Chapter 1325: Heart of the Swarm (24)

――TR.82.11.28――
Haven Star, the original jungle area.
"Well, we really have to drill into the tropical rain forest, hoping that there are no pythons in it." After getting off the shuttle, Tykes complained while looking at the unusually dense forest in front of him.
"Relax, even if there are, those primitive creatures are not opponents of power armor." Renault patted his shoulder armor.
"Thinking about it better, if there is one, we can taste a Haiwen food again." Jimmy was eager to try the jungle.
"That's not the point," Renault shook his head and looked at Ariel, who was wearing only a set of jungle adventure equipment: "Miss Hanson, I think I reminded you that if there is a secret federal base, it is likely to exist there. Dangerous biological weapon."
"When you enter the jungle, the communication will fail, and without a guide, you will get lost in the jungle." The botanist held up his hat and smiled confidently: "Although you don’t have your armor, I’m sorry to Haven. Every plant on the road is very familiar."
"If you insist." Renault checked his equipment again and signaled Tycus to protect Ariel, and Jimmy should open the way first.
Previously, they visited and searched potentially problematic farms and plantations as agricultural consultants on other planets, but found nothing.
The live poultry in the farms are particularly aggressive because the breeders deliberately do it in order to give buyers a healthy impression. The materials used in vacuum packaging and canned food still use the previous breeding methods. It is ridiculous that they I also want to hide this.
As for the decrease in the output of the plantation, it is because it intends to open up downstream industries. After seeing Renault and others, they also actively invited them to taste new products. This is the standard meat buns and dogs... Well, that's what it means anyway.
Then, after excluding some other slightly suspicious locations, Renault believes that if there is a federal secret research base, it can only be in the primeval forest.
But in this way, a new problem emerged. The federal agents were hiding in the virgin forest. They did not interact with the outside world at all and were not photographed by satellites. How did Ariel discover that there was a problem?
"These stupid bushes and vines! I have to paint the armor again after I go back!" Teckis yelled dissatisfiedly on the channel.
"It's because you are too big, so I won't be tripped." Jimmy said lightly, as if the investigation was going well.
"It's called plating," Renault corrected, and then turned his head to look at Ariel: "Did our course of action deviate?"
Ariel squeezed the frame of her glasses, paused for two seconds before responding. "Not yet. If you need to adjust the route, I will explain it in advance."
In this process, she went around a group of thorns very naturally, and turned her head to avoid a hanging vine.
Either she is not looking at the information on the glasses at all, or she knows the obstacles to these advances well.
If it hadn't been a temporary decision to come to Haiwenxing this time, Renault would almost suspect that she was a ghost.

"Hey, commander, look at this."
After several hours of trekking through the jungle and fighting wits against plants and wild animals, Jimmy finally found evidence that made Renault not suspect that he would go for nothing.
A rusty alloy cylinder has been completely scrapped.
"This is... a diazine tank?" Reynolds flipped the cylinder and easily found the federal logo on it.
"Hey! So there is a battle to fight?" Tykes went to touch the gun for the first time.
"This at least proves that there is indeed diazepam produced here, and it has been targeted by the Federation, but whether it is the Psionic Research Institute is still uncertain," Renault stood up and looked into the depths of the jungle: "We came all the way, so much movement, The other party should have discovered it long ago."
"Even to throw away the container that contains diazine," Ariel's voice rarely brought a little anger: "That's why the growth of this jungle is so abnormal."
"Anyway, we will enter a state of battle next," Renault drew his gun: "Ms. Hansen, you stay behind and stay away from us."
Ariel nodded, stepped back and slowed down a little later.
In view of the possibility of receiving the enemy at any time, Jimmy did not continue to explore forward, and according to Renault's instructions, he has been cautiously moving forward at a distance that can be rescued by Renault and Tycus at any time.
However, until they found the envisioned secret research base following the increasing number of unnatural traces, no battle took place. Moreover, the appearance of the base made Renault feel a little familiar.
"Hey, boss, do you think this place is like—"
"Yes, the federal base at Blackwater Outpost, but it's obviously different."
What appeared in front of several people was a completely abandoned federal base, command center, supply station, and research facilities. The most obvious was a dizine collection station that was still leaking green gas.
Unlike the situation where Heishui Post is covered by "silt", almost all objects in this base are entangled and climbed by various plants, and those plants seem to adapt well to these steel and plastics. Some obvious marks of trauma even seem to be broken by plants germinating from the inside.
"It doesn't look like it was caused by a bug," Tykes tried to tear off a few vines and opened the door of the research facility. "There are no traces of erosion like them."
Could it be that the federal research projects here are plants? Renault tried to contact Tosh who remained on Bucefalos, but the communication was still disrupted.
"What bug?" Ariel appeared from behind Renault and asked curiously.
Should she be far away from herself before? Renault raised his eyebrows and replied: "It is the kind of biological weapon I mentioned before, but now it seems that something went wrong. There is nothing we are looking for here."
"Obviously, the research they conducted angered the jungle, and then was swallowed by the jungle," Ariel looked around the abandoned base, and his glasses flashed slightly.
What is she...
"[Hey, boss, look at this--]" Jimmy's voice came from the communicator: "[Here is the scene of the destruction of this base~]"
Before Renault could respond, the commander interface received the first perspective shared by Jimmy. Obviously, he found a video record of independent energy supply from a monitoring room.
Although the picture is not very clear, Renault can still tell that it is from the radar perspective of the command center. On the picture, a large number of monsters composed of thick vines and branches are launching attacks on the federal army in the base, and the federal soldiers' counterattack hit them. Useless, and soon, after a black shadow that hit the lens passed by, the picture was completely interrupted.
"[Boss, these Union soldiers seem to call them—]" Jimmy pulled out a few more notes: "[Solian]?"