Chapter 104: Final Preparations

When a high-energy proton beam strikes a target, a direct hit on an atomic nucleus triggers a chain of nuclear reactions, releasing a massive amount of energy. Even a glancing blow that misses the nucleus will instantly melt the target and cause a devastating explosion. Furthermore, the impact generates a secondary magnetic field, inflicting even more structural damage.

Naturally, this payload couldn’t be compared to a genuine, large-scale nuclear warhead, which yields an explosive force measured in tens or hundreds of thousands of tons of TNT. But compared to conventional infantry weapons, the Gauss Rifle’s power was astronomically higher.

For perspective, the explosive charge of a standard-issue fragmentation grenade contains about 40 grams of TNT. A single shot from this rifle carried the explosive equivalent of 400 grenades detonating simultaneously! Because of this, the safe firing distance had to be at least 200 meters; otherwise, the shooter risked blowing themselves to pieces.

“This will be perfect for long-range sniping.”

Jason stroked the rifle’s transparent barrel. “You have to be incredibly careful with a weapon like this. Close-range combat is strictly out of the question. You have to remember that.”

The best part was the projectile’s speed. Traveling at near light-speed, there was no need to calculate bullet drop or lead the target. The moment the trigger was pulled, the target would instantly detonate. It was impossible to intercept!

Jason was thrilled to secure this weapon. As a former special forces operative, he had a deep appreciation for high-performance firearms. Many of the veterans in his unit shared that same passion.

The second rifle was destined for Shane, the expedition’s designated sniper and the most accurate marksman they had.

It was just a shame they didn’t have a third rifle to spare. Jason could already picture the bitter, jealous expressions on Marcus and Austin’s faces…

When Jason finally left Lily’s laboratory, he was lugging two heavy equipment cases, each containing a modified Gauss Rifle.

Although carrying two 30-kilogram cases was a bit cumbersome, the moment they stepped off the ship and onto the Martian surface, gravity would drop by two-thirds, rendering the weight practically negligible.

However, the Gauss Rifle did have its limitations. Because it fired high-speed protons, it suffered from the same drawbacks as laser weaponry: it was poorly suited for combat in thick atmospheres. Atmospheric molecules would absorb a massive amount of the particle beam’s energy, severely degrading its stopping power.

Fortunately, Mars’ atmosphere was incredibly thin, meaning the rifles would function perfectly for this mission.

Jason took a deep breath. Their ten-man exploration team was about to face a monumental challenge. The technological gap between humanity and this alien civilization was staggering.

The senior scientists had already conducted ballistics tests on salvaged alien hull fragments. Conventional rifle rounds merely left shallow scratches on the metal. This proved that standard human firearms would be entirely useless for breaching the facility’s interior doors.

On the bright side, nuclear warheads could still inflict damage. This brought Jason a small sliver of comfort, at least humanity’s last line of defense remained effective.

But they couldn’t exactly use nuclear weapons to explore the UFO’s interior; they were forced to rely on 21st-century infantry tactics. If a firefight broke out inside, it would be like cavalry charging armored tanks on horseback, an inevitable massacre.

Originally, Jason’s team had planned to haul heavy ordnance like rocket launchers and portable howitzers into the ship to maximize their firepower. But with these two alien rifles in their arsenal, they could drastically reduce their payload, making the trip much easier.

He ran a hand over the Gauss Rifle’s case, itching to test-fire it, but he forced himself to hold back. The ammunition was strictly non-replenishable. Every shot fired was one less available for the mission. It couldn’t be wasted!

“We only conducted two test fires,” Lily had explained to him earlier. “The initial velocity of the proton stream reached 0.9 times the speed of light, with an acceleration phase of about 0.0086 seconds. That means there’s a microscopic firing delay of 0.0086 seconds after pulling the trigger.”

“Because the mass of a proton is so infinitesimally small, the rifle has virtually zero recoil. If we had a year or two, we could fully reverse-engineer the firing mechanism… and manufacture our own Gauss Rifles.”

“Please be careful with it…”

Jason recalled Lily’s parting words. He had sensed a rare hint of genuine concern in her voice, and it had instantly warmed his heart.

