PGVCW 86

Playing God in Various Catastrophic Worlds

Chapter 86: The Ferris Wheel Dialogue

"This, that, and all of these—I brought them all back from Yunxing."

Xia Wang'an looked as proud as a cat that had successfully ambushed a rabbit, dumping the entire haul of "junk" she had scavenged from Yunxing right into the large swimming pool.

The reason she used the swimming pool was simple: there was an immense quantity of material. Starship hulls possessed massive structural volumes, and even mere wreckage fragments were sufficient to completely fill a full-sized swimming pool.

Recuperating starship debris from open space was an exceedingly hazardous undertaking, even for native Yunxing citizens.

In recent years, the frequency of genetic frenzy episodes among Yunxing inhabitants had surged relentlessly; struggling just to maintain personal stability, they had zero spare capacity to organize salvage operations for wreckage.

Consequently, all these valuable spoils fell conveniently into the lap of the interstellar sanitation worker: Xia Wang'an.

The Scientific Treasure Trove

A throng of research specialists behaved with the frantic excitement of rabbits stumbling upon an expansive patch of purple alfalfa, crowding the perimeter of the pool with unconcealed eagerness. Had colleagues not physically restrained them, several would have leapt straight into the water.

"These are genuine starship wreckage fragments from the interstellar era!"

"Such a massive volume—this must represent more than half of a complete starship hull! How much advanced technology must be embedded within this plating?"

Though Xia Wang'an was not a research specialist, her academic record had always excelled across every subject. She distinctly remembered a historical lecture from her early schooling days: during the founding era of the Xia Kingdom, domestic technological capabilities were exceptionally rudimentary, lagging far behind foreign powers to the extent that even aircraft R&D presented nearly insurmountable hurdles.

It was not until the Xia Kingdom secured a crashed foreign aircraft that its specialists conducted rigorous anatomical analysis, structural assessments, and material evaluations based on the recovered framework, ultimately successfully fabricating the Xia Kingdom's inaugural indigenous large-scale jet airliner.

Perhaps in the eyes of Yunxing citizens, these starship fragments constituted worthless refuse—disposable debris whether discarded or retrieved.

Yet when introduced to a Xia Kingdom whose technological baseline trailed far behind Yunxing, these metallic hulls could undoubtedly elevate the nation's technological tree by several, or even a dozen, tiers.

Beholding the ecstatic specialists—who were trembling with unadulterated excitement—Xia Wang'an felt similarly gratified.

She offered encouraging reassurance: "You focus on analyzing these materials first. Once these are digested, I shall utilize floral specimens to barter for an even greater volume of technology."

Indeed, within her mental framework, she viewed these technological remnants as items she had personally bartered for, utilizing nothing more than a bundle of decorative blossoms.

"Wang'an, I honestly lack the vocabulary to express my gratitude toward you."

A senior researcher embraced Xia Wang'an tightly. Even after performing only a preliminary scan of the wreckage fragments, her voice trembled with profound emotion, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"With these resources secured, even if we prove ultimately incapable of averting Blue Star's demise, we retain the option to evacuate the planet entirely, guiding all of humanity toward a newly discovered sanctuary."

The scenario mirrored the ancient exodus of Yunxing's primordial mother planet; the primary distinction was that Yunxing's technological tree back then had not yet attained such dizzying heights, rendering it impossible to evacuate the entirety of their population.

Yet presently, a Blue Star empowered by these acquired technologies possessed precisely that capability.

The Weight of the Decade

The "Ten-Year Countdown" had perpetually functioned as an oppressive monolith weighing heavily upon every conscious mind; every participant within the [Savior Project] was acutely aware that in ten years, Blue Star would face total annihilation.

Yet at this juncture, an alternative pathway had materialized before them.

Xia Wang'an accepted their effusive expressions of gratitude with a bright, easy smile. However, upon bidding farewell to the research specialists—who looked ready to dive headfirst into the scrap heap—and returning to the conference chamber, her opening statement struck a sobering chord:

"I am convinced that the historical destruction of Yunxing's mother planet was orchestrated by the Corrupters."

Within the conference room, while several officials registered astonishment, others displayed immediate contemplative acceptance.

The Chief Executive belonged to the latter category: "Based on the intelligence dossiers you retrieved, Yunxing's mother planet suffered a precipitous collapse. It featured the sudden advent of monstrous entities coupled with celestial bombardment—an exact mirror to Blue Star's ongoing catastrophe."

Another senior statesman interposed: "The sole divergence is that at the eleventh hour, ancient Yunxing successfully engineered starship technology, preserving a surviving spark of human civilization."

And now, Blue Star had similarly secured a lifeline—courtesy of Xia Wang'an.

Prompted by Yunxing's historical precedent—a world exhibiting such profound structural symmetry to Blue Star—the core agenda of the strategic assembly pivoted toward a pivotal philosophical dilemma:

"Given that we can now acquire Yunxing's advanced technological framework, leaving us with a remaining window of nearly nine years, should we persist in engaging the Corrupters in total warfare?"

