When the Petrachelys issued its command, the drone clusters in different parts of the universe responded. They began to rapidly form a huge, ultra-high-speed data link. There were tens of thousands of drones, some of which were drawing star charts tens of billions of light years away, some building bases on desolate dark planets, others setting up posts and factories in space. Now, except keeping their fundamental functions going, they all stopped what they were doing and reorganise themselves to lay a massive communication network in the vast space.
Drones had limited bandwidth, so they all switched to the ‘weaving nest’ mode that was capable of ultra-high-speed data transfer. This mode would shorten the distance between drones but improved the efficient of data transfer. The drones became a relay network between Planet Zorm and CARS when they deployed their silvery white antennas in the cold, lifeless universe linking one to the other and waiting for the transfer of 1.6 billion souls.
The drones had just arrived above Planet Zorm but they already began to form a large antenna array swiftly but orderly. The large drones shinning in silver and white, shaped like a spaceship, were hovering over the imagery line between the star and Planet Zorm. They had assembled the large antennas they brought out from the drone base into a giant radio dish of one-kilometre radius. Drones were flying around to secure the antennas and power system in place before fixing themselves in the antenna slots. The minds of the drone clusters were directing all these complex and precise tasks; they were more flexible and efficient than any human spaceships were.
As the antenna array took shape, it refracted the dazzling light of the stars off its panels.
On the flight deck, Hao Ren was nervously monitoring the progress. But at the same time, he was worried about the situation on Zorm. The planet had just gone through another devastation as its sun had again ripped apart the planet’s crust; the refuge and the First Born were almost visible from the outside. The MDT might be the calmest of the lot. It dutifully reported the progress. “The drone link is eighty percent complete and will be ready in an hour. The spacecraft’s relay system is also in standby and read for action.”
The Petrachelys was hovering over the grey line of Planet Zorm, watching every moment of the sun burning the planet. Drones had gathered around the spacecraft, busily fixing themselves to the belly of the spacecraft and connecting instrument around the antenna of the spacecraft. The instrument looked like some kind of pipes and robotic arms. Part of the armoured belly of the Petrachelys was laid bare and exposing its complex internal. An ad hoc modification to the spacecraft was needed in order to retrofit a set of relay.
The MDT did have opinion regarding this. It warned, “I must emphasise that this is not in compliance with the safety practices.”
As the communication link took shape gradually, Zorm again ushered in its third round of sunrise. The world had twelve hours left.
People were pacing the flight deck anxiously. Even the tech idiot Nangong Sanba was on tenterhooks. Rollie who was clues of what happened initially began to sense the uneasy atmosphere as she quietly curled herself up under a chair. Hao Ren rested his hands on the console, waiting for the drones to complete the network.
At last, an ever-changing face appeared on the screen, it was the virtual interface of the drone clusters. The face reported in a cold, mechanical voice. “The drone’s data link is complete. Ready for transmission.”
“Ten more minutes,” the MDT said suddenly while showing the situation on the dark side of Zorm on the hologram. “Wait for the sun to set. The data link interface will have six hours of stable connection.”
The MDT rendered two shades of colours on Planet Zorm on the hologram. The sunny side was red while the dark side was blue. A round spot with a radius of a quarter of the radius of the planet was on the equator and was now entering the grey line into the dark; this was the ‘data release port’ that the First Born had mentioned. The people of Zorm had built it before they entered the virtual world; a soul transmission port they planned to use for their return to reality eventually. Hao Ren’s plan was to connect the Petrachelys to the transmission port and extract the data of the souls. During the process, the data release port would inevitably be exposed to the high temperature on the surface. The Petrachelys could withstand the temperature but not the organs of the First Born. If the data transfer happened during the day, the transmission would not be stable.
The MDT had done the math; it accurately calculated the speed of Planet Zorm’s rotation and the construction of the drone link. The data link was ready ten minutes before the ‘data release port’ crossed the grey line into the night.
The furious sea of fire receded behind the grey line under their watchful eyes. As the sun set, this side of the planet, darkness set in at the exact spot at the exact moment.
Hao Ren quickly said into the comm. “Open the data release port!”
A word showed up on the monitor. “Understood,” said the First Born.
Then Zorm began to ‘bloom’.
Just like a flower bud blooms, a spot on the equator suddenly rose up, and then the crust and semi-molten rock began to peel outward. Around the ‘blooming’ petals were living tissues pushing the crust out; the tentacles of the First Born was the force that caused the ‘bloom’ of the planet.
The scene looked magnificent in space. It was hard to imagine how the First Born had done this spectacular feat to the planet.
“This is a mature First Born…” Lily stared wide eyed in amazement, her voice a little quivering. “The ones in Holletta seem like kids in comparison.”
“There is no time to marvel,” Hao Ren said as he quickly issued another instruction. “The planet will weaken further when the crack is fully opened. It may collapse sooner than we thought. MDT, let all systems go online. It’s now up to you guys, drones!”
The Petrachelys carrying a bunch of ad hoc instrument with it quickly swooped down towards the ‘data release port’ in the crack. All the antennas of the drone clusters were deployed at the same time. By now, the massive ‘data release port’ on Zorm began to reveal itself.
It was difficult to describe in words. Living tissues, cables, and liquid and gas pipes entangled together like a human heart, just in a larger scale. It looked like the planet was pushing out its own heart as an ocean of red fluid was surging around the port. No test tube was needed, because Hao Ren had recognised it instantly; it was the lifeblood.
The people of Zorm might have planned to use the lifeblood for rebuilding the ecosystem and their own flesh. But, it never materialised.
The lifeblood rushed toward the living tissue around the ‘data release port’ and began to boil as soon as it was exposed. The Petrachelys was already low above the ‘heart of the planet’ as drones brought plugs and cables.
Hao Ren’s eyes fixed at the monitor. He had almost forgot to breathe during the few seconds of critical moment until a message popped up on the screen. “Connection established.”
The MDT was heard on the comm, “Transfer begins.”
Hao Ren nodded and turned to ask through the comm. “How do you feel over there?”
The First Born responded with a line of text ‘very good’ on the comm.
Nangong Wuyue saw the text and was surprised. “Is this really the First Born talking?” she asked.
“I was as surprised as you at first,” Hao Ren said. He knew what was in Nangong Wuyue’s mind. He smiled and continued. “This is how a rational First Born like; it’s a very gentle guy.”
Hearing what Hao Ren said, Vivian said thoughtfully, “That’s the reason why a gentle creature could become so violent when it leans the murder of its Mother. How do you plan to explain the fall of the Goddess to it, Mr. Landlord? It seems… It’s still in the dark.”
Hao Ren shook his head with a forced smile. “We will cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“Sooner or later it is about to find out. We should tell it,” Lily looked at Hao Ren with a serious face. “Probably we do it as euphemistically as possible.”
Hao Ren nodded silently and turned to look at the scene outside.
This was the final day of Zorm.