Age of Cosmic Exploration

Chapter 442: Artificial Intelligence Civilization

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Impossible! This number is impossible! What kind of civilization can have 1,700,000 plus spaceships?"

When Yao Yuan handed the report to all the officers present, everyone displayed an expression of disbelief. Even Yao Yuan himself shared in this incredulity. After all, this was 1,700,000 spaceships, and the spaceships weren't small battleships but gigantic spaceships! Their size was so much bigger than the biggest spaceships humanity once imagined in the old Earth era. Just to paint a picture, humanity would need 10,000 years to build 1,700,000 spaceships!

Fine, it was not impossible for a space civilization to last for more than ten thousand years in space while being lucky enough to avoid racial senescence, but there was still a key problem… where would they find the manpower to control all these spaceships?

Not every space civilization was as lucky as humanity that they had an existence like ZERO to prevent the uprising of the machines. If other civilizations followed humanity's footsteps, it would easily lead to a mechanical anarchy, causing the race to go extinct. Therefore, most space civilizations had real people piloting their spaceships and, generally speaking, a spaceship the size of the Hope would require 12,000 people, and that was the baseline. Including the soldiers, the number could triple!

Using the most basic 8,000 people as basis, 100,000 spaceships the size of the Hope would already need 800 million people to pilot!

This was 120 million, not 1,200 or 12,000, basically, the whole country of China, including the seniors and children, would have to join the army to achieve this number!

This was only the 100,000 spaceships the size of the Hope. What about the remaining 1,600,000 plus spaceships of differing sizes? To operate these spaceships to their maximum potential, at the very least there had to be 100 million soldiers!

Therefore, the issue of population alone made it impossible for such a space fleet to exist in the real world!

"No, there is a type of space civilization that can support a fleet this size…"

When everyone was grumbling about the impossibility of the situation, a shaking voice suddenly uttered that statement. Everyone turned towards it and they realized that Blue 6, who had been leisurely enjoying his coffee earlier, had stood up with his face blanched and his whole body shaking. This was so unlike him that everyone was spooked.

Yao Yuan, Xiao Niao, Ren Tao, and a few military officers looked at the state he was in and their hearts dropped. There was already a prediction on their minds, and Blue 6 had just confirmed it.

"It's a mechanical civilization, a mechanical civilization born from an AI that achieved independence! Only such a space civilization can own such a large fleet without worry for manpower and population. And only such a space civilization can have a fleet that looks always brand new, like they have just been built!" Blue 6 said as color continued to drain from his face.

After the statement was made, everyone in the room was stunned by fear. The three great tragedies in the cosmos were demons, Zerg, and AI civilizations. The demons were usually too rare to warrant too much discussion, but Zerg and AI were well known space threats. Scary stories about them had been circulated around the cosmos, and according to the information from the space merchants, they were responsible for many extinctions in space.

One could say that both the Zerg and AI civilizations were considered invincible when fighting against enemies of the same level. There had to be more than several hundred space civilizations of the same level working together to take down one AI space civilization. Plus, it wouldn't be an easy win. This was because neither zerg nor AI had the issue of exhaustion. With enough energy and resources, a war was just like a game for either civilization. They could recreate their armed forces easily, and that was why both of these space civilizations were considered invincible among civilizations of the same level!

However, if that was all, it might've still been okay. For a surviving space civilization, surrendering to become another race's vassal race was acceptable. In fact, for weaker space civilizations, becoming the vassal race of a powerful civilization was something they yearned for. However, for Zerg and AI civilizations, they did not need any vassals or surrendering races. Their only aim was to consume and destroy any living existence!

Yao Yuan thought about the possibility of this large fleet being an AI space civilization and his face blanched as well. After a long time, he said, "Order the pilotless spaceships at the first defense line to approach the area near the unknown fleet for interaction and surveillance. At the same time… increase the speed of civilian migration."

At the first defense line, things were busy. Many civilians were registering at the space port to retreat back to the City of Light Moon. However, to prevent chaos, the real number and level of the space civilization that approached humanity was not revealed. It was also because of this that the speed of migration was slower than expected.

"Honey, why don't me and kids leave next week? Our neighbors, Tom and his family, are leaving then as well. It's better if I wait and leave with them. At least we can look after each other and our kids can keep each other company."

Lee Yuan Fang's wife suggested. Their family was already at the waiting hall of the space port and they were surrounded by people. Around 3,000 civilians would be leaving the first defense line that day. Since all the military spaceships had returned to the City of Light Moon for upgrades and maintenance, the civilians at the first defense line could only rely on transport shuttles. The trip home would take about 20 days, five days to reach second defense line and another 15 days to reach the City of Light Moon. It was worth noting that their destination was actually the second defense line as the base was at least 10 times larger than the first defense line. There, they would hop on military-use spaceships. More than ten thousand people would be able to fit into one and return to the City of Light Moon in one go.

Lee Yuan Fang's family was scheduled to take the ship home that day, and the next trip would be after five days. He told his wife in a helpless smile, "How is that possible? The schedule is decided by the government and not ourselves. Furthermore, Tom's family will be leaving in another five days. If you need the company, why don't you wait for them at the second defense line for a few days and you can return to the City of Light Moon together?"

Lee Yuan Fang's wife nodded obediently as she reached out to smooth out his military lapel. "Be careful out there. Don't be a hero, our family doesn't need the status of Human Hero… I just want you to return home safely." At this point, there were glistening tears in his wife's eyes.

Lee Yuan Fang hugged his wife silently and turned to look at his kids, who were pulling on his trousers and shirt. They were a pair of boy and girl, one eight and the other nine. He tousled their hair in a loving way before turning to his wife and saying, "Wait for me at home. I will retire from the military after this war and then we'll have plenty of time to go shopping and bring the kids to visit the zoo…"

The wife nodded gently and looked at the man she had fallen in love with… they were considered an elderly couple on the Hope because they were already a young married couple back on old Earth. While many couples had turned on each other during the anarchy, their love only got stronger. She was reminded of that fact while they were hiding in an abandoned house. He had laid traps to capture the rats and he would leave her the meat of the roasted rats while he would survive on the dried coats and skins. Surviving on those rats, they lived through the most difficult period of their lives…

"I will wait for you at home. You must return home safely, for the kids… for me…"

"I will…"

At the same time, while the first batch of civilians was dispatched from first defense line, several pilotless spaceships were heading towards the unknown fleet. On the third day after the first batch left the first defense line, the few spaceships reached that space occupied by the unknown fleet. Following their orders, they moved towards the fleet.

However, the result was obvious. Similar to last time, the moment they got near, they were shut down. The unknown fleet showed zero desire to communicate.

"Can we be sure we're dealing with an AI civilization?"

"Not yet, the fleet is still idling outside of the solar system. They didn't unleash any attacks or release any signals; however, the moment our spaceships get too close, they are destroyed…"

"Is that so? Continue being on alert… I allow you all the power to command an attack if we're threatened…"

Yao Yuan put down the communicator with the leader of the first defense line. Then he turned to look towards the 3D image of the New Solar System. There were three large zoned-out areas around the three defense lines. These three zones referred to the firing range of the long-distance weapons. In fact, the three defense lines practically covered the whole New Solar System. Other than the first and second defense lines, which faced ahead, the third defense line faced the other end of the City of Light Moon. Currently, the unknown fleet was in the first and second defense lines' firing range. The total defense zone in the New Solar System were five, and they protected Homeward Planet fully and completely.

"Why aren't they attacking? Waiting for more to come? Or…

"They're watching us?"