The Massacred Fortress

"But now they're all gone. Why?" Some Collectors were puzzled.

Their kin replied, "Because the planet's surface temperature dropped, turning them all into ice. Then later wind and sand buried them, and the ice sank underground."

"Perhaps it was due to the planet's insufficient mass. A smaller mass meant its core cooled faster. Once the planetary core had completely cooled, its magnetic field could no longer be sustained. Buffeted by the stellar wind of a blue dwarf, many times stronger than that of an ordinary star, the planet's original atmosphere was naturally stripped thin."

"Then interstellar dust settled atop the original ice sheets, creating the current surface environment of dust-filled skies."

"Because of this dusty environment, whenever the planet reached perihelion, dust particles drifting in the atmosphere absorbed more solar energy. This particle-filled air became hotter than the surrounding atmosphere and rose rapidly, while other air swiftly filled the vacant space. That was how dust storms formed."

The reasons behind the planet's present surface environment were not particularly complicated. The Collectors had encountered far more complex environments, especially those on gaseous planets. Their harsh, chaotic atmospheres were filled with currents everywhere, making it exceedingly difficult to trace clues and draw conclusions. Compared to that, this terrestrial planet's environment, where clues could still be followed, was practically ideal.

"In an environment like this, even if the civilization we're looking for left behind any building complexes, five thousand years would probably have reduced them entirely to sand, making them part of the dust filling the skies."

One individual was deeply worried. That concern stemmed from the possibility that the Cluster's operation would yield nothing.

"They may have been buried by wind and sand. In any case, we should still look." An optimistic Collector comforted the worried kin.

As long as artificial structures