Mother of Insects

Chapter 32

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Lin Xi woke up covered in cold sweat.

He sat up and looked at his surroundings.

The lighting facilities were turned off, and only the night light at the bottom of the wall was on, leaving the room dim and dim.

The scene in front of him almost overlapped with Lin Xi's nightmare, which made Lin Xi panic for a brief moment.

But he soon discovered that this was actually just because the lights were dimmed at night (at least according to the spacecraft's internal schedule).

The sound of human breathing came from beside Lin Xi. He saw Bryce on an unfolded temporary care bed. The latter was sleeping deeply. His face still looked bad under the dim light of the night light. That fatigue fully emerged after he relaxed mentally.

He was not surprised at all when he returned to the familiar medical room. Not far from Bryce was a treatment machine with people lying inside. Lin Xi took a look and found that one of them was the maid named Sam. soldiers.

Everything looked so peaceful, but Lin Xi sat on the bed and didn't make any sound.

The specific images in the nightmare were quickly fading away as he woke up, but the feeling of panic remained, and...

And something is in this room.

Lin Xi thought irrationally.

The feeling was so weird and strong - something had followed him from nightmare to reality.

It was lurking in a corner of the medical room, staring at him quietly.

Lin Xi slowly lay back on the bed. He closed his eyes and pretended that he had not discovered anything.

But that gaze became more intense at this moment.

He didn't know what was happening, but he knew he must not act rashly now, otherwise...

otherwise…

In that huge fear, Lin Xi fell asleep again without knowing it.

When Lin Xi woke up again, both the nightmare and the sense of voyeurism he felt when he suddenly woke up had faded.

He just felt like he had a terrible headache. And the two people lying in the treatment device not far from him made him feel extremely annoying.

Bryce was not in the medical room—Lin Xi could imagine that his brother was probably dealing with this matter.

He left a text message on Lin Xi's terminal, which recorded his physiological records last night. The red numbers on it proved the existence of that illusory nightmare, but Lin Xi only took a few glances to read it. The personal terminal was thrown aside.

Not long after, Alyssa walked in from the door.

"how are you feeling?"

Alyssa asked. She looked very tired. Even when she smiled, the corners of her mouth were still drooped down. There were already several fine lines on her originally beautiful face, which was enough to show that Alyssa had been looking at her face these days. Frown.

"What Bryce sent showed that there was something wrong with my heartbeat monitored last night, but that is already an old problem of mine."

Lin Xi shrugged and said.

He didn't notice that when he said the word "old problem", Alyssa's eyes quickly flashed with worry when she looked at him.

"Given the problems these people on board are having now, I think I would be classified in the very healthy category."

Lin Xi deliberately pretended to have a relaxed tone and said to Alyssa.

"That would be great, because Bryce and I were horrified when we saw that scene."

Alyssa said softly. "You know... the scene was really scary. So many people fell to the ground silently. We thought you all-"

"Thought we were all dead?"

"Ah, that's right." Alyssa blinked at Lin Xi, "You should really see Bryce's face at that time. I haven't seen him look so excited for a long time."

"I think he has always been easily agitated. Please don't tell him, but I worry about his blood pressure a lot of the time..."

Lin Xi muttered, and he finally found a way to relax Alyssa's tense face.

However, after a few sentences of this innocuous conversation, Lin Xi could not help but frown.

Of course he could see that Alyssa was hesitant to speak.

"So... how about it?"

Lin Xi suddenly asked Alyssa confusedly.

He knew that the other party could understand what he wanted to ask.

"What are they going to do about it?"

Alyssa obviously did not expect Lin Xi to ask this question directly. She was stunned briefly, and then she sighed.

"The guys on the control team decided it was a fight and it was all the exploration team's fault."

Alyssa said expressionlessly.

"Control team?"

Lin Xi frowned because of this new word.

"Ah, it's just a boring organization like the emergency committee."

Noticing Lin Xi's confusion, Alyssa quickly explained.

"Of course, this group of people used a more high-sounding name to describe this boring bureaucratic organization, but I don't think you will care about that - it seems that some people think that I stole Tallan's rights and relied on my identity in the sun. The abuse of power on board the God ultimately led to the current chaotic situation on board.”

Alyssa said coldly.

Lin Xi looked at Alyssa in disbelief. He really couldn't figure out why Alyssa could act so calm.

"...Is it because of me?" he asked, and then quickly changed the question into an affirmative sentence, "It's because of what happened this time."

Nothing could be worse than what he felt at this moment. Lin Xi felt as if his internal organs had turned into lead, sinking coldly and heavily into his body.

