Celestials

In all honesty, while the expansion lottery of Wasteland Online lacked any sort of pity system, the randomness was genuinely true randomness. There was no hidden rule that whoever suited a piece of equipment best was more likely to draw it. Yet precisely because it was truly random, even if the overall drop rate followed a standard normal distribution, it was inevitable that a few ungodly unlucky souls and inhumanly blessed luckers would crop up. Whenever that happened, the Administrator had no choice but to step in personally and hand out compensation to the luckless. As for the luckers? Forget about them. What was pulled was pulled; he could hardly take it back, could he? Though he could be a bit scheming at times, Chu Guang knew in his heart that he was fundamentally a man of principle. First, he never went back on his word. Second, he didn't settle scores after the fact. Third, whenever he could resolve matters within the rules, he stuck to the rules. Still, frankly speaking, Brother Spring's luck was sometimes absurdly, ridiculously good—so much so that even Chu Guang, the fake planner and true mastermind behind the scenes, couldn't help wondering if the guy was running some kind of hack. Likewise with Brother I'm the Darkest; his luck was so abysmal it was as if he were paying for sins committed in a past life... In the study on Floor B4 of the shelter, Chu Guang leaned back on the sofa, sipping black tea with milk while browsing the forums. At this very moment, Brother I'm the Darkest, who only a second ago had been overflowing with negative energy, was weeping tears of joy over a screenshot of a "Golden Legendary"—or rather, shamelessly flaunting it. Little did Brother I'm the Darkest know that pulling a Golden Legendary had nothing to do with a turn of fortune or washing his hands before touching the mouse. It was manual compensation personally bestowed by the great philanthropist Ah Guang. "Xiao Qi, tell me honestly. Did that guy really pull twenty consecutive ramen coupons purely by his own luck?" Sitting inside the pen holder, Xiao Qi wore a helpless expression. "Master, do you doubt Xiao Qi?" Chu Guang took a sip of black tea and shook his head. "Not at all. It's just that his luck is so painfully bad, he single-handedly dragged down our credibility." People on the forum were always claiming the expansion lottery was rigged, but there was never any such thing. At most, anyone who went too unhinged or completely off the deep end might fail to get a "visa" into the other world—in other words, a helmet. And reasonably speaking, he didn't even know Brother Spring outside the game. If anything were rigged, that guy would be the last person to benefit. Objectively speaking, though, such rotten luck was rare; the vast majority of players managed to draw plenty of good items on their own. With the Alliance's recent surge in both soft and hard power, the players' reward pool had grown increasingly abundant. Beyond the high-tech gear produced from the shelter's own blueprints and machining centers, it now included equipment commissioned for testing by Enterprise and its subsidiaries, as well as experimental gear co-designed by the Alliance Scientific Expedition and affiliated units. Things like plasma cutting torches, magnetic slingshots, neural acceleration modules, portable rocket thrusters, and so forth. These gadgets were more about meme potential than combat effectiveness and could hardly perform in pitched battles, but they still held practical value for wasteland adventures. For instance, reaching resource points inaccessible by conventional means might just take a rocket thruster combined with reinforced prosthetic tendons to fly—or jump—right up. Or a plasma torch that required sustained irradiation to cut through a target: it might not outmatch a deathclaw's claws, but whipping it out might just startle the beast. Additionally, equipment that received rave reviews and proved itself in combat would enter planned mass production and be rolled out to the in-game shop for players to purchase. Generally speaking, though, only players could handle that kind of gear. Any other wastelanders would need an exceptionally hard fate to survive using it. Chu Guang browsed the forums for a while, his lips curling into a grin as he watched the "talents" messing around with their reward items, unable to stifle his amusement. Just then, Xiao Qi lifted her head from inside the pen holder and spoke in her melodic voice. "Master, the Chief of the Academy's Investigation Department would like to arrange a meeting with you... regarding the research vessel they lost in Avent City, as well as the 'pseudo-broodmother' at the 'Tower of the World'." "Pseudo-broodmother" was the designation coined by the Alliance Institute of Biological Research. According to Xiao Yu, that thing had little to do with mutant slime mold broodmothers. Judging by the Academy's various behaviors, they clearly possessed intelligence the Alliance lacked. Yet they had always been like this—hyper-sensitive about technology, even when it came to "directions" beyond the technology itself. Chu Guang raised an eyebrow, a flicker of genuine interest showing in his eyes. It seemed the research vessel was even more important to the Academy than he had imagined. As A-rank researchers, the chiefs of the four major departments were already part of the Academy's inner circle. Above them stood only the sole S-rank Chief Technology Officer, Mu Bei, and Dr. Conclusion, who stood behind the CTO. "When?" Xiao Qi: "He has already arrived near Dawn City and wants to know when you will be free." Already here? Placing his teacup back on the tray, Chu Guang signaled X-16, who was waiting nearby, to take it away, then stood up from the sofa. "Have him wait for me in Conference Hall No. 1 of the Alliance Building." *** Alliance Building, Conference Hall No. 1. A middle-aged man around forty sat at the conference table. His appearance was utterly ordinary, the sort of face that would vanish in a crowd. And the silver-white researcher's uniform he wore was a design seen