Like using a 1-billion-ton hydrogen bomb to destroy a city—the bomb exploded, but the city remained untouched, not even a single wall showing any damage.
This scene was relayed to Proxima Centauri b 168 minutes later.
Complete silence.
Although the communication channels were still connected to the civilization's leaders, the world fell silent once again.
The aliens began to suspect that the message from their leaders might have been a recording. Their calm was replaced by panic.
Creatures rushed to supply depots, engaging in frenzied looting.
Apocalypse!
This was the harbinger of the end.
Fear spread through their communication network.
This didn't even require Ayla's intervention. Advanced civilizations inherently possess highly complex thought processes and behaviors. This complexity gives rise to a wide variety of responses: some hide in fear, some vent their fear, and some seek comfort.
Was this a hive mind civilization, like the Zerg in StarCraft?
The probability of that, Ayla calculated, was 0.047%.
Hive minds lack something crucial: rich and diverse individual thought.
Imagination is a precious resource, especially in advanced civilizations. Luna had chosen to conquer, not destroy, the Multi-eyed, even with Ayla's superior intelligence.
Because Ayla's processing power wasn't limitless. She could calculate a trillion scenarios, but the billions of Multi-eyed, each with unique experiences, could generate far more.
Unless a being—machine or otherwise—possessed infinite computational or intellectual capacity, the imagination of sentient beings was an invaluable resource.
Civilizations possessing this resource were far more likely to develop into advanced civilizations than those that didn't.
And Luna's Project Babel leveraged this.
Like the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, where God used language to divide humanity.
Luna was using the diversity of individual thought to control and conquer a civilization.
Amidst the terrifying news.
Many creatures noticed that the account that had initially announced the tower's arrival had posted a new message. Within moments, the views surpassed 100 million, increasing at a rate of 10 million per second.
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"The tower isn't a weapon of destruction, but a passport to civilization."
"While civilizations may harbor malice, they also possess benevolence. Benevolence isn't selfless; it's a form of cooperation."
"Conquest isn't about destruction, but integration. Civilizations might utilize the imagination of sentient beings as a resource. Each individual with advanced intelligence is a rare commodity."
"Following this logic, the universe may not be a dark forest but a stable federation of civilizations."
"Only civilizations holding a passport can contribute their imagination and utilize the imagination of others within the federation..."
The text presented a terrifying, yet logically sound, view of the universe.
No sentient being could fully refute it, just as Luna couldn't fully refute the Dark Forest Theory. These theories possessed powerful logical frameworks; any counterarguments seemed weak without empirical evidence.
And these theories only required a single supporting element.
The fact that Tower of Babel hadn't initiated any attacks.
A non-aggressive entity was unlikely to be malicious. The "Imagination Resource Theory" gained traction.
"This is a conspiracy!"
This message, originating from the leadership, appeared in the minds of every being on Proxima Centauri.
It was too much of a coincidence: a prediction accurately foretelling the tower's arrival and simultaneously prompting acceptance of this new civilization.
Even if it were a random prediction, the leadership had to present it as a deliberate act.
They still couldn't assess the tower's intentions. As a passive party, they couldn't risk showing goodwill, leaving them vulnerable.
This was a fatal flaw. In warfare, a single wrong decision could lead to defeat.
In inter-civilizational conflict, even a minor misstep could lead to a civilization's collapse.
"Why not try?"
"Yes!"
"Perhaps we could send a scout."
Lower-level members of the civilization wouldn't perceive the risk; they only saw darkness ahead, with both paths shrouded in uncertainty. Therefore, they opted for the safer route.
These concerns circulated, but the leadership had its own plans. This is why they are leaders—they make rational decisions, not emotional ones.
A massive fleet was deployed.
Their nerves taut, they prepared for battle.
All 700 warships occupied their pre-determined positions, forming a ring around the tower.
The warships unleashed a barrage of weapons, targeting Project Babel.
Countless energy beams struck the tower's electromagnetic shields.
Antimatter was consumed at an alarming rate.
Meanwhile, observing from a hidden asteroid, Luna watched the numbers on her screen dwindle.
"They are consuming 18.7% of their energy reserves daily, exceeding your initial estimate."
Ayla's earlier prediction was one week—a daily consumption of 14.28%—but the Proxima Centauri civilization's firepower was 23.64% higher than projected.
"That's an acceptable margin of error."
"These things are inherently difficult to predict precisely."
Ayla's calculations were fairly accurate.
But they were just calculations.
There was no guarantee that the civilization wouldn't attack for six days, at which point Tower of Babel's energy reserves would be depleted, leaving it vulnerable to the antimatter attack.
Luna remained calm.
"They won't sustain this level of bombardment for long."
"It's a massive drain on their resources. Internal dissent will likely grow. Their leadership, after all, is biological, not mechanical. Biological beings are prone to hesitation and doubt."
Luna had already prepared for a retreat.
If conquest was impossible, they would move on to another star system.
This wasn't unacceptable; it would merely represent a loss of 300 years.
She waited, her eyes fixed on the screen, the bridge silent.
The second day...
The third day...
Time ticked by.
Finally, on the fourth day, the rate of fire decreased by 10%.
A smile finally touched Luna's lips.
"Dark matter is difficult to collect. The enemy's reserves might not be as vast as we initially thought."
"Or, internal conflict might have caused them to halt their attack."
"Regardless, I've won the first round of this war."
"The second round is about to begin!"