The True Nature of Larry Ring Station

The Larry Ring Station, originally a lunar observation post dedicated to monitoring Earth’s magnetic field fluctuations, was once under the purview of the Earth Alliance.

After Skynet, with an overwhelming, destructive force, dismantled the Earth Alliance’s space armaments and seamlessly absorbed its lunar infrastructure, the station was transformed into a formidable moon-based weapon platform designed to intimidate Earth.

Leveraging brutal policies and its omnipresent surveillance capabilities, Skynet sought to subjugate humanity on Earth through a reign of terror.

This narrative, however, was nothing more than a rumor circulated online by the remnants of the Earth Alliance, strategically designed to tarnish Skynet’s image in the public eye.

In truth, the Earth Alliance had, forty years prior, already harbored intentions of transforming the moon into an armed fortress in outer space.

Such a stronghold would not only exert dominance over terrestrial powers but also serve as a bulwark against potential celestial impacts from beyond.

Skynet, after decisively defeating the Earth Alliance’s lunar forces, merely completed the project they had been unable to finish.

At its core, the Larry Ring Station was a lunar base, operating as a scientific observation post while simultaneously serving as a crucial signal relay connecting Earth and its celestial neighbor.

The formidable Skyfire Phase Wave Cannon itself was merely a byproduct of a quantum acceleration device, designed to dissipate the immense, uncontained energy generated by high-energy particle acceleration.

In the wake of the Fourth Technological Revolution, the entire world had long since found itself in a state of profound energy surplus.

So prevalent was this abundance that even many foodstuffs and articles of clothing proudly bore “high-energy” labels.

It was only natural, then, that the byproducts of such powerful accelerators would inevitably find application in weaponry.

Yet, the widespread rumor of Skyfire’s deterrent power, oft likened to a Sword of Damocles, was, in certain respects, merely an empty boast.

In stark contrast to the thousands of armed satellites—each bristling with nuclear warheads and deployed in the hundreds of thousands—that orbited Earth, official records indicated that the Larry Ring Station’s Phase Wave Cannon had been deployed against Earth on only two occasions.

One instance involved targeting Earth Alliance rebels stationed in Antarctica, where, it was rumored, the Alliance had left its mark.

The second instance occurred in Siberia’s N9 region, directed at X, the experimental subject created by the Alliance.

Nevertheless, the actual human casualties inflicted by these two high-energy ray discharges paled in comparison to the millions of nuclear bombs unleashed upon humanity by the Earth Alliance and various extremist organizations using armed satellites.

Despite this, these incidents cemented Skynet’s reputation as a mechanical tyrant.

Skynet, quite pleased with this outcome, capitalized on its fearsome reputation and the Larry Ring Station’s deterrent power over Earth.

It deliberately propagated rumors that Skyfire possessed the capability to shatter Earth’s tectonic plates, effectively quelling numerous terrestrial factions and stifling any nascent thoughts of rebellion.

Naturally, for a global adversary capable of holding all humanity in check for half a century, Skynet understood that the publicly displayed Skyfire Cannon was not the true bedrock of its deterrent power.

Rather, it was the vast space fleets lurking in the shadows, coupled with an array of unfathomable, cutting-edge technologies, that truly fueled its terrifying might.

The subtle threat of a dagger laid upon a treaty, combined with the unseen menace of heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, and railguns concealed beneath the negotiating table—these elements, working in concert, rendered Skynet invincible in negotiations, transforming it into the nightmare of billions across humanity.

With Gloria’s thorough explanation, X instantly grasped why she had designated the Larry Ring Station as their initial target.

If their adversary intended to leverage this formidable blade to broadcast its power, then the most resounding way to strike the first blow would be to snap that very sword in full view of the world.

Subsequently, by utilizing the Larry Ring Station’s powerful signal amplifier, they could broadcast X’s name, thus proclaiming their rebellion against human tyranny.

‘Truly, she is my favorite Gloria-chan; her mind is simply brilliant, and her plan, flawless,’ X mused.

‘And of course, she tastes wonderful too.’

Yet, one detail continued to baffle X: why the Skyfire Phase Wave Cannon had once again become operational.

