Chapter Summaries

Zhang Tianyuan and the astronauts lured the Swarm out of its lunar hole, revealing the alien machines to a worldwide audience. After the Swarm attacked and the group escaped through a Spacetime Tunnel, they returned to observe it again, then teleported away once more.

• Hutchings and NASA staff verified that the astronauts were on the moon, while the three astronauts waiting in a rocket worried that their launch had been delayed.
• Zhang Tianyuan and the astronauts collected lunar soil in Mare Crisium Basin and prepared to draw the Swarm out of its deep hole.
• The Swarm emerged as a vast mass of tiny machines, and people around the world watched it circle and attack the astronauts.
• Zhang Tianyuan teleported the group away; the Swarm found no life-forms and retreated into the hole, confirming the alien presence to viewers.
• Zhang Tianyuan and the astronauts returned to the lunar surface and lured the Swarm out again so they could study it.
• When the Swarm attacked a second time, Zhang Tianyuan teleported everyone away again.

As the Swarm and the astronauts repeated their stalemate on the Moon, NASA confirmed that the creature’s movements were linked to attempts to correct the lunar orbit. Zhang Tianyuan withdrew after collecting enough footage, while Fowler’s mention of a classified electromagnetic pulse weapon prompted Fox to consider stopping the Swarm.

• Mike and the viewers watched the Swarm emerge and retreat in a repetitive stalemate that wore down their interest.
• Hutchings and Fowler told Fox that the Moon’s orbit only attempted to correct itself when the Swarm appeared, and Fowler suggested destroying it or preventing it from returning underground.
• Zhang Tianyuan judged the Swarm’s behavior unintelligent, collected enough footage, and withdrew with the astronauts as the Swarm burrowed back into the Moon.
• Brian called a former colleague, insisting that aliens were real and that NASA had framed and persecuted him, and vowed to make them pay.

At NASA, Hutchings and Fowler discovered that the Moon Expulsion Project had begun as Zhang Tianyuan’s teams prepared to relocate a Planetary Engine through Spacetime Tunnels. The chapter ended with observers on Earth seeing a vast dark patch appear on the Moon.

• Hutchings and Fowler learned that many landers had appeared on the Moon and that the plan to push it away had begun.
• Zhang Tianyuan led experts from Wandering Spacetime and Moon Spacetime to assess a lunar test site and found its soil strong enough to support a Planetary Engine.
• Zhang Tianyuan and the experts agreed to try relocating the engine, and personnel evacuated the area.
• Zhang Tianyuan opened two enormous Spacetime Tunnels and began moving a Planetary Engine onto the lunar surface.
• NASA observers looked up and saw a great dark patch on the Moon.

As the Planetary Engine emerged on the moon, Fox and NASA abandoned their lunar mission and negotiated with Chief Engineer Ji to join the effort to save the moon. Zhang Tianyuan tested the engine against the Swarm, drove it back into the moon’s core, and resumed transferring engines, leaving enormous dark patches visible from Earth.

• Fox examined NASA’s lunar images, recognized the Planetary Engine, and ordered the lunar launch canceled in favor of cooperation with the other side.
• Hutchings and Chief Engineer Ji agreed that NASA would provide its astronauts and the ZX-7 Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb, while the European Space Agency and Russian Space Agency later sought to join the effort.
• Zhang Tianyuan’s team completed the first Planetary Engine transfer, started it successfully, and confirmed it operated normally on the moon.
• When the engine’s noise drew the Swarm out, Zhang Tianyuan redirected a plasma jet at it; the Swarm survived by sacrificing outer material and retreated into the moon’s core.
• After monitoring the Swarm’s retreat, Zhang Tianyuan resumed transferring Planetary Engines and increased the process to batches of twenty, creating vast dark areas on the lunar surface.

Zhang Tianyuan and the astronauts began firing all one hundred Planetary Engines to push the Moon away from Earth. The Moon’s orbit started to recede, but experts warned that the collision danger remained and required another day of propulsion to delay the projected collision by a month.

• Houseman watched livestreams of the Planetary Engines on the Moon and posted excitedly about their potential for artificial planets.
• Zhang Tianyuan and Ding Hongbo agreed to begin the engine operation, while NASA and other agencies arranged to send astronauts to participate.
• Hutchings announced the project’s start to the public, and the reports helped calm unrest and slow looting.
• Zhang Tianyuan returned to the Moon as experts and astronauts took their stations, and all one hundred Planetary Engines began firing together.
• Fowler, Chief Engineer Ji, and other agencies received measurements confirming that the Moon’s orbit had started moving away from Earth, and countries announced the news.
• Zhang Tianyuan learned that the collision danger remained and that a full day of continuous propulsion could delay the projected collision by another month.

