[Start]
Another year later, as they succeeded in colonizing the Moon and exploiting solar energy,
a wave of excitement surged through the ranks, igniting dreams of new frontiers.
The air buzzed with a mix of anticipation and trepidation as they planned to repeat the process on Mars.
The simulation room within their headquarters buzzed with the low hum of machines, a stark contrast to the palpable tension in the air.
Also, Ivan and other veterans upgraded to
They were training in the simulation room on their headquarters floor in their mother station, surrounded by flickering screens displaying chaotic landscapes, representing the unknown challenges ahead.
[Main]
The UOE and the organization gathered materials to build a common Arch station with attacks and defenses for exploration,
with the shimmering metallic surfaces of the station glinting under the artificial lights.
Outside, the stars twinkled like diamonds, inviting yet foreboding, while inside, blueprints and schematics covered the walls, painted with the hopes of interplanetary exploration.
The first planet they were trying to target was Mars, which they would share fairly as they did on the Moon.
They held an assembly to discuss the regions they would take, voices bouncing off the walls like a crescendo,
and concluded that they would share the land proportionally based on the population they had at that time.
To protect the stations against the upcoming hollows that could appear during their journey or when they were on Mars,
tension hung heavy in the air, reminiscent of storm clouds gathering before a torrential downpour; their minds were fixated on survival, just as those hollows did on Earth and on the Moon back then.
They also aimed to create a unification of soldiers for the exploration called BADASS ("Battalion Directed by Assembly").
Each organization shared part of their raw materials and resources they had gathered from space and Earth to build common stations and spaceships.
There was a sense of camaraderie in the room as soldiers exchanged ideas and strategies, each word adding another thread to the ever-expanding tapestry of their mission.
Each organization assigned their veterans and advanced users to join BADASS temporarily.
A year later, the Arch, equipped with turbo motors, was ready, and the day the engines roared to life, it felt like an echo of the dawn of a new age.
They allocated half of their resources (species, water, raw materials, nuclear bombs) that would be used for colonization,
and BADASS would be there to secure the transportation and protect the scientists and engineers.
To ensure BADASS would have effective soldiers for the mission and avoid losing members,
they decided to hold a tournament to select soldiers in the Arch, the tension palpable in the air as the stakes grew higher.
Everyone could participate if they were skilled in attack or defense, which they would demonstrate in the arena,
the sound of cheers and the pounding of feet echoing throughout the facility as excitement surged through the crowd.
It was organized as a championship with broadcasts for citizens to watch as entertainment—another good opportunity to relieve stress for citizens,
as it had been a while since they had such events on Earth (like watching football).
The scent of sweat and determination hung thick in the air, masking the sterile smell of the training facility.
It would later also open opportunities for countries to revive activities (football, basketball, boxing, tennis, cycling, etc.) on stations or the Moon.
Genau and many others participated, and then the screen randomly assigned participants to fight each other,
a mechanical whirring underscoring the sense of unease as competitors eyed one another, the glint of determination in their gazes.
The tournament would be divided into two parts: in the first part, participants would fight solo and collect keys from their opponents;
in the second part, they would defend their flag with a random team while attempting to destroy the opponent's flag.
The game ended when a team collected 10 keys,
with part 1 worth 7 keys and part 2 worth 3 keys if they broke the flag together.
The Arch had six floors, with the 5th and 4th primarily used for simulations and training in a real environment.
The scenes (forest, ground, mountain, desert, underwater, etc.) of the fights for participants would be selected randomly,
each environment designed to test their limits and push them beyond.
Then the game began: the first two participants entered the arena, and it was set in the savanna, where tall grasses swayed gently as if whispering secrets.
They fought, their movements a blur, and one won by taking his opponent's key, exultation followed by defeat hanging heavy in the air.
Others fought in forests, deserts, mountains, rivers, etc.
All of these were to mimic real situations in case they encountered enemies in any kind of field.
The tournament schema continued as they fought subsequent opponents until they gathered 7 keys, the stakes escalating with each bout.
They could now team up with 2 other members to use their 7 keys to break the flag of another team on the ground.
The teams would be scattered on the map, and they had to reach the enemy camp, adrenaline pumping in their veins as they strategized their next moves.
Genau and his members were ultimately selected at the end of the tournament,
as were Ivan and his members, along with others like Wu Chang, Maria, Sara Azis, Malik Kali,
Arash Behzad, and Omar Assan, who were skilled in relevant attacks and defenses.
A collective sigh of relief and pride filled the room as they looked at one another, bound by a shared purpose.
With everything set for their departure, the journey to Mars was expected to last two weeks,
the stars and planets shining like distant dreams.
Along the way, they eventually encountered hollows that appeared in their path,
horrifying shadows that shifted swiftly in the void of space, their presence a stark reminder of the dangers that lay ahead.
Once they reached the proximity of Mars with their space station, engineers, scientists,
and BADASS soldiers took small spaceships to land on Mars.
They proceeded to install bases and began round-trips to transport materials,
the stark red landscape of Mars sprawling out before them, its desolation an echo of humanity's struggles for survival.
Mars is vast, so they couldn't nuke it like they did on the Moon,
which would take decades to process, and doubt crept into their minds like creeping shadows.
Their plan was to create biosphere cities with artificial oxygen, dreams of life blooming against the barren soil.
Each country sent their engineers, scientists, and soldiers to their respective regions, as agreed in the UOE for colonization.
While installing their equipment, hollows appeared and opposed them,
the air crackling with tension and anticipation as the enemy surged toward them.
Ivan, Genau, and the other veteran soldiers launched a counterattack,
their hearts pounding in sync with the rhythm of battle, adrenaline coursing through their veins as stake and resolve intertwined.
One of the fierce opponents they encountered was a guardian warrior equipped with a steel shield and a sword,
with a godly appearance, standing like a monument of defiance against the encroaching night.
His attribute was fire, which he ignited on his sword, flames licking the air and illuminating the determination in his eyes.
Ivan, Genau, and some veterans did not have water, their first element, to counter it,
so they were aided from behind by water and ice users while the veterans fought,
the clash of powers creating a symphony of chaos and unity.
Additional support was provided by Malik Kali,
who was monitoring them from the UOE space station to advise them on strategies against their opponents,
his calm voice cutting through the clamor like a beacon of hope.
As a result, the process of habitation on Mars progressed, each victory a step toward a dream realized.
[End]
A year later, they successfully colonized Mars and had begun to expand humanity on the Moon,
Mars, and space stations for exploring other areas that could be possible inside or outside the solar system,
the echoes of jubilation and achievement mingling with the whispers of ambition in the air.
Humanity was also able to build super reactors for spaceships that could reduce the travel duration within the solar system.
They gradually sent automated spaceships and satellites to venture further into the Oort cloud
(a remote area at the edge of the solar system) to gather comets,
as they contained water that could be helpful for their species.
They were starting to reach civilization of type 3, according to the Kardashev scale,
standing on the precipice of a future brimming with infinite possibilities.