There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

I suddenly noticed his strange behavior and immediately shouted at the top of my lungs across the snowfield—this was the last resort I could use, but I didn't expect to be led by the nose by this old bastard again with just a few words.

Dolby Digital surround sound spread in all directions, and a massive avalanche rushed down from the plateau, arriving in an instant with a deafening, tremor that seemed about to engulf Berthold's location.

"What that man couldn't do back then, we'll do today... What this world needs isn't magical food, powerful weapons, or a thriving population... but the chance to touch the blue sky..."

His voice trailed off, and in that instant, the ground beneath Bertholdt's feet collapsed, swallowing up all traces of him.

Chapter 528 Opening the Gates of Hell

Mr. Marcus, I have found a design document as you requested.

Sharon Whitestone suddenly typed a line of text on the screen and then projected a complex design drawing in front of me.

After Sharon Whitestone took control of the system, it became fully functional, but his authority wasn't much higher than mine.

He was able to rescue me from the Dead Hand system by forcibly accessing the Astra planetary ecological management system and shutting down a process that was halfway through its operation.

However, everything it does must adhere to all the principles of the system and be user-centric. It's like how you might allow a computer to crash, blue screen, or throw various runtime errors, but you would never tolerate it tampering with data, erasing traces, or treating people like monkeys.

Unable to access higher-level privileges, Sharon Whitestone could only provide clues from the system's subtle traces, fulfilling his role as a smart terminal.

"Search on public servers as well, see if there are any idiots using WeChat Moments like a diary, find any usable clues!"

This kind of person...

It's something that will exist in every era, right?

[Received, in progress.]

I focused intently on the design document. It referred to gravity and ecosystems as the "Dual Gods" project, and this concept was implemented throughout the entire colonial fleet.

In the early stages of cosmic expansion, the most common form of colonization was dandelion-style colonization. Starting with a center of civilization, colonies would radiate outwards to find footholds, and once mature, they would expand further, gradually increasing the area of ​​exploration and filling the gaps in the universe.

Until one day, perhaps after a certain technology reaches a critical point, the colonization model will become a planetary springboard model.

If a planet with stable light and heat and a pristine atmosphere can be found, surgical modifications can be made to create a habitable environment. This would include standard templates for vegetation and animal populations, and the civilization of the home planet could be quickly replicated for colonization of the next location.

This "Dual God" plan may also be a variant of the colonial era, with the idea of ​​using the "Astra" planetary ecological management system and the "Atlas" planetary gravity tuning device to adjust and modify the internal and external environment of the planet and build a planet-scale colony.

Although this method requires high technical expertise and resources, it is still cheaper and safer than the Dyson sphere solution.

But the environment is only one of the conditions for the survival of civilization; what is more important is how to continue civilization on this planet.

Human reproduction, based on eugenics, differs from the wide-casting methods of fish, and the same applies to interstellar colonization. Therefore, interstellar colonization is not a Robinson Crusoe-style project starting from scratch.

On the contrary, such colonizations bring with them massive amounts of resources and technological equipment, possessing the ability to replicate an entire industrial system within a short period of time.

In the original "Dual God" plan, the fleet would first suspend the supplies and machinery it carried in space orbit, and the advance personnel would land on the ground lightly to carry out modifications, preventing abnormal substances on the ground and atmospheric corrosion from damaging these important supplies.

The transformation of the planet's environment may take decades. During this time, the two massive planetary-level devices will reconstruct their exteriors using magma and other materials from the Earth's core to slow down aging. Their interiors will serve as a base to ensure the production and living needs of the personnel.

Only after the ecological environment and gravity coefficient have been adjusted will ground personnel release signals to guide the equipment in the satellite orbit to land at the designated location.

From this point on, the pioneering mode was replaced by the building mode, marking the official occupation of this planet.

"Judging from the level of civilization on this planet, and considering the myths and legends Bertholdt spoke of, it seems that the second part of this 'Dual God' project was never carried out and went directly into the petrification stage, which also caused the descendants of the researchers to completely degenerate into tribal savages..."

Could the opportunity Bertholdt was referring to be obtaining the supplies and equipment in space?

Judging from the list, these facilities cover mineral mining, energy refining, module manufacturing, machine factories, prism defense structures, and a complete set of technological industries. If we can acquire them, Bertholdt's vision of revival could indeed be realized...

[A log file was found, but it is unencrypted. Do you want to view it?]

(?ω?)！

I told you so!

Such people will exist in every era!

"Open it, open it! This feeling of spying on other people's WeChat Moments is so nostalgic..."

[Received, keyword filtering complete, reordering in progress...]

…………

[Message sent 1216 years ago: All the brother fleets have found their target planets, and we're still wandering. The planet the Havoc Marauder occupied should have been ours first! I knew we should have overtaken them at that intersection!]