"Oh, of course not!" Alyssa shook her head immediately. "...Actually, a large part of the reason is the 'Covenant'. Those men thought that I was making such a fuss because I was too afraid of insects. Opening the protective shield burned a lot of fuel, which made them feel very uneasy. They didn't know, If I hadn't opened the 'Covenant', what would have happened would have been even worse - but no one would take my little premonitions seriously even if I spoke them out."

Alyssa said coldly: "I hope to get rid of this mess on my shoulders more quickly than anyone else, but you know, those people don't understand how serious the situation is today."

Perhaps because she thought of the series of accidents that happened in the spacecraft during this period, Alyssa's face became increasingly ugly.

"Unless we can find our own coordinates in a short period of time and then jump back to the normal route, otherwise... the situation will only become more and more chaotic. We have explained to those people a few days ago that the food bag may But they seemed to think this was just scaremongering by Bryce and me to consolidate our authority.”

Alyssa complained bitterly.

"These idiots—"

Lin Xi couldn't help but said.

"Yes, there are either lunatics or a group of idiots on our spaceship now. And those idiots thought that the people on the exploration team were drunk when they attacked you. Yes, they can't escape this responsibility, but... you didn't There were no life-threatening injuries, but the scumbags in the exploration team were all unconscious due to internal fighting. The most serious ones were brain-damaged, and it was impossible for them to wake up before we returned to Earth. …”

After saying this, Alyssa turned her head and looked to the side. From this angle, Alyssa and Lin Xi could clearly see the man lying in the treatment device next to them.

Alyssa showed a little disgust and subtle fear on her face.

Of course, she concealed the emotion behind it very well.

After the incident, Alyssa had already checked the records immediately (the people in the exploration team seemed to have completely forgotten that there would be continuous camera records at the door of all storage rooms), but after reading those records, Alyssa was most surprised. What made Lisa feel horrified was not the fact that Lin Xi was attacked, but...but the fact that the man named Sam suddenly behaved strangely and pointed his fist at his compatriots.

Sam's madness and violence at that time even made Alyssa feel physically uncomfortable.

"This guy is still in a coma, and the scan shows that there seems to be a tumor in his skull. This is probably why his temperament changed drastically and he acted so crazy before. Well, now the tumor has become a perfect excuse for those people ... In short, in the eyes of some people, you were completely unscathed, but the exploration team suffered heavy losses, so now they have imposed a ban on the exploration team as a punishment, well..." Lisa suddenly stopped talking, as if she was going to say something next. The words made her feel a little embarrassed.

"They now strictly prohibit members of the exploration team from drinking alcohol in the spacecraft."

She finally forced herself to speak.

Although it was not expected that other people on the Helios would make any fair decision about this blatant attack, Lin Xi still felt a little incredible after hearing this so-called punishment ban.

"Wait... If I remember correctly, according to the regulations on the ship, those guys should not have been drinking in the first place - whether inside the ship or while performing outside."

Lin Xi said in shock.

Alyssa showed a wry smile to Lin Xi.

She shrugged and made a you-know-what look.

"That's right... This is why Bryce is not in the medical room. You know him. If he could, he would probably stay by your bedside 24 hours a day. And now, he is talking to those bastards in the conference room They quarreled."

"With Thorian?"

Lin Xi asked.

"Who else could it be?"

"Damn it… "

"Your life is not in danger, and those people's lives are not in danger. I think the people above probably just want to fool this matter. Pretend that the boat is calm and there are no problems. Even if there is no control team, this is what these guys always do. Isn’t that the way to go?”

Alyssa said softly.

After exchanging some information, Alyssa seemed to be in a very bad mood, and of course Lin Xi was in a very bad mood.

Soon, both of them fell into silence, and the atmosphere between them became extremely heavy. Not long after, Alyssa's personal terminal rang. She lowered her head and glanced, then raised her eyebrows.

"Ah, I think I have to go. When you are in a better mood and body, I will come back to ask you about yesterday's attack, such as why the guy named Sam suddenly started fighting with his accomplices. stand up."

"I-"

Just as Lin Xi was about to speak, Alyssa suddenly reached out and rubbed his head.

Lin Xi's movements suddenly froze. Except for his mother, no one had ever done this to him as an adult.

"Everything's going to be okay, right?"

He looked at Alyssa in surprise, who gave him a gentle smile.

Although both of them knew that this was just a hopeless wish, Lin Xi couldn't help but nodded.

"Yes, Alyssa, I will definitely do it."

He said.

Not long after Alyssa left, Lin Xi received a warning message on her personal terminal.

The source of the news came from his greenhouse.

Lin Xi clicked on the message, and then felt her heartbeat almost stop.

