Can Star Rescue

The violent tectonic activity caused by the sinking of Mu Continent into the ocean proved that all of this was real. The intense earthquake sent many buildings within the space base crashing to the ground, and scattered fires gradually spread into a raging inferno.

In the city dozens of kilometers away, panicked crowds fled in all directions. Everywhere one looked, people were running with their heads in their hands. In one office building, a man with apparently straightforward thinking jumped from the third floor, but luckily landed in a bush. After getting to his feet, he didn't look back and sprinted toward the underground bomb shelter.

Broadcasts blared from all directions: "Please follow instructions and evacuate orderly to nearby shelters to avoid unnecessary losses."

He urgently mobilized all the robots in the space center to rescue the precious database and stabilize the rockets on the launch pad.

Faced with such a large-scale disaster, the exquisite and perfect systems engineering of mechanical intelligence was on full display. After synthesizing its own capabilities, the earthquake's range of impact, and the damage to each building, its vast computing power instantly produced a precise rescue and repair plan, allocating each robot involved in disaster relief and repair work for maximum efficiency.

The fires spreading everywhere were extinguished under strict and efficient command. Beside the collapsed buildings, engineering crane robots lifted massive chunks of rubble one after another, the sound of their tracks rolling over the ground dull and rhythmic.

Qin Su would not repair most of the facilities in this space base. Preserving the database and restoring the industrial zone was enough.

Moreover, restoring the industrial zone was only the first step. To truly get things on track, some modifications to the industrial zone would be needed for diverse and complex production. The Fire Moth personnel were currently busy dealing with the Ninth Law-Ruler, so this space base had to be disguised as having been destroyed in the earthquake.

First, the tunnels and tracks of the underground express train had to be blown up. Apart from network communications, physical contact with the outside world had to be blocked as much as possible.

In the underground shelter near the space center, a crowd of people packed the white corridor. Dim light fell on every face, etching them with fear and confusion, along with a trace of relief at having survived.

With a "ding," the electronic display in the center of the shelter lit up. Everyone in the shelter turned to look at the screen in the central hall, but no face appeared on it—only a voice came from the speakers.

"Greetings, employees of the Central Africa Space Center. I am the Wartime Supervisory AI. The space base has been destroyed in the earthquake, and the Prophet rocket has also been burned in the fire. The upcoming aftershocks and tsunamis will threaten your lives. Please exit the bomb shelter in an orderly manner in the coming moments. Transport aircraft will take you to inland cities in Europe."

Upon hearing these words, the crowd erupted in uproar. The already chaotic throng became even more disorderly.

"What?!" The Dark-skinned Director jumped up from his seat in agitation and shouted at the surveillance camera: "This... evacuation? Are you kidding me?! Shouldn't we be rebuilding here? Shouldn't we stay here? Is the [Prophet] just... being abandoned?" In his view, the [Ark Project] was one of the few remaining hopes for humanity.

The Prophet was just a giant rocket, not a spaceship, and it carried a Soul Steel sphere computer storing foundational knowledge from various disciplines.

"Please calm down. This is Dr. Mei's order. I do not have the authority to ask her for the reasoning behind it," the Wartime Supervisory AI said in a cold, mechanical tone.

Uttering the name "Dr. Mei" was like reciting a spell that calmed the roaring sea in a raging storm. The agitated crowd gradually settled down. The Director was stunned at the name as well, then said no more. He lowered his arms, which had been waving like snakes, placed his hands on his knees, and sat silently on the ground, head bowed, waiting for evacuation.

The sound of spinning rotors grew closer. The heavy transport aircraft finally arrived at the nearby landing pad. Qin Su had secretly loaded the flight data and call signs into the destination airport's internal database. The Fire Moth side shouldn't suspect anything—data doesn't lie.

"The first flight is at full capacity. Please wait patiently for the next flight to arrive."

Rain poured down in sheets, droplets pattering against the fuselage. Wind mixed with rain blew into the cabin, and raindrops struck the face of a man in his mid-thirties. He remained unmoved, fingers interlaced, leaning forward, expressionlessly watching the security robot beside him.

"Rain..." Somehow, he suddenly remembered that it had also been a rainy day when he first arrived here. Back then, he was a lively twenty-seven-year-old, full of energy, confident that "man can conquer nature." When had he started to feel despair toward humanity? Probably from the moment the Seventh Law-Ruler burned all of Australia. Australia's civilization was destroyed, but we could rebuild. But when Mu Continent was completely erased by a Law-Ruler, humanity was helpless. Fighting these Law-Rulers was becoming increasingly futile. The Ninth Law-Ruler had directly sunk Mu Continent, the most prosperous land on Earth, into the ocean.

He bent over, hands on his head, thinking bitterly: "In a few more years, humanity will probably be destroyed."

"I never thought the [Ark Project] would become the only plan I believe might succeed."

The wind still blew against his face. The cabin door began to close slowly, and the wind weakened, no longer stinging his skin. The door shut completely, and the cabin lights came on. He looked around. The faces of those nearby all wore expressions of helplessness and loss, except for the burly security robot beside him, which remained cold and unfeeling.

"Loyal, efficient, unaffected by emotion," he murmured.

"Maybe we were on the right path from the start, but we gave up." He patted the security robot on the shoulder.

The transport aircraft climbed above the clouds. The roar of the engines gradually faded, then was covered by the sound of raindrops pattering.

"Director, here is a report for your review." The Assistant placed the report on the Central Africa Space Center on the [Ark Project] Director's desk.

The Director opened the file. The thick report detailed the damage to the Central Africa Space Center and the collapse of the Prophet rocket, but the most striking part was the final summary: "...caused irreparable damage to the Prophet. The vast majority of buildings have collapsed. Reconstruction will come at an extremely high cost."

"..." The Director's head ached. He held his forehead with one hand and was silent for a moment, then said: "Send this report to Dr. Mei. Let her decide."