by <unknown>
With this in mind, Chen Chen finally came to a decision.
However, before he began the extraction, Chen Chen needed to consider the possible dangers of the Predator Killer.
From his point of view, the main danger of the Predator Killer came from two aspects —
First, the Predator Killer came from outer space. Would it carry alien pathogens or some kind of electromagnetic radiation?
Still, considering that the USB drive could not extract lifeforms, Chen Chen could dismiss the risk of alien pathogens.
As for the issue of radiation, at the movie's ending, before the Predator Killer attached itself to the researcher, he had first used a radiation tester to examine the pod, then only did he approach it.
This meant that Chen Chen could be rest assured in this respect.
The second thing was, after the Predator Killer was attached to the human body, was it the human who controlled the Predator Killer or the Predator Killer that controlled the human?
Chen Chen had to think more deeply about this because he remembered that the researcher was initially in a state of panic when the Predator Killer was expanding over his body. However, after the Predator Killer covered him fully, that panic vanished instantly.
Not only that, but he also actively released weapons from his back and took aim at everyone.
Of course, this could just be a subconscious reaction on the Predator Killer's part when it detected threats all around it.
Even so, since this was a concern, of course, an experiment was needed to determine the result.
With this in mind, Chen Chen took out his phone and dialed Cheng Cao's number.
"Boss?"
"Help me hire a volunteer at the police station and also get a set of surgical tools. Then, find a hidden spot outside the city. I need to conduct an experiment."
"Understood."
After hanging up, Chen Chen did not hesitate anymore and started downloading the two movies.
The Internet speed in Namibia was pretty trash. After several long hours of waiting, the two movies were downloaded at last. Without hesitation, Chen Chen plugged in the USB drive directly.
"Swoosh!"
There were no unexpected obstacles. The two movies were copied neatly into the USB drive.
Very good.
Chen Chen formulated the upcoming plan in his mind. After confirming that there would be no issues, he put the USB drive away, closed the laptop, and left the room.
A few hours later.
Chen Chen had left Kolmanskop and rented a clinic in the next town.
After locking all the doors, Chen Chen glanced at the nervous, uneasy man before him and smiled softly. "Don't be nervous. Just relax."
"What, what are you guys planning to do?"
This middle-aged man was called Utoni Nujo, a typical member of the Owambo tribe. He had dark, sleek skin. Currently, he was curled up in a corner of the room with a wary, anxious expression.
"You don't need to know." Chen Chen started to arrange the surgical instruments before him. "Just cooperate with me."
"I want to go home…" The middle-aged man suddenly burst into tears. "Please, please, let me go home?"
"Didn't you sign an agreement with us?"
Chen Chen took out a scalpel and examined it under the light, checking it for any deformation. "Your parents and brothers have already received enough money to last them their entire lives, so I released you from the police station on bail. Otherwise, considering your criminal record of robbing and hurting so many people, you'd be facing twenty years of imprisonment."
"Sob… I was wrong. I promise never to do those things again. Please, let me go!" The middle-aged man started crying again after he spoke.
Cheng Cao cracked a grin when he heard this. "You signed the agreement yourself. We didn't force you."
Without Cheng Cao having to give an order, Lil Wang and Lil Zhang immediately picked up the bony middle-aged man and tied him to the hospital bed.
"Help, help! Murder, these Chinese men are killing me!"
The man screamed abruptly, wailing in a cracking voice as he tried to attract the attention of anyone outside.
Chen Chen took out a glass syringe and drew out the liquid from the ampule. At the same time, he gave a nonchalant reminder. "Save your breath. There are no other residents within a hundred meters of this clinic."
With that, he pushed out the air from the syringe with a poker face, then plunged it into the man's neck.
Suddenly, a heartrending scream could be heard from outside the clinic...
…
Half an hour later.
When Utoni Nujo resumed consciousness, he felt an inexplicable sense of nausea. It was like his brain had been split apart and a severe ache pierced his forehead.
"Blech…"
Utoni quickly turned to the side and retched vigorously.
After he spat out a mouthful of sour liquid, his stomach felt somewhat better. He sat up but incidentally moved the muscles of his neck, which resulted in sharp agony.
Utoni subconsciously touched the back of his neck, only to discover that a stitched wound had appeared on the back of his neck.
"Where am I? What did you do to me?"
Utoni stood up unsteadily, finding himself trapped in a cellar with no windows. There was only a skylight above his head.
"Click!"
Just then, an incandescent light was turned on. Utoni, who had gotten used to the darkness, quickly shielded his eyes from the blinding light.
At the same time, there was a jingling sound. A dark object was thrown in through the skylight and then, the skylight was closed once more.
Utoni hurriedly looked over and saw that the pitch-black item was nothing other than a cylindrical metal block.
This metal piece was about thirty centimeters long, with two bulges on its sides, like the eyes of a snail.
Utoni cast one glance at it, then paid it no mind. He looked up again with a helpless expression. "What's this place? What are you guys planning?"
"Mr. Utoni…"
Just as Utoni was about to go insane, a voice suddenly rang out from the corner of the cellar.
