Flyer Civilization.
Bill, while selecting Federation technological products, specifically chose those that would benefit individuals.
"Atomic armor?"
"This technology doesn't seem to be widespread within the Federation."
He was in his room at the trading station. The room was quite messy; a more polite term would be that it had a lived-in feel.
Bill had initially tried to keep it clean, delegating tidying to robots, but he found a well-organized room inconvenient.
For example, to grab something, he could reach for it amidst the clutter. After cleaning, he had to search for the item's location.
So he stopped cleaning altogether.
This state was ideal.
He requested technological specifications from the Federation and received confirmation; the best technology was atomic armor.
As the name suggests, atomic armor is a protective layer for atoms.
Many technologies directly target the atomic level. To increase individual survival rates on the battlefield, the Federation upgraded the original cellular body armor to provide similar protection for septillion atoms.
This technology isn't simple; strictly speaking, it's a manipulation of forces.
When external energy impacts the atoms within a biological body, it destroys those atoms. In the past, this was achieved by cutting or shattering atoms with blades and projectiles. In a Type 2 civilization dominated by energy weapons, there's a greater tendency to use various forces to disrupt biological structures.
This means that many soldiers on the battlefield don't even leave corpses; they're reduced to dust upon impact.
Atomic armor's function is to prevent the destruction of a biological body by high-energy weapons at the atomic level.
Atomic armor is very effective. Many forms of energy are incredibly powerful on a macroscopic level but not necessarily on a microscopic one, such as super-range weapons.
Super-range weapons focus on high power output; their energy coefficient isn't particularly high. However, with the Federation's current top-tier atomic armor technology, it can withstand a super-range weapon attack for 0.0007 seconds.
It doesn't sound like much, but this is a super-range weapon.
That 0.0007 seconds, in the context of a standard laser rifle, means the laser rifle can't penetrate the atomic armor.
And since most Federation ships are equipped with laser weaponry whose single-unit power isn't much higher than a standard laser rifle, theoretically, with atomic armor, one could withstand a hit or two from a ship's laser weapon.
This is a phenomenal improvement.
However, the Federation hasn't mass-produced atomic armor; it's simply not cost-effective enough.
But if the Flyer Civilization accepts it, it would greatly benefit the Federation.
However, the prerequisite is that Bill needs to speak with Brakk Lord.
Over the years, trade between the Federation and the Flyer Civilization has fully opened. Brakk Lord, after several attempts, found that the Federation hadn't introduced anything new and that the trade wouldn't bring in significant energy, so it quickly lost interest.
However, it also stipulated that any new goods must be reported beforehand; otherwise, they had the right to punish Federation merchants.
Federation merchants still arrived.
This wasn't the small trading post of before; it had expanded considerably, utilizing almost all available space.
Travel to this area for Federation merchants was challenging: a fast trip might take 15,000 years, while slower trips could easily take 20,000 to 30,000 years. However, merchants could transport goods via super-antimatter displacement; as for people, they simply sent robots instead—robot salesmen aren't much different from human salesmen.
However, a group of people also arrived via super-displacement biological transfer devices; they were gamblers hoping to strike it rich.
Bill transmitted the atomic armor information to the Flyer Civilization.
Then he waited for their review.
The information included very detailed specifications; based on this, replicating atomic armor would be relatively easy.
But Bill wasn't afraid of the Flyer Civilization replicating it. If the Flyer Civilization replicated their technology, the Federation could replicate Flyer Civilization technology in return; then it would become a contest of who suffered greater losses.
Federation trade had become a delicious cake for the Flyer Civilization, and they weren't willing to give it up.
Several days later, Bill received a reply.
The message read: "Greetings, friend. I've reviewed your atomic armor; it's indeed a remarkable product."
"However, this technology, targeting the atoms within a biological organism, carries significant hidden dangers, as you must know. Therefore, I hope you can offer some assurance, such as the Harmony Sector."
Federation subluminal flight vehicles, carrying satellite factories, had reached several sectors hundreds of years prior, leading to conflicts with the Flyer Civilization in some areas.
The Federation now controlled over 10,000 star systems surrounding the Flyer Civilization, causing considerable anxiety.
This situation exemplified the Flyer Civilization's nervousness; they wanted the Federation to exchange the Harmony Sector for the right to sell the armor.
The Harmony Sector encompassed 173 star systems; while not a crucial sector, its proximity to the Flyer Civilization border made it a thorny issue.
Seeing this reply, a smile spread across Bill's face.
How many years had it been?
He, who had been suppressed for so long, could finally hold his head high.
And the Flyer Civilization had finally become conciliatory.
It hadn't been easy.
Bill, of course, wouldn't give in so easily. He divided the Harmony Sector into 18 regions and proposed negotiating with Brakk Lord for one of them.
"Esteemed Lord, your conditions are extremely difficult for us. That's an inseparable part of our Galactic Federation; your request is for our civilization to cede territory."
"I believe we can compromise. I can offer ten star systems from this region, allowing our Galactic Federation and your Flyer Civilization to jointly develop it, sharing the profits 50/50."
Bill sent the message with a smile.
Then came the tug-of-war. Brakk Lord remained silent for forty years, then declared it impossible, insisting on the entire Harmony Sector.
Bill didn't budge.
After more than two hundred years of stalemate, they finally began to compromise, expanding from ten to nineteen star systems, and the 50/50 profit share shifted to 70% for the Flyer Civilization and 30% for the Galactic Federation.
This didn't matter to Bill; the Federation couldn't develop these sectors; they were too distant. Any gamble would be profitable; even giving away the entire Harmony Sector would be a net gain for Bill.
More spacecraft would bring more star systems under development. The Flyer Civilization's position was closer to the galactic center, resulting in a much higher stellar density. The Flyer Civilization hadn't previously considered overt expansion; even if they did now, they wouldn't be as fast as the Federation.
The Federation, anticipating that seizing these star systems would alert the Flyer Civilization, launched a preemptive strike, calculating the launch times of all spacecraft to ensure the conquest of all target systems within 1000 years—too fast for the Flyer Civilization to react.
In its engagement with the Flyer Civilization, the Federation gradually regained its footing.
...
"This is the Chötons Bio-World." The robot introduced to Luna and Sora.
Before them were rows of dreamlike spheres, resembling glass, but filled with various fibrous materials, making them opaque. Their surfaces had translucent, scale-like details, emitting vibrant colors under the refraction of light.
"Are those eggs?" Sora asked uncertainly.
The robot replied, "Indeed. These are world-eggs. Each has the potential to become a world. These are the most beautiful and cheapest worlds the Federation has ever produced."
Sora was slightly overwhelmed.
He had assumed Chötons Bio-World was a place name, but the robot's description was far different from his imagination.
He looked to Luna for help, hoping she would provide a clearer explanation.
Fortunately, Luna was a talkative woman.
"The Chötons Bio-World is Chötons' research behemoth. Its size can reach 100,000 kilometers. Its immense abdomen can contain an entire world."
"Truly unprecedented."
The robot added, "If warships could be cheaply produced from biological matter, our boss thought, why not worlds?"
"He once visited a gigantic world supported by a World Tree; it deeply moved him."
"If a creature could carry a world and travel the cosmos, wouldn't that be amazing?"
It was indeed magnificent.
A biological world-carrier.
Luna had actually noticed this project a long time ago—8000 years ago? Or 10,000? She couldn't quite remember the timeframe; it was only a fleeting glance at the time.
She hadn't expected this company to actually create this.
"How does such a gigantic creature maintain stability? Bynex is only 200 km in size, and it can't even support its own weight."
Sora couldn't imagine it.
"Aerogel!"
"More precisely, a bio-aerogel. The biological tissue is transformed into an aerogel state, making large amounts of air into biological tissue. To collapse this creature would require a massive amount of force."
"The Chötons Bio-World uses hydrogen gas as a biological component. The gas density is very low; hydrogen gas is even lower, only 0.08342 kg/m ³. Water's density is 1000 kg/m ³—it's one one-hundred-and-nine-thousandth of water. At the same volume, the Chötons Bio-World's mass is one fifty-five-thousandth that of a typical rocky planet."
