An Tianhe's consciousness was muddled for a long time, drifting aimlessly like a cloud, until many thin, black snakes wrapped around him, constantly biting him fiercely. The pain penetrated his soul, and just as he was about to be torn apart, he suddenly felt himself falling into a warm pool. The water inside was golden and transparent, quickly seeping into his body, beginning to drive out and devour the snakes until the pain completely disappeared. He felt as if he were floating in a bathtub, comfortably falling into a deep sleep.
Extreme thirst and convulsive twitches pulled An Tianhe from his deep sleep. He felt as if he had a very long nightmare.
A gentle straw was perfectly placed on his lips. He subconsciously took a sip, and a slightly sweet, refreshing liquid entered his mouth, instantly awakening his taste buds and causing him to gulp it down involuntarily, until the heart-wrenching thirst was gone.
He comfortably exhaled a turbid breath, and his consciousness cleared a little more. He curiously looked around at a completely unfamiliar environment.
Where was this place? It looked like a scene from a sci-fi movie, with minimalist decoration, yet constructed of industrial modules.
The thing that had given him water turned out to be a mechanical arm, which had just put down the water bottle and retracted to a standby position nearby.
An Tianhe was about to sit up to get a better view when the previously flat bed, gently raised him into a sitting position, seemingly able to understand all his needs.
"Damn! This is so smart!" he thought, surprised, and his mind became more active.
The dim light in the room seemed to gradually brighten, but it remained soft, not irritating to the eyes.
"You are awake, Commander!" A female, electronically synthesized voice sounded in his ear.
Commander? Who was she talking to? An Tianhe was completely bewildered.
The space in front of the bed suddenly lit up, showing a holographic projection screen playing back his encounter after entering the hydropower station.
"Mr. An Tianhe, you have been selected as the sole Commander of the Red Alert Base for Earth's Parallel World No. 8621. It has now been nearly two days and two nights since you were injured and fell unconscious."
Watching himself being savagely attacked by the zombie dogs on the projection screen, the gates of his dormant memory burst open. The tragic memories, the bone-chilling pain, the despairing emotions all surged out at once, making his head spin.
His hands trembled as he felt his body. All the wounds were gone; his hands and feet were intact!
He hadn't died, nor had he become a walking corpse. He was still alive!!
After confirming his miraculous survival and recovery, he roared towards the sky in excitement.
In his excitement, he suddenly remembered Xia Yan, who was still waiting anxiously for him in the farmhouse one kilometer away from the hydropower station. His expression changed. "Oh no, so much time has passed, Xia Yan must be worried sick!" He abruptly rolled out of bed, ignoring his still weak body, and shouted into the room, "I have to go back for her! Please, let me go back for her!!"
***
Xiannu Lake Hydropower Station Parking Lot.
Compared to his first time here when he was alone and vulnerable, An Tianhe was now a different man, well-equipped and with a strong force. Not only was he armed to the teeth, but he also had his own guard unit.
Two CTJ-02 Assault Armored Vehicles (with their own drivers), three clone soldiers, one Special Forces sniper, and two engineers.
There were supposed to be two ZTZ-99 main battle tanks as well, but the main AI system informed him that to save his life, too much energy had been used, and he had been injected with biological medical products such as a Primary Gene Optimization fluid, a Hyperactive Immunoglobulin agent, and a Multipurpose antiviral serum. Therefore, a corresponding number of starting units had to be deducted.
Fine, let them be deducted. He could build more himself later.
After repeatedly confirming that he wasn't dreaming, time-traveling, or experiencing any other anomalies, An Tianhe gradually accepted the existence of the Red Alert system. But when he asked the system why he had been chosen as the sole commander, he received an unexpected answer:
"Your current authority is insufficient to obtain more information."
"Then how can I increase my authority?"
"Rescue survivors, recapture lost areas or cities, earn merit points, and exchange them for higher authority."
Well, it seemed the road ahead would be long and arduous.
To avoid exposing the existence of the Red Alert base, An Tianhe had to wait until the base headquarters had fully deployed its defensive measures before doing anything else, because that period was the most vulnerable and dangerous time for the Red Alert system. If it was discovered by outsiders, the AI system would strip him of his command and erase related memories.
Having finally gained a foothold in this apocalypse, how could An Tianhe be foolish enough to risk it all? He had no choice but to reluctantly suppress his urge to go back for Xia Yan and first arrange the base's affairs.
