Will the kemonomimi encounter Alien Ranch Story?

Chapter 101

The torrential rain continued, and few vehicles could be seen moving about on the land. Land ships were submerged in the mud, resembling dying beasts. The once bustling and brightly lit upper district was now desolate and dark. The towering walls still prevented the lower-class people from entering, but the nobles inside had long since left, leaving only a few servants to guard the houses.

The commercial streets were littered with discarded boxes and luggage, as well as roadblocks blocking the streets. At the entrance to the underground shopping street, simple sandbags were set up to prevent rainwater from entering, but a trickle of water still seeped into the stairwell. In the streets below, most shops were closed, and the few that were open had very little stock.

Those who didn't have time or the ability to escape, or who didn't have a residence in the upper district, took refuge here. Thanks to the escape of many people, at least for now, the city still has a surplus of heating supplies. However, most of the people gathered around the stoves had numb and blank expressions.

The torrential rain often lasts for several days or even more than ten days. Although it has changed from hot rain at the beginning to cold rain now, at least it won't burn people's skin. However, this cold and lingering rain is particularly hard on people's will, as if they are slowly rotting in this damp and dark world.

Of the entire city, only the new urban area and the launch center located in the city's harbor remained brightly lit. The new urban area, of course, was bustling with activity as they worked to produce all the supplies and equipment needed for space. The Xia Group was the only place still operating at a high intensity at this time. However, no one was surprised this time, because they were also the last group of people still expanding and building the shelter.

Those who offer warmth and comfort to others may not inspire universal support, but they are at least not disliked. Moreover, the Xia Group is still recruiting employees at this critical juncture. Even though Lungmen currency is practically worthless now, the lottery qualification provided by the group is invaluable.

Those with connections and substantial wealth crowded around the launch center, waiting to board spaceships to travel to Kazdel. At this time, only spaceships could maintain intercity transportation in Terra.

The Swire family's department store has been emptied, leaving only basic chairs and benches. At Lao Xia's instruction, the building's main entrance was opened to let the common people of Longmen outside in to take shelter from the wind and rain. After all, it is located in the highest part of Longmen and is a high-rise building of several dozen stories, so it is not going to be submerged in mud.

Moreover, the rooftop that Lao Xia renovated can continuously filter and purify rainwater. This is the only place in the entire Longmen that can still maintain a tap water system. Not only that, the rooftop botanical garden has also been transformed into a planting area by Lao Xia. Since this is the only hobby of the group's son-in-law, even if it seems out of place, no one dares to say anything.

This meant that at this time, the building could still produce a little bit of food. Just this little bit was enough to fill the entire building with refugees in a very short time. Only when the black van came and notified people to assemble would people leave this safe haven.

Compared to the gradually desolate and lifeless land of Terra, the refuge camps and underground shelters in various countries were bustling with activity, with people moving supplies, verifying qualifications, and finally putting their minds at ease as they carried their luggage.

The quarantine camps built on the high ground and near the entrance to the shelter were even more bustling than inside, with black market merchants setting up thick tents. Here, you could buy almost any commodity that was the same as before, but at exorbitant prices.

The modified War Knight-class transport aircraft is second only to the Specter in terms of transport capabilities. They regularly land at airports around the Vault. In addition, there are local Terra transport helicopters and airships.

After all, this wasn't a howling storm, but a global downpour. The warm rainwater completely softened the earth, rendering land-based ships and mobile cities immobile. Even trucks had difficulty moving forward in this muddy terrain.

The circular entrance to Kazdel's sanctuary looks more like a giant tomb, especially with the surrounding circular wall that prevents the earth and rocks from sliding down and the sloping entrance; from a distance, it really does look no different from a large tomb.

Compared to the chaos elsewhere, the order here is relatively good. After the initial crowding, the newcomers have learned to carry their luggage and follow the flow of people after disembarking from the spaceship or plane.

"What is the Ark's carrying capacity?"

"It's 60% full. At this rate, it will be full soon."

What about the child carrying capacity?

"1%, at the current pace, I suggest we give up," Kal'tsit said coldly. The industrial specifications of the hibernation facility are not so easy to change. This is not like changing modules in a game, which can be done by dragging and dropping a mouse.

The hibernation pods, their power supplies, power interfaces, and even the wiring layout of the entire transport area would all need to be changed. Therefore, it is simply impossible to convert an adult's hibernation pod into two children's hibernation pods.

Imagine a power-consuming device on a line with its load capacity set according to standard specifications, but the load capacity is doubled compared to the design value. The entire line would need to be redesigned, not to mention all the interfaces, plugs, and life support pipes.

