In the outer hall of the docking port:
"Dear friends." Robin Mead, sitting on the guest sofa, was still facing the camera as she continued her live broadcast for the online audience:
"We've already made contact with Atlas officials, and soon we'll be boarding an unreleased engineering ship to head to the lunar colony…"
At this point, Robin glanced around the brightly lit hall and took a few deep breaths:
"Right now, it feels like I'm just waiting for a bus to the moon. I'm excited, sure, but not overly nervous. If this were a few years ago, this would have been unimaginable."
After briefly checking the comments and ensuring everything was going smoothly, Robin continued her brief report for the viewers.
It wasn't long before she and Jerry saw about a dozen Atlas engineers, dressed in black work pants and casual tops, walking into the hall with their luggage, heading deeper into the docking port.
At the same time, an engineer with a formal appearance and a short haircut approached Robin and Jerry, who had stood up to greet him.
The man extended his right hand and said, "You two must be Robin Mead and Jerry from Seattle Midday News. It's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm Liu Junhao, a senior engineer from Atlas Engineering."
"Nice to meet you."
Hearing this, Robin quickly shook his hand and replied, "It's an honor to have Engineer Liu leading us on the legendary spaceship to the moon's surface."
"Heh, I wouldn't call it a legendary spaceship. That's a bit of an exaggeration."
Liu Junhao released her hand, and as he began walking toward the inner docking area, he explained to Robin, Jerry, and the live audience:
"The engineering ship we're about to board is actually a mass-produced model. However, to avoid unnecessary public controversies and backlash from traditional industries, the company decided not to announce or sell it publicly."
By this point, they had reached the counter area labeled 6, where they prepared to board the ship.
Behind the counter was the security checkpoint leading to the boarding gate, where four heavily armored security personnel stood. They wore dark blue combat suits and carried 6.2mm modular rifles, tasked with handling security checks and scanning luggage.
Though labeled as security, the spaceport guards, belonging to the Atlas Armed Division, were mostly veterans from the Advanced Reactionary Squad (ARS) and the Advanced Emergency Countermeasures Squad (AECS), both with extensive combat experience.
Since the spaceport was one of Atlas's most important assets in the main universe, only elite forces were entrusted with its protection.
Beyond the visible security teams, Atlas had also stationed an orbital drop assault team (ODST) of battalion strength inside the spaceport, along with 4,000 enhanced clones under the command of elite squad captains.
Additionally, bioweapons such as the Tyrant and Hellhounds were kept on standby, ready to assist the orbital team in eliminating any threat during emergencies.
At the counter:
Liu Junhao, Robin, and Jerry approached a female attendant in a sleek black uniform, wearing a hat and a red scarf. She smiled and said, "Hello, please present your identification cards or related documents."
Liu Junhao handed over a translucent ID card, while Robin took two temporary ID cards from her pocket and placed them on the counter.
The attendant scanned all three cards and confirmed their identities using biometric equipment. She returned the cards with a smile and said, "Welcome aboard. I've arranged seats 14A, B, and C for you in Cabin 1. Enjoy your trip."
"Thank you."
After retrieving his ID card, Liu Junhao expressed his gratitude and proceeded to the security checkpoint. He passed through smoothly and waited at the boarding bridge.
Robin and Jerry followed shortly after.
The process was no different from a standard flight, so the two reporters from Seattle Midday News quickly passed through security and reunited with Liu Junhao.
The three then entered the boarding bridge, where Jerry adjusted his camera to capture Liu Junhao and Robin as they walked ahead.
Once they stepped onto the moving walkway, allowing them to rest their feet, they peered through the panoramic windows of the boarding bridge. There, they saw the large docking port, arranged neatly with ships, all exposed to the vacuum of space and secured by mechanical arms.
Their target, the engineering ship, was docked at the far end of the bridge.
From the outside, the engineering ship, approximately 90 meters long, 15 meters wide, and 25 meters tall, wasn't particularly striking. It wasn't even as large as the Ernio, but its design resembled a conventional "ship," unlike the Ernio, which was more of a massive space vehicle. Despite its smaller size, the engineering ship's capabilities far exceeded those of the Ernio in almost every aspect.
Not only did the trio witness the docking port and the engineering ship at the end of the bridge, but so did the entire live audience.
User 3367: "This ship looks only slightly bigger than Atlas's civilian space shuttles. Not that impressive."
SupremeWarrior: "Bro, you have to realize Atlas is part of the military-industrial complex. This is a civilian ship. Who knows how big their military vessels are? That stuff's classified."
ParatrooperStraightIntoBattle!: "I like it, though. Plus, the folks on the forums are guessing Atlas probably has some sort of orbital drop paratrooper force! That's totally up my alley!"
User1237: "Sure, the engineering ship and Robin are cool, but I'm more interested in seeing the lunar colony. I wanna see what the settlement looks like!"
Viewers were sharing their thoughts, with many seeming underwhelmed by the engineering ship.
Seeing this, Robin, eager to satisfy her curiosity and stir up a conversation, approached Liu Junhao and asked,
"Mr. Liu, it's well known that Atlas is a global giant, with arms sales being a dominant part of your business. So, aside from this civilian engineering ship, has Atlas built military-grade space vessels?"
Robin's question was met with a playful frown from Liu Junhao.
In reality, though, he had already been briefed by the news and public relations departments, informing him that he could "appropriately" reveal the company's true capabilities.
Thus, after pretending to hesitate for a moment, Liu Junhao responded with a question of his own:
"Ms. Mead, since you and your audience know Atlas is a major player in the military-industrial complex, do you think we haven't built military-grade space vessels?"
Robin was momentarily taken aback but quickly caught on and tentatively said,
"So, you're implying that you have?"
"Heh."
Liu Junhao didn't give a direct answer, but the smile on his face spoke volumes, causing the chat and comments to explode with speculation about what Atlas's military ships might look like.
However!
At that moment, the once bright lights suddenly switched to a dim red, signaling an emergency, and a broadcast rang out:
"Attention all personnel. This is the Space Station Control Room. Please return to your rooms or residences immediately and ensure your rooms or residences are pressure-sealed.
Repeating: All personnel must return to your rooms or residences immediately! This is not a drill! This is not a drill!"
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter