Proxima b.
The Central Academy of Sciences.
Augustus paced back and forth in the observation room, wearing a uniquely styled black robe.
"What are the results?"
Seeing an observer rise, Augustus immediately turned an inquiring gaze on him. "Have you found any trace of the Solar System civilization?"
Under Augustus's burning gaze, the observer trembled and shook his head.
At that, the oppressive aura around Augustus grew heavier.
"Five years! We've been searching for five whole years!"
Augustus opened his breathing vents and forcefully expelled a blast of hot air, then stretched out his short, withered forelimb and slammed it against the detection equipment before him.
"And we haven't found so much as a trace of the Solar System Fleet!"
The observer dared not speak. He merely retreated a few steps and sat back down in his chair.
"Lord Augustus, is it possible that the Solar System Fleet has already left?"
Beside him, Nartes posed the question cautiously.
Augustus spun around, all six eyes glaring fixedly at Nartes.
"Nartes! Do you think that's possible?!"
"They abandoned the habitable stellar system right in front of them to go looking for Ross 154, 8.24 light-years away?"
"That's nearly twice the distance!"
Nartes was momentarily at a loss for words.
True enough. Unless the Solar System civilization had lost its mind, it would never abandon such a prize already within its grasp.
According to their centuries of observations, within ten light-years, only the Solar System, 4.22 light-years away, and the Ross 154 stellar system, 8.24 light-years away, contained habitable rocky planets.
Ross 154 (with Proxima b as the origin)
The atmosphere in the observation room was almost suffocatingly heavy.
"Keep scanning!"
Augustus's voice broke the oppressive silence in the observation room. "Put the optical telescopes to work, too!"
"If electromagnetic waves can't detect