Novel Full Chapter 674 The First Step
Chapter 674 The First Step
Two weeks later.
It had now been a month since the two sides had been connected, and the empire had spent that time efficiently setting up the necessary infrastructure to live stream throughout the star system.
However, due to it coinciding with the Proximians finally awakening from their VR pods, the live stream was momentarily restricted to viewing areas of the star system other than the planet. This was to respect the privacy of those awakening, who would be in a vulnerable state. Despite this limitation, the live stream still attracted a few million viewers, eagerly watching different locations of the star system as the exploration fleet continued its work.
Generally, such events would have attracted even more viewers, but a significant portion of the usual audience for this type of livestream was currently focused on something else.
………..
High Earth Orbit.
Outside Earth, a fleet of about a thousand military-style spaceships could be seen, their sheer number a testament to the empire’s might but also the importance of their mission. Among them, a single, magnificent spaceship stood out, its sleek design and imposing presence inspiring awe to anyone seeing it.
Although it looked like a thousand ships were there to protect it, the central spaceship didn’t appear vulnerable. Created with the latest technology in the hands of the empire, it could stand its ground against any enemies of a tier one civilization and last for quite a while against a tier two civilization.
The same level of sophistication applied to the accompanying military ships, which were meticulously crafted and customized for the sole purpose of safeguarding the central vessel during its mission.
“Your Majesty, all checks are complete, and we are ready to depart at your command,” Dimitri, the highest-ranking Aegis member within the escort fleet, reported.
“Then let’s commence the journey. The sooner we start, the sooner we arrive,” Aron replied, addressing Dimitri’s hologram.
“Understood,” Dimitri acknowledged before his hologram vanished, leaving the room to revert to its previous state.
“Hey, play your cards. He’s already left, and you’re just stalling because you’ve got a bad hand,” Felix said to Aron, who was pretending to think about something after his call.
“I was considering if I might have forgotten something important. If we leave now and I remember later, there’s no turning back,” Aron said, diverting his gaze from Felix’s curious eyes.
“I was considering if I might have forgotten something important. If we leave now and I remember later, there’s no turning back,” Aron said, diverting his gaze from Felix’s curious eyes.
“How many times does the string 50108 appear in the first two hundred million digits of Pi?” Sarah asked promptly after Aron’s response.
“Two thousand fifty-seven times. Why?” he answered without hesitation, curious about her inquiry.
“So, are you telling me that someone with your monstrous memory, developed after awakening, forgot something important?” Sarah said sarcastically, revealing her intent to challenge his previous statement.
“Even though I remember everything, retrieving specific information requires an active search. Think of it as long-term storage, not a quick-access type. As a CEO of a tech company, you should understand that,” Aron replied.
“What about Nova? Does she have that problem too?” Felix asked, joining the conversation.
“She wouldn’t know unless I tell her about it,” Aron said, pointing at Nova as he threw his card onto the table, mixing it with the already-played cards.
“There’s no escaping here, Nova. Highlight his cards,” Rina said, amid the looks of disbelief from Felix and Sarah at Aron’s shameless attempt to end the game prematurely to avoid playing his poor hand and losing the game.
Unfortunately for Aron, he was on an advanced ship equipped with the latest AI technology, allowing Nova to demonstrate her full capabilities. With Rina’s orders, Nova immediately highlighted Aron’s cards, ensuring that the rest of the players couldn’t see them. She then activated a small tractor beam to retrieve the cards and bring them in front of Aron. Aron looked at Nova’s nanomachine body managing the cards in her hands, sitting silently beside him, while its other instance of her was handing him his cards returning him to the game despite his attempts to end it.
{Sir, it’s your turn,} Nova said nonchalantly, unfazed by the death glare from her creator, which only fueled the laughter in the room.
“I’ll have my moment for revenge,” Aron said with a tone of resigned defeat as he picked up his cards and continued the game, fully aware that his earlier attempt to end it prematurely had failed.
………….
While the emperor was engaged in his losing card game, the fleet, having received the order to commence their journey, sprang into action. The mother AI of the ships began coordinating seamlessly, ensuring that the fleet moved in perfect unison according to the meticulously designed plans.
Each military ship in the fleet housed a substantial contingent, with crews ranging from a minimum of one hundred to a maximum of one thousand personnel per ship.
Consequently, the entire fleet comprised approximately eight hundred thousand individuals. The majority of these personnel were tasked with ensuring the security of the emperor and the accompanying members throughout the journey.
Silently and steadily, the fleet began to break free from Earth’s gravitational influence. By accelerating steadily, they gained speed with each passing second.
Although the solar system had an imperial government-imposed spaceship speed limit, the path ahead was already cleared, permitting the escort fleet to reach the maximum velocity of their ships without entering faster-than-light travel.
Throughout this entire ordeal, the journey was being broadcasted through imperial channels, attracting hundreds of millions of viewers. Many who would have been watching the Proxima live feeds were now either bidding farewell or admiring the new classes of ships in the fleet. The fleet featured many never-before-seen designs, sparking curiosity among spaceship enthusiasts who discussed the ships’ purposes and specifications in the chat section. Meanwhile, others used the chat feed to express their feelings, whether it was love or hate for the empire, the emperor, or anyone else they felt compelled to address.
This marked the beginning of the emperor’s journey—a voyage that, if it proceeded without any issues, had the potential to transform the empire in previously unforeseen ways.
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