Strategic Space-Based Orbital Cannon

In the elevator. Ibers reached out and pressed the button for their floor. As the elevator began to descend, he suddenly turned to Chu Guang with a smile. "Have you heard of the Torch Project?" "That world-resetting mechanism?" Chu Guang gave him an unexpected glance, not expecting him to know about Shelter 0. Then again, it made sense. This old monster had lived for over a century; it was inevitable he would have heard some strange rumors. Ibers nodded with a smile. "Yes. Since you know of the Torch, I can keep things simpler." Chu Guang said, "You mean that 'weapon' is similar to the Torch? Destroying the macromolecules of organic life via neutron plumes?" Ibers chuckled and shook his head. "Close, but that description oversimplifies it. Pure neutron plumes cannot reset the world. There are many ways to defend against nuclear strikes—for instance, deflector shields based on anti-gravity principles can deflect neutron plumes quite effectively. Therefore, if we want to kill the organisms inside the shield, we must first crack open their shells. As such, the 'fire' component of the Torch Project is divided into two execution steps: first, a planetary-scale phase oscillation to paralyze anti-gravity devices and shields; second, the release of neutron plumes to eradicate organic life across the planet." Although Chu Guang only grasped the general idea, he could not help but admire it. "A clear line of thinking." Ibers smiled. "And efficient." Chu Guang glanced at Ibers. He always felt this guy was somewhat twisted. Whenever methods and tools of slaughter were brought up, Ibers became extraordinarily animated—a stark opposite to the two extremes of Mr. Brainless and Mr. Grumpy from the Enterprise. Truly a dangerous fellow. He would have to make sure Xiao Qi kept a close watch on him. Just as Chu Guang was thinking this, the elevator chimed to a halt, and its alloy doors slid open to both sides. "Here we are." Making an elegant gesture of invitation, Ibers stepped out first, leading Chu Guang toward the innermost sanctum of the Boulder Military Industry Building. The two arrived in a spacious room. Its layout closely resembled a command center. Hanging on the wall directly facing the entrance was a massive display screen. In the center of the screen floated an abstract, azure planet, enveloped in dense layers of gray haze. Unsurprisingly, that thick gray haze was orbital debris. Just as the Enterprise had said, the density of this space junk had reached a point where it diminished the annual sunlight reaching the surface. The harsh winter outside owed at least twenty percent of its severity to that cloud. Chu Guang looked around the room, his gaze finally resting on the main screen ahead. "What is this?" "Sky Thunder." "Sky Thunder?" "The name of the installation. Its full title is the Phase-Neutron Annihilation Strategic Space-Based Orbital Cannon, abbreviated as SOG." Ibers turned to Chu Guang with a smile and continued, "What you are looking at is one of the greatest weapons of the Era of Prosperity! It was also the source of inspiration for the Torch system! With a single blast, it can vaporize all organic life throughout Qingquan City. There is no more efficient slaughtering tool in existence." "It cannot reset the whole world, but wiping a single city off the face of the earth is no problem at all." *Good grief.* *Calling it an 'efficient slaughtering tool'...* Astonishment was written across Chu Guang's face as his attention was thoroughly captured by the screen before him. *If we fired this at the Broodmother in Qingquan City...* Yet that thought lingered in Chu Guang's mind for only an instant before he dismissed it. This weapon had previously been held by the Post-War Reconstruction Committee, only later distributed to the settlements under the PRRC's charge. If it were truly that efficient, the PRRC would have used it long ago. They wouldn't have resorted to dropping 'far less efficient' nuclear warheads on the city center, much less launching the Wilante Project to cope with relentless casualties. Chu Guang suspected another possibility: they could not be certain whether the weapon would harm shelters. Even today, quite a few shelters in Qingquan City remained in their lockdown phases, fulfilling their missions from two centuries ago. The slime mold was one of the wasteland's primary threats, but not the only one. Perhaps due to fears that the price would be too exorbitant, the PRRC had never used it to purge the Broodmother right up until its ultimate dissolution. Turning his eyes from Chu Guang, who was lost in thought, Ibers looked at the azure planet shrouded in gray haze on the screen. As if gazing upon a precious treasure, he said with a smile, "It sits in silence within that gray fog, drifting along with the orbital debris. Almost nothing can lock onto it, and not even the weapon's