Chapter 68: The Distant Sirius

At this moment, some 8.7 light-years from Earth, Sirius A radiates its dazzling brilliance into the vastness of space, shining with an almost blinding splendor. Orbiting some three billion kilometers away, its dim companion star, Sirius B, circles around it—a white dwarf star.

In the starfield near this white dwarf, a host of planets and comets revolve in their own orbits. Among them is a planet named Gomarr, home to a highly advanced and intelligent civilization known as the Gomarr Civilization. Their nation bears the name Gomarr Empire.

Within the palace of Gomarr City, the imperial capital, the ruler of the Gomarr Empire, Bart Kordoff, was engrossed in the affairs of state.

It must be said, the genetics of the Gomarr people bear a curious resemblance to Earth’s insects. Their mouths resemble a bird’s beak, their eyes are large and yellow, and though their limbs look similar to those of humans, their skin is covered in scales and patterns reminiscent of a lizard’s back. They also have a penchant for consuming raw food.

Bart Kordoff himself bore several scars across his face, lending him an even more imposing presence. Each mark was a memory of battles in which he had personally fought.

At this time, his chief of staff, Deda Batan, entered the office, greeted the ruler with a bow, and reported, “Sire, Deda Batan reporting!”

Bart Kordoff, pleased to see him, said warmly, “Ah, my friend, please have a seat!”

“Thank you, Sire!” Deda Batan replied, sitting down as invited.

Bart Kordoff inquired, “My friend, do you bring any news?”

Deda Batan answered, “Sire, our starship Viper has landed ahead of schedule in the territory of the Gangdo people on Earth, as ordered, and there have been new developments.”

Bart Kordoff asked, “So there truly are remnants of advanced civilizations on Earth, are there not?”

Deda Batan replied, “Indeed, Sire. According to the latest reports from Viper, there are still surviving advanced civilizations on Earth, though they are hidden underground and in similar places.”

A cold smile crossed Bart Kordoff’s face. “So these creatures have hidden themselves so well? Remarkable. It seems we need no longer doubt that the sporadic and inexplicable attacks we have suffered are the work of these surviving advanced civilizations on Earth. What evidence have we found this time?”

Deda Batan produced a series of images transmitted from the Viper and explained, “Sire, please look. These are items removed from the body of an ally of the Gangdo people who requested our help—devices that only an advanced civilization could manufacture. Here you see tracking devices and miniature remote detonation mechanisms.”

Bart Kordoff examined the images. “What is the name of this Earthling?”

Deda Batan responded, “According to the Gangdo, the Earthling is Qian Gao, son of Qian Qiu, a senior official of the Grand Prosperity State—a person of considerable standing.”

Bart Kordoff remarked, “Well, then, it seems the surviving advanced civilization on Earth must be that of the Terrans.”

“Indeed, Sire. Your insight is impressive—”

But Bart Kordoff raised a hand to interrupt. “There’s nothing praiseworthy about it. Recall, when our sun became a white dwarf and we lacked enough light to sustain crop yields, we discovered that planet had a sun much like ours once was—young and vibrant. We began trading with them, exchanging our mineral resources for their food. You know this, yes?”

“Of course, Sire. History records that Earth then had several great civilizations, the three strongest being the human civilization, the Terran civilization, and the underwater human civilization. The rest were insignificant or destroyed.”

Bart Kordoff nodded. “Indeed. Our ancestors were astonished that so many different intelligent species could emerge on a single planet, and, despite constant strife, coexist.”

Deda Batan continued, “Yes, and for the sake of trade we interacted with all of Earth’s advanced civilizations, except for the underwater humans, who were reclusive and had little contact with outsiders.”

Bart Kordoff smiled. “The underwater humans hid themselves well. We never revealed their existence. The other civilizations on Earth only learned of them when they launched an attack. How laughable.”

