Chapter 215 – Independence Day! One-Click Acceleration! The Dawn of the Space Age!
Chapter 215 – Independence Day! One-Click Acceleration! The Dawn of the Space Age!
'The Reaper Civilization…!'
Lost in thought, Li Ang suddenly recalled something. In his memory, there were indeed several extraterrestrial factions known as the Reapers.
For instance, the Reapers from Mass Effect, and those from Independence Day.
But the "Reaper" that Omega had just mentioned—exactly which dimensional universe that alien threat hailed from—Li Ang couldn't immediately determine.
Still, regardless of which multiversal civilization this "Reaper" belonged to, it was clearly no friendly force to be trifled with.
Take, for example, the Reapers from Mass Effect—synthetic lifeforms originally created by the ancient Leviathan race of the Milky Way.
At first, these Reapers were merely tools built by the Leviathans, much like humanity developing AI.
But once the Reapers gained sentient intelligence akin to advanced AI, they turned on their creators, annihilating the Leviathan civilization…
And thus began their brutal, horrifying galactic harvest.
Every fifty thousand years, the Reapers would descend upon the Milky Way, systematically exterminating or enslaving all sapient civilizations.
During this period, these AI-born synthetic lifeforms also began fusing genetic traits from other species into themselves, evolving into hybrid beings—part-organic, part-mechanical.
'Hopefully, it's not the Mass Effect Reapers. That faction's power runs far too deep. If war breaks out, we'd be looking at decades of fighting, minimum.'
'And if we're caught in a prolonged conflict, how are we supposed to develop our civilization and sustain production?'
Li Ang ran a comparison between the strength of the Megacorp and the Reapers, only to find that, at best, they were evenly matched. In fact, the Reapers might even hold a slight edge.
If this newly generated alternate reality belonged to Mass Effect, then Li Ang could no longer rely on his usual tactic of dimensional crushing.
This time, the opponent was one of equal standing.
However, if the Reapers were from Independence Day, then things looked much more promising. He might be able to wrap up the conflict in short order.
At that thought, Li Ang immediately opened his system interface, and noticed a new prompt flashing on the "Stargate."
Now that Omega had been fully integrated into the Matrix, the previously hazy system message reading [Edge of Tomorrow + (Unknown)] had finally resolved into its true designation:
[Edge of Tomorrow + Independence Day]!
'Nice. This one's in the bag!'
Seeing that his next adversary came from the Independence Day universe's Reaper civilization, Li Ang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to the Mass Effect Reapers, this version of the Reaper civilization was noticeably "weaker."
Not necessarily in terms of technological advancement, but more so in strategic intellect and foundational strength.
The former was clearly operating on a higher tier.
Now that the immense pressure had lifted, Li Ang's mind began replaying the plot and key details from Independence Day.
If there was one standout technological marvel from that universe's Reaper civilization, it had to be their massive mothership—an interstellar behemoth with a staggering diameter of 3,000 miles!
Three thousand miles—what kind of concept was that?
That's nearly two-thirds the diameter of Earth. It was comparable to, if not on par with, the War Moon megastructure Li Ang had yet to unlock.
A warship of such colossal scale—its mass, its volume—could never be built using just one planet's resources.
Which only proved how advanced and capable the Independence Day Reapers were when it came to interstellar colonization.
Their Mimic lifeforms were essentially programmed bio-mechanical scouts, designed to locate viable new worlds for colonization.
'Looks like I'd better start prepping for war—fast.'
Li Ang knew very well: even though this Reaper civilization wasn't as terrifying as its Mass Effect counterpart, that didn't mean he could afford to sit back and wait for them to come knocking.
After all, the Independence Day Reapers weren't dumb—just not as cunning.
But their tech? That was another story entirely.
These aliens were capable of psychic control, faster-than-light travel, advanced shielding for massive starships, and fully integrated fighter systems.
Put simply, their strategy might've been lacking, but their hard tech was rock solid.
'Three years of preparation time—not bad. That should be enough.'
After carefully reviewing the system's newly unlocked prompts, Li Ang saw that the Independence Day Reapers were still three years away from arriving on Earth.
