Age of Cosmic Exploration
chapter-224

Chapter 224: The Last Year

When the Observer returned to the new planet, it had been six months since they departed from the neutron star fragment. Since they couldn’t possibly circle the fragment to provide acceleration, the return time was two months longer than the departure time. They only had the propulsion system to rely on.

In other words, there was only one and a half years remaining until the collision when the Observer reached the new planet. In truth, the escape preparation had started six months prior to that. The information brought back by the Observer only confirmed that the need for humanity to escape once more into the unknown and dangerous cosmos.

Of course, Yao Yuan didn’t make this decision on his own. He came to this solution after long discussions with plenty of experts.

The neutron star fragment was confirmed by the Observer to be a real threat. It had the properties that they would expect from an actual neutron star fragment.

Even if the neutron star fragment was a fake, all the data, including the high mass density, high temperature, high magnetic field, if all of these were trickery and nothing was actually heading towards the sun, how did that change anything?

To be able to do something like this meant that the civilization had access to super impressive simulation technology. They could manipulate the data in such a way that mankind was under the impression that a scientifically impossible celestial entity was hurtling towards the sun. Could mankind really stay?

You have no say in your destruction!

This sentence which Yao Yuan once read in a sci-fi novel appeared in his mind. When mankind was facing the infiltration of a far superior civilization, this sentence was uttered in the book.

You have no say in your destruction!

No matter whether the neutron star fragment was real or not, whether the threat to destroy this solar system was real or not, when the Observer confirmed that there was an actual entity behind the data and not just a row of numbers, it meant that mankind had no choice but to leave. The difference in technological level was simply too big. There was no room for negotiation. Unless he’s a crazy, a human being wouldn’t deign to negotiate with an ant.

Humanity was like an ant in comparison to the civilization that launched the neutron star fragment, fake or otherwise. Mankind would be blown away with a sneeze. It was already kindness on their part for allowing mankind to leave on their own. At least Yao Yuan could take comfort in the fact that all of humanity wasn’t captured to be made into specimens…

If that was the case, mankind would have no choice but to abandon this newly acquired planet, this second home planet, and venture into endless space. However, at least… mankind would still be alive!

Yao Yuan felt a fire of fury, melancholy, agitation, and madness burning inside him.

‘Perhaps you might have successfully chased humanity away from this solar system, but in the future, be it one thousand years, ten thousand years, or more, as long as humanity still has a place in the wide cosmos, still surviving strong, still improving, one day… one day we will return to squish you like a bug!’ Yao Yuan swore.

This sentiment was shared by many who knew the full truth.

In space, weakness was not a fault, but contentment at being weak was the biggest mistake!

Of course, they couldn’t just uproot and leave just like that. Humanity had time to prepare before the neutron star fragment entered the danger zone. They would not repeat the rash situation on old Earth.

The first thing to do was modify the two remaining spaceships so that they could warp alongside the Hope. For that, they needed to be physically chained together to the Hope when the Hope warped. Of course, the same had to be done with the Observer. This time, mankind would have three small and one big spaceship as they ventured in space. The Hope would be the anchor.

The Defense-Grade Spaceships One and Two would act as the protection fleet and enter combat whenever necessary.

The Observer, on the other hand, would fulfill the role of exploration ship. It could be dispatched whenever they stumbled across a space junkyard or new terrestrial planet to save the Hope the risk from doing so.

Simultaneously, the Hope would undergo its third large modification. There would be a basement two level and eighth and ninth levels. The basement levels would still be used as residential areas. With the increase in population, the demand for living space would naturally increase. This basement two level was made to solve that problem.

The eighth level would be the plantation level for the plants harvested from the new planet, like the Purple Plum and Milk Fruit. With the ecosystem of the new planet contained within this level, two species of omnivorous lizards found on the new planet could be reared here as well.

The ninth level would be a simulated ocean. This level was two times the height of other levels. It was about tens of thousands of meters tall, more than enough to create the simulation of a simple underwater environment. Inside it, species of the new planet’s saltwater fish, Shell Web, the new planet’s unique crustacean species, and edible seaweed would be bred here. This level hosted the largest group of the organisms that would be carried away on the Hope. There were about 70 species in total. Other than for human consumption, the other function was to feed the six-legged Black Dragons.

Yes, humanity’s biggest reward on the new planet, the six-legged Black Dragons, would be taken on the ship as well. Even though the appetite for one Black Dragon equaled to the consumption of several hundred human beings, the Black Dragon, as a species of highly-evolved organisms, was not only useful for humanity’s future research in the field of genetics and medicine, they were invaluable asset to the Hope’s military force. If the Hope was infiltrated by alien robots again, the Black Dragons could take them out easily. Furthermore, when exploring new planets, they could act as hunting hounds alongside the Black Star Troopers.

Due to the food constraints, only twenty young Black Dragons and all the baby dragons that could be located were carried on the Hope. However, to prevent inter-breeding due to the small gene pool, the six-legged Black Dragons’ sperm and ovum were greatly harvested.

Other than these changes, in the six months before the Observer returned, many mineral ores were mined and smelted into ingots to be stored inside the Hope. At the same time, plantations of many luxury items was underway. At a time like this, protection of ecosystem was no longer a concern. Forests were cleared away using wide-spread burning. Using the ashes of the trees as fertilizers, luxury plants like tea, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, and cotton were planted.

Even though the government tried their best to cover up the news about the neutron star fragments, the recent changes in governing policies tipped off more than a few sensitive experts. Facing the mass-scale deforestation, the protests died down quickly after the initial uproar. It was as if the whole of society was affected by an ominous feeling. They put extra effort in their work, be it for manufacturing, planting, or mining. Everyone chipped in to gather as many resources as they could.

Journalists and photographers started taking down notes, videos, and pictures of the new planet. Even though no one spoke a word, everyone knew something big was coming…

The Observer returned to the new planet in this kind of environment. After Yao Yuan spoke to the members of the Observer, especially the scientists, he finally had the talk before the entirety of humanity.

"My fellow man, this is Yao Yuan. With a heavy heart, I’m given the task to inform all of you of saddening news. A neutron star fragment is heading towards our solar system’s sun…

"Yes, just like how it was on old Earth, we are once more cornered into a helpless situation…

"The fragment was discovered about one and a half years ago. We did not give up immediately; a spaceship was given emergency modifications so that our men and women could identify the threat up close and try to figure out a solution, but we have failed. The spaceship has just returned, and after we passed the data it brought back to the Academy, they came up with the confirmation that our situation can’t be helped…

"We have to once again abandon our home planet and venture into space…

"But I promise you, I will not leave behind a single of you. We will leave together!

"I also promise that this departure doesn’t represent our surrender! We are weak now, but we are always improving and growing! So hear me out!

"Keep everything in your hearts, in your souls, and in your genes. Record everything that happens so that we’ll be able to tell our children and have them tell their children that we lost several billion people when we were forced to abandon old Earth! We lost a new beginning when we were forced to abandon the new planet! Remember this pain and anger! Even hundreds, thousands, millions of years may pass… but this shall forever be a part of our history! One day, we will crush this alien civilization that has cornered us so! Crush them like bugs!

"One day, vengeance will be ours!"