Long-term salvation

Rhodes was listening carefully to the conversation between Hannibal and Dr. Winters, while Will slowly came over and whispered to him:

"There's a smell of death here. There are many dead people here - an abandoned ice factory? This is just a temporary morgue."

"There's also an inhuman aura," Jesse added. After noticing the looks from Rod and Will, she pursed her lips and said, "Polaris told me that and told us to be careful."

"Be careful? You should be careful. After all, this is something from our 'world'."

Rhodes said meaningfully.

Side Quest: The Autopsy (The Autopsy, the short story of the same name was adapted into the third episode of Guillermo del Toro's The Strange Case of Guillermo del Toro)

Mission Description: Go to Bailey Town, resolve supernatural incidents, and attempt to recover the masterminds behind the incidents.

The masterminds... Rhodes raised his eyebrows and called the Army Without Borders's containment team, they would be very busy next.

Chapter 440: Autopsy

After Sheriff Nat Craven, his long-time friend, left, Dr. Carl Winters finally had time to carefully examine the young men who had come with Director Hannibal - a calm detective, a determined waitress, and the sloppy silver-haired guy... What kind of weird combination was this?

After casting a questioning look at Director Hannibal, Dr. Winters only received a slightly teasing look from him, which made him say helplessly:

"Are these all your students?"

"No, only that detective is. And this young man with silver hair is my boss."

Dr. Hannibal said this with a smile, but having said that, he just stood in front of the door of the abandoned ice factory and made a "please" gesture to Rhodes.

"Theoretically, shouldn't you help me open the door and lead the way, Director Hannibal?" Rhodes raised his eyebrows and said unhappily, "You've noticed something strange in there, right? There's more than one person."

"I don't have as much power as you."

"...That's truly irrefutable, Director Hannibal. But if Randolph Carter or Alan Grant were here, they would have already walked in without a care in the world, right?"

"A gentleman doesn't stand under a dangerous wall," Director Hannibal smiled, even putting on an expression that showed he was quite worried about his two colleagues. "That's a principle Dr. Peng taught me."

"Yes, yes, you are right. You won't think so when you are put in jail."

Rhodes shook his head and walked towards the abandoned ice factory. But when he passed by Dr. Winters, he suddenly said:

"It is your own mind that matters. Everything else, whether chosen by you or not, is just wreckage and smoke."

Dr. Winters was slightly startled, then a smile appeared on his face. He replied with the same words from the "Meditations" of the "Philosopher Emperor" Marcus Aurelius:

"This fact is the clearest reason for taking death lightly. Even those who consider pleasure a virtue and pain an evil consider death to be nothing."

"...I'll make you try to live, doctor," Rhodes said seriously.

"Death is nothing more than a function of nature. Anyone who fears the functions of nature is just a child - I am prepared for this, young gentleman." Dr. Winters' smile became softer, but there was determination and relief in it.

What a nice old man, Rhodes thought.

Then you must continue to shine in the journey of saving human civilization... Want to die? Not that easy, meow.

Heaven and Hell will reject you. This is a command from the Son!

"Come in, come in, but I just got here not long ago, just like you guys."

Dr. Winters was still smiling, completely oblivious to the fact that he would be working until his death in the future.

When the group walked into the abandoned ice factory where the temperature was significantly lower than that outside, nothing strange happened, and no monsters suddenly popped out to announce their presence. Only the slightly dim corridor extended deeper into the depths.

Dust that had accumulated for a long time was piling up in every crack and corner of the corridor. Only the marks left by the bed pulleys were clearly visible. These marks overlapped and intertwined with each other, like a layer of gray-black coal slag on the corridor floor, giving off a strange and uncomfortable feeling.

This is true even for Dr. Winters, who is not a clairvoyant.

"...Anyway, let's examine the body first," Dr. Winters said. He put on an apron and prepared the tape recorder and other equipment.

"First, let's talk about Joe Allen, the man who caused the coal mine explosion. Although according to previous investigations, he was referred to as 'Eddie Sykes' by others, let's call him 'Joe Allen' for now. Let's start with the body closest to the explosion and Joe Allen."

Hearing this, Rhode strolled over to Will and Jesse and whispered:

"Everyone, calm down! Don't scare the monsters away. I've already notified the containment team... Jesse, you need to be more careful. You're the future head of the Army Without Borders containment facility."

"Huh?! Do I really have that ability?"

"Not now, don't worry. I'll send you to a training ground even more brutal than the Navy SEALs' Hell Week."

Rod raised his thumb, and a gleam of light seemed to flash between his white teeth, which made Jesse and Will beside him twitch their eyes slightly.

"Hey, this is what I'm worried about... and you just said 'cruel', right?!" Jessie covered her face with her hands helplessly, but after a brief pause, she fearlessly followed the two men into the cold storage that had been temporarily converted into a morgue.

The temperature in the cold storage wasn't particularly low, but it was sufficient to temporarily preserve the bodies. A dim, almost desolate light flickered on, casting a shadow over the contents. The shadow obscured faces, masking even the purest malice and arrogance.

