Chapter 398: The Scarlet Terra’s Mad Experiment |
Evening. Suroma Empire, Lander Observatory.
Many people were busy on an open-air platform.
From their faces, there were Suroman personnel as well as people from Beixing, Xisiya, and other nations.
A bearded Suroman wearing black-rimmed glasses was coordinating the operation.
“Hurry up, hurry up, the Scarlet will appear in less than an hour!”
What was about to take place here was an experimental probe into the unknown aspect of the Scarlet power.
At the Human Consortium meeting, it had been decided that exploration of this rule would be a multinational effort, so each public experiment would have experts from various countries participating on-site or remotely, sharing experimental data.
Since the first test was being conducted in Suroma, the Suroman expert—the bearded man named Finch—was in charge.
They chose the observatory as the test site. It had always been the best point for space observation, and now it was also the optimal vantage for watching Scarlet Terra.
All five were Suroman, and their expressions showed nervousness.
Finch patted a few of them on the back. “Relax! Act like men!”
One of them couldn’t help but say, “How am I supposed to relax? Staring at the Scarlet Terra might make you go insane!”
Finch grinned. “Danger often comes with opportunity, my friend. Maybe you’re the one who discovers the ‘unknown.’ Then your name will resound across the world!”
“Yeah? I don’t think I’m gonna get that kind of damn luck.”
“Shut up, you bastard!” Finch dropped his smile and snapped, “You’ve already taken tons of Ascension Coins in experimental funding. Don’t start whining now! Don’t forget you signed the contract. You know what happens if you break it, right?!”
“...Got it.” The moment the word “contract” was mentioned, the man’s attitude immediately collapsed. “I’ll follow the contract.”
Other nationals at the site were speechless at the exchange.
Test subjects were risking their lives to participate in the experiment, yet they were getting cursed at. Even if payments were involved, this hardly happened in other countries.
But in the Suroma Empire, where everything had a price, people were long since unfazed.
After all, this country had even sold tickets during the last Death Race rule.
After scolding the experimental Ascendant, Finch checked the other experimental setups in turn.
The experiment’s objective this time was to test the Scarlet force’s effects on Ascendants.
The five test subjects had differing Mind Power upper limits, and one of them possessed a psychic-type ability. The experiment would test whether such an ability conferred greater resistance to Scarlet Fear.
Additionally, several subjects would attempt to probe the unknown hidden within the fear.
So far, no one knew what the “unknown” actually was, but the intelligence sold by the Administrator of Ascendant Home had never been wrong. If the intelligence said it existed, then it existed.
As final preparations concluded, staff carried five special chairs onto the platform.
“Sit down.” Finch ordered.
The five Suroman Ascendants looked at the circuit boards connected to the chairs and at the specially shaped helmets hanging at the sides, and each felt a wave of dread.
Some hesitated, but the contracts had been signed; they could not afford the penalties for breach.
Finch urged, “Hurry up, stop dawdling!”
Reluctantly, the five sat in the chairs. No sooner had their wrists rested on the armrests than metal cuffs sprung out on both sides, locking them firmly in place.
“What the—”
“Why are you cuffing us?!”
“This is for all of us, and for your safety,” Finch explained. “If someone goes mad under the Scarlet influence and attacks others, what then? This is an insurance we have to take.”
Then he ordered the staff to fit the five with the custom helmets.
These helmets were electrically complex and housed multiple chips.
Before they could ask, Finch proactively explained, “These helmets will record your brainwaves and other biometric signals. That way, when you’re affected by the Scarlet force, we can log detailed changes in the data.”
“…………”
The five could only fall silent and pray they wouldn’t die.
Otherwise, earning a giant payout of Ascension Coins only to die before spending it would be a tragedy.
“Time is almost up. Non-experiment personnel return to the observation room immediately.”
Before Terra turned scarlet, Finch and the rest of the staff went into the observation room.
There they could watch the five experimenters through monitoring equipment, without needing to see—or indirectly see—the Scarlet.
Special shadow processing prevented any reflections, including reflections in the experimenters’ eyes, from entering the video feed.
When the moment arrived, though there was no measurable change in room temperature, perhaps due to psychological factors, everyone in the observation room felt a chill wash over them.
“The first test is about to start. Members, record everything.”
As Finch finished, a long “beep—” sounded in the observation room.
This signaled the manifestation of the Scarlet force; Terra had changed color and become Scarlet Terra.
The five experimenters on the open platform, after donning the helmets connected to the chairs, had their necks and heads fixed at specific angles.
In that position they were forced to tilt their heads up and stare directly at Scarlet Terra.
The helmet also had a detection system; if an experimenter kept their eyes closed for more than three seconds during the test, an electric shock would force their eyes open.
