Courtyard House: Primordial Chaos Pearl

As the Starship-2 departed Vesta, its exhaust plume pierced the silence of deep space. This was the first distant astronaut exploration since the victory in the Green Vein Defense War, with its target being the dwarf planet Haumea, located beyond the asteroid belt. This celestial body, covered in methane ice, has a surface temperature as low as -230°C, yet it is considered by the Alliance as "the next extension point of the symbiotic Green Vein" due to its rich content of methane ice and complex organic matter. Inside the capsule, a new generation of symbiotic plant seedlings equipped with ecological monitoring chips were neatly arranged. On the Lighthouse V7.0 interface, the "Ecological Invasion Warning" and "Methane Ice Detection" modules operated simultaneously, like a pair of vigilant and curious eyes gazing at the unknown ahead.

"Distance from Haumea: 800 million kilometers. Estimated arrival time: 72 hours." The navigator reported, "Haumea's gravitational field is extremely irregular and contains methane vapor plumes, which may interfere with orbital stability."

Lin Xiangyang retrieved the lighthouse's gravitational field fitting data: "Multi-source gravitational fusion navigation has been initiated, dynamically correcting the course by combining BeiDou deep space signals with the distribution patterns of methane vapor plumes. Currently, the deviation is controlled within 5 kilometers, meeting landing requirements."

Yan Jiecheng inspected the methane ice mining equipment: "The improved cryogenic drilling machine by Chaos Pearl has been debugged. The drill bit uses a superlattice alloy, which can maintain rigidity at -230℃ and can also melt methane ice by microwave heating, avoiding direct drilling that could cause an explosion."

He Yushui was debugging the ecological monitoring chip: "Each symbiotic plant has been implanted with a microchip that can transmit data on its growth status, surrounding environmental parameters, and microbial activity in real time. Once an anomaly is detected, the lighthouse will immediately issue an early warning. This is the core of the Green Pulse upgrade plan, which aims to make every plant an 'ecological sentinel'."

On the sixtieth day of the voyage, Haumea finally appeared on the observation screen. It resembled a giant blue snowball, its surface covered with thick methane ice, with occasional plumes of white methane vapor gushing from the ice fissures, shimmering with a pale blue halo under the starlight. The Starship-2 entered its orbit, and the mapping radar and spectrometer worked synchronously, continuously transmitting data back:

Methane ice has a purity of 98% and contains organic substances such as ethane and propane, making it a high-quality energy and chemical raw material;

At a depth of 150 meters below the surface, a mixture of liquid methane and water was detected, with a temperature of approximately -180°C, where microorganisms that depend on methane for survival may exist.

The gravitational field anomaly zone is concentrated near the equator, where there are multiple methane ice volcanoes and relatively active geological activity.

"The landing site should be chosen in a flat area near the Arctic, far away from methane ice volcanoes and gravitational anomaly zones." Lin Dong ordered, "The Red Star-130H agricultural machine, carrying a drilling rig and ecological detectors, will first collect methane ice samples and data on the liquid mixed layer, and then attempt to plant symbiotic plants."

The landing capsule of the Starship-2 slowly descended, gently touching the ground on the methane ice surface. Due to the smoothness of the ice, the landing capsule slid slightly, and the anchoring device quickly deployed, embedding itself into the ice layer like a steel claw, securing it firmly. The Red Star-130H agricultural machine drove out, the drilling rig started, and microwave heating gradually melted the methane ice, sending the white ice sample into the analysis chamber.

"Methane ice sample analysis complete! Organic matter content exceeds expectations, no harmful impurities!" "Liquid mixed layer detection successful! Anaerobic microorganisms dependent on methane for survival detected, capable of converting methane into organic acid salts, providing nutrients for symbiotic plants!"

He Yushui's eyes lit up: "This is a completely new 'methane-microbe-plant' symbiotic system! The microbes on Haumea can use methane to produce nutrients, while the symbiotic plants can produce oxygen through photosynthesis. The combination of the two may be able to build a stable ecosystem in extremely low-temperature environments!"

Just as she was preparing to sow the symbiotic plant seedlings, the ecological monitoring chip suddenly issued a warning: "Abnormal methane ice volcano activity detected! An eruption is expected in 30 minutes, and the landing site will be covered by a methane vapor plume!"

The ground-penetrating radar image on the observation screen showed that the internal pressure of the ice volcano, located 5 kilometers southwest of the landing point, was rising rapidly, and the frequency of methane steam plumes erupting was increasing from once per hour to three times per minute.

"Immediately evacuate the drilling equipment and activate the 'emergency planting' procedure!" Lin Dong decisively ordered. "The Red Star-130H agricultural machine, carrying seedlings, will quickly sow seeds outside the eruption's impact area, using ecological monitoring chips to monitor seedling growth in real time; Yan Jiecheng, adjust the Starship's attitude and be prepared to avoid the plume at any time."

The robotic arm of the Hongxing-130H agricultural machine operated rapidly, implanting symbiotic plant seedlings carrying microbial agents into pre-drilled holes on the surface of the methane ice. Simultaneously, the ecological monitoring chip activated, transmitting data back to the spacecraft in real time. Twenty-five minutes later, the seedlings were sown, and the machine successfully returned to the landing capsule.

