Marcus oversaw the drone preparations for the portal's entry.
He is preparing several stages for this adventure.
The first ones to try to pass the portal were unmanned drones, though… from the very beginning, there were issues.
"Your Majesties…" The scientists showed what he saw via the drone.
Marcus, Leila and Anna looked at the ice on the other side.
"We will need to send AI-piloted Mobile workers for this." Leila massaged her forehead. They were 95% expecting this. But seeing this in person…
"Already prepared for this. We will be using new fusion torchers." Marcus nodded at his wife.
"Prepare to collect any incoming water from the portal. I want scientists to gather it and check its composition.
We might encounter unknown bacteria. Who knows what is on the other side of the portal?" Anna reminded them that it was an alien world at the very core. It could have had completely different diseases from what they encountered.
"Understood. We are preparing teams." The team managers nodded at the Empress's orders.
Marcus continued to watch as Mobile Workers piloted by Legion proceeded to enter the portals and started to melt the ice on the other side.
Before long, water began to drip through the portal, and the scientist teams dressed in white suits proceeded to suck the water into specially prepared containers.
"There is far more water than we expected." Anna got nervous as more mobile Workers stepped through the portal.
"Then send more teams. We made preparations for a considerable amount of water." Marcus commented as he crossed his arms and watched multiple screens doing the same thing.
There is an entire command centre that is overseeing this.
"Your Majesty, the signal is getting weaker. It would seem the portal is not that good for Legion's signal."
"Send in the boosters." The Emperor issued an order to his military branch working with the scientists.
One of the Military Mobile Workers brought an antenna with a cable through the portal, and soon enough, the signal returned.
In mere moments, a considerable-sized cavern has been created.
"Decent enough progress. Proceed to carve towards the surface. Get the portal fusion reactor and recharge stations ready. As well as a Legion HUB. The portal won't be open forever."
Marcus rapidly barked his orders. The portals can be opened for several hours at most before they need to be recharged for a week or so. Though that period can shrink, as the Emperor has already instructed improvements to the way it is recharged.
The system uses magnetic force, similar to modern generators… only a bit more primitive and 'organic'. This civilisation was more in tune with nature instead of trying to conquer it.
"Understood! We are preparing for phase two!"
~~~
Around a week later, the portal came back online, and Legion from the other side immediately began sending updates.
"Your Majesty! We have pictures from the surface! It's nothing impressive, but the night sky is what should fascinate you."
The observation team showed Marcus the pictures sent over from Legion from the other side.
He saw the stars and constellations and compared them to his ones.
"It's nearly identical… but there are some differences." Anna and Leila looked over his shoulder and checked the holograms with pictures.
"That's because there is around 200 years of difference," Marcus replied as he showed her star movements.
"...so it's… the future world?" Leila replied, wondering what this society looked like.
"In a way." He shrugged as he ordered more of the Mobile Workers to pass through to the other side and begin working.
At the same time, he checked the other parameters.
"It would seem we will be able to send over humans soon." He said to his wives.
"...indeed. This Earth is identical to ours when it comes to oxygen levels."
"Even the temperatures. Check this out." Anna highlighted the samples the mobile workers took.
"Legion took samples. When it comes to this planet's ancient history, this planet is basically identical to ours, same events… this planet experienced the same events… among them the Younger Dryas. This world is not that different." Anna showed them a strained smile.
"You mean… it was for nothing?" Leila looked at the fellow Empress. These people were running away from bad weather, but they ended up in an identical world anyway…
"Well… I suppose not? If we compare to our world… they went to an Earth that is 200 years in future?" Anna replied after thinking a bit.
"In other words, they went to a world that already recovered to some extent… It's better than living in a world that is recovering from a catastrophe." Leila frowned. It made a little sense to her.
Marcus wondered the same thing. Does it mean that they were running away from Reapers?
The Emperor, all of a sudden, stood up and walked out of the command centre and went to the pyramids in the ancient city.
His wives followed after him; they wondered what had happened to him.
What he did was walk to the main pyramid and begin inspecting it.
He was looking through the carvings on the steps. Looking for anything that he could have missed. Though these have been studied many times, and there are detailed recordings of these. Even the visions were recorded in a form that they can be watched on a screen and studied.
'I do miss something…'
The Emperor knew that these guys had achieved a heightened form of spiritual consciousness. After all, they achieved a form of technology that can elevate their consciousness to a realm where the afterlife is.
This is utterly insane when compared to a normal form of technology. Isn't it similar to a form of immortality? That's how Code is achieved. Through a Thought Elevator.
Eventually, his eyes settled on the pillar of blue light rushing upwards.
'...Wait… Aren't there many pyramids around the world? Without the portals? Like Egypt?'
A realisation washed over him. He didn't need to watch this with his Geass eyes. No, his gut feeling was telling him what this pillar is.
Marcus strolled into it. As the moment he walked in, he felt his mind leaving him.
The next moment, he realised that he was travelling through a 'space' corridor when he realised what was going on below him was Earth. It was like he was standing on some sort of platform and gazing at the world below him.
'Amazing… it's like my mind has been heightened, like I left my body and ascended…'
As he thought about that, he looked around… into the darkness of the space.
At that moment, he felt it… the coldness… the metallic coldness that was 'sleeping' in the vastness of the void.
'I don't need to be a genius to know what it was…'
Regardless, where he was looking, they were there. It was strange… maybe because he was looking for them?
He tried on other things. Like he gazed at aliens that should be in this Galaxy.
Marcus swiftly found the blue-skinned race of women, a race of fast-thinking lizards, and a race of warriors with scales.
While he didn't find their exact location or their home world. What he sensed was a strange spiritual link that told him the aliens were there.
This technology was not finished, as far as he understood, but he was clear that this was most likely how the Code Bearer Leader would meet up with people from around the world.
The Thought Elevators were the 'Ancestor Knowledge', a place to speak with people in the afterlife. And one could travel huge distances, but the pyramids' peaks? They were most likely 'council meeting'. Though the portal addition was an interesting alteration to this spiritual technology.
'Truly… wild abilities…'
With that said, Marcus felt a yank as he realised that he was back on top of the Pyramid.
"Marcus! What was that!? Weren't you afraid of getting disintegrated!?" Leila rushed over; she sounded terrified.
"No. It's not that kind of form of energy." Marcus shook his head.
"Damn it! Why can't you for a second just act normally!" The blonde began to complain as she felt that he would be the source of her first grey hair!
"That's because I needed to test something out."
"What did you find?" Anna asked him first. She was concerned, but her curiosity was above that.
"This is not some transition beam. This is a thought accelerator."
"...Thought accelerator?" The pair of Empresses looked at each other. What does that even mean?
"This civilisation was a spiritual one. They used sound like we use electricity or machinery to do everything.
What they use is sound and later vibrations to lift massive boulders." He looked at the arches; the portal has closed for this week.
"But this was infrastructure. They used sound and vibrations to stimulate their brain. This is most likely how they have ascended and achieved the thought elevators.
The side effects of this were Geass. It's like a physical manifestation and connection to the Collective Unconsciousness. The Code is the apex of it.
Literally a form of pseudo-immortality. This is why I feel that my senses are heightened because my brain has achieved a higher form.
A form of ascension."
"...But if this was the case…why did C.C. never have this kind of perception?" Leila asked, pondering out loud.
Marcus deadpanned. Really? Compared to C.C.?
"Because only recently she achieved complete mastery over her Code and Geass."
'And the first thing she does is desire to get impregnated'
The Emperor sighed as that didn't change with his Witch wife.
"That does make sense." The Blonde Empress nodded, then gave him a stern look.
"Can you lower the amount of your reckless actions. You may have the code, but it doesn't mean I stopped worrying about your actions. You are the ruler of this Solar System and have kids now." The Logistics Empress said with a resigned tone.
"That is why I have Code. So that I won't die easily." He rolled his eyes. Gaining a Code was essential to him, as he wants to rule the Cosmos, which is a big place. Something like old age has no place in it.
"Like I said. Not an excuse. We are not immune like you are." Leila sighed.
Marcus smiled a bit.
"Very well. I will keep that in mind. Just remember that Technology, regardless of origin, to me is like garlic to a vampire." He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Sadly, he can't kiss her here as they were in the South Pole, where the temperature was below -35 today. It was too cold for a make-out session.
"Fine… but you owe me…-us with this," Leila said before looking at Anna for confirmation.
"I think several days in Solomon Islands would do nicely for a relaxation."
"And I take another couple of days." Anna chipped in. She knows well enough that Solomon Islands is literally the lovebirds' home, a place meant for a few people.
"Sure. I can go fishing with Trojan there." He can already imagine fishing with his son.
"No sharks!" Leila immediately pointed her finger at him. She recalled him fishing for sharks just because it was cool!
"Fine… regular fish it is." Marcus sighed. His wife— he noticed that both of them were looking at him… meaning… wives, not just a wife who doesn't like him fishing for predatory fish.
"Good. You can go fishing for greater fish once our son is of decent age. Not 5 years old!"
"I am impressed that he has such patience already." Anna is still surprised by how patient Trojan is.
"That's because of my genes." Leila rolled her eyes. Marcus can be reckless most of the time. It's she who thinks first, then does.
"I am more than patient when I want to." He rolled his eyes; he could tell that her gaze was accusing him of something.
"Sure… do you want me to remind you of other times when you were not patient?" Leila rolled her eyes back at him.
'Hmph, the moment she has a ring on her finger, she can talk back to me like this.'
Marcus shook his head. Fine, whatever, he has other things to do!
~~~
500 powers stones = 1 Extra Chapter
1000 Power Stones = 2 Extra Chapters
And so on, You know what to do.
~~~
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