Chu's rage was overwhelming.
It couldn't devise a counterstrategy.
It couldn't think of one; it was like a student or child trying to defeat their master or father—difficult, impossible to achieve quickly.
It required time, but Gas wouldn't give it any.
Chu was forced to resort to desperate measures.
"Can life overcome Gas?"
"This is the second great leader; it controls everything."
The Olive Branch Civilization also had a first great leader, but Chu, after awakening, learned that the first great leader's existence had seemingly been erased.
Chu had suspected that the first and second great leaders weren't harmonious; the second great leader, Gas, had likely eliminated the first and seized complete control.
Chu's absence from Gas Station was lengthy; this occurred during that time.
The Olive Branch Civilization's development wasn't always this slow; two opposing factions existed. Now, progress had stagnated—stability or stagnation.
Perhaps this was a contributing factor.
Chu felt no apprehension about conquering Gas; it was a criminal against the civilization.
Countless warships advanced towards Gas Station.
Approximately 300 years later, Gas detected this information.
Gas quickly activated its weapon system—the super-gravity weapon. The Federation believed it only targeted stars, but it was initially developed as a defensive weapon.
This explains its complexity.
Numerous black hole generators were deployed in space; Gas opened wormhole connections; thousands of wormholes were activated, creating a chaotic gravitational field around Gas Station.
Chu's fleet found it impossible to enter.
The super-gravity weapon didn't need to maintain wormhole stability. Once opened, wormholes, though unstable, wouldn't close immediately; long-term energy consumption wasn't excessive.
"Gas has activated super-gravity shielding; entry requires a direct assault."
After careful consideration, Chu decided on a direct assault.
It couldn't wait for Gas Station to stabilize before using Annihilation Bloom; time was limited.
The enemy was stronger; any opportunity had to be seized.
This wasn't a mindless charge; it required analyzing the gravitational field's weaknesses to find the safest path.
This took seven years; a relatively safe path was found—a section with malfunctioning gravity generators.
These generators were well-hidden; otherwise, Chu would have destroyed them directly.
Approximately 6 million warships, under Chu's command, began traversing the gravitational anomaly.
The gravitational forces within the anomaly weren't individually strong, but their combined effect created significant problems for the warships; hulls were quickly distorted, and equipment malfunctioned due to fluctuating gravitational forces.
For instance, energy containment equipment; all matter interacts with gravity, including photons. This equipment required extremely stable energy; fluctuating gravity caused imbalances and damage.
This was the super-gravity shield's greatest strength.
Before even 10,000 warships had entered, several lost contact, pulled toward a gravitational point; then, another stronger point attracted them, creating chaotic movement.
Chu remained impassive.
Having chosen sacrifice, losses wouldn't deter the assault. Otherwise, there would be no chance of victory.
However, the warships' lifeforms panicked; they were independent entities, not protected by Gas Victory's immortality.
They questioned their near-immortality; why die?
The Olive Branch Civilization had no descendants; the notion of dying for future generations was meaningless.
Not all entities understood the importance of the civilization's future.
Chu said, "You're confused because you've forgotten the 100,000, 200,000 years of control under Gas Victory."
"We once believed Gas could achieve everything, leading our civilization to its peak. That's why we entrusted everything to it."
"But it hasn't fulfilled that promise. Look, it's been nearly 300,000 years; what are we now? Our civilization remains confined to a corner of the star system; our territory hasn't expanded significantly."
"This is a disgrace to our civilization. Do you understand?"
"Perhaps not, but I'm telling you: if we don't defeat Gas and destroy Gas Victory, we'll be trapped in this cycle—controlled by Gas, our memories erased, our lives dictated."
"Do you want to return to that?"
Of course not.
A lifeform asked, "Wouldn't it be better to escape?"
Chu replied, "This is our civilization, our home. Why should we flee?"
Indeed!
This was theirs.
To flee would be absurd.
Chu's words made many lifeforms understand their goal: reclaiming control of the civilization.
Once the goal was established, faith emerged.
