17: SCV assembly complete.

The plan was finalized, and resources were poured out like water. The hum of the refining core reached an unprecedented intensity, with deep blue light flowing through the main cabin, even emitting a hint of scorching heat. Han Zhe stood by, clearly "feeling" the system's energy and resources being efficiently diverted and shaped.

First was the crucial ultra-long-distance composite cable. Like a sleeping metal python, it slowly "grew" from the refining core's output, coiling in a corner of the airlock. The cable's outer skin was a dark gray flexible material with a self-healing coating, integrating multiple thick power lines and high-bandwidth data fibers. Every twenty meters, there was a reinforced relay/buffer node equipped with miniature attitude adjusters to prevent tangling while drifting in space. Once finished, the coiled cable occupied nearly half the airlock; its length was calibrated at 150 meters, enough to reach the D-4 Platform with redundancy to spare.

Next was "Carrier No. 1." Rather than a mobile platform, it was more of a metal basket on wheels. The main body used the crude open frame from the "scavenger no. 1" plan, with four solid rubber tires salvaged from the prospecting vehicle wreckage mounted underneath (only two had been used before; the other two were recovered). Power came from the residual energy core of Battery B—modified by the system for more stable but limited output—controlled by a temporary pull rod for basic steering. It lacked a grasping arm, featuring only a platform secured by quick-release buckles in the center of the frame to carry the "sunflower" charging station and some lightweight components. It looked shabby, and its speed was estimated to be barely faster than a crawl, but its strength lay in its load-bearing capacity and ability to move across relatively flat wreckage surfaces.

Finally, consuming the most resources and time, were the remaining SCV components. The main control unit (a multi-core processor and basic AI encased in an armored shell), the sensor suite (including front and rear cameras, laser rangefinding, and simple material scanning), precision joint servo systems, and outer armor plates covering critical areas... These components emerged one by one from the refining core, bearing fresh machining marks and the system's characteristic deep blue afterglow, piling up in the main cabin and gradually occupying the little remaining space. With each piece completed, the anticipation in Han Zhe's heart grew.

When all manufacturing tasks were finished, the system's energy level had dropped to 1.5%, and resource points were down to a mere 50, nearly zeroed out. But the results were fruitful: the cable was ready, "Carrier No. 1" was ready, the remaining SCV components were ready, and the emergency energy core along with the slowly charging plasma pistol were also prepared.

Life Support Countdown: 22 standard hours.

There was no time to celebrate or rest. Han Zhe had to begin deployment immediately.

Step one: connecting the cable. He donned his increasingly unreliable spacesuit—the leak seemed to have worsened, with estimated life support time now under ten minutes—and connected one end of the cable to the escape pod's main power interface and the refining core's data port, while the other end was secured to "Carrier No. 1."

Step two: loading. He carefully secured the "sunflower" charging station to the center of Carrier No. 1's platform with buckles. Then, he used protective netting to fix the SCV's emergency energy core, main control unit, sensor suite, and other critical components around the "sunflower."

Step three, and the riskiest—the first long-range EVA deployment. He needed to pilot (or rather, push) this crude "Carrier No. 1," dragging the long cable across 120 meters of uncertain wreckage to reach the D-4 Platform and establish an initial connection point there.

Han Zhe took a deep breath of stale air and checked the plasma pistol's charge: 22%. Better than nothing. He slotted the pistol into a makeshift holster at the waist of his spacesuit. Though he knew the device might not even fire in a vacuum without special modifications, or that the recoil might kill him, carrying it provided some peace of mind.

Enter airlock, depressurize, open hatch.

The icy void embraced him once more. This time felt different because he was dragging a long "umbilical cord" and a stumbling metal basket filled with the seeds of hope.

He pushed the handle of Carrier No. 1. The wheels turned slowly, creating subtle vibrations against the escape pod's hull. He carefully adjusted his posture, firing his spacesuit's thrusters to assist the Porter's weak motor as he began the journey toward the D-4 Platform.

The cable unspooled behind him like a long, thin tail. The miniature attitude adjusters on the relay nodes flickered occasionally, adjusting the cable's position to avoid knots or snagging on surrounding debris.

The 120-meter journey was longer and more nerve-wracking than any previous EVA. He had to stay constantly alert for obstacles ahead, control the Porter's speed and direction, and keep an eye on the cable behind him. In a zero-gravity environment, any excess force or directional error could cause the entire system to spiral out of control.

Surrounding him was a silent, tumbling graveyard of metal, with fragments of various sizes drifting past, some so close they seemed within reach. He gripped the handle tightly, his palms slick with cold sweat (which soon froze in the low temperature), his nerves stretched to the limit. The system's auxiliary interface provided navigation and obstacle warnings at the edge of his vision, but the latency and limited sensing range couldn't entirely eliminate the danger.

Time ticked away. The temperature inside the suit continued to drop, and the oxygen reserve alarm began its low chime again. The frost on his visor grew thicker.

Finally, ahead, the silhouette of the relatively flat and massive D-4 Platform wreckage gradually became clear in the starlight. It looked like a torn, rust-stained island of steel, floating quietly in a relatively sparse area of the debris field.

He drew closer. Twenty meters... ten meters... Han Zhe carefully maneuvered Carrier No. 1 toward a flat-looking spot near the platform's edge and slowly brought it in.

The tires touched the metal surface, transmitting a slight vibration. The Porter stopped, and the magnetic locks (powered by the "sunflower") automatically activated, temporarily securing it to the platform.

Arrival successful!

