Chapter 6, Cosmic Lullaby
"What do you want us to do in the non-sensitive areas?" Lindeman replied with a mischievous smile.
Desperate humanity utilized aerospace technology to construct a drifting colony ship, which carried two hundred thousand men and women who survived the catastrophe; they are our common ancestors. They hoped to freeze themselves using biocryopreservation technology, allowing the ship to reach the nearest star system discovered by humanity, Alpha Centauri, through dynamic drifting. However, an unexpected incident occurred during the drift, and it is precisely this incident that has led to our current situation
Has the next battlefield been determined? A monkey is still a monkey; they must occasionally be allowed to roam around the monkey mountain. The other party is an old friend, and even the seemingly serious Odinger, when there are no outsiders around, will crack a joke.
"Charging forward yet unable to break through, running yet unable to escape. In other words, is the only effective strategy static defense? Or could ambush also work..." Zhang Songlan muttered to himself, jotting down a series of incomprehensible symbols in his personal electronic notebook.
Zhang Songlan grabbed the bottle of liquor from the bedside and took a big swig, slowly drifting off to sleep accompanied by the drowsiness brought on by the alcohol and the emotionless narration from the terminal. Listening to historical programs while sleeping was his unique habit; being well-versed in military history, he could speak about history with great familiarity. The historical timeline he had memorized long ago was like a lullaby, quickly lulling him to sleep.
Certainly, armored vehicles are not without their merits; otherwise, the mech-hunting units with a low mech-to-soldier ratio, driven by the pragmatic thinking of mercenaries, would have long been eliminated. The advantage of armored vehicles lies in their ability to provide greater numbers and higher firepower at the same cost. The price of purchasing a heavy mech could equip twenty 125MM rail tanks, but to single-handedly confront and annihilate twenty tanks with just one heavy mech is an astonishing feat that only an ACE could achieve. Not every military organization is wealthy enough to support an army fully equipped with mechs. From an economic perspective, many countries and mercenary groups prefer to allocate a certain number of armored units to their mech forces to maintain rear support and serve as supplementary firepower.
In the year 756 V.C., the event known as the "Collapse of the Ektaro" was forever etched in history. On September 1 of that year, Universal Time, a wormhole connecting the Polomir star system and the undeveloped colony of the Ektaro star system suddenly collapsed. One hundred thirty thousand brave colonizers who had ventured to cultivate the Ektaro star system lost all contact with human civilization, and no one knew their fate. However, based on the technological conditions of the time, it was inferred that the undeveloped colony, severed from contact with other colonies, could not possibly sustain the survival of over one hundred thousand people. This sudden blow made humanity realize that the ground beneath their feet was not solid land but a fragile ice surface. Out of fear of isolation, every human scientist frantically researched methods to stabilize flickering wormholes, and the result of their twenty years of effort was the fixed star gate technology we have today.
Humanity has thrived on the new Earth for four hundred years, transforming this snow-covered planet into a vibrant paradise through their arduous efforts. A large number of scientific elites emerged from the then still fragile human population, and this four-hundred-year period is known as the 'Era of Renaissance.' At the same time, humanity did not abandon the dream of reclaiming their old homeland from AI. According to the records of the colony ship's computer, humanity was transported to the Virgo Cluster through a remarkable cosmic natural phenomenon, now widely known as the 'Flickering Wormhole.' The computer meticulously documented the entire process of the spaceship encountering the Flickering Wormhole and reaching the new solar system. Humanity hopes to detect relevant reactions within the new solar system to find a way back home. Unfortunately, contrary to their wishes, from our ancestors to the present, no Flickering Wormhole leading back to the Milky Way has been discovered.
Anyone with a basic knowledge of navigation science knows that the device required to stabilize a wormhole is the "Qiao-style Stabilizing Ring," named after its inventor, Qiao Xin. Manufacturing it not only requires various expensive and rare minerals but also a charging time of several decades to control the expansion and contraction of the wormhole. With current human technology, it is impossible to equip the stabilizing ring with a reactor capable of maintaining a balance of energy input and output, which would make the star gate as cumbersome as a satellite, both in cost and size, beyond the capacity of any autonomous planet to bear. Consequently, humanity has been forced to halt its territorial expansion, and the entrances to thousands of star systems have been sealed off, leaving humanity with only enough resources to maintain existing colonies, preventing them from being isolated due to wormhole collapses. At this time, the demon that has long plagued humanity—war—has once again returned to our history.
