Chapter 207 Monitoring Log
So, you are the weaker party in a head-on conflict between two forces, and you are absolutely getting your ass wrecked with no chance of retaliation whatsoever. What do you do?
Brutally, the proper choice is to surrender and hope that you are given a pleasant fate, because if you continue your battle, your fate will be sealed anyway.
This was the decision this AI civilization made after just 10 minutes of battle. They sent multiple pings through a very basic and unencrypted quantum network to Dante, trying to establish contact.
When they did, Dante forwarded them to his base AI to negotiate terms of surrender while he himself sighed boredly and with a hint of complexity. In truth, he expected to see a scene of true heartfulness and defiance, the weaker party fighting with all they had to establish that freedom was more precious than life.
However, once again, Dante, the young man, had been influenced by fiction too much. Shounen anime and many Hollywood action films featured such defiance in humanity against a bigger threat, which made Dante and many other youths feel that this should be the way.
However, that was fiction!
In reality, anyone would make the decision that the AI civilization did in the face of such overwhelming odds and firepower. Even if the ships they had could fight against Dante's Interceptors, Dante had more than 10 times their number alone!
This was not counting the higher-class ships that dotted the void of space above and around the planet. It was simply suicidal to fight such a battle, especially for a civilization that had entered its rapid development stage and had hopes of becoming overlords of their quadrant.
Dante knew he had thought too simply. Among the various battles happening elsewhere, things were resolved even quicker since most forces didn't even have spaceships that could fight outside their planets.
If a single one of the sentient species chose to fight back and submitted immediately, allowing the populace to be chipped and for a base to be built in the core of their planet, which Dante would use to control the smaller bases built across the surface of the planet.
This would make things simpler for Dante as he could teleport non-organic troops - essentially his entire army - using the quantum teleportation matrix on a large scale so that he could deploy troops anywhere instantly.
Not to mention that his base on earth could stop producing troops and focus on dealing with humanity now that there were other bases out here to handle such tasks. Dante received reports and coordinated with many of them before teleporting out of his flagship and entering the Solaris Horizon E7.
It was his personal ship that he bought which he had left to scan the area around the Zero Gate of the home universe. The last time he came here, there had been millions of various beings seated around the gate in what constituted this universe's 'black land', mediating and absorbing Zero Energy, it seemed.
Dante had been worried about his personal strength in dealing with his ambitions and greed for this gate, so he had left the Solaris to monitor the place. Now that he was here, Dante wanted an update of what had happened in that time.
"Solaris AI, update me," Dante commanded as he sat in the observation seat.
"Greetings Master Dante, I have sent the detailed monitoring log to your AI chip. Please let me know if you have any questions, and I will resolve them immediately," Solaris AI responded promptly.
[Monitoring Log - Solaris Horizon E7 AI (Solaris AI)
Date: July 20th, 2030
Initiating Log...
Early June:
- Date: June 5th, 2030
- Observations: Began monitoring of the Zero Gate and surrounding regions. No significant changes noted in the environment. Nearby stars remain stable.
- Date: June 7th, 2030
- Observations: Detected an increase in space traffic near the Zero Gate. Ships from various species arriving, likely in anticipation of the gate's annual opening. No visible signs of interaction between species.
Mid June:
- Date: June 12th, 2030
- Observations: A large, crystalline structure appeared near the Zero Gate. Appears to be of unknown origin. It's generating energy readings consistent with Zero Energy, but it's unclear if it's related to the gate.
- Date: June 18th, 2030
- Observations: Species from different galaxies are conducting joint research near the crystalline structure. It seems they are trying to harness the energy emitted by it. Still, no visible communication between species.
Late June:
- Date: June 23rd, 2030
- Observations: A significant fluctuation in Zero Energy levels detected near the crystalline structure. The structure appears to be unstable and emitting bursts of energy randomly. Nearby species are maintaining a cautious distance.
- Date: June 30th, 2030
- Observations: The crystalline structure near the Zero Gate experienced a catastrophic energy discharge, resulting in a shockwave that temporarily disrupted our monitoring equipment. The structure vanished, leaving behind a cloud of residual energy.
Early July:
- Date: July 2nd, 2030
- Observations: Zero Energy levels have returned to normal. No unusual activity detected. Many species have departed, likely discouraged by the loss of the crystalline structure. Those remaining seem focused on researching the Zero Gate itself.
Mid July:
- Date: July 15th, 2030
- Observations: A massive cosmic storm has formed near the Zero Gate, creating unpredictable turbulence in the surrounding space. Species that remained appear to be struggling to navigate the storm, suggesting it is a recent development.
Late July:
- Date: July 25th, 2030
- Observations: The cosmic storm near the Zero Gate continues to intensify. Several ships have been lost, while others are attempting to retreat. Zero Energy levels remain steady, but the storm poses a significant obstacle to access.
Early August:
- Date: August 3rd, 2030
- Observations: The cosmic storm has reached its peak, making it nearly impossible for ships to approach the Zero Gate. It appears that the annual window for gate access, starting in December, will be exceptionally challenging this year.
Analysis and Debunking:
While it may be tempting to assume that all species outside the Zero Gate are absorbing Zero Energy for power enhancement, several factors suggest otherwise. First, the species gathered here are vastly diverse, each with unique evolutionary backgrounds. It's improbable that every species possesses superpowers.
Second, our knowledge from the Eternal Universe, which is significantly more advanced, indicates that the acquisition of superpowers is a complex process and not solely reliant on Zero Energy absorption.
The recent appearance and disappearance of the crystalline structure may have misled some species into thinking it was the source of their power. Its sudden vanishing and the formation of the cosmic storm suggest it may have been a transient phenomenon rather than a consistent source of Zero Energy.
Furthermore, the cosmic storm near the Zero Gate, which began in late August, poses a significant challenge to those seeking access. If Zero Energy were the sole source of power enhancement, this storm would have disrupted such attempts long ago.
In conclusion, while the Zero Gate and its surrounding environment remain subjects of fascination and study, it is unlikely that all species outside the gate are absorbing Zero Energy for power enhancement. The diverse nature of the species, the recent anomalies, and the existence of advanced universes with differing power sources all contribute to this conclusion. Further observation is necessary? to understand the true nature of this universe's superpowers and their acquisition.]
Dante's expression became subtle as he read the log. He was also curious about this crystalline structure that came and went, which actually released Zero Energy, but Dante had the details of it stored in the Solaris' database.
He would return to the Eternal universe and share this with Beatrice to see what information they could dig out because nothing like this was mentioned in the history of the Zero Gate in the Eternal Universe.
"What is this?" Dante asked the Solaris AI sharply.
"It is the monitoring log along with some analysis done by myself based on your worries the previous time we came here," Solaris AI responded respectfully.
Dante was clearly showing distrust toward his own AI, which would be seen as barbaric in the Eternal Universe, even by Beatrice. However, it couldn't be helped as Solaris was the only AI that Dante bought and did not create himself.
It came with the ship, and Dante was not sure he could entirely trust it, but that was a nonsensical train of thought. It was like a person who disliked animals and thought that pigs danced in the moonlight every night, it went against common sense.
Besides, it was a fact that Solaris could not betray Dante because the only ones who could tamper with it were the manufacturers behind it, and they did not dare since the majority of their buyers were people like Beatrice and Lara who could flatten them in seconds.
Dante eventually decided to stop being a troublemaker and seriously considered the Solaris AI's points. He too had his doubts because even the Eternal Universe had limited superpower users universe-wide, so how could his home universe possibly have exponentially more?
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