thefictionvixens Chapter 11 The Resolute
Chapter 11 The Resolute
The next morning, Liu En woke up at his work desk.
He didn't sleep for long. The airtight door of the lower nest blocked out most of the external noise, but the low-frequency vibrations of the piping system still penetrated through the terracotta walls. He sat against the wall for a while, then began preparing for today's journey.
He retrieved his breakfast from the higher dimension—a small piece of roasted ant beef and a pot of water. After eating, he checked his equipment. He wore a deep red robe on the outside, hood pulled down. He wore a bulletproof vest close to his skin, and his laser gun was disassembled and stored in the warehouse—security at the upper hive and spaceport was much stricter than at the lower hive, and carrying a gun would be too conspicuous; he would recreate it when needed. The data pad was in the inner pocket of his robe; the binary identification code could be retrieved at any time. All six servants activated and followed behind him.
He needs to find the recruitment office of the USS Resolute.
The address recorded on the information terminal is "Upper Nest Spaceport Area - Cargo Affairs Center - Wing B, 7th Floor". To get from the Lower Nest to the Upper Nest, one must first take a transport elevator to the Middle Nest, then transfer to an upper-level elevator to the Upper Nest, and finally take the space elevator from the top of the Upper Nest to enter the spaceport. The one-way trip takes at least four to five hours.
He opened the airtight door, turned the handwheel three times, and the hydraulic seal was released. The maintenance passage outside was dimly lit; most of the emergency lights were off, leaving only a few dim yellow bulbs every few dozen meters. He led his errand boy toward the main passage of the seventh transport area.
First, go to the elevator hub at the bottom of the nest.
The main passageway of the Seventh Transportation Zone was much wider than the maintenance passageway. Rows of fluorescent light tubes hung overhead, and at intervals along the walls were forks leading to different areas, each marked with a zone number and direction. Workers had already begun their day's work, carrying toolboxes or pushing handcarts through these passageways. Liu En blended into the crowd; his deep red robe stood out starkly against the greyish-white overalls, but no one gave him a second glance—in Xiachao, those wearing red robes belonged to either the legal department or the mechanical repair guild, neither of whom were easy to deal with.
The walls of the lower chamber were covered with portraits of the Emperor. Some were printed on faded paper, others were sprayed directly onto metal surfaces; the double-headed eagle emblem and the Emperor's image occupied every prominent position. At the corners of passageways, above elevator entrances, and even on the outer walls of pipes, one could see the Emperor's face gazing ahead. Most of these portraits were rough, the paint peeling, the edges stained grayish-black by industrial dust, but the Emperor's outline was still faintly discernible.
The elevator hub is located in the southeast corner of the seventh transportation zone and is a multi-story transfer hall. In the center of the hall are the entrances to more than a dozen elevators, each marked with its operating section. The elevator to Zhongchao is on the third floor of the hall, requiring a short ride up a ramp.
A checkpoint was set up at the elevator entrance. Two guards in black Ministry of Justice uniforms stood on either side of the turnstiles, with standard laser pistols and stun guns slung across their waists. Identification card readers were embedded in the turnstiles; everyone entering the elevator had to present a valid pass.
Liu En walked to the turnstile and held the data pad close to the card reader. The binary identification code was read, and the screen of the turnstile flashed, displaying the following message: "Mechanical Guild - Field Service - Second Tier - Access Permission: Entire Nest City." The guard glanced at the screen, then at his red robe and the six mechs behind him, nodded, and asked no further questions.
The turnstile opened. He and his servant entered the carriage.
Inside the elevator car stood a crane operator in a gray uniform, seated in a folding chair in the corner, a row of buttons and indicator lights labeled with different levels in front of him. The operator glanced up at them, his gaze lingering briefly on the man in the red robe and the attendant, before asking expressionlessly, "Where to?"
"Zhongchao. Fifth Transportation Zone," Liu En said.
The operator pressed the corresponding button. The car door closed and began to ascend.
The lights of the lower chamber gradually faded into the distance through the glass doors of the carriages. The passageways of the middle chamber flashed by through the cracks in the doors—wider corridors, brighter lights, the propaganda slogans on the walls, once faded, now looked new; the double-headed eagle emblem, embedded in the metal panels of the walls, was much larger than that of the lower chamber and was embossed, not simply printed. Portraits of the emperor were still ubiquitous, but made of better materials—some were etchings on metal panels, others were inlaid with stained glass. More importantly, the middle chamber began to feature statues of the emperor.