Just as the Starship-2 was adjusting its attitude, the ice volcano erupted! A white plume of methane steam shot straight into the sky, like a giant icicle, covering an area of ​​3 kilometers around the landing site. Fortunately, the Starship had taken precautions and was unaffected.

After the eruption, data from the ecological monitoring chip showed that although the seedlings were covered with a small amount of methane vapor, they were undamaged. The leaves of the new generation of symbiotic plants were covered with a thickened layer of mucus, which could resist the erosion of low temperatures and methane vapor. Even more surprisingly, the roots of the seedlings had begun to combine with the microorganisms in the liquid mixture layer, and tiny lateral roots grew within 24 hours. The signal from the ecological monitoring chip was stable and strong.

"Success! The symbiotic plants have taken root on the planet Haumea!" He Yushui shouted excitedly. "The ecological monitoring chip shows that although the photosynthetic efficiency of the seedlings is low, they can form a symbiotic relationship with the local microorganisms, and the oxygen concentration is slowly rising."

Meanwhile, the Green Pulse upgrade plan is being implemented simultaneously on various planets. The application of ecological monitoring chips allows the alliance to monitor the status of the Green Pulse on each planet in real time: when a slight drought occurs in the wheat fields of the Mars base, the chip immediately provides feedback, and the water-saving irrigation system is automatically activated; when a small number of invasive fungal spores are detected in the cave ecological chamber of the planet Agos, the sterilization robot responds quickly, nipping the risk in the bud.

At the Alliance Council's video conference, representatives from various countries highly praised the exploration achievements of Haumea and the Green Vein Upgrade Plan. Egyptian representative Amina said, "The combination of ecological monitoring chips and a new generation of symbiotic plants makes transplanetary ecological protection precise and efficient. We plan to apply this technology to desert ecological restoration, allowing 'green veins' to grow in Earth's deserts as well."

Mexican representative Carlos added, "The methane-microbe-plant symbiotic system on Haumea offers a new direction for ecological transformation in extreme environments. We are willing to share traditional breeding techniques to help optimize the low-temperature adaptability of symbiotic plants."

At the meeting, Lin Dong proposed a new plan: "Starting from Haumea, we will launch the 'Extreme Green Vein Extension Project' to explore more dwarf planets and comets beyond the asteroid belt; at the same time, we will give back the Green Vein technology to Earth and carry out the 'Earth Green Vein Project' to improve deserts and saline-alkali lands by using symbiotic plants and microorganisms, so as to achieve the two-way empowerment of interstellar agriculture and Earth's ecology."

When the news reached the courtyard, the Interstellar Agriculture Museum added the "Haumea Exploration" and "Ecological Monitoring Chip" exhibition areas. Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui, along with their children, gathered around the simulation model of Haumea and the physical samples of the ecological monitoring chip, their faces full of anticipation.

"Lin Dong and his team are amazing! Not only can they grow crops on a planet with temperatures as low as -230°C, but they can also bring space technology back to Earth!" Yi Zhonghai exclaimed. "This is truly 'from space to Earth, from exploration to protection'!"

Liu Haizhong held up a calligraphy scroll he had just written, bearing four powerful characters: "Preserving the Land Through Nature." "I'm giving this to them," he said, "wishing the Far Star Green Vein Extension Project a smooth journey, turning more planets into oases!"

Yan Jiecheng's wife, holding a plate of fruit grown with interstellar nutrient fortifiers, smiled and said, "These are snacks made with organic molecules from Huiguang-1 and Martian wheat; they taste incredibly sweet. Once Lin Dong and his team get the Earth's Green Vein Project up and running, our hometown will also become a place of lush green mountains and clear waters!"

Seeing the museum during the video call filled Lin Xiangyang with warmth: "Grandpa Yi, Grandpa Liu, Grandma Yan, thank you for your blessings. The symbiotic plants on Haumea have stabilized, and the ecological monitoring chips are functioning on various planets. Once the Earth Green Vein Project starts, I will definitely come back and witness the changes in our hometown with you!"

On the night of Haumea, the surface of the methane ice glowed with a pale blue halo. Seedlings of symbiotic plants grew tenaciously in the low temperatures, and the signals from the ecological monitoring chip flickered like stars, echoing the interface of the Lighthouse V7.0. Lin Dong stood on the observation platform, gazing at the distant erupting methane ice volcano and the rooted green veins, feeling utterly certain.

From improving agricultural machinery in traditional courtyard houses to creating a green network across planets, from ecological invasion crises to pioneering in extreme environments, humanity's exploration has never been smooth sailing. But as long as we hold reverence in our hearts and work together, we can sow the seeds of hope in every corner of the universe.

Lin Xiangyang walked to his father's side and wrote a new note in the lighthouse system's log:

"Beneath the ice of the Pregnant God, methane nurtures life; green veins monitor, technology protects new life. The significance of interstellar exploration lies not only in exploring the unknown, but also in using technology to protect nature and using cooperation to warm the galaxy. May the green veins of distant stars extend to the ends of the universe, and may Earth and the stars share in the vitality of life."

Lin Dong looked at the sentence with anticipation in his eyes. The Alliance has set its sights on the more distant "MakeGo" planet, where a more complex ecosystem may exist, waiting for humanity to discover, protect, and coexist with it.