Modern land warfare tends to favor the use of mechs over tracked and hovercraft armored vehicles, not only due to the inherent human desire for self-replication but more so because of considerations regarding versatility and mobility. Unlike armored vehicles that are limited to flat terrain, the height of mechs allows for a wider firing angle and greater visual observation range. Bipedal or quadrupedal mobile chassis not only better utilize the operator's skills but also significantly mitigate the limitations imposed by terrain. If necessary, some medium and light mechs can be additionally equipped with jet propulsion systems to further enhance mobility, which is essential for ground forces often tasked with operations on alien planets with complex ground environments. The reason why Zhang Songlan's squad is not favored by his uncle or grandmother lies in mobility; expecting a unit primarily composed of armored vehicles to operate in terrain filled with obstacles such as jungles or urban areas is simply unreasonable, especially since most ground combat often occurs in such terrains.
The fleet remained stationary to await the mercenaries going out. The only broadcasts the fleet could receive, aside from a few super-powerful propaganda channels from major countries, were the dull local channels from Elanburg. Zhang Songlan scanned through the channels but found nothing of interest. Finally, the screen settled on a historical educational channel, which seemed to be discussing the history of human development.
However, the century-long search was eventually rewarded. In 312 A.D., the probe satellite "Galifal" discovered a persistent flickering wormhole at the edge of the new solar system. When humanity joyfully traversed it, they found themselves not back home, but in a more unfamiliar galaxy, located a staggering thirty thousand light-years away from the new solar system, specifically the current capital of the Han Dynasty, the New Chang'an Galaxy. This discovery left our ancestors greatly disappointed, yet it also ignited their curiosity for exploration. Not content to remain coiled within a single stellar system, they embarked on a more fervent quest for wormhole exploration, a period known as the "Age of Discovery." The Age of Discovery lasted for over three hundred years, during which thousands of star systems connected by wormholes were discovered by humanity. Among these, there were no fewer than a hundred star systems suitable for human modification into colonizable planets, such as the - Tu - Shu star system. While we reveled in the joy of discovery and occupation, the harsh universe delivered a rude awakening to humanity, abruptly bringing the Age of Discovery to a halt.
--- At this moment, in the Legion Commander's Office ---
In the year V.C. 853, Yang Zhiyuan, the leader of the New Chang'an Galaxy, aged eighty-three, announced his ascension and the establishment of the Great Han Empire, declaring himself emperor. At that time, the military control of the New Chang'an Galaxy had already reached over one-third of the human distribution area. Emperor Yang Zhiyuan arrogantly proclaimed that he would unify all of humanity by marching south within his lifetime. In response, various factions still engaged in fierce battles became highly vigilant against this threat. In the year V.C. 854, a treaty known as the Anti-Imperialist Alliance Treaty was officially signed by six nations and over ten free planets, marking the formation of the current cosmic structure. In the year V.C. 855, Yang Tong, the second emperor of the Great Han Dynasty who succeeded his deceased father Yang Zhiyuan, personally led a campaign under the banner of 'fulfilling the wishes of my father.' The battlefield was set at what is now known as the dividing line between freedom and despotism, which was then referred to as the Eden Galaxy's Five-Star Pass.
Humanity's history during the era of Earth is not well understood, and despite the efforts of numerous historians, only the conclusions currently known to everyone have been reached—at that time, humans had developed some space technologies but had not put them into application. They divided into two national alliances that opposed each other, and to use their limited resources more efficiently, they each created super AIs to manage civilian life. According to research, the population on Earth before the outbreak of the great war may have exceeded 40 billion, which is more than the total population of the entire Virgo Cluster today, making it easy to imagine that Earth's resources would soon be depleted. To maintain the supply of civilian life within their respective alliances, one national alliance's management AI overstepped its authority and launched a war against the other national alliance. After several years of a stalemated conventional war, it escalated into a nuclear war, and the Earth's surface became uninhabitable overnight. The out-of-control AI then expanded its machine legions to all planets in the solar system that could potentially support human life.