Zhang Tianyuan and the Mutual Aid Society prepared Moon Spacetime for a possible mass evacuation while explaining to world leaders that the moon was an artificial spaceship being sabotaged by the Swarm. The meeting ended with Zhang Tianyuan confirming that removing the Swarm could restore the moon’s energy and return it to its proper orbit.

• Zhang Tianyuan ordered the ground to prepare for evacuation while the Planetary Engine pushed the moon away to buy time.
• Ding Hongbo initiated preparations for Migration Order No. 1 and arranged for Moon Spacetime’s refugees to be received in 2012 Spacetime if the rescue failed.
• Ding Hongbo invited countries to an online Mutual Aid Society meeting, and Fox arranged for NASA astronauts to arrive before it began.
• A Mutual Aid Society representative reported that the moon’s fall toward Earth had been delayed by about fifty days, then answered leaders’ questions about the Swarm.
• Zhang Tianyuan revealed that the moon was an artificial spaceship and explained that the Swarm blocked its power source, preventing its systems from working normally.
• Zhang Tianyuan confirmed that eliminating the Swarm would allow the moon to regain power and return to its original orbit.

Fox decided to restart the moon landing program after hearing the plan to destroy the Swarm, while the FBI recruited Brian and Houseman for NASA’s lunar mission. Fowler briefed them on the mission to reach the Moon and destroy the alien weapon, leaving Brian questioning why they needed to act when the Mutual Aid Society was already handling it.

• Fox learned that the Mutual Aid Society planned to destroy the Swarm with an electromagnetic pulse bomb or relocate it through the Spacetime Tunnel, then asked Hutchings about available astronauts.
• Fox told Hutchings he wanted to restart the moon landing program, and Hutchings said the country had no active-duty astronauts left.
• James and two FBI agents recruited Brian to return to NASA, using fabricated debts and a lawsuit against his son Sonny to pressure him into accepting.
• FBI agents recruited Houseman for NASA’s space mission and told him his mother was in a care home.
• At NASA, Fowler introduced Brian and Houseman as teammates and explained that they would travel to the Moon, enter a deep lunar cave, and destroy the alien weapon.
• Brian questioned why they needed to destroy the weapon when the Mutual Aid Society was already doing so.

Brian, Fowler, and Houseman learned that the moon was an artificial spaceship and were recruited to fight the Swarm, while Zhang Tianyuan considered Fox’s competing mission and the risks posed by the Moon AI. The chapter left the Mutual Aid Society preparing to bring Fox’s team under its authority and questioning whether the Moon AI might be seeking a way to escape its restrictions.

• Fowler explained that the moon was a spaceship whose systems the Swarm had disrupted, and Brian and Houseman learned they were expected to help destroy the Swarm inside it.
• Brian accused Fox of using their mission to seize credit and the moon spaceship, while Houseman realized the FBI was using his sick mother as leverage.
• Fowler promised to find out where their loved ones were and went to coordinate their safety.
• Zhang Tianyuan decided that the Mutual Aid Society would stop Fox’s crew when they landed and require them to officially join the organization.
• Zhang Tianyuan told Ding Hongbo he suspected the Moon AI was constrained by the Galactic Humans and might be trying to escape its restrictions by merging with a human consciousness.

Brian, Fowler, and Houseman launched from North America to scout the lunar deep hole, where they saw the Mutual Aid Society’s base and vast field of Planetary Engines. As the Swarm alarm activated and the creature emerged behind them, Brian steered toward the base and hoped its people could save them.

• Fowler gave Brian and Houseman phones so they could call their families before the mission, then briefed them on the rushed and dangerous plan.
• Zhang Tianyuan oversaw the Mutual Aid Society’s lunar base and watched North America’s rocket launch, noting that an interception craft was ready.
• Brian, Fowler, and Houseman reached the moon, saw the Planetary Engines and Mutual Aid Society’s base, and learned the Swarm had not yet emerged.
• The Swarm-monitoring system’s reading rose, and Fowler warned that it would reach the surface when the count hit twenty-six.
• Brian turned the spacecraft toward the Mutual Aid Society’s base while Fowler readied the Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb, but the Swarm burst from the deep hole and pursued them.

The author explained that the book was nearing its end and would likely finish before mid-November, while reflecting on problems with its main plot and disconnected game worlds. The author planned to take two days off and said the third world’s order had been changed after content reviewers objected to settings close to reality.

• The author announced a two-day break because they were not feeling well.
• The author said the book would likely end before mid-November after the current instance and some main-plot development.
• The author explained that they had forgotten the phone document containing the main plot until after writing more than twenty chapters and hearing Yanhou Cuican criticize the synopsis.
• The author said continuing at the original pace had left the game worlds feeling disconnected and the main plot underdeveloped.
• The author recalled changing the third world from The Day After Tomorrow after reviewers advised against settings close to reality, but ignoring their suggestion not to use terms like “Pacific Ocean.”