[A message sent 1203 years ago: Why is this galaxy so desolate? Our fleet has sailed to depths no one has ever reached before, but the findings are disappointing. Upon arriving in this region, we find only shattered stars and chaotic meteorites everywhere. We wonder when we will find a foothold?]

[Message sent 1181 years ago: This is our first piece of good news since we set out! Hidden in this junkyard-like, nameless star system is a beautiful glass bead! All we have to do is carefully navigate the obstacles and proceed according to plan…]

[A message released 1180 years ago: The first batch of engineers has landed. The excessive amount of combustible gas in the atmosphere caused a slight deviation in their landing, but this can be corrected. The engineering corps will complete the installation of the 'Dual God' system before we, the technical staff, can operate it. This once again proves that the ecosystem is the right path! Those who play with rubber bands and marbles will never understand!]

[Message posted 1179 years ago: I have never seen such an ugly creature! Note: This statement is not directed at Captain Nick Dempsey; please do not forward it maliciously.]

[Message posted 1177 years ago: I haven't gone into hibernation for two years, just to finish the modifications. The Astra planetary ecosystem management system is very efficient; with just a little more effort, the lovely flora and fauna of our home planet will be able to live with us. PS: The climate and geology have been frequently abnormal lately—the gravitational group must be up to something again.]

[Message posted 1173 years ago: An earthquake destroyed the nature reserve I painstakingly built. Today I went to confront the Gravity Group. But the gate was locked, yet I could hear shouting outside. Did they secretly install a Less chip? I'll ask the captain tomorrow—I want one too!]

[A message released 1172 years ago: Earthquakes are becoming increasingly frequent, and the resulting tsunamis have swallowed three small coastal islands! The Gravity Group remains closed to us! With the captain's permission (note! permission was granted!), our Ecology Group is conducting surveillance using nanobots. But all day long, the people inside are either looking up at the sky or drilling into the ground, never speaking to each other; the atmosphere is very strange.]

[A message posted 1172 years ago: What's underground?! What is it?! What did those people dig up?! Why do they all say something is approaching?! Stop!]

[Message posted 1170 years ago: Following on from the previous message, thank you to all my naval colleagues for your concern. My mental health treatment is complete, and discharge tests show that apart from paranoia and obsessive-compulsive disorder, I have no other mental health issues. Thank you also for the peanuts you brought during your visits, but I have emphasized many times that I am severely allergic to nuts!]

[A message released 1169 years ago: I am puzzled by the missing memories, and no one from the Gravity Group has answered my inquiries. But I vaguely remember seeing something strange on the surveillance footage... The planetary environmental terraforming is nearing completion, and our home, which we have longed for for half a century, is finally about to become a reality!]

[A message posted 1168 years ago: I remember now! Long before they stubbornly drilled to a depth of over 8000 meters, eerie howls echoed from the deep well. When they reached 10000 meters, these howls became increasingly frequent! Strange gases emerged! Strange creatures appeared! The Gravity Team is all dead! Ghosts! Walking corpses! Puppets that were devoured after opening a tunnel to hell! The screams of death emanate from the underground passage! The stench of decay spreads from the pit! I went mad the day I heard one! No one could possibly have survived!]

[Message issued 1168 years ago: Evacuate! Evacuate immediately! After a vote by the thirteen members of the ecology team, we have decided to leave this place and go wherever you like!]

[A message posted 1168 years ago: Something is chasing us! Spread the word! Spread the word! Terror comes from hell, demons descend from the sky! Whoever sees my message in space orbit, leave this place immediately!]

The log ended abruptly there, but I suddenly slapped my thigh and roared, "Shiraishi, find a way to break into Bertholdt's side. I must get in touch with him!"

…………

Bertholdt, who had mastered the gravity tuning device for the planet "Atlas," strolled through the warm corridor, the soft lights gradually brightening as he walked. On the research lab tables on either side, there were still leftover breakfast breads from years ago, now mutated into an unknown substance.

My voice suddenly rang out: "Berthold! Don't move! The original ecological engineering has encountered an inexplicable problem!"

The ghostly voice didn't frighten him. The stubborn old man smiled and said, "You saw that log too? That man told me about it and even took me face to face with those creatures. To be honest, those were just creatures driven into the abyss in the last era... What are they compared to priceless knowledge?"

[Mr. Marcus, through database analysis, I can confirm the existence of subterranean organisms. Many of them have migrated underground due to habitat destruction. Analysis of the organization's circulating filtration system logs also confirms that the mass extinction accident during the Gravity Drilling mission was caused by a leak of toxic gas from underground.]

I said firmly, "It's absolutely not that simple! I've seen horrors that are unimaginable to ordinary people! You'll regret doing this!"

You guys don't know anything!

How can I explain that I don't lack confidence in him, but rather in myself?

Whenever I encounter something inexplicable, it always seems to escalate to the worst possible outcome!

There has never been an exception!

I am proud!