It has been the seventh day since arriving at the Red Spider. Most of the mercenaries who were on leave have regrouped, and the new and old commanders of each team have begun to restore and integrate their units. However, Zhang Songlan has not gathered his small team again since their initial meeting. He is quite self-aware and understands that he is an outsider in this already well-integrated squadron. He cannot expect to train the team to conform to his own style; instead, he must strive to learn how to cooperate with them. After all, changing one person's style takes far less time than changing an entire team. During this week, he spent most of his time in his room studying the squadron's military history to find the most suitable strategies for his unit's operations, only to unexpectedly earn the nickname "Closed-Door Captain" within the legion.
When our ancestors awoke from the drifting ship, they found themselves not in Alpha Centauri, but in a strange yet friendly galaxy— the New Solar System, as nostalgically named by them. This galaxy, said to be very similar to the Old Solar System, also possesses a planet remarkably akin to Earth at the end of the Ice Age, known as New Earth. Our ancestors thrived and rebuilt their home on this planet, enduring hardships and even losing most of their memories due to the incomplete preservation technology, yet they did not forget the mistakes they had once made. The first act of the two hundred thousand who disembarked was to draft the "Survivor's Declaration," co-signed by all two hundred thousand, which has been revised and upheld to this day. This declaration permanently prohibits the use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, as well as autonomous AI in the colonies, and declares that if any descendant of humanity violates this, they shall be punished collectively.
I really don't know what to do... I might as well just sleep. Zhang Songlan wondered if he should go to the battleship bar to have a drink with his subordinates to strengthen their bond, but thinking of the awkward expressions on their faces, he shook his head and dismissed the idea.
"... ... is also true; I have indeed become muddled in my old age," Oddinger said, momentarily lost in thought, and then smiled.
Regardless of how outsiders perceive him, in order to ensure his own survival in battle, Zhang Songlan indeed made some progress during this week of seclusion, having at least developed a set of tactical strategies suitable for the mech hunting and extermination units
On February 1, 803, V.C., Yang Zhiyuan, the head of the New Chang'an Galaxy at the time, brazenly disregarded the prohibition of the Confederation Council and mobilized the galaxy's defense fleet to occupy the sub-colony of Chuzhou Galaxy. The weak government of the New Solar System did not send troops but merely issued a verbal protest, leading to a complete disillusionment of the colonies with the Confederation Council. On July 5 of the same year, 95% of the galaxy's colonies had announced their withdrawal from the Unified Human Government, resulting in the disintegration of the Confederation and the Virgo Cluster descending into the chaotic and disorderly 'Warring States Period of Fifty Years'.
The program in the terminal had not finished playing when the machine shut down by itself. The room's servo system detected that Zhang Songlan's brainwaves had entered a deep sleep state, thus automatically shutting off the terminal
From the founding of the New Earth in Year 1 B.C. to Year 803 B.C., the unified government of humanity has been a fragmented confederation dominated by New Earth. Disputes between colonies were submitted to the confederation council for arbitration, while other internal affairs were managed independently. The development model involved sub-colonies borrowing production tools and fleets from their parent colonies, with repayment made through trade privileges and local products once the colonies were fully developed. However, the astronomical costs of constructing fixed star gates shattered this fragile model. Parent colonies, in an effort to avoid the early completion of the star gates, pressured sub-colonies to repay their debts, while the sub-colonies, fearing the collapse of wormholes, refused to repay. Such bad debts accumulated on the desks of the confederation council, and not a single lawsuit was resolved until the confederation disbanded.
Before long, the narrow room was filled with Zhang Songlan's snoring, while the terminal continued to broadcast a lengthy and tedious historical review program
"Why do I feel like I'm back in school?" Zhang Songlan languidly flipped through the squad information sent by Terun Hill on his small bed, letting out a heavy sigh
Why choose such a sensitive location as Wuxing Pass
Time slipped away in the repeated simulations within Zhang Songlan's mind. A few hours later, with his brain already stiff, he twisted his creaking neck and stretched lazily, put away his electronic notepad, and opened the video terminal to refresh his mind
They are all restless monkeys... Lindemann shook his head in both anger and amusement, as the bar on the ship always gets smashed a few times by bored mercenaries at the end of every holiday to show that they have had enough rest
"Lindemann, I see that everyone has rested enough. The bar has been smashed several times; if we don't fight back soon, who knows what they will destroy next?" Chief of Staff Odinger tossed the maintenance report onto the table and gave a wry smile to the old commander.
Indeed, it has been settled. Lindeman nodded and selected an employment contract dated half a month ago on the projector on the table