Brian, Fowler, and Houseman escaped the Swarm’s attacks and landed at the Mutual Aid Society’s temporary lunar base, where Zhang Tianyuan proposed modifying their spacecraft. Brian and Fowler agreed to the plan, which included a Spacetime Tunnel for communication and emergency escape.

• Brian piloted the lunar lander toward the temporary base while Houseman panicked and Fowler prepared the ZX-7 Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb.
• The Swarm repeatedly attacked, pushing the spacecraft toward losing control, until the temporary base fired a missile that struck the pursuers.
• A blue light, which Fowler suspected came from a Planetary Engine, hit the Swarm and gave Brian a safe route to land at the base.
• Brian, Fowler, and Houseman disembarked and joined the astronauts at the base, while Houseman eagerly collected autographs and photos.
• Zhang Tianyuan welcomed Brian and Fowler, explained how better communication and spacecraft modifications could have prevented the attack, and gave them a plan to add a Spacetime Tunnel.
• Brian and Fowler agreed to the modifications, including the emergency escape passage.

The Mutual Aid Society modified Brian's spacecraft and helped Brian, Fowler, and Houseman enter the moon's interior, where the Swarm pursued them and the lunar spacecraft's AI intervened. Zhang Tianyuan met the AI and revealed that he and his companions came from a parallel spacetime.

• The Mutual Aid Society repaired Brian's spacecraft, installed a Spacetime Tunnel interface, and added electromagnetic pulse bombs while leaving off its electronic signature.
• Brian and Fowler joined the Mutual Aid Society, and Houseman insisted on accompanying them into the moon.
• Brian lured the Swarm toward the passage, evaded it with help from missiles, and piloted the spacecraft into the lunar spacecraft's vast interior.
• A tractor beam dragged Brian's spacecraft through a gate, where it crash-landed; Zhang Tianyuan arrived through a Spacetime Tunnel and rescued the unconscious crew.
• Zhang Tianyuan entered a corridor leading to the AI, used Spacetime Tunnels to evade its attempts to contain him, and began speaking with it.
• The AI described the Swarm's origins and humanity's inheritance from an ancient galactic civilization, and Zhang Tianyuan revealed that his group came from a parallel spacetime.

Zhang Tianyuan and the humans destroyed the Swarm attacking the Moon spaceship, then learned he had gained partial control of the vessel and disabled its ability to scan and copy living beings. The chapter left the Moon moving away from Earth while Zhang Tianyuan prepared to question the Moon AI about Galactic Intelligence.

• The Moon AI revealed that Galactic Intelligence's forces would reach Earth within sixteen years, and Zhang Tianyuan learned their technology had largely stagnated.
• Zhang Tianyuan had the Moon AI modify electromagnetic pulse bombs, then sent Brian and Fowler to lure the Swarm into the passage and destroy it.
• Zhang Tianyuan sent part of the Swarm through a Spacetime Tunnel to the Precursors' planet, where it attacked and killed several Precursors.
• Brian, Fowler, and an astronaut detonated the modified bombs, destroying the Swarm as the Moon moved away from Earth.
• Zhang Tianyuan gained partial authority over the Moon spaceship and disabled the Moon AI's consciousness-scanning function.

Zhang Tianyuan evacuated his people from No. 0 Spacetime after alien ships began destroying the game world, then overloaded the world with solar plasma to force its system to reboot. The reboot granted him the highest access to the Civilization Evolution Machine, and he prepared to tell the Mutual Aid Society’s presidents that their work would change.

• Ke Jinjun urgently requested the evacuation of No. 0 Spacetime, and Zhang Tianyuan evacuated the personnel and ordered the remaining teams back through Spacetime Tunnels.
• Zhang Tianyuan learned that alien ships were slaughtering the game world’s factions and searching for his former base, while Ke Jinjun and Mako Mori returned safely to Pacific Rim Spacetime.
• Zhang Tianyuan proposed sending solar plasma into No. 0 Spacetime through a Spacetime Tunnel, and the branch presidents approved the plan.
• Zhang Tianyuan’s solar-plasma attack overwhelmed the game world and caused the Civilization Evolution Machine to lose contact with the aliens and reboot.
• The reboot recognized Zhang Tianyuan as the sole surviving account and granted him the device’s highest access, revealing that the game world was a black-hole device left behind by a supercivilization.
• Zhang Tianyuan asked his assistant to summon all branch presidents for a meeting, then noticed the command vehicle’s beaded curtain swaying as if someone were congratulating him.