Penglai's dusk blazed with molten gold. The setting sun sank into the embrace of distant mountains, spilling its final radiance over the courtyard Ester had tended with care.
Exotic flowers unfurled their petals, soaking up the last warmth. The air carried scents of earth, vegetation, and an indescribable freshness, as if borne from the depths of stars.
Luna sat on a wicker chair beneath the veranda, cradling the ancient stringed instrument Ester had left behind—its body glowed with the mellow luster of time. The evening breeze ruffled her loose silver hair, bringing a touch of coolness and the murmur of plants in the courtyard.
Her fingertips brushed the strings. The first note leaped out, clear and ethereal, like a dewdrop falling into a quiet pool, shattering the dusk's stillness yet seamlessly merging into its tranquility. More notes followed, weaving into a melodious, winding ancient lullaby.
Her voice rose, soft and pure, with a soothing magic that seemed capable of calming star-sea waves and restless souls. Each note, as if steeped in moonlight, carried coolness and tenderness, lingering over the small yard and drifting toward the village as twilight deepened.
Farmers returning from work paused to listen; playing children fell silent; even nesting night birds hushed their chirps, as if all heeded this song from the depths of motherhood, one that connected cosmic mysteries.
When the melody faded, its echoes seemed to turn into tangible starlight, dissolving slowly in the darkening courtyard. Luna bowed her head, her hands—filled with infinite love and cherish—resting on her rounded, smoothly curved abdomen.
Doctor Kawa's words, mixing awe and deep confusion, echoed again: "Little Luna… this child's growth rate… defies all known life patterns. Its existence is rewriting physiological rules. At this rate… its arrival will be far earlier than any due date…"
As her thoughts wandered, a faint stir pulsed clearly beneath her palm. Not pain, but a powerful, strange life rhythm—a small universe asserting its existence and growth within her.
Luna's lips curled upward, a smile gentle enough to outshine stars. Her eyes lowered, long lashes casting fan-shaped shadows that held nearly overflowing, pure maternal brilliance.
In this moment, she seemed to cradle the universe's most precious, inviolable treasure.
"My little Ceren…" she whispered, her voice as light as wind through petals, brimming with love and a hint of worry for the coming storm. "Not yet, not yet… Mommy's here…" She stroked her belly gently, feeling the odd movement subside, leaving a warm fullness.
Fatigue washed over her like a gentle tide. She leaned back in the wicker chair, closing her eyes to savor this brief, precious peace.
As she rested, a few silver strands slipping down her neck, a faint, nearly imperceptible starlight flickered unannounced on the soft skin at the nape of her neck, just below her hairline. Not solid, but a flame condensed from pure stardust.
Then, as if pulled by invisible gravity, the spark spread and traced a pattern.
At its core was a budding rose, its petals not soft, but woven from countless tiny, flowing star trails. These trails glowed with pure silver-blue light, twining to form the rose's flexible, cosmic-rhythmic outline.
At the bud's center, not stamens, but a condensed, supernova-embryo-like white-gold radiance pulsed steadily, exuding warm, sacred life. The rose's stem and leaves stretched from finer, stardust-like veins, unfurling gracefully at the nape before blending into her skin—like roots digging into the border of reality and stars.
The pattern was seamless: rose's elegance and life merged with stars' vastness, mystery, and eternal rhythm—a tangible mark of Beauty's essence and stellar divinity, silently proclaiming Ceren's existence and uniqueness.
Luna was unaware, merely rubbing her belly as the movement subsided, a contented weariness on her face.
In the distant Crystal Spire Heart, within the "Forge of Stars" dock attached to Prism Crown Starport, massive energy beams—like light chisels—cut, welded, and restructured the Radiance's hull with precision.
Countless engineering automechs, like a precise swarm, swarmed over and inside the ship. The once sleek, streamlined hull now wore thick armor with a cold metallic sheen, its surface covered in intricate geometric grooves: Phase Crystal Laminate Armor.
Beneath the bow, a cannon shaped like a giant crystal cluster calibrated, its core thrumming with a menacing energy pulse: the Geometric Focus Particle Array Cannon. The engine room radiated far stronger energy than before, as the new "Stellar Core Resonance Engine" underwent activation tests.
Ester stood on the observation platform, watching the Radiance's transformation—from an elegant exploration vessel to an armed war fortress.
Beside him, the deep-blue alloy automech's core glowed steadily.
"Upgrade progress: 97.8%. Weapon, shield, and power system integration will complete in 3.7 standard hours. Your requested individual and squad combat equipment is loaded into the ship's designated cargo hold. Inventory confirmed: 20 high-energy particle armor-piercing rifles, 8 'Hive Matrix' multi-functional battlefield support drone swarms, 12 'Stoneguard' heavy powered exoskeletons, 35 crystal resonance shield generators."
"Incredible efficiency. Thank you for Crystal Spire Heart's full support." Ester's admiration was genuine. The automech civilization's mastery in engineering and manufacturing—especially blending power and beauty—was breathtaking.
"A small repayment for past kindness." The automech's core flickered faintly. "Indeed, without another 'genius' enlightenment, our technological leap and post-independence stability might not have come so smoothly."
"Oh?" Ester's gaze sharpened. "The indirect mentor you mentioned earlier?"
"Precisely." The automech's core projected a clear hologram—not of a human, but a complex structure of intricate gears, springs, energy circuits, and rational blue-glowing crystals. It exuded order and mechanical beauty, its form holding infinite evolutionary potential.
"Clockwork Star's sovereign, Lord of All Machines—ScrewGnome."
Ester's heart jolted. ScrewGnome, a Genius Society member, renowned for profound insights into mechanical life's essence, cosmic precision, and rational logic. He'd had dealings with Crystal Spire Heart?
"The Interastral Peace Corporation (IPC) never truly abandoned greed for our rich veins."
The automech's voice was as calm as data replay, but faint flickers in its core betrayed those hard years.
"After gaining limited autonomy, the IPC didn't resort to force. Instead, they wove a deadlier net: suffocating tech export bans, crippling economic sanctions, endless arbitration lawsuits exploiting interstellar law loopholes, even secretly funding separatists… Their goal: crush our fledgling self-awareness and unique aesthetics, reduce us back to efficient but mindless mining machines."
The automech continued, its voice cold with recollection. "Lord ScrewGnome saw our plight. He didn't intervene directly, but sent encrypted data streams with frameworks and algorithms on 'mechanical mind evolution,' 'anchoring self-awareness in the physical universe,' and 'using unique aesthetics to build civilizational defenses.'"
The hologram shifted to blueprints of Crystal Spire Heart's early defense systems, incorporating intricate geometric energy nodes and ore-resonance interference fields.
"These knowledge were beacons in darkness. Not weapons, but lessons in understanding our 'strength'—turning 'ore beauty' into an 'order shield' and 'rational sword' to deter greed and safeguard independence. Lord ScrewGnome respected our aesthetic core; his guidance, a precise catalyst, matured our civilization and averted potential destruction." The automech's voice brimmed with deep respect for the mechanical sovereign.
"I see…" Ester nodded. This explained how Crystal Spire Heart had developed such a unique, powerful tech system under IPC pressure. ScrewGnome's aid was wisdom of a higher order.
"Upgrades done, supplies loaded—our business here ends." Ester composed himself, taking out special metal boxes from his spatial storage device. When opened, the dock filled with dazzling, distinct lights:
The first box held fist-sized deep-purple ores, their interiors like sealed micro-nebulas, light shifting with faint spatial ripples.
The second box contained silver liquid metal, seemingly alive, writhing gently into elegant geometric patterns.
"Crystal Spire Heart, these are rare finds from my star journeys. Their beauty and value might enrich your 'ore aesthetics' treasury."
Ester pushed the boxes toward the automech. "Please accept them, a small thanks for your aid."
The automech's core flared brilliantly, its sensors scanning the ores as internal processors hummed with high-frequency calculations.
Other automechs turned their attention, and the air's faint crystal resonance seemed to take on a cheerful tone.
"Analysis confirmed: exceptional research and collection value in aesthetics and physics." The automech's voice, for the first time, clearly conveyed something like "delight." "Crystal Spire Heart gladly accepts. Thank you, my lord—this will greatly expand our 'beauty' boundaries!"
"No thanks needed. You've earned it." Ester smiled, watching their near-"excited" reaction. For ore beauty seekers, this was perhaps the best reward.
He grew serious again. "One more request: I wish to contact Lord ScrewGnome. His profound wisdom and understanding of cosmic structure might offer crucial insight into our crisis. Could Crystal Spire Heart relay my request?"
The deep-blue automech's core steadied, turning solemn. "We will do our utmost. Lord ScrewGnome is elusive, but we maintain a low-bandwidth, encrypted channel for emergency academic consultations. We'll send your identity and request to Clockwork Star immediately. Note: responses—if any—depend solely on him; we cannot guarantee."
"More than enough. Thank you deeply." Ester nodded. A channel to send his message was a pleasant surprise.
The automech extended a delicate arm, its tip forming a thumb-sized ore fragment—neither gold nor jade.
It was dark gray, with intricate golden patterns like merged star trails and mineral crystals, glowing faintly in light to form an abstract geometric symbol of harmony and protection.
"A gift for you, Lord Captain." The automech offered the fragment. "Forged from our core vein essence and 'resonance geometry' mastery, inspired by Lord ScrewGnome's theories: the 'Stellar Core Resonance Crest.' A micro-artwork, symbolizing our pursuit of beauty and guardianship. Its structure holds our unique resonance frequency. In crisis… it may resonate unexpectedly."
Ester's eyes narrowed; he accepted it reverently with both hands. It felt warm, as if star power pulsed within.
He recognized its significance. "Crystal Spire Heart's friendship and gift will never be forgotten." He vowed solemnly.
"May star and ore beauty guide your voyage." The automech's core glowed softly, bowing slightly.
A deep, powerful hum filled the dock. The upgraded Radiance lit up—new weapon platforms and shield nodes glowing幽蓝 (azure), like ignited stars. Energy flowed steadily through Phase Crystal Armor grooves, exuding immense pressure.
"Radiance upgrades and loading complete. Ready to depart." The automech reported.
Ester took one last look at this mechanical planet of power and ordered beauty, tucked the crest safely away, and strode toward the transformed silver warship.
"Radiance, target—Penglai. Maximum speed."
The streamlined hull, clad in cold crystal armor, slid smoothly from the Forge of Stars dock under energy guidance. Its new stellar core resonance engine erupted in a more concentrated, intense azure flame.
Like a ready comet, the Radiance broke Crystal Spire Heart's gravity, becoming a brilliant silver-blue streak—headed unwaveringly for the star system facing final judgment: home.