Chapter 1002 - This Game Is Too Realistic

Chapter 1002: A Long-Awaited Reunion "I didn't expect this trouble to be resolved so easily." In the browsing room of Shelter 404 in Dawn City, Chu Guang sat on the sofa, scrolling through posts on the official website. His face was a mix of surprise and relief. Just hours ago, he’d read on the site that the Burning Legion had been annihilated by a neutron torpedo. But in the few hours since, the forum posts had shifted to "Brother Night Ten is amazing." To be fair, this guy really was impressive. Not only did he save humanity, but he also reclaimed the "Orion" missile cruiser from the Celestials. Although the starship had been moved five light-years away and might not have enough fuel to return, Chu Guang believed there would be a way. After all, there was still the Gemini. Worst case, they could bring that starship back! The showdown between the wasteland survivor forces, the Celestials, and the Enlightenment faction was still in the preparation phases. Chu Guang wasn't worried; it was the opposition who should be concerned. A new order had been established, and the old one was destined to fade with time. For the alliance, the longer this drags on, the more survivors they can integrate, thus increasing their chances of success. This was the source of Chu Guang's surprise. As for relief, it was because Night Ten had finally come to his senses. Not an easy feat. Reading the congratulatory posts brought a soft smile to Chu Guang's face. As a father figure often lovingly scolded by the players, he too felt a sense of blessing for the couple. That girl was a good one. He advised cherishing her. Little Qi, who was sitting inside a pen holder, rested her chin in her hands, swinging her legs with a look of comfort and sentimentality. "Who would've thought that the most worrisome person would mature? Is this what it's like to be a parent? Congratulations, really." Watching the little one rock back and forth in the pen holder, Chu Guang couldn't help but tease, "You've only known him for a few years. Why are you feeling so involved?" Little Qi protested loudly, displeased with his comment. "What do you mean involved? I've watched the players grow, too!" "Hahaha, yes, yes." Chu Guang laughed, patting the little one on the head, avoiding further debate. In truth, she wasn't wrong—Little Qi had been instrumental in supervising the players and avoiding conflicts between them and the wastelanders, acting as customer support and GM. "Thank you for all your hard work." Upon hearing his praise, Little Qi's dissatisfied frown turned into a proud smile. After briefly basking in the head pats, she suddenly seemed to recall something important. "By the way, master, now that the Orion missile cruiser issue is resolved, do we still need to continue the near-orbit defense platform?" Chu Guang chuckled, "Of course, we do. The two initiatives aren't mutually exclusive." Little Qi tilted her head, "But I heard those defense platforms are not offensive." Chu Guang explained, "True, but strategic planning shouldn't be fickle. Moreover, our reason for deploying this wasn't solely to counter the Orion." The main purpose of the near-orbit defense platform was to replace space debris. The wasteland survivors couldn't always hide behind space junk, which wasn't really protection anyway, more of a nuisance. Once the gravity well is activated, the Alliance will use near-orbit defense platforms to control low Earth orbit and geosynchronous orbit, addressing space threats while also monitoring terrestrial threats as a "mobile weapon station." This decision is only possible during the "Celestial Crisis." At any other time, not even the Alliance's closest allies would support this move. Additionally, activating the near-orbit defense platform would reignite the Alliance's aerospace industry. Developing an industry from scratch to maturity is a long process, not something appearing with a click of a button. Since current development momentum is strong, Chu Guang preferred to let it continue. Even if this defense system eventually proves unnecessary, it could still fuel the related supply chain and awaken the dormant "vertical casting wells" after more than a century. This strategic move sets the groundwork not just for now, but for the future as well. After listening to Chu Guang's explanation, Little Qi nodded, half understanding. "Alright, if you've decided, I won't argue... But what about the starship stuck five light-years away? Your players seem trapped there." Chu Guang laughed, "That's nothing to worry about; I'm confident he'll sort it out himself!" Five light-years is a distance far beyond his control. If Night Ten can