44: Construction of Laika-3

Just as Lei Wen was meticulously laying out plans on Earth for the arrival of that miraculous blood orchid, even weaving in the future plans for his younger sister, the distant Laika System—a galaxy that had been silent for thousands of years—finally welcomed its new masters.

After a year-long voyage at Warp Drive, a massive fleet consisting of one hundred brand-new Pioneer-class engineering ships and ten Pulse-class frigates responsible for escort duty appeared silently at the edge of the gravitational well of the star Laika, like phantoms seeping out of higher-dimensional space.

The arrival of this fleet officially announced the first phase of the "Foundation Stone" project—the full-scale launch of infrastructure construction.

The Pioneer-class multi-functional engineering ship is the culmination of Faleim Civilization's engineering technology.

Its design is not filled with the sharp aggressiveness of combat warships; instead, it looks more like a giant Transformer pieced together from countless functional modules.

Its main body is a spindle-shaped core structure several kilometers long, housing the next-generation Warp Drive, a massive zero-point energy reactor, and an infinite ecological recycling system capable of supporting thousands of crew members for long-term survival.

Around the periphery of its core structure, various specialized engineering modules of different sizes and functions are mounted via modular interfaces.

Some modules are like giant beetles, known as the [Planetary Atmosphere Processor]; inside, they possess bioreactors capable of producing specific genetically modified bacteria, which can precisely release trillions of microorganisms into a planet's atmosphere to alter its composition.

Some modules are like giant drills, known as the [Geological Stabilizer]; they can fire high-energy neutrino beams deep into a planet's crust, precisely adjusting tectonic stress in a manner similar to "acupuncture" to repair geological faults.

Other modules are like giant spiders, known as the [Automated Refining Platform]; they can unfold directly on the surface of an asteroid or moon, efficiently smelting and refining extracted raw ore in a vacuum environment.

This fleet is like a cosmic construction team carrying a full set of tools, full of powerful industrial aesthetics and a pioneering spirit.

Upon arriving in the Laika System, they did not pause for a moment, immediately heading to their respective posts according to the preset plan.

Thirty engineering ships in the fleet detached from the formation and sailed straight toward the center of the entire system—the star Laika, which radiated a dazzling blue-white light.

Their mission was to build the administrative and defense center of the entire galaxy here—a permanent stellar base, along with supporting defense platforms.

The thirty engineering ships, like worker bees dancing around the sun, set up their formation at a safe Lagrange point of the star.

They released hundreds of millions of micro-engineering robots, which looked like silver droplets, from their cargo holds.

These robots possessed simple AI and powerful collaborative capabilities.

They quickly assembled in space into a massive metal "fishing net" covering thousands of square kilometers.

Then, the largest mothership in the fleet, the [World Forger], slowly sailed into the center of the "fishing net."

A massive circular hatch opened beneath its hull.

A torrent of liquid metal, like a silver waterfall, composed of neutron-element composite alloy in a molten state, gushed out from the hatch.

In the vacuum environment, this liquid metal did not splatter everywhere; instead, under the constraint of a precise magnetic field, it flowed as if it were alive, beginning to weave the basic skeleton of the stellar base onto that massive engineering robot "fishing net."

This is a construction technology known as "vacuum casting."

It can print the main body of giant space structures all at once in a zero-gravity environment, much like 3D printing, greatly shortening the construction period.

Within just a few days, the prototype of a massive space station, filled with the geometric aesthetics and pragmatic style unique to Faleim Civilization, was shining brilliantly under the light of the star Laika.

Its main body is a huge cross-shaped structure, with giant berths capable of docking Titan-class warships reserved at the end of each "arm."

At the center of the cross intersection is a spherical ecological zone that can accommodate tens of thousands of Faleim citizens for living and working.

After the main skeleton was built, the remaining engineering ships, like the most delicate surgeons, began to install various "organs" onto this skeleton.

Massive energy shield generators, dense close-in defense laser arrays, superluminal communication centers covering the entire galaxy, and dark matter reactors capable of providing energy for the entire base...

One functional module after another was precisely installed in place.

Six months later, when the last navigation light of the stellar base was lit, it stood like an awakened steel giant, officially declaring the absolute sovereignty of Faleim Civilization over this galaxy.

Meanwhile, in every corner of the Laika System, other Pioneer-class engineering fleets also began their work.

In the orbit of Laika-2, that greenhouse hell filled with sulfur and fire.

Three engineering ships deployed the [Automated Refining Platform] they were carrying.

These platforms, like metallic octopuses, used huge anchor bolts to firmly fix themselves onto several small moons orbiting Laika-2.

Then, countless unmanned mining robots swarmed out from the platforms like tireless ants, beginning a destructive extraction of those moons rich in heavy metal elements.

The extracted ore was sent directly into the smelting furnaces of the refining platforms, which looked like the mouths of giant beasts.

