Warhammer: Rebuilding the Golden Age Starting with Farming

Chapter 116 Old Farmer An, Who's Worried to Death (5K views)

Andy is currently in the core constant-temperature zone, where data streams are being refreshed at a rate of thousands of lines per second.

This is not like the industrial areas outside, which are full of noise, dust, and heat.

There was no vibration from a huge forging hammer striking a steel ingot, nor the creaking and grinding of a conveyor belt transporting ore.

Located at the deepest part of Fort Horison, within the core area of ​​the underground blast-proof isolation zone.

Within the framework of deep space industry, this place has been designated as a vital hub.

Many newcomers to the industrial system tend to focus on the smokestacks belching black smoke and the huge production lines outside, believing them to be symbols of power. Andy neither agrees nor disagrees with this view.

But the true core of industry will always be those precision devices that require constant temperature, humidity, and dust-free environments for maintenance and upkeep.

Because only these devices can define the upper limit of an industrial system.

Rough machining determines how big you can make, while precision machining determines how good you can make.

Andy was conducting his routine morning data review.

[Area: Core constant temperature zone (Isolation level: Alpha)]

Environmental parameters: Temperature 22℃ (±0.1), Humidity 40%, Cleanliness: Class 10 (highest standard).

Power supply: Dedicated geothermal line (redundancy backup: 3).

Located on the left side of the main control area is the cryogenic hibernation chamber numbered "Zijing 03" in the cold storage area of ​​Deep Space Industry, which is lying quietly in the No. 3 warehouse.

The resident inside, the cunning fellow from the Helios factory, whose entire body was crystalline but whose heart was still beating, currently has extremely weak vital signs, but remains very stable.

The guy is still sleeping, so Andy isn't in a hurry to deal with him.

The normal reaction to such high-risk biological samples is usually fear, and the desire to destroy them immediately.

However, in farming players, any unanalyzed material is considered a "potential resource".

The crystalline structure on the corpse is a product of the "Material Molecular Reconstruction Instrument" going out of control.

Recent reports all agree that this is almost certainly a perfect result of high-energy physical fields acting on organisms.

If Andy wanted to understand the limits of the reconfiguration device, or to develop special weapons against Tyrannosaurus Rex, he couldn't find a better reference than this cunning fellow.

Keeping it isn't just for collecting or as a figurine; it's also to extract its remaining value.

As long as the refrigeration system has a continuous power supply, it is safe.

Even if it does wake up, with the current weaponry of Deep Space Industries, it could be smashed to pieces in no time.

With manageable risks and high expected returns, Andy believes it's worth retaining the stock after comprehensive evaluation.

And near the cold storage area is Andy's data storage center.

The Geller array and the curtain array, which were removed from the "New Bang", are operating quietly.

Directly above them is the resurrected miniature Geller force field.

After a recent round of optimization and fine-tuning, this thing's purpose has changed.

It has been completely transformed into an auxiliary accessory for the "Alien Technology Analysis Station".

Andy looked at the operation logs of the analysis station.

[Task Queue: Idle.]

[Completed Projects: Type-IV Nerve Bundle, Subspace Energy Conduction Tube, High-Frequency Oscillating Particle Module, Anti-Gravity Balancer, Energy Folding Module ————]

Standby power consumption: Low.

The analysis station is a good thing; it takes in alien creations and spits out key materials that can propel the technology tree forward.

The problem is that this thing is too picky about food; it only eats high-value alien fragments and completely disdains ordinary biomass and basic industrial products.

This is also one of the current pain points for Deep Space Industries: it has the skills to slay dragons, but is surrounded by pigs.

Although there are many aliens on the planet Zais, apart from the Reis, most of them are low-level creatures that only know how to scratch people with their claws, and they don't have any high-level fragments worth analyzing.

The fastest way to obtain more advanced materials is, of course, to drill space wells directly.

But honestly, Andy really doesn't dare to touch the Aerospace Well now.

It wasn't that he was a coward, it was just that the investigation report from the previous two days was really too frightening!

In the previous encounter with Kolber, he fought back and forth with the Reis alien wielding a biological scythe that cut through his power armor. Andy originally thought it was an elite Reis alien or a squad leader-level unit.

Later, footage transmitted back by the drone convoy after in-depth reconnaissance revealed that monsters of that caliber were merely sentinels guarding the gate in the mid-section maintenance base of the aerospace well! And there were hundreds or even thousands of them!

If sentinels are this powerful, how strong must their main force, or even the so-called "nest leaders," be?

The matter of drilling the space silo can only be put on hold for now. We have to wait for some other advanced alien to come along and help Andy advance his technology further.

But that depends a lot on luck; you can't rush it!

Andy focused his attention on the main event of the day.

Mimicry multi-alloy.

Andy has now brought over two black boxes containing liquid silver metal.

This thing is a wonderful thing; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a divine object.

As a versatile component for colonial development, the properties of the biomimetic multi-alloy inspired Andy to develop a very grand idea.

He wanted to build a "modular adaptive production center".

