20: Quietly Accelerating Development

Can only look, can't eat... Han Zhe felt his teeth itch with frustration. But the system's judgment was rational. An ordinary man is innocent, but treasure makes him a target. He was too weak right now and couldn't withstand any storms.

"Fine, seal it for now. 'pioneer-01', move this box to... the innermost part of the platform, that relatively enclosed corner we just reinforced. Use whatever materials we have on hand to build a temporary, physical shielding and camouflage structure to cover it up; don't leave any obvious traces or energy signatures. Also, scan and record the exact location of the box and its surroundings, mark it clearly in the system map, and set it to the highest security level."

"Command confirmed. Executing item transfer and camouflage operations." The SCV emitted a steady electronic voice, carefully lifting the heavy box with its magnetic gripping arm, and walked toward the depths of the platform with steady steps.

Han Zhe watched the SCV's retreating back, his thoughts churning. The existence of the stc fragment had completely changed his perception of this debris belt and even his future situation. The water here was much deeper than he had imagined. The D-4 Platform, and even the entire debris belt, might hide unknown secrets.

But this 'omni-shield fragment' fragment also brought an unexpected 'benefit.' Although it couldn't be used directly, its residual shielding field might truly act like an invisible shroud, helping this newly ignited spark of civilization, as weak as a firefly, stay hidden in the dark forest a little longer.

"System, utilize pioneer-01's work intervals to continuously monitor the Warp activity, conventional electromagnetic environment, and any abnormal information disturbances in our area (centered on the D-4 Platform, with a radius of... let's set it at 500 meters for now). Assess the 'visibility' of our current activities."

[Monitoring network expanding... Utilizing SCV sensors and escape pod remote monitoring... Establishing baseline data...]

[Preliminary Assessment: Due to physical structure interference from the debris belt itself and the residual shielding field of the unknown stc fragment, the risk of information leakage in the current activity area is: Low. However, vigilance is still required against high-intensity, close-range active scanning or psychic detection. Recommendation: All future activities involving energy fluctuations or information exchange (such as high-power operation of the refining core, long-distance communication attempts, large-scale construction) should be conducted within the influence range of the stc fragment's shielding field as much as possible, or additional physical/energy shielding measures should be taken.]

With this preliminary assessment, Han Zhe felt a bit more at ease. At least, he wasn't a target exposed under a spotlight for the time being.

He refocused his attention on the pressing survival and construction. The SCV had already begun reinforcing and expanding the platform according to the original plan. The light of the welding arc flickered steadily, and the sounds of metal being cut, moved, and welded formed the only 'vitality' in this dead space.

With the SCV's high efficiency, progress was rapid. The originally fragile and vulnerable edges of the platform were thickened, and more metal debris was used to fill gaps and cracks, forming a relatively solid 'foundation.' An area about thirty meters long and fifteen meters wide was initially leveled out as the core working area. Although it was still rough, covered in weld marks and protruding rivets, at least he didn't have to worry about falling into space while walking or being easily destroyed by drifting debris.

"'pioneer-01', after completing the initial platform reinforcement, the priority task changes." Han Zhe issued a new command, "We need a reliable, expandable life support system. Utilizing existing metal from the platform and resources collected from the debris belt, build a minimized, sealable 'Living/Command Module (Prototype)' in the center of the working area. Requirements: Basic airtightness, basic air circulation, temperature regulation, water recovery, and waste treatment functions. Power will be temporarily supplied by the 'sunflower' charging station and emergency battery packs. After construction is complete, gradually transfer the key equipment from the escape pod (especially the refining core) over here."

With the SCV, he could finally start solving the most fundamental survival problem and rid himself of dependence on that escape pod, which could completely shut down at any time.

"Command confirmed. Initiating 'ark one' living module construction protocol. Calculating material requirements... Starting collection and prefabrication..."

The SCV temporarily stopped the platform expansion work and instead began to plan the foundation, cut plates, and weld the frame in the center of the leveled area, following the system's newly generated blueprints (a simplified design based on existing materials and technology).

