As midnight approached, the FTL Communication signals echoing among the stars fell silent once more. The massive antenna array atop the Thorin Giant Tree gradually returned to standby mode, leaving only its towering steel framework and crystal matrix softly whimpering in the night wind.
Coolant rushed through fiber conduits as the Servo Brain Arrays, which had been running at high speed for so long, entered shallow sleep within one ecological chamber after another. Beltira felt the neural surges within her gradually subside, and only after a long while did she turn toward the Magic Net Terminal nearby. "Brother Gawain, the signal from Noi has stopped transmitting."
"You've worked hard over there," Gawain said with a slight nod from the communication screen. "End the connection for now, and check Thorin's antenna system while you're at it. This is its first time operating continuously for so long."
Beltira nodded and severed the long-distance link to the imperial capital. On the other end, Gawain remained seated at his desk long after the communication ended. His gaze fell upon the printing device beside him. The paper strips spilling from its output slot had already piled into a thick stack in the paper tray, the pristine pages covered with records of the conversation between the two planets over the past several hours—the first half between civilizations, the latter between people.
He let out a quiet breath and rose, walking to the broad floor-to-ceiling window. It was already midnight. Outside, the night was as deep as heavy ink, while cold starlight poured down from space. The magnificent Milky Way stretched between the Dark Mountains and the northwestern forests, its glow reflecting against the artificial lights of the cities. Every point of light shone sharply into Gawain's eyes.
Light footsteps approached from the side, and Amber came