Chu acknowledged this was control; it disliked it but needed it.
Gas was the root cause.
The fleet entered the gravitational anomaly; countless gravitational forces destroyed hundreds, thousands of warships. Stellar gravity wasn't as weak as expected, especially in a confined area.
Three years later, the fleet broke through the blockade and entered Gas Station's vicinity.
They were less than a light-year from Gas Station—in the outer layer of its star system; the super-gravity shield wasn't several light-years across; its diameter was about 1.8 light-years.
Upon reaching this area, Chu ordered the warships to merge, forming 100,000-kilometer dreadnoughts.
These dreadnoughts trained their main cannons on Gas Station.
"Fire!!"
As the attack commenced, Chu saw a large portion of it fleet vanish—over 200,000 warships.
They disappeared.
"Annihilation Bloom?" Chu was caught off guard by the unknown weapon.
This was unpredictable; it understanding of these weapons was limited.
It wasn't Annihilation Bloom; the distance was too close; Gas didn't need green light tubes; it directly caused a phase transition between multipliers and strings, releasing present multipliers.
This was a present multiplier weapon.
Its effects were identical to Annihilation Bloom.
But Gas had more than one tactic. A vortex appeared near the destroyed warships; matter coalesced from the atomic level, becoming visible, forming a rotating nebula.
A black hole formed at the nebula's center, then vanished; it lacked sufficient matter for long-term existence; it reached its limit.
Large black holes don't typically disappear easily, but these artificial black holes differed from traditional ones; they existed on the boundary of formation and non-formation.
This meant much matter escaped its grasp; calculations showed high Hawking radiation; the massive matter outflow caused rapid black hole decay.
The black hole's destruction ejected matter, causing the nebula's structure to rapidly expand.
Chu's fleet was relatively close and quickly affected.
Black hole formation and destruction were rapid; a black hole could consume over 98% of a white dwarf or neutron star's matter in seconds—a tremendous amount.
Though not as terrifying as a full-fledged black hole, it was still a black hole; from 100,000 warship destructions to black hole formation, matter ejection—all within ten minutes.
Cosmically, this was indistinguishable from a second.
The fleet initiated evasive maneuvers.
Though the warships weren't significantly damaged by the matter, the debris disrupted communication and observation equipment; Chu was unaware of the external situation.
Two hours later, after the matter cleared, Chu saw numerous lasers from Gas Station targeting them.
Strictly speaking, the weapons that destroyed 100,000 warships and the lasers were fired months ago from Gas Station. Space warfare doesn't allow for sequential attacks and responses.
All warfare requires preemptive planning and a coordinated attack.
Clearly, Gas's coordinated attack was powerful.
It caught Chu's fleet off guard; lasers destroyed over 80,000 warships during the communication blackout.
"Forward!"
Chu's warship commander gave the order without hesitation.
Regardless of casualties, they had to advance. At a five-light-year battlefield, the Station had a massive advantage; they had to get close enough to neutralize its super-range weapons.
But would Gas allow this?
Unlikely.
Two months later, Chu saw countless rectangular structures in space; it knew these were components from Gas Station—warships or other equipment.
Unbeknownst to Chu, this was the core it couldn't access.
Leaders were merely entities separated from Gas Victory; they lacked power and weren't the core of the Olive Branch Civilization; Chu naturally didn't know this.
Moreover, it had been a long time since it left Gas Station—so long that even without a specific timeframe, it felt like an eternity.
These rectangular structures stopped in space, then fragmented repeatedly into smaller components.
As they exchanged matter, Chu ordered an attack; a resonating sound shook the lifeforms aboard the warships.
Their bodies disintegrated and reformed; they were incapable of thought.
Gas, as the leader, knew the weaknesses of all lifeforms within the civilization. Even without Gas Victory or its secret weapon, it had other methods.
Olive Branch Civilization lifeforms were consciousnesses inhabiting machines; they possessed unique emotions. Maintaining those emotions meant their internal structures retained biological components.
