126: A new era

The perspective shifts to the thin dust of the asteroid belt on the edge of the Kari Star System.

The Human Federation's First Interstellar Fleet, like a group of steel giant sharks lurking in the shadows, floated silently in the cold void billions of kilometers from the star.

Although the main nozzles of the antimatter engines had been extinguished after completing deceleration to reduce thermal radiation signatures, the reactors inside every warship were running at full capacity, providing a steady stream of power to the massive sensor arrays.

"Radar array at full power, scanning beams covering the entire star system."

"First to fifth drone probe formations launched, currently accelerating toward the inner circle using planetary gravity assist."

"Maintaining communication silence, passive signal receiver sensitivity set to maximum."

Inside the strategic command center of the flagship pacific, massive data streams washed down the holographic screen like a waterfall. Commander-in-Chief Li Zhenhua stood with his arms crossed in front of the huge Star Map, his brows knit into a deep frown.

He was waiting, waiting for the anticipated 'trap' to be exposed.

According to humanity's war experience over the past few decades, no civilization would truly open its doors without any defenses. The information from forty-five years ago might have been bait; in these forty-five years, the opponent could very well have littered the edge of the star system with space minefields or hidden an ambush fleet behind a gas giant.

However, as the days passed, the data returned by the probes left all the staff officers in a state of near-absurd confusion.

One month, two months, three months...

Tens of thousands of micro-probes, like a giant net cast into the sea, filtered every inch of the Kari Star System.

They swept past those two dark brown gas giants, scanned the lonely ice giant, and even braved high temperatures to approach the innermost molten planet.

The result was—nothing.

No hidden military bases, no orbital defense platforms, no high-energy reaction signals, not even a patrol boat with basic armament.

The entire star system was unimaginably empty.

"Report, Commander, the probe formation has completed the low-orbit scan of Kali Star." The intelligence officer's voice held a hint of disbelief, "Except for a few dozen artificial satellites with extremely simple orbits—technologically equivalent to our satellites from the 1970s and 80s—there are no other man-made objects."

"No space docks?" Li Zhenhua asked.

"None."

"No orbital elevators or large space stations?"

"None, sir. The largest man-made object is a long-abandoned satellite relay station, weighing no more than two tons."

Li Zhenhua fell silent.

He turned to look at the senior officer group behind him.

"Gentlemen, this defies logic." He tapped his fingers on the table. "Forty-five years. For a civilization already capable of broadcasting into the universe, no matter how slow its development, it shouldn't still be standing in place, unless..."

"Unless they are pretending." A staff officer cautiously suggested. "Perhaps they have hidden all their strength inside the planet, or this entire star system is a simulated illusion?"

To verify this hypothesis, Li Zhenhua issued a further probing order.

"Dispatch the Seventh and Eighth Frigate Squadrons. Detach from the main formation and penetrate deep into the star system in combat formation." Li Zhenhua said in a low voice. "Let them fly in openly and actively activate fire-control radar to illuminate those planets. If it's a trap, I want to see how long they can hold out."

Twenty [Sea Star VI] frigates, equipped with the latest plasma cannons and magnetic field shields, detached from the shadows. Their engines erupted with dazzling blue light, and like a pack of wolves breaking into a sheepfold, they intruded into the heart of the Kari Star System without restraint.

They flew past the clouds of the gas giants and even conducted a volley exercise in the vacuum, with dazzling beams tracing deadly trajectories in the darkness.

However, the only response was still deathly silence.

The Kari People seemed completely unaware of all this, or rather, they had no ability to detect this fleet showing off at their doorstep.

The data returned confirmed the same fact over and over again: this was indeed just a low-level civilization in the pre-space era.

"This is simply... as if someone pressed the pause button on their civilization."

At the final pre-battle assessment meeting, the scientific advisor of the First Fleet looked at the compiled report and exclaimed in disbelief.

"Their radio communications still use analog signals, their energy structure still relies on fossil fuels, and their materials science isn't even as advanced as our Cold War era. In these forty-five years, they seem to have put all their skill points into... art and entertainment?"

The screen displayed intercepted television signals from Kali Star. It was a grand open-air concert, with countless gray-green aliens immersed in a sea of music, completely unaware that a Sword of Damocles was hanging over their heads.

"No defensive forces, confirmed without a doubt."

Li Zhenhua looked at the detailed report. The tight string in his heart finally loosened, but immediately, a sense of boredom—the boredom of the strong—and the cold hardness of being about to execute the Federation's orders welled up.

Since the opponent was truly a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, there was no reason for humanity to hesitate any longer.