This concept sounds mysterious, but it is essentially about using the programmable properties of mimicry multi-alloys to create a universal production mold.

If we're short of guns today, just enter the code and it becomes a gun-making assembly line; if we're short of cannons tomorrow, just enter the code and it becomes a cannon-making machine.

No need to replace equipment or readjust production lines; one-click switching maximizes flexibility.

This is indeed very appealing to the deep space industry, which is currently focused on infrastructure development and faces diverse and varied demands.

Andy did a quick calculation.

If workers can master this production process, production capacity can at least double from its current level!

Andy was so excited about it for several minutes that he even planned out the foundation.

Until Andy found the complete set of blueprints in the STC database —

Modular Adaptive Production Center (Basic)

[Material Shortage: Mimetic Multi-alloys.]

Current inventory: 2.3 standard units.

Minimum requirement: 24 standard units.

It's not just a little bit missing, it's a whole order of magnitude missing!

The two boxes of multi-alloy steel in Andy's hands would be more than enough to make several high-precision mother machines and a suit of armor for himself.

However, if you want to use it to set up even the smallest industrial-grade production line, this amount won't even make a sound.

Andy thought he had struck it rich, but after thinking it over, he realized he was still penniless.

That makes sense, though. Industrial production can never be sustained by just one or two cutting-edge technology prototypes; it requires massive quantities of basic materials, measured in tons.

While mimicry multialloys are a strategic resource with powerful performance and can be recycled without damage, their potential for performance will still be limited by their sheer quantity until a stable synthesis method is found.

Using it to build a factory? That's such a waste of money and so impractical!

"Then the plan has to be scrapped."

Andy mentally crossed out his grand plan.

Since we can't build the production line, we need to change our approach and use our resources wisely.

Andy thought of himself.

As the core of the entire force and the only one with STC authority, Iron Man's own machine performance directly determines the upper limit of Deep Space Industry's development.

His current body, although it has undergone several minor repairs so far, including replacing nerve bundles, modifying armor plates, and optimizing the architecture of some core servers.

However, the effect is actually quite limited; the basic design is still an engineering model used for screwing in screws.

Although the response speed is much faster and the performance has been significantly improved, it is the result of hardware improvements and self-exploration, built up little by little.

The underlying protocol is still a complex set of engineering logic, and a considerable part of the activities have to be micromanaged by Andy's main consciousness, which consumes a lot of computing power.

He felt he could give himself a complete upgrade, not just replacing parts, but also changing the system and his mindset.

Andy turned his gaze to a large creature in the corner.

[DAOT Universal Maintenance Cabin], the original product displayed in the research tower.

Andy had previously used it to replace his neural bundles, but the device's functionality was actually quite limited; it could only perform physical disassembly and reassembly and could not perform deep operations on the core logic circuitry of the Iron Man.

To flash a device and modify the underlying protocol, you need a higher-level interface, a more sophisticated probe, and a more professional operating system.

Once the agreement is involved, it basically falls into the category of "drastically modified Ironman".

Typically, this requires a specialized "Iron Man Operating Room".

The "Iron Man Operating Room" was a strategic facility in the industrial sequence of the Golden Age. It was equipped with femtometer-level manipulators that could directly reprogram at the subatomic level.

Even more outrageous is its ability to freeze quantum states, which can freeze the quantum state of the logic core when rewriting the underlying protocol, directly eliminating all forms of subspace corruption and stubborn code infection.

It's the same for humans; it's like performing a hot-swap on the soul. It's said that the Bloodlings of the Adaling race also have many similar methods.

However, such facilities were rare even in the Golden Age, and were usually only found on main engineering ships that were hundreds of kilometers long or in world-building projects.

The next level of "intelligent workstations," while reduced to picometer-level repair and femtosecond laser arrays, no longer possess the quantum means to almost modify reality.

However, a fully-fledged intelligent workstation still requires an independent neutrino cooling tower and a planetary computing power matrix to support its real-time compilation function, which is an unattainable industrial marvel for Andy at present.

Andy didn't.

But it has mimicry multi-alloys.

Since we can't build a big one, let's build a small one!

Since we can't make a universal one, let's make a dedicated one!

Andy pulled up the blueprints for the maintenance bay and began making sweeping modifications.

He disassembled the original robotic arm and removed the dials that could only display some parameters.

Andy plans to inject approximately one-seventh of the stock of mimicry multi-alloy into the inner walls and operating media of this maintenance compartment.

By utilizing the liquid-programmable properties of multiple alloys, a miniature, high-density, and highly adaptive intelligent operation matrix can be constructed within this confined space.

When Andy lies inside, the multi-alloy will envelop his entire body, seeping into the interior through the gaps in his armor and directly connecting to every circuit node.

They function as sensors, operators, and data cables all at the same time.

In this way, Andy can repair and adjust his body in real time at the microscopic level.

It is even possible to create some logic extension units through mimicry multi-alloys to help Andy share the computing load when flashing the device.

In other words, it takes on the function of an "operating system".

"Great, let's do it!"

Andy made a decision.

