Tractor

The Steam Generator was complete, and so was the Steelmaking Blast Furnace, but neither could be put into use yet.

Because the high-capacity thermal generator required a greater fuel supply.

The current Mining Team was already working at full capacity just to support the two existing generators. Adding another generator whose demand exceeded the combined needs of the existing two several times over would be impossible, even if the clones worked themselves to death.

Even assigning all five newly added clones to the Mining Team would not be enough.

At this stage, the Mining Team's mining method consisted of driving the Planetary Rover, using its power supply to operate Electric Heating Equipment that heated and cut through Solid Oxygen and solid tholin, then loading the materials into the cargo bed and hauling them back.

The Planetary Rover had not originally been designed for mining, so its capacity and cutting power were limited. Besides, even on Luoshen Star, where gravity was extremely low, repeatedly hauling Solid Oxygen and solid tholin over long periods was exhausting work, and the clones' transport efficiency was low.

Continuing to invest manpower into mining was unrealistic. First, there were not that many people. Second, even if there were, manpower could not be wasted like this.

Li Qingsong had a better solution.

Then... build a tractor!

With a tractor designed specifically for transport, the predicament he faced would be resolved at once. Both iron ore transportation and the fuel demands of the high-power generator could be addressed.

The question now was how to build this tractor.

The two clones stationed aboard the Deep Space spacecraft once again began their intense studies.

After mastering the basic principles, all twenty-two brains under his control began thinking together. With efficiency far beyond that of an ordinary person, they quickly completed the blueprints.

The ore refining and processing equipment began operating once more, continuously producing parts that the clones carefully assembled.

At first, it was impossible to tell from its appearance what the clones were assembling.

It resembled a huge iron tank, covered in irregular protrusions and connection holes.

But as time passed and more and more components were produced, it gradually took shape.

In the end, a relatively small steam engine appeared before the clones.

That was right. This tractor was not powered by an internal combustion engine, nor was it electrically powered like the Planetary Rover. It ran on a steam engine.

Other than a steam engine, Li Qingsong could not find any other energy source at this stage.

Once the tractor's "heart" was complete, the remaining components were much easier. Finally, after another month or so, the tractor's front end was finished.

Looking at the rough-looking tractor front before him, with its four steel wheels, a height of roughly 1.5 meters, a width of 2 meters, and a length of about 2.2 meters, Li Qingsong, who had been busy for over two months, finally let out a breath of relief.

"It's finally done..."

This was a fully mechanical tractor front, without any electrical components whatsoever.

Its interior relied entirely on mechanical systems for power transmission, fuel regulation, and so on. It was crude, bulky, and primitive to the extreme—outdated to the extreme.

If this thing were thrown onto Earth, it would probably belong only in a museum.

But to Li Qingsong right now, it could serve a great purpose.

After providing initial heat and melting the Solid Oxygen and solid tholin that fueled the tractor's steam engine, the engine finally started.

Li Qingsong patiently waited for the Water Ice to melt and the steam to form.

The process took more than ten minutes. At last, a faint vibration came from the vehicle body. The power was ready.

Yes, every time it started, this tractor required more than ten minutes, and it could not cold-start. It needed an external heat source to assist with ignition.

If it broke down in the wilderness, it would not be able to restart on its own and could only wait for outside rescue.

One clone climbed aboard, grabbed the gear lever, and shifted gears. At once, steam power was transmitted to two of the four wheels. Those two drove the other two, and all four wheels began turning together, pulling the vehicle body slowly forward.

As the steam engine's output increased, the vehicle body moved faster and faster. Eventually, the engine reached full load, and the tractor front reached its maximum speed of roughly ten kilometers per hour, about the same as an ordinary person's running speed.

"This speed will do."

Li Qingsong immediately began the next experiment.

The tractor's cargo bed had already been built. It was a steel compartment two meters wide, four meters long, and half a meter deep.

There was a connection hole at its front. Once attached directly to the tractor front, it could be pulled along.

Li Qingsong controlled the clones as they loaded large chunks of Tholin Mine and oxygen ore onto the cargo bed, piling up seven or eight cubic meters in total, with a total mass of around six or seven tons. Then they started the tractor front again.

This time, the tractor front was clearly struggling much more.

Thick clouds of black smoke billowed from its chimney, rapidly dispersing into the vacuum at Luoshen Star's surface before falling as black snow in the distance.

The tractor front shuddered. Its four steel tires rolled laboriously, dragging the heavy cargo bed slowly forward. Its top speed was only around six or seven kilometers per hour.

Li Qingsong watched it intently until the clone drove it one or two kilometers down the canyon, then turned it around and returned.

A group of clones immediately stepped forward and carefully inspected the tractor front. Only after confirming that it was in good condition and had suffered no malfunction did they truly relax.

After the inspection was complete, the tractor was immediately put into use.

It traveled up a gentle slope from the canyon to the surface, trembling and roaring soundlessly as it drove onto the desolate, lifeless land of Luoshen Star.

After spending more than an hour weaving around gullies and uneven terrain and traveling over ten kilometers, it finally arrived at a previously surveyed oxygen ore deposit.

Tholin Mine was everywhere on Luoshen Star's surface and could be gathered nearby. Oxygen ore was relatively scarce and required traveling some distance to find.

Two clones jumped down from the tractor front, each taking out a Heat Dissipation Pipe—one end of each pipe was connected to the steam engine, and they now served perfectly as heating and cutting equipment.

Underground, pale-blue oxygen ore glimmered with an unusual light beneath the distant dim sun and the Mining Lamps.

Under the Heat Dissipation Pipes' heat, large amounts of Solid Oxygen rapidly sublimated and vanished. Before long, a huge block of oxygen ore had been cut free, and the clones immediately lifted it into the cargo bed.

Before long, they had filled an entire cargo bed, with a total mass of around seven or eight tons. The tractor roared again and slowly made its way back to Base One at an even slower speed than before.

The previously somewhat empty Fuel Storage Point was immediately filled to capacity.

Looking at the abundant fuel, Li Qingsong let out a long breath.

"Now this is good. With this tractor, not only does the Mining Team not need more people, it can be reduced from five people to two. That frees up another three clones for other work."