"Since the opponent poses no threat, let us make our conquest a bit more 'civilized'."

Li Zhenhua stood up and straightened the collar of his uniform; the medal representing the highest honor of the Human Federation shone brightly under the lights.

"Order the entire fleet!"

"End radio silence! Engines to full power!"

"Target: Kali Star synchronous orbit!"

"Let's go knock on the door."

Boom—!!!

Although sound cannot travel in a vacuum, when hundreds of capital ships and two thousand frigates started their antimatter engines simultaneously, the immense energy fluctuation seemed to make the entire space tremble.

The Human fleet no longer hid its form. Like a group of giant flying ships stepping out of mythology, trailing brilliant exhaust flames several kilometers long, they bore down on the purple-green planet with an unstoppable momentum.

At a distance of 300,000 kilometers from Kali Star, the fleet began to decelerate and spread out.

The huge warships blocked the starlight. They adjusted their posture, aiming countless dark cannon muzzles at the planet below.

Meanwhile, the "greeting" the fleet had long prepared began to be transmitted.

This was not a friendly greeting, nor a probing inquiry, but an ultimatum.

Meanwhile.

An electromagnetic signal from space was received by all electromagnetic receiving devices on Kali Star.

The content was not a declaration of war, but it was more suffocating than one.

This was a "Directive Ultimatum Regarding the Future Survival and Development of the Kari Civilization" from Human Civilization.

On the bridge of the pacific, Commander-in-Chief Li Zhenhua stood with his hands behind his back. His gaze passed through the porthole, watching the beautiful purple planet below.

On the screen behind him, the announcement, meticulously drafted by the Interstellar Affairs General Bureau and polished by countless psychologists and sociologists, was being sent to the entire Kari Civilization word for word.

"This is the art of conquest." Li Zhenhua muttered to himself. Director Raven was right; destroying the body is the lowest form of means. True conquest is allowing the opponent to see hope in despair and shelter in shackles, thereby willing to kneel.

[To all residents of the Kari Civilization:]

[We are the First Interstellar Fleet of the Human Federation, from the distant Solar System. We have crossed several light-years to come here, not to destroy, but to respond.]

[Forty-five orbital cycles of our home star ago, you sent a greeting signal into the universe. That was an invitation full of courage and naivety, but it was also an extremely dangerous death warrant. You naively thought the starry sky was a romantic backyard, unaware that it is filled with greedy hunters and cold-blooded predators. If it hadn't been us arriving here today, but another civilization, then what would be falling on your heads right now would not be a communication signal, but weapons to destroy this planet.]

[Be grateful, Kari People. Because you have encountered the Human Federation.]

[We are an interstellar polity that upholds order, civilization, and common prosperity. We build lighthouses in the dark universe, providing shelter for weak civilizations. We have seen your potential, appreciated your art, and pitied your fragility. Therefore, we have decided to incorporate you into the great protection system of the Human Federation.]

This opening statement was full of manipulation. It first created panic by pointing out the cruelty of the universe, then quickly positioned itself as a "savior" and "protector," cleverly swapping the concept of "invasion" for "response" and "shelter," attempting to occupy the high ground in terms of law and morality.

Immediately after, the ultimatum entered the substantive terms phase. Each clause was carefully packaged: on one side was the cold blade of stripping sovereignty, and on the other was a promise coated in honey.

[To ensure the safe and stable survival of the Kari Civilization in the future interstellar era, and to protect you from the infringement of other malicious civilizations in the universe, the Human Federation hereby solemnly proposes the following "Guidelines for the Establishment of the Kari Star System Special Administrative Region":]

[Article 1: Regarding the Reorganization of Sovereignty and Administrative Structure]

[In view of the fact that the current social structure of the Kari Civilization cannot adapt to the complex interstellar political environment, effective immediately, the Kari Civilization will become the "kari Special Administrative Region" under the jurisdiction of the Human Federation. We will retain your existing joint government structure; your leaders will remain your chief executives, and your laws will remain valid provided they do not conflict with the Federal Constitution.]

[This does not mean bondage, but rather sublimation. As part of the Federation, you will automatically obtain the status of Human Federation citizens (although second-class citizens, this was not explicitly stated). You will no longer be orphans in the universe, but members of a vast civilization that spans the sea of stars. You will enjoy the protection of Federal law, and any attack on you will be regarded as a declaration of war against the Human Federation.]

