155: Cage and Starry Sea

The Eastern Federation established the Starsea Community and, with technical support from the Interstellar Peace Corporation, began construction of a space elevator.

Western society, for various reasons, had a torn and fluctuating attitude.

Over the next three years, due to the spread of radioactive dust, most of the population from the former Europa and New Union regions on Blue Star gathered in the Oceania City-States.

Due to limited resources and excessive population density, the Oceania City-States completely transformed into a cyberpunk society controlled by mega-corporations such as Qilu Corporation, United Energy, and Militech.

In the first year, the Oceania City-States experienced an unprecedented mass migration.

As radiation levels in Europa and New Union areas surpassed critical points, approximately 600 million refugees poured into this sanctuary like a tide.

The joint government was forced to declare a "special control state," but as more and more people flowed in, the entire social order began to collapse.

Amidst the chaos, the three major corporate groups—Qilu Corporation, United Energy, and New Era—signed the "Emergency Management Agreement," taking over critical systems like water, electricity, communications, and food under the guise of "maintaining basic livelihoods."

Although Militech was secretly marginalized, Meredith, through the connections of the Blackrock Feller patriarch, collaborated with a senior team leader from the Interstellar Peace Corporation's Traditional Projects Department, pioneering the "credit points-materials" binding system.

The other mega-corporations were deterred by the Interstellar Peace Corporation card played by Meredith and eventually reached agreements with Militech.

Soon, residents of the Oceania City-States discovered that they had to complete tasks issued by corporations to obtain their daily electricity allowance.

In New York Central Plaza, a worker wearing an exoskeleton angrily smashed a rationing machine.

"Fourteen hours of work every day, just to charge twenty kilowatt-hours of electricity!" His roar had not yet faded when he was precisely struck in the neck by a Qilu Corporation drone, falling to the ground in convulsions.

The onlookers silently dispersed, continuing to queue for the synthetic protein bars distributed by New Era.

The packaging was emblazoned with glaring words like "Gratitude" and "Feedback."

Entering the second year, the situation in Oceania further deteriorated.

The "Street Patrols" funded by Militech clashed with Qilu Corporation security forces in District Nine, and stray bullets struck a gas tank, causing a massive explosion that killed over 3,000 people.

This tragedy prompted the three major corporations to sit down and negotiate, ultimately forming the "Corporate Council," which effectively controlled the city-states.

Spheres of influence were quickly delineated.

United Energy controlled the entire energy network, Qilu Corporation monopolized communications and data, New Era held sway over Biotechnica and food production, and Militech provided security services.

Meanwhile, due to the worsening living conditions, a black market for prosthetic modifications emerged in the slums.

On the outer wall of black market doctor Tom's clinic, a hastily written advertisement read: "Lung replacement package! Only three months' salary!"

By the third year, Oceania had completely transformed into a typical cyberpunk society.

The promulgation of the "Oceania Special Law" divided residents into different classes; corporate employees enjoyed various privileges, while non-employees could only apply for precarious "temporary resident status."

New Era was exposed for adding neuro-modulators to relief food, sparking the "White Mask" protest movement, but this movement was suppressed within 72 hours, and the masterminds disappeared.

The "Sky City" project jointly launched by the three major corporations ended in dismal failure, with technical flaws causing a space capsule to crash, its wreckage tearing through the District Six slum.

However, the statement issued by the corporations blamed "unknown electromagnetic interference," while some anonymous sources kept mentioning 'Eastern Federation,' 'Starsea Community,' and 'Interstellar Peace Corporation.'

Today, in the Oceania City-States, the glass curtain walls of three-hundred-story corporate skyscrapers reflect never-ending neon advertisements, while the lower levels consist of tens of kilometers of slum shanties.

Holographic projections flicker in the acid rain, warning: "Qilu Corporation reminds you: Today's air quality index is 272, installation of fifth-generation artificial lungs is recommended."

The three major corporations established a tight system of social control.

