Thrive in Catastrophe - Chap 5
Chapter 5 Proceed On Foot
Note: Hi guys, thank you for the patience in waiting for the update. Chapter 5 finally up! And as I have mentioned in previous chapter about the “Tidal Organisation”. The author said that there isn’t any special meaning on the organisation’s name itself, so she said I can just translate it to the direct meaning “Wave”. But I find that a little… cheesy? So I used another word for “Wave” which is “Tides”. So, we’ll go with “The Tides Organisation” then! ^_^ Enjoy!
“The engine’s damaged. The overspeed perpendicular flight just now had damaged the power system of the aircraft, so it has to land.”
Xiao Yan answered plainly. He remembered that he had once skim through the structural plan of a military use aircraft power system out of interest.
“Are you really a Rank B student?” Reeve stared at him in disbelief.
“Being a jack of all trades but master of none can never become an outstanding researcher.”
Xiao Yan was once told by his tutor that he has endless curiosity, but does not have the patience for extensive research. This was a fatal flaw for a researcher.
Meanwhile, the aircraft has landed smoothly on the ground within a deep forest.
Once again, an anxious atmosphere spreaded across the cabin.
Mark came out from the cockpit with a deep frown on his face and said: “Hey researchers! Get ready to leave the aircraft, we’re walking over to Base 14.”
“What did you say? Leave the aircraft!?” Captain White has yet to recover from his paled face. He did not even have the energy to stand up.
The apprentices gaped at Mark, waiting for him to tell them that it was all a joke.
Mark shrugged, “All of you can stay here, after all, it’ll be a twelve hours walk from here to Base 14.”
“Twelve hours——”
The atmosphere within the cabin was like popcorn in oven.
“Twelve hours! Not twelve minutes! And the sun will be setting in less than an hour! And there will definitely be zombies lurking in the forest!”
Then, Heine stepped out from the cockpit nimbly. His icy cold eyes were as though a knife edge that tipped up everyone’s heart.
“Let’s go.”
With that said, he lifted a box with raw uranium, opened the cabin door and headed into the forest without turning back.
Mark sniggered while hauling up a box in one hand and said: “All of you stay here then! I bet the Tides Organisation would love to offer you some tea!”
“Wha-What do you mean?”
The apprentices’ face turned ashen.
Reece glanced at Xiao Yan and handed a box towards him, and said solemnly: “Come with us.”
Without a second thought, Xiao Yan was about to follow Reeve out of the cabin but was held back by the senior who peed in his pants out of fear.
“Don’t go! They may not be able to protect you! It’s best to wait for the rescue from Base 14!”
Xiao Yan took a deep breathe, “Do all of you really not understand what’s happening now? The platform that was originally our supply station has now been taken over by the Tides Organisation and their scheme is to stop this aircraft from bringing the raw uranium back to Charles. With the Tides’ ability, they’d probably be able to track the location of this aircraft faster than Base 14 and for sure, they’ll come for us! Do you think the Tides Organisation will honestly serve us a cup of nice black tea?”
“This……”
They were dubious.
Only Captain White came before Reeve and said: “I’ll go with you as well.”
Once Captain White and Xiao Yan left the aircraft, those staying behind shut the cabin door heavily.
Captain White let out a sigh.
“Don’t worry, their choice is not necessarily a mistake.”
Captain White and Xiao Yan had seen the capabilities of Mark and Heine. If the Tides Organisation planned to destroy this aircraft at any cost, both of them believed that their chances to survive would be much higher by following Heine and his team, than by staying in the aircraft.
The sun was setting, and a warm, red glow filtered through the leaves of the trees, leaving a wide shadow on the ground. The sky turned gradually into a dark shade of orange.
Xiao Yan raised his head and listened to the chirping sound from birds homing to their nests. As darkness falls, the world sunk into an eerie silence. Only a faint sound of Xiao Yan’s military boots walking on gravel and fallen leaves can be heard.
Walking in front of him was Mark, and the one behind him were Captain White and Reeve. He walked carefully, following Mark’s footsteps for he could barely see the path before him.
Suddenly, Mark stopped walking.
“What is it?”
“Shh……” Mark placed down the box in his hands and drew out his knives from behind.
Within the murky shadows, several pairs of glowing green eyes stared at them gleamingly.
Xiao Yan held his breathe. He may not have seen them with his own eyes, but he had read about them in books.
They are a kind beast called wolf. They do not have massive body but fast and agile. They have powerful bites with a ferocious and cunning nature.
Reeve turned her back towards Mark, similarly, with daggers in both of her hands.
Xiao Yan did not know which was worst, zombies or wolves. And because of his unknowing towards wolves, a faint trace of fear started to rose in his heart. The sound of Captain White’s gulp was exceptionally loud in this tensed situation.
The wolf pack gradually closed in and Xiao Yan stared at them intently. This was his first time to see the beasts living in the wild.
They did not howl, rather, they let out a threatening growl.
Heine slowly walked over to where Xiao Yan and the others were and stood before them. There wasn’t a hint of fear on his face, while a surge of deterrent force emitting from his body.
He went down on one knee with one hand supporting on the ground and gazed at the wolf pack. The silhouette of his back exuded an air of inbred arrogance, like a misplaced luminescence trailing across a sharp edge of a blade and descent into darkness.
Shortly, the wolves backed off bit by bit and disappeared into the shadows.