Reality isn't elementary school arithmetic. Even elementary school students know that dividing a cup of 100-degree water into two cups doesn't turn it into two cups of 50-degree water. It's the same principle. Converting an adult's hibernation pod into two children's pods doesn't just consume the electricity of one person, but the electricity of two people, just like turning it into two cups of 100-degree boiling water.

"At least teenagers and teenagers can fit in," the doctor said. At the current pace, it's likely that many people will be too late to change their minds.

"We can only fill it with 5%."

"Then let's put them in order, prioritizing the older ones."

Just like why the ancients valued their eldest son, because older children only needed to be raised for a shorter time before they could be put to use, and they were less likely to die young. On the other hand, younger children not only had to be raised for a longer time, but they were also at risk of dying young, making it a losing proposition.

"Furthermore, since there is already some redundancy, we should prioritize family-based placement and try to avoid separating individuals." In the previous emergency, we could only use individual abilities and qualifications as the evaluation criteria. Now that we have some leeway, we can allow some key personnel to board the ship as families, which will make things more stable in the future.

Between stability and feasibility, the doctor preferred to preserve the latter, even knowing that some approaches would lead to future instability, because first and foremost, he wanted to ensure that there was still a future.

"The last thing to discuss is that the Ark is still missing one crucial element. Although we have the Covenant's navigation electronics, but..."

"It is also missing a navigator or a driver."

"Isn't there a sailboat seat?"

“The sailboat is not finished; it lacks a complete navigation and driving module, so we need to add that module now,” the doctor said calmly.

"Then let me think about who would be suitable..." Kal'tsit crossed her arms, preparing to consider who would have the spirit of sacrifice and ability to be assigned to this position.

"No need to think about it anymore. From the beginning, there was only one choice: me or Presys," the doctor said without a trace of emotion. "So..."

"Hey, let me make this clear first: I'm fairly confident I can pick it out, but I don't have the skill to put it back in for you!"

“It doesn’t need to be that complicated,” the doctor shook his head. “You just need to connect my nervous system to the Ark control system. You haven’t completely modified the Ancients’ control system, have you?”

"The main problem is that it can't be changed. Our outsourcing company refunded all their money for those neural link solutions, so it indirectly means this process will be extremely painful and difficult," Old Xia added, trying to persuade him. "Actually, it's not like there's no way to make a navigation module..."

“Indeed, but that would take a lot of time, and you know exactly what kind of vessel this ark is. Your equipment may work well, but the other old guys might not be able to coordinate with it,” the doctor said. It was obvious that, given the ark's pieced-together nature, manual operation was the only option.

"If that's the case, you..." There's absolutely no chance of escaping. The best outcome would be to leave the ship with the Sailboat core and become part of the Tadah space station. Considering the difficulty of survival, the probability is actually not very high.

"You guys should really spare me," the PhD student said with a wry smile. "Don't you realize that ever since I got my PhD in my early twenties, I've been facing one mess after another. When I wake up, the mess hasn't lessened; it's gotten bigger and worse, and time is even tighter. Just when I've managed to clean up a little bit, new problems arise."

"You can't keep picking on the same person all the time. After I finish this last shift, I should take a good rest."

"That……"

"Hey, there's no need." The doctor knew what Lao Xia was going to say. "To be honest, when I first saw a girl with cat ears, I was quite uncomfortable with it. Now I'm used to it. You're asking me to change it back. You should be more understanding of the difficulties the old man has."

"No, that's not what I'm asking." Old Xia's expression was a bit strange. For the Star Alliance people, they had seen too many things like life and death. For someone who was already prepared to stay behind, trying to get rid of him would be the greatest insult and harm.

He asked, "Do you need me to help you lift the birth restrictions imposed on your ancestors? At the very least, the differentiation of somatic cells into germ cells is not a problem for me."

"So what are your plans for this child?" the doctor asked sharply.

"Based on my actions, I will either become a monument to future generations or be infamous. If it is the former, this child will naturally possess the legal basis to rule the new world. He will be elevated to a high position at a very young age, even when he does not have the ability or awareness to do so. What the future colony needs is definitely not a manager who rises to power based on past glory. What it needs is a ruler who is ruthless, wise and decisive enough."

"If it's the latter, since you and I can both foresee how he will be universally hated and how he will have to live in anonymity, since such a tragic future is so clear, then why let him be born into such a miserable world? You should know that you, me, and all of you sitting here cannot possibly remain unknown. No civilization will give up on the question of where it comes from and where it is going."

"Well, I can take it back to my place. It's not hard to find a family to adopt it." Of course, Old Xia wasn't suggesting leaving it in the new colony. The Star Alliance didn't care at all whether there was an extra baby among the rescued people, or even if it wasn't a good thing.

