Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"Time is running out," Lu's voice softened. "It must intercept the loggers before they discover Terra. Every minute gained increases the chances of the evacuation plan's success."

The cosmic flower began to move slowly, its petals swaying gently like a creature swimming in water. It drifted in the direction of the beam, gradually increasing in speed.

Soon, it would surpass human-perceivable speeds, completely transforming into a streak of light. This life form even allowed it to leap across space, like skipping a flat stone across water. Its presence in the material world was merely an illusion caused by the ripples of space's distortion. It was leaving to intercept the indescribable being, the all-destroying light.

——She didn't even say goodbye to them.

"We should start preparing," Lu said, his voice regaining the calm of a scientist. "The evacuation plan needs to be initiated immediately."

The doctor had returned to the console. "I'll contact the leaders of the world right away. But..." she hesitated. "How many people will believe us?"

"They will believe it," Noah clenched the key in his hand, "after all, the star pod has been broken. No one can deny the facts-"

"There is still one most crucial question... How are we going to get back to Terra?" Priseth frowned. Now they were in outer space, surrounded by the remains of the Deep Blue Tree. It would not be easy to return to the ground.

"Don't worry about that. Anna naturally thought of this when she left the remains of the Deep Blue Tree behind—" Lu shook his head. "The remaining body of the Deep Blue Tree still has strong energy. And don't you think this structure looks familiar?"

The doctor was stunned for a moment, then slapped his forehead. "...Space elevator?"

-

Not to mention how Noah and others returned to the ground through the Deep Blue Tree version of the space elevator, after discovering that the Deep Blue Tree had stopped growing, Agor immediately sent an underwater ship to check the situation. At this time, the trench where the Deep Blue Tree was located had been filled with its roots. The Deep Blue Tree formed a small island on the sea surface - a blue island. The first people to set foot on this island were Ulpian and Gloria, who volunteered.

They looked at the towering tree and for a moment they didn't even know how to describe what they saw.

At this moment, above the sea level, the pitch-black night was finally torn open by a crack - that was the rising sun. Unknowingly, the night had disappeared, and the light was rising slowly above the sea level.

This may be the first time that the Terrans have faced their own sun...

A little dazzling, but... very warm.

Chapter 57: Ark Project

Agor, Dayan, Colombia, Victoria, Lateran, Ursus - these countries that were almost impossible to sit together for consultation have gathered in Iberia for the first time today. Diplomats representing these countries are now gathering on this new island.

Many people in Terra call this towering tree "Jianmu". This term comes from Dayan, representing the sacred tree that connects heaven and earth in ancient legends. This tree has a similar effect at this time, and the name is actually quite appropriate.

At the conference center were Noah and the Doctor. By the time they landed from the trunk of the Deep Blue Tree, the entire Terra had assembled at an unprecedented scale... This efficiency was incredibly faster than ever before. After all, anyone with a discerning eye could see that things were about to change on Terra. While it wasn't possible for leaders from all nations to gather so quickly, everyone present represented the interests and will of their respective nations. This was arguably Terra's first truly equal dialogue.

The target of their conversation was Lu, who was brought to the surface by Noah and others.

Lu, the project leader for the Deep Blue Tree, a member of the Garden of Eden, and a scientist from a former civilization with an inseparable connection to the entity now separated from Terra, has instantly become the center of Terra's attention. Everyone hopes to learn the truth from her, or to gain some benefits. In this great change, Lu is the key to the key.

"Dr. Lu..., can I call you that?" The person who came on behalf of Columbia was Olivia Hemer, director of the security assurance department of Rhine Life. She came according to Saria's request. Before the meeting started, she found Noah and the doctor in advance and obtained some intelligence from them. This opportunity was rare. It was rare for the Terra countries to sit down and have a good talk, so she naturally would not miss this opportunity.

"Of course—" Lu hadn't been idle while inside the Deep Blue Tree. She had thoroughly learned Terra's language, so she spoke fluently. "Just call me Lu. Doctor Lu sounds rather strange."

