Jackson blinked, hesitated… then finally let the words spill out. “Dad… um… what about those… the spheres? You know… the glowing ones we passed near the other day? What were they?”Jack’s gaze flickered to the viewport, the holographic star map above them shifting faintly as DRACO’s soft hum adjusted for the new point of interest. He leaned back in his chair, fingers interlaced, and regarded Jackson thoughtfully.“You mean the plasma spheres along the outer arc?” Jack asked calmly. “I figured someone would notice them eventually.”Matilda’s eyes grew wide. “Plasma spheres? Like… glowing balls?”Jack nodded. “Exactly. They’re clusters of highly charged particles… essentially pockets of ionized gas floating in the void. Very unstable, very energetic. And they’re rare in this part of space.”Lena leaned forward, braids bobbing. “Unstable? Like… dangerous?”Jack’s gaze softened. “Not for us. Not directly. They’re interesting because their energy readings fluctuate. Some of them emit burst

Jackson’s fingers twitched, ready to interrupt again, but Jack held up a hand, letting the question hang. Then, after a quiet breath, he leaned back, voice calm but thoughtful.“You’re asking about microclusters,” he said slowly. “And yes… they can be intense. But they’re not inherently dangerous—if you approach them with the right instruments, and with care. Think of them as mini-ecosystems of energy: dozens, maybe hundreds of tiny plasma spheres grouped together, each interacting, exchanging charge, sometimes colliding in flashes you can barely predict. Close observation can tell us more about the local electromagnetic environment, and occasionally… we might see structures forming that could hint at how larger spheres evolve.”Matilda’s eyes were wide. “So… little balls that play together… in space?”Jack chuckled faintly. “Exactly. But imagine them moving at thousands of kilometers per hour, tiny particles creating bursts of energy that interact with everything around them. That’s

Jack let out a quiet sigh and reached into the side pocket of his flight jacket. The familiar weight of his DragonTech smartphone pressed against his palm, cool and sleek, its interface faintly glowing. He glanced at the crew, who had all been absorbed in their thoughts after the conversation about DRACO, Haida AI and DragonCom.“Time for a quick check-in,” Jack said, more to himself than anyone else. His fingers danced over the device with practiced ease. “I want to know how things are running back home… Dragon Corporation… the city… all of it.”Emily leaned closer, curiosity flickering in her eyes. “You really need to do this now? I mean, Harmonfield’s a million kilometers away…”Jack smiled faintly, tapping the screen. “Distance isn’t the problem. DRACO can monitor space, but people still need people for Earth. Dragon Corporation is my legacy. And Mr. Chen… well, he’s my closest link to the pulse of the company.”He swiped a series of confirmations, then placed the call. A faint ch

Jack’s eyes drifted from the viewport, where the stars stretched endlessly, to the soft glow of the DragonJet’s control panels. The sense of reassurance from the calls lingered, but his mind, as always, began to wander to another concern—one that had never truly left him.Sarah noticed the shift immediately. Her hand remained on his shoulder, light but grounding. “Jack?” she prompted gently, following his gaze.He exhaled softly, nodding toward the far corner of his mind where the unresolved threads lived. “Sarah… there’s something else. Something I can’t ignore anymore. Victor Krane.”A subtle tension slid across the room, though none of the others spoke. Emily folded her arms, eyebrows knitting in curiosity, and Jackson leaned forward, sensing gravity in Jack’s tone. Ryan, popcorn forgotten, tilted his head. Even Matilda, still pressed to the viewport, seemed to sense the change.Sarah’s voice was calm but firm. “What about him? He’s still out there, isn’t he? Reidsville County, VK

Jack leaned back slightly, eyes still tracing the endless stretch of stars, but his mind shifted to the practicalities—how Venmoor could be shaped without repeating the mistakes of other nations. “Venmoor isn’t just about infrastructure or governance,” he began, voice calm but precise. “It’s about sustainability. If we develop it correctly, it can set a standard for the region… maybe even for the entire planet. But we have to integrate environmental foresight from day one.”Emily’s eyebrows rose, intrigued. “You mean… green tech? Renewable energy?”Jack nodded, fingers brushing the console as though marking out invisible schematics. “Exactly. DragonPurifire and GreenDragon will be central. DragonPurifire—our purification and emission technology—can handle energy production, industry, and transportation with near-zero environmental impact. GreenDragon complements that by managing reforestation, sustainable agriculture, and ecosystem monitoring. Together, they create a framework where