Ryan found an email from TerraCore Group in his private inbox. The email detailed a major upcoming event hosted by the group. It described the Earth Alliance's centuries-long expansion, with many corporations extending humanity's reach to every corner of the universe. From the Solar System to the Milky Way, Andromeda, Pegasus, and even the recently discovered Orion constellation, the Earth Alliance had occupied numerous resource-rich planets.
However, during this relentless expansion, TerraCore Group and other major corporations discovered traces of fierce beasts, Zerbeasts, and some unknown life forms clad in energy metal armor with formidable combat abilities. Reading this, Ryan felt a profound shock, as if a refreshing wave had washed over him, giving him a new understanding of many things. The Zerbeasts had not been completely eradicated; the appearance of star beasts; all of this had long been noticed.
The formation of TerraCore Group was based on the recognition of potential threats and intelligent species in the universe. Realizing that the insect race had not been entirely destroyed, TerraCore Group, like other major corporations, began large-scale recruitment of graduates and students from major military academies of the Earth Alliance.
The purpose of this trial was clear: to build a powerful military force that could be rapidly deployed in critical moments. As a large corporation with tens of millions of employees, TerraCore Group had always been at the forefront of development and expansion, facing various unknown threats even more directly than the Space Corps.
The group's executives had long foreseen potential future risks. Therefore, over twenty years ago, they began talent scouting and training. On one hand, they actively recruited promising cadets from military academies as a talent reserve; on the other hand, they sought employees with military talent within the group and provided them with professional training. However, these trainees were all under thirty years old, as young people learn and grow the fastest, requiring fewer resources to train.
The email did not mention past action records. TerraCore Group promised to organize an extremely brutal and realistic combat exercise. Participants who survived and returned would likely receive key training opportunities and possibly enter important positions within the group. Outstanding performance would mean unlimited career prospects, a tempting future.
What truly caught Ryan's attention was the information TerraCore Group had gathered over the years. He suddenly realized that many high-ranking officials of the Earth Alliance must have long known about the existence of star beasts but chose to keep it secret from the public. This realization made Ryan extremely angry. With more preparation time, he and the Space Corps soldiers could have been better prepared, avoiding such heavy losses.
"A bunch of incompetent bureaucrats! Cold-blooded capitalists!" Ryan clenched his fists, anger burning in his heart as he cursed through gritted teeth. After some effort, he finally calmed down. The email concluded with the registration method and the final deadline: October 10, 777 New Calendar.
Seeing this date, Ryan fell into deep thought. The opportunity provided by the HR department was undoubtedly a rare stepping stone. Through this action, Ryan had the chance to climb to a higher position. He was confident he could obtain more intelligence on the frontline insect race and star beasts. Such an opportunity could not be missed!
Determination shone in Ryan's eyes as he resolved to participate in this action. Despite knowing the large-scale combat exercise would be fraught with danger, and that he couldn't foresee everything that might happen, he had never planned to spend these three years in a conventional way.
Over the next six days, the excavation continued. The security team took shifts, closely monitoring any anomalies in the meteor crash area. During this time, they encountered no more Zerbeasts. However, aside from a smaller meteor, the largest one seemed deeply buried at the bottom of the pit, still missing. TerraNova's base dispatched three hundred miners working in three shifts, but they had only dug down about three hundred meters, less than a third of the way. The harvest was minimal.
The security team had to remain highly vigilant, and everyone felt exhausted. But they all knew that if the meteor wasn't found and the potential threat eliminated, the entire base would face the Zerbeasts' threat, with unimaginable consequences.
Two days later, Maughan's team received new orders from Carlos, shifting their focus from the meteor pit. They had a new mission. Maughan gathered the team to convey Carlos's instructions: "The boss said that in five days, it's time for our monthly transport escort mission for TerraNova… Starting tomorrow, we will no longer patrol the meteor pit."
"Great."
"That place is so boring."
"Yeah, I haven't had a good drink in days."
Hearing this news, everyone perked up. Ryan frowned slightly, "According to base regulations, we need to send a team every month to escort the supply transport ship to the nearby relay base for a jump, which takes about four to five days round trip."
"Ryan has been studying diligently and doing a great job! The transport mission usually takes four to five days, so by the time we return, there should be some progress on the excavation work at the crater… But there's no way around it; our base's core mission is to extract resources and transport them back to headquarters. This is our primary and indispensable task," Maughan said, somewhat helplessly.
He then announced the task assignments: "Each transport mission is personally overseen by the team leader, and this time is no exception! The boss and deputy team leader Torres will escort the supply transport ship, taking the resources mined this month back to headquarters. Our task is to contact the supply transport ship in near-Earth orbit and load the raw mineral resources onto the ship."
Ryan nodded in understanding. The port facilities on this planet were not suitable for large ships to dock, so each transport required multiple transfers via small transport shuttles, a rather cumbersome process. He realized that his team would likely be responsible for security during the near-Earth orbit transport period. This was not only to ensure the safety of the transport operation but also to load their personal supplies onto the transport ship.
"Now, I'll assign your respective areas," Maughan announced the specific task assignments. He first turned to Jane, "Jane, your task is to handle the ground material handover, ensuring all materials are safely and accurately loaded onto the transport shuttles. You are also our first line of defense, monitoring any potential security threats."
Jane nodded, determination shining in her eyes. "Understood, I'll ensure everything goes smoothly."
Maughan then turned to Kazemi, "Kazemi, you're responsible for the second phase. Your task is to monitor within the atmosphere, ensuring the transport shuttles safely ascend, avoiding any airborne obstacles or threats."
Kazemi replied seriously, "Understood, I'll closely monitor the airspace to ensure the shuttles pass through the atmosphere smoothly."
Next, Maughan looked at Gabriel and David, "For the third phase, Gabriel and David, you two will be responsible. Once the shuttles enter space, you must ensure they safely traverse the asteroid belt, avoiding any potential collisions and extraterrestrial attacks."
Gabriel and David exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Understood."
Finally, Maughan turned to Ryan, "As for the last segment, the most dangerous part of traversing the asteroid belt, Ryan, you and I will handle it together. We need to work closely to ensure the shuttles reach their destination safely."
Ryan gripped his equipment tightly, "I'm ready, we can depart anytime."
Everyone agreed with the assignments. Jane and Kazemi, being relatively weaker, needed some care; although Ryan was a newcomer, no one saw him as an ordinary rookie anymore. His assignment to the most dangerous area reassured everyone.