Chapter 404: Selecting sides, scrambling over missions
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
Hearing Yuan Zhan’s inquiry, colonel Miles Quaritch’s expression turned as gloomy as a foreboding thunderstorm. He inspected Yuan Zhan with a gaze as detailed as scanning a padi field. A major beside him marched forward, and spoke with an expressionless face.
“You can find her at that cluster of blue buildings a kilometer to the right, is there anyone else willing to leave?”
At this point, the situation was exceedingly clear. Two different factions existed inside RDA’s Hell’s Gate. The missions of Doctor Grace Augustine’s faction would naturally be centered around peaceful settings. For example, harvesting specimens, capturing life forms alive, aiding the na'vi folks etc. Such mission rewards should be skewed towards intelligence / spirit aspects.
As for colonel Miles Quaritch’s faction, his mission would entail escorting, hunting, exploring and breaking new grounds. The mission rewards would most likely directly reside in the creatures they killed.
Yet one must mention that as of now, the head administrator of the RDA Hell’s Gate, Parker Selfridge, was still leaning towards Doctor Grace Augustine. Because currently, the Earth Eco-preserving organisation still pressured the RDA company greatly. Moreover, the company’s quarterly revenue reports were still rather impressive. One must understand, cultivating an Avatar body required as much as 5 billion american dollars. Without his support, that program could never be sustained.
Sheyan carefully considered the position he should take. Undoubtedly based on his current state, throwing in with Colonel Miles Quaritch wouldn’t be a bad choice. However, Sheyan’s schemes overlooked that. Firstly, the biolab that cultivates avatar bodies undoubtedly belonged to Doctor Grace Augustine’s scope of influence.
Secondly, Sheyan still had a Great Leonopteryx skull inside his interspatial region. That object was no doubt exceedingly valuably, and was better kept as a secret from other contestants. Therefore, Doctor Grace Augustine would naturally be a suitable consideration…... one cannot harbour hopes of other matters apart from muscles, warfare, bullets, armour, money in Colonel Miles Quaritch’s brain.
Lastly, it was the question of Sheyan’s involvement with the Golden side mission. The mission that released an abnormally scarce amount of information. Yet the most evil part was that it completely contained no traces that could be obtained from the movie storyline! From this alone, one must rely on his own strength to accomplish this. Without a doubt, Doctor Grace Augustine would offer the utmost positive prospects.
Therefore, Sheyan led Reef and Mogensha as they very blatantly chased after Yuan Zhan’s footsteps towards Doctor Grace Augustine. Yet for some unknown reason, Zi that was obviously a mage type contestant, actually chose to remain in the Colonel’s faction.
To date, the Hell’s Gate wasn’t perfectly developed yet. Hence, the base core was the only space flight launching site of the entire planet. The entire airfield occupied a third of the entire base. Naturally, during inactive aerial periods, people could still travel through it.
While travelling along the airfield, one must pay attention to the endless stream of ‘AMP Suits’ around, to avoid any intimate encounters with these steel boys. Those steel lugs possessed astonishing strength, repeatedly transporting various bulky objects around. Getting trampled by them wouldn’t be a very enjoyable activity.
The wind today was slightly breezier, causing Sheyan’s hair to constantly flutter annoyingly. After joining the base, he could tell the surrounding vegetation was distinctly dispirited from the excessive pollution here. Dust covered large leaf blades of plants, and the air carried a faint trace of pungent odour. One could easily decipher the severity of air pollution processing pandora ores had caused to this planet.
When Sheyan and buddies arrived at their destination, they discovered this old blue building was called the biolab; a crucial department of Hell’s Gate. Its primary responsibility includes researching on pandora ecology, lifeforms, and providing technological assistance to the RDA mining workers. For example, supplying medical treatment services, breeding pandorian flora and fauna that could be consumed. Doctor Grace was fully deserving to be the head of this department. Meanwhile, there weren’t other research personnels that specialized in avatar research.
Yet regrettably, the contestants who arrived here hadn’t been presented the chance of meeting the busy Doctor Grace. It seemed like she was recently busy with communicating with the Na`vis. Hence, she would spend over 12 hours lying inside link units. Trying to meet her was absolutely not an easy feat.
Initially, the Avatar program was designed to create workers that could harvest for ores while being in the safety of the base. However, due to expensive spirit link systems, mass production was impossible. Hence, the RDA company was unable to invest much capital to support the Avatar program. In the later stages, the RDA company discovered that avatars could be utilized to interact with the Na`vis, whereas normal communication with them was tough. Hence, its purpose was shifted to communications with the Na'vi clans instead, researching on them as well as Pandora’s ecosystem. Doctor Grace became exceptionally passionate about this, and invested a 100% zealous effort into her work.
Right now, the one receiving them was a female pilot wearing camouflaged trousers, boots and a skintight elastic white tank top - Trudy Chacon!
Her appearance was extremely shocking to Sheyan and the others. Yet after some thought, it was rather reasonable. A bunch of mercenaries like them definitely couldn’t acquire the trust and concern of these researchers and scientists. To the Doctor’s faction, Trudy Chacon was a militant by vocation; therefore she would be the optimal candidate to handle these bunch of ‘good and bad intermingled’ mercenaries.
Amongst the contestants, approximately two-third were willing to follow colonel Miles Quaritch. Eliminating the rewarding mechanisms, it was obvious that the colonel’s mission should be additionally violent. To contestants who normally resolved issues with violence, it was more skewed to their appetite.
Observing that almost everyone that should be here had arrived, Trudy, who was leaning against the wall while chewing gum, stood up. Clapping her hands, she rallied them loudly.
“Hoi! Look here you foreign kids, I don’t care what ideas you’re harboring, but let me inform you. We have loads of work over here, as long as you have the capabilities to complete them, your remuneration would be satisfactory. Finally let me warn you, don’t f***king test your luck!”
After speaking, a researcher dressed in white coat strolled out, carrying a black suitcase like object. The researcher whispered into Trudy’s ears while she continued chewing on her gum. Shula! After pressing it, an illusory screen ejected from the black suitcase; projecting out elaborate lines of tasks.
However, the view varied different with every contestant. Tasks in red represented that they weren’t qualified to accept it yet. Of course, such tasks would offer relatively higher rewards.
These missions were unique, and were segregated into class 1 and class 2 missions. Everyone could at most accept 3 missions, and couldn’t share them. Class 1 missions were limited, and naturally offered plentiful rewards. As such, every contestant scrambled forward, trying to snatch for class 1 missions.
At present, news of the contestants at Colonel Miles Quaritch’s faction had travelled here. Their side had demands that exceeded supply, and many weren’t able to snatch class 1 missions for themselves. In the end, they could only fold their arms and gaze helplessly at the sky. Sheyan was squeezed out of the pack as well, and only managed to obtain a class 2 mission.
[ Capture 5 Fan Lizards. Time duration: 24 hours. ]
To prevent misunderstandings; when he received the mission, there was even a 3D projection of a Fan Lizard. Its body structure resembled a dull, ruler-length lizard, with dried skin texture and color. Even its limbs and tail were identical to a venation structure. They had 45 cm long bodies, and in the day, the Fan Lizards would attach to trees without moving; allowing it to survive within the treacherous nature of the pandora forest.
Instead at night, these creatures emitted mesmerizing rose colored brilliance. It has wings on its back that could unfurl, allowing them to spin in flight; like a rose bioluminescent frisbee. This was their method of attracting mates. Because the lizard’s body contained deadly toxins, it had fewer natural enemies.
Taking on such a mission, no matter how outstanding his strength and supporting abilities were, Sheyan couldn’t be compared to even one advice from Yuan Zhan. Moreover, it was explicitly clear the few who accomplished this side mission first, would receive additional rewards. Hence, if he were to ask Yuan Zhan, him shutting his mouth without replying would already be considered generous. The worst scenario would be truthful advice being polluted with lies, especially towards crucial areas; completely misleading one towards a disaster…...
Yet the vilest scenario wasn’t simply that. The current setting was a free world setting. The Illume-Union’s current prowess was the greatest. Some contestants may forsake completing the own mission for the interest of their party. They would rather deliberately stumble others, and resort to malicious homicides. The ruthlessness of human heart; one had to guard against, one must guard against!
Noteworthily right now, one could exchange contribution points in Hell’s Gate. However, those rare exchangeable commodities were now gone, leaving behind the commonly seen weapons/ammunition supplies. Probably only if one’s reputation was raised to ‘Worshipped’, would those ‘AMP suits’, resurrection tool and other disgusting goods resurface.