From Titan Corporation to the Empire of Man

Chapter 743 deciphers the secrets and warnings hidden for millennia.
Inside the bridge of the Renwei Yonggu;
Sui Meng stood as imposing as a mountain before the main observation window, his gaze piercing through the window to the frozen planet, Tavolantis, in the dark void.

He raised his right hand, and without raising his voice, his voice, imbued with supreme authority and iron will, clearly resonated throughout the entire small fleet's communication channels:

"Attention all ships, execute the standard orbital deployment procedure. With the flagship as the baseline, cruisers shall occupy the high orbit and establish an area fire control network."
Destroyers moved forward to form an outer perimeter security barrier;
The frigate formation conducted low-orbit stealth patrols, scanning for any near-Earth space anomalies.

Maintain combat alert level and keep fleet formation synchronized.

Now, unfold.

Once the order was given, it was like an invisible baton being waved, and the fleet, which had been maintaining a tight formation, instantly began to operate like a precision machine.

The massive ship gracefully turned and shifted amidst the blue flames of its thrusters, rapidly and precisely spreading out in near-Earth orbit around Tavolantis according to the established tactical manual. This created a steel encirclement with powerful firepower, tight reconnaissance, and rapid response capabilities, placing the desolate planet under its absolute control.

At the same time, the reconnaissance array and terrain scanning sensors on the side of the Renwei Yonggu were fully deployed, like invisible tentacles, beginning to meticulously perceive every inch of this silent world.

At this moment, Sui Meng had already stepped to the front of the central command platform, his eyes blazing as he stared at the preliminary scan data that was constantly being refreshed on the main screen.

Then he gave a deep order, his voice echoing clearly in the wide bridge: "Initiate full-band depth scan, focus on life signals, anomalous energy readings, and large-scale man-made structures. I want to see a preliminary anatomical map of this planet."

"Command confirmed. Initiate all-around planetary scan protocol."

The deputy responded immediately, and soon the entire bridge was in high-efficiency operation.

Technical officers busied themselves at the control console, quietly reporting various parameters. On the holographic screen, a three-dimensional model of the planet Tavolantis was being rapidly constructed, with countless data streams flowing like streams into the ocean, constantly filling in the model's details.

Halsey stood beside Sui Meng, his gaze also fixed on the eternally frozen planet below, through the huge, sturdy observation window.

The usual playfulness was gone from her eyes; in its place was a solemnity that blended a scholar's thirst for knowledge with a profound sense of history.

"What a chilling silence."

Halsey sighed softly, his voice not loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet bridge, "Look at that ice layer, so thick it seems to bury stories from countless eras."

A civilization capable of building planetary gravity devices ultimately chose to freeze its own race along with the planet.
What utter despair, and what unwavering resolve, this required.

She shook her head, a hint of barely perceptible sigh in her voice, "The pursuit of knowledge without the restraint of wisdom often leads to the abyss of self-destruction, and the Tavolantis are a bloody example of this."

Sui Meng's gaze remained fixed on the planet model. Hearing this, he nodded slightly and gave a brief, deep, and steady reply:
"The price was heavy, and the warning was stark; the Empire will learn from their mistakes."

His words were concise, yet they contained a profound understanding of the rise and fall of civilizations and a firm conviction in the path of empire.

A little distance behind the two, two other special figures also stood solemnly.

Cortana has been fitted with a liquid metal prosthetic body, which allows her to interact more directly with the physical environment.

She stood there quietly, her blue eyes scanning the various data streams on the bridge, ready to respond to Halsey's calls at any moment.

Standing beside her was the intelligent AI warrior of the Imperial Warrior Legion. She maintained her usual elegance and precision. At this moment, the two top artificial intelligences seemed to have transformed into a silent "think tank" and recorder.

"Scan completion rate: 98%"

The officer in charge of the scanning system reported loudly, "It has been confirmed that there are no active life signals on the surface of Tavolantis, no abnormal energy fluctuations, the atmosphere is mainly composed of inert gases and is relatively thin, and the average surface temperature is -49 degrees Celsius."

At the same time, the scans identified a large number of man-made structures buried deep beneath the ice or partially exposed on the surface, distributed globally, and consistent with the characteristics of relics of advanced civilizations.