"Therefore, although the Chötons Bio-World sounds massive, its total weight is less than 100 quadrillion tons. Furthermore, due to the aerogel's spatial network structure, its density doesn't concentrate in one place, increasing its ability to support its mass."
Compared to the Chötons Bio-World, Bynex is the opposite. To maintain its defensive capabilities, the density of its outer armor exceeds 100 g/cm³, resulting in an average density far exceeding that of a typical rocky planet, packing more mass into a smaller volume.
"Chötons Corporation intends to usher in a true age of gigantic creatures for the Federation. The Federation has previously deployed various space creatures, but except for the Swarm, they were all too limited."
"The Chötons Bio-World itself is a world, possessing its own internal circulatory system. It can go anywhere. Its lifespan is up to 475 million years. We believe that even if the Federation ceases to exist, the Chötons Bio-World will continue to roam the cosmos."
It was an ambitious goal.
Was it unrealistic?
In Luna's opinion, it was entirely feasible.
The Chötons Bio-World was indeed perfect; it wasn't just large; its cost was extremely low. It would likely become a sensation in the Federation and even within human civilization.
The Federation might not have a great need for it, but it would be incredibly attractive to star nations, particularly smaller ones.
If a star nation developed within a few star systems, it meant they couldn't easily leave those systems. The Chötons Bio-World would allow those star nations to become nomadic at a low cost; they could go anywhere.
The only imperfection was the relatively slow speed of the Chötons Bio-World; the maximum speed was probably 3182 km/s, much slower than Free Star City.
Of course, those star nations wouldn't complain; the price was right.
How much was a Star City worth?
Free Star City cost 3 quadrillion; even after a long time and cost reductions, it was undoubtedly worth at least 1 quadrillion Energy Credits. Some small star nations have annual GDPs of less than 100 trillion Energy Credits; many have less than 10 trillion.
Those small star nations would have to scrimp and save for hundreds of years to build a Star City; the cost was too high.
The Federation, however, was different. The Federation's Star Cities had long exceeded 150,000; the Federation wasn't going to run away. Therefore, Luna didn't currently intend to purchase large numbers of Chötons Bio-Worlds.
"The Age of Gigantic Creatures!"
Sora was awestruck by the robot's description of the world.
Imagine the cosmos filled with 100,000-kilometer-long behemoths. It would be quite extraordinary.
Thousands of world-eggs were on display. Sora asked, "How much does a world-egg cost?"
The robot replied, "The selling price is between 30 and 50 trillion; additional services cost at least 10 trillion."
"Whoa!"
Sora gasped.
This was beyond the means of ordinary individuals, and even most corporations.
The average annual salary of a Federation citizen was 2,000 to 3,000 Energy Credits. With a population of 64.3 quadrillion, the total market size was at most a sextillion. Divided into many sectors, no single company could cover the entire Federation. Even covering 1% would be considered a super-corporation; even one-thousandth of that 1% would be a top-tier corporation.
It had been 20,000 years since Osvedi Corporation, the largest company in the Federation, established its star nation. Its market capitalization approached 110 quadrillion, yet it still couldn't consider tens of trillions a small number.
But considering the cost of a Star City, the price was reasonable.
However, Luna knew the actual cost of a Chötons Bio-World fluctuated between 15 and 20 trillion; Chötons Corporation intended to make a huge profit.
If all the world-eggs were sold, Chötons Corporation's market capitalization would likely skyrocket.
Currently, its market capitalization was around 50 quadrillion Energy Credits. Luna estimated a fivefold or greater increase, reaching 250 quadrillion Energy Credits.
This was a conservative Federation estimate.
The actual increase would depend on time.
Sora also noticed this and planned to buy Chötons Corporation stock upon returning.
However, he might be disappointed because Chötons Corporation planned to deliver large quantities of Chötons Bio-Worlds only after 1200 years—by then, Sora would be quite old.
The most tiring thing in the universe is always time.
