When I returned, some incredible facilities had already been set up.
“Wow…”
“We worked hard.”
Said Selene, her doll-like frame puffing out her chest proudly. Indeed, the equipment brought into our old base was of an extremely advanced level… something straight out of science fiction.
A bundle of seven hexagonal columns, each roughly the size of a single person, had their front segment lowered into a concave design–a truly futuristic computer terminal. Inside, a pseudo-quantum computer was installed, and connected directly to Selene’s core system, granting it unimaginable computational power.
Compared to the large-scale fleet command computers, this system’s performance was minuscule, akin to ants versus an elephant. Nevertheless, this was without a doubt the peak of electronic warfare equipment that we could prepare.
“Quite impressive for such a short time.”
“Rustiagis helped with transportation.”
“But your speed in designing this amazes me.”
Selene has always been exceptionally talented in everything, yet to design and build something this advanced without any blueprints… it’s nothing short of remarkable. In terms of survival ability, she might be among the best even within the Unified Army.
Thinking about it, she built me my first body upon awakening, and has consistently been able to quickly assemble gear. Truly, I am a lucky person to have her.
“So, naturally, this computer…”
“Yes, it’s standalone. You don’t have to worry about any electronic contamination.”
With that trust in my partner’s word, I connected the terminal containing the memory data of the organic unit known as the “Corrupted Male Deity,” which I had extracted at “Site 5689.”
“Commencing analysis…”
With that, robotic arms materialized from the walls, tapping into the physical consoles that hadn’t been seen in years. Of course, the system needed to be completely standalone, making this design necessary despite the inconvenience of direct operation.
It was quite surreal. A brute force display of cutting-edge technology if there ever was one.
“Indeed, the data shows significant corruption during formatting. It’s laden with trap viruses… but we’ve figured out the unit’s specifications.”
“Great! So, this thing is…”
“It’s undoubtedly an organic CPU unit, a standard used by the old Sol system group. There appears to be an attempt to mask something, but that’s actually a good sign.”
Alright, finally we have some leads.
Now, aside from the Zodiac Republic Union, there are nearly twenty states in space claiming to be legitimate successors of Earth.
We maintain tense relations with more than half of them—indeed, some even harbor an inexplicable hatred for us akin to vengeance for a parent’s death. Despite the long-standing avoidance of physical conflict—essentially war—we still don’t fully understand why they harbor such animosity.
True, we were involved in the Solar System disputes, but it wasn’t initiated by higher-ups, and we were certainly not the masterminds behind “destroying Earth.” We were, in fact, fervent Earth preservationists.
Yet they persistently denounce us as humanoids or AI pretenders, incessantly instigating conflicts. The number of times we’ve relocated due to their nuisance is innumerable, but now, it’s confirmed.
“They couldn’t have the capability to do something like this, could they?”
“I was also concerned about that. A direct electronic assault is one thing, but producing communications band anomalies like these… it’s quite unlikely.”
We pride ourselves as pioneers in electronic warfare technology even in the galaxy. We have mechanized humans, whose self-awareness was digitized into binary code, and numerical self-intellect entities considered as “elves” of the digital world. Additionally, there are photon lifeforms that have debated and calculated for megayears, slime lifeforms that hold math as a sacred philosophy, and chlorophyll beings, which achieve consciousness through the linking of algae resembling programmable codes.
The idea that their fanatically designed protections could be outpaced by code integrating ternary and quindecimal systems with complex random numbers into mad codes is unimaginable.
Moreover, this kind of operation seems unnecessarily circuitous for mere disruptions.
If they were capable of this, proper preparation could have led to the contamination of our own planet’s communication frequencies. They could have easily massacred the entire crew of 2,000 on the Terran 16th’s second seeding fleet. Instead, they targeted a developing planet, fearing retaliation from the 4-million-vessel fleet?
But we came here via random jump, making it impossible to chase us afterward—since we ourselves don’t know where we’ll end up, calculating a retroactive gravitational wave pursuit feels far-fetched.
So, were they hidden aboard the fleet from the beginning?
“The Zodiac Republic Union?”
“Impossible. They are in the midst of minor skirmishes with the Harp Constellation Commercial Federation. They’d have no time or resources to take us on, let alone now when they’ve reached out to ally with former Earth nations, despite knowing they are disliked.”
True, they are naturalists, but they don’t utterly reject mechanization or genetic manipulation. They prefer mechanical treatments over regenerative healing, and they increase work efficiency through neuralization. They also lead in eradicating hereditary diseases through genetic treatment. Essentially, they’re part of the same heterodox group as us.
While we have some leads about the masterminds—though fifteen or more nations remain suspicious—their purpose remains unclear.
What did they want by targeting Terran 16 and the second seeding fleet?
