Perspective: Investigator 701
Sub-level Seven, Independent Analysis Cubicle Delta-Gamma-7.
There were no windows. The four walls were made entirely of a special sound-absorbing alloy that could absorb all known forms of energy radiation. The latest model of a holographic tactical analysis terminal was embedded in the wall and served as the room's sole light source. The room resembled a metal cage and emitted a faint, cold data light that carried no warmth.
Investigator 701, a "shadow" in the Federation's archival system with almost no personal information aside from a cold codename and a set of numbers representing their clearance level, sat before the analysis terminal like the most precise humanoid machine.
A special electronic file marked with the highest clearance level of "Crimson — Top Secret — Priority Handling" floated quietly before them (or him or her).
The file's title was clear and conspicuous:
Preliminary Investigation Report and Comprehensive Risk Assessment on the Incident Regarding Deep Zone Intervention: Vanguard Team Seven "Pathfinder" Encountering a "Calamity-Tier" Aberration in Boundary Sector T734 and the Subversive, Anomalous, High-Risk Abilities Exhibited by Team Member "Shen Kai."
701's eyes, hidden behind the specialized optical faceplate of their isolation suit and devoid of any emotional fluctuation, dissected this file line by line and word by word like the sharpest biological scalpel.
They saw Sergeant Gestalt's combat log. They saw the assessment report submitted by Specialist Li Jian, filled with technological fanaticism and radical inferences.
Then, they marked them both as: "Contaminated by personal emotions or subjective speculation." Analytical value: Low."
Gestalt was a typical soldier, still shackled by the inefficient and primitive emotion of so-called "battle