Just now... "No. 1" suddenly found a way to destroy the sealing measures of the large insect culture tank and escaped.

Lin Xi: "..."

He almost couldn't breathe - for a second he almost pressed the alarm.

After all, according to normal procedures, once a large alien creature escapes, he has to do this.

But thinking of "No. 1"'s IQ and its past temper, Lin Xi removed his finger after a brief hesitation.

However, he still left a brief message to Ernie.

Then he jumped out of the hospital bed decisively. Put on your clothes and go straight outside.

When passing by the two treatment machines, he raised his middle finger at the two guys.

Ten minutes later, Lin Xi was already standing in his cabin.

He looked at his room calmly, his eyes cold.

Suddenly his living quarters looked exactly the same as when he left. His personal belongings were still in such disarray, scattered in every corner of the room.

His personal schedule bounced on the monitor on the wall, and unread messages on his personal terminal were transferred to the memo in his room. A large amount of unfinished data work is piled on the small writing table, and the location of the wardrobe has long been transformed into a storage platform. Two petri dishes were originally placed there, but since "No. 1" has a new house , there is only the egg sheath that has not fully hatched.

Lin Xi originally thought that after "No. 1" successfully hatched, the remaining eggs in the egg sheath would also hatch quickly, but then he realized that he might have been too optimistic.

After "No. 1" had grown into a giant insect close to one meter, the eggs were still curled up in the thick sheath without any movement. Lin Xi tried to make an incubator and put the remaining eggs in it, but as time passed, the activity in the eggs was still slowly decreasing.

But no matter what, Lin Xi still wanted to save their lives as much as possible, so he paid special attention to the incubator and the eggs -

It was at this point that "No. 1" showed its flaws.

As soon as Lin Xi saw the incubator, he knew that it had been... tampered with by insects.

He walked over and inspected the incubator and found several deep scratches on the surface of the hard metal device.

Lin Xi's face became gloomier as a result.

"No. 1—"

he yelled into the cabin, which seemed to be empty of anyone else.

"You better get out of here."

There was no movement, except for the old air filter still whirring behind the wall.

But Lin Xi had no doubts about his judgment.

Maybe this is the so-called intuition - he knows why "No. 1" went through so much trouble to escape from his cultivation tank.

Just to come back here.

Come back to his cabin.

The only thing that exceeded Lin Xi's expectations was that "No. 1" actually attempted to prey on the egg sheath and the incubator.

"I know you're here. I'm in a very bad mood today. You'd better not let me take the initiative to find you."

Lin Xi took a few deep breaths, then lowered his voice and said coldly.

Perhaps because the cold breath in his tone was too strong, finally, after his warning this time, there was a rustling sound somewhere in the cabin.

The wall of Lin Xi's cabin moved - yes, it was his "wall" that moved.

The mottled stains on the metal wall and the constantly flashing electronic screen that Lin Xi had long been accustomed to had gradually disappeared. The color gradually faded and the metal lines disappeared...

Soon, what replaced the wall were the magnificently colored wings of "No. 1" covered with large and small spots.

The last thing that completed the change of color was the insect's body. It changed from the old silver-gray unique to the metal cabin back to its original color. The two bulbs that Lin Xi thought were night lights were restored, and they turned out to be " No. 1” eyes.

It was at this moment that Lin Xi felt very clearly that "No. 1" had indeed grown very big. Its wings stretched out and could even cover the entire wall of the cabin.

“…”

Lin Xi took a deep breath. He had to admit he hadn't expected this. He thought that "No. 1" would crawl out of some corner - like some particularly disgusting insect on the earth. The insect's body structure allowed them to easily get stuck in gaps that humans could not even imagine.

The only thing Lin Xi was sure of was that "No. 1" must be in his room, but he never expected that from beginning to end, the huge alien bug would be right in front of him, spreading its huge wings. , and those red eyes have been watching him. The most incredible thing is that when Lin Xi walked into the cabin, he clearly looked at the wall and even glanced at the electronic screen.

And he obviously didn't notice anything strange.

Lin Xi looked at the location of "No. 1" and suddenly made a deeper discovery. When he threatened the cabin to force "No. 1" to appear, the direction he was facing happened to be that wall (although At that time, he clearly found nothing), and it is very possible that "No. 1" just mistakenly thought that Lin Xi had found it, and then reluctantly gave up the disguise.

And what if... what if "No. 1" persists for a little longer? If it insists on maintaining its mimicry, can Lin Xi really find it in the cabin

Inexplicably, this doubt made Lin Xi feel a subtle... uneasiness.

There are many insects on earth that have similar mimicry. But no bug has ever been so perfect.

"Number One" is a star butterfly.

