"Log fragments point to... Experimental Station Basement Level 3... the 'Absolute Zero Information Archive'... maintained by an independent power supply system. In theory, it may have survived..."
"Seeker" replied, then immediately issued a warning. "However, scans indicate that the Main Lift Shaft leading underground has completely collapsed and been blocked.
"The backup route... according to the structural map, is an Emergency Maintenance Pipe in the northwest corner of the hall. But the pipe's internal structure may be damaged.
"And... abnormal energy accumulation has been detected deep within the pipe... its properties are highly similar to the 'Shadow Plane Energy Sample' used in the experiments.
"And... after being sealed away and mutating over countless years, it seems to have developed some kind of... inert yet highly corrosive pollution."
Another piece of bad news. The only place that might hold a backup was sealed off by dangerous Corrupting Energy.
"How intense is the pollution? Is it possible for us to get through?" Ming Xin asked.
"The Corrupting Energy is dispersed in gaseous or extremely fine liquid form, at a high concentration.
"It is highly destructive to conventional matter and energy structures, especially Orderly Existences.
"Ying Sha's Shadow Body may possess some resistance, but your physical body, Senior, and Xing Mang's protocol vessel..." Seeker did not finish, but the meaning was clear.
"We have to go down and take a look." Ming Xin's tone brooked no argument. The Mechanical Spider's final words, the logs and memos Seeker had read—all of them pointed here.
A data backup that might record the ancient truth, perhaps even contain the original blueprint for the Seeker project.
It was one of the keys to fighting the Purification Protocol and the Lord of Laws, even to understanding their own Fate. They could not give it up lightly.
"Ying Sha,