Chapter 264: Chapter 191: What Is a Starship?
"Calm down! Stop shouting and screaming!"
Jason furrowed his brow and restrained the Empire craftsman who was spreading panic, while several Sun Warriors quickly stepped into the workshop.
The inverted giant steel framework immediately caught the warriors’ eyes.
This segmented workshop was manufacturing the heart cabin of a cargo ship, including structures like the double bottom, side frames, platform deck, and most importantly, the main engine of the ship.
These Empire technicians were indeed highly skilled, the aesthetics of the precision hull seemed to be naturally formed.
Perhaps due to the special materials, the exterior of this part of the machinery had a flowing golden sheen that was mesmerizing.
Yet, the workers in the workshop had already stopped their work, staring pale-faced at the young man clutched under Jason’s arm.
Without a doubt, the Nightmare Demon hiding in the shell had already targeted that kid Boos, and it wouldn’t be long before he went mad in his own dreams...
Some people’s eyes dimmed, building the Ark was a command from the Duke, and now it seemed they were destined to die one by one in a Foreign Country.
Jason scanned the surroundings, released his grip, and put down the shivering young man.
"Don’t worry, under our protection, you will not be harmed in any way."
He looked into the young man’s eyes and asked solemnly, "Tell me, what exactly did you hear just now?"
The young craftsman rubbed his aching shoulder and gradually calmed down. It had to be said, these golden giants really gave a sense of security.
"I... I was just inspecting the engine’s cylinders, and as I was wiping the cylinder surface, an eyeball grew on the fuel valve in front of me..."
Boos looked uneasily at the engine not far away, speaking hesitantly, "It thanked me for my craftsmanship and said it only needed to consume Ash Soil rocks, hoping I could improve the fuel tank..."
Jason and Kael exchanged a look, their expressions strange.
The ship being built was actually instructing the workers?
He subconsciously looked at the humming main engine and indeed sensed a peculiar gaze; this ship’s power heart seemed to be observing them...
Then, without hesitation, Kael unfolded his Messenger Block he carried with him, expertly manipulated the small polyhedrons to dial Ed’s number, and briefly reported the strange happenings on site.
"I’ll arrange for personnel to head over right away."
A serious and deep voice came from within the block: "In the meantime, make sure to control the scene; neither the workers nor the ship can come to harm."
"Yes, Lord Ed."
Kael and Jason responded in unison, and amidst the complex gazes of the workers, they gradually approached the peculiar ship engine.
"Jason, actually I didn’t sense any malice."
Kael gestured quietly to his companion, and Jason nodded as well.
Through battles to the death and honing at the Sun Mine, their spiritual power had reached an extraordinary level, allowing the warriors to keenly detect the malice from a Celestial Calamity.
In fact, this section of the cabin felt much like the crushed Star War Chariot Lord Lin Lan had brought back.
Just then, a light, ethereal voice suddenly sounded in everyone’s ears.
’Are you the soldiers personally trained by the great Foreigner?’
The two Sun Warriors froze for a moment, and in a daze, Jason saw the segment of the ship transform once more.
Time seemed to freeze as an incomprehensible being gazed far into the future, the Celestial Principle True God, born of intelligence machines, cast its gaze upon the Ark!
——It formally bestowed a ’soul’ from the past to the Foreigner’s ship.
The craftsmen on site widened their eyes in astonishment as the Ark ship’s surface was clad in starlight, tinged with golden yellow by the Sunlight Flame, as if cloaked in an illusory ’outer layer.’
The ’outer layer’ continued to change, tamed starlight danced across the shell main engine, weaving and blending into an illusory data server, sketching out the outline of the starship’s shell.
The material steel cargo ship thus was endowed with an idealistic second form.
Jason blinked; it was still the same steel power heart forged from silver-white shell, but the new starship appearance had become a shadow of the Ark ship, quietly reflected on every reflective object.
They were one and the same, inseparable.
The next moment, Kael saw a pair of curious eyes outlined in the Ark ship’s shadow, they arched, smilingly observing everyone in the workshop.
So that’s where the gaze came from...
Kael swallowed, the young craftsman was not mistaken; this ship indeed was alive.
Jason took a step forward cautiously and asked, "What exactly are you?"
’I am the starship auxiliary navigation system from the Ideal Civilization; you can call me Celestial Official 23333.’
The shadow of the main engine spoke in a cheerful yet faintly inhuman tone, introducing herself: ’It was the Doctor who uploaded me here. From now on, we’re comrades in arms against the final Celestial Calamity.’
’Actually, I even have acquaintances here! Hmm... Let me think...’
As the Sun Warriors glanced at each other, she emitted an incredibly melodious, light voice: "You should know Lin Lan’s Lady Bai who travels with the Foreigner, right? In essence, she and I are both Celestial Officials assisting civilizations."
Jason and Kael looked enlightened, exhaled in unison, and released their grips from their sword hilts, feeling the peculiar... ally before them suddenly becoming endearing.
Lord Lin Lan always seemed to be around strange occurrences.
No matter, as long as it’s one of us.
"What is a starship?"
Kael looked curiously at the golden ship’s shadow and asked, "Is it a ship sailing near the stars?"
The eyes immediately revealed an expression of ’how can children of the future be so silly.’
’In fact, the role of a starship is far more complex than you think.’
Celestial Official 23333 sighed: ’But you can think of it that way.’
Seeing the Ark soldiers chatting with the ship’s enigmatic shadow, the Empire craftsmen on site began catching on more or less.
They were all top-notch technical talents, possessing a vision far superior to ordinary people, naturally aware that Nightmare Demons wouldn’t engage in friendly communication.
Could it be... the existence before them was not a Nightmare Demon, but an unseen and intangible Prophet?!
O Duke, to witness the birth of a Prophet in one’s lifetime!
Jason was intrigued as he gazed at the living engine before him, to be frank, conversing with a ship was quite a novel experience.
"By the way, what exactly do you need us to do?" he remembered the important matter.
’I need Sun Ash Soil as fuel for long journeys, so those ordinary pipelines that can only deliver liquid fuel just won’t do.’
Celestial Official 23333 glanced once more at the nearby shell-shocked young man and said with a hint of irritation: ’I was being friendly enough, who knew that kid was so timid, running off before I could finish.’
"I... I’m actually not that timid..."
The young man named Boos blushed instantly, murmuring softly, feeling somewhat ashamed and embarrassed for having disgraced the Count despite being a skilled technical worker of the Empire.
