Chapter 368: Doomsday Countdown

“Yes, it’s still falling at a rate that reduces its lifespan by 1,000 years per minute. At this pace, we have no more than 1.9 years left.”

Star Ocean’s voice, originally using Ning Shuangshuang’s tone, now delivered in her characteristically cool, detached manner, left everyone in the command hall of the mothership utterly shocked.

Du Qiu took a deep breath and asked, “Have we found the cause of the problem?”

Star Ocean replied, “Based on our current observations, the fusion reactions in the Sun’s core are gradually weakening. The energy detector has recorded a drastic drop in the outward radiated energy—as if it were absorbing energy internally.”

I discovered in the central control room on the Moon that the Civilization Bastion has been continuously increasing the density in the energy vortex region. Nowadays, even a meteorite about a dozen meters in diameter can’t penetrate into the Solar System.

This rate of enhancement matches the rate at which the Sun’s lifespan is being shortened. Perhaps there’s a connection between the two.”

Du Qiu glanced at Chen Guangnan and Director Best; the shock on their faces had been replaced by a somber resolve.

In a grief-stricken tone, Chen Guangnan said, “Boss, according to the Unified Theory, the Sun’s energy should be transformed into a tremendous gravitational force. That gravity is being harnessed by the Civilization Bastion of the Pleiadians to regulate the density and intensity of the energy vortex.

Just look at the latest gravitational lensing data. Clearly, that Dark Matter Lifeform has the ability to infiltrate the energy vortex—and its pace is accelerating.”

The Civilization Bastion has now reached its highest energy level, siphoning vast amounts of energy from the Sun. But the Sun’s energy will eventually be completely exhausted, so…

On the big screen, the angle of a telescope feed clearly shifted. From the indicated observation position, it was evident that this telescope was now peering through the energy vortex of the Civilization Bastion towards Barnard’s Star.

Even though it had moved 6 million kilometers away from the Tur Fleet’s area, the gravitational lensing effect persisted!

This means that the Dark Matter Lifeform has already penetrated deep into the energy vortex region!

Du Qiu’s voice turned grave as he continued, “So we either open the Bastion now to fight the enemy head-on or retreat immediately. Otherwise, when the Sun’s energy is nearly spent and it transforms into a red giant, the entire Solar System will become our grave.”

Du Qiu’s words painted a clear picture of the grim fate looming over the Solar System.

Director Best sighed and said, “Perhaps even before that moment, the Civilization Bastion may no longer be able to stop the Dark Matter Lifeform’s incursion.”

Du Qiu furrowed his brow, shocked that by using gravitational lensing to observe the Dark Matter Lifeform, they discovered not only its colossal size, but also that it had infiltrated the energy vortex of the Civilization Bastion.

At that moment, Star Ocean completed the data calculations from the Sun Observers they had previously deployed.

If it weren’t for the combination of these two findings, who would have guessed that the Sun’s recent dimming was actually caused by the Dark Matter Lifeform’s invasion of the Civilization Bastion?

The fate of the Blue Star Civilization clearly hangs by a thread.

“Send out the order—raise the Level-One Alarm!”

The duty commander in the command hall stood stunned for over ten seconds before bellowing the command to every operator.

Neither Chen Guangnan nor Director Best spoke to protest, for they knew Du Qiu was right.

The Level-One Alarm had been defined by Dream Technology a decade ago. Once it is activated, it signals that the Solar System is facing a catastrophic strike.

All nations on Earth are urged to evacuate if possible.

Over the past ten years, as Dream Technology’s prowess advanced, nations have gradually upgraded their own tech. While they still lag behind Dream Technology, at least they have reached a Level-Three Civilization.

More importantly, Dream Technology has sold a batch of Heaven Realm-class spacecraft to various countries. This means that they now have the capacity to evacuate their citizens from Earth.

Of course, only Du Qiu’s homeland can afford to purchase and operate a Heaven Realm-class spacecraft single-handedly.

