The Falcon's Hunt in the Void
The Falcon soared through the cosmic abyss like a ghost.
After its initial acceleration to 482 km/s, the spacecraft jettisoned its booster like a spent rocket, switching to compressed gas thrusters for precise maneuvering.
Its target lay 417 AU away from Hope—a staggering 62.4 billion kilometers. At its current speed, the Falcon would take four years to reach its destination.
This was interstellar warfare.
Even reconnaissance missions stretched into years due to the sheer distances involved. For comparison, the farthest edge of Pluto's orbit was only 60 AU from Earth.
Four Years Later
The Falcon's cameras, scanning the void against the cosmic background, captured a celestial body.
It took 2.4 days for the signal to travel back to Hope.
Staring at the massive object on the screen, Rhett Calder's eyes widened.
The transmitted image lacked precise measurements, but its sheer shape and curvature suggested one thing—this planet was enormous.
NOVA immediately ran calculations.
"Analysis complete. The celestial body has a radius of 8,426 km, a surface area of 892.18 million square kilometers, and a volume of approximately 2.5058 × 10¹² cubic kilometers.Gravity readings from Falcon indicate 11.05 m/s²."
A planet larger than Earth.
Its surface area exceeded Earth's by 380 million square kilometers. But most importantly, it was a rogue planet—adrift in the void, unbound by any star system.
Perhaps it once belonged to the habitable zone of a distant sun, only to be cast out by a cosmic cataclysm.
"The surrounding space registers at -261.8°C," Rhett muttered. "How could any civilization have emerged in such an environment?"
For centuries, Earth's scientists had focused on habitable zones around stars as the cradle of life. Even Rhett himself had never considered such a scenario.
At these temperatures—colder than cryogenic stasis—atomic movement slowed, electron behavior changed, and conventional biochemistry became impossible.
Yet something was alive here.
The Geothermal Civilization
NOVA ran another atmospheric scan.
"Temperature discrepancy detected. The planet's outer space temperature is warmer than expected, recorded at -198.33°C."
"Hypothesis: The planet possesses a highly active molten core."
Two weeks later, another report arrived.
"Confirmed: The planet has numerous active volcanoes and an abundance of geothermal energy."
A blurred image appeared on the screen.
"Rhett Calder, observe these regions—large volcanic craters," NOVA highlighted several points on the image."And here, signs of artificial structures. This civilization relies on geothermal energy for survival."
A Geothermal Civilization.
On Earth, geothermal energy was limited, incapable of supporting an advanced society. But this rogue planet—larger than Earth with an even more active core—had an abundance of it.
With no Sun, this civilization had adapted to eternal darkness and built their world around volcanic heat.
But then Rhett noticed something unusual.
The latest image showed something new—objects hovering above the planet.
"Enhance those points," he ordered.
The magnified image revealed the unmistakable silhouettes of starships.
Not just a few.
Thousands.
A fleet.
"They're mobilizing," Rhett concluded grimly."They've detected us. Now, they're preparing for a stellar purge."
There was no other explanation.
The timing, the sheer number of ships—it was clear. They were hunting for intruders.
The First Shot Fired
Seven days later, NOVA received Falcon's final transmission.
In its last moment, before being obliterated, it transmitted one crucial piece of data.
"Falcon was shot down by lasers."
"Sources confirmed. The firing locations align with the planet's largest volcanic craters."
Another crucial piece of intelligence.
"This confirms that the civilization relies heavily on geothermal energy. Surface temperatures remain below -100°C, meaning their population is likely small—estimated between 100 million to 500 million."
"Low population density means no large-scale technological revolution. This explains their slow technological progress."
"Due to their reliance on geothermal power, their energy supply is limited, and their technological tree is restricted.Analysis of their ship speeds suggests they haven't achieved controlled nuclear fusion and still rely on geothermal and nuclear energy."
"Conclusion: Civilization Level 1.0 to 1.1."
A fledgling Type 1 Civilization—just stepping onto the galactic stage.
Their planet was dark, and they sought light.
Thus, they mastered lasers—a weapon born from their obsession with illumination.
Rhett Calder exhaled.
"If we're going to cripple this civilization, we must halt their progress.""There are only two ways to do that:1. Cut off their energy supply.2. Disrupt their technological advancement."
He turned to NOVA.
"Thoughts?"
The AI responded instantly.
"Disrupting scientific progress requires extensive knowledge of their technological path. We must determine if their advancements follow a macro-to-micro approach or vice versa."
"However, universal physics applies everywhere. Gravity, electromagnetism, strong and weak nuclear forces—all civilizations must eventually confront these laws."
"But we can't assume they are following the same scientific trajectory as humanity."
"The simplest solution remains brute force."
Absolute Zero Warfare
Rhett Calder wasn't a god, nor did he possess overwhelming technological superiority.
This wasn't some science fiction fantasy where he could simply erase a lesser civilization.
NOVA generated a tactical strategy.
"Since they are a geothermal civilization, we can cripple their energy supply by cooling their planetary core."
The proposed weapon:
The Absolute Zero Arsenal.
Planetary cores generate energy through nuclear fission. But at near absolute zero, atomic motion ceases—protons, neutrons, and electrons slow to a near standstill.
Absolute zero itself was physically unattainable, requiring more energy than the entire universe contained.
But a weapon nearing absolute zero?
That was possible.
It wouldn't halt atomic motion entirely—but it could slow nuclear fission to a crawl.
A planet's core would freeze, cutting off the very lifeblood of its civilization.
"Execute the plan," Rhett ordered."How long until production is complete?"
NOVA adjusted Hope's course, docking on a drifting asteroid—80 kilometers long, 45 kilometers wide. Hundreds of robotic drones repaired the ship's battle scars.
"Estimated production time: 25 years."
Twenty-five years.
A blink of an eye in interstellar warfare.
"Not enough," Rhett muttered."One Absolute Zero bomb can disable the planet's core for 40 years. We need ten."
If war was inevitable, he would wage it on his own terms.
Giving the final order, he stepped into his cryo-chamber.
This would be his last slumber before war.
When he woke—the battle for a civilization's fate would begin.