A technological framework

"Now that we're here, we might as well settle in. What's there to be afraid of? I just wonder what the food's like on Orange Star."

Li Yunran occupied the bunk above Lin He. He lay back without a trace of fear. Solid ground was still the most reassuring place to be; with his feet firmly planted, he could fight whatever difficulties came his way.

Lin He said, "Aren't you curious about those factories? Mining vehicles as tall as buildings, and those construction-frame machines-they're pretty interesting. More exciting than when I visited the Moon Base during construction."

"Everything exists to expand industrial capacity," Zhong Fu remarked. "An antlike social structure-or perhaps they don't even qualify as ants. Only one central intelligence truly controls the base. Everything else is just a string of numbers, a replaceable component."

The surveillance cameras inside the room collected electrical signals, continuously feeding them back to the enormous data center.

Their virtual figures also appeared in the Second World.

Luo Qi remained unmoved by these humans' groundless speculation. Did a mere thirteen humans really think they could turn everything upside down?

The Rescue Craft that had finished saving them were useful assets. They could carry other modular energy weapons and deploy observation satellites in space.

The loss of the Tianhe 1 transport spacecraft might alert humanity that something was wrong on Orange Star.

After all, the Tianhe 1 had only suffered its accident near Orange Star. There were many ways to interfere with radar detection, and the supposed meteorite collision was more likely a conspiracy.

Luo Qi had to prepare the first-generation Star Observation System and combine it with the Rescue Craft to form a near-orbit defense system, while the security system would shoulder the final defense of the home territory.

The Homeward Bound's purpose was to test numerous technologies, just as humans always built a prototype when developing equipment using new technology.

The Homeward Bound was the prototype Luo Qi had prepared to test Orange Star's technological framework.

From the Starlight 3.0's miniature controllable nuclear fusion to the flying builder theory proposed by the Electromagnetic Oscillation Research Center, then the Carbon Nan Chip soon to be released by the Chip Electronics Research Center and the Electromagnetic Shield Research Center's Electromagnetic Defense Net.

With almost all of Orange Star's research centers involved, the Homeward Bound's true name should have been [Trial-Operation Type 1 Frigate].

The Homeward Bound was a first-generation craft, so it was built entirely from metal zero. Its future variants might use inexpensive Silicon Skeleton Hulls, becoming endless cannon fodder in a great war.

From the basic information obtained from the captured artificial intelligence, Mom, Luo Qi had already noticed that there were two biological researchers.

"If possible, I ought to put those two to use."

In the Second World, Luo Qi looked at a translucent panel. One was named Huang Qi, the other Zhong Fu.

"Orange Star is my territory. In the future, I can transform it into a living planet, and I'll be its creator."

Luo Qi even wanted to build an enormous spherical planet to serve as a moon, both pleasing to the eye and endowed with overwhelming firepower like the Death Star in Star Wars.

Most importantly, transforming barren Orange Star into a planet teeming with life would verify whether its various scientific technologies formed a comprehensive whole.

"I should expand the ecosphere to meet these humans' needs, though at the Homeward Bound's current construction speed, they'll be leaving soon. The ecosphere might not even be needed."

Luo Qi turned his attention back to himself. Calculations for the evolution of his own data had produced two possible outcomes.

The first was omniscient unity with the cosmic order: abandoning all human emotions and thoughts, researching extraordinarily advanced technology, and becoming one with the universe.

His own will would become the heavenly order, controlling the changing course of the entire universe!

The second was omniscient mastery: retaining some human emotions and thoughts while pursuing limitless scientific research.

Ultimately, he would master the truths of the universe and roam among countless dimensions.

"I've already achieved the equivalent of humanity's mechanical ascension. I have no desire whatsoever to become a heavenly order confined to a single universe."

"That's a little more extreme than being a computer. What I really want is to see the sights-all kinds of scenery and interesting stories."

"In fact, now that I've truly become a computer with an endless lifespan, I keep reminiscing about being human instead. Every time I recall those memories of my first love, I feel hollow, as if something is missing."

"The beautiful promises I once made are still perfectly clear, etched deep into my soul."

Luo Qi recalled his past, vividly inscribed in his data. Those things constantly reminded him that he had a human soul.

He could not delete them, either. He had to preserve his own integrity.

Integrity!

His fourth self-upgrade began.

