Chapter 651: Suspicion and Surveillance
In his office, Parker looked at the brief report on the screen regarding the Hometree incident and the meeting between Maine and Quaritch, his brows tightly furrowed. He drummed his fingers irritably against the desk.
"Scientific expedition team? A 'defense tech giant' that doesn't take small orders?" Parker sneered, muttering to himself in the empty office. "Go fool a ghost! That kind of rhetoric would only trick a muscle-brained meathead like Miles!"
In his eyes, Maine's group operated mysteriously, possessed highly advanced technology, and had unclear motives. First, they provided weapons in exchange for a foothold, then they demonstrated unimaginable spatial technology, and now they were dangling a vague "massive order" to whet Quaritch's appetite. Piecing it all together, it looked entirely like a meticulously crafted trap.
"Corporate spies? Saboteurs sent by a competitor? Or—do they have another agenda entirely?" Parker's mind raced, attempting to stitch the clues together. He suspected this group might be a vanguard sent by a rival corporation eyeing Pandora's resources, aiming to disrupt the RDA's deployments or even steal technological secrets and resource data.
"I must report this situation to the Board of Directors on Earth," Parker resolved. "Simultaneously, we need to heighten surveillance on these 'Seekers' and gather as much intelligence on them as possible."
He pressed his communicator and instructed his assistant: "Increase the frequency of drone patrols over the outpost sector. Record all vehicles and personnel entering and exiting their mobile base. Note: this is covert surveillance. Do not provoke a conflict."
He knew full well that given the technological prowess the other party had displayed, conventional surveillance might yield minimal results and could even be countered. But until he uncovered their true intentions and background, he could not act rashly, nor did he dare offend them openly. This feeling of being watched while powerless to stop it made Parker feel incredibly stifled and anxious.
The situation on Pandora had grown even more treacherous and unpredictable with the arrival of these uninvited guests.
Inside the Trailblazer mobile base, Ryo had just concluded another round of technical discussions with Dr. Grace.
Grace left the laboratory loaded with notes and fresh ideas, while Ryo immediately received a report from Lucy.
"Sir, the RDA has intensified drone surveillance around our outpost perimeter. The frequency has increased by fifty percent, and the models have been swapped to stealthy, high-altitude, long-endurance variants," Lucy's voice came through the comms, calm and clear. "Additionally, we intercepted fragments of an encrypted transmission from Parker Selfridge to RDA Headquarters on Earth. The contents involve speculations about our identity and potential threat assessments; he used terms like 'corporate rivals' and 'tech spies'."
Ryo walked up to the main console and brought up the surveillance feeds of the outpost perimeter. Small black dots belonging to RDA drones could occasionally be seen flashing in the distant high altitude. His face bore no expression of surprise.
"Expected," Ryo said placidly. "Parker Selfridge is a shrewd businessman, not a warrior. Our presence and the capabilities we have demonstrated were bound to trigger his vigilance and suspicion. Maintain the status quo; there is no need to actively jam their surveillance, but ensure all counter-reconnaissance measures in the core sectors are fully operational. Let them see what they are allowed to see. That is enough."
"Understood," Lucy replied.
At that moment, Maine also reported in via the encrypted channel, detailing his meeting with Colonel Quaritch and Parker's reactions.
"Colonel Quaritch showed intense interest in the 'massive order,' while Administrator Parker has clearly raised his guard," Maine summarized.
"Excellent," Ryo nodded slightly. "Maintain this noncommittal dynamic with Quaritch. Keep him expectant yet unable to grasp our true depths. This will benefit our potential future operations. As for Parker—as long as he takes no substantive hostile action, ignore him for now. His suspicions and restrictions will actually highlight that we are not aligned with the RDA, which will aid Rei Ayanami and the others in their operations with the Na'vi."
He shifted his focus back to pressing matters: "Regarding the name 'Weyland-Yutani,' is there any new information? Especially within the RDA databases or Dr. Grace's files?"
"We are expanding the search parameters, sir," David's voice chimed in. He was currently assisting with data filtration and analysis. "So far, we have found no traces of direct corporate activity on Pandora in any local official records or the data shared by Dr. Grace. However, from some archived RDA backup files regarding Earth's deep-space exploration regulations, we discovered fragments referencing the 'Weyland Act.' It appears to be one of the early legal frameworks regulating the excavation of extraterrestrial ruins and contact with extraterrestrial sapient life, though the correlation is weak."
"Keep monitoring it," Ryo instructed.
This name was like a looming shadow. Although there was currently no direct evidence linking it to Pandora, he would absolutely not let his guard down. His experiences in the Warhammer universe had taught him that any seemingly unrelated clue could be tethered to colossal danger.
He switched comm channels, contacting Rei Ayanami, who was handling liaisons with Sutai's faction.
"What is the situation on the Na'vi side?"
Rei Ayanami's cool voice replied: "Sutai reports that the clan is migrating toward the Sacred Mountains under Eytukan's leadership, attempting to find suitable land for Hometree to regrow. Morale is universally low, but the promise of 'return' has temporarily stabilized the collapsing situation. The influence of Tsu'tey and the war faction has diminished, though it has not disappeared. During the migration, more clan members have secretly begun asking Sutai's group about us."
"Guide Sutai. Make her understand that maintaining communication with us is the only way to ensure Hometree's smooth return," Ryo commanded. "Simultaneously, through her, leak some trivial information regarding RDA movements to the Na'vi—intelligence that verifies our value and further solidifies their dependency."
"Understood."
Ending the transmission, Ryo stood alone before the main console, observing the multiple split screens: the high-fidelity digital model of Hometree, the surveillance feeds around the outpost, the Na'vi migration route mapped on the macro-chart of the Pandoran forest, and the real-time energy readings from the RDA base.
Everything was advancing according to his plan.
He had exploited the divisions within the RDA, guided the fractures within Na'vi society, and even smoothly integrated Dr. Grace into his monitoring and research framework. And while the unexpected appearance of the "Weyland-Yutani" name brought uncertainty, it had not yet impacted his core layout.
All he needed to do now was maintain this delicate balance, deepen the research into Pandora's ecology and the Eywa consciousness field, and wait for the Na'vi to find their so-called "new home." When that time came, it would be the moment he unveiled the "vaccine" and "cooperation" protocols, thoroughly resolving the Pandora issue and bringing its resources and mysteries completely under his control.
The chessboard of Pandora, amidst the surging undercurrents of all factions, was moving step by step toward the endgame Ryo had designed. He was like a patient fisherman who had cast a vast net, waiting only for the time to be ripe to haul in the catch.