master knows its exact orbital parameters... But that does not matter. As long as you awaken it with the 'key,' it can deploy over any region on this planet at your command." "Naturally, the system is not without flaws. Its charging cycle takes a full twenty-four hours. And once it drops its silent state, it will light up like a beacon. There are numerous ways to observe its position, calculate its orbital parameters, and compute its strike coordinates..." "Even though it comes equipped with point-defense systems and a deflector shield, twenty-four hours is plenty of time for many things to happen." Ibers spent some time introducing the weapon system. Standing nearby, Chu Guang listened attentively until the end, then suddenly asked, "Does the Legion possess similar weapons?" Ibers smiled. "Who knows? Why don't you drift it over Triumph City to find out?" When he said this, his tone was completely devoid of humor; in fact, there was a trace of incitement in his voice. Chu Guang rolled his eyes, too tired of the fellow to respond. Using an open card exposed for two centuries to threaten a veteran survivor faction that had existed on the wasteland for a century and a half? That would be pure suicide. The logic was quite simple. There had surely been settlements like Boulder City west of the Great Desert, yet the Legion had still conquered more than half the continent, and Triumph City remained safe and sound. Clearly, while this so-called 'Sky Thunder' held a degree of deterrence, deterrence was never absolute. Two centuries had been more than enough time for the Legion, the Enterprise, and the Academy to develop countermeasures against such strategic weapons and add other cards to their decks. The real reason the pact remained in effect—apart from the steep price of breaking it—was likely that they simply did not care. Whether it was the Legion, the Academy, or the Enterprise, these established survivor factions with definite paths and firm convictions did not believe in their hearts that Boulder City could stir up any major storm. Even if it rotted to the core, it would plague half a province at most. A herd of fattened pigs lacked the courage to shoot indiscriminately. Take the Enterprise: if the Council had truly considered Boulder City a nuisance, they could have simply spent some cash to buy the weapon back from the nobles. The fact that they hadn't already spoke volumes. Chu Guang couldn't help recalling another matter. The Enterprise's embassy had certainly learned of the upheaval in Boulder City by now. How would the Supreme Council view the Alliance inheriting the Sky Thunder system? Observing the expression on Chu Guang's face, Ibers continued unhurriedly: "...In theory, Sky Thunder can even pierce the defenses of the Sacred Shield, but there is only one bullet in the chamber; the energy overflowing at the moment of firing will destroy the weapon itself. It is said that the purpose of this installation was never to destroy anyone, but to guarantee a pact made long, long ago—that the survivor factions would not interfere with one another, and would jointly explore ways to end the Wasteland Era and seek a future for civilization." "I heard Fang Ming say that the reason the first-generation residents entrusted Sky Thunder to it for safekeeping was partly out of concern that his descendants would lack the courage to pull the trigger, and partly out of fear that they would lose their reverence for the pact and recklessly use a weapon that must never be used." "Tsk, tsk. The earliest survivors were indeed brilliant. Though I only saw them in the screening room, it is as if they anticipated what would happen a century later. Did you know? In that final vote, the stupid pigs of the Inner City actually considered firing one at you! Haha, I almost burst out laughing. Those useless fools truly knew nothing, yet remained arrogant and conceited. It is hard to imagine they were really descendants of those people... What will your descendants be like?" Ibers looked at Chu Guang with an expectant expression, but Chu Guang had no desire to indulge this twisted being, offering only a flat reply. "Mine are a long way off." Ibers smiled and shook his head. "Not long at all. A second or a century—it is all the blink of an eye to me. What must come will come. I only hope you will not feel as boring to me as my previous client." "Cut the chatter and tell me how to use this thing," Chu Guang interrupted impatiently. He already understood the key precautions for the Sky Thunder system; any further idle talk was superfluous. Ibers smiled. "Mr. Fang Ming gave you a drone, didn't he? Do you have it with you?" "Yes." Chu Guang nodded, taking out the compact projection drone and casting an inquiring look. "How do I use it?" Ibers reached out, gently took the drone from Chu Guang's hands, and stroked its outline with his index finger, his synthetic eyes