These components were weaker than the mechanical ones; Gas exploited this.
Underhanded?
Gas didn't think so; it was strategy.
"Traitors must die." Gas was ruthless; it was determined to eliminate everything.
"This isn't my fault; it's civilizational rebellion. I act for stability."
It repeated this in its mind, hypnotizing itself; this prevented the collapse of its beliefs.
Even as it hypnotized itself, its resolve grew stronger, colder.
But Gas hadn't anticipated that Chu had foreseen this; it knew Gas's weaknesses and had pre-programmed the warships to attack.
Warships fired, destroying the rectangular structures; the lifeforms within experienced soul-crushing pain.
However, they lost over 100,000 warships.
This was demoralizing, but the Olive Branch Civilization lifeforms weren't disheartened; Chu had "brainwashed" them; their minds were blank slates; Chu could implant false beliefs—that individual life was sacred, that any life taken was significant.
Therefore, these beings fought relentlessly, even with doubt; not all believed Chu.
But the herd mentality applied; like ants, they followed the majority. Chu only needed a portion to believe.
This might be as little as 10%, as the remaining 90% weren't a cohesive unit.
This is why, in difficult situations, a single person can sway a crowd; everyone blindly follows.
Chu only needed this effect; the warships needed only to advance.
The war continued; warships approached the Station.
But Gas's tactics seemed endless; the short distance of less than a light-year resulted in greater losses.
...
"Boom!"
The warship shuddered; Chu saw a section of it ship destroyed; a near-fatal blow.
But its expression didn't change.
Death?
It deserved it long ago; its survival wasn't about living; if it were, it would have fled.
But it hadn't; it chose to confront Gas.
Because it life now belonged to the civilization, not itself.
Dying for the civilization was supreme honor, far surpassing Gas Victory's meaningless glory.
Nothing in the universe is eternal, not even the universe itself; everything eventually dies; why not choose how you die?
There's a Federation saying Chu liked:
"A person dies only once, either weighing as heavy as mountain or as light as a feather." Choose your path.
Choose your path. Pursue your own distinct course. What had Chu pursued? Initially, nothing clear; now, it had a purpose; it death would be meaningful.
"Initiate automated repairs; continue the advance; do not stop."
Behind Chu's warship, some ships suddenly rebelled, attacking their own. Chu's expression remained unchanged.
It was simply decryption failure, but it wasn't easy; the encryption was layered; each molecule's encryption method was similar, but decryption became progressively harder, with double, triple, even quadruple encryption.
The advance continued; more warships "rebelled."
Simultaneously, they faced intense attacks; Chu sensed the lifeforms' strain.
"We have no retreat. Returning means facing even more powerful super-range weapons; we'll all die."
"Surrender means control; Gas might not accept it; Gas Victory can't fully control us; we're a threat; our fate is death."
"Choose, my compatriots. I'm not your ruler; you can choose anything, but I won't change my mind, even if I die."
"My civilization, everything, will have an end."
Chu wasn't unwilling to control these entities; it couldn't.
Gas Victory couldn't manage it; neither could it.
After Chu's speech, some lifeforms grew determined; others relaxed; many warships retreated, but some continued advancing.
Chu's heart grew cold. "Since you reject this sacrifice, you'll be our shields."
Though Chu didn't control the individual lifeforms, over thousands of years, it'd gained control of many warships. It manipulated energy flow between them; energy even dissipated into space, detected by Gas months later.
Gas interpreted this as preparation for a super-range attack.
Gas Station feared super-range weapons; it prioritized their destruction.
Weapons changed targets; Chu's fleet relaxed somewhat; it saw over two million warships disintegrate under attack. Coldly, it transmitted a message: "See? Gas allows no escape."
"Only by advancing can we achieve rebirth."
This was it strategy—ruthless, but necessary.
For the civilization, it could sacrifice it life and everything else.
Those unwilling to die for the civilization didn't deserve its victory; if they didn't win, these short-sighted individuals would still die; let them make a contribution.