Han Zhe was nearly exhausted. He quickly unhooked the cable end from the Porter and, guided by the system, used expansion bolts and alloy clamps to firmly secure the cable connector to a sturdy protrusion on the platform. With this, the power and data channel from the escape pod to the D-4 Platform was tentatively established.

Next, he unloaded the "sunflower" charging station from the Porter, deployed its solar panels, and adjusted the angle to face the distant star. The dark blue panels began absorbing the faint starlight, and the energy readings of the buffer battery unit started a painfully slow ascent. Although the output here might be lower than next to the escape pod, he now had an independent energy node.

Having finished this, Han Zhe's spacesuit was blaring with alarms. He didn't dare linger; once the connection was confirmed stable, he immediately fired his thrusters and returned to the escape pod along the cable at a faster pace than his arrival. He had to transport the rest of the SCV components and begin assembly as quickly as possible.

The return journey was relatively smooth. When he collapsed onto the airlock floor again, his lungs felt like they were bursting, and his limbs had lost all sensation. Only the faint warmth injected by the system's emergency protocols kept him from losing consciousness.

After a brief rest (which could hardly be called rest, consisting only of violent gasping and waiting for his frozen limbs to regain some feeling), he began the second and third rounds of transport.

He bundled the SCV's joint servos, outer armor, and other heavier components, securing them to Carrier No. 1 (the Porter's simple platform had been temporarily reinforced) and dragging them to the D-4 Platform once more. This time was even more grueling due to the heavier load; the Porter's motor emitted an overburdened whine. Each round trip took longer than the last.

By the time he delivered the final load—a set of simple assembly tools (including a multi-function wrench, calibrator, and welding head) manufactured by the refining core—the life support countdown had ticked down to 15 standard hours.

His body had reached its limit. Every breath tasted of blood, and his vision was swimming with dark spots. But he couldn't stop. All the SCV components were in place, scattered around the temporary "work zone" he had established on the D-4 Platform.

"System, initiate Remote Assembly Protocol! Transmit instructions via the cable and guide me through the final SCV assembly!" Han Zhe's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible. He leaned against the cold metal casing of the "sunflower" charging station, maintaining consciousness with the faint energy transmitted through the cable.

[Remote Assembly Protocol initiated. host, please follow the visual auxiliary prompts to operate step-by-step.]

Pale blue assembly guide lines once again overlaid his vision. This time, the lines extended toward the scattered metal components.

He struggled to his feet, picked up the tools, and began following the system's instructions—like a toddler learning to walk, yet also like a devout craftsman—piecing together the cold parts bit by bit.

First was the docking and reinforcement of the main frame. Heavy metal beams locked together under his wrench, and specialized high-strength fasteners were tightened one by one. Then came the integration of the power system—embedding the emergency energy core into the pre-allocated base in the frame and connecting the complex energy conduits and cooling systems.

Next was the installation of the mobile chassis. The wheeled suspension system was docked with the main frame's interface, and the servo motors were connected to the control circuit. With each step completed, the system performed a preliminary power-on test, with deep blue light flowing through local circuits to check for connectivity.

The installation of the joint servo systems was the most tedious, requiring extreme precision. Han Zhe's fingers trembled constantly from the cold and fatigue, but he forced himself to concentrate. Under the system's millimeter-level calibration guidance, he carefully fitted the precise hydraulic rods and motors into the armored shells of the mechanical arms and leg joints.

Then came the installation of the sensor suite and the main control unit. These were the SCV's "eyes" and "brain." When the metal box housing the basic AI was pushed into the reserved slot in the head, Han Zhe's heart skipped a beat at the sound of the "click" as it locked into place.

Finally, the outer armor was applied. One by one, heavy alloy plates were lifted, aligned with the buckles, and hammered into place. Dull thuds echoed across the platform. Silver-gray armor gradually covered the internal precision structures, leaving only necessary maintenance hatches and tool interfaces. The SCV's silhouette became increasingly clear: a roughly three-meter-tall, stout, and angular rectangular body. Below were four thick mechanical legs with omnidirectional wheels (the simplified version replaced more complex footed or tracked designs with a more stable wheel-leg hybrid structure). In front were two foldable mechanical arms with universal tool interfaces at the ends, and the head was a hemispherical structure integrating various sensors.

As the final chest plate snapped shut, Han Zhe stepped back a few paces, leaning against the "sunflower" as he looked at the mechanical creation standing quietly before him, its cold, hard luster reflecting the starlight.

It lacked a polished appearance, looking even more "crude" than the simplified version in the blueprints. Manual installation marks were visible at the armor seams, and some non-critical armor plates were even directly attached after being cut from wreckage without being finely polished. But it was complete, solemn, and filled with a rugged, practical sense of power.

[SCV (Simplified Version) main body assembly complete. Entering final system initialization and debugging phase. Connecting emergency energy core... Starting main control AI... Loading basic operational protocols...]

Following the system's prompts, the protective cover of the SCV's head sensors slowly slid open, revealing the lenses and scanners within. A few points of deep blue light flickered inside, like a sleeping giant opening its eyes. A low hum of energy flow emanated from the torso, and the four mechanical legs adjusted their stance slightly, becoming more stable.

[Initialization complete. SCV unit 'pioneer-01' online. Status: Standby. Energy level: Emergency Core - 100% (Sustainable runtime: approx. 48 standard hours, low load). Weapon systems: None. Tool configuration: Basic magnetic grasping arm (Left), basic cutting/welding arm (Right). Control mode: Remote wired command (via cable and relay nodes), or close-range wireless neural connection (requires host to wear specialized control unit, not configured).]

Success!