Chapter 972 - This Game Is Too Realistic

Chapter 972: Undercurrents in the Deep Space The air in the meeting room remained silent for several minutes. Digesting the overwhelming amount of information, Chu Guang, seated at the conference table, did not speak for a long time. After a while, he pressed his index finger against his brow, organizing his thoughts before speaking. "So... the Celestials extended a helping hand to the Southern Legion through the Enlightened Society, providing them with a series of trump cards, including the 'Death Agent' and the 'Seed of Gaia'?" "Yes," Qi Liu nodded, speaking earnestly, "whether these are trump cards or not is debatable, but we have concrete evidence that it is technology the Southern Legion could not have possessed on their own." Chu Guang looked at him, baffled. "I don't understand their motives or what they're trying to accomplish." Why give this card to Teer? Unless— They don't wish for the Wasteland Era to end. Or rather, they want the Wasteland Era to fully enter the End Times, accelerating the process to its culmination. These are the only two explanations that make sense. He couldn't conceive of a third. Qi Liu stayed silent for a while before speaking. "The reason they're called Celestials is that they don't see us as their kin. Or rather, having ascended to another dimension, they've already drawn a clear line between us." "Of course, I'm not speaking dimensionally in terms of space, but rather in terms of existence." Chu Guang kneaded his brow. "Could you put it more directly?" Qi Liu got straight to the point. "Have you heard of mind uploading?" Chu Guang immediately reacted. "You're referring to the kind of technology used in Vault 101?" In fact, not only Vault 101 but the Torch Church also used a form of distributed computing to disseminate minds within bionic chips, constructing a heavenly "Kingdom on Earth." In other words... Are the Celestials the same? No wonder the Torch Church rushed to them! Chu Guang felt a dawning realization. Opposite him, Qi Liu nodded and solemnly said: "To complete the expedition to colonies five light-years away, many in the Expeditionary Force abandoned their physical bodies long ago." "We can hardly analyze their thoughts using human reasoning, but after years of observation, we've gathered some useful information... They are not our compatriots, and this is not their homeland." "Their compatriots and homeland exist within their memories, and they wish to return to the era of the Human Federation, or rather, to that infinitely prosperous epoch." "Even though to us, it seems impossible, since time can only move forward, never backward." Chu Guang took a deep breath. "So... they plan to destroy this planet?" Qi Liu shook his head, then nodded. "Haven't you ever wondered, since we possess gravity well technology, why didn't we use it to clear the space debris in the early days of the Wasteland Era?" Chu Guang's pupils slightly contracted. "Could it be..." Qi Liu nodded. "We attempted all methods we could, including deploying gravity wells. Even to this day, a prototype gravity well remains in the Great Rift. Unfortunately, when we tried to cause this planet's gravitational field to collapse, a force no less powerful than ours interfered with our attempts. This force resides not far from us at the Lagrange point." He paused and continued. "Sadly, there's no such thing as 'what if' in the world; if we had succeeded in making the debris fall, the radioactivity alone wouldn’t have prolonged the winter for half a century." Chu Guang's Adam's apple moved slightly. "They want to kill everyone on this planet?" "At least eliminate a significant portion or revert the survivors to a feudal era or even the Stone Age, or simply turn them into animals," Qi Liu stated calmly. "Of course, they don't see this as genocide but as a 'reset.'" Chu Guang: "...Isn't this like the Enlightened Society?" Qi Liu nodded. "That's why they get along with the Enlightened Society and managed to cooperate with Teer. Are you still surprised that the Celestials handed the 'Seed of Gaia' to Teer?" "I'm not surprised, just amazed," Chu Guang sighed. "They could have used these technologies for good..." Yet, admittedly, their position is indeed far above the Enlightened Society. Moreover, their understanding of purging is so thorough that even the Vault residents, preserving some old-world embers, mean nothing to them. Qi Liu shook his head and said. "They're no longer human, so dwelling on this is pointless." He paused, bringing the conversation back to the topic of the "Seed of Gaia." "Your research on Xiao Yu is quite significant and is gradually taking the right direction. We didn't want you to miss your path, so we concealed information about the 'Seed of Gaia.'" "After all, that technology brought great disaster to humanity in the old times. At least, from our perspective, you could have chosen a brighter future." "But as proven, we underestimated the situation. Some things aren't suited for children's play, but even if concealed, you'd eventually uncover the secrets of history just as we tirelessly explored the future." "Your Xiao Yu, and the Southern Legion's Teer... they are essentially Gaia-like lifeforms, with the latter most likely created via the 'Seed of Gaia.' What was destined to happen, happened." "Dr. Conclusion says the time has come, and our chief technician concurs." "From