Chapter 42: Earthlings in Shock

After a brief period of observation, Shen Xing gained a general understanding of the level of civilization and technology possessed by the people of Earth. This realization stirred within him a powerful yearning. Earthlings had already managed to traverse such vast distances, and it seemed they employed some marvelous methods—Shen Xing could sense lingering traces of spatial force aboard their vessels. This suggested they had likely experienced spatial jumps—an achievement that, by the standards of the science fiction novels Shen Xing had read before his rebirth, was considered a rather advanced form of technology.

He wondered how many years the humans of this universe’s Earth had spent climbing from the technological level of the twenty-first century to their current heights. Shen Xing knew well that, starting from the present capabilities of Skydome Star, it would take at least several thousand years of relentless effort to reach the achievements Earth had attained. If he could completely absorb and integrate Earth’s technology, Skydome Star could leap across a chasm of millennia in development—a transformation of fundamental nature.

Though Skydome Star’s technology currently lagged behind Earth’s, Shen Xing held unique advantages. For one, he now understood the scale and depth of Earth’s civilization almost to his very core, while the Earthlings knew nothing of Skydome Star. Even if they attempted reconnaissance, the information they gathered would be limited—after all, Skydome Star possessed the unpredictable variable of the Star Father.

Secondly, Shen Xing himself wielded enough power to obliterate the entire Earth fleet. Even if the main force of Earth’s civilization descended upon them, he would not flinch. The Earthlings could only rely on the strength of their technology, whereas Skydome Star was guarded by countless cosmic bodies. Without even resorting to his full might, Shen Xing could intercept and strike back at Earth’s primary fleet, making them pay a bitter price.

What filled Shen Xing with the greatest confidence, however, was his trump card—the Abyssal Star. From the moment he sensed the approach of the Earth fleet, Shen Xing had summoned his Abyssal Star avatar to race toward the Skydome system at astonishing speed. Now, the Abyssal Star’s vast form defied even stellar classification, and the miniature black hole nestled within its core rendered it an utterly incomprehensible celestial body. Should the Abyssal Star unleash its full gravitational force, it could tear an entire star system to pieces.

Shen Xing believed that if wielded properly, the Abyssal Star would be the key to deciding the outcome. Thus, he felt no panic in his heart. In the face of the impending crisis, he even intended, for the time being, to keep the knowledge from the people of Skydome Star. He hoped to use this opportunity to impress upon humanity that only by uniting and striving to advance their civilization could they hope to survive amid the vast currents of the universe.

…

After a brief voyage, the reconnaissance vessel from Earth’s civilization finally arrived above Skydome Star. Through the ship’s enormous display, the members of the survey team gazed down at the blue planet below. Emotion surged through each of their hearts—many could not help but shed tears. Centuries of lonely travel, countless generations of perseverance and sacrifice, and now, at last, they had arrived at the new home of their dreams.

This world, named New Home, revealed itself before them in all its splendor, so reminiscent of the Earth of centuries past. “Activate the ship’s concealment system! Deploy the satellites for further reconnaissance!” Major General Lu Hongfeng’s voice, usually calm, trembled with barely contained excitement as he issued his orders.

With the relayed commands, dozens of satellites were released from the reconnaissance ship. Each entered a different orbit around Skydome Star and began detailed surveys of the planet. “Satellites operating normally. Survey instruments online. Commencing data collection,” the system announced. The large display split into multiple screens, each offering a magnificent view of Skydome Star from a different angle.

The ship’s automated broadcast began reporting each piece of data, and with each number, the scientists’ astonishment grew. “Measuring planetary surface temperature… Surface temperature approximately fourteen degrees Celsius.” “Measuring current planetary rotation and revolution… Rotational period approximately twenty-three hours, fifty-six minutes, four seconds… Orbital period approximately three hundred sixty-five point two four two one nine days…” “Measuring the satellite…”

“Target satellite distance from planet… approximately three hundred sixty-three thousand one hundred four to four hundred five thousand six hundred ninety-six kilometers… Orbiting the target planet in a counterclockwise direction from west to east.” “Measuring satellite’s rotation and revolution… Rotational period about twenty-seven point three two Earth days… Orbital period about twenty-seven point three two Earth days…”

Chief Scientist Alibert stared in stunned silence at the data on the screen. “Perfect… it’s simply perfect… The environment is almost identical to Earth’s! Only the continental plates resemble the theoretical supercontinent, but every other parameter is even more ideal than Earth’s!” The other scientists were equally dumbfounded by this string of discoveries. It was hard to believe that, somewhere in the universe, there existed a planet so closely resembling Earth.

“This is nothing short of a miracle!” “I can hardly believe it! There’s actually another planet so similar to Earth in the universe!” What shocked the scientists even more was that the reconnaissance ship had also scanned Skydome Star’s companion satellite—a twin to Earth’s Moon. Aside from a slightly different hue, its mass, diameter, and distance from the planet were identical to those of the Moon.

“So… have we arrived at another dimension’s Earth?” one scientist muttered in bewilderment.

Professor Alibert shook his head, dismissing the hypothesis. “Unlikely. The Earth-Moon configuration is similar, but the surrounding environment is completely different from Earth’s. The universe is vast beyond measure; it’s quite possible for another Earth-like planet to exist. We are simply fortunate to have found it.”

As their reconnaissance grew ever more thorough, the scientists’ astonishment gave way to awe. They realized that Skydome Star was not merely a planet reminiscent of Earth—its very existence was a miracle of the cosmos, the finest testament to their pursuit of the unknown.

But before the group could fully emerge from their daze, a shrill alarm suddenly shattered the silence. “Warning! Warning!” the mechanical voice blared, each word striking the hearts of the survey team like a drumbeat. “Artificial structure detected! Artificial structure detected!” “Technological artifact discovered in outer space! Technological artifact discovered in outer space!”

Everyone rushed to check the display, where an immense building soaring into the clouds appeared before their eyes. Its pinnacle seemed to pierce the heavens, exuding a solemn and sacred aura that commanded reverence. “Impossible! They’ve never launched any satellites before!” “Their civilization has reached the level of the twenty-first century…” “What on earth is happening?!”

Before they could recover from the shock of the structure, the image shifted, revealing an even more astonishing scene. “Intelligent life detected! Intelligent life detected!” On a bustling street, the people of Skydome Star moved to and fro. Instantly, the mood in the ship grew grave, and Lu Hongfeng made a swift decision. “Zoom in! I want a clear look at their faces!” His eyes narrowed to slits, sharp as a hawk’s.

As the image came into focus, the full appearance of the Skydome Star’s inhabitants was revealed. The survey team stared at these higher intelligences as if struck by lightning, stunned beyond belief. One by one, their jaws dropped in utter disbelief.

These people… looked exactly like Earthlings!