The interrogation room is located on the third basement level.
The incandescent bulb shone down harshly, casting its reflection on a fixed silver iron table.
Lois's coat, handbag, ID, and even cell phone were taken away.
She was only wearing a thin white shirt, and her hands were handcuffed to the crossbar of the iron table.
The coolness seeped into my skin along my wrist.
Lois looked somewhat unwell, but having experienced many big events, she was still able to maintain a basic level of composure.
"Creak--"
Just then, the door was pushed open.
A middle-aged soldier, around fifty years old, walked in.
He was wearing a dark green combat uniform without any rank or unit designation, and his hair was very short.
He had a long scar on his right cheek that extended to the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were sinister, yet also showed signs of fatigue.
Soon, the soldier pulled out an iron chair, sat down, and placed his hands on his face.
" Lois... you can call me Walker."
Walker's voice was somewhat low.
Lois, however, was not intimidated; instead, she spoke coldly:
"Colonel Walker, according to federal law... unlawful detention of a citizen is a felony, enough to warrant a full ten years in prison."
"I need to contact my lawyer, and I will not answer any of your questions until he arrives."
Colonel Walker did not react to this bluffing threat.
He simply reached into the confidential document bag beside him without any expression and pulled something out.
"Smack!"
A slightly creased newspaper, its edges stained with dried blood, was slammed heavily onto the iron table between the two men.
The author's name, " Lois Ryan," was prominently displayed.
"Do you recognize this, Miss Ryan?"
Walker stared intently at her.
"Oh, I wrote that."
Lois shrugged and looked directly at Colonel Walker.
"What... the military is now so controlling that they can't even make up third-rate science fiction stories?"
"Science fiction story?"
Walker gave a cold laugh.
He then reached into his pocket, took out a black voice recorder, and pressed the play button.
"Sizzle--Sizzle--"
It started with a static noise.
Immediately following was a chaotic, piercing alarm, and the loud banging of things being smashed.
And then there was the hysterical shouting of the unknown crowd:
"Fire! Fire! His brain—"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Thump!
The continuous barrage of fire came to an abrupt halt with a deafening roar.
In the last few seconds of the recording, only a muffled, heavy voice remained:
" Zod..."
" Kansas... farm..."
The recording has ended here.
A deathly silence returned to the interrogation room.
Did you understand?
Colonel Walker leaned forward, his hands resting on the table, staring intently into Lois's eyes:
"Just five hours ago, an unknown riot broke out in Nevada's secret experimental zone."
Thirty-seven special agents and twelve physicists and pathologists died on the spot.
"They killed each other; even the major leading the group had his sidearm pressed against his chin and pulled the trigger."
As he spoke, Walker pointed to the blood-stained newspaper on the table.
"So... tell me, Miss Ryan."
" The Antarctica salvage project is kept strictly confidential. There are no more than ten living people in the entire United States who know about the existence of that wreckage."
And you... how did an ordinary journalist who spends his days writing about political scandals in the Metropolis know about extraterrestrial spacecraft and its specific coating characteristics?"
At that moment, Walker pointed to the word "emerald green" in the newspaper.
"I don't believe an ordinary journalist has such extensive channels and capabilities... So, where exactly does your source come from?"
What is the purpose?
Lois was completely stunned by Colonel Walker's murderous gaze.
Emerald green... that was the color of the spaceship she deduced from John's green ring.
As for the wreckage and the classified project, she had never heard of them and knew nothing about them...
Could it be... that John is telling the truth?
Did that alien fleet really arrive?
And how do you explain that?
Could it be that this is just a science fiction story that a Kansas farmer casually made up?
Moreover, she had promised John that she would conceal Kansas... and all words related to him, to prevent exposure.
Lois's chest heaved violently a few times, and she slowly exhaled as Walker pressed close to her.
"I have no source, Colonel."
Lois looked directly into Walker's eyes and said, word by word:
"That feature article was a pointless story I made up after a hangover in a motel, after taking two painkillers."
As for the other coincidences... excuse me, but I know nothing about them."
"Hangover? Painkillers?"
Walker straightened up, somewhat amused, patted the wrinkles in his uniform, and then gestured to the military police behind him.
The military police quickly stepped forward and placed a ruggedized military laptop on the table, turning the screen so it was facing Lois's face.
The screen lights up.
Several high-definition snapshots and trajectory maps that were specially retrieved were displayed on the screen:
Three days ago, at the Kansas Highway 9 tollbooth.
A Toyota sedan was photographed, and Lois herself was in the driver's seat.
On the outskirts of Smallville, at Shell gas station convenience store, Lois, wrapped in a coat, bought a can of black coffee.
Next up is an infrared satellite thermal image.
The location was pinpointed to a secluded grove on the outskirts of Smallville, where a used, old Ford was parked.
"I drove over a thousand miles... my destination was a backward rural town in Kansas with a police station of fewer than five people."
Walker coldly looked down at the pale-faced Lois:
" Kansas... farm."
Colonel Walker read the words from the recording again.
The monster in the recording kept repeating those two words.
And you, innocent Miss Ryan... just forty-eight hours ago, ran back to Metropolis from Kansas."
"If you won't admit it... then I'll personally take you to see that monster."
"A monster? What monster?"
Walker ignored Lois's words, grabbed his sidearm from the table, holstered it, and coldly gave the order:
"Put her in the car."
"No... Colonel! What do you want to do?!"
Lois suddenly stood up.
What are you doing?
Colonel Walker walked to the door, and without turning his head, pulled open the iron gate:
"Since you refuse to say anything, then you shall lead the way yourself."
"That monster who came out of Nevada has a clear goal; he's heading towards Kansas, although I don't know what he's up to..."
Since you're all so interested in that place, let's go there and uncover all its secrets.
"The rest of you, notify the ground reaction forces..."
Walker walked out of the interrogation room.
"Two Chinook heavy transport planes, followed by four Apache helicopters for escort, leaving the Kansas guard company on standby."
"Immediately move to Level 1 lockdown."