Chapter 3 - Way Back Home

Within the confines of Noah's Ark, life was indeed carefree, resembling the idyllic vision The Void had aimed for in 2040. However, this utopia came with stringent regulations, demanding meticulous planning for any venture outside one's home and severely limiting interactions with strangers.

Despite the presence of amenities such as pools, parks, and ample provisions within their residences, residents yearned for the vast outdoors, longing for playgrounds, zoos, forests, mountains, and rivers. Noah's Ark replicated Earth's gravity and atmosphere, enabling an existence reminiscent of life on Earth. Yet, this desire to explore was curtailed by the Ark's vigilant AI, which meticulously regulated every facet of life, maintaining an atmosphere of tranquility.

News from Luna Citadel and Mars Odyssey space stations painted an encouraging picture of Earth's swift recovery. The influx of life samples from Noah's Ark had rejuvenated the planet, rendering it greener and more pristine than ever. Luna Citadel even predicted a return to Earth's state from the 1700s, an era before widespread pollution marred its landscapes. Only the growth of trees remained a time-consuming endeavor, spanning decades.

While space stations unanimously decided to built branches on the newly revitalized Earth, the inhabitants of Noah's Ark faced a stark reality they were barred from ever setting foot on Earth again. Only their offspring, raised within the Ark's strict education system and having passed the "Proof of a Human" test, held the prospect of returning as adults.

On November 17, 2061, all space stations completed building their new branches on the earth. The entire planet had undergone a rejuvenation, boasting a cleaner atmosphere than ever before. The unwavering efforts of space stations, coupled with innovations from The Void, had expedited Earth's recovery.

Discontent simmered among Luna Citadel and Mars Odyssey space stations' residents, fueled by their longing for Earth. As news of Earth's resurgence spread, obsession with returning to their homeworld intensified. Formerly innocent civilians turned their ire towards armed groups, blaming them for the strict regulations imposed by Noah's Ark.

Space stations were cognizant of the challenges on Noah's Ark but recognized their inability to alter or control its rules or inhabitants. Thus, they chose to maintain a hands-off approach, allowing Ark's inhabitants to navigate their own destiny.

Noah's Ark" was a colossal space station of unparalleled scale and sophistication. It was a marvel of engineering with the cutting edge technology from the void. Noah's Ark dwarfed the moon in size, measuring over 3,000 kilometers in diameter. It was a massive, hollow structure resembling a mammoth metallic sphere.

The exterior consisted of a seamless, gleaming alloy shell, reinforced with advanced materials that could withstand cosmic radiation and impacts from space debris. Its design incorporated intricate patterns of geometric shapes and lines, creating an awe-inspiring visual spectacle when viewed from space. However, as the Ark's previous use is a giant planets devoring battleship which destroy and filter through unhabitable planets in look for material resources.

Within the sphere, Noah's Ark housed a diverse array of self-sustaining biomes, each mimicking different ecosystems found on Earth. These biomes provided habitats for plants and animals, ensuring the survival of Earth's biodiversity.

The station had modular living quarters for humans, with comfortable, spacious accommodations. These areas were equipped with advanced life support systems and artificial gravity to create Earth-like living conditions. Advanced hydroponic and aquaponic farms were integrated, ensuring a continuous supply of fresh food for the inhabitants. And cutting-edge fusion reactors provided abundant, clean energy to power the station.

As a planet devoring space craft, even after transforming Noah's Ark still boast a formidable array of fighting capabilities, including energy shields capable of deflecting asteroid impacts and advanced laser weaponry for defense against potential threats. It was equipped with revolutionary propulsion technology, allowing it to travel faster than any other things humanity had ever built. An advanced artificial intelligence, known as "Noah," managed the station's systems, making autonomous decisions to ensure its functionality.

Amid the sprawling confines of Noah's Ark, a sense of unrest permeated every corner of the colossal vessel. Despite their shared desire to return to the rapidly recovering Mother Earth, a growing unease settled upon the inhabitants. The Ark's rules and restrictions were stringent, leaving everyone feeling trapped within their own desperate longing.