How on earth did Heine Burton did it?
As Xiao Yan sighed out in relief, a noise of an aircraft engine sounded from the sky.
Captain White looked up and exclaimed: “Thank god! It’s-”
Reeve came forward and muffled his mouth before dragging him to a tree and hid in the shadows.
Xiao Yan did the same by concealing himself in the bushes, but when he had a glimpse of the person beside him, he froze.
He thought he was trailing after Mark, he never thought that it was Heine Burton!
Oh god! Oh god! This guy’s been holding a grudge against that accidental kiss! Who knows when he’ll rip my head off!
Anyhow, this was not the time to worry about that.
Xiao Yan knew that a hideout like this was practically useless. Opponents who are equipped with night vision goggles could spot their locations effortlessly.
If it’s the search team sent by Base 14, we’ll be saved. If not…… Xiao Yan did not dare to think what would happen to them if it was the attack from the Tides.
His heart was pounding as a chill ran down his spine. His hands were shivering in fear, despite not showing a single emotion on his face.
Without warning, Xiao Yan was dragged aside by someone as a spark flew past his ear and plunged into the bush beside him, crushing the gravels into fine grains.
Xiao Yan hands were placed on the ground beside Heine’s cheek, with his body on top of his and his waist between his legs.
It was an awkward posture, yet, Xiao Yan could see the pair of eyes gleaming within the darkness.
Heine raised his knee while brushing across Xiao Yan’s thigh.
Xiao Yan’s heart skipped a beat.
And as his heart was about to throb out from his chest, Heine pushed him aside with his palm.
Half of his face landed on the ground and before he could grasp what was happening, Heine removed the gun components from his waistband and started assembling them swiftly.
“Don’t be a hindrance!”
Xiao Yan was then kicked out of the way, causing him a moment of nausea.
Right at the moment he was kicked off, numerous laser bullets grazed his shoulder, waist and even his thigh.
Xiao Yan was in shock when he landed on the ground. For a moment, he thought that he was shot into a beehive. His breath formed a white mist from the cold night air, his arms and legs were rigid from fright.
As he anxiously looked towards to night sky, he was struck with lightheadedness for a second from the dazzling stars.
“Xiao Yan—— Run! Hurry!”
Reeve dragged Xiao Yan along as she sprinted towards his direction, his wrist nearly dislocated from the force.
Mark already had their guns assembled.
The guns held in their hands had a different build with the rifle gun that was once popular amongst people two hundred years ago. They are shorter in length but longer in shooting distance, and their power are much frightful.
The weapons equipped by the Special Task Forces when dealing with zombies are dual blades or daggers, whereas for the Tides Organisation, they are armed with the more modernised weapons.
Bang. Mark fired a shot. A flare of light travelled between the tree leaves and grazed the left wing of the aircraft. Despite not being a direct hit, its accompanying heat has ruptured the side of the turbine engine.
Following Mark’s doing was a series of aggressive attacks from the enemy. Mark was running around frantically.
“Why aren’t they using missile?”
“Probably because they had a change of plans. Originally, it was to stop us from bringing back the raw uranium, but now, they want it for themselves.”
For hundreds of year, energy shortage has always been a major problem that humans strived to resolve.
Reeve looked into the sky and clenched the guns in her hands. She then signaled Xiao Yan not to move before darting towards the enemy.
The laser bullets flew past her heels and explode behind her. Xiao Yan swore that he had never seen a person in his life that could move as fast as Reeve.
But if this continues, Reeve would definitely get hit by the bullets!
Yet, all Xiao Yan could do was to stand there while lifting the boxes filled with raw uranium.
Mark fired at the aircraft while running through the forest, in hope to draw the enemy’s attention away from Reeve.
The aircraft circled in the sky as another laser bullet grazed Mark’s shoulder and exploded. Mark tumbled into the ground.
When Xiao Yan thought that he had collapsed, Mark stood up, holding a gun in his hands and dashed towards the direction where Reeve was. His gun was damaged in the shooting and could no longer be used.
“Don’t move!”
A cold and icy voice commanded from behind, freezing up the air. Xiao Yan turned back subconsciously and saw Heine sprinting towards him in a speed that could split the wind in half.
Xiao Yan’s pupils dilated to the rims of his irises. The moment Heine leaped off from the ground, his vision froze as though everything around him disappeared. Heine then stepped onto Xiao Yan’s shoulder with the tip of his foot and leaped higher towards the sky.
At that second, Xiao Yan’s world crumbled into pieces. He raised his head to see Heine pointing his guns towards the aircraft in mid air. Blast.
The night sky was once again lit up in brightness.
The aircraft’s left engine let out a loud blast and fell instantly like a collapsing building. And before the aircraft could regain its balance, Heine had fired the second shot, destroying its right engine.
Xiao Yan gaped at the sight. Until the moment the aircraft crashed to the ground, only then he noticed the intense pain on his shoulder.
“Ah——” gritting his teeth, Xiao Yan’s arm was shaking uncontrollably. He was in no condition to continue carrying the box.
He kneeled on the ground while clutching his wounded shoulder. His brain could not think of anything else except for the bone-crushing pain.
Heine broke my shoulder!
This was a totally different level of pain in comparison with the pain from being thrown on the floor and face being grazed by Heine’s blade! Xiao Yan, who was born and brought up in Charles, had hardly got himself injured, and this time, he nearly stifled from the pain.