bring the starship back, he might arrange for the Academy to send a research ship to pick them up. If not, there wasn't much he could do. Building a warp engine isn't as simple as having the technology; replicating even the basic anti-gravity device stretched their current production capabilities to the limit... ... While Chu Guang was strategizing for the Alliance's future, Night Ten, having put on his helmet again, rushed back online. Opening his eyes, a bright light surrounded him. He was still lying in the gym, but Jiang Xuezhou was nowhere to be seen. Panic set in, and he called out over the wide-band communication channel. "Xuezhou! Where are you?!" As he tried to get up, a stuttering electronic voice sounded from behind. "You're awake?" Startled, Night Ten turned around to see a round-bodied robot standing behind him. "Who are you?" "Me?" The robot gestured to itself, speaking in a not-so-smart voice, "I am Little Koala. My new master asked me to wait here for you." Hearing that name, Night Ten was dumbfounded. "Koala? You're...you're still alive?!" The name was all too familiar! That engineer from the Fourth Department, a chatterbox, always appearing reluctant but eager to help others. The round robot wiggled its camera, speaking in metal clinks, "Luckily, my memory storage and main circuit board are intact. The android only damaged my power unit, which my new master easily replaced... Hmm, but my emotional sensor indicates you might be mistaking me for someone from your memory." Pressing his finger to his temple, Night Ten took a deep breath, attempting to sort through his thoughts. "I think I understand... Your master is Koala, right? He designed you, then left you here to wait for us." Little Koala pondered, "Koala, huh? He never told me his name nor who to wait for. But seeing you two, I realized you were the ones... So, I guess you're right." "Was his name Koala too? So what does Koala actually mean? I feel this term might have another significance." Indeed, it was him. Looking at the round-bellied robot, Night Ten felt a mixture of nostalgia and sorrow, joy and sadness—a medley of emotions scrambled like spices. He wanted to cry but couldn’t. His parents had always taught him that men don’t cry easily, so he kept everything bottled up. "You seem a bit sad." Little Koala touched his head, "Does this make you feel better?" "...Thank you, much better." Noticing Night Ten was feeling a bit better, Little Koala politely nodded its camera, finally pointing aside. "You're welcome. I learned it from my new master." Following its direction, Night Ten looked towards the room's doorway, noticing a round helmet silently standing there. Although the black visor obscured the face, Night Ten recognized her at once, speaking in surprise. "Why did you change your outfit?" Her former extravehicular exosuit had been swapped for a thick spacesuit. The rounded helmet with its black UV-protection visor, coupled with an air pack on the back, lent a kind of 21st-century aesthetic. "About the previous suit..." Jiang Xuezhou lightly bit her lip, hesitated for a while without speaking, and finally murmured with some embarrassment. "...In short, don't look at me until I'm better." Everyone has pride, especially in front of someone they care about. It wasn't about insecurity; she simply wished to show her best self, rather than her current, scarred image. Gazing at Jiang, who even while injured cared about her appearance, Night Ten felt deeply moved. "It doesn't bother me..." He was about to blurt it out but stopped himself, recalling what had previously happened. But perhaps because of her good mood, Jiang Xuezhou didn’t argue and instead quietly said: "While you were 'offline' letting others know we’re alright, I fixed Little Koala and revisited our previous research ship. Although things aren't looking too promising, all the supplies are still there... Enough for just the two of us to last about half a year." "Also, there's a lot of food stored aboard this starship—plenty of fresh water, compressed biscuits, freeze-dried food, and canned goods. Although they're long past their expiration dates, they’re still edible. And anything inedible can be processed into nutritional paste using the organic recycling unit." Night Ten let out a sigh of relief, jokingly saying, "At least we won't starve or die of thirst." Jiang Xuezhou nodded and continued: "Aside from supplies, I also looked at the engineering and maintenance department on the lower deck. The ship's structure there is relatively intact and has a sealed partition from the main cabin... I’ll try to see if I can use the tools there to build a makeshift buffer cabin, solving our air pressure and