After letting Mu Ke sleep for two or three hours, both of them woke up on time, thanks to their strong self-discipline.
Liu Jiayi rubbed her eyes as she sat on the edge of the bed, putting on her shoes, while Bai Liu fitted her with a better-fitting rash jacket. Her previous outfit had been soiled with blood, so Bai Liu had found a smaller size for her and helped her into it.
Liu Jiayi's right hand slid through the sleeve of Bai Liu's shirt, while her other hand tossed back the long hair pinned at the nape of her neck. She jumped off the bed with her jacket tucked under her arm, landing firmly on the floor.
Bai Liu loosened his grip on her jacket and glanced at the consolidated fax record Mu Ke had handed him, skimming it quickly. His gaze paused for a moment on the five words Mu Ke had highlighted in his translation before moving on as if he hadn't noticed them.
"Looks like the boss we're dealing with this time is a scientist named Edmond." Bai Liu handed the file to Tang Erda beside him and turned to Mu Ke. "What about the lab reports and the diary? Did you filter out anything useful?"
Mu Ke's face flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I've only roughly understood the contents of the lab reports and diaries, and I'm not sure what's important yet."
"That's fine," Bai Liu said. "What are the lab reports about?"
Mu Ke looked up. "The main part of the experiment report is divided into two sections. The first contains temperature measurements—daily readings from various Antarctic surface sites and marine areas, recorded up to last month."
Rubbing his forehead in frustration, Mu Ke continued, "The accumulated data is enormous, and I can't identify what's relevant right now."
Bai Liu scanned the section on temperature statistics: figures, histograms, pie charts, all so extensive they had to be compiled across 26 letters. The graphs were overwhelming, making one's head spin.
Mu Ke stared helplessly at the thick pile of charts. Despite his good memory, he struggled with this level of in-depth scientific research. After just a day and a night, he felt mentally drained.
"Edmond Observatory has launched numerous weather balloons across the Antarctic interior to monitor temperatures and placed many buoys in surrounding waters to measure water temperature," Mu Ke said.
He exhaled. "Because constructing future weather models from comprehensive temperature data is Edmond's specialty, the dataset is enormous. Nearly six hundred sites were monitored throughout the Antarctic."
"Edmond believes these six hundred sites are key to understanding the Antarctic's changing climate, reflecting effects from ocean currents, the stratosphere, solar insolation, and crustal movements. They needed to be carefully observed and reported. These sites were measured three to five times daily, from thirty-three years ago to a year and a half ago."
Mu Ke looked at the mountain of information in Bai Liu's hand with resignation. "It's just too much. I haven't finished reading it."
Mu Sicheng watched from the sidelines, disbelief written on his face. Thirty-three years of material—only someone as stubborn as Mu Ke would attempt to read it all in a single day. Given thirty-three years, even he might never finish.
Bai Liu skipped ahead. "What about the second section of Edmond's lab report?"
Mu Ke focused. "It's biochemical data on the unknown creature X, spanning from August 7th last year until December. The records briefly stop during the first two weeks of October, but then intensify."
"Look here." Mu Ke leaned over to help Bai Liu turn to the lab diary from early October.
"The temperature logs continued as usual, but the biological experiment records were empty. Media weren't photographed or documented, cultures weren't placed in incubators, and growth data weren't recorded—they were completely neglected."
Mu Ke's finger traced the report. "By November, the number of cultures and small tubes had skyrocketed from 10 to 300. Cells from other organisms—emperor penguins, seals, whales, and others—were constantly added."
"And—" Mu Ke paused, resting his finger on a column, eyes clouded with emotion, "67 human cells."
Bai Liu peered at the column. "Those must be the researchers from Tarzan Station."
Nodding, Mu Ke explained clearly in English: "Yes. Edmond used these human-derived monsters for basic exploratory experiments: division and reproduction, tissue cutting and reculturing, testing death and destruction conditions."
