Chapter 721: Mars Base (Complete) (Patreon)
Content
Transformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List
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The darkness couldn't hinder the vision of the Cybertronians. Mars' harsh climate and the cold of its nights had little effect on individuals like Sun Cheng, Adam, and Prometheus, who were Decepticons.
"This is the location I've chosen for the first Mars base!" exclaimed Prometheus.
Prometheus surveyed the ground in the canyon, and suddenly, as if he had made a discovery, he stooped down, grabbed a handful of fine sand, and scanned it with two beams of light emitting from his eyes. He appeared somewhat excited. "Master, the ordinary soil on Mars also contains a high proportion of magnesium sulfate, iron oxide, and carbonate. With the right reactions and refinement, we can obtain a variety of minerals in abundance."
Adam lifted a red rock and examined it, saying, "Truly a treasure planet!"
"It is indeed a treasure planet!"
Sun Cheng's smile couldn't be contained any longer. After scanning the canyon surroundings for a moment, he finally composed himself and spoke in a serious tone, "I can't stay on Mars for too long, so let's get started! Prometheus, explore the veins in the vicinity, while Adam and I will go to that cave over there. I'll awaken some of the Constructicons later to follow your orders!"
The news that Sun Cheng possessed the mysterious and enigmatic Space Bridge technology, which could transport vast resources into a mysterious space, was no longer a secret within Base Two.
After all, even during the peak of Cybertron civilization, only a few individuals possessed knowledge of the Space Bridge technology. This was because it delved into the realm of space, and even Cybertron's great scientists, who had dedicated their lives to fields like spatial physics and quantum mechanics, found it extremely challenging to comprehend. The Decepticon engineers under Sun Cheng, including Adam and Prometheus, had only heard rumors from their predecessors.
Curiosity about how Sun Cheng concealed and carried such massive resources with him was present, but they had no clue.
Prometheus dared not question his orders and replied with a slight bow, "As you wish, Master!"
Only then did Sun Cheng lead Adam toward a dark underground cavern, located hundreds of meters away, appearing like the gaping maw of a demon hidden in the darkness.
This underground cavern was situated in the middle section of the Mariner Canyon, just over a hundred kilometers away from the main rift and several branching fissures of the canyon.
In the afternoon, Sun Cheng and his team had conducted three extensive surveys within the Mariner Canyon aboard the Hope-class experimental spaceship before settling on this location.
The Mariner Canyon had an average depth of approximately 5.47 kilometers and an average width of about 267 kilometers.
During their three flights over the enigmatic canyon, they had discovered numerous caves and subterranean chambers. However, they ultimately selected this site because it lay in the middle section of the vast canyon, and the nearby mountain formations contained richer deposits of red iron ore than other areas.
Choosing this location not only facilitated future mining but also provided the advantage of converting the nearby selected underground cavern into a base, thanks to the sturdy mountain formations, saving them a great deal of trouble.
Before entering the cavern, Sun Cheng didn't rush. The armor plate on his chest opened automatically, and a small Unmanned Reconnaissance Drone swiftly flew out, heading deeper into the cavern.
Only then did Sun Cheng don Adam and calmly enter the cave.
The wonders of nature were always extraordinary.
Sun Cheng had initially believed that the underground cavern where he had established Base Two within Brazil's borders was a gift from nature. However, compared to the cave on Mars, it paled in comparison.
The entrance to this cave, located in the middle section of Mariner Canyon, was incredibly spacious, with a height of no less than twenty meters and narrowing to around seven or eight meters in some places. However, the cave was exceptionally deep.
After walking about thirty meters into the cave, they came across a massive rock blocking most of the path. Adam could easily climb over it, but Sun Cheng had to exert some effort.
Beyond that obstructing rock, a few steps further, they suddenly found themselves in a wide-open space.
An irregular space, easily sixty to seventy meters high with a total area of seven to eight thousand square meters, appeared in the sight of Sun Cheng and Adam.
"Not bad, this saves us a lot of trouble!" Sun Cheng remarked.
This natural cave alone would save them several days of work. Of course, it would need subsequent expansion, reinforcement, seismic protection, and ultimately, just like Base Two's Control Center, it would be filled with high-tech metal, making it unrecognizable.
But what did it matter? He needed this base, not for developing tourism.
Seeing the spaciousness of the area, Sun Cheng gestured for Adam to stop and took a few steps forward. From the Spherical Space, he retrieved several Sleep Pods containing dormant Constructicons.
"Adam, I leave these Constructicons to you for awakening. Later, assign some of them to join Prometheus in exploring nearby ore deposits and compiling more detailed data as soon as possible. The rest, under your leadership, will be responsible for designing this cave!"
"Yes, Master!"
Sun Cheng walked to a corner of the cave and retrieved a batch of engineering robots from the Spherical Space. He then continued deeper into the cave through a nearby opening.
This underground cavern was much larger than he had imagined. The drone he had dispatched was continuously transmitting information about other caves it was exploring.
The cave where he and Adam had briefly stopped earlier had two additional passages leading deeper into it. However, two of these entrances were too small for Sun Cheng to pass through, so he abandoned the idea of further exploration in those directions.
Nevertheless, his drone quickly confirmed the existence of something extraordinary in one of those pathways. Despite its small entrance, the cave extended more than 200 meters deep and opened up into a colossal cavern measuring over 370 meters in length, 640 meters in width, and more than 50 meters in height.
The other pathway, which Sun Cheng couldn't enter, was also revealed to contain wonders. It stretched nearly five kilometers deep and featured various small and large chambers. One chamber extended down to about 600 to 700 meters, creating a marvel of its own.
Surprisingly, the cave Sun Cheng had ventured into, which appeared spacious at first, disappointed him when he reached the end of the passage in just two to three minutes. There were no chambers or other remarkable features, leaving him slightly disappointed.
He quickly retraced his steps to the original cave, where Constructicons were already awakening, and watched as Adam began to direct them in their tasks.
Approaching Adam, Sun Cheng copied all the information about the three caves, as captured by the drone and his own observations, and handed it over to him.
After quickly digesting the cave information, Adam gazed at the passage that led to a massive space covering an area of over 200,000 square meters. He commanded the Constructicons to control the engineering robots and start widening and excavating there.
Sun Cheng's Spherical Space still held a substantial amount of supplies and robots, requiring a larger space for storage.
Only a few hours after their arrival on Mars, the Decepticons were already busy at work.
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