Most of the statues were small, half-human-sized sculptures placed in prominent positions in the elevator lobby—at the intersections of passageways, in the center of the lobby, and next to the public information terminals. They were mostly made of ordinary metal, painted a dark gold, and had simple prayers engraved on their bases. Although small, each one was placed in the most conspicuous spot, impossible for anyone passing by to miss. Several simple metal candlesticks sat on the ground in front of the statues, their candlelight flickering. Occasionally, passersby would stop and bow their heads in prayer for a moment, but no one dared to reach out and touch the statues.
The elevator car stopped at the first stop in Zhongchao, with a sign on the door reading "Zhongchao Fifth Transportation Zone". Liu En stepped out of the car, and the operator pressed a few more buttons. The car door closed, and the car continued to other floors.
To travel from the middle nest to the upper nest, one needs to transfer to another high-rise elevator. The elevator hub in the middle nest is much larger than that in the lower nest, with people coming and going in the lobby. Workers, clerks, and vendors in different colored uniforms are queuing in their respective places. There is also a checkpoint at the entrance to the upper nest, but the guards here are not ordinary police officers from the Ministry of Justice, but nest guards in dark blue uniforms with double-headed eagles embroidered on their epaulets. Their equipment is much more sophisticated than that of the guards in the lower nest—they wear semi-enclosed light power armor with dark blue ceramic steel composite plates, and servo motors to assist movement at the joints. They carry standard chainsaw swords and explosive pistols at their waists, and a heavy laser gun slung across their backs. Next to the turnstiles stands an official holding a data scanner, wearing the same power armor, but without a long gun on his back, and with a row of data card slots and a communicator at his waist.
Liu En walked to the turnstile and held the data pad close to the card reader again. This time, the turnstile did not allow passage immediately. The official picked up the scanner, scanned the binary code on the data pad, then looked up at Liu En's face, his gaze lingering for a moment on the metal nodule at the corner of his mouth and the temporal bone.
"Mechanical Repair Society. Fieldwork." The official's tone was emotionless. He put down the scanner, tapped a few times on the data panel, and then said, "Your entry registration isn't in the Nest's transit records. Just disembarked?"
"Yes," Liu En said.
The official didn't press further, made a mark on the data panel, and then waved for passage. The gate opened. Liu En, accompanied by his servant, entered a larger cabin. The operators here wore dark gray uniforms with double-headed eagle insignia embroidered on their shoulders. The control panel in front of them was far more complex than the one in the lower cabin, with a dense array of buttons corresponding to the various areas of the upper cabin.
"Up in the nest. Towards the top of the tower," Liu En said.
The operator glanced at him, then at the mechanic behind him, and pressed a few buttons. The car doors closed, and the ascent continued.
The air grew drier and the temperature dropped. The smell of disinfectant was replaced by a faint, ozone-like odor. The passageway leading to the nest swept past the glass door.
The scenery of the upper nest is completely different from that of the middle nest.
Looking out through the glass doors of the elevator, the buildings of the Upper Nest rise and fall, densely packed, mostly towering Gothic structures. Pointed arches, flying buttresses, rose windows, layer upon layer. In the distance, towering spires pierce the gray-yellow skyline. Each building is topped with a double-headed eagle emblem or an imperial icon. The passageways between the buildings are narrow and deep, with shuttle buses occasionally whizzing by.
Almost every inch of the walls, pillars, and ceiling beams is covered with prayers and sacred words. The words in High Gothic are densely packed, some painted in gold paint, others directly embossed in metal. The imperial double-headed eagle emblem is everywhere—some are only the size of a palm, embedded in corners; others cover entire walls, their outstretched wings almost touching the ceiling.
Statues of the emperor were ubiquitous. The lower nests only had portraits, the middle nests began to feature smaller statues, while the upper nests were filled with imperial statues, each growing larger than the last. Every few dozen meters along the passageways stood a life-size imperial statue, wielding a sword, draped in a cloak, with the donor's name and the year inscribed at its feet. Each statue was placed in the most prominent position—in the center of the passageway, at the entrance to the hall, opposite the elevator—unmissable by anyone passing by. In front of the statues were altars with incense burners and candlesticks, the burning incense emitting a strong milky aroma. Some altars also held small metal plaques or scrolls of prayers offered by devotees. Occasionally, one could see one or two devotees in simple robes kneeling before the statues, their foreheads touching the ground.
On higher floors, the statues have been transformed into three-meter-tall giant sculptures, standing in various key locations.
We've reached the nest.
The carriage door opened, and Liu En stepped out. He stood in the passageway of the upper nest. The air here was much cleaner than in the lower and lower nests, with almost no unpleasant odor. The walls on both sides of the passageway were inlaid with metal plaques, each engraved with a different prayer. Above, the double-headed eagle emblem and the image of the emperor alternated on the crossbeams, with a statue every few steps—some standing, some sitting, some holding scepters, some with their hands folded in front of their chests. As usual, candles were lit in front of the statues.
