07:00 IST, Sixteenth day, Fourth month, 3079 PV | System City Stelarum / Planet City Stelarum / Future site of the City Stelarum
[Over Comms] “Psst, Darling Ko. This is soooo cool, it feels like we are in some movie.”
“Darling, has none of this before felt like a movie?”
“Nah, it's felt like an anime. Also, I can see you, I'm waving, can you see me?”
I spy Ray via an auxiliary eye drone, she is super cute by the way, over the field we are currently standing in. We are on our chosen planet and are preparing for the big event. We (and by which I mean all the trained professionals) have cleared a massive space of grassland near the equator of the planet to anchor the space elevator.
This will soon become the hub of this planet, City Stelarum.
Also, the de facto seat of our faction. So it's a massive undertaking. Apparently anchoring the giant space elevator is no simple business.
“Yep, I can see you. These drones are super cool. It's like I can have extra eyes to scout and observe everything that happens nearby.”
“Grr, how lucky that you can manage four of them at once! I can only use one. I wish I could have one to permanently have an eye on your supercute face.”
“I mean, you could. But I think there are more important things to look at. Like your supercute face.”
I can see Ray’s supercute blush from kilometers away. This technology sure is cool. I can only imagine how useful it'd be on a battlefield. Not being constrained to physical sight limitations. I could take in every aspect of a battlefield and coordinate some awesome strategies with perfect flexibility.
“Aww, but your face is super important too!”
“Not as cool as yours. Or look, there is a Kelin over there!”
Note: Kelin are those strange elephants/giraffes we saw from orbit. They are quite tall and super cool. They wander in massive herds grazing across the fields of this planet.
It just so happens we are about to destroy a significant portion of their natural ecosystem. Don't worry though, we plan to farm them as livestock. The scientists say they will make some great meat and hides.
Also, it's been about two days since we announced the name. I should mention that this planet is extremely earthlike. It has about 7.8m/s^2 gravity The days are ~24 hours and the years are 360 days. Though, I think I will stick to IST format for time. As it would get quite annoying to convert times constantly. Plus it'd undoubtedly create a few temporal anomalies in my journal.
It does have some pretty major storms though. But we will easily remedy those with some weather control devices that we have been provided with. The IEC didn't give us an absurd amount of things, but they did give a decent amount of QoL things. Plus, we can in theory acquire more once we start making an output.
“Helloooo, darling. Stop spacing out.”
I jump at the voice that is suddenly right next to me.
At my side is Ray, looking super duper cute. By the way, she has her hair in a ponytail, which is super cute. Though how she normally just leaves it down is super cute too. She is just super duper cute, no matter what she does.
“Geez, don't sneak up on people. I'm getting up in my years now, what If I’d have gotten a heart attack?”
“Well, then I just have to use my electric personality to restart your heart.” She mimes a heat symbol with her hands. It's very cute and charming.
I lean over and sneak a quick kiss. Though I retreat before she can get her talons into me.
“Meanine, why do you gotta tease so much?”
“Well, if I didn't just tease you, we would end up missing the anchoring.”
“Hmm, fair enough. Though you better make it up to me later *huff*.”
“I feel like I would be even if I didn't tease you.”
“Well, that's just because I've trained you so well, darling Ko.”
“Pardon my interruption, your lordships. But I believe the Deliverer has synced into position and is ready to drop the base station. If you would, could you please step away from the blast site?” Says Emil. He has really taken to this whole managing a city thing. If I didn't need him with me, I would be tempted to just leave him as a full time governor.
Speaking of governors, we will need to select one eventually. After all, we've got other shenanigans to plan, we can't always manage this place. But I guess that can come in time.
Also, I think I forgot to mention. We, along with several thousand staff have come down to the planet to scout and prepare it for anchoring and other colonization procedures. All the staff are wearing their uniforms, it looks very cool. Almost as though we are some official governmental body or something.
Oh wait, we are a governmental body.
Ray grabs my hand and tugs me in the indicated direction. Her face has a brilliant smile on it.
“Are you excited for the big event?”
“You sure betcha! I ain't never seen one of these alien space elevators come into operation. Though I did get to watch a human one come online back on Mars on a university trip.”
“Hmm, are they that special?”
“Well you see, Mr NEET. They are critical pieces of infrastructure that allow for economies of scale to practically get materials in and out of atmospheres. Without them, much of what humanity, or any alien empire, has achieved wouldn't be possible. They are simply such major force multipliers for industry.”
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Guess that makes sense. Ms. Genius Prodigy Superstar. It's much easier to move the materials to where the people are easily located rather than struggling to create habitation for people where the materials are.”
“Exacty, the first space elevator… [supercute nerd rant about the first conceptual space elevators, etc.]”
Vel (broadcast all across the planet):”Attention all native lifeforms upon the Planet City Stellarum. This is The AI aboard the Deliverer Galactic Freighter.
Please clear out of this blast area that shall be clearly marked. All lifeforms within shall be mercilessly killed upon anchoring of our space elevator. Also, any rights that you should have will now be forfeit under IEC treaty 1040. Your entire being will be under the full jurisdiction of Lord Kovon Ducker and Lady Rayleigh Inan as the new lords of this Planet.
If you have any objections, you have fifteen seconds remaining to send a rejection appeal to your nearest IEC Legal office. Which is located in a system about two hundred fifty three million lightyears from this planet at [coordinates].