[Article 2: Regarding Disarmament and Security Defense]

[To thoroughly eliminate the hidden dangers of internal conflict and to free up valuable resources from meaningless military expenditures, the Kari Civilization must dismantle all armed forces globally, destroy all heavy weapons, missile bases, and even the lethal weapons of police forces within 3 planetary rotations.]

"Do not feel uneasy, for from now on, your safety will be under the full responsibility of the Human Federation Starrealm Army. This fleet hovering above your heads will become your most solid shield. You will no longer need to worry about war, nor will you need to send young lives to the battlefield. You can dedicate all your energy to production, art, and family. We will build a true, permanent paradise of peace for you, free from violence."

"Article Three: Regarding Resource Development and Economic Integration"

"The Kari Star System possesses abundant natural resources, but with your backward technology, you are unable to utilize the vast majority of them, which is a tremendous waste. The Human Federation will take over the resource extraction rights and space development rights for all planets within the system, including Kali Star."

"This is not plunder, but cooperative development. We will introduce the most advanced automated extraction technology and planetary engineering technology, with efficiency ten thousand times greater than yours. In return, you will receive extremely cheap energy supplies and industrial finished products. We will build nuclear fusion power stations for you, ending your energy crisis. We can also provide you with large quantities of high-strength materials. Your standard of living will achieve a qualitative leap within just a few years with our help."

"Article Four: Regarding Scientific Regulation and Technology Sharing"

"To prevent the abuse of dangerous technologies from leading to the self-destruction of civilization, such as nuclear war or biological crises, all scientific research institutions of the Kari Civilization will be subject to the direct regulation of the Federal Science Committee. All projects regarding high-energy physics, aerospace engineering, and weapons development must be frozen immediately."

"We will open up advanced technology in the civilian sector to you and provide you with gene-optimization medical technology. We can cure all your current terminal illnesses and extend your average lifespan by more than double (whether we can actually achieve this or not, we promise it first). We will build a holographic virtual network for you, allowing your artistic creations to have a brand-new medium. Although you have lost the right to explore dangerous forbidden zones, you will gain the happiness of enjoying the dividends of technology."

"Ultimatum"

"We grant the kari United Government five planetary rotations to consider and provide an answer. Please note that our fleet has locked onto all high-value military and political targets globally. Any form of hostile action—whether it is an attempt to activate anti-aircraft weapons or an attempt to transmit a distress signal outside the system—will be regarded as trampling on the goodwill of the Human Federation and will incur a devastating strike."

"The choice is in your hands: will you choose to embrace a prosperous, peaceful, and long-lived future, or will you choose to be reduced to ashes in meaningless resistance..."

"We await your wise decision."

...

All the Kari People who received the signal from space were in a state of extreme inner turmoil. Some ran outside, looking up at the purple sky that should have represented romance and dreams, but now it was filled with thousands of stars representing absolute military force.

Those "stars" were clearly visible even during the day; they were the light of the star reflected by the human warships.

As more and more people learned of this news, confusion, anger, temptation... all sorts of complex emotions spread among the crowd.

The Kari People, who had maintained an optimistic attitude toward aliens just a few months ago, began to split. Some were sad due to the fear of the unknown, some were angry at the loss of sovereignty, but more were thinking in silence.

It had to be admitted that the conditions offered by the Human Federation were quite tempting.

As a race that loved peace and loathed war, the Kari People did not have the almost paranoid obsession with sovereignty and force that humans did. For the ordinary public, who ruled them perhaps wasn't that important; what mattered was whether life would get better.

Permanent peace? This was exactly what they had dreamed of.

Solving the energy crisis? That was the biggest bottleneck hindering their development.

Curing terminal illnesses, extending lifespan? For any intelligent being, this was an irresistible temptation.

The kari United Government did not block the spread of information, nor did they have the ability to do so. More and more Kari People learned of the human fleet's conditions.

"Are they really here to help us?" a young kari artist muttered to himself. With the human's advanced technological level, their medical technology might be the only hope for his sick mother.

"But we have to hand over our weapons, hand over our land, hand over our future..." an old man said with grief and indignation, "Then we will become pets in a cage!"

"If pets can live well, what's wrong with that?" another voice retorted, "Look at our technology, it has been stagnant for decades! We can't even reach our own satellites! If they can take us to the stars, even as pets, it's better than being trapped to death here!"

The arguments among the large number of Kari People began to become intense, and this kind of argument was also happening in the highest conference room of the kari United Government.

...

The supreme leader of the Kari Civilization was slumped in his chair, as if he had aged decades in an instant. Around him, high-ranking government officials and the few remaining generals were arguing in a chaotic mess.

