Chapter Summaries

The Bosa Fleet discovered Human Civilization’s antimatter supply ships and a planet that appeared to be a Planetary Fortress, prompting the Bosa Commander to send two Secondary Flagships to destroy the transports. Lü Yongchang’s forces detected the threat and ordered the Third Fleet to intercept them.

• The Bosa Commander learned that five Human warships had self-destructed and destroyed the Alpha Secondary Flagship, then ordered his fleet to retreat from the pursuing Golden Crow battleships.
• A Probe found Human Civilization’s antimatter Supply Ships and transmitted images of a heavily armed planet before its signal vanished.
• The Bosa Commander recognized the planet as a possible Planetary Fortress and sent two Secondary Flagships to destroy the antimatter Supply Ships.
• Lü Yongchang learned that drones had located enemy antimatter storage units and ordered the recovery operation to speed up.
• Zhao Zijie saw the two Secondary Flagships’ course, identified their target as the Antimatter Transport Ships, and ordered the Third Fleet’s First and Second Squads to intercept them.

Andrew's Second Squad pursued the Bosa Civilization's secondary flagships as they attempted to enter curvature navigation and attack the antimatter transports. A self-destruction by the First Squad disrupted the warp attempt and drove one flagship back, but the First Squad was annihilated and the Second Squad was ordered to continue the mission.

• Andrew ordered the Second Squad's [Golden Crow] battleships to pursue the Bosa secondary flagships toward Gliese's fifth planet while the antimatter transports headed for Dawn Star.
• The two Bosa secondary flagships stopped evading attacks and began powering their Warp Drives, triggering alarms at Dawn Star's Command Center.
• Zhao Zijie ordered the First Squad to attack, while Andrew and the rest of the Second Squad also fired to disrupt the flagships' warp state.
• A warship self-destructed, interrupting the curvature navigation and damaging one Bosa secondary flagship, which turned back toward the Bosa Fleet.
• The command reported that the First Squad had been annihilated and ordered the Second Squad to continue the mission.

Andrew sacrificed the Golden Crow One to shield the Antimatter Transport Ship from a Bosa Secondary Flagship attack. The ship was destroyed, and Earth’s Command Center lost Andrew’s signal.

• The Bosa Secondary Flagship abandoned its attacks on the Golden Crow battleships and raced toward the Antimatter Transport Ship, while Andrew’s squad stood ready to stop it from using its Warp Drive.
• The Bosa flagship attacked the transport ship as the fleet approached Dawn Star, and the Golden Crow battleships deployed their drones to form a defensive barrier.
• Andrew learned that all three Golden Crow battleships had exhausted their drones and urged the squad to hold out until reinforcements arrived in five minutes.
• When an Antimatter Cannon shot threatened the transport ship and there were too few drones to block it, Andrew drove Golden Crow One into the impact zone and formed a Plasma Shield.
• The Antimatter Cannon destroyed Golden Crow One, and Zhao Zijie announced that its signal had been lost as Bai Yixuan and the others grieved for Andrew.

As Dawn Star’s support drones neared the Antimatter Transport Ship, Meng Shan and the crew of Golden Crow Three chose to charge the Bosa Civilization’s Secondary Flagship with their battleship. Golden Crow Three self-destructed to stop the enemy’s antimatter attack, leaving the damaged Bosa flagship facing the arriving reinforcements.

• Zhao Zijie learned that Golden Crow Two’s signal had been lost and demanded to know when the support drones would arrive.
• Meng Shan spotted Dawn Star’s approaching support drones, then realized the Bosa flagship was overloading its main cannon to fire again.
• Meng Shan and his crew agreed to charge the enemy, and he disabled Golden Crow Three’s antimatter safety systems to accelerate the ship.
• Golden Crow Three charged into the Bosa flagship’s antimatter torrent and self-destructed as the support drones reached the Antimatter Transport Ship.
• The Bosa captain ordered the remaining weapons to fire, but his crew reported that the main cannon and shields were offline and the reinforcements had arrived.