His eyes sharpened. "Edmond discovered these monsters had strong learning abilities and a tendency to diverge from humans. In early October, he reported this to the Observatory's political and military controllers, urging them to stop the experiments due to ethical concerns."
"But under pressure to develop military applications, they forced Edmond to continue. They demanded he develop methods to mass-produce and control the monsters—undead soldiers who could be completely controlled and excel in combat."
"Edmond resisted fiercely, going on strike. On October 3rd, he was caught attempting to steal the chest for the first time and severely punished. The authorities didn't acknowledge the dangers he warned about, dismissing his concerns and ordering him to prove the threat himself."
Mu Ke took a deep breath. "The next day, Edmond was forced to consume the biological tissues he had cultivated, which had developed into the form of human infants."
"This caused severe psychological trauma. In the infirmary records, Edmond frequently requested antidepressants, becoming increasingly dependent as the experiments progressed."
"On October 15th, he tried again to steal the chest but was betrayed by his pupil. He was discovered and punished by sentries—his body no longer considered human. The superiors ordered him tortured in his own style of biological experimentation."
Mu Ke spoke rapidly. "The ordeal pushed him further. By October 28th, Edmond was released from two weeks of torture. By October 29th, his antidepressant doses increased dramatically after closed-door meetings with his superiors."
"According to the infirmary, he exhibited schizophrenic and multiple-personality symptoms, sometimes believing he was at Tarzan Station, pleading for rescue. But he adapted, obeying his superiors and figuring out how to train the monsters to obey leaders while remaining brave in battle."
"This is the outcome of Edmond's research—the memory hypnosis experiment." Mu Ke pointed to a top-secret file stamped in bright red.
He looked at Bai Liu. "Take a look. I think this experiment contains the most valuable information."
Bai Liu's eyes dropped to the document Mu Ke indicated.
The memory hypnosis experiment was based on one of Edmond's early theoretical deductions: what distinguishes humans from other humanoid intelligent species?
In the 300-million-year history of human development, why have only humans reached such a scale? Why have other species with similar potential failed to survive in a highly intelligent state?
Why did these species go extinct, and why did humans endure?
And if there exists a species that has not gone extinct—one with intelligence equal to or even superior to humans, developing in the shadows—what truly separates them from us?
Edmond answered that humans have an innate tendency toward civilization and community.
—[It is the fear and reverence for the lives of those who have passed within our tribe, the compassion we feel for those who share our fate, and our ability to help and protect each other that have kept us alive.]
[We are endowed by God, subconsciously, with the drive to create civilization as part of our survival instincts.]
This was the conclusion of one of Edmond's earlier papers. In this experiment, he added a crucial extension:
—[I apologize for my previous rash conclusion that our survival instincts also carry the subconscious drive to destroy civilization.]
—[Unfortunately, this destructive awareness is far stronger than the constructive one.]
—[I will use hypnosis to endow these newborn humans with both subconscious drives.]
—[But if these two subconscious tendencies are not embedded within a rational, realistic memory framework, these children will go mad from self-contradiction. They are "born" to create and destroy, a purpose no other creature has.]
—[My leader told me that if I could produce the cutting-edge soldiers he desired, he would grant all my demands, including access to a person's life memories to implant into these monsters, and then manipulate them to believe they are humans defending their country, dedicating their lives to so-called justice.]
—[It reminded me of my friend.]
—[Only then did I realize that my friend, who had suffered and repented all his life, had been one of the subjects of these powerful men's experiments—and now I was about to become what he hated most: a leader of innocent "humans" who thought they were creating the future, guiding them instead into the abyss of destruction.]
The back of the experiment report detailed how human memories were implanted into the monsters' brains. Most importantly: "These monsters do not realize they are monsters."
Mu Ke smiled bitterly. "That's why we haven't been able to confront you, Bai Liu—we can't be sure if we're truly monsters or not."
Mu Sicheng hugged himself, shivering. "No… how did they get our memories?!"
"Mental suggestion and hypnosis." Bai Liu flexed his fingers, tapping the paper. His gaze darkened. "We likely absorbed these memories unconsciously upon encountering this monster, Edmond. This is probably his skill."