Bertholdt walked briskly into the control room and spoke to the air, "You are all too weak, unable to even accept sacrifice. These pains are unavoidable. His weakness cannot redeem all of humanity, but I can... I have seen far too many deaths more pointless, ignorant, and meaningless than this, do you understand?"

Seeing him walk up to the control panel, he said, "I've already calculated it. The gravity adjustment back then was just one small step away... This small step requires drilling a little deeper, penetrating the Mohorovičić discontinuity, so that the gravity generator can be deployed underground... to complete the final step... and wait for the gift from heaven to arrive..."

"What if a monster really appears underground? How will you deal with it?" I demanded.

Bertholdt smiled and said, "Isn't the ecosystem management system you're in the best way? The ecosystem could drive out subterranean creatures once in the past, and it can do it a second time today. I originally wanted to do both things at the same time... I've calculated it all, there won't be any problems..."

"You madman! If your plan goes wrong, the whole world will be doomed!"

“You will eventually make a choice… just like me…” Bertholdt murmured listlessly.

Is this insane?

If the "Astra" planetary ecological management system is activated according to his plan, then before all the monsters that escaped are killed, Gray and his crew, along with the Brownpool tribe, will all be wiped out!

"Shiraishi, make the system stop receiving all his commands. If you can't do that, let me unplug the power cord for you!"

[Mr. Marcus, I can abort the command using redundant data overflow, just like before...]

Hmm, he seems very scared?

Pshaw, I cut off his power quite a few times back in the day!

"You don't understand the pain of being abandoned by our ancestors... and the despair of barely surviving in the wilderness... If we had never looked up at the sky, we would never have known that it was once our future... Perhaps I should lower my head... but I can't... because my brother Astra was looking up at the sky before he turned to stone!!!"

The person in front of me was completely obsessed. Despite the fact that the ground around him was littered with strangely shaped, desiccated corpses, he still couldn't stop himself from doing stupid things and kept operating the control panel.

What I see as a warning from a thousand years ago, he sees as the folly of his ancestors and the womanly kindness of the wise king and chieftain.

Whether it's his own experiences or the records left by his ancestors a thousand years ago, he is determined to find the future that he "should have".

You can't reason with a madman; I can only wait to break free and use my fists to bring him to his senses. I have ten minutes left before I escape from the Astra planetary ecological management system. Now, I have to figure out a solution myself. Besides the suicidal plan, there must be another way!

"White Stone, we can't waste any more time! Can you send a message down to the camp and the Brown Pool tribe? I need to warn them first!"

[Okay, Mr. Marcus, the acoustic matrix setup is expected to be completed within one minute.]

…………

A minute later, Gray, who was in a difficult standoff at the foot of the mountain, and all his allies and enemies present, suddenly heard a strange voice ring out in their ears.

The voice repeatedly said, "Hello, hello, hello," "Can you hear me?" "Is the microphone working properly?" "This is CCTV," "The Young Pioneers Broadcasting Room is now broadcasting."

Most of the people in the room were frightened, while a small minority of them looked delighted.

Most of the people asked each other if they had heard any strange noises, while a small number of people said with smiles, "Seven X has finally returned."

Sharon Whitestone had already shown me the diagram, and I knew exactly what was going to happen next. I saw this in the footage transmitted back by the nanobots, and only then did I feel reassured enough to continue.

"Please don't panic. It's perfectly reasonable for martial arts masters to be able to use telepathy..."

My first words left them looking at each other in bewilderment.

I said in an extremely serious tone, "In the name of Lord Shafulin of the 'Ancient' Group, I ask you all to give me face! I urge everyone to put aside their prejudices and unite to face this unknown catastrophe!"

As if to provide a footnote to my words, just as I finished speaking and everyone was still wondering, a tremendously astonishing tremor suddenly emanated from the eastern peak of Mount Corilo, and a plume of white smoke shot out from the mountaintop, soaring straight into the boundless clouds!

"If you panic at this little scene, most of you will be scared to death in a moment... The ground will shake violently soon, and strange things will crawl out from underground!"

"Everyone, retreat to your positions to avoid falling into the cracks in the ground!"

The earth continued to tremble, and the land at the foot of the mountain suddenly bulged up a large section of the surface before settling back into the earth. Under such an impact, the land was torn into countless pieces by the powerful force, revealing countless cracks that quickly spread to their feet.

At this point, they had no choice but to believe it. Several of the faster-reacting corps quickly moved, leaping towards safer areas and crossing the widening chasm, not caring whether those around them were enemies or friends.

The earth didn't stop shaking; an even greater tremor occurred underground. I can imagine, with my eyes closed, a drill piercing the sky, starting again after a thousand years, charging towards the place where it had failed last time!

But the next moment, the inertial stabilizer and the internal structure of the nanofiber of the gravity tuning device all aged and overloaded. The entire Corilo Mountain seemed to have stepped into a trap. The eastern side suddenly sank into a bottomless abyss. The soil kept disappearing from it, the ground collapsed and disintegrated, and expanded into an indescribable huge pit!