Right at that moment, Osiris's gaze shifted once more back toward the Predator starship, a bolder concept taking shape within his mind.
"Before that, however, we must first transport this trophy back." He walked toward the starship's control console. "Let me attempt to initialize it."
Maine expressed a sliver of concern: "Sir, this alien technology—"
"Precisely because it is alien technology, it must be firmly secured within our grasp." Osiris placed his hands gently upon the control panel.
The alien symbols across the console suddenly lit up, casting a spectral green glow. He closed his eyes, his psychic perception permeating into the starship's systems like silk while simultaneously retrieving the operational sequences from Celtic's memory fragments.
A low, deep hum abruptly echoed inside the starship, the displays on the instrument panel illuminating in sequence as the entire hull commenced a minute vibration. The personnel within the cave all looked over in astonishment.
"Doctor, what are you doing...?" Asuka's eyes widened.
Osiris offered no response. Controlling extraterrestrial technology was far more difficult than he had anticipated; every single command required a precise psychic output while continuously overcoming the system's inherent rejection mechanics. The starship's engines let out intermittent rumbles, resembling a wild stallion reluctant to be broken.
"Maine, have everyone fall back to a safe distance," Osiris's voice remained stable, but Maine could discern the tightly wound tension hidden beneath.
As Osiris deepened his psychic connection, the starship's control interface began to shift. Those initially obscure and unintelligible symbols gradually became orderly in his sight; through Celtic's memory fragments, he steadily deciphered their logic. Moving his fingers fluidly across the console, he input a succession of complex commands.
Suddenly, the starship's engines unleashed a stable, powerful roar, and the entire hull hovered smoothly into the air, resting roughly half a meter off the ground. The airflow within the cave was violently stirred, kicking up plumes of dust.
"It worked!" Asuka could not help but exclaim.
"This starship is now under our control. Maine, notify everyone; we are piloting the vessel directly back to base. This will save time and circumvent any potential complications during transport."
"But sir, won't this be a bit too conspicuous?" Maine asked in a low voice.
"On the contrary," a subtle arc crossed the corner of Osiris's mouth. "Allowing the RDA to witness that we can master even an alien starship will only deepen their perception of the Seekers' true capabilities. This will prove advantageous for our subsequent operations."
Under Osiris's expert manipulation, the Predator starship smoothly reversed its orientation and slowly navigated out of the cave. The streamlined hull glinted with a cold metallic luster under the Pandoran sun, creating a stark contrast against the surrounding primitive biosphere.
Osiris turned his gaze toward the expansive sky outside the cave, murmuring softly, "Let us prepare an appropriate welcoming ceremony for these impending 'guests.'"
Under Osiris's precise manipulation, the Predator starship touched down smoothly onto the designated landing pad adjacent to the Pioneer mobile base. The matte metallic hull reflected a grim luster under the radiance of Pandora's star, contrasting sharply with the surrounding industrial architecture of the RDA and instantly becoming the absolute focus of the entire Hell's Gate facility.
Unsurprisingly, the moment the starship berthed, it drew immense "attention" from the RDA leadership. Corporate Administrator Parker Selfridge and Security Chief Colonel Quaritch arrived in tandem almost immediately, trailed by a crowd of eagerly staring technical personnel and fully armed guards.
"Doctor Osiris, this is... an absolutely staggering harvest!" Parker rubbed his hands together, his face coated in a commercialized smile while his gaze remained glued to the starship, making no attempt to conceal his greed. "An intact extraterrestrial technical creation of this scale yields incalculable value! I believe that, as close cooperative partners, we should immediately form a joint research initiative to share all data and discoveries."
Colonel Quaritch was far more direct. Gesturing toward the starship, his tone was unyielding: "Doctor, this vessel and any weapons systems it carries pose an unknown threat to base security. It must be collectively requisitioned by our RDA security and technical departments for an exhaustive evaluation and analysis. This is strictly for everyone's safety."
Osiris had long anticipated their reactions. Before he could even speak, Maine's squad had already adopted seemingly casual yet tactically precise positions, subtly shielding both the starship and Osiris at the center. Although they did not raise their weapons, the aura forged through countless cycles of blood and fire made the RDA guards subconsciously feel the pressure, their fingers inadvertently resting on their trigger guards.
The two Ironclad mechs piloted by Valerie and Jake also took a timely half-step forward. Their heavy metallic feet impacted the ground with dull thuds, the shadows of their massive frames enveloping a portion of the RDA personnel. Although their shoulder-mounted weapons platforms were not initialized, the cold barrels themselves carried an unspoken deterrence.
The atmosphere on the scene instantly turned somewhat adversarial.
Osiris raised his hand, pressing it down slightly. The momentum of Maine's squad members receded accordingly, though their protective posture remained unaltered. His face retained that gentle expression typical of a dedicated academic, his tone peaceful yet carrying a definitive weight: "Mr. Selfridge, Colonel Quaritch, I comprehend the sentiments of you both. However, this starship's systems are extremely complex and exhibit a powerful exclusivity. Rashly permitting unacquainted personnel to interface with it could highly likely trigger unpredictable self-destruct protocols, or even invite a catastrophic energy leak. For the safety of the base, the primary diagnostic work must be executed by our specialized team from the Seekers."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across Parker and Quaritch before continuing, "As for cooperation, we have always maintained an open disposition. Once we conclude our baseline risk assessment and system decryption, we will selectively share certain non-core research parameters with the RDA as appropriate. For instance, fundamental material analyses of the hull, certain harmless biological specimens, and... further advanced warning intelligence regarding the potential arrival of the Predator clans. This aligns with our shared interests, does it not?"
He masterfully tethered the sharing of research findings to base security and external threats.
Parker's expression looked somewhat strained. Forcing a smile, he countered, "Doctor Osiris, I'm afraid such 'limited sharing' hardly reflects your organization's sincerity regarding our partnership. This starship was discovered on Pandora; the RDA should logically lead the investigation—"
"Mr. Selfridge," Osiris cut him off, his voice remaining stable but his gaze sharpening a fraction. "The ones who located it, secured it, and successfully brought it back are us. Without us, it would likely still be concealed inside some cavern, or long since destroyed in an uninformed conflict. I believe that having the discoverers and possessors spearhead primary research is a universally recognized tenet across the cosmos. Furthermore, our pledge to share critical data once safety is guaranteed already amply demonstrates our sincerity."
Colonel Quaritch's brow was tightly knit. He looked at the starship emitting a hazardous aura, then at the inscrutable group of "Seekers" before him, and finally at those two heavily oppressive Ironclad mechs. Ultimately, he suppressed the impulse to execute a forced seizure. He was well aware that once a conflict erupted, the consequences would be entirely unpredictable; moreover, they genuinely required the martial capabilities of these personnel to cope with the impending alien threat.
"Very well, Doctor," Quaritch took a deep breath, opting for a temporary compromise. "I expect your team to produce actionable intelligence as rapidly as possible, particularly regarding these 'avengers.' The base's defenses cannot remain permanently passive."
"Naturally, that is our shared objective," Osiris nodded marginally.
Although Parker harbored deep resentment, seeing that even Quaritch had backed down for now, he could only add sullenly, "In that case, regarding the timeline for sharing the research findings, we hope to receive a definitive proposal shortly."
"You will," Osiris offered a vague assurance.