United Energy implemented an "energy shackles" system through smart meters, capable of cutting off oxygen supply to residents with "insufficient credit points" at any time; Qilu Corporation's surveillance network formed a "data cage," analyzing over 700 million pieces of resident biometric data every minute; and New Era's neuro-modulators kept 80% of laborers in an "efficient and pleasant working state."

As for Militech, its headquarters had already been in this state for several years.

In the monitoring center, a technician lazily marked red dots on the map: "Another suicide in District 23, 143rd case this month, should I report it?"

The supervisor, without looking up, replied: "Wait until they accumulate ten before clearing them out, save some expenses."

In the abandoned subway tunnel of District Seven, the words of migrants from three years ago were still visible on rusty pipes: "New life, new beginning."

Now, this sentence was covered by layers of graffiti, the latest addition being: "They sold the sky, and we are left with only hell."

By the end of the fourth year, Tiangong was completed.

The morning sunlight pierced through the holographic projection screen, illuminating the deep blue emblem of the Starsea Community.

Zheng Guoming, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Eastern Federation and Chairman of the Starsea Community, stood before a podium inlaid with the flags of twenty-nine nations, with a holographic model of the space city floating behind him.

"Today, on behalf of the Starsea Community, I announce that the first phase of the 'Tiangong' space city project is officially completed!"

As his words fell, the holographic image suddenly expanded, revealing a panoramic view of the 32-kilometer-diameter circular space city.

Silver-white ecological capsules were linked like pearls, and the central ecological dome glowed with the golden light of artificial sunlight.

"The first batch of immigration quotas is five million," Zheng Guoming waved his hand, bringing up a document. "Of these, 95% are allocated to Starsea Community member states, and the remaining 5% will be used for international scientific research exchange quotas."

A flurry of camera shutters immediately sounded below the stage.

A reporter from the Black Continent Daily grabbed the first question: "What are the selection criteria?"

"A triple assessment mechanism," Zheng Guoming raised a finger. "First is professional skill rating, second is contribution points, and finally, language skills."

He smiled and added, "Of course, all constructors' family members automatically receive B-level qualifications."

The conference live broadcast was still ongoing, and the internet was already bustling.

Eastern Federation Times Special Report: "Human New Era: Tiangong City's First Batch of Immigrants Depart Today"

[Image 1] Full view of the space elevator: Carbon nanotube tracks, like a silver chain reaching the heavens, pierce the clouds, with twelve transport capsules simultaneously ascending and descending at different altitudes.

[Image 2] Tiangong City ecological zone: Golden waves of wheat under the dome shimmer in harmony with artificial sunlight.

[Small print annotation] The space elevator has a transport capacity of 100,000 people per day, and Tiangong City Phase I is equipped with a complete ecological circulation system, capable of supporting 5 million permanent residents.

Official channels of various countries within the Starsea Community were jubilant, but the comment sections were diverse.

@StarrySea (IP location: Eastern Federation): "Just passed the second batch of immigration review! As a radiation biology researcher, I will participate in the Tiangong agricultural project.

Wait for it, I will definitely cultivate rice the size of ping-pong balls!"

@FreeEagle (IP location: Oceania City-States): "Heh heh, the Eastern Federation is nothing but a puppet of the Interstellar Peace Corporation.

Without the Interstellar Peace Corporation's donated technology, they couldn't even build a decent rocket!"

@AncestralPrescription (IP location: Eastern Federation) replied to @FreeEagle: "I can smell the sourness through the screen!

We contributed 70% of the constructors and 45% of the raw materials, while your country's corporations are busy installing neural controllers in the slums~"

@TitaniumAlloyKeyboardWarrior (IP location: Oceania City-States): "It's the Eastern Federation again?

Why do they get to decide who goes to space?"

@ProfessionalCottonPicker (IP location: Black Continent) replied to @TitaniumAlloyKeyboardWarrior: "Because they built a space city and all you can do is type."

...

The Oceania Business Alliance issued a statement expressing "delight at human technological progress," but internal communications were leaked by hackers: "We must get the technology!"

The Qilu Corporation CEO roared on an encrypted channel, "Otherwise, we will be forever locked in this radiation hell!"

