Chapter 867: Longyou Shuangzixing (1)

Longyou Shuangzixing, Kafu-Long Planet, Diqishisihao Kuangqu Jiluo.

The sky of Longyou Shuangzixing is always a dim yellow, mixed with mineral dust.

Since Axing first had memories, he had never seen true stars, nor had he seen the legendary blue Tianqiong or pure white clouds.

His world is wrapped beneath thick, endless clouds of dust, where two mutually orbiting planets—Kafu-Long and Mi-You—tear at each other with immense gravity, casting debris and industrial exhaust into orbit to form a broken ring made of slag and trash.

Axing was born in the "Diqishisihao Kuangqu Jiluo" three kilometers beneath the surface of Kafu-Long.

He just turned fifteen standard star-calendar years old this year, but on Longyou, no one cares about the standard calendar; they only care about the daily mining quota and the remaining lifespan of the breathing filter displayed on the identity chip embedded under the skin of their left arms.

"Hurry up, Axing! If we don't finish today's quota of raw 'Spirit Element Ore', the rations for our sector will be cut!"

The roar of the foreman Laoka came through the buzzing of Axing's old filter.

Laoka's face was covered in wrinkles, the marks carved by both dust and time.

He was once a miner himself, but because he was "obedient" enough and lived long enough, he was promoted to foreman, managing the hundred-man work team that Axing belonged to.

Axing let out a muffled grunt, using all his strength to push the small railcar loaded with heavy raw ore.

The wheels made a harsh, grating sound on the uneven tracks.

His muscles ached continuously from long-term overexertion, and his lungs burned painfully; every breath was a torture.

It is said that for everyone who works in the Longyou mines for over ten years, their lungs will turn into heavy, spotted, gray-black stones, eventually leading to death by suffocation.

This is the common "pneumoconiosis," which the Administration calls "natural attrition."

"Understood, Uncle Ka."

Axing responded while panting, his voice sounding muffled behind the filter.

This is his life, and the life of the vast majority of "residents" on Kafu-Long.

From birth, they are branded as "Star Alliance Assets," belonging to the Resource Development Administration of the Seventh Star Domain of the Fengqi Star Alliance Southern Theater.

The only meaning of their existence is to mine the energy-rich "Spirit Element Ore" deep within the crust of Kafu-Long, and to transport the preliminarily screened raw ore via giant elevators to Mi-You Star for refining, producing the high-strength "Longyou Alloy."

These resources are continuously shipped away, supporting the distant war machines of the Fengqi Star Alliance and the extravagant desires of the upper class.

Axing hunched his back, sweat sliding down his young yet already rough cheeks, mixing with black dust and dripping onto the uneven rocks beneath his feet.

After pushing the railcar away, he took a high-frequency Vibrating Pickaxe and chiseled at the mine wall.

"Hey, kid, keep your eyes sharp!"

A fellow worker with a sturdy build shouted from the side; his name was Buen, known for his great strength and even greater appetite.

"That rock layer looks loose, don't be a fool and pry at it hard, hit it from the side! Save some energy, we're still far from today's quota!"

Axing panted heavily, adjusted his angle, and embedded the tip of the Vibrating Pickaxe into the rock crevice Buen pointed out.

Sure enough, a large chunk of ore rich in Spirit Element crystals loosened with a sound and came tumbling down.

"Thanks, Buen."

"Hmph, thanks don't mean squat, your half-stick of Nutrient Paste tonight belongs to me!"

Buen spoke harshly, but he helped Axing move the heavy ore onto the railcar.

"With your scrawny frame, if you don't figure out how to save effort, your lungs will turn into stone shards before you finish your quota."

Axing grinned, which counted as a smile.

He knew Buen was just talking; last time he exceeded his own quota and got an extra synthetic protein block, he had secretly shared a small bite with him.

In this desperate mine, this kind of insignificant, rough kindness is the faint nourishment that keeps his spirit from completely collapsing.

"I heard... the 'upper levels' are adjusting the algorithms again?"

Axing asked in a low voice while continuing to swing the pick, taking advantage of the cover of the noise.

The "upper levels" he referred to meant both the Mine Management Committee and, implicitly, the "Longyou Zhiyan" in orbit.

Though young, his natural curiosity and observation skills made him more attentive to subtle changes around him than many numb, old miners.

Buen glanced vigilantly at the two slowly moving mechanical supervisors with flashing red lights in the distance of the tunnel; seeing they weren't paying attention, he leaned in closer and lowered his voice even more.

"Damn it, you're right! Laoka was called to a meeting this morning, and he came back with a face as dark as the bottom of a pot. They said it's to 'respond to Star Alliance strategic needs,' and the Efficiency Coefficient for mining has been raised by another zero point zero five! Bullshit strategic needs, they just want to squeeze out our last drop of oil!"

Zero point zero five sounds insignificant, but when applied to each person, it could mean working an extra one or two standard hours, or the breathing filter reaching its scrap threshold sooner.

"Why the rush?"

Axing couldn't help but ask, his movements slowing down.

"Who knows what those purple-skinned lords are going crazy about again?"

Buen spat, though nothing came out.

"Maybe their precious war is getting tight? Or maybe some big shot is having a birthday and needs a few more gold plates? None of our business! We just mine until we can't mine anymore."

At this moment, another slightly older, more composed worker nicknamed "The Pedant" Aier passed by pushing an empty cart and heard their conversation.

He seemed to have had contact with some Data Pads before and knew a little more than others, but because of that, he was even more silent.

"It might not be something inside the Star Alliance..."

Aier's voice was hoarse, almost drowned out by the sound of the drills, but Axing caught it keenly.

"I went to maintain the central ventilation ducts a few days ago and heard two technicians whispering... saying... saying that the frequency of regular transport ships from other star domains seems to have decreased, but some encrypted, non-standard signal streams seem to have increased..."

"Encrypted signals? What are those?"

Axing asked curiously.

Aier shook his head.

"Don't know... but they mentioned... it seems to be about... the 'border'... it's not peaceful..."

"The border?"

Buen frowned.

"The border of the Fengqi Star Alliance is endless, which part of the border? What does it have to do with our godforsaken mine?"

"Not sure..."

Aier sighed.

"In any case, be careful. The patrol routes and scanning frequencies of the overseers have changed recently; it's not a good sign. Talk less, work more; staying alive is what matters most."

As he was speaking, an electronic buzzing sound rang out, and the rotating warning light at the top of the corridor emitted a red glow.

This was the signal for a rest break; although brief, it was precious.