91: Chapter 91 The Back of the Moon, Here We Come!
Lin Mo's mission to "Monitor for Civilization" had just been issued, and the blueprint for the Thousand-Mile Eye Plan was still undergoing final optimization simulations in the system's vast sea of computing power. Meanwhile, the Dragon Country's Supreme Command Headquarters had already turned its gaze toward a strategically vital location that had long been selected and was already taking shape—the Guanghan Palace base on the far side of the moon.
The confirmation of the reaper's physical profile and the urgent time window of three to eight years acted like a harsh whip, forcing all plans to advance at speeds far beyond the norm. As humanity's only current permanent extraterrestrial outpost and the most ideal forward base and observation platform for future deep-space threats, the strategic status of the Guanghan Palace base was elevated to an unprecedented height.
The supreme directive bypassed layers of approval and was issued directly to the Guanghan Palace base and all relevant units on Earth:
"Phase II expansion of the Guanghan Palace starts immediately! Goal: Within six months, expand it from its original foundation into a comprehensive lunar fortress capable of housing fifty long-term residents, equipped with large-scale scientific research, medium-scale industrial production, basic ship maintenance, and strategic early warning functions! All resources are to prioritize this project!"
The order was like a spark on a prairie, instantly igniting passion and a sense of urgency between Earth and the Moon.
The far side of the moon, South Pole-Aitken Basin.
The massive pangu industrial zone lunar soil 3D printer roared once more. A printer head, even larger than before and assisted by intelligent robots, moved slowly along a preset track. It spat out 'ink' made from a mixture of lunar soil and special curing agents, building up new dome structures and underground bunkers layer by layer. At the foundation, laser excavation equipment efficiently melted and cut through the hard lunar rock, carving out deeper spaces.
The Chang'e X heavy cargo spacecraft launched from Earth arrived in lunar orbit with unprecedented frequency, unloading tons of prefabricated components, special alloys, precision instruments, and most importantly—more miniaturized Jinwu fusion energy modules and quantum communication relay equipment.
Inside the base, the lights blazed, and figures moved to and fro. The first twelve permanent residents worked side-by-side with the newly arrived second rotation of engineers and scientists, busy almost day and night. Under the precise scheduling and assistance of the fuxi - moon palace model, the expansion work unfolded methodically and with extraordinary speed.
A large observation tower foundation, specifically for installing and maintaining the core quantum sensors of the Thousand-Mile Eye Plan, broke ground at the edge of the base.
A larger-scale ecological recycling agricultural module was assembled, aimed at further increasing the base's food self-sufficiency.
The original landing platform was widened and reinforced, and the installation of more powerful guidance and energy replenishment systems began, preparing for the landing and takeoff of larger aerospace planes and even interstellar ships in the future.
Deep within the base, in a strictly classified area, the installation of an experimental production line for the industrial extraction of lunar-specific minerals (especially Helium-3) began.
"Reporting to Earth! The structural topping-off of the new living quarters is complete!"
"Report! Energy Core No. 2, 'Jinwu-Artemis Beta,' has successfully integrated into the grid. The base's total power output has increased by 275%!"
"Report! The foundation for the quantum observation tower has been poured. Awaiting the transport of core components!"
Successive reports were sent back to the Earth Command Center through a near-zero latency quantum link.
Watching the footage of the base's rapid expansion on the screen, a flicker of relief finally appeared on Elder Chen's weary face. He connected to a private quantum communication line with Lin Mo:
"Lin Mo, do you see? On the far side of the moon, we are truly taking root! This will not only be the fulcrum for the Thousand-Mile Eye Plan but also our bridgehead as we head into deep space to face the reapers!"
Inside the Torch Dragon safehouse, Lin Mo stared at the real-time footage. Watching that silver-gray 'city' grow rapidly on the desolate far side of the moon, a mix of pride and responsibility swelled in his heart.
This rapidly expanding lunar base carried not only the aerospace dreams of Dragon Country but also the hope and stubbornness of an entire civilization in the face of crisis.
He responded softly, as if making a vow:
"Yes, we are here. And we won't be leaving again."
The silence of the moon's far side had been broken. With unprecedented determination and speed, human footprints were carving the mark of civilization into this alien land, building the first solid line of defense for the coming storm.