Among them, the strongest signal was found in a complex structure located near the polar region of the Northern Hemisphere, which was also the largest in scale. Its architectural style matched that of the already identified Tavolandis ruins, but its surface bore traces of recent, low-tech Earth Federation modifications.

“It seems the Federation did indeed establish a forward base here back then,” Halsey commented.

A glint flashed in Sui Meng's eyes, and without further hesitation, he decisively issued the landing order:

"Order the Imperial Infantry Tactical Squads and Auxiliary Army to immediately prepare for landing. The landing formation includes heavy troop carriers, main battle tanks, and combat mechs."

Mission objective: Land in various ruins, establish forward bases, and then conduct a thorough search of the interiors of each ruin, especially the Earth Federation research facility and the deep structure of Tavolantis.

The court ordered the recovery of all items, data carriers, and technological creations of research value, and authorized the use of necessary force to eliminate any potential threats.

The order was quickly relayed, and the bridge echoed with confirmations from various combat-ready units.

After giving the order, Sui Meng turned to Halsey beside him:

“Dr. Halsey, on-site analysis and judgment are crucial. Please come with me to the surface. We need your wisdom to decipher the secrets of the Tavolantis and assess the value of the Federation’s legacy research.”

Halsey smiled expectantly, straightened her coat, and responded without hesitation:

"Of course, child, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. You can't touch history with your own hands while staying on the bridge."

Let's go together and see what truths and warnings are buried in this frozen tomb.

She showed no fear of the impending cold and the unknown, only the eagerness of an explorer to unravel the mystery.

Sui Meng nodded and ordered his adjutant beside him, "Prepare my personal Thunder Eagle gunboat. Notify the Vanguard Guard, the War Maid Squad, and the accompanying escorts. We will depart in ten minutes."

"Yes, father."

Soon after;
Inside the massive hangar of the Renwei Yonggu, the lights were on full display.

Under the towering dome, various aircraft are neatly arranged like resting steel behemoths. At this moment, the central area of ​​the hangar has been cleared out, and a solemn team is assembling.

Thirty members of the Vanguard Glory Guard, clad in exclusive Terminator armor and resembling mobile fortresses, formed the innermost defensive perimeter with their impeccable formation.

Their heavy armor, emblazoned with legion insignia, exuded a suffocating sense of oppression in its silence.

Four war maidens, clad in silver-white ceremonial armor and surrounded by a soft yet formidable aura of psychic energy, guarded the core personnel on both sides. Their presence served both as protection and as a safeguard against unknown supernatural threats.

Protected at the center by this elite force were Halsey, clad in a specially designed cold-weather research suit, and Cortana, who was inseparable from her and had switched to a cybernetic suit more suited to cold environments. Sui Meng, as the supreme commander and Primarch of this expedition, walked at the very front of the group. His "magnificent" power armor reflected a cold luster under the hangar lights. Every step he took was steady and powerful. Without saying a word, he naturally became the core and direction of the entire team.

As for command of the fleet, it was temporarily transferred.

Wu Ji remained on the bridge, assisting the adjutant in overseeing the entire fleet's operations, monitoring the orbit of Tavolantis, and any disturbances in the surrounding area to ensure the rear of the landing operation was foolproof.

The group arrived at Sui Meng's personal vehicle—

A Thunderhawk gunboat, much larger than the standard model, with sharper lines and thicker armor.

The specially reinforced fuselage and additional weapon modules highlight the identity of its user and its ability to cope with extreme environments.

The cabin door slid open silently, and everyone stepped into the spacious and well-equipped cabin.

As the hatch closed, this dedicated Thunderhawk gunboat, escorted by more than ten various carrier-based aircraft and a squadron of armed drones, smoothly glided onto the electromagnetic catapult track.

After a brief, humming sound as it charged up, the gunboat was suddenly accelerated, like an arrow released from a bow, and was instantly launched out of the massive hangar and into the cold embrace of the planet Tavolantis.

The process of entering the atmosphere is like falling from a silent void into a frozen abyss.

Images transmitted from the Thunderhawk gunboat's external sensors showed that they were penetrating a thin, cold cloud above an endless, monotonously despairing pale expanse.

Vast ice fields covered everything, twisted glaciers were like frozen blood vessels of a planet, and deep ice fissures were like scars on the earth.

There was no life, no color, only eternal cold and deathly silence; a deep-seated sense of desolation permeated the observation window.

