Chapter 845 A Journey Into the Unknown
While the emperor remained engrossed in his work, Mars—still concealed from all external sensors—was undergoing significant modifications. The planetary shield, which doubled as a stealth veil, was in the process of receiving a major upgrade.
When the emperor had first deployed the shield, he had also integrated it with a rune-computer interface, allowing the shield’s runes to be controlled and adjusted through computational input rather than manual intervention. Now, this interface was being augmented with the newly developed stealth technology, a fusion of imperial advancements and Shadari stealth techniques.
Once the system was activated, the planetary shield itself remained unchanged, but a new outermost veil formed around it, acting as the first line of stealth defense. This additional layer further reinforced Mars’ invisibility, making detection by any known technology even more improbable.
However, the original stealth properties of the shield were not disabled. Instead, they remained fully operational, serving as a secondary failsafe in the event the new veil was ever compromised.
This entire enhancement process was carried out in absolute secrecy, restricted to only those whose positions or responsibilities required them to know. Despite the complexity of the upgrade, the entire operation was completed within a single month, perfectly aligning its finalization with the deployment of the new quantum communication satellites.
But that wasn’t the only operation taking place on Mars.
At the same time, within one of the planet''s large-scale military atomic printing facilities, a fleet was being assembled. The atomic printers, operating at a steady but controlled pace, were producing ships one after another. Ninety ships had already been printed and were now hovering in a precise grid formation above the facility, as if parked in an invisible dock. With each passing moment, more ships ascended, joining the hovering fleet.
This continued until the hundredth ship emerged from the printer, marking the completion of this batch. No more ships followed. The final vessel rose to its designated position, and without hesitation, the entire fleet began to move in unison—as though controlled by a single mind—toward a designated unused sector of the planet.
As they approached, the ships split into smaller groups, each forming a single-file formation behind its designated lead ship. These leading vessels did more than just navigate; they began preparing for an advanced maneuver. Their fusion reactors ramped up energy production to nearly ten times their normal output, channeling the excess energy into mana conversion and focusing it into a specialized device onboard.
One of the officers, eyes still fixed on his console, let out a disbelieving chuckle. His colleague, seated nearby, smirked in response.
"With what we can do now, I completely understand why conspiracy theorists exist."
They both shared a brief laugh, the sheer absurdity of their technological capabilities not lost on them. To the average citizen of the empire, what they were witnessing was pure science fiction, something that was nearly impossible to exist in their lifetime.
A brief pause followed before the inevitable question was asked.
"When do you think the public will know about this tech?"
A thoughtful hum.
"Hard to say,” his friend replied. “Could be tomorrow. Could be a decade from now. It all depends on how the Conclave individuals act... or if the situation or a crisis forces an early reveal. But right now? There’s too much to gain by keeping it secret. This tech makes any ship that has it almost impossible to track—or catch—if they’re dead set on escaping or hiding. That’s not something you want in just anyone’s hands."
He paused before adding, "Maybe if they figure out a way for the public to benefit from it—without letting regular ships have the capability to open wormholes freely or if they can ensure remote control over it no matter the distance—then they might release it. Until then, it stays military-only."
Despite the casual tone of their conversation, neither officer looked away from their screens as they monitored the fleet’s continuously transmitted data. Their ability to hold a conversation without missing a single detail was a testament to the grueling training they had undergone to earn their posts here.
Out beyond the Oort Cloud and beyone the Proxima Centauri, the ships pressed forward, leaving nothing but ripples in space as they vanished into the unknown.