Cataclysm: Undead Dragons and Zero Empire

Three days after the trial, Terrence approached Howard.

"The commander has set off, leaving us with promises. That 'ark' is now an empty tomb; it's time to go and receive the legacy that belongs to all of human civilization."

Howard put aside all his trivial matters upon hearing the news of Dragon's departure. After pondering for a while, he raised his question: "Judging from the satellite images, the space station is still operational. It's impossible for the intelligent system to lack identity recognition."

"That's a space fortress that started construction during World War II," Terence mentioned some secrets. "You saw Bazel before he died, and I can use psionic powers to temporarily impersonate him, giving you one of the highest privileges of that space station."

A few days later, a manned rocket bearing the logo of Glorious Heavy Industries cut through the snow and rose into the sky. Howard sat inside the capsule, feeling the active psionic energy coursing through his body. Maintaining the repulsive, wrinkled, arrogant face of Bazel, his gaze was fixed on the approaching, colossal object suspended in the starry sky.

Terence's voice came through the communicator: "My psionic powers will synchronize with your biometrics, but remember not to make any sudden movements."

The solar panels on the annular module still face the sun like sunflowers, proving that this space station, which has been dormant in space, is not dead.

"Pressure matching complete, docking mechanism locked," Howard took a deep breath, opened the hatch in his cumbersome spacesuit, and the sealing valve of the docking passage slowly slid open, revealing the transition module to the space station.

At least the weapon system did not react to Howard's approach. A faint red light suddenly appeared in the metal passage, and a hidden scanning device quietly activated, connecting the intruder's vital signs to the system.

An electronic voice announced: "One of the Supreme Authority users, Bazel York, has been detected. Identity verification in progress..."

Howard clenched his fists, watching the scanning beam sweep across his body. The electronic voice suddenly became urgent: "Data conflict! Bazel York has been confirmed dead. Biometric match... 99%... Duplicate, contradictory data detected!"

The red warning lights began flashing faster and faster, and death confirmation reports and real-time biometric data alternated on the central system screens of the space station.

Howard's heart pounded like a drum as he heard Terrence whisper in the communicator, "Don't panic, this AI system isn't nearly as intelligent as it seems."

After a minute-long alarm, the red light disappeared, and the electronic voice returned to normal: "No other authorized personnel's vital signs or preset authorizations were found. The database is automatically updating... Authorization verification passed. Welcome to 'Ark,' Chairman Bazel York."

The hatch slid open slowly, revealing a silver-white corridor. Howard walked into this paradise and fortress built by the corporations. These reclusive and pleasure-seeking giants probably never imagined that one day, the leader of the Death Cavalry, whom they regarded as a viper, would set foot on this "ark" and be welcomed.

The interior of this paradise is far more luxurious than the fantasies of the poor about getting rich overnight. Just as farmers might say that the emperor tills the land with a golden hoe, people under the shackles of poverty can never imagine things they have never seen.

Howard had the authority of the chairman of Glorious Heavy Industries, so he could move freely inside the "Ark". When he inspected the ship, he could see many company members lying on the ground without making a sound. Without exception, they all died suddenly at the last moment of their lives.

The space station was supposed to be filled with advanced technology, but here the walls were decorated with beautifully patterned wooden panels, and Howard could see his reflection in the marble floor tiles.

He discovered many works of art displayed in the space station, all masterpieces by renowned artists. These works had not been destroyed by the disaster but had been taken to space by the companies. These collections, along with the interior design, looked exactly like the mansions and palaces that once stood on the ground, especially reminding him of the famous "Amber Room".

On the life support terminal in the cabin, Howard brought up the standby interface that had entered hibernation mode. It recorded the last time the system operated normally, which was the day Judgment Day.

"The ecological cycle system here is still running," Howard kept in constant contact with Terrence. He stared at the wall-mounted monitor, which displayed indicators such as gravity level, oxygen concentration, and humidity. "It's much more comfortable than the cities we live in on the ground. It's like going back to the seaside resort before the disaster."

Howard gradually walked into the laboratory area. Through the glass, he saw sealed petri dishes neatly arranged on the temperature control rack. The algae samples inside still maintained a vibrant green color, a precious color that is hard to find on the ground anymore.

He located the gene bank; all the hatches and control panels were open to Bazel's access. Howard flipped through the densely packed species codes scrolling across the electronic screen, including gene sequences for everything from crops to endangered animals.

"With this gene bank, we can recreate the ecosystems destroyed in disasters, especially the crops that have been cultivated, and notify the ground to prepare space for new seeds."

Howard arrived at the central control room and saw a three-dimensional image lighting up on the screen. Even without knowledge of astronomy and space technology, he could tell that this was the distribution of planets within their Heng star system, extending even into outer space, forming a detailed star map he had never seen before.

A golden flight path was drawn, stretching from their home planet to the outer reaches of the Heng system, ending at the well-known gas giant planet, with its specific parameters marked next to it.

"It seems they want to abandon this place and go to another planet to wreak havoc," Howard commented casually. Now that the corporations have been brought to trial, all the hateful conspiracies have vanished.

"This star map should not become a forgotten artifact," Terence's voice came from beside me. "If humanity still has hope of embarking on true interstellar travel in the future, this is the best beacon."

Howard nodded in response and began to browse the database of the central system. A vast array of technical blueprints and reserve resource lists appeared before him, as if opening a door to a new world.

"It cannot be said that the companies have made no achievements; at least the things they created for their own enjoyment have a level of technology that has surpassed the current human era."

"We can transform this place into an outpost," Howard said to Terrence, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "The technology here can be fed back to the surface. Our city already has enough production capacity to ensure survival. The next step is to gradually restore its technological level."

Howard gazed at the snow-covered planet he had placed his hopes on through the monitors in the control room. Around him, the wisdom left by his predecessors was quietly waiting to be awakened.

"What we need to do now is get this sleeping fortress running again," Howard said, operating the control panel. He deactivated the silence protocol and reactivated the space station with supreme privileges. The lights inside the cabin immediately brightened, as if a sleeping person had opened their eyes at dawn.

At this moment, the "Ark" space station is no longer a paradise in the sky where people enjoy themselves and ignore humanity. There will no longer be oligarchs drinking and making merry here, turning a deaf ear to the cries and roars of humanity.

This "ark" will gain the true meaning of its name, becoming a shining pearl between the Earth and the Moon, radiating humanity's hope.

"This fortress now belongs to all of humanity, Howard. Send the data back."

"Their sins have been judged; now it is our turn to move forward."