I set out to construct a small base for fabrication and to create a safe place for my core. I decided to build my base about a kilometer away from the crater. The process was quite simple. When I arrived at the chosen location, I used my scanner to mark all the ore locations within a 1 km radius. To my delight, the ores remained 100% pure, with the ore veins being about 10% larger than anticipated, but that's for later research.
Having marked all the ore veins in the nearby vicinity, I proceeded to activate my point defense system and employed it to blast away the stone covering the iron ore. The lasers emitted such an intense beam that the dirt transformed into plasma, resulting in a small explosion that shattered the underlying stone. Utilizing my lasers in brief bursts, I strategically caused additional small explosions, disintegrating the stone chunks. Once the iron ore was exposed, I employed lasers to create cracks in it, subsequently filling these cracks with my nanites.
With the assistance of my nanites, I effectively separated the iron ore from the surrounding stone and efficiently transported it to my fabricator. This extraction process consumed approximately a day due to the substantial quantity of nearly 3 tons of iron ore. Meanwhile, my built-in refinery diligently operated, producing iron beams.
Once I had completed the excavation and refining of the iron, I moved a few meters aside from the hole and began constructing the base. Although not particularly large, the base had dimensions of 30 by 20 by 20 meters. I erected the structure using the iron beams and then proceeded to gather more resources.
The resource-gathering process spanned multiple days, during which not much of note occurred. I continued excavating ore and making minor observations. However, over those few days, I noticed the grass from earlier spreading and covering a larger portion of the surrounding area, defying my earlier predictions. The steam cloud also gradually advanced closer. To my surprise, the steam cloud dissipated during the night only to reappear in the same location the next morning.
Eventually, I completed the construction of the fully automated base, which featured a basic point-defense laser system. Due to the shortage of certain rare resources, I had to supplement them with my nanites. For instance, a general-purpose AI unit consisted of almost 50% nanites. I assigned the GpAI to act as a researcher, allowing it to manage the 10 small Terrain Exploration And Manipulation Units (TEAMUs) that I created. This relieved me of the need to oversee the research myself.
To further enhance the infrastructure, I began constructing a nanite fabricator that would produce additional nanites. Currently, I only possessed 1.2 tons of nanites, half of which were allocated to the general-purpose AI. Additionally, I installed a small communication antenna to establish contact with the base when venturing beyond the direct communication network. Although I desired to implement Q-net communications, I lacked the necessary resources at the time.
After nearly two weeks of gathering the necessary resources, I finally obtained enough to commence construction of the nanite forge. The forge itself took the form of a small sphere, magnetically suspended in the air. Surrounding the sphere was a one-meter empty space, enclosed within a metal frame. The central sphere served as the core element responsible for generating the nanites. Its operation relied on precise magnetic currents to manipulate atoms and assemble them into nanites.
However, the major challenge lay in ensuring perfect isolation of the forge from its surroundings. The nanite fabricator could not function optimally if exposed to light, vibrations, temperatures higher than absolute zero, or any external energy source. Originally designed for operation in the vacuum of outer space, I had to modify its programming to accommodate the presence of gravity. Unfortunately, this adjustment resulted in a 39% reduction in production efficiency.
Based on my calculations, the modified nanite forge should produce approximately 500 grams of nanites per day. It was imperative to maintain the forge's delicate balance and shield it from any disruptive external factors to achieve the desired production rate.
Upon completing the construction of the nanite forge, I initiated communication with the GpAI to inquire about its findings during this period. The AI promptly responded, sharing its observations. It reported that the grass growing in this environment appeared to be ordinary grass, similar to that found on Earth. However, an intriguing discovery was made when the probe approached within half a millimeter of the grass. At this close proximity, the temperature was recorded as 23.21 degrees Celsius.
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The GpAI explored various observation methods at its disposal and found that when using a camera designed to detect energy types, a layer of condensed blue energy enveloped the grass. This was perplexing because the camera was not designed to differentiate between energy types and should only display energy intensity in black and white. However, in this case, it displayed RGB color values. For instance, the surrounding air appeared to contain light blue energy particles, sparsely distributed and swirling in captivating patterns that correlated with the movement of the air. Meanwhile, the ground manifested as a semi-transparent brown color, varying in intensity across different areas. These observations suggested the presence of an intriguing and previously unseen energy phenomenon in the environment and the grass.
Intrigued by this peculiar phenomenon, I became highly interested and realized that while waiting for nanite production, I could actively contribute to the research conducted by the GpAI. To facilitate my understanding, I equipped my frame with energy sensors, allowing me to have a comprehensive, uninterrupted 360-degree vision of the energy. Utilizing the combined processing power of the GpAI and myself, we started working on an atomic-level scan of the grass.
What we discovered was truly astonishing. This enigmatic energy exhibited a direct interface with the grass cells. Upon entering the grass, the energy was transported to a small crystal sphere made entirely of pure carbon. The scans revealed that not a single atom of a different type was present within the crystal. Remarkably, the crystal absorbed the channeled energy, and I could observe its subsequent release, which permeated throughout the entire "body" of the grass. The energy appeared as a vibrant white glow, becoming more pronounced and radiant.
We further observed that the energy flowed out of the grass through small openings, traveling to the nearest atoms and reducing their vibrations, effectively cooling the surrounding area. Additionally, I witnessed the energy reaching the grassroots, where it facilitated the assembly of atoms into nutrients. These nutrients were then directed toward the roots of the grass, supporting its growth and vitality.
Immersed in the research process, I lost track of time. Unfortunately, without access to the Q-net, information traveled slowly, and I had to reduce data transfer speeds to alleviate stress on the local communication system. To minimize lag, I made the decision to slow down my main clock from a ratio of 1:164 (time passed in seconds) to 1:25 (time felt in seconds). Consequently, nearly a week passed until we completed the scan. Once finished, I instructed the GpAI to compile the data for later analysis.
With the scan completed, I set out to explore the surrounding area beyond a few kilometers from the base. However, as I embarked on my journey, I noticed that the steam cloud had drawn remarkably closer, now only 49 kilometers away from the base. Its presence was visible even without optical zoom. I pondered whether to investigate the cause of the cloud or fortify the base and develop kinetic weapons for increased damage. Fortunately, I had recently produced 3 kilograms of nanites at my disposal.
Ultimately, I decided to construct a 5-kilogram railgun that I could attach to my back, providing a formidable weapon against large, unshielded targets. To save time, I gathered the necessary materials for the railgun and utilized my nanites to construct it on the go while exploring the area for minerals and any other anomalous phenomena that might be occurring.
During my exploration, I didn't encounter anything particularly unusual, aside from discovering more of the pure ore. I shared the research on these new ores with the GpAI, but determining the properties of new elements would require some time.
As I continued my exploration, the construction of the railgun reached completion. Eager to test its capabilities, I fired the railgun, witnessing its expected result—a crater measuring ten and a half meters in width. Returning to the base, I noticed that the steam cloud had reached the edge of the crater. To my surprise, the source of the cloud was a horse-drawn cart. I was stunned for a moment in disbelief, momentarily questioning whether my CPU had malfunctioned. Nonetheless, the railgun was a precautionary measure. It seemed wise to be prepared, even if the target appeared underqualified for the prepaid firepower.
With the steam cloud drawing closer, I made the decision to wait and observe before taking any further action. Additionally, I contemplated the possibility of preparing another railgun and anti-personnel shrapnel rounds to enhance my defensive capabilities. It was better to be on the side given the circumstances.