When pedestrians pass in front of the statue, many will stop, bow their heads slightly, or make a simple symbol on their chest with their hand before continuing on their way.
Liu En's deep red robe no longer seemed out of place here. In fact, he saw two people, also dressed in red robes, standing in front of an information terminal in the distance, talking in hushed tones.
He needs to find the space elevator that leads to the spaceport.
The top level of the Upper Nest is the Spire, where several enormous space elevators connect to the spaceport in geosynchronous orbit. According to the management regulations of the Nest City, only those holding an "Upper Nest Pass" or higher privileges are allowed to enter the Spire.
Following the signs, Liu En passed through another checkpoint. This checkpoint was no longer a simple gate and guards, but a complete small checkpoint, guarded by a team of elite legal personnel in well-tailored bulletproof armor. At the entrance was a metal detector arch, flanked by two guards armed with laser guns. Behind the arch was a desk, behind which sat an official wearing a long black overcoat with a golden double-headed eagle embroidered on the collar.
Liu En walked to the archway and handed the data panel to the official. The official took it, and instead of using a scanner, directly inserted a data reader, staring at the screen for a few seconds. The information displayed on the screen was clearly much more than what the lower-level gates showed—including the issuing authority, level, and validity period of the identification code, as well as a summary of the basic files in the Mechanics' central database.
The official looked up, glanced at Liu En's face, and then at the six servants behind him.
"Technical craftsman, Tier 2." The official handed him the data panel. "Passage to the top area is permitted. However, the number of servants needs to be registered."
"Six bodies," Liu En said.
The official entered a number on the screen and then pressed a button, turning the red light on the archway green. Liu En, accompanied by his servants, passed through the archway and continued forward along the passageway.
The passageway at the top of the tower became increasingly spacious, the ceiling increasingly high, and the airflow noticeably accelerated, carrying a gust of cold wind blowing down from above.
The spire is a vast, domed hall. The dome rises at least two hundred meters above the ground, and through its transparent, armored glass, one can see a greyish-yellow sky—not the gloomy, smog-shrouded atmosphere of the Lower Nest, but genuine high-altitude light. Looking out through the glass, the Upper Nest's architectural complex unfolds before you: Gothic spires, flying buttresses, and vaults rise and fall, densely packed. The tops of these buildings are adorned with enormous double-headed eagles and golden statues of emperors. On the distant horizon, more spires layer upon layer, stretching to the very edge of sight.
The inner walls of the dome were adorned with colossal icons painted in gold and black. In the center of the hall stood a colossal statue of the emperor, at least ten meters tall, cast from dark, refined gold. The emperor sat enthroned, one hand resting on the hilt of a sword, the other pointing forward. The base of the statue was inscribed with scriptures in both Low Gothic and Classical High Gothic. Below the base was a wide, circular altar, upon which lay dozens of metal incense burners and candlesticks. Smoke rose from the burners, swirling and lingering, while the candlelight flickered in the air currents emanating from the dome. A dozen or so worshippers knelt along the outer edge of the altar, all praying hushed tones.
There is more than one such colossal statue in the hall. Beside the pillars on either side stand smaller imperial statues, each over five meters tall, holding different imperial relics. In front of each statue is an altar and incense.
A dozen parallel conveyor belts lined the center of the hall, leading to different space elevator entrances. Above each conveyor belt was an electronic display screen showing the elevator's number and destination. The checks here were no longer for access to the hive city itself, but for space travel—ticket verification, identity checks, and security screenings were required. However, for the Mechanical Repair Society's field personnel, most of these procedures could be simplified.
Liu En was checking the information on the display screen when he caught a glimpse of a group of people out of the corner of his eye.
From the passageway on the other side of the hall emerged about seven or eight people, all dressed in similar deep red robes to his. Their robes were older than his, with patches of fabric worn white. They carried various ceremonial tools—wrenches, pliers, and data clamps—at their waists. The man at the front carried a long pole topped with a flag bearing a gear and skull emblem.
An apprentice at the Mechanics Guild.
Liu En did not choose to avoid them. He changed direction and walked towards the group of people.
The leader noticed him first. His gaze swept over Liu En's robe, then landed on the six mechs behind him, finally settling on the spot where Liu En was not wearing any badges or identification tags. His brow furrowed slightly.
Liu En stopped about five meters away from them and nodded slightly. This was a gesture of courtesy between fellow members of the Mechanicus recorded in Marcus's data.