everywhere in the Academy. A staff member standing aside stepped forward to pour him a cup of coffee. The man softly murmured a thank-you, then sat motionless, waiting in silence. Before long, footsteps sounded outside the conference room, and the door was pushed open. Seeing Chu Guang enter, the man rose from the conference table and said courteously, "Greetings, esteemed Administrator. I am Qi Liu, Chief of the Academy's Investigation Department. My apologies for intruding on your busy schedule without a prior appointment." "You are too polite, Mr. Qi. I happened to be resting, with nothing urgent on my plate, so it's hardly an intrusion. Please, have a seat." Chu Guang smiled and nodded, pulling out a chair to sit across the table. Seeing Chu Guang take his seat, the slightly stiff Qi Liu sat back down as well. A staff member stepped over quietly and poured Chu Guang a cup of black tea. Wasting no time on pleasantries, Chu Guang cut straight to the chase. "My assistant told me that regarding the missing research vessel and the unauthorized investigation it conducted in Avent City... you have further information you wish to share with us?" Hearing the slight edge in his words, Qi Liu did not deflect, admitting to it straightforwardly. "Yes. However, please believe that we did not conceal those clues out of malice." With that, he drew a holographic computer pen from his breast pocket, set it on the conference table, and gently pushed it forward. Watching the holographic computer pen slide to the center of the table, Chu Guang raised an eyebrow slightly, then glanced at the staff member. Understanding the cue, the staff member walked over to retrieve the pen for Chu Guang and then withdrew from the room. Chu Guang pressed a button on the pen, and a pale-blue holographic beam promptly unfurled across the table. Displayed within the light was a document containing an assessment, analysis, and conclusive findings regarding the bioweapon Tyr had deployed during the final battle. Perhaps due to lost data, however, the report was entirely qualitative, lacking quantitative measurements. Having read the document from start to finish, Chu Guang arched his brow, a spark of genuine curiosity coloring his expression. "The Seed of Gaia?" "Or rather, a Gaia-like lifeform," Qi Liu said gravely, watching Chu Guang's reaction. "That is our designation for the bioweapon Tyr used... As you have likely realized, it is something similar to, yet distinct from, a mutant slime mold broodmother." "Indeed." Chu Guang nodded, flicking his index finger in the air to dismiss the holographic screen before him. "Though from our perspective, a mutant slime mold broodmother is evidently far more threatening. Tyr's little trick didn't quite measure up... But perhaps you can offer us a different perspective?" "That is precisely why I am here," Qi Liu nodded slightly, his expression somber as he continued. "Such a misunderstanding arises from your lack of knowledge regarding Gaia. Distinguishing their threat level purely by strength violates scientific principles. Of course... having suppressed this information, we bear a certain responsibility for that." There was a hint of apology in his tone. Or what passed for an apology. Chu Guang said nothing, merely looking at the Chief of the Academy's Investigation Department and gesturing with his eyes for him to proceed. After a brief pause, Qi Liu continued. "It was a very long time ago, predating the Wasteland Era and even the Three-Year War... When the colonists who arrived at Alpha Centauri realized the planet beneath their feet was a 'living planet,' the colony's researchers conducted an in-depth investigation into Gaia. And the findings exceeded all of our expectations: what lay before us was a hive-mind civilization unlike anything we had ever seen. "According to the research reports sent back by the colony, it was a stagnant society. Whether they had fallen to their current state from a higher civilization or slowly climbed to this height from a primitive one, they had, in fact, lost the ability to spiral upward or downward." Chu Guang nodded. "The Alliance Academy of Social Sciences has a similar report." Qi Liu said, "I have read it. The report was well written, even by the Academy's standards." Chu Guang chuckled. "Haha, thank you for the compliment." "It is no compliment, merely a fact," Qi Liu said, looking seriously at Chu Guang before continuing. "Although Gaia had lost the impetus for further social evolution, His existence nonetheless provided us with profound insights. Inspired by that report and related research, the Human Alliance experienced technological explosions of varying degrees in biology, astrophysics, and sociology. Even the mental interference technology you currently use is a product of that era." Chu Guang had heard of this. The Administrator's log of Shelter 401 in the eastern suburbs of Qingquan City mentioned that mental interference technology had originally been developed to replace the infrasound fences used to repel alien organisms. The technology had unexpectedly opened the door to a new world, building a bridge of communication between humanity and Gaia, between whom dialogue had previously been impossible. Presently, many Alliance players used this very equipment to communicate with Xiao Yu's fruiting bodies. Of course, back then, the technology had also stirred up quite a controversy—for instance, when an unscrupulous company used it for aggressive advertising and marketing—which resulted in an investigation by the Scientific Ethics Committee. Seeing Chu Guang lost in thought, Qi Liu continued, "Action and reaction are equal and opposite, and the same holds true for communication between civilizations. We learned much from Gaia that we had never seen before, and Gaia was deeply astounded by the complex social structures and individual consciousness we displayed. After all, before we set foot on that soil, He had always been playing alone, with only the occasional meteorite falling from the sky, bringing a few tiny lifeforms He had never seen and found rather