Chapter 757: Deployment
Beneath the control room, heavy mechanical arms began to operate.
They carefully grasped the dangerous cylinder, transferring it smoothly into a specially constructed drop pod.
The interior of the drop pod featured multiple shock-absorption and securing mechanisms, ensuring the bomb would not suffer any accidental impacts during the launch sequence.
"Loading complete. Drop pod sealed. Launch tube connection confirmed."
"Navigation team, final orbital verification." Ryo shifted his attention to the navigation center on the bridge.
"Orbital parameters verified. Drop point: Fifty kilometers above the equator of the planet Mar Sara, at sixty degrees west longitude. This location is situated directly above a primary atmospheric circulation node. It is estimated that the virus cloud will cover over eighty percent of the globe within twenty-four hours. Launch window countdown: ninety-two minutes."
"Prepare observation satellites for launch."
"Three Watcher-class observation satellites have entered the launch tubes. The satellites are equipped with multi-spectral scanners, biomass detection arrays, atmospheric composition analyzers, and high-resolution optical sensors. They will be launched ten minutes after the deployment of the Virus Bomb to enter their designated observation orbits."
All preparations proceeded in an orderly and methodical manner.
Ryo brought up the real-time orbital imagery of Mar Sara.
This former human colony planet was now covered in purple scars across its surface.
The coverage of the creep had expanded by another eight percent since the sample collection.
In some areas, Swarm structures—Hatcheries, Spore Crawlers, and Spires—could be seen growing upon the creep.
Signals of human resistance had completely vanished.
"Testing conditions are ideal," Ryo recorded. "The target planet is essentially controlled by the Swarm. There are no friendly units present, and no facilities requiring preservation. Swarm biomass density is high and concentrated, facilitating the observation of the virus's transmission efficiency and lethality."
His logic core began deducing potential outcome models.
Optimal scenario: The virus spreads rapidly through the Swarm network, completing the decomposition of the global Swarm biomass within forty-eight hours, generating massive amounts of combustible gas. The subsequent atmospheric ignition will thoroughly purify the planet's surface, proving the Virus Bomb to be a highly efficient solution against the Swarm.
Moderate scenario: The virus is effective against the Swarm, but the transmission speed or decomposition efficiency is lower than expected, potentially requiring over seventy-two hours to achieve global purification. Alternatively, certain Swarm units may exhibit strong resistance to the virus, requiring supplementary disposal.
Worst-case scenario: The virus has limited effect on the Swarm. This could be due to discrepancies between the Swarm's biochemical structure and standard carbon-based life forms, or the Swarm's collective hive mind proactively suppressing the viral transmission, or the Swarm rapidly evolving an immunity. This would mean that other Exterminatus-class weapons must be tested, or a more specifically targeted biological weapon must be developed.
Regardless of the outcome, it would generate invaluable data.
The countdown continued.
Simultaneously, Ryo was receiving regular reports from Valerie on Agria.
The data indicated that the evacuation operation on Agria was fiercely underway. Although the Swarm's scale was large, it had not yet achieved the absolute control seen on Mar Sara. Raynor's Raiders were performing to expectations.
The two sets of data formed an interesting contrast: one was a fallen world about to be thoroughly purified, while the other was a frontline world currently under fierce contention.
In the final thirty minutes of the countdown, all preparations were completed.
"Virus Bomb VB-03, deployment system final readiness achieved," the weapon Tech-Priest reported.
"Observation satellite launch system ready," the navigation Tech-Priest reported.
"All ship systems enter silent observation mode. Reduce non-essential system power consumption to a minimum," Ryo commanded. "Maintain geostationary orbit relative to Mar Sara. Prepare to record all data."
The main engines of the Eternal Seeker completely shut down, relying solely on vernier thrusters to maintain its attitude.
The sensor arrays on the hull's surface all turned toward Mar Sara, entering maximum sensitivity mode.
The final ten minutes of the countdown.
Ryo's main body stood silently before the primary observation console, his optical lenses locked onto the purple-corrupted planet on the screen.
Data streams flowed smoothly through his consciousness. There were no emotional fluctuations, only pure observation and anticipation.
The final sixty seconds of the countdown.
"Launch tube open," the weapon Tech-Priest's voice sounded in the control room.
On the ventral side of the hull, a concealed launch bay slid open. The multiple internal isolation doors opened in sequence, revealing the passage to outer space.
"Drop pod separation mechanism unlocked."
"Propulsion system ignition."
The thrusters at the base of the drop pod spewed blue ion flames, pushing the pod containing the Virus Bomb slowly out of the launch bay and into space.
"Drop pod detached from hull. Navigation system activated."
Small thrusters adjusted the drop pod's attitude, aligning it with the predetermined re-entry angle.
"Entering drop orbit. Estimated time to detonation altitude: eight minutes."
The drop pod became a tiny speck of light, plummeting toward Mar Sara's atmosphere.
"Observation satellites, launch," Ryo ordered.
Launch tubes on the other side of the Eternal Seeker opened, and three silver-gray observation satellites ejected one after another, rocketing toward Mar Sara's orbit at different angles.
They would enter their designated positions within twenty-five minutes, forming a triangular observation network covering the entire globe.
Everyone's attention was focused on the main screen.
The drop pod's datalink transmitted real-time footage: below was the continuously expanding planetary arc of Mar Sara, the purple patches of creep appearing and disappearing through the gaps in the cloud cover.
The pod began to shudder slightly, the indicator of entering the upper atmosphere.
"Altitude: eighty kilometers. Velocity: seven point five kilometers per second. Re-entry shield temperature: nominal."
"Altitude: sixty kilometers. Approaching designated detonation point."
"Altitude: fifty-one kilometers. Velocity: five point six kilometers per second. Attitude stable."
"Arrived at deployment coordinates. Detonation sequence initiated."
In the video feed, the outer shell of the drop pod automatically separated at the predetermined altitude.
The Virus Bomb inside was exposed to the thin atmosphere. The detonation mechanism at the nose of the bomb lit up with a red indicator light.
"Detonate."
There was no violent explosion, no blinding flash of light.
The Virus Bomb disintegrated in a relatively gentle manner. The casing fractured into dozens of pieces under the force of pre-set explosive cords, and the internal virus storage compartment ruptured. The ultra-low temperature sealed virus particles spewed out like a gray-green smoke, rapidly melding into the surrounding atmosphere.
The instant the storage compartment ruptured, the shift in internal pressure and temperature activated the virus particles.
On a microscopic level, trillions of Reaper-7 Life-Eater Virus particles ended their dormant state and began replicating at an exponential rate.
They were so minuscule they were invisible to the naked eye, but each one carried a lethal genetic directive: invade organic cells, hijack their metabolic mechanisms, and convert them into flammable gas and biomass sludge.
The gray virus cloud dispersed within the stratosphere, spreading in all directions along the high-altitude air currents.
The remnants of the drop pod continued to plummet toward the ground, ultimately burning up at a low altitude.
It left behind no obvious traces.
"Virus deployment complete," the weapon Tech-Priest confirmed.