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SCL Chapter 159: Echoes Beneath Perdition’s Crossing
🕑 Added 2025-07-22 03:14:18 +0000 UTCThe interior of the Revolutionary Army base, carved into the canyon wall, was supported by reinforced cylindrical alloy columns. Cone-shaped ceilings were fitted with LED fixtures emitting a cold white glow. Augustus made his way directly to an airlock door labeled Laboratory. With a loud metallic hiss, the door slid open—and inside, in a cramped space barely big enough for a few desks and glass containers, stood a familiar face: Dr. Francos, formerly of the Terran Confederacy’s Victor V Research Station.
Dr. Flanx was one of the few scientists still working under Augustus. Although he specialized in Zerg dissection and had never dealt with rare crystal research, Augustus had no other scientists available—so he had forcibly conscripted him.
"Doctor, how’s the research going?" Augustus asked, striding over in his denim jacket and boots.
At that moment, the Ghost operative Sarah Kerrigan, who had been silently watching over him, shimmered into view from her cloaked state. Her black adaptive light-combat suit hugged her curves tightly, and as her hips shifted, a butterfly knife spun effortlessly between her fingers. Under the cold light, the rose-colored blade gleamed with a deadly sheen, slicing elegant arcs through the air as her nimble hands worked their craft.
Without saying a word, Kerrigan planted one hand on a nearby lab bench and casually seated herself on it. Her crimson lips were pressed into a flat line, and her pale green eyes weren’t focused on the startled scientist—but on Augustus.
Sarah Kerrigan, the former Terran Confederacy Ghost operative who now shadowed Augustus constantly—reportedly never leaving his side for even a moment—only revealed herself under very specific circumstances. The fact that she appeared now could mean only one thing: she believed Dr. Flanx might pose a threat to Augustus’s safety. It was a warning.
That said, the truth was simpler—Kerrigan was bored. Maybe she just wanted a little attention.
“We’ve made some progress,” Flanx said, though his hand trembled slightly as he held a chunk of rare crystal ore mined from within Perdition’s Crossing. The sudden appearance of the red-haired Ghost had clearly startled him, as anyone would expect.
“Most scientists from the Confederacy believe the anomalous wave interference in Perdition’s Crossing is caused by a rich crystal vein embedded in the geological strata,” he continued. “But that assumption lacks any scientific foundation. So far, the metal samples we've extracted from the crystal ore are indistinguishable from ordinary Ardeon crystals.”
After taking a few deep breaths, Dr. Flanx finally managed to shake off the unease brought on by Kerrigan’s arrival.
“Marshal.” He connected his personal terminal to the lab’s sole holographic display via a data cable.
When Augustus turned to look, he saw that Flanx was displaying a topographical map of Perdition’s Crossing.
“High-intensity electrical pulses are scattered throughout the entire canyon,” Flanx explained, speaking more fluidly now, confidence building. “The signal sources are buried underground—some of them buried hundreds of kilometers deep. The strongest ones are especially deep.”
In truth, studying the crystals wasn’t all that difficult. With the right equipment and observational analysis, patterns could be identified through organized comparison and testing.
"This lines up with the prevailing assumption that the interference is being caused by rare crystal veins," Flanx said. "However, the true cause remains unknown."
"So you still have no idea what's actually behind it," Kerrigan remarked, glancing at Dr. Flanx.
A few beads of sweat trickled down Flanx’s bald head. “I suspect the interference may originate from an old Confederacy device emitting strong EM pulses… or possibly from some kind of alien ruin.”
“I’ve read some reports,” he continued, “about Kel-Morian explorers discovering mysterious pyramids and massive temple structures on planets beyond the Koprulu sector. Analysis of those building materials suggests these structures may have existed since the period between the Big Bang and planetary formation—making them over 14 billion years old.”
“The clustered crystal deposits surrounding those temples had similarly disruptive effects on electronic equipment that relied on radio wave communication.”
“You’re just speculating,” Augustus said, feigning impatience. “What made you draw that kind of connection?”
