Will the kemonomimi encounter Alien Ranch Story?

Chapter Ninety-Six

As the drone's exploration range expanded, the doctor and his team witnessed a storm on the target planet. The drone was firmly fixed to the rocky high ground, and the clouds rolled and surged overhead like an inverted ocean, with thin bolts of lightning flashing by from time to time.

"Wind speeds can reach level 13 or higher, which is relatively mild compared to other storms." Compared to storms on Mars, this can indeed be called mild, and compared to Jupiter, it can even be described as a gentle breeze and drizzle.

With a clap of thunder, the downpour began without warning. It was less like rain and more like someone was pouring water down from the sky. The raindrops almost formed a continuous line, striking the red sandstone and carving out layers of gullies at an astonishing speed.

The small canyon we passed earlier has now become a natural river channel. The turbid water roars through the winding canyon, and these bends have caused the silt and nutrient-rich soil swept in by the flood to accumulate.

When the rainy season ends, under the extremely high temperature and humidity caused by the rising water vapor, the gel produced by these plant roots will decompose rapidly under the action of microorganisms, and the seeds wrapped in the gel will grow rapidly during this time of germination.

At that time, this boundless sea of ​​sand will be transformed into lush grasslands and flower fields in a very short period of time. Various plants will compete to grow, reproduce, and accumulate nutrients during this brief period of time until the dry season arrives.

The world was shrouded in darkness. Even with the searchlights on full blast, nothing could be seen except for the roar of water and the sound of torrential rain. The water rushed down from the rocky highlands and merged into the turbulent torrents below.

How long will this rain last?

"According to the probe's estimate, it will take at least forty days, possibly two or three months." Old Xia pulled out the orbital probe's conclusions, as well as the data analysis results collected by small probe drones in other locations.

"However, because this kind of detection can only collect preliminary data with low certainty, you need to conduct on-site exploration for specific seasons and climates, which will take a longer time, on a ten-year timeframe."

"However, the preliminary conclusion is that this planet has three seasons each year: a rainy season, a dry season, and a relatively more comfortable evaporation season."

During the rainy season, because the planet's orbit is at a greater distance and the Earth's axis is tilted at the North and South Poles, the temperature at one of the poles drops rapidly, forming a cold air mass that moves toward the equator. This cold air mass comes into contact with a large number of hot, humid, and even dense clouds on the planet's surface, resulting in such almost global torrential rains.

"There is a rainy season once a year, which, according to current estimates, lasts at least one to three months."

"It keeps raining?"

"That's right. The constant rain means that it's raining for almost half a year in Terra. And for the local area, the cycle of one revolution around the sun is about a thousand days. So, in a sense, the rainy season is relatively short for it."

It is precisely because of its large orbit and great distance from the star that it was able to leave behind some seeds of life after the first explosion. If it were Terra, which is at the Earth-Sun distance, it would have been blown away by the atmosphere.

"However, judging from this, this planet should have been an ocean or a tundra planet with relatively low temperatures in the past. So, the local people may have moved from the more habitable inner circle to the outer circle more than once, until even the outer circle was not safe and they had to leave the system."

"However, that's not relevant to our current topic. After the rainy season ends, there's an evaporation season of less than a month. During these ten days or so, the thin clouds caused by the heavy rain can't block the sunlight, and the water vapor on the ground evaporates rapidly, forming dense fog that blocks out the sun. The humidity will reach a terrifying level."

Various fungi and lichens will spread across the land within a day and night, followed by more advanced plants. Insects will multiply and lay eggs during this stage, and other more advanced animals will also enter the reproduction stage.

After the evaporation season ends, a long dry season begins. Water vapor evaporates little by little into clouds, and the weather becomes gloomy and sultry. Occasionally, there will be some sunny days, which will ignite the completely withered earth and turn it into a raging wildfire. The ashes will be moistened by occasional heavy rain.

The underground gelatinous vesicles that will not be destroyed by wildfires will take advantage of this plan to grow into more advanced plants like the previously mentioned water jar tree. At this time, most plants and animals will begin to fight desperately for survival.

By the end of the dry season, almost all the surface moisture has evaporated, and all the plants are dehydrated, leaving only their tough roots and stumps, waiting for the floods and torrential rains.

At this time, various animals and large insects will migrate to higher ground or bury themselves deep underground until the rainy season arrives, and a complete ecological climate cycle is completed.

"So, from now on, we need to develop respirators with strong filtration and related antifungal drugs." As soon as Lao Xia saw this preliminary exploration report, he guessed what preliminary items needed to be prepared.

"There's no need to worry about bacterial and viral infections for now. The former mutates slowly, while the latter is highly targeted and won't cause an epidemic anytime soon. But fungal infections are different."