"Okay, Miss Lu, I have a few questions for you." Olivia looked around and saw that the diplomats representing various countries had no intention of interrupting her before continuing, "Jianmu...that giant tree on the island we're on, what exactly is it?"

"Jianmu..." Lu tilted his head slightly, gazing through the glass dome of the conference room at the giant blue tree that soared into the sky. "Strictly speaking, it's just a wreckage. Whatever it nurtured has already left Terra."

Olivia's feathers trembled slightly as she quickly recorded this astonishing answer. Representatives from other countries in the conference hall also held their breath, afraid to miss a single word. Victoria's representative, Horn, even unconsciously leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

"Remains?" the Ursus ambassador couldn't help but interrupt, his gruff voice standing out in the quiet conference room. "Are you saying that the tree that can grow into space is just a remains?"

Lu nodded patiently. "To be more precise, it has accomplished its mission, piercing the cage that has plagued Terra for ten thousand years—and at the same time, it has also brought the true challenge to the fore. The Star Pod was once our shield, and when this shield restricts us, we should break it. This is our responsibility."

"Responsibility... In my opinion, you are truly too arrogant." At this time, Oren, Lateran's special envoy and one of the messengers of all nations, slammed the table and said, "Your civilization has left us in a mess. Then, after you appeared, you didn't contact any of our countries, nor did you try to tell us the truth. You just pierced the star pod like this. Do you know how much trouble this giant tree has caused us?"

"Trouble?" Lu looked at Oren calmly. "We are just cleaning up this mess... With all due respect, the Terran civilization is currently incapable of fighting the loggers. Regardless of whether we value you or not, we will not stop our actions because of your opinion. Arrogance... Mr. Oren, we have no obligation to consider your feelings. In fact, we are saving the world—and saving you."

"Ahem... Lu, there's no need to be so decisive, Lord Oren, what Miss Lu means is... we don't actually have real control. It's not us who really makes the Deep Blue Tree grow, but the AI ​​inside the Deep Blue Tree, Miss Anna. It has already laid out today's plan ten thousand years ago. We can't stop her, and it's impossible to stop her. In a sense... this is also force majeure." At this time, Noah could only come to smooth things over. After all, Lu also had her own pride. Although she had no opinion on the Terra civilization, it was another matter if these people wanted to point fingers at her.

Fortunately, Noah is here... Her prestige is enough to convince many people, especially since she herself is also the [Candidate for Saint] chosen by the Pope, and Oren must also respect her.

The atmosphere in the conference room gradually calmed as Lu explained. Noah noticed that Oren, though still frowning, had returned to his seat. Outside the glass dome, Jianmu's blue light filtered through the glass, casting shifting spots of light across the conference table.

"Since everyone wants to know the truth, I will explain it to the best of my ability." Lu's voice was calm and steady. "But please remember that we are facing a threat that concerns the survival of all of Terra."

"Ms. Lu, you mentioned that the Star Pod was once our shield. Could you elaborate on its function? And... what consequences will it bring now that it is broken?" Hemer continued to ask, "Especially... what should we do now?"

"The Star Pod is a protective shield left by a previous civilization, originally used to block potential attacks from lumberjacks and protect life on Terra. However, over millennia, it has begun to hinder Terra's space exploration and technological development. Your technology should have already begun exploring low-Earth orbit, but the existence of this Star Pod has limited your capabilities, forcing you to fight each other on the ground... internal friction, which is not beneficial to civilization."

It must be said that when Lu said these words, she felt quite disappointed. Terran Civilization was a civilization that emerged after human civilization. From the very beginning, it had been deeply influenced by the previous civilization. It could even be said that it was the child of the previous civilization. Lu did not look down on these children like Priseth did. She even liked them a little. However, compared to the loving mother like the Doctor who was willing to go among them, she was more like a strict father... She directly pointed out the folly of Terran Civilization still wasting its energy on the ground. Although this was also caused by the objective existence of the Star Pod, there was no doubt that if they gathered their strength... it was not impossible to break through the Star Pod.