They certainly couldn’t afford to wait a year or two as she suggested; the science division would lose their minds from impatience long before then and who know what will happen in year or two.

Besides, this wasn’t an assault mission; it was a scouting operation. They just needed to probe the inner ring. If things looked too dangerous, they would simply pull back.

“…Lily, thank you!” Jason had said. Since his hands were full with the heavy cases, he had only been able to offer a grateful shrug before walking out of the lab.

After he left, Lily had sat frozen at her desk for a long time before finally snapping out of it and burying herself back in her work.

Despite her stoic exterior, she was incredibly sharp and deeply curious about what kind of man Jason, the leader of their new era truly was.

She had once tried to use her latent telepathy on him to read his mind, but… she failed. All she had sensed was the image of a blazing sun, radiating an overwhelming, blinding warmth.

Perhaps he really is different… she had thought to herself.

Right now, Jason was standing in the tactical training room, his brows furrowed deeply. He had just received unsettling news: while clearing the massive breach in the UFO’s hull, the sensor teams had detected a faint energy fluctuation deep inside.

The readings were ambiguous. The scientists couldn’t definitively say if it was a sensor ghost or a genuine reading. It was possible they were just jumping at shadows, but it was equally possible that a piece of alien machinery was still active inside the ship.

Either way, they had to prepare for the worst. The inner ring was officially a high-risk zone.

But at this stage, backing down was not an option.

“Departure is in exactly two days! Wrap up any personal business you have left,” Jason barked at the expedition team lined up before him. “If you need to write a will or leave any last messages, do it now. Understood?”

“Understood!”

The team’s response echoed loudly through the room, their voices a tight mixture of adrenaline and underlying dread.

Naturally, they were afraid of dying. But considering the Federation’s top commander was going into the breach with them, they had no right to complain!

Writing a final letter was standard military protocol before high-risk operations. However, none of the team members had immediate family left alive, making the tradition feel a bit hollow. Most would simply leave a quick goodbye message for their friends on the ship.

“We are now distributing the expedition loadouts. I want everyone familiarizing themselves with their new gear immediately!” Jason ordered.

This was the part everyone had been waiting for. What soldier didn’t love getting their hands on cutting-edge tactical gear?

At Jason’s signal, a supply transport rolled into the room, unloading the new lightweight spacesuits, medical kits, oxygen cylinders, high-tensile ropes, communication units, and a massive cache of weapons.

Each squad member received a specialized loadout tailored to their role. Some carried heavy medical bags, others hauled cutting torches and breaching charges, and the rest were dedicated heavy weapons specialists.

Marcus hoisted a heavy anti-armor rocket launcher onto his shoulder. It was a massive, intimidating piece of hardware, but even this beast paled in comparison to the alien Gauss Rifles sitting in their cases.

Marcus glared at Shane with a look of profound, bitter resentment. He hadn’t expected to get Jason’s rifle, but why did skinny little Shane get the second one? Just because he was a better shooter?

Even though they had served together in the special forces for years, Marcus couldn’t hide his jealousy. This was a bona fide alien superweapon; he had dreamed of holding something like this since he was a kid!

Knowing he wouldn’t even get to touch it put him in a foul mood.

“My last words are as follows,” Marcus announced dramatically, his shoulders slumped. “If I die down there, I demand to be buried with a Gauss Rifle…”

“Alright, knock it off, you drama queen!” Jason laughed, clapping him on the back. “When we get back from the mission, I’ll let you carry it around the ship for a few days… before we have to give it back to the lab!”

“Seriously?!” Marcus’s eyes instantly lit up. He immediately clamped his mouth shut, terrified that the others might overhear and demand the same privilege.

Once everyone was suited up, the final tactical drills began.

The training deck on the flagship was artificially calibrated to match Mars’ low-gravity environment. The team had been acclimatizing to the gravity for days, but now they needed to spend the final 48 hours getting used to moving, aiming, and breaching while wearing their fully pressurized gear.

In two days, the operation would officially begin.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep