Chapter 17: Garbage Star
Ge Xiu struggled through the knee-deep garbage dump, followed by the crew.
After spending such a long time on the garbage star, everyone’s clothes became dirty and tattered, exuding a familiar rancid smell, integrating them with the dirty surface of the entire planet. The group of people was like ants, about to be submerged in a ocean of rubbish.
At this moment, the cargo ship has already arrived at the residential area, the rusty metal hatch clanked and then slowly opened.
Countless silver balls were released from the cabin, like a dense swarm of insects, flying towards every corner of the planet. Each holographic projection could cover the entire square-sized area, covering almost the entire planet. The virtual images under countless silver spheres connected together and started playing the same sound, resonating throughout the entire planet.
This was the evidence.
Real, unobstructed evidence.
Statistics, audio and video and testimony of witnesses all converged into a sharp and merciless blade.
A calm and sensible voice that simply stated the facts flowed in the thin atmosphere, tearing away the soft and hypocritical illusion bit by bit ruthlessly.
It had to be said that Lulai’s subordinates did very well in this regard.
The sinister truth, carefully wrapped in the sugar coating, was thus unreservedly exposed to the audience, extremely accurate, extremely cruel and deep.
The surface of the planet full of garbage was shrouded and covered by the image constructed by virtual data. If it is not for the rancid trash squelching under their feet and knees, people would have the illusion of being somewhere unreal.
However, those virtual images smeared reality with a cruel colours and the carefully crafted conspiracy finally revealed its original ugly appearance at this moment.
Every inch of land was covered, every pair of eyes was staring, every pair of ears was listening.
Skinny, dirty, malnourished, dishevelled, abused, poisoned.
One after another.
Everyone stopped moving.
Quietly watching the scene showed around them.
Except for the sound that echoed in the air, all the creatures on this planet, which seemed to be abandoned on the edge of the world, completely plunged into almost terrifying silence and stillness for the first time in the history.
Ge Xiu and the crew sped up their pace, went through the garbage and mud and returned to the starting point he had marked on the smart brain. He put the ugly iron piece on the ground, and then waved at Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi hurriedly took off the mechanical bag that he had carried since they disembarked and handed it to Ge Xiu.
Ge Xiu opened the backpack and took out a silver exquisite circular machine from it.
Xiao Yi’s gaze fell on it, and he couldn’t help but feel stunned–this…how come it looked like the zero machine developed by the latest research project on the main ship…
Not long ago he spent a week outside the research room under Ge Xiu’s arrangement, so the machine that appeared on the screen was still fresh in his memory.
Wait…
Xiao Yi suddenly came over and looked at Ge Xiu who was busy with the machine and was too shocked to speak:
”This…isn’t this?”
Ge Xiu took time to raise his head in his busy schedule, winked slyly at him and said softly in a voice that only two of them could hear: “Hush, keep it secret.”
Xiao Yi: “…”
Well, nevermind, he’s used to it.
Ge Xiu didn’t have any guilt from stealing the No.0 machine that others had worked so hard to research. He looked calm as he bowed his head busy himself with it again.
With the help of his smart brain, he started to adjust and modify the iron lumps assembled from discarded parts. Several soft metal foils spread out from the top under his operation. The machine that was already ugly enough became even more bizarre.
After finding a suitable location for placement and activation, the machine made a soft beep.
Everything was done.
Ge Xiu wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead, and the oil on his palm smeared on his cheeks, making him look funny.
At this moment, he suddenly stopped his movements.
The picture in front of him suddenly changed. It seemed like someone had cut off the back part directly and replaced it with new content-
Ge Xiu pursed his lips and the enthusiasm in his eyes was immediately revealed. He gestured to the crew behind him and motioned to them to look at the holographic projection in front of them.
The crew was puzzled, they looked in the direction he was pointing.
In the next second, everyone understood the reason.
The projection showed a metal plate with strange handwriting and rusty and dirty edges, it was so clear that it gave the illusion that the uneven surface was within the reach of a hand.
Immediately afterwards a lazy voice sounded:
”This is a talisman.”
The voice was so familiar, and the crew suddenly recognized that this voice came from the captain they were getting along with each other day and night.
”It’s from this planet, just like me.”
”Before today, the text on it was just a simple totem and symbol, to bless the wearer to gain something while searching through garbage, as to not let him be hungry and thirsty and starve to death—— Until now.”
With the fall of Ge Xiu’s voice, the analysis process of his smart brain was clearly presented in the air in the form of data, and the mechanical voice of the brain sounded, saying the process of deciphering narrated in the simplest and most understandable way.
The seemingly strange and obscure text above has very simple meaning.
”Miner No. 408 in Mine Three.”
This piece of iron used as a talisman was actually just a miner’s identity card.
And its material was actually pure Alberta iron.
After processing through multiple procedures, it would become the most expensive Alberta stainless steel on the market. It’s an essential raw material for high-end starship core drive devices, and low-level galaxies cannot afford its cost at all.
Through the analysis and collection of air and soil acidity information and the reverse deduction of the degree of corrosion of the iron brand, the manufacturing time could be found.
Not far, but just three hundred years ago.
With the current average life expectancy exceeding 150 years, it was only two generations ago.
And that was when the Alliance’s rule began.
”This is very interesting. Why did it appear on this planet nicknamed as a free garbage dumping station? Did it come with other garbage being discarded?” Ge Xiu’s voice was light and fluttering, showing his bright interest. “So I analysed the composition and found that from the outside to the inside, no elements came from outside this planet.”
”So I did some investigation.” he laughed shortly: “Before the Alliance was established, the Garbage Star didn’t exist. On the contrary, in the same coordinates, there was a planet with a completely different name- Alberta Asia.”
The air fell into a weird solemnity and silence.
The captain of the Alliance warship was pale and all the members of the Alliance army around him were silent, staring dumbly at the virtual image that enveloped them, until the captain raised his gun and the hot laser beam was launched from the muzzle, shooting above. The silver ball hanging over the heads of the crowd got hit and the broken and burning metal residue fell without a sound. The slightly ridiculing voice, together with the holographic projection covering the entire area, disappeared in an instant and the accumulated mountains of trash were once again revealed in front of everyone.
However, the same voice still came from a little far away, penetrating everything like gangrene.
”…The relevant documents of the Alliance record a series of marginal expansion plans carried out at the beginning of its establishment, including the massive construction of starship weapons and the massive transformation of the first galaxy where the Alliance Council is located. Its necessary material…”
The captain turned his head sullenly and ordered: “Send a team to destroy the holographic projector.”
”Yes!” The adjutant beside him straightened his back, turned and hurried away.
The captain’s cold face looked a little horrible. He came to the console and sent a three-level threat signal to the headquarters.
This information…
shouldn’t have been leaked.
The captain raised his head and stared at the holographic image not far away, his face was as heavy as iron, and his eyes under his brows flashed with unconcealed killing intent.
People on this planet shouldn’t stay.
The human value they can create is far less than the threat they pose after learning the truth.
Far away.
All the people looked as if they were enchanted, staring at the floating images in mid-air. They stood dazedly on the mountains and plains covered by rubbish, their thin and almost sick bodies seemed to extend from a flat surface. The scars of, Their eyes were fully occupied by the picture in front of them – it something they have never seen before: tall mountains and pine trees, rich minerals, highly developed civilization. This was their star on which they depended on, the homeland they used to live on. It was so rich and beautiful, it was heartbreaking.
Until… the entire planet was emptied by forced conquests, all resistance was violently suppressed and massacre and brainwashing became a means of control.
This planet was completely squeezed out of the last trace of use value and then ruthlessly abandoned, becoming a forgotten corner and a free rubbish dump.
The flames of war destroyed everything.
The blazing hot flame smeared everything into deadly bright red, and printed it on everyone’s eyes, like cracks torn apart by life, dripping hot blood.
”They took our wealth and robbed our homes.”
They deprived us of our words and erased our thoughts. “
The voice was floating in the air, gathered from all directions, every word was so sharp, as if it could scratch the skin and bleed pus and blood. They stopped and listened, and the bare skin seemed to be able to feel the vagueness of it. It seems that all the sufferings that have been imposed on this planet are felt by everyone at this moment, and in that heart-digging pain, bloody hatred and anger came into being.
Ge Xiu raised his head, there was no extra expression on his face, he just listened quietly to his own voice flowing in his ears.
He turned his head and quietly looked at the crew members standing behind him.
They all came from this planet.
Even though they had a worry-free life on the main ship, they still chose to come back here again.
Few people have deeper feelings for this planet than them.
Ge Xiu’s gaze slowly crossed their faces, studying their expressions inquisitively, seriously, and carefully.
Everyone stood stiffly in place, their muscles tense, as if they were fully resisting a certain suppressed impulse in the body and everyone’s face shared the same expression – anger.
