Chapter 416: Cross-Dimensional Communication
"Target W. Cage has appeared," Falco reported.
In everyone's field of vision, the recruit appeared on the right flank once again.
His position was the same as before, but the details showed deviations.
His movements were even more hurried and clumsy than the last time, and the confusion and terror in his eyes were much heavier.
His timing for firing was slightly premature, his aim was worse, and he appeared even more disheveled when he tripped. He did not look like he was repeating a performance; rather, he looked like a recruit truly consumed by fear, struggling in desperation.
"Behavioral patterns show deviations," Lucy analyzed the data transmitted back by the automaton calmly. "Movement trajectory similarity is 94.3%, but the rhythm is disordered, and the stress response magnitude exceeds the previous record by 15%."
Valerie and Jackie piloted their Iron Guards forward steadily. Their fire strike points were basically identical to the first loop, but they were also recording mechanical parameters and keeping an eye on any details that did not match the "script."
On a macroscopic level, the battle developed along the established trajectory.
Maine's squad efficiently cleared the beachhead, and the UDF soldiers converged toward them.
However, Cage's performance—which could not be perfectly replicated and showed even more panic—confirmed that he was not the controller of the loop, but a victim caught in it just the same. Furthermore, he remembered—at least vaguely—the experience of his previous death.
"High-intensity energy signal detected!" Kiwi's voice rang out, the timing matching the previous loop: "Bearing 2-7-0, approaching at high speed!"
The deep blue Alpha appeared again, its trajectory and target unchanged.
"Special individual has appeared," Maine's voice was steady. "Attempt non-lethal suppression; observe Cage's reaction."
Pilar fired a capture net, which was evaded again. Lucy's automaton provided harassing fire with little effect.
When Cage saw the Alpha rushing toward him, the fear on his face was mixed with a hint of familiar despair. His movements even stiffened for a split second before he scrambled to grope for that bundle of lethal grenades.
"The target is exhibiting potential memory traces of the current situation," David observed Cage's physiological data.
"Unable to intercept effectively," Pilar reported.
Maine knew the critical point was approaching. He had to maximize data acquisition before the reset triggered.
"Abort capture! Everyone, record all data from the moment of the Alpha's death and the three seconds following! Pilar, Lucy, focus on the energy pulse!" Maine ordered rapidly.
Cage threw the grenades.
Explosion, blue blood splattering, a scream.
The instruments of Pilar and Lucy shook violently again.
"Spacetime curvature changing drastically! Energy pulse signatures are stable!" Pilar shouted.
The familiar dizziness descended.
The scene before them flickered, and they were back inside the landing craft cabin, engines roaring.
"Fourth loop confirmed," Falco reported.
The squad members quickly self-checked and confirmed the data recordings.
"Data is complete."
"Energy pulse waveform is highly consistent."
Two identical resets, coupled with Cage's inability to perfectly replicate his actions and his display of memory traces, allowed Maine to make a judgment.
The value of continuing to repeat the beach battle to observe Cage's personal deviations was diminishing. They needed a more proactive intervention.
"Changing objectives for this loop," Maine ordered before the ramp lowered. "We will not participate in the main beachhead assault. Valerie, Jackie, provide one heavy fire cover, then move to predetermined evacuation point A. Everyone else, follow the Iron Guards. We will break away from the main engagement zone before the Alpha appears and establish a temporary observation post."
"Understood."
The ramp dropped, and the battle commenced for the third time (from the squad's perspective).
After quickly clearing the area and as the UDF troops began to close in, Maine decisively ordered: "Disengage, now."
The Iron Guards provided fire suppression while the squad retreated, moving toward the abandoned radar station on the flanking high ground.
Their withdrawal caused a small-scale confusion, but it was quickly swallowed by the battlefield. The squad occupied the radar station and established temporary defenses and observation points.
"Security point established."
"Continuous monitoring of the battlefield; focus on target W. Cage and the Alpha's signal."
They looked down upon the battlefield from above. Cage struggled in the chaos below, the Alpha arrived as expected, followed by the explosion, the blue light, and the reset.
"Energy pulse recorded. Loop mechanism confirmed again," Pilar reported.
They successfully broke away from the fixed script, confirmed Cage's status, and obtained a relatively safe observation position. Next, it was time to analyze the data, understand the deeper mechanisms of the loop, and report this discovery—beyond imagination—to Magos Ryo.
The familiar dizziness faded, and Maine's squad was back in the swaying cabin of the landing craft.
The roar of the engines and the salty smell of seawater replaced the dust and rust within the radar station. The faces of the UDF soldiers around them remained the same, repeating their pre-landing preparations.
"Fourth loop confirmed," Falco's voice was the first to ring out in the squad's encrypted channel.
With no time to waste, Maine immediately issued directives: "Execute according to the evacuation plan of the third loop. Pilar, prioritize deploying the cross-dimensional communication terminal once we reach the security point."
The ramp dropped, and the battle commenced once again.
Following the path verified in the previous loop, the squad decisively disengaged from the main battlefield after initially clearing the beachhead and drawing Mimic fire, moving once again toward the abandoned radar station on the flank.
The entire process was more practiced, and their withdrawal speed was even faster than the last time.
After occupying the radar station, Pilar and Sasha immediately took out a silver-gray metal cylinder half a meter tall from an equipment crate—the prototype cross-dimensional communication terminal.
This was a new technological fruit based on Ryo's summary of previous dimensional exploration experiments. It could send encrypted data packets through directional dimensional folds, theoretically capable of penetrating the physical barriers of most dimensions. This was its first practical application in the field.
The terminal was quickly placed on relatively level ground, its miniature phase array antenna unfolded, and it was connected to an independent power unit. Deep blue patterns lit up, and a low hum echoed within the empty radar station.
"Communication terminal activated. Calibrating dimensional coordinates... connecting to the primary dimensional anchor... signal strength is stable." Pilar stared intently at the status display, his speech rapid.
Simultaneously, Lucy and David had finished organizing the data recorded during the past three loops, bundling it into an encrypted data packet. The content was massive, including:
Complete combat logs and environmental sensor data.
Structural scans, energy signatures, and tissue analysis of the Mimic organisms (both ordinary individuals and Alphas).
High-precision spacetime curvature changes and energy pulse waveform recordings from the moments of the three time resets.
Detailed observation reports on the special connection between William Cage and the Alphas, along with his manifested traces of loop memory.
A preliminary analytical report on the time-reset phenomenon, including trigger conditions, the scope of influence, and confirmation of the squad's immunity.
"Data packet encryption complete, using the highest clearance key," Lucy reported.
"Begin transmission," Maine ordered.
The transmission sequence initiated, the frequency of the terminal's hum rose, and subtle visual distortions appeared in the space around the antenna. The massive data stream was compressed and encoded, passing through the gaps between dimensions, flowing toward the other end.
(End of Chapter)