Fantasy Game: Infinite City

The team members quickly dispersed and began searching for targets within the occupied area. The power armor's scanning system could penetrate metal walls, detecting internal energy reactions and object structures. Combined with heat source detection, it could accurately locate concealed passages and encrypted storage compartments. Team G discovered a concealed entrance on the basement level of the control center. The entrance was equipped with a biometric lock and an energy barrier. Using the hacking program on the armor, the team members successfully cracked the biometric lock and deactivated the energy barrier in ten minutes.

"Group G reports: A hidden passage has been discovered on the first basement level of the dispatch center. There is energy activity inside, suggesting it may be a target storage area," reported the Group G leader, codenamed "Tarantula."

"Falcon received. Continue the investigation and be wary of traps."

Team G entered a concealed passage. Energy sensors lined both sides of the passage, and the team members carefully avoided them as they advanced. At the end of the passage was a sealed laboratory. In the center of the laboratory was a transparent energy container. Suspended inside the container was a fist-sized blue crystal, its surface shimmering with a faint glow and radiating intense energy fluctuations.

"Team G has located the target, confirmed to be the 'Star Core,' located inside an energy container in the underground laboratory," Tarantula reported, while simultaneously scanning the container's structure. "The container has an encryption lock; it needs to be cracked to open it."

"Stay put, I'm coming right away." Falcon immediately went to the underground laboratory and notified the technical team to come and assist in the decryption. The technical team members' professional decryption equipment was connected to the power armor's system, and they quickly deciphered the container's encryption program. Half an hour later, the lock on the energy container was successfully unlocked, and the container slowly opened, making the energy fluctuations of the blue crystal even more obvious.

Falcon carefully removed the "star core" and placed it into a specially designed energy storage box. The storage box could shield the energy fluctuations of the crystal to prevent it from being detected by other areas of the space station: "Target acquired, keep safe, return to the control center."

Meanwhile, the rest of the space station remained calm. Since communication and power connections between Port 3 and the main station had been severed, and the crew had thoroughly destroyed surveillance records, the space station command center was unaware of anything unusual at Port 3. Falcon returned to the control center, redeploying defenses, transferring some crew members to key passageways and high points to strengthen security, and simultaneously arranging for crew members to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the occupied areas to ensure no trace of activity was left behind.

The crew of the "Shadow" spacecraft reported via an encrypted channel: "Captain, the space station command center has sent a communication request, asking why Port 3 is experiencing a power and communication outage and whether support is needed."

Falcon's lips curled into a slight smile as he replied through the console: "Equipment malfunction, under emergency repair. No support needed. We will report back immediately after repairs." He knew this reply was enough to temporarily reassure the command center and buy the team more time.

Subsequently, Falcon contacted Sebastian at Ferdinand's family headquarters and reported the situation via encrypted video communication: "Sir, the mission is complete. We have successfully captured Port 3 and surrounding facilities of the 'Sky Dome' space station and obtained the target asset 'Star Core'. No alarms were triggered and our whereabouts were not compromised. Team casualties: 3 people with minor injuries, no fatalities."

On the other end of the video call, Sebastian sat behind his desk, tapping his fingers lightly on the surface, his face expressionless: "Very good. Hold the port and await further instructions. The 'Star Core' is crucial to our plan; it must be kept safe. Also, closely monitor the activity at the space station command center. If any anomalies are detected, immediately activate the emergency plan. If necessary, destroy the facilities at Port Three. We must not allow the 'Star Core' to fall into the wrong hands."

“Understood, sir.” Falcon hung up the communication and turned to his team, ordering, “All personnel to go on alert and take turns on duty. The technical team will monitor the communication frequency of the space station command center and check for any abnormal instructions. The medical team will treat the wounds of the injured team members and ensure that all systems are operating normally. We will hold our ground here and await instructions from headquarters.”

The team members immediately sprang into action. With the assistance of the medical team, the wounded members removed their powered armor. The self-healing agents in their nano-biochemical suits had already repaired most of their wounds. The medical team applied healing-accelerating agents and replenished their strength, ensuring they could be deployed to combat at any time. The technical team set up a temporary monitoring station at the control center, listening in real-time to communications from the space station command center and other ports. The powered armor's battlefield analysis system was connected to the temporary monitoring station; any anomalies would trigger an immediate alarm.

The port's defensive shields are fully activated, forming an invisible barrier that covers the entire Port 3 area, preventing any unauthorized aircraft or personnel from entering. Anti-aircraft turrets and automatic defense weapons are all activated, aimed at the main space station, ready to respond to any potential attacks. Team members are deployed at various defensive nodes, with stealth and scanning systems operating alternately, closely monitoring every movement in the surrounding area.

At this moment, inside the command center of the "Sky Dome" space station, staff were discussing the malfunction of Port 3. "An hour has passed, and Port 3 still hasn't responded. The energy fluctuations have completely disappeared. Could something be wrong?" an operator said doubtfully.

The director of the command center shook his head, picked up the communicator, and tried to contact them again: "Port No. 3, this is the command center. Please reply upon receipt. How is the equipment repair progress?"