"Especially you, Agor. You possess the technological prowess to break through the Star Pod and have absorbed the greatest legacy of previous civilizations, yet you're focused on dealing with... Haisi?" Lu's criticism didn't cease, but was directed directly at Goletia, who represented Agor at the meeting. "Foolish, incredibly foolish! You call yourselves the firstborns of civilization!"

"..." At this moment, Goletia didn't even know how to refute. After learning the truth about the Deep Blue Tree Project, they had to admit that the mutual attacks between Agor and Haisi for so many years were actually pure infighting. If they had focused on how to break through the star pod, perhaps the Terra civilization could indeed get rid of the internal friction on the ground earlier as Lu said. With the Originium industry as its foundation, the Terra civilization originally had the ability to quickly enter the space exploration age.

The result turned out to be such a situation... Agor, who claims to be the eldest son of civilization, is indeed to blame.

"Ms. Lu, you are right. We have indeed wasted too much time on Hai Si. But please understand that without knowing the truth about the Star Pod, Hai Si is the greatest threat to us."

The atmosphere in the conference room relaxed slightly at this confession. Victoria's representative, Horn, nodded thoughtfully, while the Ursus ambassador snorted in disdain.

Lu's expression softened slightly. "I understand your situation. But it's time to recognize the truth—the Haisi are not your enemies. On the contrary, they could have helped Terra have a better ecological environment and resource utilization. They were born to transform the environment. If you could live in harmony with the Haisi instead of using weapons to attack them, the Haisi should have been a boost to Terran civilization, not an ecological disaster..."

"Ms. Lu, you make a lot of sense... but please understand that to the Agor people, the Haisi pose a real threat." She raised her head, a flicker of displeasure in her eyes. "Many of my compatriots have died at their hands. We can coexist peacefully, but please respect the Agor... that's the prerequisite for peace."

The temperature in the conference room seemed to drop several degrees with this topic. Victoria's representative, Horn, coughed softly. "I don't think now is the time to assign blame. Since the Deep Blue Tree has already penetrated the Star Pod, we should discuss how to jointly deal with this... lumberjack?"

"Technology sharing." Hemer suddenly interrupted, her feathers slightly raised, "Ms. Lu, you mentioned the technology of previous civilizations. If Agor really wasted these legacies, then shouldn't these technologies now be made public to all countries?" Her eyes were fixed on Lu, and her lenses reflected the blue light of Jianmu.

The Ursus ambassador sneered. "That's easy to say. Who knows if these so-called 'legacy' are another trap?" He crossed his sturdy arms over his chest. "If the previous civilization could create something like a star pod to trap us for ten thousand years, who knows what their intentions were?"

Lu's heterochromatic eyes narrowed slightly, and she turned to the Ursus representative: "The Star Pod protected you. Without it, Terra would have been destroyed ten thousand years ago." Her voice was eerily calm. "As for technology sharing..." She paused, "The Deep Blue Tree's database is open to all countries, but only if you are able to understand it."

Lu's words plunged everyone present into silence. If this were true, then whoever could first grasp the information within the Deep Blue Tree Laboratory... might be one step ahead of the others. This would be good news for the nations of Terra. But as Lu had said—the prerequisite was that they could understand.

"Lu—let's get back to the lumberjacks. Terra must deal with the threat they pose. Terra is no longer safe." At this point, the Rhodes Island representative, the doctor, finally spoke. "During the time Anna has given us, we need to transfer Terra's manpower... through the Far North Stargate to our new sanctuary, Saturn II."

"Indeed..." Noah also spoke up, "This is also the most important point of our meeting. We need to make a decision. We need to start the Ark Project."

The Ark Project is the answer Anna left for Terra civilization.

Terra is no longer safe now. Putting all eggs in one basket is too risky. During the period of delay, Terra civilization must make a decision to head to the new shelter, Tarascone. However, the carrying capacity of the Far North Star Gate is limited, so Terra must make a decision to build an ark to pass through the Far North Star Gate and send Terra's manpower to Tarascone. As for the remaining people... Terra only has one star gate that can be used normally, so Terra will inevitably leave most of its people behind.

These people will face the threat of loggers head-on...

