Cataclysmic Era: I can unlock the tech tree

Inside the human-connected microcosm.

Homestead No. 2, Capital City Center Square.

Crowds of people.

This central square, designed to accommodate up to one million people, was now packed with at least ten million.

A large number of security robots maintained order at the scene.

A cool breeze was seeping out from the well-hidden cracks in the ground—even with over ten million people gathered in the square, there was no feeling of stuffiness.

Qi Mengshu arrived at the central square two days in advance, which allowed her to secure a decent "viewing area" in the center of the square.

Blue sky, white clouds, and warm sunshine; she could even feel the sun's warmth on her skin.

The senses can always deceive the brain.

She looked up at the scene before her, a slight sense of disorientation washing over her.

It seems that I am still living on that original habitable planet.

The truth is not what the eyes convey.

As a key technical member of the largest holographic film and television production company in the United Nations, she is well aware of the principles behind these heartwarming scenes.

The artificial shell that covers the entire home fortress functions as a virtual canopy.

Blue sky, white clouds...

These are merely illusions created by high-powered holographic projection.

As for the warm sunshine...

That was the light produced by a large-scale stellar spectral lamp.

Just as she was lost in thought, a low gasp of surprise came from the somewhat crowded people around her.

Qi Mengshu subconsciously raised her head and looked up at the sky.

In the virtual sky, a huge clock projection appeared out of nowhere.

On the projection screen, a thirty-minute countdown was slowly ticking away.

Looking at the fluctuating numbers, a faint hint of excitement and anticipation shone through Qi Mengshu's eyes.

The clock projection was not always displayed prominently on the virtual canopy.

It quickly shrank to a corner of the virtual canopy, freeing up a large projection area.

The virtual sky slowly darkened.

The blue sky, white clouds, and sunshine disappeared in just one minute.

In its place, a beautiful night sky dotted with stars.

A huge holographic projection slowly unfolded, and a figure dressed in formal attire gradually became clear.

Qi Mengshu's gaze shifted slightly as she looked at the sky.

Lim Shu Guang is the current Speaker of the SUPP.

A scene from her deepest memory inexplicably surfaced in her mind—the scene of the first generation of new humans born from the public care system searching for work together on Dawn Star after leaving the social care center.

In the holographic projection, Lin Shuguang had already begun his final motivational speech.

A faint smile appeared on Qi Mengshu's lips as she immersed herself in her memories.

The awkward Lin Shuguang, who had just stepped out of the social care center, slowly merged with the Lin Shuguang in front of me, who was giving a passionate and inspiring speech.

Excited cheers erupted from all around.

The shouts gradually became more unified; it was a simple vocabulary.

"Expedition! Expedition!"

On the inconspicuous clock projection located on the side of the virtual dome, the countdown quietly reached its final five minutes.

……

Home Fortress No. 4.

As the virtual sky gradually darkened and night fell, the giant projection slowly unfolded, and Lin Shuguang's figure also appeared in the sky above the No. 4 Home Fortress.

Unlike the previous three home fortresses, the surface of Home Fortress No. 4 is covered by lush forests.

Within these forests, there exist buildings that blend seamlessly into the landscape.

At this moment, black and white dumplings peeked out from these buildings, all looking up at the holographic projection in the sky.

After thousands of years of learning and adaptation, the Talodan civilization has now fully mastered the language system of human civilization while retaining its own language system and culture.

At the same time, thousands of years of hard work have allowed the Talodan civilization to accumulate sufficient contribution points and credits.

They also successfully became a Type IV civilization, mastering the initial applications of antimatter and gravitons.

But driven by their nature, they still prefer to live on the surface of a planet with lush vegetation.

Lin Shuguang's speech gradually reached its climax.

These black and white Talodan people excitedly raised their somewhat short and rounded forelimbs, shouting in the language of their civilization.

Their expectations for the expedition mainly stem from the generous contribution points and credit rewards.

The grand unification theory of five-level civilizations still keeps these Talodan dumplings in suspense.

……

In the orbit and surrounding space of Home Fortress No. 4, there are small but powerful warships.

Holographic projections were also displayed inside the spaces of these warships.

But it's different from the lively atmosphere of Home Fortress.

The atmosphere inside these warships was filled with a sense of iron-bloodedness and solemnity.

One by one, the Eugene lizardmen gazed respectfully at the holographic projection before them, their slender vertical pupils revealing a hint of bloodlust and an innate reverence—this was the effect of the [Thought Imprint].

As Lin Shuguang's speech drew to a close, the lizardmen opened their mouths, which were filled with sharp teeth, and let out low, hoarse cries.

"Long live the Emperor! Let's launch an expedition!"

……

Further away, there is a miniature version of a home fortress.

Its size is far smaller than other homeland fortresses, with a diameter of only one thousand kilometers.

Inside this home fortress lies a complete primeval forest composed of towering trees.

The starlight lamp was incredibly bright.

The gamma rays drawn from the antimatter reactor surged like a tide within the home fortress.

Holographic projections appeared in the air.

The lost giant insects did not understand these scenes; they were busy with their own lives—reproduction was a matter of great importance to their species.

[Nus] gently shook its exposed roots, as if celebrating something.

Startled, the abandoned giant insects hurriedly abandoned their unfinished matters and fled in panic.

……

Time slips away, bit by bit.

The countdown has reached its final few seconds.

There was silence all around.

There was not a sound in the central square; everyone instinctively held their breath.

Under the influence of the tense atmosphere around him, Qi Mengshu felt his heart pounding violently.

With tears of excitement in her eyes, she gazed at the small fleet of five hundred starships on the giant holographic projection.

The moment Lü Yongchang's voice rang out, a deafening cheer erupted within the Homeland Fortress!

Tachyon information successfully passed through the microcosm entrance structure.

The output power of the antimatter reactor began to steadily increase, and at the same time, stable curvature bubbles appeared around each starship.

next moment.

The cheers around him grew louder and louder, and Qi Mengshu felt a burst of inspiration in his mind.

A new holographic promotional video has been conceived.

As for naming...

She took a deep breath, raised her hand to wipe away the tears that had welled up in her eyes from excitement, and then typed a few words on her personal terminal.

The Empire's Expedition!