now on, perhaps we should more honestly face the past we've collectively experienced." Chu Guang focused intently on him. "We need substantial assistance, not mere verbal reassurance." He initially expected the Academy to avoid the issue, but the next words from the Head of the Investigation Division made him hold his breath. "That's exactly why I'm here." "From now on, we will provide you access to all our research on gravitons, including anti-gravity technology—" "Technologies neither your corporation nor any legion truly possessed, despite having grasped them." "And as for that research vessel, don’t dismantle it once you find it. It’s meaningless.” … The deep, dark expanse of space. A dilapidated starship hung silently in orbit, surrounded by debris of varying sizes and fully-contained spacesuits, melding with the surrounding wreckage to form a synthetic asteroid field. This is the synchronous orbit, 36,000 kilometers from the equator. It is also the most remote, nearly untouched, fringes on this bluish wasteland. Due to its distance from an oxidizing environment, time has left little mark on these remnants of the old era. The Human Federation Aerospace Force's insignias and badges remain clearly visible. Yet, the former glories have long gathered dust, much like the abundant ruins, which are now insignificant. However, today was unlike other days; a silver-white spacecraft slowly approached from afar, prying open a corner of the coffin... Inside the research vessel's cockpit. A man, expressionless, quietly watched ahead, his pupils reflecting the pale blue glow of distant lights. Gazing at the approaching coordinates, he activated the communication module, speaking in a calm voice. "...This is Luo Yi. I am approaching the coordinates and will soon enter the communication blackout zone." After a long pause, a reply filled with the static of electric noise arrived from deep space. "Understood, proceed forward." "Affirmative." Without further exchanges, the man turned off the communication module, fully entering a radio silence, then activated the plasma thrusters, propelling the research vessel to accelerate forward. A pale blue plume of exhaust propelled the research ship toward the dense artificial asteroid belt. The storm of metal became increasingly dense, with various sizes of metal debris hurtling at terrifying speeds along both predictable and chaotic orbits. They collided with one another, fracturing into even smaller pieces in the vacuum, or releasing sporadic electric sparks. Entering this domain without protection could turn even a Titan into a sieve! Yet, as the research vessel entered the area, an unexpected phenomenon occurred! The initially erratic fragments seemed to gain sentience, veering off their original paths and actively avoiding the vessel! The miraculous scene unfolded as if an invisible hand was shielding the research vessel, pushing away the lethal space debris and wreckage from other crafts. This wasn't some supernatural force but the deflection shield at work. Of course, utilizing such power came with a cost. As the speeding fragments were deflected, the energy on the shield capacitors was rapidly depleting! [Warning! Shield capacitor remaining at 50%!] [Warning! Shield capacitor remaining at 45%!] [...] The energy bar was depleting rapidly! Although the reactor's energy was continuously funneled into the shield capacitors, it still couldn't match the rate of consumption! The man glanced at the holographic interface, his expression unchanging. He didn't seem to care about his own safety and appeared confident about navigating this perilous "water." That confidence was justified. When the shield's capacitor was nearing only 3% remaining, the research vessel finally came to a stop next to the dilapidated starship. Almost simultaneously, the number of fragments hitting the deflection shield drastically diminished, with the blinking red warning lights suddenly turning green! The energy flowing from the reactor into the shield capacitors gradually replenished the depleted energy bar. The man reached out and pressed a spot on the holographic screen, locking onto a relatively safe access point. He then switched the plasma engines to pulse mode, allowing the navigation system to autonomously plan the landing route. Crisis averted. The research vessel, like a canoe breaking through storm into the harbor, steadily approached the docking point prepared for it. Access point locked. The research vessel successfully "anchored." "I have successfully landed." Despite having turned off the communication module, he didn't report the success to the space station at the Lagrange point, opting instead to silently acknowledge his achievement before releasing his seatbelt and drifting into the airlock. The inner hatch slowly opened, revealing several cold corpses quietly floating within. [Buffer chamber opened, external pressure below safety threshold, please use full protective gear...] The man didn't spare the corpses a glance nor heed the safety warning floating in front of him. Instead, he fastened the jetpack on his back, reached out, removed the safety cover on the wall, and pressed the red button with a firm hand. "Woo—!" The red alert light flashed, and accompanied by a piercing alarm, the heavy outer hatch began to open. The air within the buffer chamber was instantaneously vacuumed out, and the floating corpses were instantly