This is probably the most cost-effective investment right now!

Andy walked up to the two black boxes, entered the command, and unlocked them.

The silvery liquid metal flowed slowly inside the box.

Andy extracted approximately 40 kilograms of the mimicry multi-alloy.

These metals were injected into the circulation pipes of the maintenance compartment, and Andy rearranged them.

"Buzz"

As the arrangement was completed, a slight vibration was felt inside the maintenance compartment.

Within the pale blue gel, countless silver threads began to move, weaving together like living things into a complex network.

Countless tiny metal contacts appeared on the previously empty bulkhead.

STC has provided an assessment report:

[Renovation complete.]

[Equipment Name: Multi-State Adaptive Maintenance Cabin (Modified)]

[Function Rating: Miniature Intelligent Workstation]

Features: Supports underlying protocol rewriting, nanometer-level hardware repair, and logic core overclocking assistance.

[Evaluation: Overall, it's rudimentary. Lacking a professional-grade cleanroom and high-energy particle cleaning equipment, it cannot compare to a standard operating room, but for this special environment, it's a miraculous setup.]

Andy looked at the "overall rudimentary" review and felt not anger, but rather a sense of relief.

That's exactly what I wanted: "simple but functional"!

In a world where even standard parts have to be custom-made, having a place where you can safely flash your device is already a blessing!

He didn't expect this thing to turn him into an invincible war god; as long as it could unlock some of the limitations of the engineering machine, this deal would be a huge success.

After completing the preliminary work, Andy didn't rush to lie down.

Flashing a device carries risks, even with this advanced protective measure.

If it fails, at best it will crash, at worst—but it seems like nothing will happen. The Golden Age has layers of insurance in place, so at most it will just be a factory reset or something.

Even so, we should still make thorough preparations.

Andy left the constant temperature zone and returned to his studio.

First, we need to check the situation at home.

This is also a necessary lesson in farming. No matter how advanced the technology you have, you can't forget the crops in the fields.

On the holographic screen, various data points from Horisonburg are scrolling.

[Electricity load: 78% (stable)]

Raw material inventory: Ample.

Thanks to the recovery of the wreckage of those four land-based ships.

Ammunition reserves: Overflowing.

Armaments and ammunition are the things Andy has no shortage of right now.

Personnel Status: Moderate fatigue, high morale.

Thanks to — Gamma-9 brainwashing —

It looks like everything is going very well?

But Andy astutely spotted the hidden dangers within.

Data can be deceiving.

To be precise, data can only reflect the current state, not the trend.

Deep Space Industries is like a war machine speeding at full speed, seemingly unstoppable, but in reality, every component is under tremendous pressure.

A 78% load factor seems okay, but that's without all production lines running.

If Andy wants to expand production and build bigger things, such as restarting more heritage facilities, the power shortage will still exist.

Although geothermal energy is stable, its output power has an upper limit.

Andy had to start considering new energy solutions, such as the reactor technology he had been hesitant to use, otherwise he would have to scramble for more nuclear fuel.

Secondly, there are the raw materials.

Recovering the landship wreckage did indeed make Deep Space Industries a fortune, but it was a one-off deal; once it was dismantled, that was it.

Although Zayz is a dumping ground, the amount of garbage is limited.

If a stable external source isn't established and new high-value recycling points aren't found, Andy will have to go back to demolishing the building after about three to four months when the inventory runs out.

But that's what farming is all about; there's never any such thing as a carefree life.

You solve one problem, then your appetite grows, and two new problems emerge.

If your production capacity increases, you won't have enough raw materials; if you have enough raw materials, you won't have enough manpower; if you have enough manpower, you might not have enough of other things.

As the helmsman of this system, Andy's daily task is to keep a close eye on these red lines and find new resources to integrate before they break.

"Sixth grade."

Andy called his AI assistant.

"exist."

"Summarize the recent reconnaissance reports, focusing on alien activity and resource points in the surrounding area."

"Also, let Zorbe spend all his time staring at his broken parts and let him study how to improve the efficiency of the current geothermal power plant, even if it's only by 5%."

"Yes, sir. The order has been issued."

Andy took a deep breath and turned back to the newly modified maintenance bay.

The pale blue gel shimmered softly under the light, with silver liquid metal threads swimming within it, awaiting his entry.

Well then, it's time.

Andy took off his equipment, hung his flamboyant yellow robe aside, and stepped into the maintenance bay.

The cool gel instantly enveloped his body.

The liquid metal seeped into the gaps between his joints, bringing waves of intensely tingling pleasure.

The data stream on my retina started refreshing rapidly.

[Administrator access detected.]

[The multi-state adaptive system has started.]

[Establishing neural connections — Connection successful.]

[Preparing to rewrite the underlying protocol.]

[Objective: Unlock combat module restrictions, optimize logic operation paths, and load the "Iron Man - Commander Type" trial patch.]

Andy closed his eyes and shut down his visual sensors.

In that dark ocean of data, he found several doors that had been locked for a long time, representing higher-level privileges.

"Let's begin."

The hatch slowly closed—

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