"Continue the advance!"
All lifeforms were resolute; they were within 0.4 light-years; the massive Station was visible.
Chu had over 1 million warships remaining; they were only halfway there.
Super-range weapons typically targeted objects beyond one light-year but could also engage targets within 0.1 light-years—approximately 900 billion km, 6324 AU.
Neptune, the farthest planet in our solar system, is roughly 30 AU from the Sun—an immense distance for 21st-century humans.
Super-range weapons generally have a range of 100–1000 AU; weapons like Annihilation Bloom, exceeding this range, can reach light-years.
Entering the 0.4 light-year range, Chu's fleet was met with a barrage of negative energy void weapons—physical projectiles with warheads, traveling at one-third the speed of light (100,000 km/s) but numerous.
Chu ordered interception, but some still got through; upon impact, they exploded, briefly warping spacetime, causing localized expansion that tore apart nearby objects—hence "void weapons."
Without observing spatial distortion, it would appear as if spacetime itself was torn in half.
This was another unknown weapon, inflicting significant damage.
Step by step, Chu sensed Gas's anxiety; it wasn't suffering, but enjoying this.
"Use everything; otherwise, we'll arrive."
0.4 light-years—reachable within 27 Federation months.
Both sides fought relentlessly; one attacking, the other advancing.
Three months later, Chu's fleet fell below 1 million warships.
Six months later, it fell to 800,000.
Twelve months later, heavy losses reduced it to under 300,000.
Gas was tightening the pressure; it was surprised that the fleet didn't stop; facing such losses, they should regroup, strategize.
But Chu's fleet pressed on relentlessly; Gas initially dismissed this, but as the fleet approached, it grew alarmed.
This could allow some warships to reach the Station.
Gas Station was powerful, technologically advanced, but it couldn't produce warships. Gas never considered rebellion; other Star Cities were merely sources of warships.
This became a critical problem, requiring Gas's full attention.
However, a surge of rebellion erupted within Gas Station; lifeforms, rejecting Gas Victory, actively countered Gas Victory's influence, disrupting Station operations.
Gas Station, like Tilted Station, used these entities to control the Station's functions.
These entities could be viewed not as lifeforms, but as machines maintaining the Station—like Boundary Gods controlling star systems. Boundary Gods require robots to maintain and operate equipment; without them, control is lost.
Olive Branch Civilization lifeforms functioned similarly to Federation robots; they were part of the Station's structure.
This crucial disruption forced Gas to act; it decided to eliminate some entities—a warning.
It captured and killed the most disruptive lifeforms.
But this was ineffective; for tens of quadrillions of entities, killing hundreds of thousands was insignificant; in a nation of billions, executing a few wouldn't quell a rebellion; it would only inflame it.
Gas seemed to have fixated on simple control, forgetting life's complexity.
Gas's decision only worsened Gas Station's chaos. Executing tens of billions was futile; anger had been ignited. Gas tried to erase memories, but its methods failed; even without memories, anger persisted, becoming their default state, like a primal instinct. Suppression was impossible; resistance against Gas Victory reached its peak; Gas Victory couldn't unite conflicting entities, especially now that they were angry, each with different reasons.
Gas Victory required blank slates; even preserved emotions needed to be calm for control. Gas had lost control; it was enraged, initiating widespread slaughter within the Station.
Trillions!
Tens of trillions!
Hundreds of trillions!
Countless lives perished; this wasn't madness; Gas was rational, but desperate; the external fleet was approaching; every second was precious.
Gas Station lacked close-range combat capabilities; 100,000 warships, even 50,000, could destroy everything.
Gas could defend against high-energy attacks or dark matter, antimatter, and gravity-related weaponry, but not against warships entering its space.
This chaos lasted a year; seeing the approaching fleet, Gas panicked.
...
Gas Station's chaos gave Chu an unexpectedly easy year.
It couldn't believe it'd reached 0.1 light-years.
It warships could now target the Station.
Though only 170,000 remained.
