At Pete Weyland's request, or rather, command, the search party quickly completed a series of preparations.
Ethan also changed into the gear from the Prometheus, accompanied by Hill.
Logan and Ada did not go with them. They stayed on the Prometheus, ostensibly to monitor Meredith and prevent her from doing anything drastic, such as ordering the Prometheus to ascend immediately and leave everyone stranded on the planet.
Although Ethan wasn't afraid of that happening, as long as Logan was on the ship, she wouldn't do it, which saved a lot of trouble.
This time, Elizabeth didn't offer any profound insights on the matter of Jackson and Ethan preparing weapons, because it wasn't her place as an employee to give orders anymore. With the big boss, Peter Weyland, here, even if she wanted to say something, Charlie, whose brain was slightly more functional than hers, stopped her in time.
Even though he still believed this was purely a scientific expedition and didn't require weapons, he couldn't guarantee that they wouldn't encounter any danger, especially with Peter Weyland involved. If something really went wrong...
In this situation, Charlie wasn't in the mood to mock David the robot for putting on a hood like a normal person. Everyone quietly went about their preparations, then quietly got into the vehicle and headed toward the structure in the distance.
The search party successfully entered the target structure. The process was smooth, and just then, the Prometheus sent a signal.
"The silicon storm is coming. You'd better get back within fifteen minutes."
Janek's suggestion was perfectly reasonable, but both Peter Weyland and Elizabeth Shaw, refused to retreat at this time.
Are you kidding? They finally made it here, and they were supposed to leave just as they were about to get answers? Even Charlie, who still retained some rationality, couldn't accept it.
"We won't be threatened by the storm in here. We can wait until the storm is over before going back."
"We don't know how long the storm will last. I strongly advise you to return immediately, or you'll be in big trouble when your suit's oxygen runs out."
At this point, the exploration team had also completed the analysis of the air composition inside this cave. They found that the air in this place did not have such a high carbon dioxide content.
Just as in the original plot, Charlie began to act recklessly. This guy actually wanted to take off his hood.
Seeing the behavior of these scientists, Hill frowned and wanted to stop them, but Ethan held her back. "Let them do it... After all, this is their final madness."
Charlie took off his hood, and Elizabeth followed suit, removing hers as well.
Several other scientists also wanted to do the same, but when they turned their heads, they saw Ethan still standing there, watching the two of them with the look of someone observing idiots.
"Hey."
The geologist, Fifield, waved at Ethan, getting his attention.
"The air here is breathable. Aren't you going to take off your hood?"
Because of Fifield's question, Weyland, who had also been about to remove his hood, stopped his action and quietly watched Ethan and Hill, who were still wearing their hoods.
"I know the air here is breathable, but so what? Do you think you can just breathe freely without worry just because you've landed on a completely unfamiliar planet and the air is breathable?"
Ethan's words confused the scientists a bit, but the experienced security consultants immediately understood something.
The oldest and most experienced Weyland stopped his action immediately, and even prevented David from trying to help him.
"I'll just keep it on."
"Okay, sir."
David had already taken off his hood, but he was a robot. Although he also realized the problem, he didn't put the hood back on.
Fifield didn't understand Ethan's words and continued to press, "What does that mean?"
"The air in some quarantine zones is also harmless to the human body. Would you walk in without any protective gear?"
These scientists weren't actually stupid, they just lived too much in their own world, focused on things they were interested in, and didn't think comprehensively about many things.
Plus, with someone taking the lead, they immediately started imitating without bothering to think about the consequences.
With Ethan explaining it so clearly, several people who had originally wanted to take off their hoods gave up the idea, and some who had just taken them off immediately put them back on.
Only Charlie and Elizabeth were now a bit awkward. Charlie also realized he had done something foolish, but he was a bit embarrassed and awkwardly held his hood, looking at Elizabeth.
"It's okay, it's just a possibility after all."