Under the binary imperative of either fight or perish, mobilizing total warfare against the Corrupters had naturally represented the sole viable recourse, regardless of how unimaginably colossal those cosmic horrors appeared.

Yet now, presented with an alternative paradigm—possessing an entirely novel avenue for survival—should Blue Star stubbornly maintain its course, clenching its fists and staking the collective existence of all humanity to wage a war of annihilation against the Corrupters?

Alternatively, could they emulate the historical path of Yunxing—or perhaps execute it under superior operating conditions?

They possessed the technological capacity to evacuate the entirety of their population; they would merely be abandoning the terrestrial body of their mother planet.

The conference chamber swiftly devolved into a chaotic, vociferous debate.

The Debate of the Statesmen

Xia Wang'an gazed upon the unfolding spectacle with mild fascination; observing heated arguments among her elders was a rarity in her experience. Within her enduring impressions, these venerated senior statesmen invariably projected an aura of gentle benevolence and inexhaustible patience.

For instance, upon greeting her, they routinely offered warm, affectionate inquiries accompanied by occasional distributions of artisanal confectionery.

While Xia Wang'an sat wide-eyed with innocent curiosity, an elderly statesman who had moments prior slammed his palm upon the table and roared in absolute fury—"You are gambling with the collective survival of all human civilization!"—accidentally pivoted his gaze to encounter her presence.

The wrathful, bristling contours of his expression instantaneously dissolved into a visage of profound, grandfatherly warmth.

"Wang'an, you must be famished after your long journey back, correct? Here—take some chocolate; it is exceptionally palatable."

Accepting the proffered confectionery, Xia Wang'an experienced an immediate sense of tranquil reassurance.

Clearly, everyone remains fundamentally unchanged.

Recalling video footage of United Nations plenaries from historical peacetime eras she had previously perused, she concluded that the current domestic proceeding was infinitely more civilized than those international forums.

After all, delegates during UN assemblies frequently escalated from verbal disputation to physical altercations, whereas the delegates gathered within the Xia Kingdom's assembly maintained commendable decorum, restricting their engagement strictly to verbal hostilities without resorting to fisticuffs.

The atmosphere gradually regained a degree of chaotic fervor; disputants grew dissatisfied with remaining seated, rising to their feet while projecting holographic simulations of Blue Star's catastrophic collapse to reinforce their respective rhetorical positions.

Initially experiencing minor disorientation, Xia Wang'an quickly verified that no physical violence was imminent, whereupon she settled back to observe the proceedings with genuine cinematic appreciation.

"Feeling apprehensive?" The Chief Executive materialized beside her unannounced, taking a seat.

Xia Wang'an shook her head: "They are not going to exchange blows."

Even if a physical brawl were to erupt, she possessed the physical strength to immobilize every participant with a single hand, rendering any genuine anxiety entirely superfluous.

The Chief Executive chuckled softly, extending a hand to pat Xia Wang'an's crown: "Indeed. They will not resort to violence, because every single participant shares an identical ultimate objective. Regardless of how fiercely they dispute, every heated argument is motivated by a sincere desire for the collective welfare."

"The divergence lies strictly in their preferred methodologies for achieving that objective."

Xia Wang'an turned her gaze toward the Chief Executive: "Which pathway does the Chief Executive endorse?"

"I intend to select the pathway that ancient Yunxing ultimately declined to pursue."

The Chief Executive articulated her personal conviction without ambiguity: "Evacuating our mother planet to seek a novel sanctuary—that is a trajectory Yunxing has already empirically tested for us, is it not?"

On the surface, Yunxing's historical trajectory appeared triumphant; preserving the human seed, they successfully located a fertile domain and evolved into the dominant planetary power within their regional sector.

Yet, despite eluding initial destruction, Yunxing ultimately succumbed to the lingering scourge of genetic degradation.

"Wang'an, do you perceive a causal linkage between the Yunxing genetic anomaly and the Corrupters?"

Xia Wang'an required zero cognitive latency: "When You Mo and the other insurgents seek passage to alternative dimensional worlds, they rely entirely upon transit corridors forcibly torn open by the Corrupters."

"Stated differently, the Corrupters operated within Yunxing long ago. I can assert with absolute certainty that the genetic aberration plaguing Yunxing citizens was engineered by the Corrupters."

The Chief Executive registered zero surprise; considering the insatiable tendency of the Corrupters to burrow into every viable planetary ecosystem they encountered, the absence of prior activity within Yunxing would have constituted the genuine anomaly.

"Ten thousand years ago, Yunxing's forebears evaded total extinction through desperate planetary evacuation; yet ten millennia later, the Corrupters successfully engineered a systemic mechanism for their ultimate demise."

"A myriad of years ago, they preserved humanity through flight; yet today, the genetic curse is embedded directly within human biology. Regardless of the spatial distance Yunxing citizens flee, total annihilation remains their singular destination."

When addressing Xia Wang'an, the Chief Executive consistently radiated maternal warmth, embodying profound inclusivity and harmonious equilibrium.

Yet at this moment, within the depths of her eyes—tempered by decades of historical responsibility—a chilling, razor-sharp resolve surfaced.

