When Everything Fell Into Place

During the construction of the planetary-scale gravity ring, Dali physicists on the homeworld became enamored with stargazing. In the past, this had only been an activity among astrophysicists, but this time it spread throughout the entire physics community. Whether they studied microscopic quantum phenomena or applied physics, everyone joined in.

They were not observing celestial phenomena or some newly discovered heavenly body. What they were watching was the ring being built in the homeworld's orbit.

Perhaps because they possessed astronomical observation skills, astrophysicists received far more attention from the Dali scientific community than before. Physicists from other fields would generally invite several astrophysicists when heading outdoors to observe the planetary-scale gravity ring under construction.

The Collectors did not stop the Dali from openly "observing" it. Without a theoretical foundation, they would not understand it even if they watched. At most, they could gain some understanding of the gravity ring's structure. Even if the Dali discovered the secret of faster-than-light travel by observing its construction, they lacked the ability to develop into a faster-than-light civilization without the Collectors' permission.

Such was the sorrow of a vassal civilization: its lifeline was always held in the grasp of its suzerain civilization.

Since it merely involved assembling existing acceleration conduits into a ring, construction of the circular acceleration track soon neared completion. Next came accelerating the ring.

As the energy level of the internal deflection-maintaining electric field rose, the ring gradually shrank before the astonished eyes of the Dali on the homeworld. It went from twice the diameter of the homeworld to the same size as the homeworld's diameter.

At the same time, changes began occurring on the side of the planet facing the gravity ring. The Dali there clearly felt their bodies growing much lighter. They bounced along as though walking on the