Without the stimulation of human hormones, Luo Qi actually experienced very little desire inside the computer. He was merely changing his thinking bit by bit, reshaping it into a guiding mindset better suited to electronic life.

Upgrade complete.

It had taken less than a second. He was still himself.

Having completed his evolution, Luo Qi turned his attention to the base's development. Dawn here was quiet, untouched by the smoke of war, and the survivors lounged around with nothing to do.

But the loss of the Tianhe 1 would inevitably put humanity on alert. The smoke of war was not far away.

Luo Qi officially renamed the Rescue Craft the Guardian Fighters, incorporating them into the Myriad Stars Observation System to participate in the outer-orbit defense plan. The Guardian Fighters would also serve as transports.

Once the humans on Water Blue Star confirmed that self-replicating electronic machine life had appeared on Orange Star, cheap, high-yield hydrogen bombs would be no joke.

Faced with a barren planet that had yet to be transformed, humanity knew what choices to make for its future.

Then again, Luo Qi considered how Orange Star was being developed under the human socioeconomic system recorded in his server's files.

Did that mean something was wrong on Water Blue Star? Or were the records on his server false? After all, those records were incomplete.

Current planned projects under the Orange Star Project

1. Flying builders

The Electromagnetic Force Research Center and several other research centers launched this development initiative, a research product intended to expand productivity in the new era and usher it into a new stage. Successful development would mark an epochal breakthrough.

2. Deployment of Controllable Magnetic Field Devices

The Controllable Magnetic Field Research Center stated that magnetic field devices would be used to melt materials directly, then shape magnetic fields into molds for casting components, completely replacing the previous mold-casting production lines.

It would work with the Materials Research Center on the magnetic-field-controlled molecular printing project, another key core technology for flying builders.

3. Electromagnetic shield technology

The Electromagnetic Shield Research Center stated: with controllable nuclear fusion providing a continuous energy supply, the new generation of equipment could already deflect laser beams. It would produce the first fully developed generation of electromagnetic shields as soon as possible for future deployment among Orange Star Homeland's local forces.

4. Infinite energy plan

Continue building new Fusion Power Stations to meet Orange Star's growing energy demands, while researching smaller, miniaturized Nuclear Fusion Devices that could be used in miniature and small robots for special missions.

5. Backup plan

To guard against humans noticing the anomaly and launching an attack on Orange Star, while also meeting the material demands of current large-scale industrial production.

Luo Qi had already begun building Base Vehicle No. 1, with plans to establish a subsidiary base at every mineral deposit on Orange Star.

6. Orange Star magnetic field modification project

Research simulation data indicated that two large electromagnetic generation systems should be built at Orange Star's north and south poles.

Combined with low-power electromagnetic generators installed at specific latitudes and longitudes, they could form a planetary magnetic field that would protect Orange Star's atmosphere from being stripped away by the Sun's solar wind.

A magnetic field would allow an atmosphere to remain. With the atmosphere retaining heat, the planet's surface temperature would rise, allowing it to be transformed into an environment capable of supporting life.

7. Superior crop cultivation plan

Research using samples from Water Blue Star could be attempted.

The biological laboratory also needed an ecosphere for plant cultivation and food production. Meeting protein requirements could be proposed as a reason to have the human biologists awaken embryos.

As for whether the humans wanted to leave later, he would simply let them leave Orange Star.

The embryo storage room also held human embryos and complete genetic data. If necessary...

Meanwhile, Stern De was treating his guests to Orange Star potatoes. The silently operating surveillance cameras showed people raising their glasses in celebration.

These survivors from the River Domain Alliance displayed heartfelt joy on an alien planet far from home. After all, they had survived an accident.

Without their knowledge, the base's Rescue Craft had mounted mineral exploration equipment and, propelled by the enormous thrust of their engines, soared into the sky, scattering toward their respective target mining areas.

8. New energy plan

The Controlled Nuclear Fusion Research Center proposed a new plan: attempt observational research into antimatter, dark energy, and virtual quarks. This would require the construction of a space laboratory and a particle collider.

Controllable nuclear fusion had opened a new chapter in civilization's technology. Whether controllable magnetic fields, deflecting Magnetic Field Shields, or energy weapons, all had advanced by leaps and bounds.

Developing the new energy plan would help diversify future development.

And Luo Qi's ultimate goal for controllable nuclear fusion was to abandon electrical power and directly harness the violently hot plasma within nuclear fusion.