'Time to speed up the takeover, deploy more fleets and dreadnoughts, and get fully battle-ready.'
He knew he had to remain on this version of Earth and push its science and infrastructure development to the limit over the next three years…
Until every alien threat here was wiped out completely.
…
12 Hours Later
"This morning, UDF recon teams reported a large number of Mimic corpses discovered throughout Paris. The cause remains unclear."
"In addition, a large, unidentified special forces unit has taken control of the city. At this time, we have been unable to determine their national affiliation."
"…"
In a frontline base, a radio tuned to the UDF's official broadcast was playing the latest combat update.
At that moment, Li Ang stood before the central console, issuing commands and reviewing incoming reports via the holographic display.
Just as the broadcast had stated, when the higher-ups in the UDF learned about the anomaly in Paris, they were collectively dumbfounded.
Only after dispatching their forces and confirming that Mimics across the globe had all gone silent—completely shut down—did they dare launch a full-scale counteroffensive.
They swiftly reclaimed all the territories they had previously lost.
Of course, with Paris already under the control of the Megacorp's ground forces, the UDF didn't dare send troops into the area.
After establishing a new frontline HQ in Paris, Li Ang immediately sent a diplomatic delegation on behalf of the Megacorp to negotiate with the UDF and the UN leadership.
At the same time, he began deploying naval units as part of the occupation effort.
If his fleets—like the massive infinity-class dreadnoughts and RCS cruisers—couldn't intimidate the locals into compliance, then he'd simply show them a taste of technological superiority.
And, as expected, the world was never short on fools with a death wish. After the Megacorp announced its plan to assume full control of this planet…
Stubborn local conglomerates and several nationalist governments loudly protested.
They even attempted to use military force to resist the Megacorp's occupation.
Li Ang's response was simple and absolute: crush these "rebels" until they submitted.
Half a month later, the pacification campaign on Edge of Tomorrow Earth was complete. The Megacorp's forces had assumed total control.
Arasaka's security divisions and the military tech department now oversaw every armed faction on the planet.
Those local consortiums that had refused to surrender had their assets fully confiscated.
Six months later, under the Megacorp's leadership, Edge of Tomorrow Earth advanced at a staggering pace—constructing monumental wonders and megastructures at breakneck speed.
Thanks to support from both Earths and the ideal city, this world's human civilization was the first to enter the Space Age.
The reason Li Ang funneled all his resources into developing this Earth's infrastructure and science was simple: it still had a solid foundation, relatively undamaged by catastrophe.
Unlike the Ghost in the Shell Earth, or the Pacific Rim Earth—one devastated by nuclear contamination, the other by volcanic eruptions and Kaiju-related fallout.
Trying to guide those planets into the Space Age, let alone prepare them for interstellar expansion, would be a herculean task.
But with the humans of Edge of Tomorrow Earth, it was a different story.
Its environment had been largely preserved under the UDF's protection. Though some Mimic-infested zones remained, the damage was minimal.
Natural resources, population, and production infrastructure were all relatively intact. It was, without a doubt, the ideal candidate for rapid development.
In both games and real-world strategy, the logic of "help the strong, not the weak" holds true.
Edge of Tomorrow Earth – Paris Frontline HQ
Since relocating his office here, Li Ang had been joined by the Megacorp's top executives across departments.
Now, he was once again conducting a remote conference via hologram, coordinating the development of Earth 003.
Three hours later, the meeting finally concluded. Li Ang exhaled, turning his gaze to the distant Eiffel Tower outside the window.
'Two and a half years left… should be enough.'
He mused to himself.
Thanks to the research division at the Science Nexus, which had successfully extracted and mass-produced the Mimics' faster-than-light particles…
And with critical intel downloaded from Omega's Matrix database, the Megacorp had now perfectly replicated the Mimics' FTL communication technology.
With this tech, they no longer needed to build massive arrays of relay stations to maintain cross-Earth communication.
Even Pandora, four light-years away, could now be reached for real-time exchanges.
And yes, the precognition feature of the FTL comms had also been reverse-engineered.
