Chapter 1584: Irregularity

In the Kuiper Belt, three starships kept a distance of thousands of kilometers apart and slowly sailed on the edge of a dense asteroid cluster.

Except for SS Origin, which was on routine maintenance and rested on Earth, SS Enterprise, SS Judgment, and SS Frontier were the three starships in active service of the Earth Fleet.

Among them, Enterprise was the flagship, located in the center of the fleet triangle formation. The ship was equipped with 200 mass accelerators, 20 missile launchers, and more than 3,000 medium-range missiles with various types of warheads.

As for Judgment and Frontier, although the hull was the same configuration as Enterprise, with all three ships being the one-million-ton Envoy-class, there were still big differences in weapon types and battlefield positioning for the two ships. For example, in the center of Judgement and Frontier, a large mass accelerator extended from the front of the ship to the rear of the hull and it could be used to launch mass projectiles several tons in weight. It could also be used as a launch port for carrier starcrafts.

Compared with Enterprise, Judgment and Frontier emphasized more on long-range firepower. The 20 missile launchers were replaced by four rows of torpedo launch bays. The 200 mass accelerators were also modified into 50 short-range laser defense weapons on the top of the ship’s hull.

With the flagship leading the formation, this idea seemed odd, but it was the decision made after careful consideration.

The fighting distance of thousands or even tens of thousands of kilometers at every turn meant that close-range firepower on this scale was extremely weakened. To a large extent, the flagship would never have a chance to fire at all before the two starships completed the suppression of long-range targets.

200 mass accelerators and 20 missile launchers were all prepared for medium-distance enemies. If the Harmony chose to attack in close range and managed to break through the blockade that consisted of starcrafts, torpedoes, and heavy mass projectiles, only then would the mid-range defense weapons come into play.

There was only one near-defense starship, SS Enterprise, in service. The Constitution-class (five-million-ton) starship under design was the future flagship of the Earth Fleet, as well as “aircraft carrier” and “mobile fortress” in the true sense.

On Frontier, in the lounge.

After a day of training, the crew gathered here to play billiards, have a cup of coffee, or lie on the massage chair and read a book to pass the time. The ship was equipped with a gravity-generating device, and most of the activities on Earth could also be carried out here.

In the eyes of others, this profession was sacred, but only these people on the ship understood the hardship.

In a claustrophobic environment with a thin sense of direction, the pressure on people’s psychological level was immense. All the doctors on the ship obtained psychologist qualifications before they entered the job, precisely in order to deal with mental health issues.

“In the frontier of the solar system, welcoming the decisive battle half a century later, I suddenly felt that this profession is quite poetic.” Rosal, who leaned against the massage chair, suddenly laughed out as he flipped through the photos in his hands.

The crews of the Earth Fleet were all elites from each country. In the past two years ago, the fortress in Europe had gradually collapsed, and countries have joined the Earth Defense Alliance one after another. For example, the curly-haired Rosal was from the Republican Navy of Italy.

“I’m afraid you won’t see that day.” Zhang Wei, who sat next to him, chuckled.

“That’s not necessarily true. I’m only in my thirties now, and I will be 80 years old in half a century. Moreover, even if I really can’t see that day, my lovely daughter will see that day for me,” Rosal said while he drew a cross in front of his chest. It seemed like he was a devout believer.

“Don’t say things such as in our place, you are just jinxing yourself.”

“Jinxing? Jinx? I don’t quite understand what you are talking about.” Rosal was taken aback and shook his head.

“…Are you really Italian?”

“Why do you ask?”

“This is the first time I have seen such an Italian without a sense of humor,” Zhang Wei said while he facepalmed.

Rosal was about to rebut when he heard someone say that he lacked a sense of humor, but at this moment, the red signal light suddenly turned on.

In an instant, everyone in the lounge fell silent and stared at the signal light that flashed without warning.

Of course, this kind of stupefaction lasted for less than a second. The two people who were still playing billiards immediately threw away the billiard cue in their hands and rushed to the door. Zhang Wei didn’t fall behind either. He jumped up from the sofa and sprinted out of the lounge.

Rosal tucked the photos of his wife and daughter back into his inner pocket while he ran behind Zhang Wei. The flashing lights in the hallway gave him an ominous feeling, but it was not like this had never happened before.

“Assault drill? But the drill just ended.”

“I don’t know, don’t ask me…”

There was a hint of tension in Zhang Wei’s eyes, but behind that tension, there was even a hint of excitement that even he was surprised by…

…

SS Enterprise, located thousands of kilometers away, was currently undergoing routine training.

Luo Hong, the captain of Enterprise, stood rightly in front of the bridge. He stared intently at the holographic screen in the middle of the bridge.

As the first batch of students who graduated from the Aerospace Military Academy of Coro University, he was one of the most eye-catching ones. Once served as the deputy captain on the first starship SS Seagull, after the establishment of the Earth Defense Alliance, he was incorporated into the Earth Fleet from Celestial Trade. At that time, no one was optimistic about the shell fleet that had no starship, and he was the only one who firmly believed that this fleet would do something in the future.

It was precisely because of his persistence and his extraordinary talent in the field of fleet command that he was appointed as the captain of Enterprise two years ago, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Earth Fleet.

The exercise was halfway through completion.

At this moment, the staff who sat directly in front of him suddenly spoke.

“An irregularly active asteroid is observed, at a speed of 600,000 kilometers per hour… It is approaching Frontier.”

“Set the alertness level to level two. Start the space telescope, screen No. 4, and zoom in,” Luo Hong ordered.

“Roger.”

The center of screen No.2 was aimed at the asteroid. With three consecutive zooms, the high-speed asteroid hidden in the Kuiper Belt appeared directly in front of everyone. Equipped with the latest space telescope, Enterprise’s optical observation radius exceeded 200 million kilometers. The radio radar was used to lock the abnormally moving celestial body, and then the optical observation device made a direct observation which could even spot the interlaced textures and dents on the target.

There were a huge number of asteroids orbiting in the Kuiper Belt, and this kind of situation occurred every once in a while, so Luo Hong didn’t take it too seriously.

However, just when he was about to announce the deactivation of the alarm, he suddenly found an unnatural anomaly from the corner of the screen.

In order to confirm whether he was mistaken, he narrowed his eyes slightly.

Behind the magnified asteroid picture.

A slender filament was pulsating slowing…

A bad premonition surged in his heart. At the moment when he confirmed that he was not mistaken, Luo Hong’s pupils suddenly shrank, his hands slammed onto the table as his eyes continued to be fixed on the holographic screen.

“FOCUS ON THE RIGHT! ZOOM IN! HIGHEST MAGNIFCATION!”

“ROGER!”

The picture was focused on the abnormal spot.

The unnatural filament was enlarged.

As soon as the picture appeared on the screen, cold sweat dripped down from Luo Hong’s forehead.

It was an unhidden tentacle…

He could even spot the diamond pattern on it…