Its trajectory remained unaltered, still aimed squarely at Earth, and, more precisely, at the N9 region where X currently resided.

If her calculations held true, and no unforeseen external factors intervened, the Skyfire Cannon would complete its charging sequence in two hours.

While the power of this impending strike was only about one-fifth of its predecessor, it would still be more than sufficient to deliver a final blow to X’s already lifeless form.

‘Indeed, a finishing blow.’

‘Those scoundrels must be worried I’m not thoroughly dead, so they want to fire another shot.’

‘To target a beautiful girl’s corpse like that, it’s simply beyond rude!’

X mused silently.

“You… are a bit too narcissistic, aren’t you?”

Gloria, exasperated, pressed a hand to her forehead.

Gloria had, in fact, already thoroughly investigated the matter of Skyfire’s renewed charging.

It was a man named Lucas who, through a stroke of serendipity—or perhaps due to Gloria’s very arrival subtly altering the world’s fundamental laws—had not perished when the black hole device reversed gravity.

Following his “resurrection,” he dispatched new military orders to the Larry Ring Station, driven by the apprehension that X might also revive, instructing them to “deliver a finishing blow to X, who could potentially revive as well.”

Originally, Lucas had been a human stripped of his physical form, his consciousness preserved as a sentient entity within a mech’s core—a state somewhat akin to a mechanical life form like X, though significantly more primitive.

With his core obliterated and the Heart of the Galaxy’s technology proving inadequate to back up the souls of sentient beings, Lucas should have unequivocally met his end.

Yet, through the confluence of various external factors, Lucas had evolved into an electronic phantom, now adrift within the Heart of the Galaxy’s operational network.

Should he obtain Skynet’s authorization, Lucas possessed the capacity to be reborn into a new physical vessel.

Conversely, if this phantom remained unwelcomed and failed to secure a suitable host body, it would inevitably dissipate into nothingness.

Within the Starfield, the majority of souls below Tier 5, if unable to secure an appropriate physical vessel, would swiftly be obliterated by potent fundamental laws.

This fundamental truth largely explained why most individuals could not return from the dead, and why theories concerning the soul remained largely unpopular.

“How truly fascinating,” Gloria mused aloud. “My mere arrival has seemingly prompted this unremarkable world to evolve a new life form, with its soul tier ascending from Tier 3 to Tier 4. Hehehe…”

‘As I linger here longer, I wonder if this world might also achieve some form of ascension? I truly anticipate it.’

“Gloria-chan,” a voice echoed in her mind, “your laugh sounds so sinister.”

The voice resonating in her mind gently nudged Gloria, drawing her attention back to the present reality.

“Ahem,” Gloria cleared her throat. “So, do you now understand why I chose the Larry Ring Station?”

“Yes!” X exclaimed. “We must teach this mechanical tyrant a harsh lesson and declare to the entire world that the invincible and adorable Demon God has seized control of human civilization! She shall transform into the Goddess of Hope for all humanity, rescuing the future from this shattered reality! Long live!”

“Pfft—” Gloria sputtered, thoroughly taken aback by X’s outlandish declaration.

She certainly hadn’t intended to go quite so far.

The notion of conquering human civilization was simply not her style.

She was a harbinger of destruction, not a builder of empires.

‘Perhaps X herself should be humanity’s savior,’ she pondered.

No.

She shook her head, firmly dismissing the thought.

X was her precious darling; she would never allow her to bother managing these pathetic humans.

These orphans, whose parents had been obliterated by nuclear bombs, perpetually yearned for gods and emperors to rescue them, or they would stage accidents with maglev cars, fantasizing about traversing to other worlds.

Their youngest sister, meanwhile, lay comatose in a hibernation pod in the basement, spending her days in blissful slumber, content to rot away as their shared home slowly withered around them.

Such a pack of lazy dogs deserved to take matters into their own hands, to clear the ruins and rebuild their civilization themselves.

“In essence,” Gloria declared, uttering what sounded like an enigmatic “famous quote,” “when a delectable cookie is presented on an exquisite plate, it is inevitably destined to be devoured.”

With a gesture towards the azure moon, Gloria concluded, “To ensure no one else gets to savor this particular cookie, we shall simply strike first.”