don't worry, when she wakes up from that short dream and opens her eyes again, the outside world will be a peaceful and fertile land.
Now that I think about it, the crisis that subverted Shelter 117 was probably decided from then on, and her mentor decided to keep her from the beginning.
"I... I wish I hadn't fallen asleep at the beginning."
Holding the teacup tightly with his fingers, Heya lowered his head and stared at the sparkling water in the cup, looking at the pair of eyes that were also sparkling.
Looking at her lowered eyelids, Chu Guang comforted her softly.
"Maybe... But from another perspective, now may not be the best arrangement."
He sometimes thought about it.
If only he could have traveled through time earlier.
When he looked up, he saw a devastated wasteland. He always felt that when he opened his eyes, many irreversible things had already happened.
But at this time, he would also think, if he really woke up earlier, would the situation be different?
Maybe it would be worse.
"That's true..."
Raising his sleeve to rub the corner of his eyes, Heya's face showed a cheerful smile again.
"It would be great if I could talk to her in person."
Chu Guang nodded seriously.
"There will be a chance."
...
The night gradually deepened in the urban area of Jinhe City.
Standing on the roof of an abandoned building, Garen quietly looked towards the north, his caterpillar-like eyebrows squeezed into a ball.
Oger set out in the morning.
Logically, he should have returned by this time.
However, the north was quiet, without any movement.
He couldn't help but have an ominous premonition in his heart.
Just then, a mutant sentinel ran from the stairwell with a grunt, and knelt on one knee ten steps behind him.
"Oger, no news. Dust Town is a mess."
"They held a banquet there, with human bones, discarded weapons, and more than two hundred of our bodies."
Two hundred?
Garen was stunned, turned his burly body, and looked at the sentinel kneeling on one knee on the ground.
"Are you sure? There are so many?"
The sentry nodded his head like pounding garlic.
"Yes, many brothers died... By the way, I also picked up such a big shell."
As he said that, the sentry reached behind his back with his right hand, took out the shell he saw on the battlefield, and handed it forward respectfully.
Garen reached out and picked up the thick shell, pinched it with two fingers, and brought it close to his nose, frowning even tighter.
At this time, a voice with a hint of aging came from the direction of the stairwell.
"This is not the weapon of the 'Iron Tower', it is specially designed for us."
Garen looked in the direction of the stairwell and saw a hunched figure standing there.
That was the high priest of the tribe, Qi Gomo, and the only old man who stood on the side of the secular faction that he respected. Compared with those pedantic old guys, he was one of the few good people who really cared about this tribe.
Seeing Garen looking over, the old mutant continued slowly.
"They are from the Alliance, so I'm sure they are right."
"These people are well prepared. Those stationed in Hope Town are probably just an outpost. There is still no news about the people you sent out. They are probably in danger."
Garn's mouth curled up cruelly.
As if venting his anger, he squeezed the shell in his fingertips into a twisted waste and threw it on the ground.
"No matter who dares to go against us, I will make them regret coming to this world!"
Gomo nodded slowly and said respectfully.
"I believe you have the strength, but for the sake of safety, we'd better discuss it with our allies."
"The guys in the north have designed troublesome things for us, and we have to prepare more reliable weapons for our soldiers."
With a hint of vigilance in his eyes, Garn nodded slowly.
"Well, it's really a problem."
Although he is full of muscles, the muscles have not grown into his brain.
The humans in the north have designed special weapons for them, so they have to find a way to forge stronger armor.
Those guys who call themselves torches are experts in this area.
If those guys don't want to see their plans go down the drain, it's better to think of a way for them.
...
The next morning.
The roadblocks at the entrance of Hope Town have been removed, and a line of fully loaded trucks are parked in front of the gate. Twenty or so fully armed soldiers are standing by, ready to set off.
Among these soldiers, half are Xiaoyu wearing exoskeletons, led by Luoyu. The other half are players of the Burning Corps, led by Brother Fangchang.
The rest of the players followed Lao Bai back to the military base at the junction of the provinces to wait.
According to the NPC named Wu Wenzhou, too many people going there can easily arouse suspicion. After all, the goods loaded on these six trucks add up to only about one million silver coins. How can they afford such a luxurious mercenary group?
Except for Xiaoyu, who was not convenient to take off the exoskeleton, Fang Chang and several other players left their exoskeletons to Lao Bai and others, asking them to help take them back to the military base.
"... Don't forget our agreement." Walking to Fang Chang's side, Wu Wenzhou's eyes flickered, and he lowered his voice and reminded nervously.
Those mutants scared him yesterday.
Now he understood why his boss was in a hurry to get out of that farm.
Fang Chang gave him a reliable look with a bright smile on his face.
"Don't worry, we will never treat those who help us unfairly."
"Of course I believe in you... To be honest, if you are willing to expand your territory here, we don't have to leave our hometown and go north."
After leaving this sentence, Wu Wenzhou turned back to the truck, grabbed the intercom hanging on the central control and shouted.
"Let's go!"
The vehicle started.
Ye Shi climbed onto the truck and sat next to Luo Yu, and suddenly looked up at the woods on the side.
Noticing his movements, Luo Yu asked in confusion.
"What's wrong?"
"...Nothing." Retracting his gaze from the woods, Ye Shi muttered, "Just now I felt someone was looking at this side."
But he didn't sense any killing intent.
Maybe it was the NPC in the town...