Dozens of bodies were lying quietly. Most of them were miners, but there were also recently discovered dead people. Their faces were frozen with the pain before and after death, but all this should not have happened. Will and Jesse looked at the sign and pushed the bodies away. Rod stood in front of Joe Allen's body, reached out and stroked his face, and whispered comfortingly in his ear:

"This will not end so easily. I swear in the name of the Lord of Mankind."

Joe Allen's body did not move. Like the other bodies in the morgue, his dilated pupils were accumulating icy dewdrops that were flowing down the corners of his eyes.

But Rhode could feel it, could feel those eager, hungry, malicious eyes falling on him. They had no idea of ​​his true identity... But even if they did, what would it matter? He was just a human, only slightly more "powerful" than ordinary humans.

A sneer appeared on Rhodes' lips. He found the corpse he needed, then pushed the iron bed out, allowing those hidden eyes to scan it.

After pushing the body to the right position, Rhodes heard the conversation between Dr. Winters and Director Hannibal, occasionally interspersed with Will's agreement -

"It's really strange. There are no signs of explosions detected on the miners' bodies. Instead, their internal organs have shrunk and dried up, and all the blood in their bodies has disappeared without a trace, as if they were sucked away by a vampire."

"Maybe there really are vampires in this world, doctor."

"Then I'd really like to autopsy them," Dr. Winters laughed, but his smile quickly faded with confusion and pity for the bodies before him. He sighed and continued his work. "The government intends to deny compensation, arguing that they were killed by a psychopath and that this isn't a mining accident... We can't let that happen."

Hearing this, Rhode just shook his head, looked towards the morgue with a little anger, and said with a sneer:

"That's something more disgusting than a psychopathic serial killer—Doctor, have you heard of aliens?"

"alien?"

Dr. Winters was startled. As if sensing something, he put down the scalpel and looked towards the morgue with the others.

There were rustling sounds and the sound of shoes sliding on the ground, as if a corpse had fallen from the stinking bed, fell to the ground and began to crawl, and after gathering some strength, stood up and dragged its feet from the deepest part to the world where the living people lived.

The sound became clearer and closer, accompanied by strange muttering.

Finally, the door of the morgue was opened and Joe Allen's body stumbled out. His face was full of the joy of a tired traveler seeing food and clean water, and full of the happiness of surviving a disaster.

“Help me.”

He said, it said.

"I am trapped... in this flesh and blood... and I am hungry..."

"Me too."

Rhodes replied softly, one of his azure eyes covered by the all-seeing eye patch, bringing wisdom and truth.

"I, a traveler from beyond the Earth, am also hungry, impatient, and...full of anger."

Alien monster: “?”

Chapter 441 Where did this cosmic country bumpkin come from? (3K)

Although it vaguely sensed the strangeness in Rhodes' words, this alien creature that survived by parasitizing others did not take it to heart - its unspoken arrogance, long-standing hunger and obsession with changing bodies were driving it to take steps and approach the living people step by step, causing the other corpses in the morgue to shake as well.

Rhode looked at the approaching corpse and the alien creature inside the decaying body. The latter did not have any powerful abilities worthy of vigilance.

That is, it can only influence and control ordinary humans through mental influence. If it faces a being with a strong and tenacious will, it is nothing more than a hateful parasite... In fact, it is indeed so.

Thinking of this, Rhodes raised his foot and stepped forward.

The frightened Dr. Winters subconsciously wanted to stand in front of Rhodes, but his action was stopped by Director Hannibal. The cannibal doctor had an expression of anticipation for what was about to happen.

"Don't worry, Dr. Winters. I sincerely believe that if any unforeseen disaster were to occur, Rhodes is the only one present who can completely resolve it."

"...We still need to be careful and hold the scalpel well."

"Oh, of course, of course."

Director Hannibal's eyes also showed a hint of anger - after all, only humans can eat humans, and no other creatures have such an honor - but for now, he really has no use.

So, the cannibal doctor took a half step back and said in an elegant tone:

"It will definitely come in handy during the dissection later."

With Jesse and Will on his left and right, Rhodes faced Joe Allen head-on and said as he walked:

"You travel around and call yourselves 'Travelers,' taking pleasure in torture and sadism, even leaving your victims conscious while you commit evil deeds—Joe Allen? Should it be Eddie Sykes? He's still 'alive,' right?"

"Haha... You know a lot. Did you escape from one of my kind?" Joe Allen chuckled a few times, still controlling the corpse forward. His hollow eyes were filled with the despair of its former owner. "But your weapons are useless to me... Even locked in this rotting flesh... I can sense that there are no humans around. But some of you... clairvoyants? What a delicacy! There's nothing more delicious..."

As he spoke, Joe Allen slowly opened his mouth toward Rhode, and tentacles like octopus legs extended from it. At the same time, a powerful mental attack suddenly struck—a hazy, shattered light flashed before Rhode, and a faint whisper echoed in his ears, ordering him to kill the human next to him and then lie down on the dissection table.

