Chapter 1
"Base No. 23, Lin Yu." "Here!"
"General Zhang." "Here!"
“…”
In the cabin of the spacecraft, the officer standing in the front row was calling the roll. The people who were called stood up and stepped out of the line one after another, quickly packed their luggage and belongings, came to the front and saluted the officer, then stood aside and waited in an orderly manner.
In the last row of the cabin, a thin figure sat by the window. He had his eyes slightly closed, and a few black bangs fell on his forehead, turning into clear amber in the sunlight.
Unlike other anxiously waiting companions in the cabin, this corner seemed comfortable and leisurely because of his presence, somewhat out of tune with the tense atmosphere around him.
The officer who called the roll also noticed this corner, but just frowned and didn't say much.
Finally, all the recruits from the previous base were taken away by the team leader, and he began a new round of roll call.
"Base 24, Su Ci." he shouted.
"Su Ci?"
"Su Ci from Base 24, isn't here yet?"
-
Su Ci woke up from a dark dream and heard someone shouting in his ear, buzzing.
He frowned and opened his eyes unhappily.
The moment his eyes opened, a hint of cold gold appeared in his black pupils, but when he saw the surrounding scenery clearly, the gold faded away quietly and returned to its original warm and harmless black.
Su Ci looked at the unfamiliar surroundings blankly.
cabin.
The idea came to his mind that he was in the cabin of a spaceship.
"Apprentice breeder Su Ci, step out!"
The voice that had just woken him up spoke again, this time with a much higher volume, and Su Ci finally heard his own name clearly.
Trainee zookeeper? What is that?
Before the definition of this term emerged in his mind, someone poked his arm.
Su Ci turned his head and looked over. Sitting next to him was a young man with a buzz cut and brown hair. He lowered his voice and said, "Are you sleepy? The commander is calling you, what are you standing there for?"
Sir?
The title of the human army?
Su Ci frowned slightly and glanced at the so-called spaceship cabin again. Before he could figure out the situation, the young man next to him had already grabbed his arm and helped lift him up.
There were already many people whispering in the cabin, discussing who this Su Ci was and how he dared to make his superior angry. When they noticed Su Ci raising his hand, everyone turned their heads to look over.
Su Ci just looked at the young man's hand holding his forearm, then looked at his own hand, looking a little surprised.
The brown-haired young man had already stood up nimbly, pulled him to the aisle, then took a backpack from the shelf above his head and stuffed it into his arms.
He grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. "Go quickly. I'm at Base 26. We'll contact each other later."
Su Ci restrained his expression, nodded hesitantly, and then, under his push, walked to the front of the cabin with his backpack.
The new recruits along the way followed him with their eyes, and none of them failed to salute him.
There was no way. Of the more than one hundred people left in the cabin, who was not a well-trained young soldier with a strong build and dark complexion? Even the female soldiers looked strong and sturdy.
This trainee breeder who had just stood up was not only slim and slender, but also had particularly delicate and beautiful facial features. Even her skin was snow-white and translucent, and you could vaguely see the blood vessels under the snow-white skin. The whole person was so white that he seemed to be glowing.
This scene is like a little lamb walking among a pack of wolves and being targeted by the hungry wolves.
"A breeder? The kind that raises cubs?"
There were whispers below.
"That should be the case. Isn't there a nursery on our Prison Planet?"
"Tsk tsk, look at his skinny arms and legs... Can he watch over those kids? It's a physically demanding job."
"Who said it wasn't?" The new recruit next to him looked terrified. "My parents had another baby without telling me, and when I went home on vacation, they insisted on leaving the baby on me. They gave me a hard time."
"Ah, those brats are really troublesome."
After talking about the son for a few words, the topic quickly turned back to Su Ci.
"Judging from his appearance and temperament, he should be providing psychological counseling to the cubs, right?"
"Yes, yes, yes. I've heard before that everyone who comes to serve on Prison Star needs psychological counseling after returning. Some even go crazy and cannot be cured..."
A group of people showed surprised expressions, but when they wanted to gossip in detail——
“Ahem!”
The officer who called the roll coughed forcefully, and those who were whispering to each other immediately fell silent. They sat up straight, watching their noses and hearts, and dared not make another sound.
The officer looked at Su Ci who came in front of him, and glanced at the electronic board in his hand several times.
Name: Su Ci
Age: 23
Base: No. 24
Institution: Nursery
Position: Trainee Breeder
After confirming that there was nothing wrong, he ticked Su Ci's form and looked at a man in an orange uniform next to him.
The man was about 27 or 28 years old, and also had a buzz cut, but it was slightly longer than the brown-haired young man's. He had handsome features, but the deep dark circles under his eyes made him look a little listless.
He was tall, with bulging muscles under his uniform. Standing in front of him, Su Ci looked even thinner and frailer.
"Yes, the person is here, take him away."
The officer handed the electronic board to the man.
The man didn't say anything. He signed his name on the electronic board - Shi Yjiang - and then looked at Su Ci.
Looking at the young man's appearance, especially his thin figure, he looked a little surprised, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he introduced himself: "I'm Shi Yijiang, come with me, let's go back to the base."
Then he was the first to leave the cabin.
Su Ci paused and looked back at the cabin behind him. The brown-haired young man was waving at him and pointing at something on his wrist.
He lowered his head and found that he had a similar thing on his wrist - a communicator, and the corresponding concept explanation emerged in his mind again.
In addition to being used for communication, this thing also has functions such as accessing the Internet and presenting identity proof.
But what is the Internet?
"Su Ci, follow me." Shi Yjiang in front turned around and urged him.
Even though Su Ci had many doubts in his mind, he did not continue to dwell on them. He withdrew his gaze and followed him out of the cabin.
In front of him was a long corridor with silver-white metal walls on both sides, inlaid with bright snow-white wall lamps. It was an architectural style that Su Ci had never seen before.
With a thoughtful look in his eyes, he followed Shi Yjiang all the way to the outside of the spaceship.
The space outside is brighter than inside the spacecraft.
The sky was covered by a huge metal dome. Under the hemispherical dome, dozens of spaceships and starships of different models were docked, and the metal hulls were shining slightly under the lights.
Countless robots, large and small, are busy carrying goods. There are teams of them in the sky and on the ground. The scene is spectacular yet orderly.
Su Ci was certain that this was a civilization he had never seen before, and after waking up, he also obtained a new identity in this civilization.
This kind of situation had never happened before in his long life.
interesting!
He couldn't remember how many years it had been since he had felt this kind of anticipation and interest in facing the unknown. Su Ci was not panicking at all. He decided to play his new role first to get more information.
Anyway, he had done this many times when he traveled around the world before.
"Our spaceship is here." Shi Yjiang's voice sounded.
Su Ci followed him with his backpack in his arms. They walked forward until they came to the most secluded corner under the dome.
There is also a spaceship docked here with the number 245h written on its hull.
This spaceship is the smallest and most dilapidated among all the ones we have come across. Compared with other exquisite and beautiful spaceships, this one looks a bit shabby.
Robots were constantly carrying boxes of goods to the side of the spacecraft. A beam of light shone down from the spacecraft, and every time the beam passed, the goods on the ground would disappear.
When Shi Yjiang and Su Ci approached, the robots had just finished moving the last batch of goods.
“Ding Di——”
A virtual screen popped up in front of Shi Yijiang, and at the same time, an electronic synthesized voice rang out, "The supplies for Base No. 24 have been delivered. Please check them."
After he signed and confirmed, he took Su Ci to the spaceship. The beam swept over them and the two disappeared on the spot.
Su Ci only felt a flash before his eyes, and the next second, they were already inside the spacecraft.
A human teleportation array? He glanced at the circular platform beneath his feet, but it didn't seem like it.
"It's about a two-hour journey from the supply station to the base. We should be able to make it back before dark." Shi Yjiang led him to the spacecraft control room. "You sit here."
Su Ci sat down as he was told, and a seat belt automatically popped out and fastened around his waist.
Shi Yjiang started the spacecraft and entered the automatic driving mode. As the spacecraft took off, a passage slowly opened in the dome above.
When Su Ci saw the scene outside, he was stunned.
Unlike the blue sky and white clouds imagined, the sky is filled with bursts of light red mist, giving people a stuffy and depressing feeling.
Looking down from the spacecraft, one can vaguely see gullies crisscrossing the land in the mist, like a dried-up riverbed, dry, empty, and lifeless.
Looking around, the world was shrouded in despair and dead silence. Su Ci seemed to hear the earth wailing and accusing, and his eyes suddenly darkened.
"The earth..."
Su Ci finally spoke, saying the first words after waking up, "Why did it become like this?"
His voice, like him, sounded gentle and shallow. However, the slowed-down speaking speed did not make it seem soft. Instead, it gave people a sense of oppression, as if a storm was about to come.
Shi Yjiang, who looked tense after leaving the supply station, thought that he might be too nervous, which led to this illusion.
How could this new breeder, who was so weak, give him such a strong sense of crisis?
He exhaled slowly and whispered, "This is the environment on Prison Star... Don't worry, as long as we get back to the base before dark, we'll be fine."
Su Ci didn't say anything. He just stared at the ground below with a deeply frown on his face.
Why did the earth become like this? Could it be related to his new identity?
Su Ci barely suppressed the restlessness in his heart, because he also knew that the human being next to him could not give him an answer. He wanted to know what happened during his sleep, so he could only explore it himself.
-
The spacecraft flew smoothly all the way, and after about two hours, they arrived safely at Base No. 24.
Apart from one or two city-like bases that can be seen occasionally along the way, there is nothing but empty and desolate land with almost no active creatures to be seen.
Base No. 24 is obviously much smaller than other bases with densely packed buildings, and exudes an air of poverty everywhere.
After getting off the spaceship, they went straight to the interior of a building. After passing the inspection of the intelligent computer core, they went forward and entered a hall.
"This is the first floor of the logistics department."
Shi Yjiang led Su Ci to a window and asked, "Where's your ID card?"
ID card? Su Ci tentatively reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a card and a small button-like object.
"The latest model of space button? You're quite rich."
Shi Yjiang couldn't help but sigh. He took the card and swiped it on the card slot next to the window. Su Ci's name appeared on the display screen.
[ID verification passed: Su Ci, trainee breeder at the nursery]
[We are equipping you with supplies]
【Complete】
The closed window opened and a pile of clothes was brought out.
"Here are your uniforms, two sets in total. If any are damaged, you can exchange them at our logistics department. However, it costs points, which is very expensive, so you'd better be careful."
Unlike Shi Yjiang's orange-yellow uniform, his uniform is gray-blue, with a nameplate on the top with the words "Su Ci" engraved on it.
In addition to the uniform, there was also a box.
"This box contains nutrient solution. Three sticks a day, enough for a week."
Shi Yjiang patted the box and said, "You can come to our logistics office to pick it up once a week. Just like this time, you can swipe your ID card. Of course, you can also have the intelligent robot deliver it, but it will cost one point each time."
Su Ci blinked, couldn't help but stare at the box, and said the second sentence after waking up.
"Nutrient solution? Food?"
The obvious joy in his voice made Shi Yjiang look at him again, and then nodded: "Yes, you should put your things away first, and then come with me to the administrative department to start work."
Hearing that it was indeed food, Su Ci's eyes brightened up a bit.
He glanced at the space button in his hand.
How to collect it? As soon as I asked this question in my mind, the use of the space button emerged in my mind.
It's quite similar to a spirit storage bag.
He placed his hand on the uniform, and with a thought, the uniform disappeared on the windowsill. He did the same thing again, putting the box of nutrient solution and his backpack into the space button.
-
The administrative office was in another building. Shi Yjiang took Su Ci there and left.
The person who handled Su Ci's entry procedures was a woman named Guo Hui who wore black glasses and had her hair combed meticulously. She had a serious expression and frowned noticeably when she saw Su Ci.
"Su Ci, right?"
She flipped through the information on the electronic board and said, "Given your resume and physical fitness, you don't actually meet our recruitment requirements. But since you graduated from a military academy and have relevant certificates in cub psychology, we decided to give you a chance."
"In terms of welfare benefits, the conditions we offer for raising cubs are among the best in the alliance."
"After the internship period, your salary will increase, and you will receive a bonus at the end of the year based on your performance. I hope you will cherish this job."
Su Ci listened absentmindedly, and when she finished speaking, he nodded to show that he understood. However, his mind was actually on the box of nutrient solution in the space button.
He was a little hungry and wanted to eat.
Fortunately, Guo Hui did not make things difficult for him. She quickly helped him complete the entry procedures, told him some things to pay attention to, and finally handed him a book about as thick as a thumb.
Su Ci took it and glanced at it. On the cover of the book were written in large characters: "Breedkeeper's Work Manual".
The material of the book was not the paper he remembered. It felt softer and more resilient. He didn't care and put it into the space button.
"There's an assessment at the end of every month," Guo Hui said. "The first one is a written test. The questions will be from this manual. You must memorize the manual and raise the cubs according to its instructions. Do you understand?"
Su Ci nodded.
Guo Hui paused and continued, "We're short-staffed at our base. You're the only trainee breeder at the nursery right now. Please work harder."
As she spoke, she operated on the electronic board, and a robot floated in from outside - the bottom of the robot was suspended in the air and moved very quickly.
"Nanny Robot No. 4586 is at your service!"
The voice of the nanny robot is very similar to that of a real person. It sounds gentle, cheerful and very energetic.
"This is the nursery's nanny robot. It will help you care for the cubs and provide you with on-the-job training. You can ask it any questions you have."
"I hope you will work hard. During your internship, the inspectors will keep an eye on your behavior, which will affect your final assessment results."
"Well, I wish you good luck in your future work."
After the woman finished speaking, she waved her hand and asked the robot to take Su Ci to the nursery.
After Su Ci and the robot left, a colleague sitting at the workstation next to the woman said, "The nursery has scrapped over forty nanny robots this year, right? These little monsters really treat the nanny robots as toys."
"yes."
The woman rubbed her brows with a headache, "I hope this Su Ci can hold on for a few more days."
Since the establishment of the Prison Star Nursery, no breeder has successfully passed the three-month probation period. I hope he can hold on a little longer.
At least, until they recruit the next breeder.
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