expelled from the chamber as if pulled by invisible strings. The man, too, was carried out by the airflow, but he purposefully reached for the edge of the hatch to pivot, changing his direction with a deft movement. The fluid execution of movements was as seamless as a prewritten program. Standing atop the research vessel, the man gazed back, watching as the darkness swallowed the corpses, before turning his indifferent gaze to the towering wreckage of the starship ahead. The impact of standing close to this colossal monument was far more profound than viewing it from afar. The words "Orion Cruiser" inscribed on the armored exterior were still distinctly visible, unfaded by time. Compared to that infinitely prosperous era, those struggling on the wasteland seemed as insignificant as cockroaches. Living in the darkness, subsisting off the decaying giant, what were they if not cockroaches? But— This was all about to end. The man admired the grandeur of this monument for a moment, then pressed the button in his hand. "Hiss—" A spray of white mist from the jetpack propelled him towards the nearby entrance. Thank you for waiting. Comrades. ... Since the Boro government declared a war on cockroaches, the amount of pesticide in the Eternal River has skyrocketed. The river is now covered with dead cockroaches and other insects, attracting birds that feast on the carcasses, thereby severely disrupting the ecosystem. Currently, this irrational war continues, and due to the absenteeism in the ecosystem, the red soil plays the role of a decomposer again. According to aerial footage by drones, the red soil, which had ceased expansion in areas like Ox, Elephant, Wolf, and Snake states, is once again on the rise. To deal with the freshwater crisis caused by excessive chemicals in the Eternal River system, the Golden Gallon Port authorities have imported desalination units from the South Sea Alliance for emergency use and engaged in discussions with the Boro ambassador in Golden Gallon Port regarding the ecological damage. The expansion of red soil has reduced arable land, leading to decreased crop yields. Analysts fear this may provoke Sawa to continue its war on red soil, triggering greater ecological disasters. Mayor Yodu has urged the media not to incite panic and stated that declaring war on the red soil is scientifically impossible and utterly absurd, insisting that the Families would have no reason to, nor could they possibly, resort to such measures. However, his statement seems to have had the opposite effect, exacerbating fears and prompting Golden Gallon Port citizens to stockpile water and food supplies. —Survivor’s Daily, Dawn City Edition Dawn City. On North Street, near the Linghu Wetland Park, Chu Guang, sitting at a ramen stand waiting for breakfast, flipped through the newspaper in his hands. Unexpectedly greeted by a large image of a cockroach on the front page, he made a classic "elder, metro, cell phone" expression before closing the newspaper in disbelief. Opposite him sat Cheng Yan, the Union's foreign minister. Seeing Chu Guang's expression, Cheng Yan knew he must have stumbled upon some surprising news, and joked, "The Boro province isn't full of fools, especially not in Golden Gallon Port. When I visited there, everyone seemed to have a thousand ideas for getting rich, even the newspaper boys." Chu Guang shook his head, pulling two chopsticks from the bamboo holder and wiping them with a napkin. "Fools sometimes do less harm; it's those who are too clever that do stupid things you have to worry about." Since his meeting with the Director of the Academy's Investigation Division some days ago, nothing noteworthy had occurred within the Union, leading Survivor’s Daily to put the trivial news about Heavenly Capital on the front page. Perhaps due to Dolly taking people to develop the great desert and the Batoria province, the quality of the Dawn City editorial team had tanked—a photo of a mutated cockroach from Springwater City had been used thoughtlessly. The Boro province didn't have such large creatures! But, since Survivor's Daily wasn't an official Union publication, he couldn’t just drop by repeatedly to see the editor. Last time he visited, the editor nearly cried. Just as he tossed the napkin into the bin, a young guy carrying a bowl of ramen briskly approached. "Ramen's here! Enjoy your meal, you two!" "Thanks," Cheng Yan grinned at the spirited young man, then turned to Chu Guang, who had already started eating, probing gently, "Are you really not going to intervene?" Intervene... That word again. Chu Guang was really in no mood to answer that question. He tossed a garlic clove into his soup, dismissing the topic in a single sentence. "It would create an ecological imbalance." Hearing that, Cheng Yan didn’t push further and smoothly changed the topic. "And what about the war prisoners? Both Heavenly Capital and Mammoth Nation have requested us to hand over Gurion. Though there's tension between them... they are officially our allies." "Gurion?" Chu Guang furrowed his brow. "Wasn't that guy in Xifan Port?" Cheng Yan gave a bitter smile, saying, "He was, but whether Zaide offended the Emperor of the Eastern Empire or something else happened, the Eastern Empire has moved Gurion to Golden Gallon Port... leaving only Akbar with them." The sly old fox... Chu Guang chuckled, seeing right through Salen's schemes. The man intended to