"The Far North Stargate is the only existing stable passage to Saturn's moon." The doctor presented their calculations to everyone present, and the three-dimensional image of the ice sheet immediately enlarged. "But each opening can only last for 48 hours, and its maximum capacity..."

"Eight hundred thousand people," Noah suddenly added, "We can only send out eight hundred thousand people... This is the limit of the Far North Star Gate."

"...Only 800,000?" However, this number obviously couldn't satisfy everyone. "800,000 people...what about the people who stay?"

"Those left behind..." Noya didn't elaborate, but the representatives were no fools and understood their meaning. "We can only send these people away. We can't build a new stargate. 800,000 people is even an optimistic number. This is one of the reasons for building the Ark. They are hope, the hope of the future."

"Da Yan can take on the responsibility of building three arks." At this time, Da Yan's representative, the Grand Master, suddenly spoke up. "This is Da Yan's commitment. Da Yan will only use the quota for two of them. As for the third, we will allocate it to countries that lack the manufacturing capabilities to select immigrants. This is my promise, Da Yan's promise. We know how difficult it is for civilization to survive, and we must shoulder the responsibility of a great power. No matter what other countries do, we, Da Yan, will submit at least three arks."

Chapter 58: Show of Hands

Three Arks——

This promise was a significant one. The sheer amount of manpower and resources required to build a single ark was enough to break the bank for many nations. Even for the powerful nation of Terra, Da Yan, it wouldn't be easy to pull out three arks at once. This statement spoke volumes.

The Ursus representative was silent for a long time, and finally calmed down and said, "Ursus can afford two arks..."

"Victoria can only afford two arks." Although Horn wanted to say something, Victoria had just suffered a disaster and could not spare more resources. This was only possible with Victoria's developed industry, which was enough to prove the strength of Da Yan.

"Three... two..." Hemer gently pushed up her glasses, her feathers trembling unnaturally. "With all due respect, this number is a drop in the bucket compared to the total population of Terra. And—" She looked around, "It seems that the powerful nations present here have already decided on the ownership of most of the quotas?"

A murmur of discussion erupted in the conference hall. Representatives from Bolivar and RemBitto exchanged uneasy glances, while Sargon's envoy slammed the table and said, "800,000 people are available, and Da Yan, Ursus, and Victoria have already taken up the capacity of seven arks. How can this be considered an equal dialogue?"

Lu sneered, her heterochromatic eyes appearing especially sharp under the lights of the conference room. "A numbers game? Do you think this is a pie-in-the-sky?" Her voice suddenly rose. "This is a ticket to escape! A chance for civilization to continue! What you need to discuss isn't fairness, but who can give humanity the greatest chance of survival!"

Noya sighed quietly, noticing that Oren's fingers had turned white from clenching his fist so tightly. As a mediator, she felt compelled to intervene again: "Everyone, I understand your sentiment. But Ms. Lu is right. This isn't just a simple resource allocation issue. Doctor, could you please elaborate on the Ark's selection criteria?"

The doctor nodded and pulled up a set of holographic data: "According to calculations, the standard crew capacity of each Ark is 100,000. Of these, 20,000 must be top experts in their respective fields—including scientists, engineers, and medical personnel." Her voice was calm and professional. "Of the remaining 80,000 places, 30,000 are allocated to healthy individuals of childbearing age between 18 and 35, 20,000 to teenagers between 12 and 18, and the final 30,000..." She paused, "It is up to each country to decide."

"Self-determination?" Gloria grasped the wording sharply. "In other words, each country must retain the ability to build at least one ark in order to ensure its 'right to self-determination'?"

"In theory... yes." The doctor did not avoid the question.

The conference hall fell into a brief silence. Jianmu's blue light filtered through the glass dome, casting shifting shadows on the faces of the representatives. The Ursus ambassador suddenly burst into laughter: "Ha! What's there to discuss? Everyone will rely on their own abilities! Anyway, our Ursus Industrial Zone can start operations tomorrow!"

"Please don't do this." Horn frowned. "Although Victoria can only afford two ships, we are willing to allocate some quotas to neighboring small countries..."

