Theresa used a speck of dust to break through the wall, revealing a damaged, pitch-black passage on the other side.
"Is this a Pre-civilization building? Why does it look like this?" Theresa's vision in the dark was much stronger than Xing Chen's; she could discern many details that humans couldn't.
The emergency lights were completely destroyed, and even those structures that were intact had lost power and ceased to function. The ground was uneven, with frequent protrusions making the already narrow passage even more difficult to traverse.
"But there are no Originium crystals, so it shouldn't be caused by a Catastrophe," Xing Chen said, increasing the brightness of his Originium lamp. The surroundings became clearer in his eyes. "Originium veins and magma intrusions have similar properties; even without direct contact, they can cause geological changes."
After passing through this damaged corridor, the path and walls ahead were suddenly replaced by an unknown silver-white metal.
"This material... it's very similar to some structures on Rhodes Island," Theresa said, caressing the wall.
"Then that means we've found the right place."
The strength of the silver-white alloy was much greater than the non-metallic structures outside. Although it was also plunged into darkness due to a lack of energy, the path underfoot was much easier to walk, at least without large pits and bumps.
Finally, at the end of the passage, the two encountered a heavy gate.
Xing Chen and Theresa changed their clothes and tidied themselves up a bit. Then, Xing Chen knocked on the door of the Stasis Chamber.
After a brief silence, a small part of the lights on the gate illuminated, and a somewhat worn-out probe extended out, pointing at Xing Chen and Theresa.
"Friston, it's us," Xing Chen tried to mimic the Seer's voice.
"(Loud static)"
"Your mic's busted, open the door and let us in!"
"(Static with a questioning tone)"
Soon, with a series of mechanical sounds, the heavy gate finally opened, revealing rows of neatly arranged stone coffins inside.
Theresa had never seen so many stone coffins placed in the same location, and the style of these coffins was also different from the one the Seer had used for hibernation.
It was deathly silent in here; she couldn't feel a single emotional fluctuation, which made her feel very uneasy.
As a mechanical sound echoed, the control panel at the far end lit up, and a massive red sphere floated in the air, staring at Xing Chen and Theresa.
"You're finally back, Seer and Prythian."
Friston didn't seem to have fully awakened from his long vigil; his voice still carried the inorganic, mechanical quality.
"Your presence here means the Originium project succeeded."
"No, it's facing a big problem right now," Xing Chen found a stone coffin and sat down on it. "Wake up, Friston, look closely, we are not the Seer and Prythian."
The red light sphere fully illuminated, and Friston's cognitive abilities largely recovered.
If Earth civilization still had plastic surgery technology, there was no reason why Pre-civilization couldn't change their own forms. Naturally, they must also have a set of capabilities for identity verification.
"I don't recognize you, you give me a very strange feeling," Friston activated an unknown machine to scan Xing Chen and Theresa, lingering on Xing Chen for a while. "You should be our compatriot. As for you... have those local creatures evolved into this appearance now?"
"Hello, Mr. Friston," Theresa pinched the corner of her research uniform and gave a simple bow to the light sphere. "I am just one of the tribes."
"Interesting, where did you get your clothes? Did the Originium project team have any contact with you?"
"If Catastrophes and Oripathy count as contact, then it should be quite deep."
Xing Chen walked to Theresa's side and nodded to her. She then lifted her clothing, revealing the Originium crystals on her body.
Xing Chen thought Friston should be quite curious now, but he was currently just a program, unable to confirm through the ability of the Civilization's Legacy.
"But I'm more curious, how did you confirm that I am your compatriot?"
Earth civilization's definition of a compatriot largely remained at having the same bloodline, but for other civilizations with completely different cognitive and material conditions, this word should have a broader meaning.
Xing Chen found it difficult to consider people with significantly different skin colors from himself as compatriots, but Theresa felt that she and the Wendigo should be considered compatriots.
What about Pre-civilization?
"..." Friston fell silent. Suddenly, a stone coffin rose from the floor. "Although there isn't enough energy to awaken them, at least a set of physiological examinations can still be performed."
Xing Chen nodded; he also wanted to understand his physical condition, preferably to help cure his real-life illness.
Before he could take a step, Theresa suddenly gripped his wrist with such force that he almost lost control of his hand.
Xing Chen turned his head, gave the girl a smile, and then gently removed her hand.
The lid of the stone coffin slowly closed, and Xing Chen felt a strong wave of drowsiness wash over him.
Theresa didn't quite trust the red light sphere named Friston. The entire Stasis Chamber was filled with unknown, incomprehensible things, which made her very uneasy.
Her worry didn't last long; the stone coffin Xing Chen had entered soon began to smoke.
Just as she was about to rush over and pull Xing Chen out, the lid of the stone coffin suddenly opened.
Xing Chen himself walked out of the device. After confirming that his body was fine, he turned to Friston, asking him for the results of the examination.
"Your genome... is too simple. Aside from the core human genes, it contains almost no other enhanced genes. To put it simply, you are a... primitive human?"
This was in line with Xing Chen's predictions. After all, Pre-civilization humans had already begun interstellar travel, and their bodies must have evolved traits to adapt to this lifestyle, just as modern humans have more types of viral antibodies than ancient humans.
"But I also detected an anomaly... DWDB is on your hand, but its state is very wrong."
"How is it wrong?"
"This is very difficult for me to explain to you verbally... If I had to say, I cannot decode DWDB using the protocols designed in the meeting. These information streams triggered the coffin's emergency meltdown procedure, causing a forced ejection."
"Why can't it be decoded?"
"I don't know, I guess... This is impossible, it's a paradox... Sorry, I only participated in related projects; the Seer and Prythian probably know more," Friston activated maintenance nanomachines to repair the damaged stone coffin. "But one thing I can confirm is that you are not a conventional entity here, but a projection of erroneous information, and your main body is also on the verge of collapse."
"You're right," Xing Chen nodded. At least his origin was a little clearer. "Now, take a look at her."
With that, Theresa also activated the Civilization's Legacy, causing the black crown to float above her head.
"Why are there two copies of DWDB?"