"Let me think about it some more." The doctor was silent for a while, and it was indeed difficult for him to make up his mind. In fact, the continuation of bloodline was not very important to him. Perhaps in his eyes, as the last ancestors, all the Terrans were his children. Since the civilization had continued, it was not important whether his own bloodline could continue.

However, Old Xia's suggestion was also very tempting. Although he himself had neither the opportunity nor the ability to witness the knowledge and prosperity of advanced civilizations, it was not unreasonable to let his descendants continue the lineage. However, he was very worried that the child would come back after learning about his origins.

With the power of an advanced civilization, or even deliberate assistance, and with a natural legal basis for rule, the Terrans, who have only recently broken free from their constraints, might soon become someone else's new colony, or even a semi-colony worse than a colony.

After careful consideration, the doctor still rejected the proposal.

"I still hope that the future of the Terrans will be decided by the Terrans themselves. Although the probability is not high, I still decide to nip this tiny threat in the bud. We have already sacrificed so much. Wouldn't it be a greater pity to give up all our efforts just for the sake of this bloodline continuation?"

"The future of Terrans should be decided by the Terrans themselves. Whether they choose to align themselves with advanced civilizations or are absorbed by them, it is the result of their own efforts and choices. Even if they are forcibly absorbed by your Covenant, at least they resisted."

"Being attacked with all our might by a powerful enemy, even if we are ultimately swallowed up, is still an honor. Being destroyed by a puppet is a disgrace. I'm getting old, isn't it time for me to pursue something more metaphysical?"

"That's true." In the eyes of the Covenant, at least in the short post-war period, what they hated more than alien scum were traitors and puppet regimes. Of course, as much as they hated them, they were ruthless in supporting such puppets.

In contrast, those who fight to the death are still given a certain amount of respect. Degrading the enemy and insulting oneself are essentially the same thing. This is why a very small number of Gaias were released. On the one hand, the Star Alliance's power at the time was insufficient to completely block every path, and on the other hand, to avoid being cornered and suffering a great loss in the final scramble.

On the other hand, this is also a reason. After fighting for a century and a half, both sides have staked their last bit of resources. It is impossible not to have some respect for such an enemy. In fact, throughout history, the Covenant has not been too demeaning of its opponents, making them seem like a bunch of clowns.

However, in a sense, they might as well be degraded to clowns by other civilizations, because at least that way, these bastards wouldn't see something that doesn't look human and their first reaction wouldn't be to pull out a gun instead of communicating.

Admiration is admiration, but drawing a gun is drawing a gun. Precisely because of admiration, one might draw a gun faster and with a larger one. Similarly, even if the people of Terra fight like the Doctor, the Covenant will probably still admire them but ultimately annex them.

The reason they haven't taken over yet is simply because they're too far away or can't spare the resources for the time being. Some even speculate maliciously: why not wait for the unripe peach to ripen on its own before picking it?

Why add flowers to brocade when you can offer charcoal in the snow?

Only when one is beaten half to death by a cosmic catastrophe will the rule from an extraterrestrial civilization not be so unacceptable.

If you're going to kill someone anyway, why not use a cosmic catastrophe instead of getting your hands covered in blood and gore yourself?

The result is that the Terrans are all carefully selected. Rather than the Covenant making the selection and causing widespread resentment, it's better for them to make their own selection, packing up their best members. Then, the Covenant's aid will be even more irresistible and harder to resist.

The professor wasn't unaware of this principle, but this was all he could do. Either the peaches would rot on the ground, or he would carefully select them, ensuring that at least a portion of the peaches, because of their careful selection and attractive appearance, could be included in luxurious packaging and placed in the most eye-catching gift boxes in the mall, fetching a good price.

In this way, at least some of the peaches can survive, or even thrive.

If we don't do that, then all the peaches will either rot or be only slightly better, and when the other party comes to pick them, there might be more peaches left over and fewer peaches selected.

If he were to choose, Terra might escape with around 2 million peaches. Considering future population growth and embryo retention, there could be 4 to 5 million peaches before the other side comes and takes them all. But if Old Xia's side comes and picks the peaches directly, Terra can only pick a maximum of 1 million peaches, and the rest will rot in the ground.

Moreover, these peaches will lose all of their Terra flavor after one generation at most, becoming unripe and unpalatable. Because they are unripe and unpalatable, they cannot fetch a good price, and the seller will not invest much manpower or resources in them.

Although Lao Xia's words and the information on the internet all prove that the Star Alliance attaches great importance to the issue of population growth, which is also their basic national policy, an old guy like Doctor who has been around for three eras will not place his hopes on others treating him like his own father.

Even if we take a step back and assume the other person is your biological father, wouldn't the father-son relationship be much more harmonious if the child is sensible?