Leading his guard unit, he quickly cleared the water intake plant on the right bank of the hydropower station. Unexpectedly, he encountered no major threats. The garrison troops that Captain Gao had mentioned had long since withdrawn. Only a few notes were left by the staff in the duty log, stating they were following orders from their superiors. Before leaving, they had shut off the power and water systems, leaving only a few security guards, who were then wiped out by the virus-infected zombie dogs after a heavy rain.
An Tianhe thought about his own misfortune of running into those three monstrous things the moment he entered. If not for the system's help, he would have died silently in the mountains.
With his worries gone, An Tianhe went to the center of the widest parking lot. He opened his newly equipped wristwatch and, under the AI's guidance, activated the spacetime beacon. Soon, a massive vehicle, about forty to fifty meters long and six to seven meters wide, appeared at the center of the area through a transmission channel. The heavy industrial-style MCV, with its huge metal track gears, left An Tianhe dumbfounded.
"Commander, the MCV has been deployed. Shall we establish the headquarters here?"
"Yes! Establish it immediately!"
"Battlefield control is being established. Please wait... Estimated remaining time: 3 hours, 17 minutes, 21 seconds. Timer started."
The MCV's rough exhaust pipe suddenly spewed a thick cloud of black smoke. Then, the entire vehicle broke apart into several huge modules that began to flip and move, occasionally combining to form new parts, but the final shape was not yet apparent. The entire parking lot began to shake slightly, as if a foundation was being laid.
"This is reality, after all. It takes over three hours for the MCV to deploy. While in the games, it would be done in seconds. I wonder who built this thing. With such powerful abilities, why stick to the game-like settings? Why not create their own system?"
"Your authority is insufficient to obtain more information."
"??" An Tianhe felt like his thoughts were being monitored, leaving him with no privacy. This feeling made him very uncomfortable.
"Commander, the Red Alert system is deeply bound to you. Its loyalty to you is unquestionable. However, considering your personal habits, the system will separate your private activities from military secrets and will try not to intrude on your personal matters in the future."
"Good, that's fine. Thank you!"
"Command received. Data parameters are being modified... Modification complete."
An Tianhe sent his entire guard unit to guard the main entrance of the hydropower station and spent an hour in boredom.
"Commander, the command hall area has been fully deployed. You may enter now."
Eager for something to do, An Tianhe immediately ran over. He walked to what looked like the main entrance, and the automatic doors slid open with a swish, revealing a command hall of over two hundred square meters. Rows of consoles were blinking with red and green lights, vacant leather chairs, and metallic desktops. All of this made An Tianhe feel a sense of novelty.
The large screen on the wall suddenly flashed, and the headshot of a beautiful, dignified female officer appeared.
"Hello, Commander. I am your AI adjutant. All of your orders can be relayed directly through me to all units and structures under the base's control."
An Tianhe nodded, his heart pounding with excitement. This was his own super armed force. The achievements he could reach in the future were simply unimaginable.
"Commander, other areas have not yet been fully deployed and the linked functions cannot be used yet. If you feel tired, please rest in the private lounge next door."
Oh? Is there a place like that?
An Tianhe turned and walked to the lounge door. The automatic door opened to reveal a personal room of several dozen square meters. The furnishings were extremely simple and practical, typical of a professional soldier's quarters.
"This is your private lounge. It is currently in the default state. You can customize the room's furnishings according to your own preferences. The first customization is free. Each subsequent change will incur a corresponding fee."
As the adjutant spoke, a virtual menu popped up before An Tianhe, with various options to choose from, including complete style sets and individual custom settings. Thinking that he and Xia Yan would be living here for a long time, he soon became engrossed, temporarily forgetting the agonizing wait.
More than three hours later, the entire base shuddered one last time. All shaking and noise ceased, and everything fell completely silent.
Following the adjutant's prompt, "Optical camouflage activated. Full coverage deployed."
The appearance of the massive base command center, now connected to the mountainside, distorted and transformed, taking on the appearance of an ordinary factory building at the hydropower station. No one would have imagined that such immense and mysterious force was hidden within this unassuming building.
Having completed all this, An Tianhe could wait no longer. He jumped into an armored assault vehicle and sped towards his woman's temporary shelter.
*****
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