Inside the dispatch center, the technical team intercepted the communication and immediately reported it to Falcon: "Captain, the command center has contacted us again to inquire about the repair progress."

Falcon signaled to his team to reply: "Repairs are still underway. The core components are severely damaged, and it is expected to take another three hours to return to normal."

After receiving the reply, the director of the command center frowned. Although he found it somewhat suspicious, he did not think much of it. Occasionally, the equipment of Infinite Company would malfunction, which was not uncommon. In addition, Port No. 3 was mainly responsible for routine material transportation and was not a core area. Therefore, he did not arrange for personnel to go and check. He simply instructed the operator to continue to maintain contact.

Time passed slowly. Three hours later, Falcon, following the previous reply, instructed the technical team to restore some communication and power connections, opening only the regular communication channels to ensure normal communication with the command center, while continuing to block information from the core area. "Command Center, the equipment at Port 3 has been initially repaired, and power and communication have returned to normal. A comprehensive overhaul will be conducted to ensure there are no hidden dangers."

"Received. Carry out the maintenance work and report any issues immediately." The reply from the command center completely dispelled any doubts.

In a corner of the control center, the energy storage box containing the "Star Core" sat quietly, a faint blue glow seeping through its gaps. The team members remained highly vigilant, their power armor's energy indicator lights flashing steadily, and their nanotech suits continuously regulating their physical condition, awaiting Sebastian's next instructions.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the space station, in a secluded corner unknown to the crew, a hidden monitoring device was operating silently. Undetected, it transmitted encrypted signals of the anomalies at Port Three to a secret node at the lunar headquarters. A much larger storm was brewing.

Falcon seemed to sense something amiss. The helmet's scanning system suddenly detected a faint fluctuation of encrypted signal. Although it disappeared quickly, it was enough to raise his alert. "Technical team, immediately search all areas for hidden surveillance equipment and signal transmitters. We must find the source of the signal."

"Understood, Captain." The technical team members immediately sprang into action, with the power armor's scanning system operating at full power, conducting a thorough search of the entire occupied area. Soon, they discovered a miniature monitoring device near the energy conduit on the west side of the port. The device was in dormant mode, but residual energy fluctuations from the signal it had just sent remained inside.

"Captain, we've discovered a hidden surveillance device. It's in a dormant state and appears to have just sent an encrypted signal."

Falcon's eyes instantly turned cold: "Destroy the equipment, extract the signal records from it, and analyze the receiver's location. In addition, increase vigilance for everyone, expand the search area, and prevent the existence of other hidden devices." He knew that the existence of this surveillance equipment meant that their whereabouts might have been leaked, but the other party had not yet taken action. They had to find out the situation as soon as possible and prepare a response.

The team members immediately launched a comprehensive investigation and destroyed the miniature monitoring device, while the technical team quickly extracted the signal records from the device for analysis. After half an hour of analysis, the technical team reported: "Captain, the signal receiver is located in the direction of the lunar headquarters, but the exact location cannot be determined. The signal encryption level is extremely high, and it is suspected to be an instruction issued by a secret department within Infinite Corporation."

"Lunar Headquarters," Falcon repeated in a low voice, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart. "Report the situation to the Master immediately and request instructions. At the same time, activate the emergency plan, reinforce defensive fortifications, relocate the 'Star Core' to a safe area, and prepare for battle."

Upon receiving the report, Sebastian's tone turned serious: "It seems that the secret department of Infinite Corporation has detected the anomaly. You must defend Port Three and absolutely cannot allow the 'Star Core' to be taken away. I will immediately arrange for reinforcements to arrive. Until then, hold the position at all costs. In addition, closely monitor the movements of the lunar headquarters. If any spaceships are spotted heading towards the space station, report immediately."

"Understood, sir." Falcon hung up the communication and immediately adjusted the deployment, dividing the team into a defense group, an assault group, and a guard group. The defense group was responsible for guarding the passage and fortifications, the assault group was ready to deal with any sudden attacks, and the guard group was responsible for protecting the "star core" and ensuring its safety.

The power armor's energy shield was reinforced once more, the anti-aircraft turrets were aimed at the moon, all spare weapons were fully charged, the nanotech suits were in full combat mode, and the team members were in peak physical condition, awaiting the upcoming battle. The port was silent, save for the faint hum of the equipment. A tense atmosphere permeated the air; a covert war surrounding the "Star Core" was about to unfold once more in this deep space.

Time ticked by, and the technical team continued to monitor the movements in the direction of the moon, but found no trace of the abnormal spacecraft. Falcon breathed a slight sigh of relief, but remained vigilant. He knew that Infinite Corporation's secret department operated clandestinely and would not easily reveal its whereabouts; it might be secretly planning an attack or waiting for reinforcements.

At this moment, during the transfer of the "Star Core", the escort team members discovered a slight fluctuation in the energy shielding effect of the storage box and immediately reported to Falcon: "Captain, the 'Star Core' storage box is experiencing energy fluctuations, and the shielding effect is decreasing. It may be detected by the space station's energy detection equipment."