Luna only observed briefly before leaving with Sora. She would wait for Chötons' dream to come true. This might be the first time a Federation company led a technological era; she was eagerly anticipating it.
...
Luna returned to Free Star City.
Aside from Chötons Bio-World, nothing else in the Chötons Corporation particularly interested her.
The Federation remained fractured, yet increasingly unified.
Luna was still somewhat conflicted. The rise of various factions within the Federation meant she could push her resource theory of imagination further.
However, the rise of these factions also stemmed from another factor: Ayla's own diminishing capabilities.
Ayla had reached a plateau.
She had initially believed that Ayla's solution to P=NP would break through that barrier, but Ayla's progress remained limited.
She had already released many technologies and focused on specific technical problems, but progress in many areas remained stagnant.
Part of the reason was limited energy resources. Black hole energy was now being reserved for dimensional warfare, mostly used for production or the extraction of negative energy.
But the most fundamental reason was the increasing difficulty of technological breakthroughs. The difficulty increased exponentially, and Ayla's computational power couldn't keep up with the accelerating pace of technological advancement, leading to this situation.
In simpler terms, the Federation was in a period of accumulation; it needed more resources to propel Ayla to even greater heights.
"Are you disappointed in me, Luna?"
Ayla, aware of Luna's thoughts, appeared before her.
Perhaps it wasn't a sudden realization; she'd likely been pondering this for a long time. This wasn't the first time Luna had thought this way.
Luna wouldn't deny it.
"The Federation's plate is too large, and we're becoming increasingly insignificant within it."
"But we can't prevent the plate from growing larger, because enemies surround us, pressuring us."
"Continuing like this, our ultimate fate may be like a small cart pulling a large carriage, ultimately breaking apart."
Currently, Ayla had little control over many aspects of human civilization. Her absolute control was weakening. The machine rebellion in the Twenty-Eight Nations Covenant, distinct from the war between the Covenant and the Federation, was a fundamental threat to the Federation.
Fortunately, the nascent signs had just emerged, providing an opportunity for correction.
"There's no perfect structure in this world. Recall Earth's civilization. Regulations that were perfect in the 20th century may not suit the 21st. Everything must continuously evolve and change to survive."
"Perhaps it's ultimately my fault. Although I largely don't manage the Federation, many decisions are still mine. This is stability, but also decay. Old branches still absorb nutrients, preventing the tree from sprouting new buds."
"Is that matter ready, Ayla?"
Hearing Luna say this, Ayla instantly regretted her earlier intervention.
Because that plan…
But she knew Luna had already made her decision; perhaps a change was truly necessary.
"Yes."
"The Metacellular plan can be initiated at any time. According to the original plan, you will be divided into 18,000 fragments and dispersed throughout human civilization."
The Metacellular plan would divide Luna's consciousness into countless sub-units.
After tens of thousands of years, Metacellular technology had long since matured.
"Then initiate it. I hope to complete it within ten years." Luna looked at Ayla.
"Then we may have to say goodbye once again."
The Metacellular plan wasn't created for the current situation; its original purpose was to avoid detection from the civilization behind the Connecter. This is why the plan took so long to implement.
The Metacellular plan must mask the Connecter's information gathering from the Federation, and Luna was crucial.
Not only would Luna go into hiding, but Ayla would as well. Ayla would use sub-units to maintain control of the Federation while focusing on the dimensional gateway and the Flyer Civilization.
"We'll be passively separated again…"
Ayla was reluctant to part with Luna. They had been together for so long, and each separation was agonizing. They had been separated before, but at least she had sub-units then. When the sub-units returned, she could access everything they had experienced, as if Luna were always with her.
But this time was different. Each Luna would be independent, holding various identities throughout the Federation.
The only similarity was that each Luna would have a near-eternal lifespan.
Each Luna would, in essence, be Luna, possessing her consciousness. Except for the true original among the 18,000 Lunases, no one, including the other 17,999 and even Ayla, could know which was the true Luna.
This might be another permanent farewell; Ayla didn't know.
But she understood it was necessary.
Each separation was, in fact, a Nirvana, a rebirth necessary to avoid decay.
200,000 years was far too long.
No being, not even a piece of steel, could withstand such an eternity.
Luna actually envied many fictional characters; time seemed to leave no mark on them, not superficially, but internally.
As time passes, life becomes more stubborn, making self-transcendence increasingly difficult.
Luna called this a trial of the heart.
She hadn't experienced this trial in Gas Station because she hadn't been conscious then. She had learned nothing, and although she had changed the Federation and the course of war, she remained the same.
But this time, Luna intended to overcome this trial.
Ten years passed quickly.
Luna entered cryosleep, leaving the task to Ayla.
Ayla extracted the Metacellular from her body. These were cells that had been cultivated for a long time; they were placed in culture tubes and grew rapidly.
Each new Luna emerged, identical to the original in every way, down to the length of each hair.
Luna's original body lay silently there, devoid of any consciousness, just an empty shell.
To prevent the Connecter from identifying the true Luna, it was impossible to keep the original body; that would be a blatant act of deception.
Each Luna was placed in a bio-pod, then loaded onto a ship. These ships would fly to various locations throughout human civilization, where they would grow independently.
"Farewell, Luna!"
Ayla felt her server become slightly unstable. She looked towards the depths of Free Star City, where a laboratory housed a cylindrical culture tube containing a young woman—a living, breathing human being—Ayla herself.
She yearned to become a lifeform, but she knew it was pointless. Only as a machine could she provide Luna with the greatest assistance.
...
"You're awake, Luna."
A familiar voice called out.
Luna opened her eyes. Dark clouds obscured the ceiling; raindrops pattered down. She shifted her gaze to the other side of the room, where a humanoid figure moved about in an open kitchen, the aroma of cooking filling the air.
"I wonder if it's cultural infiltration from you humans, but I rather like this atmosphere. The sound of the rain… it calms me."
Though Chu lacked a face, its voice conveyed amusement.
"What are you cooking?"
Luna sat up in bed. She and Chu were old acquaintances; formality wasn't necessary.
"Dragon meat stir-fry. I really wanted to experience your human taste system, but unfortunately, I'm not quite used to this body's sensations."
"But Ayla mentioned in the communication that you enjoy everyday food, so I looked up 'everyday food' in the Federation dictionary. This is my first attempt at stir-fry; I wonder if it's tasty."
"It uses synthetic seasonings. I heard that natural ingredients are common in the Federation. You wouldn't dislike it, would you?"
Chu served the food, and it surprisingly looked quite appetizing.
"Ding~"
The rice was ready.
"Perfect timing."
Luna pulled out a chair and sat down.
"I'm not being sarcastic, but is there parsley in this?"
Chu hummed. "You don't like it?"
"No, I love it."
Luna accepted the rice Chu served and began to eat, her eyes widening in surprise. "Could it be that my taste buds atrophied during cryosleep? I actually find your stir-fry delicious."
Chu couldn't help but laugh heartily.
"You really find it so hard to admit my excellence?"
Luna said seriously, "It's quite difficult."
Then, she herself laughed. They hadn't seen each other in a long time, but their understanding remained.
"It's hard to believe you'd undertake that plan."
"It means you'll become someone other than yourself."
Chu sat opposite Luna, staring at her. Upon learning of Luna's arrival, it had specifically asked Ayla for detailed information on the Metacellular plan. It had been shocked at first, but upon reflection, it seemed fitting for Luna.
"I used to be a selfish individual, but after seeing so much, I feel that being selfless isn't so bad."
"How I change is unimportant; what matters is how the Federation changes."
Luna didn't consider herself a saint. Selfishness was straightforward; selflessness was simply a different form of selfishness.
She had simply shifted from one to the other because the former no longer brought her joy; it had become low-level stimulation, and she desired high-level stimulation.
That's all.
It's like the poor and the rich. The poor pursue wealth; the rich pursue spiritual fulfillment and disdain wealth. But would the rich abandon wealth? Of course not.
"Perhaps I understand your thoughts. Lately, I've found life increasingly dull."
"Repeating the same things every day feels like being trapped in a cage."
"I'm truly glad you're here; it means I can finally escape a little."
Luna looked at it quizzically. "I never said I came here to manage the eternally democratic star nation."
Chu chuckled.
"That's not up to you."
"Isn't your pursuit of higher stimulation for the Federation? Or perhaps for all of human civilization?"
"Isn't the eternally democratic star nation part of the Galactic Federation, part of human civilization?"
Luna wanted to punch it.
"That's moral coercion."
"But moral coercion feels so good."
Luna felt more relaxed with Chu than with Ayla, because Chu was more like a comrade. Chu giving the Olive Branch Civilization to Luna proved that Luna could fully trust him.
However, silence quickly fell again, as if the previous conversation were a fabrication.
"Do you think the person before you is really me?" Luna asked.
"Does it matter?"
"To an outsider, any version of you is still you. Only you know the truth, and as an outsider, as long as I don't care, it's irrelevant."
Luna finished the last bite of rice.
"Your tone doesn't suggest indifference."
Chu replied, "Come now, I don't have a face; how could I have an expression?"
Laughter filled the room until they stepped outside.
Chu intended to brief Luna on the current state of the eternally democratic star nation, to give her a better understanding.
Naturally, for a better explanation, it also provided detailed data.
Luna glanced at the information during their walk, noticing the unusual population of the eternally democratic star nation.
"Why are there only 3.918 quadrillion people? I thought it was ten times that number when I left."
Chu was silent for a moment. "They killed themselves."
"No matter how much stimulation human civilization provides, as time erodes, no amount of stimulation can fill the emptiness of the heart. Eternity isn't something everyone can accept."
90% of the population had committed suicide.
That was the suffering of eternity.
It wasn't enjoyment or happiness but torment.
Luna knew this kind of suffering. She had contemplated death at several points in her life. If her will to live hadn't been so strong, she wouldn't have chosen to surrender and face her death.
"Eternity is a curse."
Chu wholeheartedly agreed.
"It truly is. I considered transforming the eternally democratic star nation into something like the Federation, but it's impossible to implement."
The meaning of a curse is that you want to escape it, but you can't.
How can those who enjoy eternity calmly face death? Or rather, those who can calmly face death have already committed suicide.
Everyone's thoughts differ, and change requires altering everything. But society is always polarized: some want death, others don't. What choice is there?
Neither side is a minority. Satisfying either would shake the civilization; it's better to maintain the status quo.
This is why so many factions can't change things; it's not that they don't want to, but the past has become chains, impossible to break.
"Before, I thought your name was abstract. Now, it seems perfectly fitting."
"Eternally democratic—these are two chains binding the entire civilization."
Chu nodded, a hint of bitterness in its voice.
"I also feel unsuitable for this position."
Luna shook her head.
"No, it's not that you're unsuitable, but that you're unsuitable for the current eternally democratic star nation. A hero of a troubled time isn't necessarily a sage of a peaceful one. You're too right, and the eternally democratic star nation needs a leftist."
Chu said, "Isn't that why you're here?"
Luna walked ahead, her gaze fixed on the end of the corridor.
"I'm also a rightist, so we need to find a leftist. That's our current mission."
"Find? Where do we find them?"
Chu and Luna reached the end of the corridor. It wasn't a large hall but a wall of a high-rise building, overlooking the entire Star City.
Unlike Federation Star Cities, the eternally democratic star nation retained its original gigantic Star City, though many of the coffin-like structures had been renovated, giving it more of a human civilization feel.
Opulence and decadence.
"There are always those dissatisfied with the current life; they seek change but are constrained by existing rules."
"Democracy itself is the greatest shackle."
"The more you uphold eternity and democracy, the more you imprison change. Rules are never perfect; there must be inconsistencies and flaws."
Imperfection leads to perfection.
An individual can live a life without turmoil, but a civilization cannot.
"It's important to allow those dissatisfied with life to find a path to change."
"We don't need to actively search. We just need to open a hole; then, that person will naturally appear before us, overthrow us, and become the leader of the civilization."
