A helicopter thundered overhead. Inside, a uniformed soldier swept binoculars over the people coming and going, searching for anything suspicious.
Inside and outside the United Nations New Continent Scientific Research Station, personnel in special operations gear stood guard every few paces, with checkpoints at regular intervals.
In orbit, several military Satellites adjusted their paths and trained their cameras on the station, watching for suspicious aircraft or ships.
To protect the stone tablet suspected of containing the knowledge of the Old Ones, governments around the world pulled out all the stops, deploying their tightest surveillance and defenses against potential spies.
"Easy, everyone. Watch your step."
A transport vehicle stopped inside the base under the protection of a line of armored vehicles. More than a dozen people carefully climbed down, carrying a specially made crate.
Although the stone tablet suspected of being the Old Key Tablet looked sturdy enough on the outside, it had existed since the Cambrian Period. Who could say whether it was only hard on the outside and would crumble at a touch within?
In fact, to bring it safely to the base, they had dug out the tablet along with the earth beneath it and packed it all into the custom crate to ensure they did not damage it.
Before long, they carried the tablet into a dim, damp laboratory covered in mud, moss, and vines.
To prevent the tablet from being damaged after leaving its specific environment, the staff at the United Nations New Continent Scientific Research Station had specially built a perfect replica of the cold, damp cave.
Many experts and scholars thought it was overkill. The tablet was not a living thing; its surroundings should not affect it. There was no need to recreate the cave.
But to the people in charge, no amount of