"We cannot surrender! This is naked aggression! We must fight to the end!" a young general roared, slamming the table, "Although our missiles are backward, they can still cause damage to them!"

"What are you going to fight with? Are you going to ram your head into them?" an official in charge of public livelihood retorted, "Can't you see the scene in the sky? Thousands of ships! At that scale, even if just one fell, it could destroy an entire city! Moreover, our radar cannot lock onto them at all, and our missiles will be intercepted before they can even fly out of the atmosphere! Resistance is suicide! It's dragging all the people to be buried with us!"

"But the terms require us to hand over all scientific research institutions..."

"Our scientific research has been dead for forty-five years!" an old scientist suddenly stood up. He was a former student of Walker Tala, and at this moment, his face wore an expression bordering on madness, "If surrendering can exchange for truth, can let us catch a glimpse of real science, I am willing to surrender! I am sick of doing useless work in this closed cage!"

The arguing continued one after another, and the leader felt a splitting headache. He turned his head and looked at the former president of the Academy of Sciences sitting in the corner, who had remained silent all along—the old man who had once warned of the crisis early on—Walker Tala.

"Walker, what do you think?" the leader asked.

Walker slowly raised his head, his cloudy eyes flickering with a sorrow that had seen through everything.

"Your Excellency, actually, we never had a choice from the beginning." Walker's voice was hoarse and low.

"Do you still not understand? The signal from fifty years ago, the forty-five years of technological stagnation, and the arrival of the fleet today... all of this is connected."

"We are being kept in captivity."

Walker's words caused everyone to quiet down.

"Why did our technology suddenly stagnate? Why did all our experiments fail? That is because they were locking us down! They arrived more than forty years ago! They have been observing us in secret, restricting us, and only today have they bared their fangs!"

"Facing such a god-level civilization that can manipulate microscopic particles and span light-years, resistance?" Walker gave a bitter laugh, "That is as ridiculous as bacteria trying to resist antibiotics."

"Moreover, look at their terms." Walker pointed to the screen, "Although harsh, they have given us space to survive, given us the dividends of technology, and they even promised to retain our government. This shows that they need us, they need Kari People who are alive and obedient, not a pile of corpses."

"If this universe is a hunting ground for powerful civilizations, then for a weak civilization, being 'adopted' by a powerful civilization might be a disgrace, but it is definitely a stroke of luck."

"At least we can continue to live, our culture can continue, and our race will not go extinct."

Walker stood up and walked to the front of the leader.

"Surrender, Leader."

"For the survival of our civilization."

The leader looked into the old man's eyes, and after a long while, he let out a long sigh.

He knew that Walker was right; dignity is worthless in the face of survival.

He slowly stood up, straightened his collar, and walked toward the communication console.

"Send a signal, request communication... to that human Interstellar Fleet channel."

...

Four rotations of Kali Star later.

Ten minutes before the human fleet's ultimatum was about to expire, a clear-text communication request from the surface of Kali Star was sent to the bridge of the pacific.

The communication was connected, and the slightly stooped figure of the supreme leader of the Kari Civilization appeared on the screen, with all the cabinet members hanging their heads behind him.

Commander-in-Chief Li Zhenhua stood in front of the screen, his expression solemn.

"I am the supreme leader of the Kari Civilization United Government."

The kari leader's voice was transmitted through the translator, converted into human language, carrying endless exhaustion and helplessness, but also a kind of determination to sacrifice dignity for the future of the race.

"We... accept all the terms proposed by the Human Federation."

"We are willing to disarm and accept jurisdiction."

"Please treat our people well."

As these words were spoken, all the anti-aircraft radars on the surface of Kali Star were turned off simultaneously, all the missile silo covers slowly closed, and the troops walked out of the bunkers, putting down the weapons in their hands.

This was the total submission of one civilization to another.

Li Zhenhua watched this scene, and there was not much wild joy in his heart, only a sense of responsibility as a strong party and a trace of faint compassion.

He nodded slowly and returned a standard military salute toward the screen.

"A wise choice, Mr. Leader."

"The Human Federation welcomes your joining."

"From today on, we will face this starry sky together."

"Our fleet will remain in synchronous orbit above Kali Star. A few days later, a delegation will land on the surface to sign a written agreement with you."

Subsequently, he turned around and gave an order to the communication officer behind him.

"Send a message to the home planet: the mission has been completed."

"The D-21 Galaxy System has been incorporated into the territory of the Human Federation."

"This is our first cornerstone toward the sea of stars."

For the Kari People, the old era had ended.

But for humanity, the true interstellar era had only just begun.