"A generous handout?" Representative Bolivar sneered. "That's always the way you big powers do. First you stake out your sphere of influence, then you hand out scraps!"

"Enough," Agor's representative, Goletia, responded coldly. "In that case, why don't we expand the quota? The current quota is only what the Far North Stargate can handle. But the Stargate is also a product of technology and can be maintained and repaired! 800,000 people is far from its limit; it's just a compromise due to years of disrepair."

"...Repair the star gate?" Perhaps only Agor, whose technological strength far exceeds that of other countries on the continent, could make such a suggestion.

"We have some Stargate technology preserved here. We are confident that we can repair and maintain the Stargates before the Great Migration arrives, maximizing the number of transfers for the Great Evacuation. However, the price of expanding the number of Stargate slots is that the nations of Terra must ensure they work together. We are facing a crisis for all of Terra, and it's pointless to fight over slots now!"

"This is indeed a bold proposal. But is it technically feasible?" Hemer did not make an immediate judgment, but asked the most important question in everyone's mind.

"Agor has preserved some of the stargate technology data from previous civilizations. According to our preliminary assessment, if we can gather Terra's top engineering teams, it's entirely possible to increase the stargate's transmission capacity to 60% of the original design within three months." Goletia was aware of the various nations' concerns, but since Agor dared to say it, it must be possible. They never boasted, and they never braggart about such matters.

"Sixty percent?" the Bolivarian representative jumped to his feet. "Does that mean…?"

"This means the number of evacuees can be increased to at least two million," the doctor continued calmly. "This is a recalculation based on the technical parameters provided by Agor."

Gasps echoed throughout the conference room. Oren's fingers drummed unconsciously on the table, his distinctive Lateran aura flickering faintly. "Two million people… that's certainly much more reasonable than eight hundred thousand. But at what cost?"

Gladia's gaze swept over each representative present. "The price is that each nation must cease its needless internal friction. We need to pool all our resources—engineers, materials, energy—to prioritize stargate repairs and Ark construction." She paused. "This means that each nation may have to temporarily set aside certain... vested interests."

Ambassador Ursus's expression darkened. "Putting aside your own interests? Is Agor overconfident? Do you think you're the ruler of Terra?"

Noya raised her hand just in time, gently but firmly interrupting the impending argument. "Everyone, let's think calmly. Lady Goletia's proposal offers us an opportunity, but it requires sacrifices from all nations. I suggest we first determine: how many nations are willing to participate in the Stargate maintenance project?"

Surprisingly, the first person to raise their hand was Victoria's representative, Horn. "Victoria is willing to provide our engineering team and some rare materials," she said in a steady, powerful voice. "This is for all of Terra. We have no choice but to do this."

The Great Yan Grand Master stroked his beard and nodded slowly. "Great Yan can also contribute three top technical teams. However..." He looked around. "I suggest establishing a joint technical committee, led by Agor, with representatives from various countries participating to ensure fair technology sharing."

"Fair?" Ambassador Ursus sneered. "Who can guarantee that certain countries won't hoard key technologies?"

"I can." Lu suddenly stood up, her voice quiet but commanding. "I will personally oversee the technology sharing process. Any country attempting to play tricks at this critical juncture..." Her gaze swept across the room like a razor, "will be excluded from the Ark Project."

"I oppose Agor taking the lead—" It wasn't just Ursus that opposed the proposal. Other countries, including Sargon and Bolivia, knew very little about Agor and found it hard to trust him to act fairly. "The Joint Technical Committee shouldn't be led by a single country."

"...That's easy." Gloria said, as if she had already known these countries would oppose it. "Then how about seeking help from a neutral organization—Rhodes Island?"

The moment Rhodes Island made this proposal, a brief silence fell upon the conference hall. The expressions of the representatives from various countries varied; some seemed thoughtful, while others were clearly weighing the pros and cons.

Ambassador Ursus was the first to break the silence, his rugged eyebrows raised. "Rhodes Island? That pharmaceutical company?" Suspicion was evident in his tone. "A group of doctors leading this kind of technological project?"