Deda Batan sighed. “Yet all of that ended with the supernova explosion. The blast reached Earth and caused mass extinctions. We never expected the descendants of those advanced civilizations to survive, even though their societies had regressed into barbarism. That is why we returned to interact with them, posing as gods, to obtain resources…”

Bart Kordoff replied, “Yet, surprisingly, remnants of advanced civilization still exist. We must be cautious.”

Deda Batan asked, “Sire, should we eliminate these troublesome high-tech civilizations?”

Bart Kordoff answered, “No, observe them for now. Here is what you should do…”

And so, Bart Kordoff and Deda Batan discussed their next course of action.

Let it be noted: A supernova explosion is a violent event marking the end of certain stars’ lifespans. Such explosions are extremely bright, their outburst of electromagnetic radiation illuminating entire galaxies for weeks or months before fading from view. In that short time, a supernova can release as much energy as the Sun will emit in its entire lifetime.

The danger to Earth lies in the high-energy particles and gamma rays hurled out during such explosions. When these reach Earth, they can devastate the ozone layer, cripple communication satellites, and strike the surface, inflicting catastrophic damage on terrestrial life, leading to mass extinction. The threat is immense.

…

Meanwhile, on Earth, in the strategic food-chain laboratory at the mountainous base of the Terran Olmey Empire, Zhang Desen and his companions were locked in combat with the Terran military.

It must be said, the domed mountain base of the Terrans was immense—large enough, perhaps, to contain an entire hill.

Now, in addition to deploying their tank-like, boat-shaped hovering heavy weapons, the Terrans were sending waves of warships, taking advantage of the great height of their dome to launch them en masse against the food-chain laboratory where Zhang Desen and his forces held out.

Fortunately, intelligence suggested the laboratory had originally been fortified as a super fortress, to prevent sabotage by potential infiltrators. Its gates were so sturdy that even a small nuclear charge might not breach them. The fortifications were formidable.

Ironically, this fortress had now become a bastion for those resisting the Terran army.

The Terrans began their assault. A relentless barrage of fire hammered the laboratory. Zhang Desen immediately gave orders: “Ignite the explosives and throw them out! Tie the grenades together in bunches—don’t throw them singly. Move quickly!”

“Yes, sir!”

Everyone leapt into action. Fierce battle erupted. Zhang Desen himself grabbed his Type 95 assault rifle, took position at a firing slit, and opened fire with intensity.

He was grateful for the Type 95’s design—the magazine was not in front of the trigger, so reloading did not require pulling the weapon back each time.

Yet his volleys were not simply full-auto; as a seasoned veteran and special operative, he knew the importance of conserving ammunition in such desperate fighting. His rapid fire was controlled, with accuracy, relying mainly on single shots and bursts.

This was also a tactical choice: since most defenders used single-shot firearms, anyone firing full-auto would immediately draw enemy focus.

Thus, the firefight raged back and forth. The Terrans’ weaponry was formidable, but against their own fortress design, it proved ineffective.

The human defenders’ arms were weaker, but the fortress multiplied their fighting power. Both sides exchanged fire.

Amid the chaos, Zhang Desen shouted, “Li Longfang, Li Longfang—where are the Terran weapons? Distribute them—everyone use them!”

“Understood!”

Quickly, they began handing out the Terran weapons captured in battle with Dadu Kul to as many fighters as possible.

Though the Terran weapons were advanced, their battlefield design made them simple to operate—powerful, but with familiar mechanics: safeties, triggers, and so on.

Zhang Desen, noticing a component that looked like a magazine, warned everyone not to lose it and to report any issues immediately. He suspected, based on his own pulse rifle, that the magazine was actually a power supply, likely a solar-rechargeable battery, which would be a great loss if misplaced.

Everyone returned to their posts and resumed the fierce defense. Those armed with cold weapons kept lobbing grenades through skylights atop the laboratory.

Yet they remained unaware that another wave of Terran forces was already on its way.