flickering slightly. "Ah... Mr. Fang Ming's ashes." Seeing that the AI was about to act foolishly again, Chu Guang gave a dry cough. Snapping back to reality, a friendly smile appeared on Ibers's face. "My apologies, I was overcome with emotion... The authorization process is very quick. Just give me a moment." Carrying the drone left by Fang Ming to the console, Ibers extracted a memory card from it and slotted it into the computer. The AI data regarding Fang Ming had been completely wiped, but the authentication key to activate the Sky Thunder system had stayed with it to the very end. Lines of code scrolled down the screen, swiftly transferring the authorization for Sky Thunder from this room to Shelter 404. From now on, he would not need to come to this room in person. So long as he was within the signal coverage of the shelter and maintained a stable link to the transmitter, he could order Sky Thunder, hanging in high orbit, to enter active standby mode. Chu Guang confirmed through Xiao Qi that the Sky Thunder system hidden among the space debris remained in silent mode, ready to enter active standby at a moment's notice. Since activating it would expose its orbital coordinates and there was only one shot, Chu Guang did not have Xiao Qi test its performance any further. This was a button for mutual destruction. And it could only ever serve as a button for mutual destruction. He sincerely hoped that the day would never come in his lifetime when he would actually have to use it... ... Besides the Sky Thunder weapon system, Ibers also briefed Chu Guang on Boulder Military Industry's other weapon stockpiles. After reviewing the inventory, Chu Guang couldn't help but sigh with emotion. The noble masters of the Inner City had perfectly demonstrated how to bungle an overwhelmingly winning hand. Leaving aside the KV-series exoskeletons, there were over a thousand sets of the baseline KV-2 alone, and nearly three thousand sets of the stripped-down KV-1! Beyond that, there were nearly five hundred sets of the K-10 'Iron Wall' heavy exoskeleton, which Chu Guang had previously tried but failed to purchase! The battlefield role of this heavy exoskeleton was practically modeled after power armor. In terms of overall performance, the 'Iron Wall' was on par with the Type 6 'Heavy Cavalry' police exoskeleton, boasting even superior defensive capabilities, though its operational endurance was slightly shorter. In addition to this light equipment, Boulder Military Industry had also stored heavy hardware such as aircraft and missiles on behalf of Mayor Fang Ming. For example, the P-1 'Viper' transport aircraft, already in service with the militia. There were four of them parked in the hangars! This transport craft was an independently developed twin-engine, rotorless VTOL aircraft designed by Boulder Military Industry based on pre-war components and blueprints. Its two engines were positioned along the belly of the fuselage, one forward and one aft. Its battlefield role was similar to Earth's Black Hawk or Mi-8, though its maneuverability and stability were far superior. The propulsion principle used by the aircraft was similar to that of the 'Orca'—both utilized plasma engines, differing only in design philosophy and technical details. Aside from the P-1s, there were two spindle-shaped P-2 'Lightning' attack aircraft, featuring moderately long wings and plasma engines mounted on either side of the fuselage, capable of transitioning between VTOL and fixed-wing modes. During the Tide at the beginning of the year, these two planes had helped deliver 'express packages' to the northern suburbs' Tide for the survivors—though Chu Guang had paid out of pocket for that delivery. Back then, Chu Guang had speculated that since Boulder City had the surplus capacity to fight off the Tide while exporting bombing runs, its aircraft reserves must be substantial! Who could have guessed that once the box was opened, the only combat-ready planes were those two? He genuinely didn't know what to say. As for guided weapons, Boulder Military Industry had none in stock. For two obvious reasons—lack of need and lack of practicality—Boulder Military Industry hadn't manufactured them in years, though the blueprints were still preserved on the servers. For instance, the D-1 'Dragon' tactical missile, boasting a 450-kilogram warhead and a range of five hundred kilometers. Or the D-10 'Dove' man-portable light missile, weighing twenty kilograms with a five-kilogram warhead, capable of being vehicle-launched or man-portable. Although these existed only as blueprints for now, Chu Guang was far more interested in the schematics than the hardware piled in the warehouses. The Alliance did not lack individual infantry gear, nor did it lack tanks or artillery. What it lacked were precisely these strategic-grade weapons. If Boulder City's industrial zone was the crystallization of two