Luna scrambled to dodge.
Fortunately, the spacesuit had multiple layers and wasn't completely penetrated.
Back inside the cockpit, she immediately instructed Ayla.
"Record the direction of the laser beam. There might be other survivors."
Her initial panic gave way to a surge of excitement.
Ayla adjusted the cameras, simultaneously analyzing the footage of Luna being struck by the laser.
"Luna, the laser's origin has been analyzed."
"It originated from the direction of Sagittarius, outside the solar system. The laser's energy is highly focused, beyond the scope of Earth's known technology."
"Data analysis indicates a 100% probability of extraterrestrial origin, with a 97.28% probability that the laser originated within 5 light-years."
This was a bucket of cold water for Luna.
Extraterrestrial civilization.
It was highly likely that another civilization had detected the gamma-ray burst and its trajectory towards the Solar System.
So, they fired a laser as a probe. 100 days after the gamma rays hit Earth, the laser arrived.
"Theoretically, if this laser is a probe, could this extraterrestrial civilization analyze its reflection to detect the spacecraft and me?"
This time, Ayla didn't even need to calculate.
"Yes!"
"This extraterrestrial civilization's technological level clearly surpasses that of humanity. The issue you raise, Luna, is highly probable."
A sense of danger washed over Luna.
If that were the case, the extraterrestrial civilization would undoubtedly send probes into the Solar System.
Then, she would face a direct encounter with them.
"To encounter an extraterrestrial civilization after such a short time..."
"Perhaps life truly is abundant in the universe, and humanity's development without prior alien contact was merely a coincidence."
But dwelling on such things was pointless now.
She needed to focus on her own development to have any chance against aliens.
Luna powered on the robot. It lit up.
It moved around, testing its claw and drill, seemingly without issue.
Then it jumped out of the cockpit, using the tiny anchor points on its body to adjust its position, landing firmly on the asteroid's surface.
The robot had no camera; everything was controlled directly by Ayla.
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It plunged its drill into the ground and began to work.
These asteroids were largely fragments of destroyed planets, or had undergone countless violent collisions, their surfaces scorched by extreme temperatures. Their interiors were mostly free of impurities.
The 3D printer, capable of metal fabrication, had a built-in high-temperature smelting unit that could further refine the iron.
For Luna, everything was finally on track.
...
One month later.
The number of robots had increased to five.
Luna decided to expand the number of 3D printers. A single printer was too slow; multi-threaded fabrication of parts would be much faster.
"Ayla, calculate how many 3D printers we'll need for our plan, without wasting resources or time."
Ayla began her calculations, quickly arriving at a result.
"Luna, we will require a total of 4349 3D printers, not only for manufacturing mining robots but also for fabricating other machinery and equipment."
"We must first create solar replicators to ensure a substantial energy supply."
"Next, we need to produce smelting furnaces to melt metals and create alloys."
"Then we'll require high-precision machinery. The precision of the 3D printers is insufficient for the controllable nuclear fusion device we intend to build."
"Also..."
"Stop, stop, stop!"
Luna had initially thought this would be a simple process, but the conversation revealed it was anything but.
She quickly stopped Ayla.
"As a competent AI, store these plans and proceed accordingly. You don't need to explain everything to me."
"Based on this, prioritize the construction of a functional cryogenic hibernation pod in the early stages. We absolutely need to build that first."
Based on Ayla's plans, it would likely take decades.
If she waited that long, she'd either go insane or die of old age.
As the last human, she couldn't die before achieving her first goal.
"No problem, Luna!"
Ayla automatically generated a plan and implemented the fastest possible approach.
But even the fastest approach took six months.
The number of robots increased to over a hundred, and the 3D printers expanded to twenty, all dedicated to manufacturing solar replicators.
Once a 5000 m² photovoltaic array was completed, the first asteroid factory was officially established.
Thanks to the modified photovoltaic array design, the 5000 m² array could generate 1300 kilowatts of power. Furthermore, due to the space environment, energy loss was lower and power generation efficiency was higher than on Earth.
Accounting for losses, the completed photovoltaic array generated 28,800 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day.
Being in space, there was no need to consider weather factors; power generation was continuous for 24 hours.
This was sufficient to power the factory.
As Luna herself knew, nothing was ever accomplished instantly; everything required significant time.
Fortunately, once everything was on track, development accelerated.
100 robots became 1000, and 20 3D printers became 300, all within four months.
The factory began smelting large quantities of metal and manufacturing manual lathes.
Robots then operated these lathes to create high-precision components, completing the construction of high-precision machinery.
...
Until another year and a half had passed.
Once the number of high-precision machines exceeded ten, the production of other machinery truly began.
As per Luna's request, Ayla prioritized the construction of a cryogenic hibernation pod.
This technology was incredibly complex. First, extremely low temperatures had to be achieved, followed by cryogenic freezing using liquid nitrogen.
Before hibernation, a special anti-coagulant needed to be injected into the body to prevent blood from freezing and water within the body from forming ice crystals.
Only with these combined technologies could a rudimentary cryogenic hibernation pod be realized.
This technology hadn't been perfected on Earth; Luna had to rely on Ayla's own calculations and scientific knowledge.
She had no other choice.
...
Another two and a half years passed.
The asteroid factory had transformed into a veritable industrial complex.
This was incredibly fast.
Even with Earth's mature industrial systems, building an industrial complex from scratch in just four years on a planetary surface would have been considered an explosive achievement.
But for Luna, it felt agonizingly long.
Fortunately, it was finally coming to an end.
A.D. 2044, nearly seven years after Earth's destruction.
Ayla informed her.
"Luna, the cryogenic hibernation pod you requested is complete..."