The leader stopped, his lips moved, and then he emitted a series of binary pulses—short and crisp.
Liu En's temporal bone translator immediately converted the burst of pulses into semantics. He responded with an equally short burst of pulses using a miniature vocal module under his robe.
"Good day. Skilled craftsman."
The leader's optics flickered, seemingly satisfied with Liu En's impeccable binary pronunciation. He then fired another burst of pulses, longer, faster, and more formal than before: "Cohen Severo? No local registration record found. Fieldwork?"
Liu En replied in binary: "Field service. Second tier. Temporary assignment, just arrived on this planet."
The leader nodded and said in Low Gothic, "It's rare to see Tier 2s in the field." The apprentices behind him looked on with curiosity.
Liu En took the data tablet out of his robe and retrieved the identification code. The leader glanced at it; the code's format and encryption method were standard. But his gaze lingered on the issuance date at the end of the code—the string of numbers displayed a timestamp from hundreds of years ago.
"Advanced to the second tier four hundred years ago?" The leader's tone changed.
"More or less," Liu En said.
Behind the leader, a young apprentice whispered in binary, "A second-tier cultivator from four hundred years ago, he's undergone at least two Mechanical Communion rites." Another apprentice added with a series of pulses, "He might have been to the deep sanctuary of the Forging World."
The leader turned and glared at them, and the two apprentices immediately shut up. But when he turned back, his attitude was noticeably more respectful. He sent a longer greeting in binary.
Liu En understood most of it and responded briefly in binary. The leader nodded, switched back to Low Gothic, and asked Liu En if he was also going to the spaceport. Liu En said yes, he was going to the cargo affairs center. The leader pointed to a corridor on the left side of the hall, saying they were going there too and could go together. Liu En didn't refuse.
There was a checkpoint at the entrance to the passage, but the guards, dressed in Ministry of Justice uniforms, saw their red robes and the gear and skull flag and let them through without asking any questions. At the end of the passage was a large freight elevator, with enough capacity to hold everyone and their servitude. The apprentices filed in, with Liu En and his servitude bringing up the rear. The elevator doors closed and began to ascend.
There was no dedicated operator in the elevator—the freight elevator was operated by the mechanical repair guild members themselves. The leader pressed the button labeled "Spaceport B Wing," and the elevator ascended smoothly.
The elevator ran for nearly twenty minutes, stopping three times, with spaceport ground staff in work uniforms getting in and out each time. Upon seeing the group of people in red robes inside the elevator, they all consciously stood in a corner.
On its final stop, the elevator doors opened, revealing a huge transfer hall. We had arrived at the spaceport.
The lobby had extremely high ceilings, and the light from large overhead light fixtures was almost blinding. The floor was smooth synthetic stone. The walls were covered with screens displaying flight information, cargo schedules, and promotional slogans. There was a dry, filtered smell in the air.
Like the Upper Nest, the walls of the Spaceport are covered with prayers and icons. But the scale here is much higher—complete passages of scripture are cast from single sheets of metal and hung on both sides of the passageway. Every pillar is inlaid with imperial reliefs. Even the handrails of the moving walkways are printed with miniature prayers.
The Imperial statues at the spaceport are even larger than those at Upper Nest. At the entrance to the main hall stands a six-meter-tall statue of the Emperor, clad in armor and holding a double-headed eagle scepter. The altar in front of the pedestal is laden with incense burners and candles, and several priests in robes kneel before the statue, chanting softly. At the entrance to the boarding passageway, there is another statue combining the Emperor with the gear and skull emblem of the Mechanicus—one of the Emperor's hands resting on a gear. Although only three meters tall, this statue is crafted entirely from refined gold, its surface polished to a mirror-like finish.
The apprentices stepped out of the elevator, and the leader glanced back at Liu En. "The freight affairs center is in Wing B. Go through that passage, up the moving walkway, and it'll be there in ten minutes."
Liu En nodded. "Thank you."
The leader hesitated for a moment, then added, "If you have time, senior, you can come to Father Milos's equipment acceptance site to take a look. We are lacking an experienced person who understands the rogue engine."
Liu En shook his head. "Let's take care of business first."
The leader didn't insist and led the apprentices in another direction. Liu En turned and walked towards Wing B.
The automated walkway was a slowly moving conveyor belt with handrails on both sides. He stepped onto it and let the conveyor belt move him forward. Six machine servants followed neatly behind him.
The cargo handling center in Wing B is a separate building module connected to the side of the spaceport's main structure. Following the signs, he found the entrance to the seventh floor of Wing B and took the elevator up. The elevator doors opened into a corridor with gray, non-slip flooring, lined with rows of numbered doors on either side. He found the sign for "Perseverance - Cargo Handling Center," with a smaller line of text: "Armageddon to Lucis Regular Route."