centuries of sweat and wisdom from countless survivors, then Boulder Military Industry was the brightest gem among them. And now, this corporation had become part of the Alliance. These spears and shields, once owned by a select few, would henceforth fight for a loftier ideal! Ibers drew up an itemized inventory of all the armaments for Chu Guang, whether already delivered to the militia or still awaiting delivery. A series of individual equipment, including power armor, had already been transported back to Alliance territory by the Burning Corps. Chu Guang forwarded Ibers's inventory to the logistics department personnel, instructing them to recover the gear in batches and store it properly. At the same time, on the official Wasteland Online website. An updated server announcement formally proclaimed the news of Boulder City joining the Human Reconstruction United Front. Following Pioneer City, another settlement had joined the Alliance, taking a massive stride toward the milestone of one million united survivors! [New Settlement Added — Boulder City: The Boulder City of yesterday was a casino where diligent workers generated the value of twenty chips only to receive a single chip in return. Here, only gamblers willing to risk their lives could get ahead, yet the winner was always the house holding all the chips. Finally unable to endure the exploitation of their masters, the residents of Boulder City courageously stepped forward once more, confiscating the black cards of the Inner City residents. They sank into darkness for a century, and nearly fell again, but countless defeats failed to break them, and victory has finally favored them. The casino is permanently closed. They have become their own saviors, and the glorious residents of Boulder City will stand on the same front with us, united against the threats of the wasteland!] [New NPC Added — Joy (former Boulder City Militia Centurion, current Commander of the Boulder City Militia): "I will bring victory and glory to my children, not become their disgrace!"] [New NPC Added — Lovett (President of the Workers' Union, Director of the Crisis Office, leading candidate for the next mayor): "We must do what Boer ought to do!"] [New NPC Added — Sberg (Secretary of the Workers' Union, author continuing 'Awakened Boer'): "Stop rushing me, stop rushing me! I'm writing, I'm already writing!"] [...] [New NPC Added — Ibers (Bionic, Chairman and President of Boulder Military Industry): "My previous client played himself to death. I hope you will keep me satisfied."] [New Facility Added — Boulder Military Industry Building: The pinnacle of Boulder City's industry! Home to over a thousand professional engineers and designers, equipped with vast reserves of expertise and skills capable of turning the wildest ideas into reality. (Note: Boulder Military Industry is now accepting custom equipment orders. Click the link for details)] As the rapid succession of announcements went live, it instantly sparked heated discussion among countless players and forum lurkers. The most prominent topic among them was undoubtedly the legendary Boulder Military Industry! Since the launch of the server, active players and lurkers alike had heard of this name. The commonplace KV-1 exoskeleton was one of its masterpieces, and many of its top-tier armaments couldn't even be bought with cash—they required staggering amounts of chips and advance pre-orders! Now, the collective of Shelter 404 had become the new shareholder of Boulder Military Industry. Not only was the arms plant completely open to players, but it even accepted custom equipment orders! Once the news spread, the entire forum erupted! Tail: "Whoa! Can I customize a bionic?!" Sisi: "Ah Wei, please don't make anything too weird." Tyrannosaurus Warrior: "Honest question: can someone who hasn't gotten a helmet yet submit a design? T.T" Jieyan: "Awesome! What if I want to build a Titan? Can they make that too?" Gale: "In theory, it should be possible, though the silver coins required would probably be enough to build a real-life aircraft carrier." Fang Chang: "It's probably not just a money issue. Based on experience from other games, endgame gear like that usually comes with a mountain of side quests—like gathering materials yourself, then finding specialized NPCs... With all those materials, Mosquito could probably build you a functional Titan anyway." Canyon Escaped Mole: "Holy crap, shut up! If you keep talking, Ah Guang is gonna copy your ideas!" Makabazi: "Hahahaha! Too late! I bet Ah Guang is already taking notes! (Funny face)" Jieyan: "Am I the only one who feels bad for Mosquito? Feels like Brother Mosquito is about to lose his job." Ward's Athlete's Foot Levin: "Why feel bad for him? I think Goblin Tech's business is about to reach new heights." Ya'er I Need the Toilet Cable: "Heh, after all, they're the premier outsourcing powerhouse. We're the ones