499: Chapter 499 Star Bridge

News of the New Eden The Swarm disaster slowly slid down the hot topic list on the Interstellar Peace Forum.

The focus of discussion gradually shifted from the horror of the bugs and the war situation to post-war reconstruction and resource recovery, as well as some old debates about the combat power comparison between the Cloud Knights and the Eastern Federation forces.

For the vast majority of people living in various space cities or on planetary surfaces across the Milky Way Galaxy, the extermination war that occurred on the southern frontier of the New Eden star System was more like a thrilling but concluded historical event.

Life had to go on, and trade continued. Every day, new products, new entertainment, and new arguments filled the cyberspace.

Until one day, a pinned announcement titled "Company Major Technological Progress Report" appeared on the forum homepage, spreading at an explosive rate to all terminals connected to the Silver Rail network.

The title of the announcement was simple: "Explanation Regarding the Completion and Trial Operation of the First Phase of the 'Star Bridge' System."

Clicking it open, the content made anyone with even basic aerospace knowledge feel a strong sense of dizziness.

The announcement briefly introduced the "Star Bridge" System, a new type of inter-star System transportation device based on a deeper analysis and application of the Silver Rail network.

The core Breakthrough was achieving node freedom, meaning it could autonomously set stable navigation endpoints without relying on rare natural gravitational weak points.

This meant that, theoretically, a "bridge" could be built at any coordinate with enough space, no longer constrained by the various objective conditions of past Star Gate technology.

Furthermore, traveling within the stabilized navigation channels constructed by the "Star Bridge" could achieve effective speeds thousands to tens of thousands of times faster than the warp speeds of existing mature Star Gate networks.

Even with the most conservative theoretical calculations, given sufficient energy supply, a journey across millions of light-years would be shortened from years to hours.

If there was any downside, it was that activating and maintaining a Star Bridge, especially an inter-galactic one, required an unimaginably vast amount of energy.

But the good news was that a solution for the energy problem had also been found.

It was simply a matter of brute force; the Company had plenty of ways.

If necessary, creating a stellar battery wouldn't be much trouble.

At the end of the announcement, a schematic diagram was attached. A brilliant bridge of light spanned the dark starry sea, connecting two blurry star System light points.

Below it was a note: the first phase of the verification project was preset for the M31 direction.

M31? The Andromeda Galaxy?

Ten minutes after the announcement, a flood of messages erupted on the forum.

"Am I... am I still dreaming? Or did the Company's publicity team collectively eat raw mushrooms?"

"Upstairs, I also hope the mushrooms weren't cooked. But this is a goddamn official Company announcement, stamped with dual certification from the Technology Research and Development Department and the Strategic Projects Department!"

"Wait, wait, wait! Let me get this straight! Does this mean the Company built a bridge that lets us go directly from the Milky Way Galaxy to the Andromeda Galaxy? Two and a half million light-years? In a few hours?!"

"That's what the announcement says... but this is too... too..."

"Too damn outrageous!"

"Ignoring nodes? Does that mean exploration fleets can fly wherever they want in the future? Discover a resource planet and build a bridge right there?"

"It shouldn't go that far; mining costs would skyrocket if they did that."

"Hey, hey, hey, isn't that beside the point, brothers!? The point shouldn't be Andromeda?! It's the Andromeda that might harbor the The Swarm's lair! Is the Company going to... attack them?!"

"Definitely! The bugs in New Eden are cleared, and nothing else has been found in other parts of the Milky Way, so isn't it obvious? Before, they couldn't get there, but now the bridge is built. Given the Company's style, is it possible they wouldn't go and flip over their old nest?"

"I suddenly feel sorry for those bugs... Sigh, why provoke the Company of all things?"

"Am I the only one worried about money? How many credit points would it cost to build this thing? Would selling an entire rich mineral star System be enough?"

"Upstairs, your scope is too small. The Company is buying the future, an inter-galactic future. Once this bridge truly succeeds, it's no longer about money; it's about the civilization's territory expanding by an order of magnitude!"

"I still feel like I'm dreaming... Two hundred years ago, we struggled with reliable inter-stellar System travel. Just over a hundred years later, we're discussing inter-galactic travel? This pace of development... I think I need to find a way to live another hundred years!"

"Upstairs is right! Don't forget, in this past century, there's been the Company, the Eastern Federation, and those mysterious 'paths,' and that Aeon of Preservation bigger than the Solar System!"

"Oh my God, I'll never forget the sky I saw that day! We might truly be living in a singular era of civilization's explosive leap."

"Yeah! Living one more year might even witness a new historical node!"

Shock, ecstasy, unease, infinite longing for the future, and deep reverence for the unknown—all kinds of emotions exploded on the forum.

Human civilization's understanding of the Universe had undergone several upheavals in just over a century.

From being confined to their home planet, to timidly stepping into the star sea, to establishing a Star Gate network to initially connect the Milky Way, and now. Their gaze could already cross the vast Void Realm of the Local Group, cast towards another massive galaxy two and a half million light-years away.

This rapid expansion of cognitive frontiers brought not only heroism but also a sense of unreality and slight dizziness, like walking on clouds.

The power of technology, or rather, the true power of an interstellar-level civilization, was terrifyingly immense.

While public opinion continued to ferment, within a floor of the Interstellar Peace Corporation headquarters accessible to only a very few.

There weren't many people in the room, but each one's weight was enough to determine the direction of a planetary-stage civilization.

Chen Hao sat in the main seat, calmly rubbing two spherical balls, one red and one blue, in his hands.

To his left were representatives of Ten Stonehearts, led by Jade, with Aventurine, Topaz, Opal, and several others also present. To his right were the core members from Xianzhou: General Jing Yuan, General Feixiao, General Huaiyan, and Fuhuan, who was remotely connected.

The holographic projection in the center of the conference room displayed a summary of the public opinion storm triggered by the "Star Bridge" announcement and something more important: a projection report on the current Universe activity model of the propagation path.

The report showed that despite the temporary suppression of the The Swarm in New Eden, the growth momentum of the propagation path had not weakened.

"Alright, the show's over, let's talk business." Chen Hao stretched his neck and shoulders, looking at everyone. "Based on your experience, should we pursue them now?"

"If we ignore it, it will surely become a major hidden danger in due time." General Jing Yuan spoke slowly, his tone habitually calm but his meaning clear. "Since we know the location of its nest, we should sweep it clean and cut off the roots."

"I agree." General Feixiao said succinctly, arms crossed. "Being passively beaten is not the Cloud Riders' style. Since we know where the enemy's lair is, we should go and attack it."

Jade elegantly crossed her legs, her fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest: "From the Strategic Investment Department's perspective, this is also an irresistible investment. An extragalactic star System that may contain an Advanced The Swarm civilization also has a high probability of containing rational civilizations, and the value hidden behind it is worth a high-level exploration and development."

"Of course, provided the risks can be controlled."

Aventurine added: "Moreover, this is an excellent advertisement. It demonstrates the Company's determination and capability to civilizations in the Local Group and even more distant ones that might be observing us."

"However, I hold a conservative view on whether there are civilizations that can observe us."

"What about the risks?" Fuhuan's projection voiced. "Expedition to an extragalactic region, long supply lines, completely unknown environment, the enemy's strength is a mystery. Once frustrated, losses will far exceed estimates."

"So, planning and preparation are needed." Chen Hao took over. "Mainly, I also don't want to go head-to-head with a well-developed Aeon of propagation then."

"Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm not good at fighting, please understand."

After addressing the somewhat "disdainful" looks from many present, Chen Hao pointed to the Star Bridge blueprint: "The supply line issue is easy to solve; the Technology Research and Development Department and General General Huaiyan's Artisanship Commission have come up with a joint plan."

"For safety, General Feixiao's fleet and the expeditionary force to be assembled are key. I'll ask Kafka and her team to help with environmental surveys and such; it's not difficult for them."

"As for intelligence and strategic matters, I'll leave those to General Jing Yuan and Fuhuan."

"And for market-related handling and follow-up matters, I'll entrust them to Ten Stonehearts."

The tone was thus set.

The meeting continued for a while, finalizing the preliminary framework for the expeditionary force and communication strategies with allies like the Eastern Federation.

When the meeting concluded, a massive plan spanning the star sea had quietly begun.

Days later.

The Pierpoint star System, stellar gravitational equilibrium point L5.

This place was once empty, with only eternal darkness and distant starlight. But now, a colossal structure, indescribable in words, quietly hovered there.

Star Bridge Anchor Station, Pierpoint Node.

Its main body was a nearly perfect ring with a diameter of several thousand kilometers.

The ring body was not solid but composed of countless nested and interwoven giant conduits, spatial stabilization anchors, material transfer tracks, defensive matrix platforms, and port facilities.

The metal structure gleamed with a cold, silvery-grey luster, with subtle pale blue patterns flowing across its surface.

Its structure was breathtakingly complex and precise, every inch embodying the Peak achievements of current human civilization in the fields of Materials science, energy science, and space physics.

It existed there silently, illuminated by the stellar radiance, like a silent god of steel, or a cosmic miracle forged by the will of civilization.

Compared to it, the patrolling warships and passing engineering vessels nearby were as tiny as moths.