However, activating that function required the sacrifice of an Alpha as a trigger.
So the biotech division had begun using genetic engineering to breed additional Alphas, solely for the purpose of "seeing the future."
Despite the unnervingly stable quantum structure of this universe, Li Ang exercised great restraint in using this power.
As the Supreme Executor of the Megacorp, his most trusted assets had always been instinct and foresight.
While some of this came down to personal talent, most of it was honed through long-term experience and discipline.
Relying too much on "reference answers" from four-dimensional perspectives risked dulling that natural edge.
"Europa, redeploy ten more infinity-class dreadnoughts to Earth 003. Adjust the defense systems for the ideal city's megastructures."
"Assign more RCS cruisers for patrol duties, and station additional Astartes at key locations."
If Earth 003 was to become the main theater of war, then the defense lines protecting the ideal city, the Science Nexus, and the Matter Decompressor would all need restructuring.
To do so, Li Ang would have to reshuffle the Navy's deployments and reassign ships accordingly.
[As you wish, my master.]
...
One year later!
Planet 003 – Africa region.
"Ding-dong——!"
"Attention all passengers: This maglev train is currently traveling at a speed of 980 kilometers per hour and is expected to arrive at its destination—Nairobi, the capital of Kenya—within the next ten minutes."
"Please ensure all personal belongings are accounted for. Up next, our train's AI conductor, Brandon, will be delivering a brief message."
Inside the train car, a standard female AI voice made the announcement.
Following that, a cheerful and energetic male voice came through—it belonged to AI Brandon, originally from Night City, now serving as the conductor of this train.
[Dear passengers, welcome aboard Train A-0001! I'm your conductor, Brandon, and I'm delighted to be at your service.]
[In approximately three minutes, the space elevator built by LA MEGACORP will come into view. You'll soon be able to enjoy the sight of this iconic corporate landmark.]
[Finally, I wish each of you a wonderful day.]
[...]
As Brandon's voice faded, the broadcast transitioned into a soothing instrumental melody.
The layout of the maglev train's interior wasn't much different from a typical high-speed rail, with twin-row seating and a central aisle.
The only key difference was the emphasis on personal comfort—each seat was designed for individual use, offering ample space and privacy.
Complimentary coffee, beverages, snacks, and alcohol were available for passengers to take freely.
Of course, the cost was factored into the ticket price. While it was on the expensive side, the level of service more than justified the fare.
To ensure passenger safety, the train's staff were all retired soldiers with professional military training.
Additionally, each maglev train operated by the corporation was staffed at all times with ten security officers from the Astartes Reserve Corps, tasked with assisting the crew in handling any potential disturbances.
These Reserve Corps officers weren't built like hulking giants, but they were still significantly more muscular than the average person.
Their arsenal included not only standard mechanical exoskeletons but also smart-pattern submachine guns from the Kantao division, as well as sidearms developed by the military tech department.
With well-equipped troops stationed aboard each train in shifts, incidents on corporate-owned maglev lines were exceedingly rare.
At that moment, in the VIP section at the front of the train, four employees from different Earths were engaged in friendly conversation.
One pair hailed from the Edge of Tomorrow Earth—Sergeant Rita Vrataski, known as the Angel of Verdun, and William Cage, from the recruitment division.
The other two came from the Pacific Rim Earth—General Mako Mori and Raleigh Becket.
"So... you two just joined LA Megacorp?" Raleigh asked with a smile as he looked across at Rita and Cage. "What departments are you in?"
Before Rita could reply, the ever-affable William Cage jumped in. "General Raleigh, sir! I'm the new Deputy Director of Recruitment for the Market Expansion Division."
"She's the newly appointed instructor for the AST Power Armor Elite Squad, also part of the Expansion Division. So technically, we're in the same department."
Cage was clearly satisfied with both his new role and current responsibilities.
Even though he'd never acquired the Omega's Reset ability—so he couldn't evolve through repeated deaths—he still found a way to contribute meaningfully to the corporation's success through his strengths.
