It was another lifeless day in the L-Cluster, while the Dessanu Concordat's territory remained a hive of activity.
The Dessanu, composed of nanites, left their nanite residences early in the morning, took nanite transport to their nanite workplaces, and used raw materials simulated by nanites to manufacture products simulated by nanites.
The Dessanu, composed of nanites, needed neither food nor metabolism, nor any other form of consumption. Once their day's work ended, they followed predetermined routes back to their assigned residences, then entered standby mode until the cycle began again the next day.
The entire Dessanu Concordat was like this. Every activity followed behavioral programs designed by the Empire Consciousness countless tens of thousands of years ago. Beneath the prosperous, glittering surface of the Dessanu Concordat lay nothing but counterfeit nanites.
Their mountains and rivers, their citizens and buildings, even their entire planets were all fake. In idealist terms, they "had no souls."
Any intelligent being who spent too long in such a false, isolated environment would feel terrified. Then, tormented by loneliness and emptiness, their consciousness would slowly dissipate. Even if they did not go mad, they would be left half-dead.
-How... how much time has passed?
The Empire Consciousness understood no technology other than nanotechnology and could not build an accurate clock.
That was a joke. The Empire Consciousness simply could not remember how much time had passed, but it had certainly been far too long. The few stars in the L-Cluster continued to release energy without pause, and would not stop until they burned out into dwarf stars or collapsed into black holes.
-But I can't hold on any longer...
The Empire Consciousness tried to focus, but worn down by time, they could no longer remain lucid. They could only hazily leave most of their body to