It was like a violent torrent that was barely blocked by a fragile dam. With a light push, it would break out, sweep mountains and rivers, invade everything and vent the most primal violence in the most primitive way.
Ge Xiu squinted his eyes and withdrew his gaze. There was a faint smile on the corners of his lips. It was faint and not very clear, like pattern in a water that disappeared after it was disrupted.
Few people will be angry about something they would never have a chance to have.
Desire comes from something being close at your fingertips.
The things once owned were looted, the power they once enjoyed was deprived and the things that should belong to him were suddenly robbed from them.
This will lead to the strongest hatred.
The numbness of this planet once originated from ignorance, but when they can no longer continue to be ignorant, what will it turn into?
Ge Xiu hooked up his lips, turned on the smart brain and took over the projection device remotely.
In the control room of the Alliance starship, the captain’s expression became more and more ugly.
He now knew what the other party wanted to achieve.
However, before he could do anything, he saw a wave of fluctuations in the picture not far away – he saw himself appearing on the virtual imaging picture.
This is… the monitoring screen of the smart brain on his starship?
The captain was stunned. He saw his face say with a ferocious expression: “Send a team to destroy the holographic projector.” Then he turned and walked to the console, sending without hesitation level 3 threat warning to the Alliance Headquarters.
[Request for protective obstruction and humanitarian destruction of the planet. ]
The captain was shocked.
–Shit!
The other party not only intercepted the alarm sent by himself! He even invaded the inner smart brain of the starship to obtain real-time monitoring pictures!
How is it possible? !
Ge Xiu smirked silently.
The steel instrument placed in a receiving shape in front of the eyes flashed with dim light under the bright blue screen of the smart brain and the thin metal sheet extended from above constituted a simple but practical information interception instrument.
The No.0 machine’s function that Lulai spent a lot of money to build can take over the enemy’s intelligent system, but it also has great limitations. It can only be effective when it is kept close enough for a long enough time. Therefore, there are countless numbers all over the planet and projector covered their whereabouts and protected them from being discovered.
He slowly turned on the remote audio playback device on the smart brain:
”–now, they not only prevent us from knowing the truth, they even deprive us of the right to survive because of this.”
Ge Xiu’s profile was reflected in a light blue glow, in his dark eyes, the destructive excitement burned from the joy of hunting, the untameable evil spirit deep inside seemed like it able to do unimaginable destruction. His slightly hoarse voice was faithfully amplified and transmitted to every corner of the planet through his breath:
”In order to keep the secret, they even want us to die.”
With the fall of the voice, the virtual picture showed by the data changed instantly.
The position of the Alliance warship was clearly marked on the image and then all the silver spheres that had not yet been wiped out faithfully projected it in front of everyone.
The voice floating in the air was gentle and soft, like a demon whispering charming spells into their ears, the tempting words said in an intimate tone, full of irresistible bewitching and provocation:
”It’s time for them to taste their own medicine.”
The captain was anxious, sweat dropped down his back almost drenching his clothes, he turned around and snarled at his subordinates beside him, with an unspeakable panic in his tense voice: “Start the ship! Leave the current coordinates! Hurry up!”
The cabin suddenly fell into a turmoil.
”Ship, Captain! What about the others who haven’t returned yet!”
The captain’s face flushed red and a few green veins burst out on his forehead: “Wait until the new landing site to notify them!”
Outside the starship, all the silver balls have completed their missions, the virtual projections all over the planet disappeared at the same time, and the images composed of data disappear instantly, revealing the barren scene covered under it. The stagnant green-grey atmosphere didn’t seem to have a trace of fluctuations, the mountains covered with garbage were still, dirty and quiet, as if there wasn’t a slightest difference from before.
But the captain was far from calm.
What he was driving was not a combat warship, and even if it was, it could not resist hostility and attacks of all the inhabitants of the entire planet. The best way now is to leave the current coordinates, avoid head-on conflict and wait for the support of the Alliance.
His nerves were extremely tense and he roared:
”Why haven’t we taken off yet?”
The crew member’s panicled and terrified voice came from behind him: “Captain! Ship, the ship cannot start!”
Bamboo has something to say:
got muted and cannot comment on one novel anymore, sad and overthinking now
Little Theater:
Ge Xiu: master of emotional manipulation
Hall: ah my captain really has insight!
Lulai: I want to keep him here for longer
Hall: but no sense of danger QAQ