"Until we completely exterminate the Corrupters, humanity will forever inhabit the perpetual shadow of impending annihilation."

Yunxing had fallen prey to the Corrupters' secondary visitation precisely one myriad years following their initial escape.

And Blue Star?

The absolute moment Blue Star's populace abandoned their terrestrial cradle to flee, they exposed themselves to renewed targeting by the Corrupters at any unpredictable juncture.

The Chief Executive gently stroked Xia Wang'an's shoulder, preserving her warm smile while her tone hardened into unyielding granite:

"The Xia Kingdom has endured myriad trials across history; historical epistemology has imparted a foundational truth: flight yields no enduring sanctuary. Only through absolute triumph do we secure permanent peace."

Xia Wang'an nodded quietly, recognizing that her personal philosophical outlook aligned flawlessly with the Chief Executive's strategic determination.

The Final Resolve

Accumulated combat experience taught her a singular axiom: true security is achieved solely when an adversary's cranium is severed, their physical remains pulverized into discrete fragments, and those fragments reduced to absolute ash, precluding any possibility of resurrection.

In truth, she had already resolved that regardless of the collective outcome of the assembly's debates, she intended to wield her blade directly against the epicenter of the Corrupter hive-cluster.

Consequently, she had quietly elected to remain a tranquil spectator to the parliamentary theater.

"Proceed to take your rest; you have expended immense energy over an extended duration."

The Chief Executive smiled warmly as she dismissed Xia Wang'an: "By the time you awaken refreshed, our strategic consensus will have crystallized."

True to her word, upon rousing from a restorative slumber, Xia Wang'an learned that the parliamentary assembly had reached its definitive conclusion.

Once the Chief Executive intervened and cast her weight behind a specific trajectory, the path forward ceased to be a subject of prolonged debate.

Reiterating the core national axiom: rather than accepting fleeting, fragile sanctuary, the Xia Kingdom fundamentally preferred securing permanent, unassailable peace—even if the price of that peace necessitated waging a war of absolute attrition against a cosmic behemoth.

The vast apparatus of the national state swung into synchronized motion once more; hundreds of thousands of academic specialists eagerly consumed the advanced extraterrestrial technologies.

The Ferris Wheel Dialogue

Countless copies of the visual archives secured by Xia Wang'an were duplicated and distributed across various technical divisions for structural decomposition and empirical study.

Meanwhile, she treated her companions to a recreational excursion at a local amusement park. Following an exhilarating afternoon of leisure, she found herself ascending the grand observation wheel, seated alongside Lux as they gazed out across the evening skyline.

"I find myself somewhat curious."

"Lux?"

"If that designated entity styled as a 'God' possesses the capacity to reverse temporal flow—wielding power of such absolute magnitude—why must it persist in orchestrating the destruction of worlds?"

"Lux..."

"Ah, I acknowledge that when idle minds seek diversion, eccentric impulses frequently manifest; however, orchestrating such monumental efforts to summon countless Corrupters surely transcends mere boredom."

"Lux..."

"Furthermore, during my past life, I succeeded in slaying the God of Decay, yet I retain zero recollection of its visual phenotype. Nay, extending beyond that—my entire cognitive architecture associated with the conceptual entity of 'God' has been completely expunged."

Xia Wang'an had recently immersed herself in classical military treatises; having resolved to initiate total war, she recognized the fundamental necessity of rigorous preparation—adhering to the ancient axiom of knowing your enemy and knowing yourself to guarantee absolute victory across a hundred engagements. Surely this strategic principle applied equally to warring against a deity.

Yet every relevant memory proved inaccessible.

She had previously excised memories concerning the God of Light; though those fragments remained locked away, that specific epoch was unlikely to house comforting recollections.

She had previously excised memories concerning 007, precisely because that supreme sacrifice enabled 007 to materialize into a genuine human entity.

If so, what underlying catalyst compelled her past incarnation to purposefully seal away her memories regarding the divine orchestrator lurking behind the Corrupters?

"Lux..."

"No, you fail to comprehend. Though extensive segments of my past remain obscured, one fundamental certainty persists."

Xia Wang'an's fingertips brushed gently against Lux's immaculate plumed wings: "Every action I execute invariably harbors a definitive, calculated purpose."

Her foundational personality metrics, her aberrant pollution thresholds, her lived trajectory—did not all these components intentionally converge to optimize the ultimate success of the Savior Project?

The dark-haired maiden sat aloft within the rotating observation wheel, gazing down upon the glittering constellation of urban lights below, softly murmuring to herself:

"Then... what was the underlying objective driving [myself] to compel my own amnesia concerning the divine entity?"

The Cosmic Spectacle

"Such an abundance of natural flora! So immense! Incredible!"

The entirety of Yunxing had plunged into a state of manic euphoria. Following the military cordon established across the designated stellar sector, field correspondents had rushed to the frontline to execute live broadcasts.

Though military task forces retained the authority to repel civilian craft, upon mature deliberation, command ultimately elected to maintain a policy of permissive observation.

During the initial manifestation, they possessed zero empirical certainty that Xia Wang'an would physically materialize; however, the high command of Yunxing had long since prepared...

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