Chapter 278: We Were Faster
The problem in the Space Agency's control room was resolved with a single phone call from Ramin. After briefly ending the call, Ramin looked up. Simo, who was arguing loudly with the great Wizard Talay, was about to angrily hang up an incoming call but hastily answered after seeing the name displayed.
"T...teacher?"
From the other end of the line, Owen spoke in a gruff voice, "I heard there's a problem?"
"Oh, it's not something for you to worry about, Teacher..."
"Is Talay there?"
"Yes, Elder. I'm not sure exactly where there is, but..."
"How have you been lately?"
"Fine, thanks to you."
Talay, being an Ent, a Tree-like species, has a physiology somewhat similar to a Tree, yet also had organs like other living beings, which was quite unique. However, Talay was not a healthy Ent. Being a Wizard was almost a curse for him, and his internal organs were contemptuously referred to as lumps of meat in Ent vernacular. For Ents, a species that typically only consumed water and nutrient sap, the existence of Talay was in itself a source of contempt. Despite this, Talay survived. He became a Wizard, the master of the magic tower, and reached a stature where no one could scorn him anymore.
Recently, Talay achieved a remarkable medical feat on his body. He removed all the lumps of meat that had made him hate his body for so long. This procedure involved the gathering of top surgeons and tree doctors, especially those with ancient knowledge from secluded tribes near ancient ruins, introduced to him by Owen.
In the process, Talay not only rid himself of the cursed spirits attached to his flesh but also restored his desired Ent form. His magical abilities didn’t diminish but rather increased, which became a crucial factor in claiming the position of master of the tower after Mazdari left, a fact not widely known.
'Few know about the existence of Teacher Owen in the first place'
Owen said, "Let's have a talk then."
This eased Ion's concerns and the irritation of Saijin, the director of the Space Agency.
The discussion led to the realization that the surface area of the Sky Castle was quite extensive, and it seemed entirely possible to expand it further with the support from the Vaseniol Magic Tower. The initial purpose of revitalizing the Sky Castle with the support of the Vaseniol Magic Tower was apparently to serve such an objective.
Additionally, various cooperating organizations came to the Sky Castle, and new proposals for modifying and expanding it flooded in. There were some disruptions as well.
The actual rulers of the Sky Castle, the imperial restorationists from the western continent who claimed it should be immediately returned to the former Union Kingdom, were silenced by the descendant of the emperor.
"The Angry One would also wish for this."
The moon-facing plan was converging on the Sky Castle as a hub.
A month later, Ramin, dispatched as an employee of the Imperial Aeronautics and Space Agency and as an astronaut, boarded a passenger plane headed for the Sky Castle.
‘That’s the Sky Castle?’
Ramin Solost Muel remembered the former Sky Castle of the Union Kingdom. Although she had only seen it from a distance back then, the sight was overwhelming. The paradoxical image of the massive landmass floating in the air felt almost blasphemous. However, the present Sky Castle, now increasingly referred to as the Starkeeper, looked different. The lower part of Starkeeper was equipped with several runways.
Due to visitors coming to Starkeeper from all over the world, the runways were full, and the plane's pilot had to follow the control tower's instructions to circle around Starkeeper for a while before landing. This gave Ramin a better view of Starkeeper's landscape.
Above the runways, there were central power supply networks protected by solid steel, and living spaces with reinforced glass windows offering a view of the empty sky. On the ground, various supporting teams and dispatched employees had established research complexes.
Ramin saw the Itimo Group's company logo, the Imperial Royal Support Team, the Orazen Central Temple Dispatch Team, the Imperial Military General Headquarters Direct Support Team, multiple Imperial Aeronautics and Space Agency vertical launch pads, the Vaseniol Magic Tower symbol, and symbols of various other organizations.
‘It's unbelievable that all this was built in just one month.’
If it seemed like a miracle, it was because the gods of the Pantheon had directly undertaken construction tasks that would have otherwise required tremendous effort. Even at the current moment, Starkeeper's construction was still ongoing, so Ramin saw familiar creature creations playing the role of heavy construction equipment to transport and stack materials.
‘Everyone's so busy.’
Of course, Ramin ended up being the busiest. Due to the thin atmosphere at the high altitude of Starkeeper, the rocket launches were facilitated, leading to a tight schedule for manned rocket launches. The Launch Preparation Team and Maintenance Team, confident that there would be no accidents thanks to the miracle, geared Ramin up for the launch.
The sight of priests performing religious rituals daily next to the most advanced manned rockets was novel, but it soon became routine. The Launch Preparation Team noticed Ramin wearing a hat with "Today I'm a Secularist" written on it during her breaks, as she grew increasingly sensitive.
After more than 20 launches, Ramin became proficient. Both the Launch Preparation Team and the Maintenance Team had high hopes for her. She was one of the few who could withstand the physical demands of consecutive rocket launches.
"Why not Ogres?"
"They're too heavy! For the same weight, we could load eight more Halflings. We also don't have space, and it wastes fuel."
"How about Astacidias?"
"The size issue remains, and there are technical difficulties due to their circulatory system."
"What about Pangolins?"
Next to Ramin, the Pangolin astronaut Luluta Pala, who was also about to board the rocket, kicked Ramin's shin.
"Are you about to make a joke about not seeing me because I'm small again?"
"Oh, I didn't see you there."
"Right."
Of course, Ramin knew the truth. In rockets and spacecraft, and even in the currently under-construction space station, the role of an astronaut was akin to an auxiliary device for more intricate and large-scale computer operations. Many processes, such as launch, deceleration, and docking, were not yet automated, hence the need for manpower.
