Age of Cosmic Exploration

Chapter 446: Swallowed…

The first defense line was bombarded for a consecutive six hours. In that period of time, the first defense line retaliated with 13 shots of Genesis, three shots of Requiem, and even one shot of Energy Storm.

It was then that the benefit of owning a base was truly exemplified.

In truth, the reason spaceships like battleships were weaker was due to the overall environment of space. The vacuum, the super low temperature, and air pressure meant that a small bit of damage at a strategic location could cause the spaceship to explode in space. In contrast, be it superelectromagnetic weapons or plasma weapons, the damage they could deal against buildings and objects was limited. At least the damage wouldn't be as powerful as a nuclear bomb.

To borrow an analogy, if a meteorite was hurtling towards Earth, it only needed to be the size of 10 kilometers to wipe out more than 90 percent of living things on Earth. Just how small was 10 kilometers? Earth's diameter was 12,000 kilometers, and in comparison, 10 kilometers was as small as a piece of sesame. However, that piece of sesame could wipe out 90 percent of living things on Earth.

However, if one needed to destroy a space mass the size of Earth, even with this large fleet of several hundred thousand, it would require upwards of several ten thousand years. Even level 4 or 5 space civilizations wouldn't be able to do that, much less a level 3 space civilization. Destroying a planet and wiping out its populace were two different things.

Therefore, the first defense line that was built around a meteorite belt was far sturdier than the fleet expected. After a focus fire of a cannon ten times the strength of the Genesis, while first defense line didn't escape unscathed, the important points were completely unharmed. There was only one notable damage. A Genesis cannon that was located quite far for the rest had been shot down by the enemy. It needed emergency repairs before it could be used again.

However, everyone at the first defense line was worried because this first wave of cannon fire had cleared the row of meteorites at the outermost ring of the first defense line. Many smaller meteorites were evaporated. In other words, the first defense line's outer layer of defense was taken down and the next wave of attack would hit the base directly.

Lee Yuan Fang was patrolling, examining the situation all over first defense line. He was a captain, and this was rank considered high at first defense line, so along the way, many people saluted him. While he saluted in return, it was done in a hurry and it was the same for those who saluted him, their concern wasn't on something as frivolous as saluting.

"…We're in the creator's particles' range, so our communication with the outside world has been cut off…"

Lee Yuan Fang was passing a group of soldiers when he heard this conversation. With a stern face, he shouted, "What are you talking about!? Why don't you share it with me as well?!"

The group of soldiers was flustered, but they immediately calmed down. The leading African American soldier immediately saluted and said, "Captain Lee, we're merely discussing how long we can hold this alien fleet off!"

When Lee Yuan Fang saw the soldier, he was shocked. It was Private Tom. He was a space baby and Lee Yuan Fang's neighbor. He was married to a woman from old Earth; their age difference was more than 20 years old. Disregarding the voices of dissent from both families, they ended up together. Their union even caused a ripple among human society, discussing how the age extending technology had unsettled the normal human perspective on marriage and social values.

Lee Yuan Fang's wife and Tom's wife were like sisters, and throughout his wife, Lee Yuan Fang knew Tom.

"Okay," Lee Yuan Fang said, "how long do you think we can hold them off."

Tom was a university student who went through the new education system, and in terms of general knowledge, he was much more intuitive than people from old Earth like Lee Yuan Fang. He said seriously, "Captain, from our current data, we won't be able to hold them off for the 15 days that the military wanted… That is impossible. Actually, to be able to hold them off for five days is already a miracle. My personal estimate is… maximum three days, we can hold on for a maximum of three days."

Lee Yuan Fang nodded and joined the group of soldiers. "Tell me what you think."

The group of soldiers looked at each other and the young Asian soldier said, "Captain, from the intensity of the cannon fire, we know that the size of this fleet is huge. We have managed to survive through elements like greater dispersion among the enemy fleet and the lack of accuracy… However, if the enemy's fleet reaches here and starts attacking at close-distance, our energy shield will have to defend against attack power that is ten times the damage we're suffering right now. According to our energy analysis and energy output per unit time… at most two days and our energy shield will be broken. Then we'll be exposed. When that happens, in just one day…"

Everyone was silent, including Lee Yuan Fang. Suddenly, Tom asked, "Captain Yuan Fang, what is your opinion?"

Lee Yuan Fang laughed bitterly. "The situation is not far off from your analyses and predictions… Yes, we might not survive for longer than three days, but…"

Lee Yuan Fang's voice got louder, attracting the attention of the nearby soldiers. Slowly, more and more soldiers gathered until it was a small gathering of several hundred people. and he announced, "But! We have to hold on for these three days even if we have to die defending it!

"I believe many people are already discussing how we're the abandoned chess pieces of this war, right? I believe many people have trouble sleeping and eating because they've started counting down their days, right? Fine! Then have you ever calculated how many hours it has been since that transport shuttle that carried our families left?

"Let me tell you! 10 hours! It has left merely ten hours ago! It will need at least five days to cover the distance between here and the second defense line, and our enemy's fleet speed is four times our speed! Four times! Do you understand what that means? In three days, the shuttle will have been gone for three and a half days already. But before it reaches the second defense line, this enemy fleet can still depart from this place and destroy it with some time to spare!

"And let me tell you who is on that transport shuttle… there are 14,000 civilians, and 9,000 of them are children! 9,000 children! Those are your children, his children, my children, our children! Those are humanity's future, our hope! 9,000 children! Don't tell me you want to let those 9,000 children perish in space?! Who dares to admit to that? I will personally tear him apart! If anything happens to those children, even the Chancellor will be questioned and even pressured to surrender his post, much less us!

"Yes, we might only survive for three days! But in these three days, we have to fight until the last second! This might be a death order, but I have to ask you to ask yourselves with your hands over your hearts: when your wives and children departed from this place, what did your hearts say?"

Lee Yuan Fang pulled off the buttons on his army fatigue, pointed at his chest, and said, "I've asked myself exactly that, and this is my answer… I am willing to put this life on the line here. I, Lee Yuan Fang, have a wife and two children. My son, Lee Xia Ya, is only nine and my daughter, Lee Sai Na, is seven. I want them to grow up safely, I want them to see for themselves the continued advancement of human civilization, I want them to feel proud for being a human, I want them to experience the joy that I have experienced living among humans, and working proudly for the human society, so…

"I, Lee Yuan Fang, will die here willingly! I will fight proudly for three days and die here when the time comes!

"If my death will preserve the glory of humanity, then I welcome death with open arms!"

Moments later, at the first defense line's central command, Warner told Lee Yuan Fang, "Wonderful speech, Captain."

"No, Lieutenant." There was a glowing conviction in Lee Yuan Fang's eyes as he said, "That is not a speech, it is how I really feel. For my wife and children's happiness and future, I will gladly lay down my life."

"…Indeed." Warner turned around to look at the picture frame on his table and he smiled gently. "Happiness is worth defending with our lives. I agree with you, Captain Lee Yuan Fang…

"Do you know my wife passed away quite early, leaving me a trouble-seeking daughter? When we were on old Earth, my daughter got embroiled with a crowd of druggies, but after she came onto the Hope, she turned over a new leaf. She started going to classes and later was very hardworking at her job. She found herself a man at work and they fell in love and got married. Now I'm a proud grandfather of six cute grandchildren…

"I'm happy, really happy. Working for this government not to suppress the people or to fight another country but to protect the safety of humanity… After retirement, I plan to buy a big plot of land on Homeward Planet and retire to become a farmer. I wish to rear a Black Dragon and bring him hunting and fishing every weekend. When winter comes, I'll curl around the fireplace with a good book and fall asleep…

"Wouldn't that be the life? And I would do everything, including lay down my life, to give others an opportunity at happiness like that!"

79 hours later, the first defense line fell and there were zero survivors. When the alien fleet landed on the base, the soldiers used their flesh and blood to block the progress of the robot soldiers until the whole base was swamped by the large fleet…

The first defense line brought down 12,7000 enemy spaceships and held them off for almost 10 hours more than the time predicted by the AI!

The transport shuttle was 35 hours away from the second defense line…

And inside the shuttle, a woman suddenly collapsed in tears, hugging her son and daughter, crying like a baby…