He knocked on the door.
A woman's voice came from inside: "Come in."
He pushed the door open and went in.
The room wasn't large. There was a metal desk, piled high with thick data boards and crystals. Behind the desk sat a middle-aged woman in a transportation company uniform, her hair tightly tied back, her face devoid of makeup. She had deep dark circles under her eyes.
Liu En sat down opposite her. The servants stood waiting outside the door.
Upon seeing the deep red robe and the six neatly arranged machine servants outside the door, the woman leaned forward slightly and placed her hands respectfully on the table.
"Are you... applying for a job, sir?" She used the honorific "sir".
"Yes." Liu En placed the data panel on the table and retrieved the binary identification code. "Technical Craftsman, Level Two. Fieldwork Position."
The woman took the data tablet with both hands, looked down at the code carefully, then looked up at Liu En's face under the hood—the outlines of the two metal nodes and the implant in his temporal bone were clearly visible. She did not perform any verification. She respectfully placed the data tablet back on the table, took a form from the drawer, and handed it to him with both hands.
"Perseverance, temporary equipment maintenance crew. Itinerary: Armageddon to Foundry World Lucis. Two stopovers en route, with no stays exceeding twenty-four hours. Total journey time—depending on subspace conditions, standard estimate is six to eight weeks."
Liu En picked up the form and quickly scanned it. A standard labor contract.
"What are the job duties?" he asked.
The woman cleared her throat. "The Resolute is an old ship, in mediocre condition. Various systems require constant monitoring, and it experiences frequent breakdowns during voyages. Previously, maintenance was handled by experienced technical staff or technicians trained at mechanical repair schools. But those people are only human. When equipment malfunctions, they can only troubleshoot step-by-step according to the manual, which is inefficient and often results in incomplete repairs."
She glanced at Liu En's robe, then at the mechanic outside the door. "The chief engineer of the Resolute is a stubborn old man who's never satisfied with maintenance workers who aren't from the Mechanics Order. The last technician came from Cardia and studied at the Mechanics Order's affiliated college for two years, which is considered advanced training, but he only lasted two years after joining the ship. The one before that didn't even last a year. This job is indeed challenging; only true believers in the Om Messiah can handle it."
Liu En did not speak.
The woman continued, "Sir, you are a second-tier technical craftsman, on the field service payroll, and have four hundred years of experience. Frankly, it's a waste of your talent to be a temporary maintenance worker. But the Resolute's route is long, and the shipowner's offer is quite generous—"
She pulled a sheet of paper from under the form and pushed it towards us with both hands. "Five hundred Throne Coins, payable in a lump sum upon arrival in Lucis. Food and lodging during the voyage will be provided on board. If you perform exceptionally well during the voyage, the shipowner is willing to employ you long-term, and the terms can be negotiated further."
Five hundred Throne Coins.
Liu En didn't have a very intuitive understanding of this number. But the woman's tone when she said it was cautious, as if she was afraid he would think it was too little.
"Departure date?" he asked.
"Twelve days from now," the woman replied hastily. "The Resolute is currently undergoing its final annual inspection in dock and will depart in twelve days. You will need to board the ship three days before departure to familiarize yourself with the equipment and crew. There will be someone to assist you then."
Liu En looked at the form again and placed it on the table.
He didn't agree immediately. "I need time to think about it."
The woman nodded, took out an elegant metal business card from the drawer, and handed it to me with both hands. "Just give me a reply within three days. The business card has the dock's address and my personal contact information. You can send someone to notify me at any time. If you have any additional requests, please let me know."
Liu En took the business card and stood up. The woman quickly stood up from behind the table and bowed slightly.
He led his servitor out of the cargo operations center building and stood in the corridor of Wing B. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the end of the corridor, he could see the vast interior of the spaceport—countless passageways intertwined, shuttles gliding silently along tracks, and in the distance, the silhouettes of spaceships docked in the harbor.
Five hundred Throne Coins. Setting sail in twelve days. Destination: Lucis, a world of forging.
The Forge World meant the territory of the Mechanicus, which meant his fabricated identity might face stricter scrutiny. But Lucis was also a densely populated industrial world, allowing him to quickly blend in and find his next foothold. Moreover, five hundred Throne Coins was a considerable amount of start-up capital, enabling him to acquire basic resources without relying on his own abilities.
He didn't agree immediately, but he already had a preference in mind.
It would take another four or five hours to get back to the lower nest, and he would have to go through layers of checks. He turned and walked towards the elevator.