The Bosa captain concluded that the Bosa Civilization could not defeat Humanity and ordered the battered fleet to retreat. After the Golden Crow fleet withdrew, Lü Yongchang activated Light Satellite One’s Planetary Fortress and fired its colossal Antimatter Cannon at the Bosa fleet.

• The Bosa captain blamed Humanity’s willingness to sacrifice its warships and its Planetary Fortress for the Bosa fleet’s defeat, then ordered the damaged Secondary Flagship home.
• Zhao Zijie and Lü Yongchang ordered the Golden Crow fleet to withdraw from the Third Defense Region after Light Satellite One completed its antimatter replenishment.
• The Bosa warships tightened their formation and advanced toward the Dawn Star region as the Golden Crow fleet pulled back.
• Lü Yongchang ordered Light Satellite One’s Planetary Fortress activated, powering up its surface weapons and colossal equatorial Antimatter Cannon.
• The Antimatter Cannon accelerated an antimatter torrent to 99.93% of light speed and fired it toward a Bosa warship.

The Bosa Commander initially doubted whether the Human Civilization’s planetary fortress was combat-ready, but its antimatter cannon destroyed a secondary flagship in one shot. After the Bosa Fleet’s own attack was intercepted, he rallied his forces to charge for the Lord’s glory.

• The Bosa Commander ordered the fleet to power its composite shields and fire its antimatter cannons at the Human planetary fortress.
• The planetary fortress’s antimatter blast overwhelmed a secondary flagship’s shields and destroyed it near Dawn Star.
• The Bosa Commander’s doubts vanished when the Human fleet intercepted the Bosa antimatter attacks with a drone swarm.
• The Bosa Commander declared the Bosa Civilization’s loyalty to the Lord and ordered all forces to charge.

The Bosa Commander forced reluctant ships to rejoin the assault while Light Satellite One and the [Golden Crow] fleet destroyed most of the Bosa Fleet. With Light Satellite One's cannon disabled and the surviving Bosa ships reaching Dawn Star, Lü Yongchang secretly deployed the Dimensional Strike Ships and accepted a communications request from the Bosa flagship.

• The Bosa Commander ordered remote control of the ships that refused to charge, forcing them to catch up as they cursed through the communications channel.
• Lü Yongchang explained that Light Satellite One's Antimatter Cannon had limited service life because of material constraints and ordered the Dimensional Strike Ships to prepare.
• Zhao Zijie sent the [Golden Crow] fleet out to buy time for Light Satellite One's damaged cannon.
• The [Golden Crow] fleet and Light Satellite One destroyed 90% of the Bosa Fleet, but the survivors broke through after the cannon fell silent and reached Dawn Star.
• Lü Yongchang ordered the Dimensional Strike Ships to deploy their weapons, then connected a communications request from the Bosa flagship to keep the Bosa occupied.

The Bosa Commander discovered that Human Civilization had taken the antimatter stores from the recovered small warships and tried to force Lü Yongchang’s forces to surrender. Lü Yongchang refused, and a Two-Dimensional Fragment attack struck several Bosa ships, though not the flagship.

• The Bosa Commander learned that the antimatter storage devices aboard the small warships had disappeared and realized Human Civilization had taken them.
• The Bosa Commander contacted Human Civilization and offered to spare one million people if the rest surrendered to be processed as food.
• Fang Xu reacted with revulsion to the Bosa proposal, and Lü Yongchang declared that Human Civilization would never surrender.
• Zhao Zijie reported a hit as a Two-Dimensional Fragment attack struck several Bosa ships, while the Bosa flagship remained unharmed.

Lü Yongchang’s forces destroyed most of the Bosa fleet’s secondary flagships with a dimensional strike, then sacrificed a [Golden Crow] to deliver another Two-Dimensional Fragment against the Bosa flagship. The flagship was flattened, and Lü Yongchang saluted the fallen crew as the battle reached its end.