Spreading through spores, fungi don't need to deceive cell surface sensory proteins to trigger endocytosis like viruses, nor do they need to deceive the immune system like white blood cells like bacteria. If viruses are like spies and bacteria are like guerrillas, then fungi are like a force to be reckoned with, directly attacking your immune system and creating a fortress and stronghold for themselves on your body.

Even alien fungi can infect Terrans. This is similar to how mushrooms from Terra can be grown on the other side of the world. Essentially, fungal infection is like mushrooms growing on your body.

"Such an extremely high humidity and sweltering environment wouldn't matter if it were a primitive planet, where fungal species would inevitably exist. In fact, this environment would be the best for fungal reproduction, and they would multiply at an astonishing rate, with their spores floating everywhere in the atmosphere."

Old Xia said this is a very serious problem. If possible, the best solution is to burn the planet directly. Of course, if you want to preserve some of the environment, you can also blast its axis to be more tilted, so that the rainy season will be relatively long and stable, and there will be no obvious evaporation season.

"I understand. The task will be distributed to all levels of departments." Xingyuan then noticed that the people at the Rhodes Island Research Center on the adjacent Ark had become extremely busy, and their space engineering design center had gone from being deserted to being bustling with activity overnight.

Xingyuan has completed her current project. After all, her research focuses more on the application level, and frankly, it's not too difficult. The key issue is that Dorothy's research has stalled, which means that she has to stop some of her work because she can't get the new materials she planned to get.

That's how modern scientific research works. If one of a bunch of related projects fails, everyone has to stop and wait for them or find another way. Ultimately, the shortest plank determines the capacity of the barrel.

If the most essential and critical project is failing, then it's impossible to find alternative paths independently. That means you have to change your research focus and direction, and almost all projects in the entire plan will need to be changed.

Dorothy is currently the weakest core department, which has left support developers like Xingyuan somewhat idle.

Until the new conductive fluid on her side resolves the current binding issue, the electrical transmission equipment and the new Originium Arts remote transmission technology on Xingyuan's side will remain only theoretical. However, the theoretical framework is now quite complete, and all that's left is for Dorothy's side to finish so that the theory can be verified as correct or incorrect.

"What are you doing?" Xingyuan looked curiously at the tons of documents and complex models in the design bureau. "Um... some design verification work related to buildings."

There's no point in hiding this, because there are even larger-scale tests to come, and it can't be hidden anyway, especially since the Ark's current usable area is only so big.

"Hmm, a semi-buried building, an underground water storage system, and an evaporator. Are you building a structure for the desert?" Only in the desert would such a structure be needed. The semi-buried alloy frame has most of the structure underground, and the spherical top is equipped with an evaporator to collect the water vapor that evaporates inside the building.

"Yes, in a sense."

“What does Sargon need?” Because there are some devices that seem to be needed only in rainforests, such as drainage systems. Although it is possible for heavy rain and floods to occur in the desert, those are rare phenomena. Only rainforests need facilities to cope with heavy rains that last for at least several weeks.

"I don't know where it's needed, it's just a task assigned by higher-ups."

"But isn't it unnecessary to test and research these devices here?" This was Xingyuan's biggest question. Wouldn't it be better to develop them in the Kazdel Desert or even in Sargon? Why take up space and manpower on the Ark?

"Isn't airdropping building modules faster than building on the ground? It can also avoid natural disasters." He was spouting nonsense with a straight face, but Xingyuan strangely believed it.

"I see. So we need to test here whether it can fit into the launch bay, and test the success rate of launching from the Ark, right?"

If the components are assembled on the ground and then transported upwards, the transportation cost would be too high. Some of the larger structures might not even be transportable by the Ghost Shark's capacity. Therefore, directly sending the components and raw materials for testing and installation on the Ark is clearly a necessary way to construct large space structures and launch structures.

Just like the transport and storage area behind it, the manufacturing and installation work was completed on the Ark. The parts and supplies launched from the ground were all spare parts. Otherwise, the Ghost Shark's transport capacity would not be able to pull that "bean stalk" that is several kilometers long.

In the transport area, the transport elevator roared in like a train, pulling a long frame, its mechanical arms moving up and down like a skillful embroiderer, embroidering neat light green rectangular patterns on the black exterior wall.

Such patterns extend upwards from the bottom, but compared to the inner walls of the transport cabin, which resemble a deep well, the green part is only a very small amount attached to the bottom. When viewed from the top, it looks like a thin, almost imperceptible line.

In the outer ring of the transport area, the Skadi VI spacecraft, used for short-distance transport, docks with the outer ring. A large number of metal boxes are sent into the storage area of ​​the outer ring. The storage area here has a denser and more numerous grid than the inner ring and the main storage area.

