"Do you want to test it out?" Aron asked when the three tree folks used the access he had granted them through their contract to reach out with questions about the bodies he was creating.Birch responded, "We need physical contact with the body to attempt the transfer of our consciousness.""That’s an easy fix," Aron said, and moments later, the tree folks sensed his personal ship in orbit beginning to deorbit and head toward the planet."Anything else you need?" he added."What level of consciousness can it handle? Depending on the brain's capacity, the amount of consciousness we can transfer will change, and I don’t want the brain to explode right at the start," Crabapple asked.Aron considered the question before replying, "During the transfer of part of your consciousness into your humanoid bodies, do you do it by cutting a piece of consciousness and inserting it, or is it like pouring water, gradually filling it up until the body reaches its capacity?"Cypress responded this time

With time moving like a boulder falling from a mountain, the day of the long-awaited and much-anticipated handover ceremony finally arrived.Recognizing its significance, the event was declared a holiday—the first ever shared across all imperial territories. The excitement was palpable, and in front of the planet's largest public square, located by the Proximian main government building, more than twenty million Proximians had gathered to witness the historic occasion.This number had been limited due to concerns over crowd safety; any more, and the event might have turned unforgettable in the wrong way. The rest of the Proximians attended virtually, watching the broadcast from the safety of their homes, eager to be a part of this monumental event.But the ceremony wasn’t just for the Proximians. Nearly all the members of the exploration fleet, except for those on military duty, were also in attendance. This brought together representatives from both groups who would now be the member

A week after the handover ceremony, the exploration fleet had begun the long process of packing for their return to Earth. With packing always taking longer than unpacking, it took an entire month for them to complete the task. Now, the entire fleet stood ready for their journey back home.{Sir, the packing is complete, and the time to move out is approaching. They are asking if they should extend the expected departure time.} Nova's voice echoed in Aron's mind as he stood inside the now-empty stellar forge."I'm about done here, so we’ll move out as scheduled," Aron replied calmly, finishing the etching of a massive rune around the wide opening of the forge.{Okay} she said as she sent the response back to the fleet admiral."Boot it up and run a full systems check to ensure everything is working as intended," Aron ordered briefly, having completed his part of the work. The remaining modifications had been handled by the miniature atomic printer he’d brought to the forge.Nova didn’t

Imperial Space Agency.“So, if they intend to stop, it should be within the next two months,” Dr. Musa Aminu, the head of the ISA, said while reviewing the latest observation data.Over the past five years, the empire’s advancements in observation technology, combined with their rapid production and deployment capabilities, had allowed them to gather increasingly detailed information on the approaching visitors. Now, with precise calculations and high observational fidelity, they could pinpoint the exact region where the visitors were likely to pass through.However, there was a limit to the current mana-based observation technology. The approaching vessel continuously emitted mana, and when combined with the ambient mana present in the void between heliosphere-protected star systems, this made it impossible to capture a detailed image of the vessel. As a result, they would have to rely on visual observation when the vessel came closer to gather more precise details."Are we really ju

As Aron settled into his seat, the sound of applause filled the council chamber. The ministers and councilors rose to their feet in unison, clapping enthusiastically in recognition of the emperor's speech.Gaia, maintaining her usual composed demeanor, raised her hand, motioning for silence. Gradually, the applause quieted, and the chamber returned to its calm, formal atmosphere.{Thank you, everyone,} Gaia said, her voice gentle but commanding. {Now, we’ll begin with the first item on the agenda. The Imperial Health Agency. Councilor Ross, the floor is yours.}A podium was elevated in front of Councilor Nathan Ross, who then rose from his seat to present his agency's progress report. “Having successfully established a solution for maintaining the health of our citizens, our agency has transitioned its focus. We are now concentrating on researching the distinctions between humans and Proximians, aiming to leverage these differences to enhance the well-being of all races within the emp