[I will not help you interfere with the command network.]
Little Vine moved from his neck to the control surface.
It touched several glowing symbols randomly.
The aircraft tilted.
Lu Tao fell sideways.
"Little Vine, don't touch that!"
The vine quickly pulled back.
The alien stared at it.
It seemed more frightened by the possibility of the vine flying the aircraft than by its earlier threats.
[Move it away from the controls.]
"Then cooperate," Leng Pan said.
[The High Command will execute me.]
"You should first survive long enough to meet them again."
The alien looked around.
No one appeared willing to help him.
Even Lu Tao, who was usually easygoing, was watching him without sympathy.
Finally, the alien lowered his head.
[The false signal requires a compatible energy source.]
"We have the crystal."
[If you expose the core, the command network will detect your real position.]
"We are not exposing it."
[Then the signal cannot be created.]