In the culture of the Sunu people, star butterflies are a sacred object that is so sacred that they are inviolable. They are considered to be the projection of the Star God on the land. Their wisdom and their red eyes are to listen and listen on behalf of the Star God. Get to know His people.

Lin Xi suddenly remembered the things recorded in Dr. Ando's notes. The longer he spent time with "No. 1", the more clearly he realized that this magical life was considered by the Sunu people to be gods, not gods. There is no reason.

Lin Xi was slightly stunned as she was thinking a lot.

Perhaps it was Lin Xi's silence that made "No. 1" feel uneasy.

"No. 1" slowly climbed down from the wall, with a vague hint of unwillingness in his movements.

Then, he waved his tentacles timidly at the human in front of him, and then retracted his wings.

"Zi Zi...Zi Zi..."

A soft and slightly flattering sound came from under its wings.

Its forelimbs were curled up and huddled tightly in front of its chest, with only the four legs behind it supporting its hard and huge body. He tried his best to appear obedient and obedient.

Just looking at its pitiful appearance, it would be hard for people to even imagine that it had destroyed the professional sealing facilities in a large insect petri dish. The one who sneaked back into the room and then tried to destroy the egg sheath incubator... was such an alien bug that was trembling with fear from humans.

Lin Xi originally had a splitting headache because of what happened yesterday, but now, looking at "No. 1", the headache has become more and more serious.

"Don't act like that, we all know what you did—you shouldn't have snuck out of the greenhouse, and I really didn't like that. You should have known that it would have worried me, and by the way, your cultivation The sealing equipment used in the tank is not only professional but also very expensive. I doubt that, given the current situation, Omni will give me a new one.”

Lin Xi sat on the bed tiredly.

As he moved, "Number One"'s head also turned around.

It took a few steps in Lin Xi's direction, but after noticing Lin Xi's stern gaze, it quickly stopped, and then the whole insect lay on the ground.

Its wings turned a grayish color.

Then, Lin Xi pointed to the egg sheath incubator on the shelf.

"...The most important thing is, I want to know why you did that, why did you destroy the incubator? Those... those are your brothers and sisters, of course, provided that they can all hatch smoothly. Of course, I also know that like you This kind of bug doesn't like to interact closely with its own kind, but... who knows, if they really hatch, you might be able to find one among them that you like, and you will probably be able to see it on the spaceship. I won’t be so lonely anymore.”

At this point, Lin Xi's voice softened a little.

He suddenly thought that if the Helios really had no way to return to Earth, then the only person in the entire ship who could survive would be the little thing in front of him.

After all, judging from the current situation of this planet, insects can live quite happily here.

"Zi Zi...Zi Zi..."

Hearing Lin Xi mention the egg sheath, the star butterfly, which was still a little sluggish before, suddenly stood up its tentacles and let out a high-pitched cry.

Any normal person can feel that "No. 1" has a strong dislike for that egg sheath.

Seeing "No. 1"'s obvious reaction, Lin Xi could only rub his temples.

The physiological data Bryce gave him showed that there was nothing unusual about his body, but since he woke up this morning, he found that his headaches were becoming more and more serious.

"All right… "

He sighed.

"Let's just brush this off and I'll pretend I didn't see your teeth marks - but now you have to go back to the greenhouse."

Lin Xiqiang cheered up and said to "No. 1".

And he was secretly beating a drum in his heart.

After all, today's "No. 1" is no longer the little bug that can be put in a glass dish and taken to the greenhouse.

If it is still unwilling to return to the original culture tank, then... then he will probably have to sound the alarm and use emergency measures to force "No. 1" back.

He was sure that Number One would go completely crazy if he did that.

This was something he didn't want to see anyway.

"Zi Zi..."

Sure enough, "No. 1" seemed very unhappy.

Lin Xi's heart sank heavily.

The author has something to say: Well... when I was writing this chapter, I got goosebumps just imagining the scene orz...

Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or gave me the nutrient solution~

Thanks to the little angel who threw [landmines]: I want two little flowers from Changning Road; He Zhuotou, Sanshenglian, Shanyu, Weiyang, and Yiyidu. , 1 mushroom;

Thanks to the little angel who irrigates [nutrient solution]:

52 bottles of Elena the Great; why do you need to check the water meter again? 20 bottles of 730592; 15 bottles of Just a Fairy Cat; 10 bottles of Xiaoyao Yisanxian, Mu Yue, and Yahou Hei; 8 bottles of Ajing; Qianshan Snow Silence, Dugu Moji 5 bottles; 1 bottle of Sugar in the Pocket, If There Is No Tomorrow, Momoda, Squeezed Little Grapes, and Chestnut Loves Jealousy;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!