uninteresting. "Whatever reason the Gaia civilization had for discarding its original social form and whatever individual consciousness it may once have possessed, He genuinely had no memory of the era before the critical mutation threshold—what your Alliance Academy of Social Sciences report referred to as the 'Big Bang'. "And our arrival showed Him another possibility in the universe—He began to wonder what His 'children' would look like if He had them, and what His parents would be like if He had parents." Chu Guang said thoughtfully, "He became interested in our method of lineage." Qi Liu gave a slow nod. "That sparked controversy in academia at the time. One faction believed that helping Him understand human society would facilitate our mutual exchange, drive social progress, and perhaps even make Him a loyal friend to mankind. Another faction argued that awakening a prehistoric colossus was perilous—His lifespan might exceed the entirety of human history, and we risked being consumed by Him." Chu Guang nodded. "A valid concern indeed." In fact, His children had already devoured countless people, plenty in Qingquan City alone. And Xiao Yu's integration into Alliance society was largely the wastelanders' compromise with reality— Wiping out the mutant slime mold completely was no longer realistic. The Reconstruction Committee had collapsed, yet the slime mold endured. Like the mutants, those little creatures had become part of the biosphere. Rather than waging an endless war with no resolution, it made far more sense to figure out how to control them and turn waste into wealth. Qi Liu continued, "On one hand, conservative scholars refined legislation through the Scientific Ethics Committee in an effort to rein in runaway technology across various fields. On the other hand, radical scholars—or left-wing scholars, as you might call them—reached out to Him, using the technologies humanity had learned from Him to help clone His offspring." Chu Guang offered a wry smile. "That... was certainly a bold idea." By comparison, the radicals in the Alliance were practically conservative. At most, they overflowed with sympathy for the Pas people, fretting that they might choke even when food was fed directly into their mouths. Qi Liu nodded. "Indeed. Even in that liberal society, where modifying one's gender through genetic engineering and marrying androids were accepted, bearing children for Gaia was far too avant-garde... It was, after all, an entirely different species. "Setting aside the uncontrollable risks the experiment might pose, the trial itself raised considerable ethical concerns. Because Gaia lacked the capacity to split off a secondary persona, they had no choice but to use a human volunteer with a complete, sound mind as the provider of consciousness... even though that volunteer offered themselves willingly." Wait— Why did that sound so familiar? Chu Guang's expression grew subtle. Somehow, his mind jumped straight to Luo Yu. Though that incident had mostly been a bizarre coincidence, and if one examined it closely, there were notable differences. Qi Liu failed to notice the nuanced shift on Chu Guang's face and continued gravely, "Although everyone at the time thought they had lost their minds, as chance would have it... thanks to Gaia's active cooperation, an experiment that appeared indistinguishable from madness unexpectedly succeeded in the end. "Thus, a Gaia possessing Human Alliance citizenship was born. It was a new form of life whose physical manifestation was entirely determined by consciousness. Defining it by gender, age, or skin color was utterly superficial; if it wished to fly, it could grow wings, and if it wished to swim beneath the waves, it could grow gills... so long as the environment provided sufficient nutrients. "Some cheered, believing that applying this technology to terraforming would yield more habitable planets for humanity. Others grew anxious, fearing that humans would cease to be human and instead become monsters of myth. "Regardless, the technology had been created... Before completing our own monument, the 'Gestalt Lifeform,' we had first brought to fruition someone else's monument—the 'Amorphous Lifeform.' It was another branch of possibility on the evolutionary tree, philosophically expressed as: I am He, and He is All." A look of astonishment crossed Chu Guang's face. "...And that is the Seed of Gaia?" The boss Lao Bai had taken down with a single ax swing was actually something that formidable?! Qi Liu fixed his gaze upon him and nodded gravely. "A megalomaniacal warmonger transformed into a tentacle-covered monstrosity who no longer needed planes, artillery, or tanks. Given enough time and left free to devour the entire Batoya Province, he alone could have become an army... Fortunately, it was only when you cornered him to the brink of death that he abandoned his final bottom line. And you handled it swiftly, leaving them no window of opportunity." Chu Guang gave a light cough and said, "...I suspect he simply had no idea what kind of technology he held in his hands. The Enlightenment Society had no reason to lay all their cards on the table for them." "The Enlightenment Society..." Qi Liu gave an enigmatic chuckle and shook his head. "What could a bunch of petty terrorists know? At best, they are fit only to serve as pawns." Chu Guang's brow furrowed slightly. "...You mean the ones pulling the strings behind all this are the 'Celestials'?" The descendants of the expedition fleet dwelling in the Lagrange-point starport... The extraterrestrial faction suspected of taking in the remnants of the Church of the Torch. So they were the ones who gave Tyr that ultimate superweapon?! Through the hands of the Enlightenment Society... Looking at the contemplative Chu Guang, Qi Liu slowly nodded, disclosing a secret the Academy had never before revealed: "The Celestials. "They are the sole existence possessing the technical archives of both the Human Alliance and the colonies... and the only survivor faction holding the 'Seed of Gaia'. "Assuming that what they are now can still be called survivors."