• Lü Yongchang learned that the first dimensional attack had destroyed all six Bosa secondary flagships and four large warships.
• The Bosa Commander recognized the attack as a dimensional strike and accused Human Civilization of belonging to the Gardener Faction before Lü Yongchang cut communications.
• Zhao Zijie proposed carrying a [Dimensional Strike Ship] aboard a [Golden Crow] to attack the guarded Bosa flagship, and Lü Yongchang approved the plan despite the expected sacrifice.
• A [Golden Crow] charged the Bosa flagship, was struck by its antimatter cannon, and triggered a Two-Dimensional Fragment that flattened the flagship.
• Lü Yongchang saluted the sheet drifting through space and honored the crew who had died in the attack.

After humanity defeated the Bosa Fleet, Lü Yongchang warned Zhao Zijie that the Cleaners Civilization could still find them through the Two-Dimensional Fragments and considered a possible way to survive. At the Milky Way’s edge, waiting Spherical Warships detected a disturbance in the intergalactic bridge and unleashed a destructive attack.

• Lü Yongchang and Zhao Zijie reviewed humanity’s severe losses and discussed leaving the Gliese 555 Stellar System before the Cleaners Civilization’s vassals arrived.
• Lü Yongchang explained that the Two-Dimensional Fragments would draw the Cleaners Civilization’s attention even if humanity stopped using them.
• Lü Yongchang told Zhao Zijie to prepare for an interstellar voyage while he considered another way to survive, then watched a recording of a gecko shedding its tail.
• Spherical Warships waited where the intergalactic bridge met the Milky Way and detected a fluctuation and distortion along the bridge.
• The Spherical Warships activated devices that turned matter and dark matter into raging energy as three-dimensional space melted into black fissures.

As war erupted between the Cleaners Civilization and the Gardener Faction Civilization, Lü Yongchang concluded that both factions sought Human Civilization’s Two-Dimensional Fragments. He proposed sacrificing a large part of humanity in a staged two-dimensional strike to make the survivors appear to have been wiped out.

• At the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy, strange attacks transformed a Spherical Warship into a silver-white thread and emptied another of its crew, beginning a bizarre war.
• Lü Yongchang told Fang Xu that the Cleaners Civilization and the Gardener Faction Civilization both wanted the Two-Dimensional Fragments held by Human Civilization.
• Lü Yongchang considered using the fragments to turn a star or planet two-dimensional, but decided that this would not fool the Gardener Faction Civilization.
• Lü Yongchang proposed abandoning part of humanity and turning them into an enormous painting so the advanced civilizations would believe Human Civilization had perished.
• Fang Xu called the plan a crime, but he and Lü Yongchang acknowledged that it might be humanity’s only chance to survive.

After Human Civilization approved Lü Yongchang’s Tailed-Off Plan, Xia Mingda woke from cryosleep in the Gliese 555 Stellar System and learned how much time had passed. He watched a history of the Human Fleet and asked whether people could now live on Dawn Star.

• The Academy of Sciences and Parliament chose the Tailed-Off Plan in a secret ballot, with 71.3% of members voting for it.
• Zero activated the Home Ships and began waking people from their Hibernation Chambers.
• Xia Mingda woke in his chamber, struggled to recover his memories, and tried to open the sealed lid.
• A holographic projection told Xia Mingda it was November 5, 2505, and that he was in the Gliese 555 Stellar System.
• Xia Mingda watched a summary of the fleet’s history, from its departure from Proxima b through its arrival at Gliese 555 and the development of Dawn Star.
• Xia Mingda asked whether people could live on Dawn Star now.

An old man recalled choosing to join the Tailed-Off Plan, which would sacrifice a billion people to help humanity survive, after the Cleaners and Bosa wars devastated the Human Fleet. He described how his children died in the war and ended by affirming his consent and wishing for humanity’s glory to endure.