Our fleet did carry flagship-class ships like the “Nagato 7,” but they weren’t large enough to warrant this scale of operation. With only around five thousand ships of varying sizes, destroying our fleet would barely make the Zodiac Republic’s fleet flinch.
And frankly, there weren’t many significant figures aboard. No photon lifeforms tagging along in a “let me know if you find anything interesting to debate” mood, no vast contingents of other alien species. Most of our crew were mechanized humans, driven by the desire to build enormous structures.
Besides, politically crucial figures—those risky to assassinate—don’t travel to places requiring a fifty-year round trip.
In that case, was it the planet they were aiming for?
But Terran 16 was just a common rocky planet found randomly. It was slightly outside the habitable zone, and essentially an ordinary rock. If one looks hard enough in the universe, there are countless planets like this.
However, considering all factors, Terran 16 remains uniquely intriguing.
“Did our pre-survey find anything unusual about Terran 16?”
“Negative. It was a standard rocky planet, a convenient celestial body that could almost become the size of Earth if hit by a meteor or two.”
That’s right. There’s no need for the upper echelons to conceal such ordinary findings.
But with strange phenomena occurring on this planet, it does raise suspicion, despite no apparent signs of malevolence.
What did the ones who wiped out the seeding fleet want to achieve?
With each answer found, the mystery deepens. While a clean slate puzzle might seem acceptable, it’s frustrating not knowing how many pieces comprise it.
“Maybe Terran 16 possesses something that could overturn the existing universe?”
“With what probability? Laughable enough to induce giggles.”
“But Saint J. Verne…”
“Anything humans can imagine, humans can surely achieve, right? That seems somewhat inappropriate to invoke here.”
Becoming the patron saint of children, J. Verne left behind words suggesting that anything imaginable by humans will eventually occur.
Doesn’t that validate my theory?
“Say, we just happened to show up where they were keeping an eye on Terran 16.”
“No other ships aside from the seeding fleet were present immediately after the spatial jump.”
“Maybe. But possibilities remain possibilities.”
Leaning against the computer terminal as the operational arms clicked away, I pondered.
It’s all I can think of right now.
Besides, this planet is undoubtedly strange. Ordinary substances that shouldn’t naturally produce from ordinary reproduction have found their way into living beings. And tools that move without deterioration after mere prayers seem unusual as well.
Let alone, massive mechanized creatures of the size that require anti-gravity units to sustain—those occurring naturally defy all logic.
“Hey, there’s a log accessing ‘Inanna 12’ in the data.”
“What? So the Zodiac Republic Union is indeed—”
“No, it’s not them. It was odd to see how a deranged artificial intelligence maintained just its navigation functions properly.”
“So what is ‘Inanna 12’?”
“It likely fell intentionally. That revelation was quite chilling.”
Really, what kind of map did someone conjure?
Hypothetically speaking, perhaps the ship which later became the Canopy Holy Capital was deliberately landed after completing its transformation into a New Earth, taking care to avoid the complete loss of its crew.
As if carefully sowing seeds in a tilled field.
“Ah… There’s data predicting ‘Inanna 12’s landing…”
“What is it?”
“Captain! This! Block II-2B is nearby! The combat unit production section!”
“What?!”
I instinctively sat up and became fixated on the monitor.
The display showed the predicted trajectory of “Inanna 12” during its self-destruct sequence to avoid damaging the planet. This object was calculating or transmitting data. The thrusters relocated to the bottom of the spherical ship worked at full capacity—thanks to its design, which allowed them to concentrate on one side by rotating the exterior—slowing down to the maximum extent possible before breaking apart like a child’s block structure, scattering to all sides.
Among these fragments, the central military weapons production section of the ship fell far to the north of the Holy Capital. Based on the landing prediction, it seemed to have retained its original shape, and considering the planet’s characteristics, it likely remains functional.
Thus, can it mass-produce Titan-2 units?
If we secure it, we’d practically have victory assured! It would solve over half the problems we currently face!
“Selene, can you pinpoint its location accurately?”
“I’ll try.”
I watched anxiously as the operational arms clicked away. Soon, the right arm offered a thumbs-up.
“Position identified with 98.79% accuracy!”
“Brilliant!”
We exchanged a high-five, and Selene returned to tapping the console in search of more valuable information.
“Captain… there’s a curious word here.”
“What is it?”
It was unusual for her to dampen my sudden enthusiasm to start planning our departure. Upon questioning, she decoded one frequently used term amidst the corrupted data.
The code read “Project Eden.” What does this plan, named after the mythical paradise from the ancient Earth religions, really signify…?
[Planet Exploration Addendum]
Mechanized humans and digital self-aware entities are particularly vulnerable to electronic viruses due to their binary-coded selves. Therefore, it is common practice to use standalone computers operated manually in the classical fashion to investigate dangerous data. To prevent potential contamination of communication bands, a rigorous process guards this operation.
The next update is scheduled for around 18:00 on 2024/08/20.