making all their parts anyway. (Funny face)" While the players were excitedly chiming in on what to commission from Boulder Military Industry, Mosquito, who should have been pitching terrible ideas alongside them, was currently mourning a completely different matter. WC Really Has Mosquitoes: "Wuuu-wuuu! My Queen of the Night Bar! Dammit! At least leave us a special district to mess around in! (Furious)" Killing Dagger: "The bar is still there! I can attest! (Funny face)" Lao Bai: "Haha, probably just the sign left." Fang Chang: "It'll probably open once winter passes, though there likely won't be any 'special shows' anymore. (Smirk)" Canyon Escaped Mole: "Tsk, tsk, look at how pathetic you guys are. If you want special shows, just go next door to Luoxia Province. That's not Alliance territory, and the purchasing power of silver coins is insane there. (Side-eye)" In Debt God: "+1, but you have to pick the right place. For example, the Honey Badger Kingdom is pretty conservative, with barely any entertainment and strict monogamy. The Lion Kingdom is way more secular, no restrictions at all—I heard the nobles there love collecting bloodlines. As for the Camel Hump Kingdom, don't even get me started: money talks, and they get wildly creative. (Funny face)" Brother Edge: "Holy crap! Why do you know so much?" Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "You son of a gun, Big Eyes, what on earth have you been doing behind our backs?!" Commander Spring: "@Ah Guang, please confiscate his tools of the crime, thank you!" In Debt God: "Cough, damn it! Stop acting so pure! Especially you, Battlefield Guy—the entire forum knows about you handling ten at once!" Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "Piss off! I didn't lay a finger on them, okay?!" In Debt God: "Sigh, if I hadn't had a drink at the Highway Town Inn last night, I might have actually believed you." Lao Bai: "Hahaha." Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "What does this have to do with the Highway Town Inn?!" Lao Bai: "Never mind whether it has anything to do with it. Once the mission is done, hurry and make time to go back. (Grin)" *Damn it!* *What are these guys up to!* He couldn't shake the feeling that they were keeping something from him. Sitting before his computer, Battlefield Atmosphere Group tossed his keyboard aside with a curse. Picking up the gaming helmet from his desk, he stared at its rounded contour and muttered, "That's already the fifth city..." Time flew by so fast. A year ago, they still had to walk on eggshells around Boulder City. Now, Boulder City had not only been molded into the shape of the Alliance, but had become utterly inseparable from them. He heard that Dawn City had changed immensely. Even the tavern where they used to drink together had been renovated several times over; one could hardly tell that place had once been a desolate, uninhabited wasteland. A wave of nostalgia surged in Battlefield Guy's heart. Rumor had it that the next version update would take place in Jinchuan Province, yet he had traveled farther and farther west, with no telling when he could return. He really wanted to go back and take a look. Shaking his head, Battlefield Guy pulled the helmet onto his head. Lately, Teresa, the Mayor of Pioneer City, planned to expand the settlement, requiring players' assistance in clearing out the burrowing beasts roaming the outskirts. Yesterday, he had just accepted the quest from Rama, Commander of the Thorns Corps, and had finally managed to assemble a ten-man convoy. The appointed time was fast approaching. Recently, some Wilante stranded in Pioneer City had also taken up odd jobs to earn silver coins, and traveling merchants coming from the Falcon Kingdom to do small business had also begun dealing in silver coins. Without anyone realizing quite when it started, the dinar—once the popular hard currency of the desert—had suddenly been supplanted by the Alliance's silver coin. Captain Adria had encouraged his idle subordinates more than once to earn back the money the Alliance had taken from them. That way, traitor that he was, he wouldn't have to be sneaky about helping the Alliance and could openly take on commissions from them. Speaking of which, ever since the direct civilian airship flights were opened, a batch of fresh-faced LV10 second-hand newbies had arrived in Pioneer City. That small settlement, which originally had only two to three hundred survivors, now finally possessed a touch of bustling life. He hoped that by the time he returned home, it would be even livelier. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Wearing the helmet, Battlefield Guy lay flat on his bed and stretched lazily. "Time to log in and grind some bricks." At the thought of how his relentless grinding would help the Alliance's settlements flourish even more, he felt an endless surge of strength coursing through him...