‘I'm a component. Just a component.’
As Ramin became the most skilled through continuous missions, while other smaller species astronauts took turns, assuming the role of a leader, her responsibilities increased, which wasn't exactly a delight to her.
The procedure itself was simple. Once the rocket launched, its top module, attached to the under-construction space station, was to be docked, and then the astronauts would descend in an escape pod, to be caught by several layers of nets from airships at the predicted landing site. Due to the intervention of priests and Wizards, even the most dangerous stunts were somewhat manageable.
And then the day came.
***
Ion Iolkaf was also on Starkeeper. Despite the light pollution from Starkeeper itself, observing the moon was not a major issue, as his only task was to observe the moon, which was slightly closer from Starkeeper. The reason why the Imperial Aeronautics and Space Agency's Observation Team came to Starkeeper was to succeed in their observations even a fraction of a second faster, as the moon was closer.
‘However, there's still no movement from Loom, which is said to have begun its maneuvers...’
After the successful observation of the rocket using a magical scarecrow, most of the rocket launch efforts were devoted to building the space station. Subsequent reconnaissance satellites also failed to observe the second moon, Loom, as it didn’t permit observation. Magic was broken, and the satellites were destroyed instantly.
‘The only way is to look up from here.’
Fortunately, if Loom started moving, it could be seen from the edge of the first moon, Yonda. Scholars believed that due to Loom's low output, there would be some time to prepare before it fully revealed itself.
‘Still, according to the conclusions drawn by the high committee and the advisory board, we have only a buffer of a few months.’
Ion knew that this was more a hope than certainty. At least until then, there could be some degree of preparedness possible. However, hope didn't always turn reality into what one wished for.
Drinking tea given by Lide, Ion noticed a spike in the measuring instruments and immediately brought his eyes to the telescope.
Ion screamed, “...No!”
From the edge of Yonda, a black shadow began to emerge like a thin thread. Loom was moving.
Ion acted immediately according to the protocol. He flipped open the lid of the emergency button and slammed it down. A light turned on in the microphone in front of Ion.
"Loom, movement confirmed!"
Sirens blared throughout Starkeeper.
An emergency meeting of the high committee was convened instantly, and all personnel on Starkeeper, whether resting or sleeping, rushed to their emergency positions.
Ion relayed the emergency message.
"...As of the current time, movement of Loom confirmed. All personnel to emergency stations. I repeat..."
Sweating profusely and with their clothes in disarray, the high-ranking officials of various agencies hurriedly took their seats, losing their usual dignity.
The head of the Space Agency, Saijin, spoke in a hoarse voice from shouting too much recently, "Now, everyone, try not to panic, let's..."
It was a pitiful sight, seeing her struggle to breathe, but everyone there was in a similar state. Except for one person.
At that moment, Yuma Anaru, a high priest and a Nix Chosen One, a member of Starkeeper's high committee, opened their eyes.
“...Mic test.”
Everyone in the high committee knew that the person sitting there was not just the priest Yuma, but a god of the Pantheon worshiped by the Nixes, as shown by the glow of her eyes and the aura that lingered around Yuma.
AR1026 spoke as Concealed Text God=Yuma.
-High committee, execute the moon-facing plan immediately.
There was silence following her words. It was a desperate suggestion.
Simo, who had been seated, suddenly stood up and exclaimed, "We've only reached 45 percent of our target!"
"Simo! That's too disrespectful!"
Saijin retorted but then turned toward Concealed Text God and said, "B...but, Dark Foundation, we've only just launched the airships into orbit. Not just us, but none of us have even finished half of our plan. You can blame us for our lackluster performance, but if we proceed like this..."
At that, Concealed Text God=Yuma smiled slightly.
-It's alright.
"It is?"
-As you all have believed in and followed the Pantheon, now the Pantheon will answer to your expectations.
Concealed Text God=Yuma lifted her head.
The ceiling of the high committee meeting room was made of glass.
No one wanted to look up at the sky. It was too frightening. Lifting their heads would reveal Loom, just beginning to emerge behind the pale Yonda. Only a god seemed to dare to look at the second moon. But Loom was still not visible, not to the mortals. Only someone with extremely sharp eyesight could notice a tiny part of Loom protruding from the edge of Yonda.
Concealed Text God=Yuma said.
-We were faster.
Then Concealed Text God left Yuma's body.
Saijin, who had been silent, suddenly slammed the table with force.
"Let's do it, consequences be damned."
The emergency response manuals, which everyone hoped would never be needed, were opened in every department. The staff of various research institutes and response teams read the manuals and cursed.
"What the hell! Half of this manual is just telling us to pray!"
However, as time went on, it became clear that the worst-case scenario everyone on Starkeeper, including the high committee and the researchers, feared was not unfolding.
Even Ion, who had been exhausted from panic, now looked at the sky calmly.
"Loom, current exposure level at 5 percent."
Ion's voice made everyone on Starkeeper hold their breath.
Research on Loom, based on archaeologists' studies of ancient ruins, had revealed some information. Loom was not originally a weapon of war. Its original role was unknown, but it could change its appearance and perform various functions as needed. Therefore, there was a hypothesis that when the exposure level reached 10 percent, the gun turrets prepared on the surface of Loom would start attacking. At least that was what the ancient war records indicated.
"...Currently, from the 5 percent of Loom's surface that is exposed, no weapons or structures have been observed..." Ion swallowed hard and continued, "...There is nothing. Absolutely nothing."
It was completely empty. Loom was not fully prepared. The Pantheon, the Empire, and Starkeeper had been too quick.
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