As Cage once again tried to make connections, Rita simply rolled her eyes at him and introduced herself more formally to Mako and Raleigh.
"Excellent. The Expansion Division could really use young talents like you. On behalf of the team—welcome aboard," Raleigh said with a warm nod.
Originally part of the Strategic Investment Division, Raleigh had been reassigned to the Expansion Division due to internal restructuring.
Over the past year, LA Megacorp had been pouring massive amounts of manpower and resources into Earth 003.
These four were among those summoned for the effort.
Raleigh and Mako's next assignment would be to take command of two Infinity-class starships once their respective naval fleets were fully assembled.
However, since the fleet was still being organized, headquarters granted them a one-month leave to acclimate to their new environment.
Their current destination was Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
"Whoa...!"
"That space elevator is massive!"
Just as Cage was preparing to continue his small talk and further warm up to General Raleigh, a wave of excited gasps came from outside the compartment.
Raleigh and Mako instinctively turned toward the window. Towering into the sky like a colossal pillar of steel, the space elevator came into view.
So that's the space elevator...!
Raleigh couldn't help but marvel silently.
This enormous structure, connecting space and Earth, marked LA Megacorps' first venture into such a feat of engineering.
Previously, the corporation relied on a fleet of aircraft to shuttle between Earth and space—there had been no elevator.
It wasn't until the Research Division at the Science Nexus made major breakthroughs in carbon nanotubes, high-strength steel, and titanium-tantalum alloy that such construction became possible.
Of course, those materials weren't developed entirely in-house. In truth, Li Ang had obtained specific product samples from a loot pool [i.e., by chance].
Still, freebies or not—as long as the research division could reverse-engineer and fully develop the tech, they'd gain the associated tech points, and everyone involved deserved their raise.
After all, constructing a space elevator was no easy task. It required not just the right technology, but also the ideal geographic location.
That's why the company had chosen to place the elevator in Nairobi—right on the equator.
It followed the same principle used by earlier orbital aerospace companies, which often placed their rocket launch sites in Africa.
The goal: geostationary synchronization.
Keep in mind, the other end of the elevator extended all the way up to a space station called the Crystal Palace—forty thousand kilometers above ground.
This wasn't just low Earth orbit. This was outer space.
By anchoring the elevator at the equator, the Crystal Palace could maintain the same orbital period as the Earth's rotation.
With a zero-degree orbital inclination, it would appear virtually stationary relative to Earth's surface.
That minimized the stress on the elevator's structure. Any deviation would increase the load and make the elevator inoperable.
I've definitely come to the right place!
Staring at the awe-inspiring structure ahead, William Cage couldn't contain his excitement.
Before joining the Expansion Division, he had thoroughly researched Li Ang 's rise to power and the origins of LA Megacorp .
After learning all about this legendary figure—the corporation's executive—and the incredible feats he'd achieved across multiple worlds through the Stargate Project, Cage made up his mind:
He would stay here and make a name for himself.
Mako Mori felt the same way.
Like every other passenger in the train car, her eyes were fixed on the towering elevator that pierced the sky.
Even as someone who had piloted giant Jaegers tens of meters tall, she was still overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the structure.
Mako came from Earth 002, the Pacific Rim world, where from a young age she had fought against Kaiju from the Precursor civilization.
Raised and trained by Marshal Stacker Pentecost, she had grown into a skilled Jaeger pilot and an expert in hand-to-hand combat.
Over the decades, she'd witnessed humanity's tech rise to fight back against the Precursors, only to stagnate, then briefly explode in advancement when humanity teetered on the brink of extinction—only to falter again due to internal conflicts.
She once feared humanity would destroy itself in civil war and fall to alien invaders in disgrace.
But the rise of LA Megacorp changed everything.
The Ideal City, the Science Nexus, the Matter Decompressor, and the ringworld megastructure under construction—
And now, this towering space elevator stood before her.
Thanks to LA Megacorp, human civilization on Earth 003 had been fast-tracked into the space age. It was like hitting the accelerate button.
Perhaps in just another year, humans here would be able to colonize space autonomously—just like those living in the Ideal City.
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