Courtyard House: Primordial Chaos Pearl

The Hongxing Agricultural Machinery Industrial Park was shrouded in a thin mist at dawn, with the outlines of the workshops in the distance appearing and disappearing in the fog, like a giant ship about to set sail. Inside the conference room on the top floor of the R&D center, however, the atmosphere was unusually lively—today, representatives from China's aerospace sector, ESA, the UAE Space Agency, and several multinational corporations gathered to discuss only one topic: the establishment of an international asteroid resupply station and a global interplanetary agriculture alliance.

At the center of the conference table sat an exquisite model: the surface of an asteroid was uneven, and mining robots moved nimbly in low gravity. Next to it were modular supply, ecological, and 3D printing modules, like a string of "space building blocks" scattered in the starry sky. Above the model, a projector displayed the orbital parameters and resource assessments of the candidate asteroids.

"We have initially shortlisted three near-Earth asteroids," ESA representative Michel Le Maire said, pointing to the projection. "16 Psyche is rich in metals, but it is too far away; Bennu contains water ice and organic matter, and its orbit is close to Earth, so it is also riskier; the Didymos system is suitable for dynamic experiments, but its resources are limited. We prefer Bennu or Didymos as the test sites for the first phase of the project."

UAE representative Karim Amir continued, "We are more focused on the project's implementation. The Dubai Mars Simulation City already has the testing conditions for a closed-loop ecosystem, allowing for full-chain verification on the ground before going to the asteroid."

He Yushui distributed a stack of reports to everyone, the cover of which read "Risk Assessment and Redundancy Design of Closed-Loop Ecosystems." Her tone was calm: "Whether the supply station can operate in the long term depends not on mining, but on the stability of the ecosystem and resource cycle. We recommend adopting a redundant architecture of 'dual ecological modules + dual resource processing modules': if one module fails, the other can immediately take over, preventing system collapse."

Yan Jiecheng then showcased the upgrade plan for the Red Star-130: "To address the micrometeorite impacts and extreme temperature differences from asteroids, we have modified the robotic arm joints to have redundant drives, and adopted self-lubricating and radiation-resistant materials for key bearings; the mining arm has been enhanced with a 'quick-release interface,' enabling drill bit replacement within two hours. Simultaneously, we will open up the adaptive gripping algorithm to alliance members as a universal control standard."

Lin Dong sat in the main seat, listening to the speeches from all sides, his fingertips lightly tapping the table. He noticed a detail: during the discussions, the representatives from various countries were deliberately avoiding the issue of "standard dominance"—whoever sets the standards controls the rules for future deep space resource development.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the room: "Ladies and gentlemen, what we need to do today is not to 'divide the cake,' but to 'make the cake bigger.' The goal of the supply station is to enable humanity to survive, survive long, and survive well in deep space. Therefore, I suggest that the Alliance first establish three basic principles: First, open cooperation and sharing of core technologies; second, security first, all systems must meet redundancy and verifiability requirements; third, transparent distribution of benefits, sharing profits according to investment, contribution, and risk."

Michelle paused for a moment, then nodded: "Mr. Lin's suggestion is very practical. ESA is willing to provide support in launch and orbit design, and open up some data interfaces of the MELiSSA system."

Karim also stated: "The UAE is willing to provide a ground simulation test site and financial support, and promote the establishment of a 'Deep Space Agriculture Supply System Test Site' in Dubai."

Chen, a representative from China's space agency, added: "We will provide launch resources and telemetry support for the Long March series rockets, and suggest that the control center of the resupply station be located in China, with the data center adopting a distributed architecture to ensure that no party can unilaterally cut off the service."

As the meeting progressed to noon, a crucial moment finally arrived—the draft of the alliance's charter was displayed on the screen. The charter clearly states that the alliance will standardize technical standards for deep-space agriculture and resource resupply, including low-gravity fluid systems, ecological closed-loop indicators, 3D printing material specifications, and robot communication protocols; it will also establish a "Safety Review Committee," requiring any new equipment to undergo rigorous testing before being deployed.

When Lin Dong signed his name on the articles of association, his pen paused for a moment. He recalled the scene when he signed his first agricultural machinery modification contract in the courtyard house—back then, he only wanted to keep his job, but now, he was signing one of the rules for humanity's journey into deep space.