Watching the SCV work tirelessly, Han Zhe finally felt a hint of fatigue that allowed for some relaxation. He returned to the crude sunshade temporarily built next to the 'sunflower' (made of debris canvas and metal poles), opened his helmet, took another small sip of water, and then took out the last bit of synthetic nutrient paste, forcing himself to swallow it.

Although the stc fragment couldn't be touched for now, its appearance was like a reassuring pill and a shot of adrenaline. It reminded Han Zhe of the depth and danger of this universe, but also vaguely pointed toward broader possibilities.

He pulled up the system interface. Resource points were slowly but steadily rising back up under the SCV's efficient collection and the refining core's continuous operation, having returned to around 200 points. The energy level had also risen to 3.1% due to the 'sunflower's' continuous work and some small energy sources (batteries that hadn't completely failed, occasionally found in the debris) collected by the SCV.

He clicked on some icons that had newly lit up due to the resource breakthrough and the SCV's successful construction.

[Basic Defense Facility: Auto-Turret (Laser) - Blueprint unlocked (Resource requirement: 300 points).]

[Reconnaissance Unit: Swarm Recon Drone (Basic Type) - Blueprint unlocked (Resource requirement: 150 points, requires matching micro-manufacturing unit).]

[Resource Building: Automated Mineral Collection Station (Space Version, must be anchored to resource-rich asteroids or large debris) - Blueprint unlocked (Resource requirement: 500 points, requires prior construction of engineering dock).]

Defense, reconnaissance, and more efficient resource collection... these were the next steps in establishing a sustainable base. Especially defense; in this debris belt full of hidden dangers, even the most basic laser turret could provide a huge sense of security.

But all of this required resources and time.

Han Zhe's gaze fell on the blueprint for the 'Swarm Recon Drone.' This thing might help him explore this debris belt more safely and efficiently, and even discover 'surprises' (or scares) like the stc fragment, while avoiding the risks of personal EVA.

"System, design a minimized drone launch/recovery and charging platform scheme that can be integrated into the 'ark one' module we are building, or serve as an external attachment. Simultaneously, start using the refining core's idle capacity to prefabricate the micro-components needed for the drones."

[Command confirmed. Designing integrated drone dock scheme... Initiating micro-component prefabrication sequence...]

Just as Han Zhe was planning his next move and the SCV's welding arc flickered steadily in the distance, the system sent another prompt, this time with an unusual 'fluctuation.'

[Warning: Faint Warp ripple disturbance detected. Source: Non-local, Bearing: Deep space outside the debris belt, Distance: Extremely far (cannot be accurately located with current sensor precision). Nature: Non-natural, characterized by an intertwining of order and chaos, suspected to be... ripples caused by a Psyker performing Warp navigation or a large-scale ritual. Intensity: Extremely low, no direct threat, but indicates this sector is not completely 'dead.']

Warp ripples? Psyker activity?

Han Zhe's nerves, which had just relaxed slightly, tightened instantly. As expected, this seemingly abandoned debris belt was not isolated from the world. Something was active nearby; it could be a merchant fleet, an Imperial Patrol, or... Chaos Raiders, Eldar Pirates, or worse.

Could the stc fragment's shielding field block such faint Warp ripple detection at this distance? He didn't know. But this was a clear signal: he had to speed up and establish self-sufficiency and stealth capabilities as soon as possible.

He looked at the busy SCV, then at the STC storage box carefully hidden in the depths of the platform.

Time was becoming even more pressing.

On this dark stage, before being noticed by more powerful existences, he had to combine the cards in his hand—the broken system, the nascent SCV, the unexpected stc fragment—to build a sufficiently sturdy and hidden... 'rat hole.'

Only then could he talk about survival, development, and... the future.

"'pioneer-01'," he said to the SCV through the communication channel, "speed up the progress. We need 'ark one' to have basic life support functions as soon as possible."

"Priority increased. Estimated completion time: Advanced by 15%."

The light of the welding arc seemed to flicker a bit more urgently.

Deep within this forgotten debris belt, a race against time and unknown dangers silently accelerated. And that unexpectedly acquired omni-shield fragment fragment, like a silent guardian and an enticing Pandora's box, lay quietly in the darkness, waiting for the moment to be opened or... forgotten.