• The Holographic Projection explained that the Cleaners and Bosa wars had cost the Human Fleet over 2,600 [Golden Crow] battleships, then presented the Tailed-Off Plan to the narrator.
• The narrator recoiled at the plan’s sacrifice of a billion lives and asked whether he could refuse, but hesitated before giving his answer.
• In a later interview, the narrator recalled fleeing Earth for Proxima b and supporting Professor Lü’s decision because he understood the sacrifices earlier generations had made.
• The narrator revealed that his son and daughter had both died in the war against the Bosa Civilization, and learned that approximately 3.5 billion people had volunteered for the plan.
• The narrator confirmed twice that he would participate in the Tailed-Off Plan and said, “May... humanity’s glory endure forever.”

Lü Yongchang struggled with the Human Federation’s decision to sacrifice a billion people, then accepted a communication request from Proxima Centauri. There, Ren Feng showed Zhang Zhengqing the Tailed-Off Plan, and they reflected on humanity’s legacy of sacrifice.

• Lü Yongchang reviewed the final selections and refused Su Yutong’s attempts to get him to leave his office, but eventually agreed to eat and reminded himself that the Human Federation still had hope.
• Lü Yongchang accepted a communication request from the Proxima Centauri Humans Civilization.
• Ren Feng summoned Zhang Zhengqing and showed him the Human Federation fleet’s Tailed-Off Plan.
• Zhang Zhengqing condemned the plan’s sacrifice of a billion people, while Ren Feng compared it to the elderly people who had once given up their chance to survive on Proxima b.
• Zhang Zhengqing lamented that few in the Proxima Centauri Humans Civilization still carried humanity’s legacy, and Ren Feng replied that it was enough as long as they had it.

Ren Feng and Zhang Zhengqing decided to use Proxima b and its people to fill the flaws in the Tailed-Off Plan, despite Lü Yongchang's protests. The plan began, and Lü Yongchang could not stop them after Proxima Centauri's Central Computer connection was severed.

• Ren Feng explained that the Tailed-Off Plan needed a more realistic age distribution and that Proxima b should replace Dawn Star as its site.
• Zhang Zhengqing agreed to Ren Feng's proposal, and they decided to use reproductive cells from the Social Child-Rearing Center after someone overheard them.
• Zhang Zhengqing ordered the military to act while Ren Feng contacted the Human Fleet and told Lü Yongchang that the plan was already underway.
• Ren Feng said the City Child-Rearing Center's restrictions would be lifted and the people on Proxima b forced into cryosleep, leaving at least five hundred million humans without Lifespan Extension Modification as the plan's final piece.
• Lü Yongchang asked Zero to take control of Proxima Centauri's Central Computer, but Zero reported that the connection had been physically severed.

Lü Yongchang’s emergency meeting debated whether to redirect the [Tailed-Off Plan] toward Proxima Centauri, but repeated votes failed to reach the required majority. Ren Feng restored communications to report that preparations on Proxima b were complete, and Lü Yongchang called for an eleventh secret ballot.

• Lü Yongchang summoned an emergency meeting to decide whether to change the [Tailed-Off Plan]’s implementation area.
• Hong Qiming argued that Proxima Centauri could strengthen the plan, while Fang Xu warned that relying on Ren Feng and Zhang Zhengqing’s uncertain success could doom both civilizations.
• After three days of debate, the tenth secret ballot failed to reach the required two-thirds majority.
• Communications with Proxima b were restored, and Ren Feng reported that 3,147 supporters were awake, others had entered cryosleep, and the five Social Child-Rearing Centers were operating.
• Ren Feng said all preparations were complete and warned that Zhang Zhengqing could sever the restored link, so Lü Yongchang began the eleventh secret ballot.