Just then, a war maiden closed her eyes slightly, her more sensitive psychic perception seemingly touching upon fragments of memory buried deep within this land.

She spoke softly, her voice ethereal, tinged with a hint of sorrow:
"Your Highness, I can feel that beneath this frozen ground lies boundless fear, desperate cries, and..."
The soul-wrenching pain at the final moment.

Countless consciousnesses were forcibly frozen on the verge of madness and convergence—a lament for the death of civilization, its mournful cry still echoing within the ice.

As soon as he finished speaking, the exclusive Thunderhawk gunship landed smoothly in an open area at the foot of a huge ice cliff.

This is clearly a man-made platform, facing a giant metal gate embedded in the mountain and partially covered by a thick layer of ice. That is the entrance to the underground ruins and research center.

The four Viking fighters in the escort formation immediately demonstrated the advantages of their multi-purpose design. They completed a series of complex transformations at low altitude, transforming from high-speed aircraft into imposing heavy combat armor accompanied by heavy mechanical noise.

Furthermore, four Vikings, like loyal giants, landed at key positions around the Thunderhawk gunship, establishing a solid ground perimeter.

The remaining carrier-based aircraft and drones that had completed their escort missions turned around and returned to the mothership in orbit.

The hatch opened again, and a chilling draft rushed in.

Sui Meng was the first to set foot on this frozen land, his power armor's environmental regulation system ignoring the harsh cold outside.

Halsey followed closely behind. Despite wearing advanced cold-weather clothing, she instinctively raised her hands and breathed on her palms, which were covered with a heating film. The white vapor instantly condensed into ice crystals.

"It was truly bone-chillingly cold."

As she spoke, her gaze swept over the surrounding environment, especially the huge gate and the structure of the surrounding ice. "This doesn't seem like a naturally formed glacier energy release pattern; it's more like an instantaneous, directional rapid freezing."

Based on her rich scientific intuition and experience, she quickly made a judgment: "I believe that the Tavorantis deliberately froze their home planet at the last moment."

This might be a desperate isolation measure, likely aimed at preventing all the necromancy variants from fully coalescing into the energy field or biomass exchange required for the Blood Moon, forcibly halting the disaster at a certain stage.

Cortana stood beside her and spoke as well, her tone carrying a rational respect:

"If the speculation is correct, then the Tavorantis civilization deserves the highest respect. When it was uncertain whether they could survive in the end, or even whether their own civilization had the ability to solve the crisis, they chose to sacrifice themselves to forcibly seal away the threat that had not yet been fully formed and 'sublimated'."

This is a spirit of dedication that transcends the individual's survival instinct and focuses on a larger scope, even though its cost is the annihilation of an entire civilization.

The group then passed through the damaged giant gate and entered the underground space along the downward sloping passage.

The first thing that catches the eye is a vast but dilapidated "frozen hall".

This place was clearly once a cutting-edge research center established by the Earth Federation, but it has been abandoned for countless years.

Thick snow and frost covered everything, and broken computer terminals, overturned experimental equipment, and scattered documents were everywhere.

However, what is even more shocking are the scattered skeletons on the ground.

Some of them are human, with horrific marks on their bones from being torn or gnawed by immense force.
Others present inhuman, twisted forms, belonging to the remains of various necromancy variants, frozen in the posture of the moment of death.

The entire scene is frozen in time, depicting a brutal and life-or-death struggle that took place a century ago.

Sui Meng glanced at the mess and ordered in a deep voice, "Search this area carefully, retrieve all terminals and storage devices that may contain data, as well as any items that look valuable. Be careful."

"."

Several of the vanguards nodded silently and began to carry out the orders, while Sui Meng, Halsey, Cortana, and the rest of the guards continued to descend deeper into the main passage.

After passing through a much older, massive stone gate with a style completely different from that of the Federation's technology, the view suddenly opened up before them.

They finally set foot on the actual ruins of the Tavoranti civilization.

A magnificent and spectacular architectural structure with an alien feel unfolds before your eyes, with huge stone pillars supporting towering domes and walls carved with incomprehensible symbols and murals.

This place is also shrouded in low temperatures, but it is relatively well preserved, as if time itself has been frozen here.

Ancient dust and a mysterious aura permeate the air, awaiting visitors from another powerful civilization to decipher its secrets and warnings hidden for millennia.
(End of this chapter)