Chapter 102 Ark of Tomorrow

Chapter 102

The Ark, "the last box is packed with people." Every available space for hibernation pods was filled with them. The main structure of the Ark was rapidly transforming from a space city into a space station. What does a space station look like? It's a place where everything above, below, and around you can be cabinets and boxes. Where there's not enough space, boxes of all sizes are secured with ropes and nets.

"The orbital station is approaching the Ark, preparing for docking." The orbital station rises in altitude and gradually approaches the Ark, where it will gradually dock with the main body of the Ark. This process will last for several months.

After completing the final securing and binding work, the Ark can then begin formal engine testing, while also avoiding the escalating solar storm.

On the ground, almost no signs of civilization could be seen on the Terran land. Beneath the rolling sea of ​​clouds, there were only deserted ruins scalded by hot water and desolate cities. The Doctor originally thought that given the Terrans' personality, if they really announced the Ark Project, something would definitely happen, so he prepared a powerful military force to directly suppress them by force.

Unexpectedly, before the apocalypse even arrived, a small disturbance before the end of the world completely threw the Terrans into disarray. Forget about seizing Ark tickets, they couldn't even maintain their own order.

The order, which was originally thought to last until the end of the first flash, was on the verge of collapse as soon as it began. This forced the Doctor to spend far more time than planned to screen and gather the population, and even caused the loss of many people who could have been brought to the Ark.

Now, it seems there's no need for any precautions. It's raining heavily from the sky, and the ground is all muddy. Apart from the elite troops who were taken to the shelter, most of the army has lost its command and organization. After all, for the nobles of Terra, as long as their servants and confidants are safe, the rest can be discarded.

When the lead sheep abandons the flock and runs away, it's only a matter of time before the entire flock scatters and is chased and killed by wolves. In fact, the fact that the order has only now completely collapsed is quite unexpected for Lao Xia.

“You don’t need to blame yourself for this. This kind of thing is very common. Humans, no matter where they are, have a limit to their ability to withstand pressure.” Old Xia inserted the needle into the doctor’s wrist.

“You were caught in a sudden disaster that no one could have predicted. Under such circumstances, human resilience was greatly enhanced because you had no time to think about anything else and were forced to act by the will to survive.”

"However, things are different here now. There's been a long preparation time. It's like a runner. When you're running, no matter how staggering or tired you are, you can still keep going. But once you sit down, it's twice as difficult to get you to stand up and run again. The Terrans have sat down to rest more than once, so unless they have immense willpower, it's simply impossible for them to stand up and run again."

The Star Alliance was no different. If they hadn't been facing machine guns from behind, they wouldn't have reached this height. If the other side had relaxed their pressure a little and given the Star Alliance a chance to sit down and rest, their achievements would have been at least half as much as they are now.

Have you chosen your administrator?

"I've made my choice." The doctor immersed half of his head in the nanofluid. The silvery-gray liquid quickly submerged his body and connected to his nervous system through the ports on his body. Now, he was the pilot and sole navigator of the Ark.

During the five-year voyage, he was the only one who needed to stay awake the entire time, constantly fine-tuning the course without the slightest slackening, and also had to endure the error and malfunction feedback collected by the neural sensors from various areas of the Ark, just like an old man on his deathbed running a marathon.

"Do you think they still have a chance?" the doctor asked after a moment of silence.

"Asking me about this is useless. Even if there is an opportunity, the chances are slim." Old Xia scratched his head. The Star Alliance is short of people, but the premise of "people" is "humans", not "humanoid wild animals".

Terra is now able to identify a little over two hundred million "people" on the Ark. If we include those "people" who didn't have the chance to board, it's already a blessing from Kazdel's several technological revolutions and the Terra World War.

The deaths of many noble sons in battle severely impacted the national ruling structure, allowing the common people to gradually replace the nobles and become the ruling force. His agricultural inventions also significantly reduced the famine in Terra and increased its industrialization, which enabled the recruitment of so many people.

According to the Covenant's classification standards, civilizations before industrialization are considered "primitive civilizations." Given the massive illiteracy and lack of education on Terra at the beginning, the Covenant viewed Terra as a minority of people and the majority as "humanoid beasts," requiring a huge effort to select them, or even abandoning that generation altogether, taking only the children and infants with them.

Now, at least Terra can still select these 200 million to 300 million "people". In order for the Ark to reach its destination and successfully complete the colony construction, all the hibernators are highly educated. Even those who did not have the opportunity to study for some reason underwent high-pressure forced learning while waiting for selection in the shelter.

If you're truly too old or simply can't keep up with the learning, then the Ark ticket is out of your reach. The Ark and the colonies aren't that they don't need manual laborers, but rather that they simply can't supply them with manual labor alone—in other words, you have to be able to do both mental and physical labor to earn a ticket.