air supply problems." Repairing an entire starship between them wasn't realistic, but using materials on hand to create a temporary space shelter was manageable. This task was essentially a mandatory skill for academy researchers. Although she once dismissed this course as unnecessary, she now thanked her past self for attending every lecture earnestly. "I'll help too," Night Ten eagerly volunteered after hearing Jiang Xuezhou's plan. Although it might not have been the best time to say it, he found the idea interesting, much like playing with "Oxygen Not Included." Jiang Xuezhou had no idea what amusing thoughts ran through his mind, merely nodding slightly: "Mm! I’ll definitely need your help then—this kind of physical labor isn’t something I can handle alone. Once I draft the design, I’ll send it to you. But for now, let's eat... I’m a bit hungry." Actually, her stomach had been rumbling for a while. When they first arrived near the Orion missile cruiser wreckage, she’d only had some liquid food, and many events had followed the crash landing of their research ship. Night Ten sprang up from the ground, following Jiang Xuezhou with Little Koala into the brightly lit corridor. It was obvious Jiang Xuezhou had a genuine fear of the dark; Night Ten thought the lights were even brighter than those he'd seen 215 years ago. Though they faced a significant energy shortage, this paled in comparison to the energy needed for hyper-space jumps, and they didn't have time to sweat the small stuff. So even Night Ten didn't complain about not turning off the reactor to save power—the energy saved wouldn't even match what a single reactor cycle consumed. Placing a silver tray with some compressed biscuits and two packets of liquid food on the ground, Jiang Xuezhou said, somewhat bashfully, "I just grabbed some food. I hope it’s alright." "Of course, it is," Night Ten replied, tearing open a biscuit wrapper and popping it into his mouth. "As long as it fills me up, I'm not picky." Even though he’d eaten offline earlier, he was still empty in this digital world. Seeing him devour the food, Jiang Xuezhou couldn’t help but smile softly. Even the way he ate was charming, reminiscent of a little piglet. As she happily mused, Jiang Xuezhou found herself wanting to learn how to cook, imagining him gobbling down her meals with delight. She nibbled on her biscuit. That formerly bland emergency food seemed tastier by watching his relish. After finishing a quick meal, Night Ten tidied up their trash, packing everything neatly. Taking a short break, Jiang Xuezhou sketched out the temporary buffer cabin’s design based on the photos taken in the repair room. However, instead of jumping straight into work, they first headed to the bridge on the upper deck—the location of this ship's star chart coordinates. They needed to determine their exact position in NGC 8762 and where the Gemini missile cruiser was before figuring out how to return home. Walking towards the bridge, Night Ten suddenly remembered something and spoke up. "Speaking of which, what happened to the clone called Luo Yi? I didn't see it when I woke up." Jiang Xuezhou replied softly, "I dismantled and recycled its parts, and as for the data on its motherboard... it deleted itself." "It... deleted itself?" Night Ten was momentarily stunned, hesitating as he asked, "Could this be a trick?" "Unlikely. I already checked—it erased all traces of its existence, completely vanishing from this world, as if it never existed..." Seeing Night Ten's astonished expression, Jiang Xuezhou continued with a complex look: "The Celestials created it from backup server data, giving it the identity of 'Luo Yi', but without any memories of being 'Luo Yi'." "It lived its life as 'Sergeant Luo Yi', only to suddenly realize one day that it was fake." "Not only that, but its ideals and goals... everything it believed in: Even its very existence ran counter to its original beliefs." "A contradiction," Night Ten mused, attempting to grasp it, shaking his head, "Honestly, I don’t get why the Celestials needed something so complex. Wouldn't a simple robot do?" "A plain robot lacks autonomous decision-making unless continuously linked. Without it, handling complex, subjective tasks is hard. Moreover..." Jiang Xuezhou paused, then continued: "Perhaps they don’t entirely trust programs and might not fully embrace their own identity. They might view 'Celestial' as a roundabout path to save humanity." Night Ten was taken aback. "A roundabout path to save humanity?" In a casual tone, Jiang Xuezhou replied, "Become Celestials, restart civilization, and then transform back into humans. That’s how I see it—they don’t intend to turn into