Falcon's heart tightened. He immediately rushed to the area where the storage box was located. After scanning, he discovered that the energy core of the storage box had suffered minor damage, resulting in a decrease in the shielding effect. "Technical team, repair the storage box immediately, strengthen the energy shielding, and at the same time shut down the energy detection equipment at Port 3 of the space station to prevent the energy fluctuations of the 'star core' from being detected."

The technical team quickly arrived and used the power armor's energy and onboard repair equipment to repair the storage box. Half an hour later, the storage box's shielding effect was restored to normal, and the technical team simultaneously shut down the energy detection equipment at Port Three to ensure the safety of the "Star Core".

Just then, the technical team members suddenly issued an alarm: "Captain, we have spotted several small combat ships heading towards the space station from the direction of the moon. There are about ten of them, and they are expected to arrive in an hour."

Falcon immediately checked the detection data on the screen, confirming the number and course of the ships: "All units, enter combat readiness. Defense team, activate all anti-aircraft turrets and automatic defense weapons. Assault team, prepare to engage. Escort team, move the 'Star Core' to the underground chamber and strengthen its protection. Notify the 'Shadow' ship to prepare for battle and provide support at any time."

The team members immediately sprang into action. The defense team quickly reached the anti-aircraft turret, adjusted the aiming parameters, and locked onto the incoming spaceship. The assault team gathered at the port entrance, activated the power armor's energy shields and weapon systems, and prepared for a frontal assault. The escort team, carrying storage boxes, quickly moved to the underground secret room of the control center to set up defensive fortifications.

The "Shadow" spaceship immediately activated its combat system, deployed its weapon platforms, and fully charged its plasma cannon, aiming at the direction of the incoming spaceship, ready to fire and provide support at any time.

An hour later, ten small combat ships arrived near the space station. Instead of launching an immediate attack, they circled around the station, seemingly observing the situation at Port Three. Falcon knew the enemy was probing, so he didn't order them to fire. Instead, he instructed his team to remain concealed and wait for the optimal moment to attack.

Soon, one of the enemy's spaceships headed towards Port Three, attempting to enter the docking channel. "Captain, an enemy spaceship is approaching the docking channel. Requesting instructions."

"Restore communication and keep it as normal as possible. If we can avoid combat, we can continue with our mission."

"understand!"

The soldier in charge of the technical module nervously controlled his emotions as he connected to the communication from the combat spaceship, cautiously answering the other party's questions. But then an unexpected situation arose.

The commander of the small combat spacecraft squadron seemed to have received some orders, cut off communications, and immediately ended the inquiry to Port 3. After that, it left the vicinity of the space station, but instead of returning to the moon, it entered Earth's orbit.

"What happened? They just left like that?"

"Report to the sir immediately."

Soon, news of this reached Sebastian's ears. His first thought was that the small combat ship group might have discovered the location of another Ferdinand family ship in the distance and had chosen to leave immediately to avoid being surrounded. However, after Sebastian made contact with the infiltrators on the moon, he discovered that the Infinite Corporation headquarters on the moon seemed to know nothing about the space station, and the secret communication line quickly disappeared from the moon.

"Sir, what should we do next?"

"Stay put and be prepared, an emergency evacuation may be necessary."

"Yes, sir."

Sebastian didn't immediately issue orders but instead fell into thought. His objective this time was to seize the entire space station and use it as a springboard to build the Ferdinand family's outpost and transit point between Earth and the Moon. Currently, the remaining areas of the space station were unaware that parts of it had already been occupied by the family's outpost forces—this hundred-strong team. Therefore, continuing the plan and actions still had a higher probability of success than estimated. With timely support, Sebastian could even achieve control of the space station two days earlier than anticipated.

However, there is a problem now. The lunar side must already know that there is a problem with the space station. According to the distribution of power on the moon, 90% of the power belongs to Infinite Corporation. However, according to the intelligence of its infiltrators, Infinite Corporation seems to be completely unaware of the space station situation. Therefore, it seems that the people or forces that know about the space station situation are not related to Infinite Corporation.

However, after careful consideration, Sebastian decided to continue with his original goal. The leak of information was indeed a big deal, but considering his long-term plans, it was not worth being timid. Sebastian needed to seize the initiative rather than risk the leak of information.

"Order."

"gentlemen."

"Continue with the original mission. After ensuring the safety of the occupied areas, continue to expand the controlled area outwards. I have already dispatched more combat units for support. Remember, do not expose yourself before the space station is completely occupied. Understand?"

"understand!"

After the communication ended, the commander ordered the outpost troops to immediately begin surveying the occupied area to ensure its security. During this process, follow-up support from the Ferdinand family arrived one after another, secretly landing on the space station through Port Three. After the rendezvous was completed, some armed personnel were left to guard the occupied area, while the others split into several teams and began to expand outwards from the occupied area, adhering to the principle of not being exposed, and quietly and gradually began to seize control of the space station.