Utoni looked toward the source of the voice at once. Only then did he notice, in the four corners of the ceiling, there were a few flickering red dots.
This was something called a surveillance monitor. Utoni had seen them before in a city hospital.
"Mr. Utoni, if you wish to get out, please do as I say." The voice seemed to echo from all directions. "Just do whatever I ask of you."
"Please, let me go, please…" Utoni quickly pleaded piteously.
"Now, please walk to that armguard." The voice was unmoved. "Your task is so simple, even a three-year-old kid could do it — that is, put it on."
"If I wear it, you'll let me go?" Utoni continued asking.
"Yes."
"Okay, then I'll wear it." Utoni wiped away a tear and slowly inched forward.
Based on Utoni's hesitant behavior, it was obvious that there were further concerns on his mind…
Chapter 82: Rebelling |
Utoni stretched out his hand, slowly reaching for the metal piece on the ground. After repeatedly making sure that there was no problem with it, he picked it up.
"So heavy…"
However, after he had picked up the metal armguard, his expression shifted. "Why is it so heavy? Is it made of gold?"
"That doesn't concern you, Mr. Utoni." The voice from the speaker spoke again, urging him, "Please put it on at once and follow my instructions. This is your only chance."
"Put, put it on?" Utoni repeated himself. "But, there's this sticky substance all over it."
As he spoke, he lowered his head and sniffed. "It smells like asphalt… Ahh!!!"
Before Utoni could continue his waffling, he suddenly felt numb all over as if needles were swarming all over his body. The intense pain and itching made him convulse violently!
It was only after ten seconds that the de
ath-like numbness gradually subsided.
Utoni slowly got up and backed away in shock and bewilderment. "What happened just now? What happened to me?"
"Mr. Utoni, my patience is limited," the voice reminded. "You have thirty seconds to wear the armguard or you'll suffer the same sensation once again."
"Argh, d*mn you!" Utoni subconsciously touched the back of his neck, then yelled furiously, "What the hell did you do to me! You can't do this!"
"You have twenty seconds."
"Why can't you let me go? Can I give up the money?" Utoni then started to plead.
"Ten seconds left."
"No, I'll wear it, I'll wear it now!" Seeing that they did not budge, Utoni finally caved in. Still weeping, he picked up the armguard and put it on with trembling movements.
"Click!"
There was a sharp, mechanical locking sound. The dark, heavy armguard swiftly contracted around Utoni's arm. Simultaneously, there was a low buzzing noise and a blue electric light started to extend over his arm!
"Argh, d*mn it! D*mn it! It burns! It burns!"
Instantly, Utoni unleashed a series of screeches like a butchered pig as if he was experiencing terrible anguish.
He got up mindlessly and shook the armor which kept on growing as if he was trying to fling off a soldering iron that was stuck to his body!
"Help me, help me get it off!"
Utoni kept howling miserably as the blue electric light quickly spread over his body. Each area that was passed over became covered in a fitting layer of armor, like magic!
Still, this process took only nine seconds. At the tenth second, the blue light had spread to Utoni's head. At once, a crab-shaped helmet appeared out of thin air, encasing Utoni's panicking face.
His pitiful cries were buried in the armor…
By now, Utoni, who was originally less than 1.7 meters tall and weighed only forty kilograms, had completely turned into a strapping, 1.9-meter-tall, steel warrior!
Just like in the movie, after the Predator Killer Armor covered his entire body, Utoni's struggles ceased as well. He just stood there silently.
"Schwing!"
There was the crisp sound of an unsheathing blade. A half-meter-long blade claw popped out of the armor's right hand.
At the same time, two square shoulder cannons swiftly rose behind the armor. Six laser pointers were aimed from both sides of his shoulders, scanning in all directions.
"Did it work?"
At this moment, in another room, Chen Chen could not help squinting.
As he watched the cold, black Predator Killer Armor on the screen, Chen Chen spoke into the phone again, "Utoni, are you still there?"
On the screen, Utoni, who wore the PK Armor, stood there wordlessly without any response.
After some thought, Chen Chen asked again, "Utoni, nod if you can hear me."
This time, Utoni, who wore the PK Armor, finally nodded.
"Very good. Move your hand. Let me see if you can control it."
After that, Chen Chen saw the armor on the screen raising both hands a little unfamiliarly and looking carefully at them.
"Very good. Now, try taking a few steps." Chen Chen gave the next command.
Utoni lowered his hands and tried to take a step forward with his right foot, but he toppled over because he was still not used to it.
However, just as he was about to fall, the PK Armor readjusted its center of gravity, compelling Utoni to regain his footing.
Following that, Utoni tried to take a few more steps. This time, it went much smoother.
Having seen this, Chen Chen could determine that there was no problem with the PK Armor. Finally, he asked, "Does it still burn?"
Utoni shook his head.
"In that case, is there any discomfort?"
Utoni shook his head again.
"Very well. Now, imagine yourself getting out of the suit." Chen Chen issued a final order.
