Chapter 616: Strategic Assessment
The Trailblazer mobile base rolled smoothly through Pandora's lush woodland, its heavy tires crushing entangled, bioluminescent root systems with a dull, continuous thud. Inside, the atmosphere was focused and efficient.
Pilar operated at the control console. A drone—blessed and augmented by the Adeptus Mechanicus using technology originating from Night City—quietly ejected from a dedicated launcher on the roof.
Streamlined in shape, its casing was engraved with delicate Mechanicus runes, and its rotors emitted a barely audible hum. The drone ascended rapidly, piercing through layers of luminescent canopy to relay a real-time, bird's-eye feed back to the main screens inside the vehicle. The display was split into multiple windows, showing data across different light spectrums and sensor modes. The exploration team's field of view instantly expanded from the confined clearing to a vast expanse of land.
The initial imagery was breathtaking.
An endless forest glowing with pale blue, purplish-pink, and green bioluminescence unspooled like a living tapestry. Winding rivers wove through it like shimmering ribbons, while the distant, cloud-wreathed Hallelujah Mountains hovered subtly in the mist, forming a magnificent, harmonious alien vista.
However, as the drone flew on a scanning sweep toward a specific vector, a starkly different scene forced its way into view.
In a wide region, the originally dense forest had been brutally clear-cut, leaving behind massive swathes of scorched, exposed earth. Giant industrial machinery bearing the RDA (Resources Development Administration) logo roared like iron beasts, pushing down and pulverizing ancient trees. Thick pipelines stretched across the ground like venomous vines, connecting massive excavation equipment to distant industrial processing plants. Even through the sensors, one could "see" a thin haze of raised dust and pollutants, forming a glaring contrast with the surrounding wilderness.
"Whoa..." Rebecca whistled as she looked at the clear environmental destruction on screen. "Those guys sure do a 'thorough' job."
Asuka frowned, her lake-blue eyes betraying undisguised disgust: "How ugly. Ruins a perfectly good forest just like that." Her tone carried purely emotional dissatisfaction—a visceral dislike of seeing something beautiful destroyed, rather than a moral or environmental critique. To her, it was simply as unpleasant as watching someone scribble mindlessly over a fine painting.
Shinji Ikari watched the screen in silence, his expression complex. He recalled the grief and anger belonging to the Na'vi that Rei had felt during her connection. The scene before his eyes was the very source of that sorrow and fury, making him subconsciously purse his lips.
Rei Ayanami remained placid as ever, her gaze sweeping over the destroyed zone as if logging another category of data, no different from when she recorded the pristine forest.
Ryo (the second avatar) locked his crimson optical lenses onto those marks of human activity, devoid of any emotional fluctuation. Information retrieved from his main body's memories instantly surfaced—room-temperature superconducting ore.
Unobtanium, rich within Pandora's crust, was a rare room-temperature superconducting material whose strategic value in any tech- and energy-seeking civilization was paramount. It was precisely the powerful magnetic fields generated by this ore that allowed the Hallelujah Mountains to levitate.
His logic core calculated the scenario rapidly.
Within the framework of the Warhammer universe, a planet holding such precious resources yet controlled by non-human intelligent life had a fate that was practically foreordained. Under the Great Crusade led by the Emperor, one of the core tenets was reclaiming lost human domains and resources. Any xenos species standing in the way faced complete purging, unless proven to be exceptionally valuable and willing to submit. The countless vanished xenos species across the galaxy served as cold proof of this logic.
Not to mention, according to his main body's memories, this planet also harbored cetacean creatures (Tulkun) from which an anti-aging substance could be extracted.
Almost the exact moment he finished these calculations, a familiar data stream crossed the dimensional barrier and poured directly into his mind. It was not a signal received via sight or hearing, but a connection originating from the depths of his consciousness—the clear, direct will of his main body on Necromunda presenting itself in his thoughts:
Strategic Mandate: Assess and secure the strategic resources of this dimension.
Priority Targets: Unobtanium samples, relevant geological data, and confirmation of the existence and extraction technology of Amrita (the anti-aging fluid extracted from the Tulkun).
Execution Directive: Authorization granted to employ all necessary means. Prioritize establishing cooperation channels with the local human faction (RDA) to achieve objectives efficiently.
The main body's will aligned perfectly with his deduction. Cooperating with the humans currently mining the ore was undoubtedly the most efficient and beneficial choice under the circumstances. They possessed ready-made facilities, technology, and an understanding (however destructive) of the local environment.
As for the Na'vi—until their value could be quantified and evaluated, they were primarily categorized as a potential obstacle.
"Log the coordinates, facility layouts, and defensive threat levels of all human activity zones," Ryo (the second avatar)'s voice echoed inside the vehicle, breaking the momentary silence. "Prioritize scanning mining sectors, processing plants, and primary transport routes. Analyze their technology levels and military deployments."
"Understood," Pilar and Falco executed the command immediately, maneuvering the drone for a more detailed reconnaissance sweep.
Maine looked toward Ryo (the second avatar) and asked steadily, "What is our next course of action?"
"The priority of making contact with the local human faction has been elevated," Ryo (the second avatar) answered. "After gathering sufficient intelligence, we will formulate an outreach plan. Our objective is resource acquisition, not intervening in local conflicts. Regarding the Na'vi, maintain observation for now and avoid direct hostility, but there is no need to actively seek intimacy either."
Hearing this, Asuka curled her lip slightly in disdain, but said nothing. She simply found those logging machines an eyesore; as for deeper strategic considerations, she didn't care, nor was it her place to make the call.
Shinji lowered his head slightly, feeling a subtle discomfort he couldn't quite articulate.
The drone's feed continued to shift, revealing finer details of the RDA facilities: bases enclosed by high perimeter walls, Valkyrie shuttlecraft frequently taking off and landing, and AMP suits equipped with heavy weaponry. A cold, formidable power belonging to human industrial civilization lay clearly displayed before the expedition team.
The Trailblazer adjusted its heading, rolling toward a location marked as a primary RDA mining outpost. The objective inside the vehicle was now clear: the nature of the exploration had quietly shifted from pure scientific observation to resource evaluation and strategic contact.