However, no matter how much the Doctor wanted to cram more people in, no one would be allowed in, because this place was where Terra's species data was stored.

Staff members in spacesuits slowly floated over the lockers that resembled early post office lockers, stopped in an empty space, pressed the button on the side of the milky white hexagonal hatch, and a green halo automatically appeared on the hatch.

The center of the halo is the seedling's mark, and below it is the number—PF-XX6541. Then the hatch pushes outward, turning into a long row of metal supports like a drawer.

A faint chill emanated from the inner layer, quickly forming a layer of frost around it. The staff pulled out emerald green, can-sized containers from the alloy box they were pulling behind them and placed them into the grooves on the support. Once the entire support was filled, it was pushed back, and the green halo on the outer shell no longer went out, maintaining a faint glow.

Using this as a dividing line, in this circular world, one side is a deep and deathly darkness, while the other side is a long galaxy composed of countless soft green lights that twinkle like stars, yet are so fragile that they seem to extinguish with a single pinch.

Meanwhile, on the ground, in the southern region of Kazdel, on the coastal mountains near the Victoria Strait, two male Flower Beetles were shaking their heads and clashing their twin horns together. The male Flower Beetles have a pair of well-developed horns on either side of their heads, somewhat similar to the horns of the Sarkaz, which is also the source of the Black Snake's insulting name.

During this breeding season, male flower beetles fight for the right to mate, and interestingly, male flower beetles that fail repeatedly will transform into females if they are left without a mate.

“Coastal flower beetle, here it is!” A hand wearing a non-slip glove grabbed the two courageous duelists, separated them and threw them into a glass jar. Then, a notebook was pulled out of a backpack and a line was drawn under the first line, indicating that the sample had been collected.

"Phew, it was worth waiting all day, I finally caught this thing." These things only come out to fight at night during the breeding season, making them very difficult to catch. However, due to their unique beetle-like nature, many boys keep them as pets and take them out for insect fighting.

"If you catch it, come help me!" In the distance, a girl holding a fishing rod was desperately confronting the creature in the water. The large, scaly beast was biting the bait tightly, completely ignoring the girl who was only smaller than itself. "Get this thing away from me!"

"Mud Arrowhead Lizard, hahahaha!" This large reptile, which likes to hide in swamps and by the water, is the natural enemy of anglers. Because they live on fish and are not good swimmers, they often bury themselves in the mud by the water and wait for the grass seeds and fruits knocked into the water to attract schools of fish, and then suddenly jump out to hunt.

The act of fishing by anglers baiting the area is exactly what these large lizards love to do. The fish attracted by the bait will be eaten by them, and you might even lose your life while you're fishing.

After all, this large lizard doesn't mind eating humans or other animals of moderate size. However, because it doesn't have fangs for biting, but only a ring of barbed, bony spur-like teeth around its mouth, it is not good at fighting and generally does not fight or hunt other animals.

When there are no fish, it may push drinking animals into the water to drown them, and then drag them ashore to eat. Therefore, a fisherman who is focused on fishing may accidentally be pushed into the water and drown by this thing.

The monitor lizard braced itself against a boulder in the water with its forepaws and swung its head violently. The girl's fishing rod visibly bent into a huge arc, and she was almost thrown into the water as well.

"Hahahaha, I'm going to take a picture and upload it to the class group. Our class's so-called fishing enthusiast, who claims he can subdue dragons with a single swing of his rod, has finally been punished!" Then the sound of camera shutters clicked rang out, and the girl's face was completely red, whether from the force of the shutters or from shame and indignation.

Her companions weren't worried at all about her being thrown into the water and drowning. What a joke! Have you ever seen an Agor drown? However, the fact that an Agor fishing and getting caught by a lizard was quite a topic of conversation, making people want to take pictures.

"You..." In his panic, his grip loosened, and he was tossed around in the air by the giant lizard. It was less like the man was fishing and more like the lizard was fishing for him, swinging him back and forth in mid-air.

Finally, after this comical scene lasted for a few seconds, an arc of electricity struck around the giant lizard, knocking the huge creature to the ground and causing it to twitch violently.

Then the teacher leading the group approached with a dark face, dragged the monitor lizard ashore with one hand, tied it up tightly, and stuffed it into a low-temperature box. The creature immediately entered hibernation mode.

"You two are here to have fun?"

"No, no, it was just a little accident. I've already collected all the flower beetles."

"Hmm, and you?"

"It ate my homework." The girl covered her face. She had spent three whole days fishing for the super rare pink-spotted guppy, thinking she could get a high score. But she was so focused on the fish that the monitor lizard suddenly appeared from the side and ate it.