In the vacuum and high temperature, they were refined into ingots of high-purity uranium, thorium, plutonium, and other metals, then stored in orbital warehouses, awaiting future use.

In the orbit of Laika-5, that beautiful gas giant with anomalous matter moons.

An engineering ship specifically responsible for the construction of research stations was carefully assembling an orbital laboratory with an extremely precise structure.

This laboratory would be dedicated to studying that miraculous "sub-recursive meson" and the ocean composed entirely of it, attempting to unravel the secrets of its anomalous physical properties and the reason for such a massive reserve on this moon.

And in the orbit of the even more distant ice giant Laika-8, which possessed complex meteorological activity.

Another, even larger physics observation station was being rapidly constructed.

Faleim scientists would utilize the unique extreme environment here to conduct dangerous experiments on high-energy physics and spacetime theory that could not be performed on the home planet.

The entire Laika System, after the arrival of the Faleim People, seemed to transform instantly from a ruin that had slept for thousands of years into a massive construction site filled with the passion for building.

Every planet, no matter how desolate and dead it once was, was endowed with new value and mission under the Faleim People's pragmatic philosophy of making the best use of everything.

And among all the projects, the most grand and breathtaking was undoubtedly the planetary transformation project unfolding on Laika-3.

Ten giant engineering ships equipped with [Planetary Atmosphere Processor] and [Geological Stabilizer] hovered above different latitudes of this blue planet like ten creator gods.

"Phase One, atmospheric purification and replacement, begin execution."

Following an order from Talon on the flagship rathia, the giant hatches on the bellies of the ten engineering ships opened simultaneously.

Streams of "biological agents," composed of trillions of specially gene-edited anaerobic bacteria that looked like thick clouds, were poured into the dense atmosphere of Laika-3, which was filled with nitrogen and methane.

These bacteria were like a group of super soldiers sent to the front line.

They fed on methane, decomposing it into carbon dioxide and water through a special biochemical reaction.

Within just a few weeks, the concentration of methane in the atmosphere of Laika-3 began to drop sharply.

Immediately after, the second batch of gene-edited photosynthetic bacteria was released.

Using carbon dioxide as raw material, they began to perform photosynthesis frantically under the abundant light of the star Laika, releasing a large amount of precious gas that had disappeared from this planet for thousands of years—oxygen.

Under the precise control of the Faleim People, which was like the hand of God, the entire planet's atmosphere began to transform toward an environment suitable for life to breathe at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Three months later.

"Phase Two, geological structure stabilization, begin execution."

Beneath the hulls of the ten engineering ships, a device resembling a giant probe extended simultaneously.

That was the [Geological Stabilizer].

The tip of the probe lit up with a beam composed of high-energy neutrinos that was invisible to the naked eye.

These beams could penetrate thousands of kilometers of crust without obstruction, precisely shining onto those geological plate fault zones that had become extremely unstable due to high-dimensional phase transition implosions.

Like a pair of invisible hands, they performed a precise surgical operation deep within the crust.

They smoothed out geological faults, released internal stress, and dismantled those "time bombs" that could trigger super earthquakes at any moment, one by one.

Under the effect of the [Geological Stabilizer], the plates on both sides of that super rift valley, which once spanned the entire planet, began to move toward each other again in an extremely slow yet incredibly firm manner.

Perhaps in hundreds of years, this terrifying planetary scar will be completely sutured.

Leaving only a passage for resource extraction at the bottom.

And at the bottom of the rift valley, in that crystal forest full of dreamlike colors.

The first fully automated morse crystal extraction station had also risen from the ground.

Countless engineering robots were carefully using a special energy resonance cutting technology to cut standard-sized raw crystal ore from the massive crystal veins.

A portion of these raw ores was sent directly to a temporary storage warehouse on the edge of the rift valley.

Then, they were transported in batches by transport ships to the edge of the Laika System and the distant Faleimland.

There, another even more magnificent project had quietly started.

The Faleim People were using local materials, utilizing these newly mined crystals that contained endless spatial energy, to begin building two stargates connecting Faleimland and the Laika System.

When these two stargates are completed, two galaxies separated by several light-years will be instantly and tightly connected.

By then, traveling here from the home planet will no longer require a long voyage lasting several months.

It will only require... one step.

On the bridge of the rathia, Talon watched quietly as the engineering projects on the screen were being rapidly advanced.

Watching this dead galaxy gradually glowing with new vitality in his own hands.

He was pondering whether the journey to the Guide Galaxy was still necessary.

But soon, the order from Consul Price made him stop thinking.

"Talon, the construction of the Laika System is already on the right track; the Supreme Command will send another fleet to be stationed here."

"After the Laika Garrison Fleet arrives, the Far Star Fleet will immediately set off for the Guide Galaxy."