Warhammer: The Time Traveler

Chapter 33 Going deep underground
Mann took a deep breath, suppressing the chill that rose in his heart because this mission involved the company, and focused all his attention on the holographic map in front of him.

The complex structure of the underground facility resembled a cold, metallic behemoth, lurking beneath their feet, each shadow seemingly concealing an unknown threat.

"Alright, guys, check the gear, keep the channel clean. Let's go." Mann's deep voice rang out in the team communication channel as he led the way toward the southeast maintenance ventilation shaft entrance, as instructed by Chen Yu.

The heavy tactical boots echoed clearly and forlornly on the desolate concrete ground.

Dorio followed closely behind, carrying her heavy weaponry, her gun barrels subconsciously shifting slightly as she scanned her surroundings.

Falco was adjusting the sensors, the data stream on the screen reflected on his focused face.

“The environmental radiation level is normal, and there are no wide-area life signals... but the interference here is very strong, and the close-range shielding effect is excellent.”

As Pila inspected the guns, he kept talking: "Hey, this place gives me goosebumps, like I've crawled into the steel guts of some old monster."

Rebecca cocked the gun with a click and replied impatiently, "Then shut up and don't bring out its digestive juices."

Sasha followed silently at the back, his sharp eyes under his hood scanning every detail of the surrounding environment, not missing any abnormalities.

Two rugged, cold-looking fighter jets silently followed at the rear of the column. Their heavy machine guns and grenade launchers gleamed dangerously in the dim light, and their heavy footsteps contrasted sharply with those of the others.

The cover of the ventilation shaft had already been opened by Chen Yu's servo skull, revealing a rusty ladder extending downwards.

A cold wind, mixed with the smell of stale air, engine oil, ozone, and some indescribable chemical reagents, surged up from below, carrying the chill unique to the depths of the earth.

"Skull scan first, then environmental scan. All directions," Mann ordered.

A ghostly blue scanning beam shone from the eye socket of the replica servo skull, silently flying into the passage like a phantom, transmitting the real-time images and data below back to everyone's visual interface.

Below is a spacious duct junction, which appears to be one of the hubs of the old ventilation system.

The space was large, but it was filled with discarded pipe parts and unidentified equipment casings. The floor was covered with a thick layer of dust, and cobwebs connected rusted metal structures everywhere.

"Preliminary scan: No immediate thermal signal, no signs of movement. Atmospheric composition: Nitrogen-oxygen ratio is normal, but trace amounts of volatile organic compounds and inert coolant residue were detected. Protective measures are recommended." The replica skull sent the scan results to Mann's team's internal channel.

After confirming there was no immediate threat to their lives, Mann gave a hand signal, and the team descended in turn.

The ladder made a teeth-grinding creaking sound, which was particularly jarring in the silence.

My feet slammed into the dusty metal floor, making a dull thud.

The air was stagnant and cold, with only the faint hum of the servo skull scan, the suppressed breathing of the crowd, and the barely perceptible vibrations emanating from within the circulatory system.

“According to the structural diagram, turning left ahead should be one of the passages leading to the main research area,” Falco said in a low voice, looking at the map on the terminal, while adjusting the parameters of the handheld scanner. “The interference source is stronger, like some kind of old but still functioning shielding field.”

The team advanced cautiously in tactical formation, with two fighter jets positioned one in front and one behind to provide surveillance. Their sensor arrays rotated continuously, covering all angles.

Pila tried to connect to a data port on the wall, but shook his head: "It's completely dead, physically damaged. Like it was... violently removed by something." He pointed to several deep scratches next to the port.

The passageway gradually widened, and blurry signs began to appear on the walls. Most of the lettering was peeling off, and only signs such as "Research Area B-7," "No Entry," or radiation warning symbols could be barely made out.

They passed several rooms that looked like laboratories or offices, most of which had open or broken doors.

The room was mostly empty, with only overturned tables and chairs, broken glassware, and scattered fragments of documents, indicating the haste of the evacuation.

Some terminal screens were completely black, and some even had holes burned out.

“It looks like it’s been ransacked,” Dorio commented, pointing her gun at a pried-open locker.

“Or it could be an internal cleanup,” Mann said in a low voice, vigilantly observing every corner.

Just as they passed a fork in the road marked "Server Maintenance Access", something unexpected happened!
Several previously dull armor plates on the wall suddenly slid open, revealing hidden, honeycomb-shaped firing ports! Heavy gun barrels emerged from them! Without any warning, the cold killing program was activated.

"Take cover! Automatic defense system!" Mann roared, lunging towards a thick cooling pipe.

Thump thump thump thump—!
A deafening burst of gunfire erupted instantly!

A dense barrage of large-caliber kinetic energy projectiles erupted like a metal storm, striking the spot where everyone had just been standing, scattering debris and twisting metal as it struck the ground and abandoned equipment!
The ricocheting bullets whistled sharply in the confined space!
Dorio couldn't dodge in time, and a ricocheting bullet grazed her shoulder armor, making a screeching sound. She groaned and quickly rolled behind cover.

"Damn it!" Rebecca cursed. She had just peeked out from behind a large piece of equipment to retaliate when another deadly barrage of bullets forced her back down, sending debris flying everywhere.

"Fighter spies! Suppress it!" Mann shouted into the communications channel, his voice almost drowned out by the deafening gunfire.

The rearguard fighter jet reacted immediately. It barely dodged, its frontal armor taking several large-caliber bullets, leaving deep dents and sparks.

Its shoulder-mounted grenade launcher quickly rose, and with a muffled firing sound, a high-explosive grenade traced a brief arc and accurately struck the defensive weapon nest that was still spewing fire.

Boom!

The violent explosion turned the weapons station into twisted scrap metal, with parts and armor fragments flying everywhere. The flash of fire was fleeting, and the passageway was plunged into darkness again, leaving only the smell of gunpowder and smoke.

"Clear," the fighter jet servant reported in a cold, synthesized voice, as if he had only done a trivial task.

"Well done." Mann breathed a sigh of relief and gestured to Dorio, "How's your injury?"

"Abrasions, but the armor held up." Dorio stretched her shoulders. "Damn, this welcoming ceremony was really noisy."

“Stay alert, this place is clearly not welcoming.” Mann checked his ammunition. “Move on.”

(End of this chapter)