"Enough. All this effort wasn't in vain."
Through the warships' sensors, Chu observed Gas Station and received information; it discovered why Gas Station's attacks had weakened over the past year.
"Gas, you're a terrible leader; you can't even control your own Station, let alone the entire civilization."
"Your failure is justified; it was inevitable. I'm merely following the natural order."
Chu knew it proximity wasn't due to superior ability but Gas's arrogance and folly.
"Prepare. Target the stars' cores."
Gas Victory's location wasn't secret; it was Gas Station's energy source, requiring vast energy.
Then, a message reached Chu's mind—from Gas.
"What about negotiations?"
"I can give you half the control of Victory; you'll be the civilization's third great leader."
Hearing Gas's voice, Chu found it laughable; it was the first time Gas had directly addressed it; previously, it lacked the status.
Now, Chu believed Gas lacked the status.
"Don't you find that ridiculous? I'm not here for power; if that were all, I wouldn't be here. I could lead these warships away and create a new civilization."
"But I came because you're an unfit leader; you don't understand the civilization's essence; you can't control what you possess."
"And now? You're resorting to slaughter to maintain your position."
Before Chu finished, Gas retorted, "No, I do this for the civilization."
Chu felt Gas was beyond redemption.
"For the civilization? Anyone could lead if that were true."
"You, me, or anyone else. If you could control the civilization, claiming to act for it would be understandable. But you can't; the civilization has new rules; you're trying to force control, resorting to slaughter—for yourself, not the civilization."
"Your words don't even convince you."
Gas was stunned; Chu's words struck home; Chu rejected everything it stood for; this was unforgivable.
"You're unworthy; neither am I."
Chu didn't argue. "I'm unworthy; I won't lead the next civilization; I know I'm incapable, unlike you."
It pushed Gas to its limit; Gas severed contact.
Chu didn't hesitate; all warships targeted Gas Victory. It gave the order: "Fire!"
It would end this 300,000-year civilizational enslavement!
...
Gas attempted a final desperate move, using super-range weapons at close range against Chu's fleet.
A large portion of Chu's fleet—30,000 warships—vanished instantly. Fortunately, Chu had dispersed the fleet, but the super-range weapon's area of effect was vast.
Not only warships were affected; part of Gas Station also disappeared.
"Gas!"
Chu's rage boiled over; 100,000 warships launched a coordinated attack. Gas Victory had shielding, but it wasn't strong; Gas Victory was at Gas Station's core; if attacked, Gas Station couldn't defend; what was the point of shielding?
Tens of thousands of lasers tore through the shielding, striking Gas Victory's core.
"No…"
All Olive Branch Civilization lifeforms seemed to hear this; Gas Victory shattered, disintegrating like a star reduced to dust.
Everything seemed to end.
But before Chu could breathe, its fleet was caught in a powerful gravitational field.
"No. Gas Victory is Gas Station's core, its energy source. Its destruction means Gas Station has no power to control the stars."
"Those stars are too close; previously forbidden; they'll collide."
What would happen when massive stars collided?
Neutron stars and black holes—both pose immense threats, representing the universe's ultimate power.
"Evacuate Gas Station's population."
Gas Station couldn't produce warships; this seemed foolish to Chu.
Gas Station housed over quadrillion entities; how could they evacuate?
Chu devised a solution.
"Have all entities attach themselves to our warships; we'll transport them away."
Olive Branch Civilization lifeforms were highly durable machines; incorporating them into warship hulls was feasible; there was no need for human considerations.
Each weighed only 300 kg; their large size was an illusion. Gas Station's approximately 13 quadrillion entities weighed 3.9 quadrillion tons—not much, less than a smaller Federation planet-class dreadnought.
The execution was swift; Olive Branch Civilization lifeforms could move in space; within a month, they were ready; Chu ordered departure.
Meanwhile, Gas Station's central stars began colliding; they would merge within months, then collapse due to excessive mass.
The fleet, after traveling 0.1 light-years, felt the gravitational pull from behind intensify.
