The morning light illuminated Belock's royal city station as a maglev train glided to a stop on the platform. These supersonic magnetic trains had become commonplace across the planet, revolutionizing transportation. Qianlong stepped off the train, a small backpack slung over his shoulder. He gazed around at the unfamiliar surroundings with mild bewilderment. This was the royal capital - a place he'd only seen in images and videos. The reality carried a weight no picture could capture.
"Belock Royal City is located at 32°N 72°W on Belock Star. Current temperature: 26°C and comfortable. Humidity: 20%, relatively low. Diurnal temperature variation of 18°C is uncomfortable. Belock Star is a low-tier civilization in the Sixth Stellar Region with scarce resources. It's a member state of the Cosmic Federation Government, located behind the Firas Death Frontline."
Qianlong had initially found Phantom's sudden interjections disconcerting, but now took them in stride. Human civilization had entered the interstellar age long ago, with massive migrations to habitable planets spawning new civilizations of varying strength, their conflicts never-ending.
Then, millennia ago, this expansion met catastrophe when humanity encountered alien species. Five centuries of brutal warfare ended in human defeat, forcing the Cosmic Federation to establish the Firas Death Frontline, abandoning all territories beyond it to form fixed stellar domains.
Exiting the station, Qianlong paused. The main thoroughfare outside was packed with protesters - men and women, young and old, waving banners and shouting slogans. Rows of heavily armed soldiers flanked the demonstration, maintaining tense order though no major clashes had erupted. After a brief glance, Qianlong adjusted his backpack and moved on.
His original plan to find nearby lodging was scrapped - this area had clearly become protest central.
"Listen everyone! If they won't respond, we'll stay here and outlast them!" A bald middle-aged man in black tails and white shirt stood atop a makeshift platform at the crowd's center, his impassioned shout met with roaring approval from the energized masses.
The sky suddenly darkened. Qianlong looked up to see a light-class frigate hovering over the city. Though classified as "light," its 200-meter bulk still dominated the skyline.
Phantom immediately provided data: "Belock Kingdom Royal Frigate. Length: 210 meters. Width: 30 meters. Equipped with second-gen semi-automatic AI system. Fusion-powered. Modified weapon systems - secondary cannons removed, enhanced with multi-barrel machine gun arrays."
Qianlong stiffened. Such modifications were highly unusual.
A projection appeared beneath the frigate - an old man with thin mustache and mocking smile. "You have ten minutes to disperse. Or face the consequences."
The man on the platform glared at the projection. "Xidoro! You snake! Poisoning the king's ear with your lies!"
"Hah! No time for your nonsense. Ten minute countdown. Persist in your foolishness and... well." Xidoro's grin turned vicious.
Qianlong quickened his pace. He never underestimated human cruelty, nor overestimated its kindness.
The protest leader shook his fist at the projection. "I stand right here! Do your worst!"
In the frigate's command center, Xidoro's eyes glinted with malice. "Send him to hell."
The captain hesitated. "Sir, the deadline hasn't— Weren't we just intimidating them?"
Xidoro grabbed the captain's collar. "Do as I say. Or join him."
"...Yes sir."
As Qianlong moved away, panicked shouts erupted. The frigate's sides bristled with extending machine gun barrels - dozens of black muzzles emerging like metallic spines.
The crowd recoiled. The protest leader opened his mouth to speak—
Gunfire erupted. The platform became a storm of bullets, the man disintegrating into crimson mist before anyone could blink.
Qianlong dove behind a building corner, crouching low. Madness.
Xidoro's projection laughed. "Don't stop! Mow down these vermin!"
"Sir, we'll hit our own—"
"FIRE!"
A thunderous explosion split the sky as the frigate cracked in half, both sections plummeting earthward.
"RUN!"
Before Qianlong could process this, Phantom shrieked an alarm: "Warning! Hive signature detected! Extreme threat level!"
Everyone knew of the Hives. None were prepared to face one.
Qianlong's thoughts scrambled. A piercing screech split the air, making him clutch his ears as blood trickled from them. The world seemed to freeze—
Then the crashing frigate exploded, shockwave hurling Qianlong backward. He tumbled across the ground, miraculously unharmed thanks to the distance.
"Warning! Immediate evacuation required!" Phantom urgently repeated.
Qianlong looked up. The blue sky had ruptured. From the void emerged grotesque, metal-shelled insects - bloated, chittering horrors that dropped like artillery shells, cratering the ground before crawling out.
He ran without hesitation. "Phantom! Escape route!"
"Calculating." A green path materialized in Qianlong's vision. "Route subject to change. Destination: Belock Starport."
As he sprinted, Qianlong gasped: "Any chance of fighting back?"
"Calculating Belock Kingdom's odds against Hive incursion... Result: 0%."
Qianlong's face paled. By Phantom's calculations, Belock Star was doomed.
How had the Hives breached the Firas line? No warning, no alerts—
"Adjust route west! Energy spike detected ahead - new Hive forming."
Qianlong veered sharply. Around him, the capital descended into chaos, screams and explosions mixing as more Hive portals tore open across the city.