Upon hearing about contribution points, both the Kate leaders and the Light Chaser envoy were enthusiastic.
This was a win-win situation.
Their only concern was encountering a more powerful, malevolent civilization. However, the Kate civilization projected reaching Type 2 within a few centuries, becoming a significant force in the galaxy.
With the protection of the galactic federation, both civilizations believed the risk was minimal.
Therefore, after five days of negotiations, the Kate leadership agreed.
As for the Light Chasers, they understood their position. They weren't full members of the federation but a conquered civilization and had no choice but to accept.
This was their unfortunate reality.
But over the past two thousand years, they had come to accept their situation. Though conquered, they hadn't suffered oppression or discrimination but had been aided in their development.
Except for a few extremists, the majority of the Light Chasers believed that being controlled by a benevolent civilization wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
The detailed negotiations followed.
In Ayla's plan, the Interstellar Explorers Guild's initial fleet would be supplied by her. Neither the Kate nor Light Chaser civilizations possessed advanced spacecraft.
With Ayla's technology, smaller spacecraft could travel at one-fiftieth the speed of light, greatly reducing exploration costs.
Furthermore, by utilizing these spacecraft, Ayla could collect all data transmitted by them, leaving nothing hidden from the Kate and Light Chaser civilizations.
She would also provide both civilizations with hibernation technology for long-duration interstellar travel.
This would stimulate industrial growth within both civilizations, a double-edged sword. It might lead to the Kate civilization escaping their control, but it would also leverage the Kate civilization's technological advancements, focusing their expertise.
To advance, some risk was necessary.
The Interstellar Explorers Guild was ultimately designed to accelerate scientific progress.
Just as war drives technological advancement, so too does exploration and expansion.
Ayla was about to usher in an interstellar age of exploration, similar to humanity's Age of Sail.
Unforeseen challenges would undoubtedly arise, but civilization's path to advancement lies in exploration. Fear and hesitation would have kept them on the Multi-eyed planet, hidden in the darkness beyond their star system.
Ayla was acting in accordance with Luna's will.
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In Luna's view, humanity had already lost everything. So... what else was there to lose?
The universe favors those who relentlessly pursue progress, though some choose a more cautious approach. But those who are overly cautious often stagnate, falling behind the rest of the cosmos.
A civilization might have a population in the hundreds of millions, like the Multi-eyed, or in the tens or hundreds of billions, like humanity and the Kate civilization.
If a civilization controlled a vast expanse of space, its population could reach trillions, even tens or hundreds of trillions. The universe could sustain such a population; advanced civilizations wouldn't lack the resources to feed such numbers.
The collective imagination of trillions of beings represents an unimaginable scientific potential.
Far exceeding what a single AI like Ayla could provide.
Luna never considered Ayla a panacea; she needed something more, and the galactic federation was that something.
Once the Interstellar Explorers Guild's charter was released.
It caused a sensation.
The entire Kate civilization was energized.
In advanced civilizations, individuals no longer perform basic labor but serve as managers, content creators, service providers, and so on.
These jobs, while comfortable, safe, and stable, were also stifling.
Advanced civilizations arise from competition. Their inherent nature is combat, bloodlust, and excitement.
Ayla knew that the Kate civilization had numerous private battle arenas, similar to gladiatorial combat but on a much larger and bloodier scale.
Hundreds of thousands of Kate perished in these arenas annually, a testament to their popularity.
The Kate authorities didn't prohibit these arenas; everyone understood the need to channel desires, avoiding suppression, lest they erupt violently, causing societal collapse.
Therefore, Ayla never doubted the Interstellar Explorers Guild's success.
As she had predicted.
Within ten years, the guild had registered 100 million explorers!
In the following fifty years, over 200,000 medium and small spacecraft departed from Kate spaceports, venturing into the cosmos.
News of the guild reached the Multi-eyed planet, igniting similar enthusiasm among the Light Chasers.
Over 10 million explorers registered.
Spaceports were established on the Multi-eyed planet, serving as rest stops for explorers. These ports would later become known as "Cosmic Waystations."
Once the Interstellar Explorers Guild was established.
Ayla initiated Phase Two of the Dyson swarm project.
Simultaneously, using Luna's clone as an intermediary, she proposed another project to the Kate leadership.
Project Celestial Shield.
As the name suggests, this was a massive defensive shield.
This shield would be positioned at the edge of the Proxima Centauri system, orbiting the stars.
The purpose of the shield was to protect against potential threats.
With the expansion of exploration and the abundance of life in the universe, explorers would inevitably encounter other civilizations.
Other civilizations could also obtain their coordinates through explorers, potentially launching interstellar-range weapons.
Hence, the Celestial Shield.
It would have three layers. The first, a warning layer, would be located 0.5 light-years from Proxima Centauri, forming a nearly complete sphere. 10,000 small probes would be deployed per square astronomical unit, transmitting alerts to the second layer upon detecting a threat.
The second layer, a deflection layer, would be 0.2 light-years from Proxima Centauri, using the four fundamental forces to deflect or slow down incoming weapons, preventing them from reaching.
The third layer, a defensive layer, would be only 0.05 light-years from Proxima Centauri, encompassing most of the civilization's structures. This layer would utilize advanced technologies and draw power from the Kate civilization's energy reserves, providing maximum resistance.
The Kate civilization strongly supported this plan.
It would be constructed concurrently with Phase Two of the Dyson swarm.
Once Phase Two is complete, Ayla planned to initiate String, aiming for the unification of the four fundamental forces.