“The five test subjects have begun to be affected by Scarlet Fear!” the technicians at the computers in the observation room said.
Finch stood before the screen and nodded. “Brainwave data shows significant changes. Subject One is the most severe, Three is the most stable, Four is second—this matches our predictions.”
Subject One had the lowest Mind Power upper limit, Three possessed psychic ability, and Four had the highest Mind Power upper limit.
“Ah! Ahhhh! Let me go! I want out!!!”
Only about ten seconds into the experiment, Subject One’s agonized screams came through the speakers.
He seemed to be seeing something utterly terrifying, shouting and struggling, but his body was firmly restrained by the special chair and he could not break free.
On the surveillance screen his face twisted, veins bulging, making everyone in the observation room flinch.
An expert from another nation cried out urgently, “Release his restraints immediately. If this continues he could die!”
Many agreed, but Finch remained composed.
“Ahhhhhhh!!!”
Subject One’s screams grew more intense. An expert rushed up to Finch and shouted, “Can’t you hear him? Stop the experiment!”
“He signed the contract.” Finch said coldly. “All consequences were written in the contract. He prepared for this!”
“You—”
“Look! Subject Two is losing it too, and Five!”
On the monitor, other Ascendants began showing effects—some wearing expressions of terror, others biting their own lips until they bled.
Everyone knew that louder screaming did not always equal greater terror. Some people, at peak fear, could be rendered mute and instead experience stress responses or fainting.
“Damn it, the experiment barely started. What are you all doing?” Finch grabbed a walkie-talkie and barked, “Don’t forget your mission! Hold your fear! Find the unknown in the images you see!”
“Subject One is done for!”
The weakest Mind Power subject was now convulsing across his whole body, his eyes unfocused, having entered a stress state from fright.
On the EEG monitor his brainwave data had gone from wild spikes to a flat, unresponsive line.
“Damn!”
Finch took out a remote and pressed the button labeled “1.” The restraints on Subject One’s chair automatically released, and the terrified subject slumped to the ground like a noodle.
Staff wearing anti-reflective goggles rushed onto the platform and removed Subject One.
Four remained. The conditions of Subjects Two and Five were worsening, their brainwave graphs showing increasingly violent fluctuation.
“Two and Five aren’t going to hold on much longer!” an expert urged. “Finch, pull them out early!”
“No!” Finch shouted. “No one is to be removed before they faint!”
Finch’s authoritarian command provoked dissatisfaction, but nobody could do much about it.
This was Suroma’s observatory; as the person in charge, Finch had full authority, and no one’s objections would override him.
Before long, either Two or Five fainted and was removed, while the other bit through his own tongue in terror and suffered massive bleeding and had to be evacuated.
In the end, only Subjects Three and Four remained.
Both had stared at Scarlet Terra for over three minutes, and their stronger resistance became evident.
But as time passed, their expressions began to contort.
Another minute later, Subject Three suddenly screamed, “I found it! I found the unknown. Stop! Stop!!”
Finch’s face lit up. He pressed the “3” button on the remote.
Staff rushed to the platform and took Subject Three to the observation room. Finch hurried after them and demanded, “What did you see in the unknown? Speak!”
Subject Three was still trembling and disoriented, and Finch had to shout a few times before he came to.
Under Finch’s fierce stare, Subject Three mumbled, “S-sorry... I didn’t find any unknown... I can’t take it, those images are too... If it continues I’ll—”
“What?! How dare you lie to me!!”
Finch’s beard bristled as he raised his fist to strike, but others restrained him.
“Bind him back to the chair and make him keep watching!”
“No, no, no! I won’t! I’d rather breach the contract and pay the penalty!”
Whatever Subject Three had seen, he refused even at the price of his life to look at Scarlet Terra again.
At that moment a technician in front of the brainwave monitor suddenly shouted, “Subject Four’s brainwave is abnormal—possible reception of an unknown signal!”
“What?!”
Finch abandoned Subject Three and dashed to the screen, staring at the waveform.
Other experts perked up immediately.
If Subject Four had actually found that unknown, then this insane experiment might yield results.
“I want to stop!”
Subject Four spoke frantically.
Finch immediately pressed the “4” button on the remote. Unlike Three, Four’s brainwave data showed a clear anomaly, possibly indicating he had seen something crucial.
This would be vital for the experiment, and for Finch personally—if none of the five obtained anything, the whole test would be a failure.
Once the restraints released, Subject Four immediately dropped to one knee and retched violently.
Staff carried him into the observation room. Finch, ignoring the smell of vomit, hurried over and asked eagerly, “Well? Did you discover the unknown?!”