Elizabeth firmly supported her husband, but Charlie was more rational than her. He felt that his pride was not as important as his and Elizabeth's lives, so he obediently put his hood back on in the end.
Ethan then specifically said to the two of them, "Remember to undergo a full-scale cleaning and a thorough physical examination when you get back, and until you get reassuring results, the two of you will be quarantined."
"We're fine."
"Whether you're fine or not isn't up to you to decide."
Elizabeth was repeatedly left speechless by Ethan's retorts, but in this situation, no one supported them. In fact, the other scientists were secretly blaming these two for putting them at risk. After all, they were the ones who had taken the lead in taking off their hoods.
"In that case, if the storm lasts too long, will the oxygen we brought be enough?"
This was the biggest problem now. They had originally thought that the breathable air in this cave had solved one problem, allowing them to explore here with peace of mind and wait for the storm to pass before returning to the Prometheus.
But now it seemed that even if there was breathable oxygen here, they still needed to guard against various unknown dangers. They still had to rely on the oxygen they carried, and if the oxygen ran out before the storm passed...
"It's enough..."
What everyone couldn't understand was what judgment Ethan had based his incredibly certain answer on.
What they didn't know was that, in Ethan's view, the plot had already changed. The search party, trapped here by the storm, likely wouldn't have many people survive until their oxygen ran out.
Even if they didn't take off their hoods due to his reminder, it didn't mean these people were safe.
Because of the search party's entry, some objects inside this place, which looked like a structure but was actually a spaceship, would awaken from their dormant state due to the sealing, that black liquid that could parasitize living organisms, obtain their genes, and ultimately form new life.
For the rest of the time, Ethan didn't offer any opinions, just quietly followed the search party as they explored the area.
They found the room filled with piles and piles of jars, and they also found several Engineer corpses.
Elizabeth and Charlie were very excited. These discoveries proved that all their previous theories were correct.
Weyland was also thrilled. This seemed to indicate that his chance of gaining new life had increased.
Hill was very curious. Since joining Ethan's team, she had rarely participated in his various plane activities. This was her first official participation in such an operation, and she was truly witnessing new life forms and another civilization.
She realized she had missed too much before, and it seemed she needed to participate in these activities more often in the future.
"What exactly are these things?"
"Some kind of weapon that can destroy a planet."
Seeing all the scientists scattered everywhere searching and examining, Hill took the opportunity to ask Ethan.
She noticed that Ethan always kept a certain distance from these jars, showing no curiosity at all, and even looking a bit disgusted and repulsed. It was clear he knew what these were.
But she had absolutely no idea these things were such dangerous items.
Weapons capable of destroying a planet?
"The black substance stored inside these can parasitize most organisms in the universe, adjusting and optimizing its own genes using the host's genes, eventually becoming a more powerful creature."
Ethan briefly introduced the substance.
"You should know what this thing is too. Actually, this stuff is Xenomorph..."
Hill's expression became very strange. Of course, she had seen that classic movie, but the Xenomorphs didn't look like this, did they? Weren't they egg-like?
"Those are improved, more complete products. These... you can consider them prototypes."
The monsters produced by this black liquid after parasitism didn't seem to have a fixed form. At least the one born after David poisoned Charlie, who then infected Elizabeth, looked like an octopus, or squid. And it was only after this octopus parasitized an Engineer that the new life form born was closer to the famous Xenomorph.
After staying in this weapon warehouse for a while, the group continued to explore the cave. Before long, they finally found the control room.
After some fumbling and with the presence of David, the robot who had figured out the Engineer language, they quickly understood that they were not in a cave or a temple, but an Engineer spaceship.
Hill looked at the cockpit. She suddenly thought of something.
"Since you're looking for a spaceship, why not take this one?"
This spaceship should be ownerless now, right? It would be much easier to just take it than to take the Prometheus.
But Ethan shook his head firmly.
"This spaceship is just too ugly. I don't want to go on adventures in the universe flying a donut..."
(To be continued.)