You have been given two of this planet’s days to do so. Failure to send in proper paperwork will result in an admission of subservience to your new lords.”
”Woah, I feel like I once read a similar message in some old book.”
“Yeah, I think so too. But it must've been from the last century. I can't quite remember the name.”
We have successfully moved away from the blast site.
I look up into the sky and can barely see the massive ship all the way out in its surface-stationary orbit. It is a faint glitter, but I can definitely tell it's there. To think that even such a large ship is so absurdly small compared to this planet. Really puts into perspective just how nice of a life humans had back on Earth.
But, humans are greedy.
Thus, we must reach for the stars, and beyond.
“Woah, Ko, can you see that!?”
“What is it that has caught your eye, darling Ray?”
“That projectile looking thing! It's coming right toward us!”
“Dont worry, Milady. That is merely the space elevator hook coming down. We are estimating that it will impact in about twenty seconds. So please brace your legs a bit. Minor seismic activity is expected.” says one of the scientists standing nearby.
“Wait, what do you mean minor seismic activity?”
I don't get an answer. The hook impacts the ground and the entire world rumbles.
I lose my footing and nearly fall onto my behind. Thankfully though, Ray (who is super cute) catches me.
The world shakes in a massive quake. In front of us it appears as though the ground itself has become liquid and is moving in a large wave. Followed quickly by a massive dust cloud.
“Standby, might get a bit rocky when the main shockwave hits the shielding.”
All around us, a beautiful repulsor shield goes into effect. Just in time to absorb the impact from the giant wave of ground.
“Ko, this is sooo cool!” Ray shouts over the cacophony of solid materials crashing all around us.
“Yeah, but I think I’ll avoid anymore tsunamis of rock and stone in the future.”
“Wow, what a wimp. Though, you're a super cute wimp, so I guess I can love you lots.”
“Im not sure if that's an insult or a compliment. Or whether or not I should be offended and demand you put me down. Or reach up and steal a kiss.”
“Why not all of them?”
She then proceeds to kiss me. Not that I mind or can ever object to such actions. But this is quite a scene.
Two contestants for the future rulers of humanity. The Lords of this planet we are on.
They are sitting in the middle of a bubble of air, in the midst of a gigantic tsunami of rock and stone. And what do they do?
They start making out.
On another note, I've heard rumors of the princess-style carry being super comfortable. But I can now confirm those rumors as absolutely true. I get to be nestled against Ray! Plus she doesn't have free hands to stop my own from going wherever they wish.
An undetermined amount of time passes.
“Umm, sorry to interrupt your time milord and milady. But, the tsunami has passed and we are ready to proceed with the colonization at your command.”
I detach myself from Ray (who is super cute) and stand on my own two feet. True enough, the tsunami and giant dust cloud are gone. The brilliant star is radiating its beautiful light down upon us once again.
In the distance, I can see what can only be the space elevator hook.
For several kilometers on each side it looks like a wasteland. Full of craters and dead terrain.
“Holy kek, it's like we detonated a nuke! Are you folks sure this isn't against any environmental regulations?”
“Well you see, milady. There haven't been any environmental regulations established, given that this planet currently has no governmental structure.”
“That's genius! Whoever came up with that idea needs a raise. That's the level of thinking that we need in this colony.”
A woman from the assembled staff raises her hand. “Pardon me, milady, but It was I that made that point.”
“Hmm, what is your name, miss?” She says this as though she is talking to someone much younger, which is quite hilarious, cause the woman is at least twice our age.
“Name’s Lind-”
“Nice to meet ya, Lind. Hey Ko, how should we promote her?”
“Why don't we appoint her as future environmental protection minister? We haven't found one of those yet.”
“Great idea! Congratulations Miss Lind. you are now the environmental protection minister for City Stelarum!”
“It is a great honor, milady, but my name is-”
“Now now, onto the next thing. Ko, what's next?”
“Im not sure, Mr. scientist guy, what's next?”
“Well at your command we shall begin fixing up the land so that we can properly establish the core buildings. As well as begin construction of the elevator rail to connect the anchor station to the spaceport portion.”
“Well then, whatcha folks waiting for? You really think darling Ko and I wouldn't tell you to start? Get to work!”
Immediately, the thousands of workers and drones scurry over the land. Also, there are a few autonomous robots that we managed to get our hands on. Patching it up and in what seems like a feat of magic, turning it back to almost how it was. Though without grass and with some marked off sections. Presumably areas designated for important buildings.
A bunch of gigantic drones also drop into the atmosphere carrying gigantic rail segments, they must be around a kilometer in length. Then proceed to attach them to the anchoring station and build a rail all the way up into space. Presumably connecting with the ship, or I guess now station, in orbit.
Vel [Broadcast across planet]:”Attention all residents of newly registered Planet City Stelarum. This planet is now officially marked as colonized and early procedures are now to begin. All residents are to immediately report to the anchor point to receive official identification cards. The space elevator will be operational momentarily, cars are scheduled to depart and arrive every two minutes for the foreseeable future.”
“Ko, I think this means we officially own a planet, right?”
“Id say so, I guess I should start addressing you as Queen Ray, right?”
“Hmm, then I'd have to say King Ko. Let's just stick with darling. It's far cuter to say.”
Well, as official rulers of a planet, I'm sure Ray (super cute by the way) and I shall overcome anything that comes our way, together. So, bring it on.
End of Chapter 60
Next: Chapter 61 | City Stellarum
