T-minus 10 seconds and counting...
"Are you ready, partner?" he asked me over the microphone.
"Always! And you?" I replied.
"I was born ready... HAHAHA!" he laughed.
I just smiled, thinking about my wife and daughter.
"Three years..., I hope nothing is going to happen again..." I muttered.
"What? What's up?" he asked.
"Nothing! Focus up, it's about to begin!" I shouted back.
"Roger!"
T-minus 3...
...2...
...1...
"It wasn't your fault," Samuel whispered in the last second, and I couldn't respond because it started. "It looks like he heard me muttering," was my final thought.
"Liftoff!"
The rocket jolted and pressed me into the seat with incredible force. This was something entirely different from the simulations and it let me forget about the situation just now.
We were the first lunar landing mission in 20 years, tasked with conducting experiments on the moon. Previous unmanned missions had established a base in a lunar crater, and we would be living there for the next three years.
My partner, seated to my right, despite his eccentric nature at times, was fortunately an amiable companion.
"Hey, Samuel..." I asked him, "won't you miss your family?"
"Of course, but I had to do it. They understand that this is my passion. Same goes for you, right?"
"Yeah... you're right. I should be excited that a dream is finally coming true…"
We continued chatting and began working, as the next five days would be spent in transit.
...
Five days later, we arrived.
"Unbelievable..." I marveled as I gazed at the lunar surface up close.
"FINALLY! Haha, I was getting bored!" Samuel exclaimed.
Now, all we had left to do was land. After strapping ourselves in, donning our helmets, we initiated the descent.
We plummeted faster and faster until the rocket was abruptly decelerated. Using the propulsion system, we slowed down just before reaching the surface, landing gently.
...
We stepped out of the rocket and beheld a breathtaking landscape. The lunar expanse was dotted with craters, giving it an uneven surface. Behind one of these rises, not the sun, but the Earth itself was ascending.
Both of us stood there for what felt like ten minutes, not saying a word, until Mission Control asked if everything was alright.
With that prompt, we collected ourselves and headed towards the moon base, a series of white domes interconnected by tunnels. The largest dome was situated in the center, with ten smaller domes radiating from it.
Before we entered the base, I turned around one last time and gazed back at Earth.
"How beautiful..." I whispered.
"Are you coming, Isaac?" Samuel asked.
"Yeah, yeah."
...
The next three years passed without any significant events.
I researched the lunar surface, the feasibility of growing certain plants in lunar soil and how Plants grow with less gravity in normal soil.
My friend Samuel, on the other hand, delved into technology. I wasn't entirely sure of the specifics, but it seemed to involve maintaining and repairing the base's systems if they were to malfunction.
"Hey Isaac, happy birthday," he said.
"Thanks, buddy!"
"How old is the little guy now?"
"31."
"Looking forward to tomorrow?"
"Absolutely! I'm glad to finally be heading back home, but I think I'll miss this place..."
"Hahaha, I'm right there with you, little one!"
I smiled at him, acknowledging his playful jab. He called me "little one" ironically, given that he himself was about two heads shorter than me. He was a bit like a brawling dwarf, almost as wide as he was tall, with fiery red hair.
In return, I dubbed him "big guy." I couldn't help but chuckle.
The next day, we boarded the rocket and began our journey back to Earth. As we arrived and I stepped out of the spacecraft, I had to close my eyes briefly due to the blinding sunlight.
Slowly opening them again, I saw... a white room.
I didn't say anything at first.
...
"So, this isn't a dream after all..." I murmured, feeling alone.
Gradually, the realization of my situation settled in, and I could no longer subconsciously deny that I was now here.
After taking a moment to process, I checked how much time had passed, as the dream had felt remarkably long.
_________
Age: 0 years, 0 months, 0 weeks, 10 days, 15 hours
EC: 103.3/150
• 1 EC per hour is regenerated.
---> Floor 1 earning: 0.05 EC/h
________
"What in the...? I slept for four days?" I asked incredulously, "How is that even possible?"
"Incredible!"
"Wow, the yield from Floor 1 has grown quite a bit. It seems like many plants have thrived."
"Damn it! I need to create animals to control the growth and establish balance!"
Thus, after taking my time to carefully select the appropriate animals, I teleported to Floor 1.
This took a whole day until I was satisfied, earning me another 36 [EC] and leaving me with ample capital.
I began with microorganisms and small organisms that would help enrich the soil and decompose dead matter. I produced a moderate number of them, as they could multiply rapidly.
Next were insects, a wide variety serving different purposes. Among them were bees, ants, spiders, flies, and more. They contributed to pollination, maintaining order, preventing overpopulation, and providing food sources.
For example:
• Quantum Weaver Ant: These ants construct intricate nests that create tiny pockets of altered time. They manipulate these time bubbles to age and preserve food or to protect their larvae from natural predators.
• Time-Skip Spider: These spiders can create short-lived time rifts in their silk threads, allowing them to teleport small distances. They use this ability to swiftly capture prey or evade danger.