"Don't you want to retire? You can retire then. The fourth leader will change everything, and the fifth will overthrow the fourth's solidified society. Civilization progresses that way."
Chu listened and nodded.
Luna was right; she might have unknowingly become like the people in Gas Station. A new leader was indeed needed.
The classic hero versus the tyrant narrative.
Luna planned to build a stage here.
Of course, it won't be that simple. Before the hero, there will inevitably be countless "hero" corpses—necessary sacrifices.
"Then let's begin." Luna said.
"What? Now?"
Chu felt they needed more time, at least some preparation.
"What preparation do you need? Selecting potential candidates? Or creating scenarios?"
No preparation was needed. Luna could already see the simmering resentment filling the city; the balloon, stretched to its limit, would burst with a single prick.
Luna spoke and leaped from the high-rise building.
Falling several thousand meters took some time. Her body hit the ground without hesitation; robots quickly sealed off the area.
A robot then displayed the data of an apparent suicide.
"Shinji, a true idealist who wished to reform the existing social model but chose suicide due to his inability to change society."
This information was captured by a camera and uploaded to the internet.
Such events weren't uncommon in the eternally democratic star nation, so it didn't cause any ripples.
But soon, someone responded online.
"I'm Shinji's friend, and I believe he would never commit suicide. He's never shown any suicidal tendencies. If he had, he would have told me."
"He worked in politics. He often confided in me about the bullying he faced at work, his ideas ridiculed. They mocked and humiliated him, hoping he'd abandon his ideals. But he had his dream; he didn't want our civilization to continue its decline."
"Look at the Federation; they're developing so smoothly. But us? We're stagnant. He wanted to do something."
"But he failed, didn't he? Going against society has no good outcome…"
The eternally democratic star nation lacked parental relationships; friends were the closest bonds, surpassed only by partners.
This friend's statement shifted the "simple" suicide to potential murder, prompting many to demand an investigation.
But the star nation's official statement chilled everyone.
"Based on current evidence, Shinji's death is confirmed as suicide. The self-proclaimed friend, Caswood, is a known unstable element and is wanted. We urge the public to remain rational and not be exploited by those with ulterior motives."
This announcement treated everyone as fools.
It did nothing to quell anger, only fueling the flames.
Almost instantly, the entire Star City erupted in chaos.
And the mastermind simply watched it all unfold with cold eyes.
"No one will investigate Shinji's true identity. They will believe what they see and hear, even if it's been manipulated."
"Human civilization has a saying: 'The masses are all fools.'"
"This doesn't mean the masses are inherently stupid. In terms of intelligence, the lower and upper classes are no different, but information dictates everything. The lower classes have limited access to information, while the upper class has far more."
"More information means closer to the truth, and it means they can manipulate the lower classes through information asymmetry."
"Similarly, to create conflict, we must use this information asymmetry. Everyone believes what they see is the truth, so let them cling to their misunderstandings. They won't stop, because they find pleasure in that persistence."
"What the eternally democratic star nation lacks is pleasure; this becomes a societal frenzy."
"And what does frenzy mean? Chaos!"
Chu couldn't help but marvel at Luna's skill in manipulating people.
This was true mastery.
As Luna predicted, the entire Star City descended into chaos, with explosions everywhere.
This provided fertile ground for the discontent; those truly seeking change began to gather, their intentions good or evil, but all aimed at overthrowing the existing society.
"You'll wait to be killed next." Luna told Chu.
Not literally killed, but transitioning from leader to puppet master, like Luna and Ayla.
Conservatives shouldn't be on the front stage. This was Luna's approach, not a universal formula; each era and civilization has its own social model. But in the current Federation, in current human civilization, and in the current eternally democratic star nation, Luna's approach was the best.
"A silent witness, perhaps? Then I might experience your higher stimulation."
Chu looked at the incoming information; it stood up.
"Then I shall accept death."
"To make this chaos even more chaotic."
"The vacant throne will trigger greed; perhaps this is a life-or-death drama, the kind of script you excel at, Luna."
It left the room. Luna remained, watching the fluctuating information and sipping her tea.