After the vote sent the [Home Ship] to Proxima b, Lü Yongchang and Ren Feng accepted the moral cost of the [Tailed-Off Plan]. Fifty years later, Lü ordered the plan to begin, while Ren Feng and Zhang Zhengqing faced execution on Proxima b until Zero seized control and the [Golden Crow] battleships turned their guns on the planet.

• Lü Yongchang announced that the [Tailed-Off Plan] would target Proxima b and that the [Home Ship] would depart that day.
• Lü promised to send Supply Reserve Ships and Engineering Ships to improve life for the five hundred million Proxima Centauri Humans, and said Ren Feng and Zhang Zhengqing would be recorded on the Human Civilization Pioneer Monument.
• In 2506, the fleet split, with the [Home Ship] heading for Proxima b and the other fleet carrying antimatter toward its own target system.
• In 2556, Lü learned that construction on Proxima b was complete and ordered the [Tailed-Off Plan] to begin.
• On Proxima b, Ren Feng and Zhang Zhengqing were convicted of crime against civilization and taken to the execution grounds after the revived population learned of the plan.
• When the execution order was issued, Zero took control of the equipment and Human Federation soldiers aimed the [Golden Crow] battleships at Proxima b.

As Ren Feng and Zhang Zhengqing faced execution, the laser cannon stopped before firing and a military officer announced that the Human Federation had taken control of Proxima b and cleared them of all charges. Ren Feng thanked the officer and asked him not to punish the people who had opposed them.

• Ren Feng and Zhang Zhengqing waited for the execution as the High-Energy Laser Cannon charged and the crowd cursed them.
• The countdown stopped, the cannon lowered, and Ren Feng discovered that his restraints had been released.
• A military officer announced that Proxima b was under military administration and that Ren Feng and Zhang Zhengqing were cleared of all charges.
• The officer showed the Human Federation fleet and the cannon aimed at the crowd, then ordered a curfew and had robots escort residents home.
• The officer saluted Ren Feng and Zhang Zhengqing as heroes, and Ren Feng asked him not to be too hard on the people.

Ren Feng watched Proxima b’s renovation while the fleet prepared the classified Tailed-Off Plan, which used thirty Dimensional Strike Ships to turn the planet and its surrounding ships into a two-dimensional picture. After the three-second operation succeeded, Lü Yongchang learned that the signal had been lost.

• Ren Feng and Zhang Zhengqing lived in the Parliament Building as Proxima b was transformed over six months.
• An officer told Ren Feng that the Tailed-Off Plan would begin on January 1, 2556, and Ren Feng asked not to be notified when it was carried out.
• Lü Yongchang ordered the Tailed-Off Plan to commence, and disguised officers staged a laboratory accident involving a Two-Dimensional Fragment Control Device.
• Thirty Two-Dimensional Fragments triggered a chain reaction that swallowed the laboratory, the Closed Sanatorium, Proxima b, and every nearby starship into a vast picture.
• The plan’s two-dimensional fluctuations illuminated the Milky Way, and an electronic voice told Lü Yongchang that the signal was lost and the operation had succeeded.

After the Human Fleet left Gliese 555, Sweeper 9527 learned that the Gardener Faction had arrived in the Milky Way and worried that Human Civilization might be connected to them. He followed the Parent Civilization’s orders and sent his forces toward the intergalactic bridge, leaving the mystery unresolved.

• Three spherical warships emerged from a wormhole near Gliese 555 and headed toward the system.
• Sweeper 9527 received a report that Human Civilization had left behind artificial structures and Bosa Civilization warship wreckage in Gliese 555.
• An alarm reported a wormhole near the intergalactic bridge, believed to have been created by the Gardener Faction’s [Time].
• Sweeper 9527 suspected Human Civilization’s escape and the Gardener Faction’s arrival might be connected, then consulted the Parent Civilization.
• The Parent Civilization dismissed his concerns and ordered him to focus on the Gardener Faction.
• Sweeper 9527 ordered the Alpha Warships to the intergalactic bridge and prepared to follow them, abandoning the search for Human Civilization.