"Rhodes Island is more than just a pharmaceutical company," Glacetia responded calmly, her fingers tapping lightly on the table. "They have extensive experience in the application of Originium technology, engineering, and interdisciplinary research. More importantly—" she glanced around, "they have branches in various countries, but they never get involved in political struggles."

Hemer pushed up her glasses. Having once been a member of Rhodes Island, she naturally understood its true nature, so she offered her support, "Technically, Rhodes Island does possess this coordination capability. The international cooperation network they established after the Chernobog incident is quite comprehensive."

The Bolivarian representative hesitated, "But their scale..."

"Scale isn't a problem," the doctor suddenly interjected, her voice calm but powerful. "While Rhodes Island's core team may be small, we have a comprehensive network of partners. If we gain support from other countries, we can quickly build an engineering team of the necessary size."

Noya noticed the change in Oren's expression. The Lateran envoy seemed quite sympathetic to the proposal. She added gently, "Furthermore, as a neutral organization, Rhodes Island can ensure fair sharing of technology. I think everyone can agree on this point."

Lu suddenly stood up, her heterochromic eyes scanning the room. "I support this proposal," she said, silencing everyone. "Rhodes Island has worked with me before. They understand the dangers of pre-civilization technology and possess the necessary caution."

The atmosphere in the conference room noticeably relaxed due to Lu's endorsement. Grand Tutor Dayan stroked his beard and nodded slowly. "Dayan has no objection in principle. However, Rhodes Island's specific implementation plan needs to be clarified."

"We can submit a detailed plan within 24 hours," the doctor responded quickly, "including team composition, timeline, and resource allocation."

Sargon's representative suddenly asked, "Then the key question is - who will actually lead this committee?"

Almost at the same time, everyone's attention was focused on one person—Noah Kyrielight.

This man, who has countless titles and has left his deeds in almost every country, has become the most suitable person to be the leader of this joint technical group after weighing the pros and cons of various countries.

But what about Miss Noah herself...

"Me?" Noah pointed at himself. "How about you hire someone else...like a doctor?"

"The Doctor represents Rhodes Island and the former civilization. He cannot represent Terra today." Gloria smiled and said to Noa, "We need someone who can represent the interests of Terra as a whole. Ms. Noa is the most suitable choice. Agor agrees with this proposal."

"Can……"

"Victoria agrees to this proposal. Noah Kirilet has long been recognized by Victoria as the new Grand Duke, Grand Duke Kirilet. We have no reason to object." However, Horn had no intention of helping Noah out at this time, but instead added fuel to the fire.

"Shelagh agrees with this proposal," Enthiotis, who had been silent for a long time, said. "We have complete trust in our Honorary Saint."

"Rhodes Island also agrees with this proposal." The Doctor also felt it was appropriate. As Gloria had said, what the Terran nations needed was a representative of Terra, not a representative of a previous civilization. Noa was indeed the perfect fit.

"Colombia also agrees with this proposal." Hemer understood Noah's concerns at this moment, but who else could it be besides her? "Rhine Life has also witnessed Miss Noah's abilities before, and we have complete trust in you."

"Iberia... agrees to this proposal." Representing Iberia was Saint Carmen, with a smile on his face. Iberia owed too much to this young man. It could even be said that many cities in Iberia had received help from Noah. They had no reason to object.

"Latlan, agree to this proposal." Although Oren did not know Noah herself, the Pope had instructed him before he came that Miss Noah was a contemporary saint recognized by them and could be said to be one of the best choices.

"Kazdel agrees to this proposal." Hedley, who came on behalf of Kazdel, also raised his hand to show his agreement.

At this moment, all countries chose to agree. Except for Letania, Casimir, Ursus and other countries, almost two-thirds of the countries agreed to let Noah be the head of the technology exchange organization. Noah's appointment was almost a foregone conclusion.

"I... really am not suited for this position." Noya's voice was soft, but she knew everyone in the room heard it clearly. She noticed the doctor's encouraging look and Lu's slight nod of approval. Goletia maintained her half-smile, as if she had anticipated this outcome.