Other nations have had to form alliances among several countries to jointly operate Heaven Realm-class ships.

When Dream Technology announced the Level-One Alarm protocols to all countries on Earth, they also clarified that an unseen enemy existed beyond the Solar System and that an ancient alien civilization once protected it.

This had sparked global chaos back then, which was eventually quelled by the governments.

Without such a dire crisis, Dream Technology would have found it difficult to secure a population exchange between Du Qiu’s homeland and other nations.

It was precisely some of these exchanged individuals, nurtured in Dream Technology’s research environment, who later made groundbreaking discoveries that triggered a technological explosion and catapulted Dream Technology’s capabilities.

Yes, the rate of advancement can only be described as explosive.

In the realm of research, a conducive environment is key to nurturing a great scientist. A person who wins a major award in one country might be completely overlooked in another.

Although some nations may harbor ulterior motives, Du Qiu has never worried.

In fact, his willingness to accept massive numbers of people was bolstered by the matured Brain Biochip technology from previous studies.

This nano-scale brain chip can safely monitor its host, while also generating dreamscapes that continuously indoctrinate loyalty to Dream Technology.

It’s this subtle, near-invisible control over people that gives Du Qiu the confidence to recruit citizens from every nation.

Of course, following breakthroughs in cloning technology, Du Qiu essentially halted the recruitment from other countries.

Since the Level-One Alarm protocol was standardized and announced, in the past ten years it has been activated once a year under the guise of an exercise.

Each time, prior notice was given. In other words, when the Level-One Alarm is sounded without warning, everyone knows what is about to happen.

Thus, when Du Qiu’s order was broadcast from the flagship Qinglong, the distinctive sound of the Level-One Alarm echoed throughout every inhabited part of the Solar System.

Hearing that familiar annual alarm, people across nations immediately ceased their activities.

Some lost their smiles, others couldn’t hold back tears, and some even collapsed in distress…

More and more began to pack up and prepare. Nations had long ago devised detailed evacuation plans triggered by the Level-One Alarm, which would be executed as soon as the true alarm sounded.

Over the past decade, these plans had been continually refined, evolving into arrangements that could transport everyone from Earth’s underground shelters and Martian City onto their respective Heaven Realm ships in the shortest time possible.

Nations’ Heaven Realm-class spacecraft and their accompanying escorts would then swiftly set course—navigating out of the Solar System according to predetermined routes.

As for Dream Technology, most of its citizens were aboard the Heritage Fleet, with only a few civilians who, due to their jobs, remained scattered across various bases and defense fortresses within the Solar System.

Upon hearing the Level-One Alarm, these individuals immediately rushed to board the nearest spacecraft or Planet Bus, which would whisk them to a Heaven Realm ship near Mars.

Meanwhile, various fleets of Dream Technology assumed final combat readiness in their designated positions, prepared to engage in a do-or-die battle with the enemy invading the Solar System.

“Do you know why I raised the Level-One Alarm immediately?”

Du Qiu stared at Chen Guangnan and Director Best.

“Since the outcome is inevitable, letting everyone evacuate sooner might at least help them evade the clutches of that Dark Matter Lifeform.”

Chen Guangnan sighed; this enemy had been known for a decade, yet its characteristics remained elusive. Only now had they begun to uncover a method to detect it—who would have thought that its assault on the Solar System had already begun.

“Yes, because the initiative has already slipped into the enemy’s hands. The longer we delay, the deeper we plunge into an inescapable predicament.”

Du Qiu was fully aware that the Dark Matter Lifeform’s infiltration of the Civilization Bastion had already pushed it into a state of rapid solar energy depletion.

The later we evacuate, the harder it will be to escape.

“Director Best, get in touch with Professor Weitman immediately. Ask him to expedite his research on the graviton markers. If we can catch up in time for our battle with the Dark Matter Lifeform, it would be ideal.”