something else like Torch Church fanatics do. For them, the shelter residents like you are crucial, while wastelanders like us are expendable." "Of course, that’s just my theory based on limited clues. They might not have designed the final part of my proposed plan. Perhaps they don’t care about turning back, just wanting future generations to live by their ideals... and themselves, as mankind’s guardians." "But either way, cognitive modules are a must; otherwise, they'll leave behind nothing but lifeless machines, which might not align with their expectations." Night Ten couldn’t help but comment, "Isn’t it still lifeless? A dead machine replaced with stagnant thought? Two centuries have passed—how can people live as they did before?" Even Puritania’s tyrants adapted over time with measures like shifting divine right to family legacy or turning kings into mere heads of families. Jiang Xuezhou shrugged resignedly. "You’re right, but victory doesn’t fall from the sky. I guess they have reasons to convince themselves, like those mad Torch Church zealots... Anyway, let's focus on solving our current predicament.” At least for now, the foremost thought for them was how to pilot this starship back home. Ten thousand neutron torpedoes. Bringing this starship back would mean blowing up the space station at the Lagrange point, ghosts or not, along with it. Boarding the elevator to the bridge, they were greeted by rows of dust-covered panoramic windows. Through the dusty transparent wall, Night Ten saw a radiant fireball hanging alone in the vast night sky. The brilliant light seemed to emanate from the edge of the universe, casting a multicolored halo on the dust-covered floor-to-ceiling window. At this moment, the bridge was facing the direction of the star. "Why is there only one star?" Mesmerized by the magnificent scenery, Night Ten's eyes couldn't tear away from the window. Jiang Xuezhou was equally captivated by the beautiful sight but refrained from Night Ten's overt reaction. She glanced at it a couple of times before moving to a nearby terminal to activate the holographic screen. "...Because those two stars are so close together that from our current position, they appear as a single sun. You’d need a more advanced telescope to see it clearly." "Isn't this supposed to be a triple star system? Where's the third star?" Night Ten couldn't help but ask. Jiang Xuezhou sighed, patiently explaining. "What you're seeing now are Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B. As for Proxima Centauri, it’s too far away for me to point out to you right now." Not just far in astronomical terms. Being a red dwarf, its brightness is faint, making it virtually invisible under these bright light conditions. Night Ten nodded somewhat blankly, eyes fixed on the celestial scene outside, unable to pull away. To be truthful, though this wasn’t quite how he imagined Alpha Centauri would look, the splendid starry sky left him deeply awed. It's a sight unseen from Earth. For a fleeting moment, an inexplicable thought crossed his mind— Could the real Alpha Centauri also be like this? If so, this game might very well have been crafted by aliens. "I found it. Fortunately, our navigation equipment is still functional. We're currently positioned at..." Jiang Xuezhou's voice suddenly faded, losing its earlier confidence. Noticing the change in her tone, Night Ten, entranced by the scene moments ago, swiftly redirected his attention from the window to Jiang Xuezhou’s side. "Is there something wrong?" Jiang Xuezhou's face had turned pale. Her lips trembled as she spoke. "It's Gaia..." Upon hearing the word, Night Ten was stunned. "Gaia? You mean... the colonial planet from the Union era?" Jiang Xuezhou nodded, her expression marked by anxiety. "Yes..." Night Ten’s breath caught, a mix of astonishment and joy on his face. He felt it was remarkable, without a hint of fear. Wow. This new map is incredible! Frankly, he didn’t understand what she was afraid of. No matter how powerful Gaia was, it couldn't possibly reach them in geosynchronous orbit, right? Gently placing his hand on her shoulder, he comforted her with a soft tone. "Don't worry, it’s far from us." Her shoulder shivered slightly, his words offering limited but visible comfort. But only just a little. After a long pause, a note of despair drifted over the communication channel. "I know, but the remains of the Gemini aren't nearby. I've searched everywhere with the radar and couldn't find it..." "There's only one possibility: either it fell on its own, or something brought it down." "We might have to go down there..." ... (Thanks to "Ruyue Linyuan" and "Baicang" for their rewards!!!) To be continued.