He gave this instruction because he remembered that, when the PK Armor encased the researcher in the movie, the researcher appeared to be terrified. This terror caused the PK Armor to automatically retract after ten seconds.
In other words, there was a sixty percent chance that this armor was controlled by thought.
However, among the audiences who had watched the movie, some thought the armor retracted after being activated for only ten seconds because the user was not a Predator. This was too far-fetched.
If the PK Armor could only be controlled by Predators, it would not be activated, equipped, then retracted. Instead, it would be impossible to activate the armguard in the first place.
Therefore, the argument that humans could not be equipped with the PK Armor did not make sense.
Furthermore, in the ending, the last line of the lead was: "That's my new suit."
Since he had said that, the director was telling the audience through that character: "Want to see humans wearing this suit and slaughtering Predators? If so, support me in making the sequel!"
Although this movie received harsh criticism because it subverted the image of the Predators, it was canon, after all. Unless there was a reboot, there was no doubt that humans could be equipped with this PK Armor. The only question was whether there would be unforeseen dangers after one wore it.
However, after this experiment, Chen Chen felt assured.
Nevertheless, at this point, Utoni still did not take off the armor.
"Utoni, can you hear me?" Chen Chen stopped his musings and said again, "I order you to exit the armor."
Even so, Utoni did not follow suit. Not only that, the two square shoulder cannons on his back started to aim at the ceiling.
Chen Chen frowned. Logically, if Utoni did not obey Chen Chen's command now, Little X would immediately punish Utoni. However, the God chip made no moves at all.
In other words, the PK Armor had the ability to block electromagnetic signals and even resist electromagnetic bombs.
Even so, this would not be enough by far…
Chen Chen's lips stretched into a cold sneer.
"Boom!"
Just then, the PK Armor on the screen suddenly exploded in a burst of blue light. After that, the screen displayed nothing but static.
At the same time, there was a deafening explosion from the back door of the clinic. Chen Chen could feel the intense quaking even in this room.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Cheng Cao's voice spoke from the other side of the door. "Boss, he's broken out of his cell!"
"It's fine. He's already dead."
Chen Chen opened the door and directly walked to the back of the clinic. As expected, a large hole with a diameter of two meters had appeared on the ground near the back door, revealing a dark, hollow cellar below.
The cellar was filled with smoke and dust, and they could vaguely make out a figure, standing there in silence.
It was as still as a stone…
Chapter 83: PK Armor |
Among the ashes, Utoni stood unmoving in the cellar like a statue with the shoulder cannons aimed at the sky.
What followed after was a flash of blue light. Just like when it was assembled, the PK armor morphed into a flash of blue light before reverting to the form of a dull metallic armguard.
"Clank!"
As the armguard heavily clanked onto the surface of the ground, the heavy cast of mist dispersed as well.
It was then when everyone saw Utoni with his head slumped in an unnatural angle in front of his chest. At the back of his neck, there was a hole approximately the size of a fist which seemed like it had been ruptured from the inside.
There was nothing but a thin layer of skin separating his torso and his head…
"The explosion is going to alert the people nearby. Hurry up and take care of this," Chen Chen instructed before taking the PK Armor from Cheng Cao's hands. He proceeded to turn around to return to the clinic.
Chen Chen was already aware that the PK Armor was capable of masking electromagnetic signals. However
, there was a small portion of Little X's artificial intelligence copy left in the God Chip. Even without signal access, it was still able to execute Utoni upon detecting his intentions.
The moment the idea of escaping using the help of the PK armor arose in Utoni's mind, the God Chip triggered itself accordingly.
However, Utoni did not know about the God Chip's alert system. He barely paid any mind to it and attempted to use the shoulder cannon to break through the cellar.
Up till this point, the God Chip had been evaluating the severity of the developing situation. Upon considering the potential harm Utoni's action could inflict to Chen Chen, along with the fact that the signal dispatched to Little X was disrupted by the PK Armor, it resorted to the ultimate punishment – self-destruction.
That was how Chen Chen determined that chances were that Utoni was dead upon firing the cannon.
The PK Armor may have extreme offensive and defensive prowess, but how was it supposed to protect the wearer from an attack coming from inside?
The only downside here was the loss of the experimental subject.
Chen Chen shook his head. His original plan was to perform a full body checkup on Utoni after he removed the armor. He would only don the armor himself upon ensuring that no unprecedented issue would come out of it.
Since the experimental subject was deceased, Chen Chen would not force the issue either. He found a scale in the clinic and weighed the armguard at exactly 30 kilograms. Chances were that a regular person with slightly weaker strength would have a hard time lifting it.
This did not prove to be surprising. It would seem that the design of the PK Armor incorporated nanostructure technology that far exceeded the boundaries of the present technology. It took on the form of an armguard in an idle state. Upon activation, the nanostructure will restructure itself to construct a fully protective armor fitting the wearer's physique.
In any case, its total weight remained completely unchanged.
Putting it in perspective, it was surprisingly light compared to Accelerator Suit and ExoSuit.
After that, Chen Chen took the PK Armor to the rooftop on the third floor of the clinic. After taking a deep breath, he slowly put the armguard on his arm.