“I have a fragment,” Flanx replied, pulling a piece of dark green triangular material from the pocket of his lab coat. It was a perfect isosceles triangle, following the golden ratio precisely: base angles of 72°, an apex of 36°, and the ratio between the base and a side aligned exactly with the golden proportion. Fine cracks ran across its surface, but its edges were so clean and uniform they looked machine-cut.
Barring the infinitesimal odds of cosmic coincidence, this fragment clearly came from an alien civilization.
“This likely belonged to some kind of container,” Flanx said, his voice rising with excitement. “I've observed it slowly absorbing energy—over years, perhaps decades—possibly as a way to repair itself.”
“I’m convinced,” he declared. “This place must be tied to some ancient alien structure. For all we know, there could be a temple of a long-lost civilization, buried deep beneath our feet—far older than anything humans have ever built.”
...
The Chimera Pirates' research base was located approximately 725 kilometers from the entrance to the Ridge Plains. The main structure of the base lay underground, with only a seemingly long-abandoned mining outpost visible on the surface. The outpost bore the “KM” insignia of the Kel-Morian Combine.
It looked as if the mining station had been dormant for many years. Its bright yellow, rectangular steel frame was coated in a thick layer of rust-colored dust, and nearly one-third of the walls were buried beneath the red desert sand. Through the shattered glass, one could glimpse the interior, now filled with stones and mining refuse left behind by workers. A severed cable hung from the crane arm, swaying in the powerful west winds of Perdition's Crossing.
It was nighttime on Mar Sara. Unlike the scorching heat of day, the temperature had plummeted below 0 °C. The heatwave that once scorched the land had turned into a bone-chilling gale.
In the darkness, the 1st Company of the 1st Battalion, Styrling Wolf Hunters—commanded by Revolutionary Sergeant Tychus Findlay—was advancing westward along Perdition's Crossing, one kilometer from the abandoned mining base. The 120 soldiers in the unit, clad in dark red powered armor, formed a loose skirmish line. Two Arclite tanks rumbled steadily at the center, while four Banshee fighters circled dozens of kilometers overhead.
About 800 meters behind Tychus’s unit marched Raynor’s Raiders—a detachment barely the size of a platoon.
The Raiders were a special tactics and rapid strike force, wielding the best weapons and fastest vehicles in the entire Revolutionary Army. They were trained to engage and eliminate targets ahead of the main force’s arrival.
Each Raider squad was equipped with one heavy machine gun, two Firebats, two grenade troopers wearing reinforced powered armor, one soldier armed with a single-man rocket launcher, and one combat medic carrying a multi-purpose medical kit.
Raynor’s task was to provide fire support for Tychus’s right flank and serve as a communications relay between the vanguard and the main force. The Raiders’ insignia and unit colors—sky blue and the Wings of Liberty—had been personally designated by the office of the Revolutionary Marshal.
This was the first unit to recruit from Mar Sara—largely due to Raynor himself, whose affection for the people of Mar Sara had been shaped by his relationship with his girlfriend, Liddy Elizabeth.
“Order Tychus’s unit to advance at full speed,” Augustus commanded. He personally led two additional mainline Revolutionary Marine companies at the rear, wearing command-grade powered armor and surrounded by heavily armed Revolutionary soldiers.
“Raynor’s unit will cover Tychus’s right flank. Hold fire until the forward units engage. Faraday’s men are to continue advancing along the ridgeline on the left, cutting off the Chimera Pirates’ path of retreat to the west.”
This area was the epicenter of signal disruption. All communication systems relying on electromagnetic waves were disabled, forcing Augustus to resort to shouting orders to direct his troops. Each platoon had reestablished the role of communications officer, tasked with relaying the commander’s orders across the company and to the forces behind them.
At this moment, the horizon of Mar Sara glowed with a faint, blood-red light as dawn approached. In the sky hung two massive moons—each four times the size of Earth's moon. Even though their brilliance drowned out most of the stars, the sky above Augustus’s head was still adorned with a shimmering canopy of constellations.
Standing beside Augustus was Ghost operative Sarah Kerrigan, holding a canister rifle. Her formidable psionic powers, amplified by advanced Umoja tech, extended across a radius of nearly 1.6 kilometers. No telepathic ripple could escape her perception.
