Above Planet Tanagrus, the Crystal Core Research Station quietly traveled along its orbit. The Sarcophagus of Life installed beneath the Space Station emitted a faint red glow, like an eye in space watching the planetary surface tens of thousands of kilometers away.
Firstborn Zhuom continued to watch the planet below from space as usual. Through its connection with the Source Blood, it could feel the joy of all living things on the planet as they gradually awakened from their slumber.
The Crystal Core Research Station AI that "lived" alongside Zhuom, however, paid little attention to what was happening on the planet. As the Space Station main unit, it devoted most of its energy to the several laboratories and sample repositories inside the station. The Firstborn samples in Containers One and Two had just undergone a series of routine tests. The two enormous containers were now discharging the various by-products generated during the experiments into specialized collection facilities. The Space Station AI had to sort these materials and send them to the factories, where some of their components could be processed into daily necessities. According to today's schedule, in one hour, fifteen minutes, and thirty-two seconds, it would arrange for a batch of landing shuttles to deliver these extra supplies produced by the station to the human settlements on Tanagrus, then bring back some experimental equipment from the planet for routine inspection and maintenance.
One Firstborn and one Space Station AI lived their plain yet fulfilling daily lives like this. Although other creatures might have found their "emotions" and thoughts difficult to understand, they had already adapted to their current lives and enjoyed them. Zhuom's emotions were comparatively richer, and it also had a complete personality, so it was always the one to initiate conversations. "Main unit! Did you see? They