Out in the vast heavens, a fleet made up of nine colossal ships—each capable of housing an entire planet’s worth of people, float adrift.
Within the entirety of this star region, there is not a single planet left—for all of them have long since collapsed from having all the resources on them plundered.
And as a result of there being no planets in this star region, the natural energies of Heaven and Earth have gradually declined over the passage of time.
What remains of those who continue to dwell in this star region, they refer to the phenomenon of natural energies’ gradual decline as the Great Calamity, an event that had started more than a thousand years ago.
By this point, all traces of natural energies have completely vanished, and with the technology of this world being reliant on the existence of these natural energies to function, it’s appropriate to say that this star region is currently undergoing a crisis.
………
Within one of the nine planetary ships that made up the fleet, there is one labeled as Colony Five.
There—
“Ai…”
Heaving a sigh, a young woman with long black hair and azure-colored eyes leaned back in her office chair.
In front of the woman is a computer station made up of three monitors with a mouse and keyboard.
To the back of the woman is a large bed, while to her left is a closet.
Embedded into the ceiling of the room are lights, which are currently giving off a dim glow.
The name of the woman is Suì Yàn (岁晏), and appearance wise, she is wearing a white dress shirt with a pair of dark trousers.
Hanging from the office chair is a white coat, that is somewhat reminiscent of a lab coat due to how thin it is.
Other than that—
*Shaaa…* a black serpent is leaning its head onto her shoulder.
On the three screens in front of Sui Yan, the faces of several individuals are present.
Just from observation, it shouldn’t be difficult to tell that all the people on screen, along with Sui Yan are currently participating in a meeting.
The commonality of the meeting participants is that they are all women of exceptional beauty.
As for the contents of the meeting itself—
[Like I said, at the rate this is going, our colony might not be able to last. So I wish to procure food supplies from the rest of you.]
[…Same answer as last week, we cannot provide food supplies. Our citizens here are also going to be in need of them.]
[Even if it isn’t food supplies, spirit stones would also be acceptable to get the machinery moving again.]
[As the leader of Colony Eight, I must make my decisions based off the benefits and continued well-beings of my citizens.]
[I concur with this.]
“Un…”
Enduring the urge to yawn, while listening to the leaders of the nine colonies argue, Sui Yan raises her cup, and presses it to her lips for a sip.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Within this star region, politically speaking, each ship that makes up the fleet is considered a separate nation—managed by its own government, which falls under the control of the colony leaders.
Other than the colony leaders, the other participants of the meeting were the former group’s assistants—responsible for taking notes, and keeping records.
As for those who fall into the same category as Sui Yan, they are researchers—responsible for offering advice when needed, or demanded of.
However, in recent times, the researchers might as well be considered nothing more than a bunch of no-answering machines—since they haven’t been able to give out any sort of positive answers to most of the colony leaders’ inquires.
[As much as I wish to offer some aid, it’s very much unrealistic to do so. Simply thinking about the manpower that would be required, along with the energy needed to move the shuttles between our colony and yours…- It’s a headache-inducing matter when I also need to take into consideration how my citizens would feel in the aftermath.]
[…]
[Ai…]
If the entirety of this star region is dying—much like how an old man would on their deathbed, the simplest solution should be for one to pour all their energy reserves into leaving this place.
However, the sheer amount of distance that must be traversed in order to reach a habitable star region, along with the issue of facing that star region’s denizens’ retaliation, it simply isn’t possible for the fleet to move.
That being the case—
[…All of us are just waiting. Waiting for the day in which we die—either through suicide or starvation.]
[…How many times have we hosted such meetings only to sink into depression?]
[Sorry, I think… This might be the last time in which I’ll participate in these meetings.]
[All we’re doing is just reporting on the situation of our colonies; besides that, we don’t really get anywhere…]
[Sometimes, I think having a long lifespan is a curse…]
[Not appropriate to say this, but… Offing a few individuals would help with the food issue.]
[…I’ve already sent out the order to ban life production. It’s not right to nurture a child—only to subject them to this decaying world.]
[…I should probably do the same.]
As sighs of frustration came from the participants of the meeting, one would think that silence would follow; however—
[…I’m willing to provide food supplies to Colony Seven.]
The one to say this is the leader of Colony Three, Xǔ Qīngxiāng (许清香), a woman with pale pink hair, and red eyes.
Dressed in a black business suit with a white dress shirt, and a red tie, she looks to be the ideal image of a successful female politician.
[Colony Leader Xu, are you-?]
[If we’re all going to die, what does it matter if it’s sooner or later?]
Following Xu Qingxiang’s question, silence loomed over the meeting.
“…”
Staring at Xu Qingxiang, Sui Yan takes another sip of coffee.
Outwardly, Xu Qingxiang’s expression seems to be one of resignation, but—
(To be willing to offer aid despite the hurdles… She’s probably the one who is holding onto hope with the tightest grip of them all.)
Thinking of this, a bewitching smile appears on Sui Yan’s face, while the black serpent beside her shoulder raises its head.
Licking its lips, the black serpent’s azure-colored eyes give off an odd gleam.
“…”
Setting her cup down, Sui Yan moves the mouse, and clicks the unmute button, to say—
“Ultimately, our core issue is the shortage of natural energies of Heaven and Earth. Energy of this nature can only be produced in places where life exists. Life itself is meant to act as a conduit to allow these energies to flow towards the place of demand.”
[…?]
[…Hn?]
Blinking their eyes, all participants of the meeting turned their eyes towards Sui Yan.
For those who are aware of this information to even the slightest degree, the gleam in their eyes is especially intense.
[…Researcher Sui, please tell me you aren’t just bringing this up to belittle us for our lack of our knowledge.]
[Do you perhaps have a solution to this issue?]
Pressing the base of her glasses to adjust it, Sui Yan explains—
“Other than life, the place itself—this star region must contain “History.” The greater the History, the denser the natural energies of Heaven and Earth would be. Fortunately, our star region does indeed have a great deal of History—the culmination of time’s passage, and the births of the powerful practitioners, who had left us early on. In any case, the existence of life, and the existence of History, two of the three conditions have been fulfilled. If the third condition can be fulfilled as well, the natural energies of Heaven and Earth will be generated—making it possible for this star region to be revitalized.”
[…And what is the third condition?]
“We lack celestial bodies. Actual planets, the sun and the moon, they are the biggest contributors of the energy-generating masses.”
[…This- Ai…]
[…So, we’re back to nothing again then?]
Raising a subtle chuckle at the meeting participants’ reactions, Sui Yan remarks—
“If planets do not exist, why not just create them ourselves?”
Towards this remark, the meeting participants parted their lips.
Ignoring the look on these individuals’ faces, Sui Yan continues to ask—
“Have any of you ever wondered, what qualifies a mass of dirt and water to be a planet?”
[Uh…?]
[…Hm?]