use the Union as a tool, leveraging it against his puppet. Abusec had already been dismissed by the Committee. While Heavenly Capital still nominally allied with the Union, in practice, it was estranged from Dawn City. Anyone could see that the Families were puppets of the Eastern Empire, and they themselves were well aware of their status. Zaide, however, was far from honest, seeking benefits from the Eastern Empire while continuing to want advantages from the Union. The Coalition of Heavenly Capital was turning into a corpse, sewn to the Committee's seat, the best evidence of his intentions. Salen realized Chu Guang would see through this, refusing to hand over Gurion to Heavenly Capital and thus eagerly handed over the knife. If I were to actually hand Gurion over to Mammoth Nation, it would achieve the goal of shaking up Boro. Even Zaide, no matter how thick-skinned, would realize it’s impossible to have it both ways. As for killing Gurion, it wouldn't be much of a loss for the Eastern Empire. Salen might be a Weilante native, but he's more of a political animal and is unlikely to act akin to those "Weilante Loyalists" who would never abandon their kin. Chu Guang already had an answer in mind, but he tossed the question to Cheng Yan. "You're the Foreign Minister of the Union. In your opinion, who should Gurion be given to?" In a low voice, Cheng Yan replied, "I heard that among the 800,000 soldiers under Boro’s 'Iron General' Grove, many are former Southern Legion members. They have a lot of Southern Legion weapons, some taken over from the Eastern Empire, and some captured during Operation Northwind." Chu Guang: "So?" Cheng Yan's eyes glinted slightly. "Currently, Grove is confronting Mammoth Nation in the north. If we hand Gurion over to Heavenly Capital, Mammoth Nation might be at risk." Rasi, who could stand up to Gurion, is dead. The current leader of Mammoth Nation is Shawa, a commander from Rasi's assault team. Although capable and battle-tested, he was originally from internal affairs and lacks strategic prowess. Grove might have had some easy wins in the south, but his performance in Operation Northwind shows he has real skills; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been put on the Southern Legion’s playing cards. "So you’re suggesting we kill Gurion?" Chu Guang casually asked, not wanting to hear him beat around the bush. Gurion’s role is somewhat akin to that of a Griffin, merely a theater commander. Whether or not he deserves death is a decision for the Boro people. The Union's main targets for accounting are in Yavent City, and they need to be at least a four-star general, like the Minister of General Affairs, to be focused on. Regarding a three-star general, the Boro people can decide on their sentence, whether capital or life, without his interference. "I didn't mean that, quite the opposite," Cheng Yan hurriedly shook his head. "The court in Golden Gallon Port would undoubtedly sentence him to death, but killing a figurehead means nothing to us." Lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear, he quickly added, "I suggest holding the trial in Mammoth City... After all, from a legal standpoint, the survivors in Mammoth participated as the main force in the fight against the Southern Legion. They have the right to try Gurion, perhaps more so than Heavenly Capital today." Looking at Cheng Yan, whose eyes blazed with determination, Chu Guang's previously expressionless face suddenly broke into a smile. "Not bad. Just say what's on your mind, no need to beat around the bush." Cheng Yan laughed sheepishly. "I wasn't trying to beat around the bush... I just wanted to explain my reasoning to you. After all, you must see that Gurion is essentially a knife Salen handed us. If you really can't bear to jeopardize the relationship with Heavenly Capital, executing him in Golden Gallon Port is still an option." He paused, adding one more thing. "Of course, I must remind you, false friendships don’t bring any tangible benefits. Any sweet words from Zaide will ultimately not be honored; he’ll just look for every opportunity to fleece us." Chu Guang chuckled, pushing his empty bowl aside. "A small con artist trying to fleece me... he’s not quite up to the task yet. Your thought process is good. Since you’ve already made up your mind, go ahead and do it." Cheng Yan smiled slightly, understanding fully. "Got it." Boro province's issues are only part of the post-war order, and Chu Guang wasn’t keen on personally playing this hand. In comparison, he was more interested in Abu Saik, a person he'd met once at a human conference, who was recently involved with "Abu Space" at Fry Port. This guy had retired, yet there he was, starting up a new venture. If he succeeds, maybe it would change the conservative Union's view on the Boro people. Of course, he hoped even more that this individual could have a positive influence on the Boro people within the Union, teaching them self-respect, self-love, and self-reliance. Having left Boro province, there should be no need to keep searching for a patriarchal presence or throwing tantrums. On another note, what concerned Chu Guang more were the Celestials. If the sword hanging over the Lagrange point was not broken, he couldn't sleep peacefully. Especially now that the Legion had disbanded. The responsibility, once belonging to Julius, now fell solely on his shoulders. To be continued.