Chapter 277: Megastructure Construction! Governor Elections! Trade Expansion! War Preparations!
Halo Universe, Reach.
At the very moment the core leadership of the UNSC was being escorted to Night City HQ, the distant Reach system finally rejoined the ranks of the Galactic Megacorp.
From orbit, Reach—a dazzling terrestrial planet—shone brightly, and its near-orbit defense array rivaled that of Earth itself.
Thanks to Megacorp's unified overhaul, both Reach and Earth had their orbital defenses upgraded with the same hard-light main cannons found on wanderer-class dreadnoughts.
These ultra-high-output hard-light railguns are powered by built-in fusion reactors along the defensive ring and maintained daily by stationed personnel.
Reach's surface also houses ten massive fusion power plants, wirelessly supplying energy around the clock to the orbital defenses.
Additionally, all shipyards on Reach had ceased production of outdated warships and were now dedicated to building Megacorp-standard vessels.
Every class—from frigates to destroyers—underwent integration and retrofitting, with weapon systems replaced by hard-light cannons and propulsion systems upgraded to include wanderer-class jump drives.
Two factors determine a ship's combat viability: the power of its main gun and the speed of its engine.
As of now, Forerunner hard-light cannons stand as the most powerful and energy-efficient ship-mounted weapon systems Megacorp possesses—no contest!
While they don't match the raw destructive force of the [War Moon]'s Light Lance, hard-light cannons are far more versatile, making them a standard across most of Megacorp's fleet.
Even more impressive is the wanderer-class dreadnought's propulsion system.
This engine boasts continuous jump capability over 3,000 light-years within 24 hours—an outright leap over Megacorp's current Infinity-class carriers.
Although both engines are made by the same brand, the difference in quality is like that between an official manufacturer and a third-party workshop.
While not worlds apart, the Voyager engine clearly outperforms the Infinity-class variant.
Megacorp's in-house "hyperspace engine" is still struggling to catch up to the Infinity-class standard.
Now that the superior engine is available, most frontline Megacorp ships have had their drives replaced—but the Research Division isn't halting its own hyperspace engine development.
Free tech is great, sure—but self-developed systems offer far greater long-term potential. Once perfected, their custom hyperspace engines could outperform anything they currently use.
Unfortunately, Megacorp is currently short on research personnel. Even after recruiting elite scientists from five universes, resources are stretched thin.
Neither human nor AI intellect alone is enough to accelerate tech advancement—Megacorp needs smarter brains.
And to complicate things further, Dr. Halsey has taken part of the research team to permanently station at the Ark, attempting to unlock its full potential.
As a result, they have little bandwidth for other Megacorp R&D projects.
Coupled with the recent acquisition of a Forerunner Think Tank, fully digesting its advanced tech demands an even greater pool of top-tier scientists.
That's why the Scientific Nexus Department has issued an emergency call for more tech talent.
Megacorp's top priority right now is to reverse-engineer Forerunner technology and decipher everything stored in the Think Tank.
Controllable Flood virus strains, fully autonomous wanderer-class dreadnoughts, instantaneous portals spanning 100,000 light-years, and the Ark device...
And above all, the ultimate Forerunner discipline: Neurophysics, which governs the entire physical layer of existence.
In short: reverse-engineering is faster than inventing from scratch.
Failing to seize what's given is a waste of opportunity.
With all this high-level tech laid out in front of them, Megacorp's best move is to immediately convert it into practical productivity.
Once the Think Tank is fully decoded and Megacorp masters Neurophysics, their R&D teams will be able to conduct genuine micro-level research within the Halo universe.
For instance: dismantling the most basic molecular structure, altering it into an unstable form to create annihilation-based particle weapons...
Or modifying a natural crystal's structural attributes to increase its hardness by a factor of 10,000—turning the most mundane matter into an indestructible substance.
Mastering Neurophysics could also help Megacorp scientists deduce the supreme law of the main universe—The Grand Unified Theory.
After all, applying scientific principles is essentially about solving equations with formulas.
Whether through derivation or plug-and-play, all valid paths lead to the same correct solution.
Cracking formulas step-by-step is far less efficient than having the final formula on hand and simply plugging in the numbers.
It's the fastest, most reliable, and highest-success-rate approach.
Meanwhile, Earth's Halo universe teleportation matrix already contains detailed coordinates for other Forerunner relics, including additional Shield Worlds and Halo Rings.
All Megacorp has to do is dispatch exploration and military teams to those sites and they'll acquire more weapons and advanced tech devices.
This is the joy of being an interstellar "trust fund baby"—fully decked-out gear, elite warships, no grinding, no farming, not even cheating required.
Just blessed by sheer fortune.
At present, Megacorp already wields some Forerunner-level tech, like the wanderer-class engine and hard-light cannons.
The orbital shipyards above Reach are working nonstop to retrofit warships.
Every class—from Paris-class and Heroic-class frigates to old support ships and carriers—is slated for engine and weapon upgrades.
Megacorp needs a powerful maritime transport force to deploy ground troops, carrier-based aircraft, and war supplies to the frontlines.
With Halo's vast interstellar battlefield, Megacorp has zero worries about overproduction—they can build as much as they want without restraint.
…
On the surface of Reach!
Bathed in daylight, the capital city New Alexandria looked stunningly elegant under the soft rays of its parent star.
As the crown jewel of humanity in the Halo universe, Reach excels in both function and beauty.
Cutting-edge factories stand ready for immediate operation.
Meticulously designed garden districts surround the city, open for visitors at any time.
Megacorp can simply repurpose these existing facilities, with no need to construct new plants or install large-scale equipment.
At the commercial center of the city's third ring road, the main entrance of a shopping mall features a massive holo-screen broadcasting a live feed from the Galactic Daily Channel.
To the right of the broadcast, two hosts—formally dressed—stood side by side: Stanley and Gillian, the top stars of Megacorp's Media Division.
Gillian had previously worked for N54 News, but her sudden rise came after an impromptu report in Universe 003 (Edge of Tomorrow), catapulting her to media stardom. Now her status rivals that of Stanley.
At the center of the screen was a vast stellar region, with a brilliant neutron star gleaming amid the flurry of engineering vessels.
Indeed, the eye-catching megastructure on display was the under-construction Quantum Slingshot, situated in a remote star system in Universe 004 (Halo).
Covering the site were Hex robots, engineering ships, and tens of thousands of Forerunner sentinels and constructors—clear signs the massive project was still ongoing.
Stanley's excited voice rang out from the giant screen:
"Hello, everyone! Today we're thrilled to have been granted access by Megacorp to bring you a live look at the under-construction Quantum Slingshot megastructure!"
"Right behind me is the spectacular Quantum Slingshot—this marvel of engineering is being built on top of a neutron star or pulsar!"
"I'm sure many of you played with slingshots as kids—imagine that same concept, but launching an entire naval fleet across tens of thousands of light-years using pulsed force!"
"According to the head of Megacorp's Engineering Division, this structure is expected to be operational within 1,000 Earth days—just under three years."
"And that's not all—another new megastructure is also being initiated. Its name is a bit reminiscent of a Dyson Sphere. Any guesses, folks...?"
As Stanley energetically introduced the megastructure project, inside a luxurious Chinese restaurant just off the commercial street, David, Rita, and Cage were seated together.
They relaxed under the cool breeze of the central air-conditioning, enjoying bowls of seafood noodles, pork dumplings, and tenderloin dishes.
Unnoticed, the restaurant's holographic television had already synced to the Galactic Daily Channel being broadcast outside.
At that moment, the livestream had just switched to the results announcement for the interstellar governor elections.
Governor of the Primary Universe— Li Ang , Executive Officer of LA Universal Megacorp.
001 - Governor of the spectre Universe: jointly controlled by AI.s—Sifer, Alter, and Catherine.
002 - Governor of the Pacific Rim Universe: former Mayor of Night City, Lucius Lane.
003 - Governor of the Edge of Tomorrow Universe: Head of LA Universal Megacorp's Expansion Division and Commander of the Iron Hand Legion, V.
As for the latest appointment—Governor of Universe 004, the Halo Universe—it has officially been assigned to LA Universal Megacorp's Grand Admiral, Morgan Blackhand.
The selection of Morgan Blackhand as the new interstellar governor was something Li Ang had planned long ago. It just hadn't been formally announced until now.
Shortly after, the Universal Daily Channel also mentioned key initiatives like the construction of "megastructures" and the expansion of the Universal Trade Network.
The press conference announcing all of this was hosted by Song Zhaomei, head of the Strategic Department. Her core points were essentially fourfold:
First, LA Universal Megacorp is at its peak—so why not build some megastructures? This time, we're constructing two at once, both scheduled for completion and full operation within three years. How's that for bold?
Second, LA Universal Megacorp is officially establishing the position of Interstellar Governor. From now on, each newly conquered universe will be assigned a governor to oversee its operations.
Governors will rotate irregularly, with no fixed term—it all depends on Executive Officer Li Ang 's discretion. In short, the boss calls the shots!
Third, the Universal Trade Network will expand to cover all universes. Every civilization and species can now "do business" (i.e., be harvested) with the corporation. Mutual exchange (read: total submission) is the new norm.
Of course, the Prophets and Brute species currently at war with the Universal Alliance are blacklisted and undergoing forced physical cleansing.
Fourth, a new struggle begins!
The Supreme Executive Officer has spoken—three years from now, the Stargate will reopen. This time, we'll grow stronger, achieve even greater glory. Grab your weapons and follow my lead!
Starting today, LA Universal Megacorp is officially back in war-preparedness mode. All departments are mobilizing for action.
...
Watching the news broadcast on the holo-screen, William Cage—still part of the system—immediately grasped the implications of Song Zhaomei's words.
He couldn't help but smile bitterly, shaking his head with a sigh. "We've only had a break for half a month. I thought we might get a proper year-long vacation... turns out we're already back to training mode."
Cage thought back to the achievements he'd made over the past three years in the Halo Universe. For a moment, it all felt a bit surreal.
From an overlooked, unambitious mid-level manager to a decorated Spartan officer—he had rebuilt himself completely in just over three years.
Too bad he didn't even have time to enjoy a proper break before Executive Officer Li Ang rolled out the next strategic plan.
In three years, at the same old location—the Multiverse Base HQ—they'd once again cross the Stargate and enter unknown territory.
Before returning to full combat readiness, the military divisions of LA Universal Megacorp were granted a short one-week vacation.
Cage, along with David and Rita, seized the opportunity to travel to Reach and unwind.
After all, once they resumed training, it would be constant high alert around the clock—ready to launch operations across the multiverse or join the expeditionary forces in the war to unify the Covenant.
Though the Halo Universe was largely stabilized, conflict with the Covenant wasn't entirely over. Major battles had ended, but skirmishes continued to flare up.
So no one in the Expansion Division's forces dared truly let their guard down.
But for now, Cage wasn't thinking that far ahead. With a rare vacation in hand, he was determined to make the most of this brief moment of leisure.
Who knew whether they'd even survive long enough for another promotion or another break?
"What's this? Already thinking of retirement? Planning to settle in the rear as a drill instructor—run a few drills in the morning, then hit the entertainment zone?"
Rita's tone was as cold and deadpan as ever. She sipped her lime soda calmly, teasing her old comrade without a flicker of emotion.
"I wouldn't dare slack off," Cage replied, smiling at her calm expression. "If you're heading to the elite vanguard unit, I've got to tag along too."
Though Rita was known for being cold, Cage had learned that she was actually quite easy to get along with—focused entirely on work and without hidden agendas.
No backstabbing, no gossiping, no office politics. With Rita, the usual toxic workplace trifecta simply didn't exist.
It was honestly a relief to work with someone so straightforward.
"Oh? Sounds like you're into me. Wherever I go, you follow?"
Setting down her lime soda, Rita looked him dead in the eyes, her tone still as detached as ever.
David, in the middle of eating, found the exchange highly entertaining. Who wouldn't enjoy a bit of casual banter during a meal?
"Hah! I'm just saying we work well together. No need to change partners when the combo's solid. Stick with the boss, and we'll keep climbing the ranks."
Cage's answer served both to compliment Rita's capabilities and to show loyalty to their superior, David.
Hearing this, David Martinez gave him an internal thumbs-up. With smarts like that, Cage was bound to rise.
And as for Rita's mildly flirtatious remark, there was no way Cage would take the bait and confess outright.
Because if he did, he knew exactly what she'd say next—
"I'm not interested in you."
Yup…
That's the kind of cold-blooded ice queen Rita was. Aside from Executive Officer Li Ang , it was doubtful any man could melt her heart.
In Rita's world, progress came first. Work was everything.
(Show your support and read more chapters on my Patreon: [email protected]/psychopet. Thank you for your support!)