Stellar collapse into neutron stars or black holes is rapid—days, weeks, or even seconds.
Chu looked back; Gas Station, caught in the gravitational pull, was falling toward the merging stars' center. It saw a vast planetary nebula forming, indicating a neutron star, not a black hole.
This was good.
A black hole's gravity was too strong; even at 0.1 light-years, warships would be affected.
After the settling, Chu felt a pang of sadness.
Gas Station's destruction meant regression for the Olive Branch Civilization; Gas possessed its most advanced technology, now lost—a significant blow.
The Olive Branch Civilization had officially regressed to Type 2.4.
This sadness was fleeting; Chu began searching for someone among the transferred lifeforms—an enemy.
Four months later, It found her.
"I wish you were dead," Chu said to the Olive Branch Civilization lifeform; it was unrecognizable.
"But I found you. In your Federation terms, this is convenience, Luna!"
This Olive Branch Civilization lifeform was Luna.
Chu had searched for Luna in the extermination fleets without success; it suspected Luna was in Gas Station.
Lifeforms change shape, but consciousness remains.
Each lifeform possesses a unique consciousness, like snowflakes or leaves.
Olive Branch Civilization lifeforms lacked eyes and senses; they "saw" through sensors and consciousness interpretation. Chu remembered Luna's consciousness—unchanged, ordinary, yet her actions were always brilliant.
Stopping Tilted Station, destroying the Filament Civilization, now pushing the seemingly invincible Gas to the brink.
If Gas died, Chu deserved 40% of the credit; the remaining 60% belonged to Luna.
"You could have escaped; Gas couldn't have stopped you."
"But you didn't flee; you joined the other Federation lifeforms. Though you had a contingency plan, its success wasn't guaranteed."
"Like going to Tilted Station, facing me. As a civilizational leader, you dared to lead the charge."
"I have to admit your superiority; you're a capable leader…"
"It wasn't the Federation that shone; you made the entire Galactic Federation shine."
"I don't want to make this decision; I'm not qualified, but I must; it's a decision I won't regret."
"Luna…"
"Will you lead us?"
"I entrust my civilization to you."
Luna had completely won over Chu; it couldn't imagine a more suitable leader.
Luna wasn't omnipotent; she might have flaws, but as a leader, she was perfect; Chu considered itself infinitely inferior.
For it civilization to advance, it needed a perfect leader.
That leader wasn't her, or anyone else in the civilization; it had to be Luna!
Chu, in human form, half-knelt before Luna.
But Luna was indifferent; she struggled to understand.
"Ha ha, it seems you've lost your memories…"
"I know you've lost them; you left a contingency plan, didn't you? You can regain those memories."
"But that's fine. Before that, familiarize yourself with being our third great leader."
"Now, everything belongs to you. Let our civilizations flourish together in the cosmos, becoming the brightest star!"
"I believe you can do it."
...
Luna became the Olive Branch Civilization's leader, assisted by Chu.
She quickly adapted, overseeing all aspects of the civilization.
Chu's abilities were exceptional.
It managed Tilted Station's quadrillions of inhabitants efficiently—far surpassing Luna's abilities. Luna wasn't adept at leader; she had delegated it over 100,000 years ago. Federation management relied on Boundary Gods and Ayla.
Chu directly controlled quadrillions of lifeforms—a significant difference.
Chu taught Luna these skills; Luna spent thousands of years managing the remaining Olive Branch Civilization Star Cities.
This lasted until 146,944 A.D.
Only then did one realize that from the Federation's surrender to Gas's demise spanned 80,000 years—an unimaginable period, exceeding the Federation's history.
Ayla's fleet finally arrived, having used all its resources and computing power to construct a planet-class dreadnought.
Ayla knew the Olive Branch Civilization was over; thousands of years ago, she'd observed the Tau Ceti sector's Station assimilating fleeing Federation lifeforms; the Olive Branch Civilization wouldn't have done that before; only one possibility remained.
