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Chapter 43

"The backup power source has been activated."

"The emergency internal communication channel is open."

"Emergency defense systems have been initiated."

"The ventilation system is operational."

"The radiation shield windows have descended."

"All departments, please stand by where you are."

Amidst the hurried footsteps and voices in the corridor, an announcement came over the intercom, no longer a robotic voice, but that of a human female.

As the voice faded, a dull clanging echoed all around. An Zhe looked back at the atrium, where cold steel curtains had swiftly descended, blocking all windows. They seemed incredibly thick – he recalled the poet's words: without the magnetic field, cosmic rays and solar winds would immediately assault the Earth's surface.

Then he understood why Lu Fen had pulled him away from the atrium – to escape the potential reach of cosmic radiation. The main city, being a pinnacle of human technological prowess, was built with thick walls and special materials capable of defending against radiation.

The lights in the United Front Building flickered wildly before stabilizing once more, though this time they were much dimmer, casting a pale and feeble glow.

From a nearby laboratory, a researcher's panicked voice echoed through the corridor as he frantically tried to establish communication. "D1342 requesting increased power supply! The instrument can't stop spinning!"

Another lab chimed in, "D1343 requesting emergency power, or the precious samples will lose vitality!"

Who would attend to their pleas, and whether they would be granted, An Zhe didn't know. He looked towards D1344 and instinctively tugged on Lu Fen's sleeve for reassurance.

Lu Fen looked down at him and said calmly, "It's alright."

An Zhe nodded in response.

The broadcast continued.

"Attention personnel from the Equipment Center, City Defense Bureau, Emergency Response Department, and Logistics Supply Office, please proceed to the first conference room on the 17th floor of the United Front Building. Do not use the elevators; utilize the emergency staircases instead."

"Please have the Lighthouse Magnetosphere Observation Station contact the United Front Center immediately."

"Request immediate contact with the Unification Center from the Lighthouse Magnetosphere Observatory."

The broadcast boomed at maximum volume, echoing through the corridors.

An Zhe looked at Lu Fen. "Should we return to the Lighthouse?"

"I'm awaiting orders," replied Lu Fen, his gaze drifting towards the atrium as if in deep thought, then back to An Zhe. "Stay close and don't wander off."

An Zhe nodded. "Understood."

The broadcast continued, "Directors of Command, the Joint Staff, the Court of Judgment, and the War Operations Center, please proceed to the Communications Center on the 14th floor of Unification. Avoid using elevators and use emergency staircases instead."

As they entered the Communications Center with Lu Fen, An Zhe could hear voices within.

"North Base calling Underground City Base, please respond."

The communications officer wore large black headphones, engaged in conversation as he was surrounded by a dozen screens displaying fluctuating graphs and parameters.

Yet, his voice echoed alone in this channel, with only hollow electrical noise responding from the other end.

At the center of the hall stood a middle-aged man in a pitch-black military uniform. His sharp features and stern expression denoted his high rank – a military commander, indicated by the insignia on his shoulder.

Upon noticing Lu Fen's arrival, he nodded slightly, "You've arrived."

Other military personnel had entered the room just before or after Lu Fen. Their ranks and departments varied, but all shared the same cold, solemn demeanor.

There were chairs scattered throughout the communications hall; they took their seats, with An Zhe settling quietly beside Lu Fen.

The commander answered a call, disconnecting after a brief thirty seconds. Addressing the officers in the room, he said, "We've received a notification from the Lighthouse Magnetosphere Observation Station. Five minutes ago, the global magnetic field strength plummeted to zero, yet no anomalies have been detected at the eastern pole under our protection."

"It's evident that there's a major malfunction at the western pole across the continent."

Listening to the commander, An Zhe understood the significance of the magnetic poles to humanity.

The magnetic field shields everything on Earth. Should it vanish, cosmic rays and solar winds would wreak havoc, causing widespread drought, exposing humans to radiation and leading to fatal or mutagenic illnesses. Prolonged absence of the magnetic field would see Earth's atmosphere swept away by solar winds, turning the world into a barren desert of death.

The two artificial magnetic poles, one situated at the Northern Base and the other in the Underground City, jointly sustained a weak global magnetic field that was indivisible. Should one fail, the other would lose its function too.

No excessive communication was needed between them. Every night, when the aurora illuminated the sky, it served as a silent assurance to the other: We still exist, we're still safe.

Now, the aurora had vanished.

An equipment technician nearby reported, "The artificial magnetic field has disappeared. The ionosphere is disrupted, making shortwave communication impossible."

The admiral's brows knitted together. After a three-second silence, he ordered, "At all costs, activate the very long wavelength communication."

"Yes, sir!"

In an era when humans had lost their satellites and ground relays, long-distance communication had become incredibly challenging. Radio waves were the only option—shortwave radio signals propagated through the ionosphere in the atmosphere. However, the artificial magnetic field was weaker than Earth's natural one, resulting in unstable communications. Now, with the complete disappearance of the magnetic field, the ionosphere was severely disrupted, making communication even more difficult.

Very long wavelength communication, on the other hand, was different. It was ground-based, utilizing the earth and seawater as mediums for transmission, providing stable and reliable connections. But it required a high activation cost and could only convey messages using the oldest form of telegraphy.

Moreover, it was unidirectional. This meant that unless the recipient happened to be using very long wavelength communication at that precise moment, no exchange was possible.

The message was relayed through the ranks, and finally, the communication center received feedback that the very long wavelength communication device had been activated.

The telegraph operator picked up the device, inputting a sequence of monotonous "beeps" of varying intervals and lengths into the system, which were then transmitted to the communication channel.

"North Base calling Dungeon Base, come in, please respond."

A prolonged silence ensued.

"One would hardly imagine that Dungeon Base, the most well-equipped of the four human outposts, could face a calamity," remarked an officer. "Let's hope it's just a technical malfunction."

His words had barely faded when a shrill buzz of static erupted from the receiver!

A cacophony of hisses and crackles, chaotic as if originating from the vast expanse of the cosmos, or the last gasps of a colossal beast.

Everyone in the room held their breath, waiting for what felt like an eternity, about twenty seconds.

"Beep."

"Beep beep."

"Beep, beep—"

The telegraph's shrill sound echoed, and the operator's body trembled, almost collapsing onto the worktable as he hastily scribbled down the message.

Five minutes later, the admiral inquired, "What did they say?"

The operator's face was pale, his lips quivering. He stared at the sheet of paper on which he had transcribed the signal, "They said... the underground city base... has been invaded by a coalition of alien species. They've suffered severe losses. They're... resisting, trying to repair the magnetic pole."

"Our ammunition reserves are down to less than one-fifth... our thermonuclear weapons are depleted, and we lack troops. Requesting..." He gritted his teeth before continuing, "Requesting assistance."

Silence ensued.

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