Mu Sicheng looked puzzled. "But we never actually saw this Edmond monster, right? My monster book didn't light up a new page either—"
"—When did it light up?!" Mu Sicheng froze. "I swear my monster book was all dark! Why is it lit now?"
Mu Ke quickly opened his book and blushed. "Mine lit up too, and its skills are mental suggestion and hypnosis."
"Looks like we'll have to figure it out ourselves to break his hypnosis," Bai Liu said faintly to Mu Sicheng. "And even though we haven't met this Edmond-sensei, did you forget the monsters here can shape-shift?"
Mu Sicheng muttered in shock, "Oh… it can transform? Into who…?"
Bai Liu studied the document and picked up his pen. "There's another odd point in this experiment: the human cell suspension X started being cultured in November. Edmond Station should have been heavily guarded then. Edmond was imprisoned in the basement, doing experiments all day. How did he access the Tarzan Station personnel's cells and take them back?"
Mu Ke didn't hesitate. "Could someone at Tarzan Station secretly have been supplying Edmond?"
Bai Liu shook his head thoughtfully. "There must have been someone at Tarzan Station helping, but stealing the cells? Unlikely."
"Edmond viewed betrayal as a stain on the group—contrary to his ideal of mutual trust and cooperation. If Tarzan Station had an insider, Edmond would have killed everyone rather than preserve them as the spark of human continuity."
Mu Ke frowned. "But how could Edmond obtain the cells without some insider cooperation?"
"Is it possible Edmond transformed into a Tarzan Station member to infiltrate and collect the cells?" Liu Jiayi asked.
"I considered that," Bai Liu mused. "But the Tarzan Station crew had been together in the polar region for a year and a half, living in a confined area, familiar with each other. Any discrepancy would be obvious. Even if Edmond assumed someone's form, without accurate day-to-day memories, it would be impossible to fool the crew, who knew via fax that Edmond was conducting bionic human experiments."
Bai Liu continued softly, "Unless he fused memories—creating a perfect Tarzan Station crew persona—to blend in back in November."
Liu Jiayi's expression turned cold. Bai Liu was right. She frowned. "But the timing is off. According to the lab report, it takes at least a month to grow a mature body. Edmond's first complete body with human memories appeared in December. All experiments before the end of October were destroyed."
Bai Liu flipped two pages ahead and focused on one. "There's still a monster he didn't destroy."
Mu Ke, surprised, asked, "Which one?"
Bai Liu's eyes lifted. "Himself."
"I suspect Edmond began fusing his memories with his own in early October, causing mental instability. By November, as the fusion completed, his psychotic symptoms worsened, which is why doctors diagnosed multiple personality disorder."
"Not truly multiple personalities—he had the memories of two people in one brain and couldn't tell who he really was." Bai Liu said calmly. "Edmond used these fused memories to assume a Tarzan Station identity, infiltrating the station and stealing the rest of the crew's cells."
"And he used this advantage to hide within that team member's body, silently interacting with us, hypnotizing and psychologically manipulating us, taking our memories, and swiftly advancing the next experiments."
Bai Liu muttered, "What a highly capable researcher."
Mu Sicheng gulped. "So… who did he become?"
Bai Liu glanced at him. "Isn't it obvious? Only one person at Tarzan had contact with both you and us."
Liu Jiayi's eyes widened in recognition—the overly enthusiastic graduate student who had exclaimed, "Fang Xiaoxiao?" when they arrived.
-----------------
Outside Tarzan Station, a snowstorm raged.
Fang Xiaoxiao's face bore the marks of age and hardship. He glanced away from the brightly lit observation room, and in the next moment, his expression cleared again, returning to calm and clarity.
He looked back through the snow and wind at the crippled Tarzan Station crew, their bodies muddied and exhausted. Painful, burning tears welled in his eyes as he led the hapless group of test subjects deeper into the icy expanse.
The polar night was coming.