Within the Eastern Federation, two minor events, unnoticed by outsiders, were underway.

In the Northwest region, a gray-white radiation dust warning radar slowly rotated along the border, projecting "radiation dust approaching alert" onto the exterior walls of every building.

Although the detector showed the current radiation value was only 0.2, still far from the safe threshold of 3.0, on the holographic sandbox of the migration command center, the red area representing the spread of radiation dust was slowly moving towards the border.

Given the smooth progress of the Tiangong Plan, the Premier had full confidence in the Moon base.

Thus, with the unanimous endorsement of the high-level officials, it was decided to migrate the population ahead of schedule.

"All units, attention, 'Enlightenment Plan' Phase One is now activated."

The voice of Lieutenant General Zhou Weiguo, the overall commander, echoed through the operational channel across the entire border, "Prioritize the migration of children under 18 and pregnant and postpartum women, and ensure the transfer of the first batch of 300,000 people is completed within 72 hours."

Military hovercraft convoys formed steel dragons, visible both on the ground and in the sky.

At the migration registration office, staff were rapidly verifying identity information.

"Comrade Zhang Qiang, your family has been assigned to a new community on Lu Island."

The staff member handed a holographic card to the weathered middle-aged man, "Three bedrooms, two living rooms, with a children's room, and your daughter has been arranged to attend Donghai Middle School."

Zhang Qiang stared at the three-dimensional floor plan flickering on the card, his voice trembling slightly: "This... this is even better than our original house..."

"The country will not mistreat comrades who defend its borders," the staff member smiled, pointing to the right passage, "Please get in the car, you can learn more detailed information during the ride."

"Oh, oh, okay." Zhang Qiang nodded in response, picked up his luggage, and was about to leave when he suddenly realized his daughter had just entered some testing center and hadn't come out yet. "By the way, where's my daughter?"

Fifteen-year-old Zhao Xiaolan was completing the final mechanics problem in a holographic simulation cabin.

Outside the cabin, her father, a veteran who had guarded the border for twenty years, nervously wrung his hands.

"Old Zhao!" A familiar voice came from behind.

Zhang Qiang excitedly grabbed his old comrade-in-arms' shoulder, "Xiaolan also participated in the selection?"

"They said they were going to pick 1,000 children to go to Guixu for some project..." The old soldier's voice suddenly choked, "But she's only fifteen..."

The holographic cabin door suddenly opened, and an evaluator in a white lab coat walked out: "Student Zhao Xiaolan has been selected for the 'Chang'e Plan' with a national top 50 score and will go to the Interstellar Peace Corporation to participate in an official Eastern Federation scientific research project."

The evaluator squatted down, looking eye-to-eye with the red-eyed girl: "Your father guarded the border for twenty years; now it's your turn to open up new frontiers."

At the migration command center, Lieutenant General Zhou stared at the real-time migration data, his brows furrowed: "The radiation dust is spreading faster than predicted; the caution from above was correct."

"The backup plan has been activated," the chief of staff brought up a map, "3,000 flying buses have been deployed, which can compress the second batch migration time to twenty-four hours."

An emergency communication suddenly popped up on the holographic screen, and the face of the Donglian Chief appeared in the image: "Comrade Weiguo, have you encountered any... during the migration process?"

"Please rest assured, Premier," Zhou Weiguo straightened his back, "The people on the border all say, 'Following the Party is the safest.' It's those research teams who voluntarily requested to stay behind..."

"Those old and young stubborn academics from the Academy of Sciences," the Premier shook his head with a smile, "Tell them they must evacuate when the radiation level reaches 1.5.

If they still try to pressure you with the country, just say it's not easy for the country to cultivate a talent."

As the last hovercraft departed the border, the children on board pressed against the windows, watching the fading lights of their homeland.

The onboard broadcast was playing the latest announcement:

"...The second phase of the Tiangong City project has begun ahead of schedule, and the Starsea Community announced an additional five million immigration quotas.

Remember, today's migration is not a retreat, but for a reunion tomorrow in the vaster Starsea..."