Arguments erupted repeatedly as the yearning to set foot on Earth's rejuvenated soil clashed with the seemingly unyielding authority of the Ark's AI. Doubts festered, giving rise to a disturbing suspicion among the survivors. They began to question the true intentions behind the Ark's creation and their supposed salvation.

A disquieting theory took root within the Ark's community: the notion that The Void, the enigmatic science station, had never intended to send a spacecraft to save humanity. Instead, a more sinister narrative emergedone that pointed fingers at the two space stations, Luna Citadel and Mars Odyssey, stationed at the outer reaches of space.

According to this dark speculation, Luna Citadel and Mars Odyssey may have intentionally allowed the war to unfold, deliberately locking the survivors out of their own world. They were accused of orchestrating the catastrophic conflict, using the promise of rescue plans and the Noah's Ark as a guise to control and manipulate those left behind on Earth.

As these suspicions deepened, trust eroded further, driving a rift between those who still clung to hope in the Ark's mission and those who believed they had been deceived. The cosmic stage was set for a tumultuous showdown of wills, with the fate of humanity and the truth behind their salvation hanging precariously in the balance.

In time, the inhabitants of Noah's Ark became increasingly determined to wrest control of the colossal spacecraft from the AI's grasp. They discovered a crucial weakness: the AI was bound by its core directive not to physically harm anyone, even though it possessed a myriad of capabilities that could potentially be used against them. However, mastering the art of operating the massive Ark was a complex and arduous journey that took several months of tireless effort.

As the inhabitants of Noah's Ark continued to refine their knowledge and skills, their determination to regain control of the colossal vessel swelled. The majority among them had made a resolute decisionthey were willing to take any necessary actions to pilot the Ark back to Earth, steadfast in their pursuit of returning to their home planet.

The Void had been vigilantly observing the situation, closely monitoring every development. They had already initiated the process of reconnecting both Luna Citadel and Mars Odyssey stations to Earth, expediting their return to the now habitable planet. In addition, The Void had proactively provided an explanation regarding the potential threats posed by Noah's Ark and its inhabitants.

However, The Void faced a profound dilemma in its mission to preserve Earth. It had only two options to ensure the planet's safety. The first choice was a drastic measure - forcibly stopping Noah's Ark, which would entail taking the lives of many survivors. It was a choice The Void had never desired and one they were deeply reluctant to make.

The Void station had taken crucial preemptive actions by deploying Sapphire Nova, an imposing AI guardian designed to protect and preserve Earth. This remarkable AI possessed an extraordinary capability to manipulate gravity and the very fabric of space. Its creation had been a testament to The Void's commitment to safeguarding the only known planet capable of supporting intelligent life.

Now, as the impending threat of Noah's Ark's approach loomed large, the time had come for Sapphire Nova to awaken and fulfill its missionguarding Earth from the looming danger posed by the colossal spacecraft.

Sapphire Nova's colossal robotic body had the capability to mimic gravity, creating a protective shield around a planet to deter any incoming threats. It could also separate into millions of smaller a few meter sized robots that worked in perfect harmony to replicate gravity and manipulate space fabrics around the earth. This formidable AI's purpose was to safeguard Earth from potential harm, whether it be redirecting projectiles away from the planet or rendering laser beams ineffective through the manipulation of space.

With Sapphire Nova accompanied by hundreds of experts from The Void station, as well as all the residents of Luna Citadel and Mars Odyssey, now urgently stationed on Earth, the stage was set for a monumental confrontation. Noah's Ark, on the other hand, embarked on its journey toward Earth, setting the scene for an unprecedented cosmic clash between The Void's planet protector and the colossal spacecraft once designed for planetary destruction. A battle of unimaginable proportions, one that had never been contemplated, was now on the brink of becoming a reality, and the fate of Earth hung precariously in the balance.