Rhodes didn't even feel a pang in his mind when he heard the voice:

This thing is nothing compared to the mental pollution that the three evil offspring at home casually threw out as a joke. It can only control ordinary people who have not experienced anything, or increase the intensity to influence clairvoyants.

Seeing that Rhodes showed no emotion, the expression on Joe Allen's face froze slightly, so the alien monster living inside tried again - still to no avail. Rhodes even pretended to yawn in front of it.

Tried again, no effect; tried again, still no effect.

Alien monster: “???”

"Are you done?" Rhode sneered. He removed the disguise the system had given him. "Then it's my turn."

The next second, all the clairvoyants present seemed to see the sun rising!

In a supernatural world that ordinary people cannot see, a star burning with blazing golden flames suddenly appeared here. The brilliant skylight rolled in with unstoppable fury, pressing towards the alien monster from above, below, and from all directions!

In just a moment, all the arrogance of the monster was destroyed, leaving only endless fear!

Ah... fear, this delicious emotion, it knew it very well, but when it appeared in itself, it became extremely bitter.

"Traveler? Huh... What kind of space bumpkin did you come from? How dare you run wild on Earth? Don't you know that I am protecting this planet?"

Rhodes sneered and reached out to Joe Allen/Eddie Sykes's face, but the latter screamed as if he was torn by flames. He staggered backward and fell, while driving the corpses in the morgue to turn over and get out of bed - the alien monster had begun to "derive", allowing its own kind to come.

"Wow, this is a little worse than I remember," Rhode smiled and walked forward slowly. "But this is also a good thing. We will have more experimental subjects. Let me think... How resistant are the alien creatures to the pollution from the inner world? How tolerant are they to vivisection? Or are they implanting electrodes and nanomachines into your flesh to control them?"

Rhodes' hideous smile was transmitted to the alien creature through his empty eyes, making it terrified. At the same time, it heard the hearty laughter from the parasite "Eddie Sykes"!

Monster, you have come to this day?!

Stepping forward, Rhodes saw several corpses knocking open the door of the morgue. The blood in their bodies had long been sucked out. They seemed to be abandoned pawns who had come here specially after sensing that the lives of their higher-level counterparts were threatened.

From this, it seems that we can't simply kill the alien monster and let it become a colleague of the clown Pennywise, who lives a colorful life in the laboratory and screams 24 hours a day.

Rhode snapped his fingers, and golden flames appeared in the real world, appearing in the temporarily converted autopsy room! The flames burned the limbs of the corpses, causing them to tumble to the ground in a mess, writhing in despair and fear.

This time, even the still-confused Dr. Winters was stunned! The resolute philosopher subconsciously turned to look at Dr. Hannibal, only to see a fleeting flash of enthusiasm and desire on his face... a desire to taste the ultimate delicacy.

Rhodes didn't know what Director Hannibal was thinking, but even if he did, he wouldn't care. He was actually quite curious about what would happen if other people ate his flesh and blood. The boy with deer horns in Mobile Task Force Red Right Hand was a positive example, but the same might not be true for others.

"Will, Jesse, get these bodies onto the dissection table. We need to get them out of their human bodies."

Rhodes gave the order coldly. He looked at the two men who came forward with gloomy faces after realizing what those creatures had done to humans.

These two men and women, who were about to become high-ranking members of the future Army Without Borders and even the Cogito Foundation, were filled with resentment and anger, and with them came a deep fear:

Just a group of arrogant alien creatures had caused such devastating consequences—dozens dead! Dozens tortured, slaughtered, and devoured, their bodies now serving as tools for the killers—their reputations in life, their reputations after death, and watching their familiar friends and family deceived, then killed and devoured by "themselves"... The mere thought of it filled Will and Jesse with shudders!

After breaking Eddie Sykes's joints with a few punches, Rhodes carried him to the dissection table and turned to Dr. Winters and said with a smile:

"Please, doctor, let us see how skilled you are."

As he spoke, Rhode's tone became erratic and dangerous. He could see the trembling tentacles hidden in the corpse's mouth and hear the monster begging frantically for mercy:

"Please, let me go! You are nobler and more powerful than any of them! You are not even human, so why are you fighting for these lowly creatures?"

Not human?

Director Hannibal clearly saw the corner of Rhodes' eye twitch slightly. He took a deep breath and his expression became distorted.

"I'm human."

"Um...Okay, you are, but please, let me go. I will tell you everything I know! I have realized my mistakes...I can be a help to the development of mankind. I know a lot of technology and secrets!"

"You don't know you're wrong, you just know you're going to die—but don't worry, you won't die. You'll live a life more miserable than death."

Rhodes replied gently as he watched Dr. Winters cut open the corpse's abdomen and saw an octopus-like monster living inside.

This ridiculous thing was shivering, completely devoid of the arrogance and pride it had just a dozen minutes ago. There were even some burnt marks on its skin, and it seemed that the mental blow it had suffered had also damaged its body.

"Interesting... But, Doctor Winters," Rhode turned to look at the old forensic doctor, who was staring blankly at the monster's body, seemingly considering how to operate. Then, seeing the old doctor's blank gaze, he continued, "Please lie down on the autopsy table as well."