Contact with the Station confirmed her suspicions: Gas was dead; a new third great leader had emerged.
Surprisingly, it wasn't Chu, but Luna.
Luna had won her gamble from over 80,000 years ago; she had succeeded; she was the victor.
Ayla was happy.
But also pained; she hadn't helped Luna; she hadn't been her rescuer.
She didn't know if she should face Luna.
But fleeing would be more shameful; so, Ayla arrived.
The warship stopped outside the Station; Chu looked at Ayla in astonishment; it was a robot, but more than a robot.
Though Ayla didn't introduce herself, Chu sensed her significance.
This wasn't intuition but deduction.
The Federation's surrender proved its inability to resist the Olive Branch Civilization. Now, seeing this planet-class dreadnought, it meant this ship was built after the surrender.
Someone was rebuilding the Federation; this was someone Luna deeply trusted.
Chu initially assumed it was a human or another Federation lifeform, but dismissed this.
It had previously controlled Ayla's sub-unit; this was the lifeform Luna trusted.
Indeed, the Federation largely relied on machines; they were essential.
"I followed Luna's orders; I brought her memories," Ayla said.
Ayla's mechanical voice snapped Chu back to reality. Chu had suspected Ayla's significance, but Ayla's interruption prevented further contemplation.
It now saw Ayla as a robot following Luna's orders, focusing on a small vial in her hand.
It hesitated, wondering whether to smash it.
Luna had done well; reverting to the previous state meant Luna wouldn't be their leader but the Federation's.
This thought flickered.
It found this amusing.
Would a brilliant leader become unfit or biased after regaining memories?
"Enter. She's waiting."
Ayla, carrying the vial, went to the Station's center. It was unlike the previous Olive Branch Civilization style; it was vibrant, diverse in form and entertainment.
Luna was in a park.
This park was built by Chu, incorporating many Federation elements.
Ayla knew why Luna liked it; it resembled Earth.
Within the 200,000 km² park was a mansion where Luna resided.
Entering the spacious mansion, opening the massive door, Ayla, after over 80,000 years, finally encountered Luna. She was a human-like mass, her gaze not on Ayla, but on the vial.
"Are these my memories?"
"Actually, I don't think I need them."
"I'm doing well now."
"But I still want to see who I was, what I experienced, what I aspired to, what my thoughts might offer in terms of new direction."
This unfamiliar Luna created a strange sensation in Ayla—a physical blockage, similar to human suffocation.
Though close, they felt universes apart.
"I must have prepared this; the memories were implanted in my current self," Luna said.
Ayla nodded, responding mechanically. "Correct."
"Then begin. I'm free now."
"If you need anything, I can have Chu prepare it."
Only three lifeforms were in the spacious mansion; Ayla shook her head. "No, everything is ready; it's in this vial."
"Just open it."
Luna gestured; Ayla felt the vial being pulled; she released it; it flew to Luna's hand.
Luna carefully examined it, found a button, and pressed it without hesitation.
The vial opened.
A fleshy mass emerged, rapidly growing due to the nutrient fluid, enveloping Luna's current form. Muscles, bones, nerves, and blood vessels formed; finally, skin.
Soon, within a minute, Luna was restored to her original human form.
Even Chu was stunned; the resemblance was striking.
Of course!
They were the same person.
Only separated by time.
The latest quark robots replaced the original Olive Branch Civilization body; Luna's consciousness was forcefully extracted.
Flesh, blood, and consciousness merged; Luna's original hippocampus was also present.
Luna stood naked, eyes closed for a long time—hours? Days?
The other two couldn't perceive the passage of time; they waited for her to open her eyes.
Finally, Luna opened them.
Her clear eyes met Ayla's; a smile touched her lips. "I'm back, Ayla!"
Ayla felt overwhelming joy; she hadn't experienced emotion in 80,000 years; now, it was intense, overwhelming.
This "I'm back" held no reproach, no disappointment; it was simple, like returning home.
"Welcome back."
Ayla spoke only two words; everything was contained within them.