Super Mothership
Startled by Gustav’s authoritative gaze—tempered by years of command—the adjutant immediately stiffened in alarm.
“Ahem! Sir, did you recently issue a secret order to the wormhole defense fleet?” the adjutant asked cautiously.
“Secret order? What secret order?” Gustav was momentarily stunned.
Seeing that Gustav’s expression didn’t seem feigned, the adjutant hesitated inwardly, not daring to jump to conclusions.
He proceeded to recite the contents of the secret order aloud in front of everyone, then looked at his superior with a rather odd expression. “The one who issued this secret order... appears to be you, sir...”
Everyone on the bridge was shocked when they heard this. They turned toward their highest-ranking officer with disbelief written all over their faces.
First releasing a virus, then issuing chaotic commands on the battlefield—this had all the signs of someone planning to switch sides!
“What? I gave the secret order?” Gustav was first astonished, then flew into a rage. “Nonsense! When did I ever give such an order? Are you trying to shift the blame onto me?”
“Ahem! Sir, whether or not you issued this order can be easily confirmed by checking your commander-level access logs,” the adjutant said, coughing politely.
Though the adjutant's tone was tactful, the underlying suspicion was obvious to everyone present.
Gustav’s expression darkened—not because of being suspected, but because of a creeping sense of unease in his heart.
He wasn’t an idiot—he could tell that something was seriously off today.
First the virus, then the secret order, and now the Order of Absolute Unity had chosen today to make their move… coincidence? Or a carefully orchestrated conspiracy?
Since the virus had come from his access terminal, then what about the secret order? Could that also have...
Even without checking his command access logs, Gustav’s instincts were already telling him that the truth would not be something he wanted to see.
As he contemplated that terrifying possibility, his face grew even more grim. If things really were developing that way, there was no way he'd be able to clear his name—even jumping into the galaxy itself wouldn’t wash the stain away. Being temporarily suspended and investigated was almost certain!
He was now nearly convinced that his access had been hacked—and it must have been the work of a spy within their own ranks!
If that were true, it would perfectly explain several recent intelligence leaks!
So... the problem lay with him all along?
But how had it been done?
To hack the highest commander's personal access, one would need not only his biometric data but also the complex key he had personally set!
Unless he’d cooperated voluntarily, how could it be stolen? It’s not like he’d done it in his sleep... right?
Wait. In his sleep?!
Could it be...
Suddenly, Gustav recalled that in a report on the Solar System incident, Arthas had mentioned that the Ant Empire was suspected of possessing soul-related mysterious technology. And since the Order of Absolute Unity had contact with the Ant Empire, could they also possess similar means?
Could it be... that he had been controlled?!
At this terrifying thought, a shiver of fear rose in Gustav’s heart.
Fear is humanity’s oldest and most powerful emotion—and the deepest fear comes from the unknown.
And once trapped in the unknown, people tend to start... imagining the worst.
Gustav furrowed his brow, his face shifting through various emotions. But to the others watching, his reaction seemed to suggest something else entirely...
“Sir? To get to the bottom of this, please open your command access log for review!” The adjutant’s tone had grown colder and more forceful.
As he spoke, he signaled subtly to a nearby subordinate.
That person immediately understood, quietly stepped back, and walked toward the bridge doors.
At this point, calling in the security forces to maintain control seemed like the prudent thing to do...
However, before he could even reach the door, a sharp "shhk!" echoed through the air—the heavy alloy doors of the bridge suddenly slammed shut!
The man’s expression changed instantly. He rushed forward to manually open them, but the access system didn’t respond at all.
Everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to the commotion near the door. As they turned to look, they found the entrance tightly sealed.
“Commander, sir! What are you doing?!” the adjutant’s slightly panicked shout pulled everyone’s focus back again.
“What do you mean, what am I… huh?” Gustav had just begun to question it, only to freeze on the spot.
Because he suddenly realized—his cybernetic arm was furiously operating the control terminal in front of him all on its own!
From the pop-up interface, it was clear that “he” was in the process of sealing off all entrances and exits of the entire ship.
Alright, maybe that wasn’t the end of the world—but the real problem was… he hadn’t given any such command! Not even a thought in that direction!
The bizarre sight sent chills down Gustav’s spine.
In that moment, his first reaction was—holy shit! My soul really has been hijacked!
He desperately tried to regain control of his right arm, but his neural signals vanished into the void. The limb, completely disobedient, continued typing and clicking wildly, as if it had a mind of its own.
“Commander, sir! Do you realize what you’re doing?! This is treason!” the adjutant shouted urgently.
Everyone around them rose in panic upon seeing the scene unfold.
The situation had shifted so rapidly that some still looked utterly confused, clearly not grasping what was going on.
A few veteran soldiers with combat experience managed to stay calm and immediately began to subtly surround Gustav, ready to act if necessary.
“No, this isn’t…” Gustav tried to explain, terror written all over his face.
But in the next instant, he couldn’t speak another word—because he suddenly stood up against his will, then raised his right arm.
After extensive research, Nie Yun had refined his neural control technique for aquatic species—now it worked flawlessly, allowing Gustav to perform simple motor actions with perfect realism!
Bzzzt! Gustav’s cybernetic arm crackled with bright blue electricity...
The next moment, the entire bridge lit up in a blinding flash!
As the arcs of lightning slowly dissipated, everyone on the bridge—including Gustav—was convulsing on the floor, unconscious.
Then, the cybernetic arm slowly morphed into a stream of liquid silver metal, which crept up Gustav’s shoulder and covered his face.
When the silver receded, Gustav’s face looked exactly the same—but when his eyes opened again, his lips curled into a smirk that the real Gustav would never wear: a cocky, “captain-style” grin...
He slowly rose to his feet, sat back down in the command chair, and took over the ship’s command.
“Well then… it’s time to show them what true art of command looks like… Hehehe...”
TL Note- Possession?
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