"Forget it, there's no need to focus on rare species. As long as the work of collecting plant and animal observation samples doesn't overlap with other people's, it's fine. And we also have to be careful not to hurt them."

This task was assigned by the academy. Most of the students in Kazdel were out catching all sorts of creatures and plants during the summer vacation, officially to strengthen their biology studies and help cultivate their observation skills.

In reality, after screening, only those samples that were easy to collect and raise were observed at the school as part of daily learning, while the rest were sent to biological research institutes to extract genes and cultivate embryos.

As for the collection of even rarer species, it was entrusted to a specialized team of experts who conducted surveys and collections throughout Terra, including the Sargon rainforest.

Embryos and seeds of each species are collected, examined, recorded, registered, and artificially cultivated. The rest are frozen, sent into space, and stored in the outer ring of the launch area.

This is Terra's life backup repository, prepared for any eventuality. After all, once the Ark sets sail, there is no chance of ever returning to Terra. These species are all extinct, and to avoid heavy losses in the future due to even a small loss, it is better to collect them meticulously now.

The doctor would rather reduce the number of people he has to carry than allow the embryo bank to remain as intact and normal as possible. As for calling for donations of reproductive cells and even purchasing them directly from the Rhine Life Sperm Bank, these donations are frequent. These cells will undergo mass artificial insemination in Lao Xia's laboratory, develop into embryo cells, and then be cryopreserved and sent to space for storage.

This massive plan to collect Terra's life has been going on for a long time, since the establishment of Kazdel, no, it should be said that it has been carried out quietly since the establishment of Babel. It's just that the scale and scope are now particularly huge. It has changed from a covert collection to an urgent open collection. Rhodes Island operators are running around in various places, and even the ice plains overrun by demons have not been spared.

Chapter Ninety-Seven: Good Times

Chapter Ninety-Seven

Kazdel: "Another census? Why is that?" The elderly Sarkaz farmer sat down in front of the login device with a hint of complaint, placing his thick right hand on the platform. "I haven't even finished harvesting my crops yet."

"There's nothing we can do about it. The work required by the higher-ups is supposedly related to some possible large-scale natural disasters." The staff member didn't quite understand the situation either. However, Kazdel had begun constructing an underground bunker city, and thanks to its powerful ecological cycle capabilities, the scale of this underground bunker city was quite considerable.

It was so impressive that other countries even sent delegations to visit and learn from it. Although they were not very optimistic about Kazdel's alien colonization plan, after their visit, they generally believed that Kazdel could establish permanent underground cities and bases on Terra's moon.

What about natural disasters?

"It's about evacuation during natural disasters. How many people are there in total? How much stuff do we need to prepare? This kind of thing used to be quite common, right?"

"Hmm..." The farmer's anger vanished in an instant. Recalling the natural disasters he had experienced in Kazdel, he had to admit that if the Sarkaz royal court had been half as troublesome as these people, he and his brothers wouldn't be the only ones still alive in the world.

“In the past, before natural disasters struck, as soon as the messenger arrived in the tribe, everyone had to get up day and night to stock up on hay, fuel, and slaughter cattle and sheep, load them onto carts, and drive them to a safe area hundreds of miles away, or find a cave or a sturdy ancient ruin to hide in.”

The farmer seemed to get a little talkative. "Back then, if any kid dared to lift his head while working, his father would hang him up and beat him." Because even the food and supplies lost during a short break could mean the death of one of his brothers.

"Nothing is as comfortable as this now."

With a large refuge dome, there's no need to rush to the mobile town to hitch a ride. The dome stores enough food and water, and there are even recorded programs to watch.

“The kids born nowadays haven’t experienced any hardship. In the shelter, they’re still clamoring for fresh meat and not cured meat. Back when we were hiding from natural disasters, if we had a bite of cured meat, the whole family would be happy for two days.”

Curing meat requires not only meat but also salt. For the Sarkaz tribe at the time, it was practically like eating money directly. So, if, in the last few days of their refuge, a wife found a small piece of moldy cured meat in some tattered bag or at the bottom of a chest, the whole family would be overjoyed for days.

"But is that big shelter reliable?" The farmer received his identity card, unaware that the cards he held were completely different colors from those of his sons.

For Kazdel, abandoning the elderly was easier than abandoning children and babies. Even if the Doctor hadn't made any preparations, when faced with a shortage of tickets, most of the elderly would have consciously let the younger ones go first.

This is something that the Sarkaz, or rather the people living on Terra, have been accustomed to for thousands of years. However, the Doctor believes it is better to be more thorough than to rely on their self-discipline, and has arranged shelters for them.