The signing was completed, and applause filled the conference room. Michelle raised her glass: "Cheers to the formation of the alliance!"

Karim said with a smile, "I hope our children will be able to eat their first bowl of rice on Mars."

He Yushui gently clinked glasses, her eyes bright: "I also hope they can drink clean water at the asteroid resupply station."

As the applause subsided, Lin Dong announced, "The alliance's first project is the site selection and ground verification of the supply station. We will conduct a three-month full-link test in the Dubai Simulation City, and then determine the final target asteroid based on the results."

After the meeting, representatives from various countries visited the underground laboratory of the Red Star Industrial Park. Inside the asteroid simulation cabin, the Red Star-130 was undergoing continuous operation testing: a robotic claw gripped loose rocks, a mining arm drilled for water ice, a resource processing cabin decomposed water into hydrogen and oxygen, a 3D printing cabin printed out a seed head part, and finally, the robotic arm replaced it. The entire process resembled a precise chain, with each link interconnected.

Lin Xiangyang stood in front of the observation screen with his backpack on, holding his "Modular Supply Station Planning Map" in his hand. He pointed to a node on the map: "An 'emergency lighthouse' should be added here—if the supply station loses contact, the lighthouse can automatically transmit a positioning signal and provide a minimum amount of oxygen and water."

After listening, Yan Jiecheng carefully wrote a note on the drawing: "Included in the first phase of design."

Michelle looked at the boy with great interest: "How old are you?"

Lin Xiangyang puffed out his chest: "Thirteen. I want to be an interstellar agricultural engineer."

Karim laughed: "You've got a lighthouse plan at thirteen; the future belongs to you."

That evening, Lin Dong returned to his office and found a letter from the courtyard house on his desk. The envelope bore Yi Zhonghai's familiar handwriting: "For Lin Dong."

He opened the letter; it contained only a few lines:

"I heard you're up to something big again. I don't know anything about asteroids, but I know you're a reliable person. Don't forget to come home and check on things. Everything's fine in the yard."

Lin Dong folded the letter and tucked it into his notebook. Night deepened outside the window, and the lights of the industrial park stretched into the distance like a luminous river. He suddenly realized that the most precious thing he had gained along the way was not the technology brought by the Chaos Pearl, but the trust and companionship of the people around him.

The next day, the experimental team from the Dubai Mars Simulation City set off. Yan Jiecheng served as the chief technical officer, and Lin Xiangyang accompanied them as a member of the data recording team. Before leaving, He Yushui handed a thick coat to Lin Dong: "Don't always stay up late. No matter how urgent the supply station matter is, you have to take care of your health."

Lin Dong took the coat and said with a smile, "Don't worry, I still want to see the first light at the supply station come on."

As the plane took off, Lin Xiangyang leaned against the window, watching the city grow smaller and smaller, and suddenly asked, "Dad, can we really build a supply station on an asteroid?"

Lin Dong looked at his son: "Yes, we can. Because we've broken down the impossible into possible steps."

Meanwhile, in a remote courtyard house in Beijing, Yi Zhonghai sat in the sun, holding a newspaper with the headline "Global Interstellar Agriculture Alliance Established." Liu Haizhong leaned over for a glance and snorted, "I knew it. That kid Lin Dong was bound to do something big sooner or later."

Yan Bugui transformed his bookstore window display into a "Deep Space Agriculture Science Popularization Zone," and even specially displayed a model of Red Star agricultural machinery. A passing child pointed at the model and asked, "Uncle, is that a tractor?"

Yan Bugui grinned from ear to ear: "This isn't an ordinary tractor, it's a tractor that can go into space."

As the sun sets, the shadows of the courtyard houses stretch long. The elderly chat, children chase each other, everything is ordinary. But hidden within this ordinariness is an unseen thread—it starts from the courtyard houses, passes through farmland and factories, crosses oceans and continents, and finally stretches towards the vast starry sky.

At the end of that line, a "deep space lighthouse" is being lit. It will provide humanity with water, oxygen, fuel, and food for interstellar voyages, and will also etch the name "Red Star" into the far reaches of the universe.