Legend of the Cyber Heroes
Chapter 511 - 155 The Story of Heavenly Machine [Part 1]

Chapter 511: Chapter 155 The Story of Heavenly Machine [Part 1]

Earth occupies only a very small space and a minuscule mass within the Solar System.

If the sun were considered a building, then Earth would be about the size of an apple.

This "apple" is several kilometers away from the "building".

Compared to celestial bodies, "basically nothing" is what makes up the vast majority of the universe.

Therefore, in this era, more humans are born in space cities.

Staying in space for extended periods leads to a significant loss of calcium in human bones and muscle atrophy.

But this is not an issue at all for Cybermen.

Two hundred years ago, David Klein vigorously promoted national space programs for this very reason.

Benchmark Man gene modification surgery and human cyberization technology have nearly resolved most of the issues involved with human interstellar migration.

However, space cities across different universe regions each have a completely different look.

Space cities within Earth’s orbit tend to be "wealthier". In this area, space cities can easily capture sufficient solar energy.

The few space cities with millions of inhabitants are all within this region—specifically, within Venus Orbit.

Space cities between Earth’s and Mars’ orbits are more moderate, predominantly hosting populations of two to three hundred thousand or just over a hundred thousand.

Space cities in this band struggle somewhat. The solar energy is not very strong, and interstellar materials are also scarce and difficult to mine.

By contrast, space cities near the Asteroid Belt are different again.

Although solar energy is scarce in this area, it boasts abundant mineral resources. Here, chivalrous powers and government forces are in a standoff, leading to many forces not controlled by the government.

And due to the complex terrain in the Asteroid Belt, it can even accommodate a small number of "unauthorized space cities" not regulated by the government.

For those ambitious individuals looking to make a name for themselves, the vicinity of the Asteroid Belt is an excellent destination. There are many strong individuals here who do not submit to the government and do not recognize chivalrous power. Green Forest exists here in the form of space pirates. The weary heroes of the League of Heroes lurk and rest their claws and fangs here. Legends say that even recluses from ancient times are hidden here.

Of course, most of the "ancients" in the legends are dead.

All in all, this place, teeming with all sorts of people, can provide almost everything that mortals desire.

For those in the Solar System who are not content with the ordinary, these cities are almost like "cities of dreams".

And the more distant Jupiter space cities... Having many strategically important strongholds on Jupiter and Jupiter’s satellites, control here is extremely tight. Although the spirit of chivalry has persisted here since the dawn of the Fourth Martial God, only masters manage to survive after raising the flag of rebellion.

It is said that such an important place should have been guarded by King Aqini, the first the Kings. However, King Aqini did not want to leave his homeland, perceiving forever guarding his hometown, and thereby became the king of the Earth-Moon system.

Further out, space cities become scarce. In areas far away from the sun, solar energy is particularly scarce.

Saturn is somewhat better off due to the mining of nuclear fuel, but further out, the population that can be supported dwindles.

These places are now ruled by heroes, and it is said that the social structure is entirely different from the regions within the Asteroid Belt.

However, the Protectors have always restricted the flow of information from those areas, even planning to sever them from the internet; thus, few people know about those cities.

Of course, the young hero’s hometown is not such an interesting place.

The space city he was born in is just outside Earth’s orbit, close to it, with an orbital period of about four hundred days.

It’s an utterly ordinary city with just over a hundred thousand inhabitants. It’s not particularly large, but it’s not on the scale of a "small space city" either.

This city lacks heroes and isn’t often visited by space pirates.

The lack of heroes is because after King Aqini bombarded the Fourth Martial God, heroes tried their best to avoid situations where "the entire population of a space city would be seen as rebellious". The Protectors would truly destroy a city.

And the lack of space pirates is because...

Such an unprofitable city would barely cover the fuel expenses with whatever loot could be seized from it.

The social structure of space cities is vastly different from that of Earth.

Not every inhabitant on Earth’s surface can enjoy the convenience of the internet.

But in space cities, it is considered a "necessity".

The Protectors have always believed that "the less governance, the better". Especially in the Earth region—with its natural atmosphere and hydrosphere, resources are relatively abundant, and, most importantly, there’s no risk of "leakage". "Gravity" confines essential human needs to the planet’s surface.

However, space cities cannot function without automated monitoring systems and network management.

If anything goes wrong with the functioning of a space city, the lives of its human inhabitants cannot be ensured.

This is also an extension of "Dyson’s Principle" concerning the laws of "life".

So, even though the youth became independent at the age of twelve, he could access the ubiquitous network.

The youth’s mother died in an accident, being flung into the depths of space while working on the exterior wall of the space city.

Considering the life force of a Benchmark Man, the youth always believed that his mother might still be alive somewhere.

But at the time, his family wasn’t able to organize a search party.

The youth’s father let him live on his own after he turned twelve. When the youth was thirteen, his father jubilantly set off on the path of dreams with a ticket to the Asteroid Belt space city—a boon from the government.

Indeed, the government does offer such social services for free. However, the government’s organizational capabilities are limited and resources are tight, so even if such services are applied for, one can only wait for a draw.

After the youth’s mother left, his father had been entering the draw for several years.

Twelve was indeed the youngest age at which one could "live independently".

To avoid excessive depletion of organic nutrients from the body, the youth underwent a high degree of cybernetic transformation at an early age.

In addition, he also held two jobs.

One was to check several different forms and spot any inconsistencies between them.

These forms came from different AIs or departments of the Protector. Most of the relevant work was completed by AIs, but to avoid any sabotage by Internal Strength Masters, there were still several positions where a human check was required.

The youth had no clue about the specifics of his job or its larger purpose. For confidentiality reasons, the AI deciding on the division of labor wouldn’t inform him of these details. The vast databases were decomposed by AIs into simple tasks manageable by humans and then redistributed to different individuals.

And his other job was as a tester serving AIs.