• Celestial Buzzfly: Celestial Buzzflies emit a low hum that resonates with the fabric of space-time. They can manipulate sound waves to create sonic illusions, making them hard to locate.
• Timekeeper Bee: Timekeeper Bees have specialized wings that create ripples in the fabric of time. They use these ripples to communicate with other bees across great distances, ensuring efficient hive coordination.
This was only a fraction of the insects I created, all contributing to the ecosystem and its equilibrium.
The next set of animals included small mammals and reptiles that would serve as prey for carnivores. Among them:
• Time-Skipping Rabbit: This rabbit can skip forward in time for short intervals, enabling it to evade danger and find the best feeding spots before others do.
• Temporal Hedgehog: A hedgehog with the ability to curl into a ball and momentarily shift into a pocket of slowed time, allowing it to roll away from danger or navigate obstacles with ease.
• Temporal Mouse: This mouse has the ability to slow down time in its immediate vicinity, allowing it to gather food and explore its environment with precision.
• Chrono Snake: The snake has the power to create mirage-like illusions by distorting light and space, confusing both prey and predators.
• Temporal Lizard: This lizard can temporarily accelerate its metabolic rate, allowing it to move faster than the eye can follow and escape danger.
Since there were vast expanses of grass, I needed grazing animals to maintain the ecosystem's balance. I chose two species that would roam the prairies, consuming grass and fertilizing the soil.
• Temporal Bison Horde: A massive herd of bison that can collectively manipulate time
to blur their movements, making them appear as a shifting and elusive mass to confuse predators. They formed herds numbering in the millions.
and
• Quantum Elephant Migration: These elephants can synchronize their steps to create rhythmic vibrations that distort space-time, generating a protective barrier against predators.
While elephants didn't form large herds, they were visually stunning. I created a total of a thousand individuals for each species. The elephants organized into herds of up to a hundred, moving away, while the bison stayed together. However, thinking that two herds might be insufficient, I added a herd of horses.
• Astro-Gallop Horse: These horses can utilize small wormholes to move at high speeds over long distances for a short time. They leave glowing trails behind them, resembling stars in the sky.
These horses typically formed herds of 800, and when they reached 1,000, 200 horses would establish a new herd.
Now, all that remained were larger predators, with lions being the apex predators armed with multiple abilities to hunt efficiently. I produced multiple packs of...
___
Astro Leonis:
Spatial Pounce: The Astro Leonis can momentarily bend space, allowing it to cover vast distances in a single leap. This enables it to surprise its prey from unexpected angles and close in swiftly.
Temporal Perception: With its heightened connection to time, the Astro Leonis can perceive events in slow motion, granting it exceptional reflexes and the ability to anticipate its prey's movements.
Stellar Roar: When the Astro Leonis roars, it creates ripples in the fabric of space-time. This sonic wave disorients and immobilizes nearby prey, giving the lion a momentary advantage.
Warping Camouflage: By manipulating light and space, the Astro Leonis can blend seamlessly into its surroundings, making it nearly invisible to prey. It can use this ability to stalk its quarry undetected.
Celestial Aura: The lion emits a radiant aura that distorts space and time around it. This makes it difficult for other creatures to gauge distances accurately, often leading them into the Astro Leonis' ambushes.
Temporal Surge: In moments of heightened excitement or danger, the Astro Leonis can briefly accelerate its own perception of time, allowing it to plan and execute strategies with extraordinary precision.
Nebula Dash: The lion can create a temporary nebula-like field around itself, distorting space and confusing the senses of potential predators. This serves as a protective shield or a tool for evasion.
Galactic Leap: In desperate situations, the Astro Leonis can channel its energy to make a powerful leap through a rift in space, effectively teleporting to a safer location.
Cosmic Resilience: The lion's unique connection to space-time grants it enhanced durability and healing abilities. Wounds inflicted upon it can be mended by manipulating the surrounding temporal energies.
Stellar Dominance: The Astro Leonis is a natural leader among its kind, and its presence alone can influence the behavior of other creatures within its territory. It establishes dominance through a blend of physical prowess and its innate space-time abilities.
___
I included many more species, such as panthers for the forest areas, prairie wolves, and tigers. Due to varying temperature zones, each species had a suitable habitat with ample prey. Additionally, I created singing birds, other types of birds, and even predatory birds.
On the first section of the island, there was now a diverse array of animals that would gradually adapt to the environment and make it their home. Some might perish, and others might thrive – it was, as always, a matter of "survival of the fittest."
Going over my checklist once more...
"Decomposers? Check... Primary consumers? Check... Secondary consumers? Check... Tertiary consumers? Check... Biodiversity? Check... Yes, over 12,000 distinct animals, not including plants!" I spoke to myself.
"Hmm, that should be sufficient for now. Some might not make it, but that's the plan – only those adapted to this environment will remain."
The creation had cost 60 [EC], but this was just one third of the whole work.