Chapter 863: Gleaming Stars and Rotten Debris (8) (Patreon)

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Amidst the vast expanse of space, boundless darkness reigned supreme. However, in the distance, faint celestial bodies shone dimly under the distant starlight, breaking the monotony.

A colossal warship, resembling a behemoth, cruised past a gas giant, leaving behind arcs of light that illuminated the space.

A subtle cold glow lit up as the patrol ship returned to the mother ship, accompanied by the hum of steel. Massive bay doors opened.

Stepping out were individuals who didn't resemble characters from a science fiction movie, dressed in futuristic uniforms or armed with various weapons. On the contrary, the leader was clad in a robe and held a longsword.

Navigating through the towering corridors, they awaited the gate's opening. Upon entering the control room, another similarly dressed individual approached, saying, "Your Royal Highness Sif, this patrol is nearing its end. Do you see anything left to check?"

Sif, the leader, caressed the hilt of her sword and replied, "I recall there are some fringe areas we haven't visited yet. How is the Central Courtyard faring recently?"

"Everything is normal, Your Royal Highness," said the first mate of the Asgard patrol spaceship, guiding Sif towards the control panel.

He pointed to the information displayed and continued, "We've completed all patrol routes in the Nine Realms. However, on the return journey, we should pass through the Central Courtyard. Would you like to take a look?"

Sif furrowed her brow, appearing somewhat concerned. She said, "God-King expressly instructed me to keep an eye on the activities of the humans. They are the fastest-developing and most promising race in the Nine Realms."

"We have different lifespans and perspectives on time. It's very likely that in just a hundred years, they've ventured beyond the Milky Way Galaxy."

The first mate nodded and added, "Indeed, their science and technology have experienced explosive growth in recent years. It would be wise to keep a close watch to prevent any potential disturbances."

Sif pondered for a moment before suggesting, "Let's make a detour on the way back, but let's not intrude directly. Humans attach great importance to this, and if our spaceship approaches directly, it might cause panic among them."

She further contemplated, "First, let's contact the official human organization and inform them that we are just passing by. Our spaceship won't enter the Solar System, nor will it interfere with their normal activities. There are no devices on Earth capable of detecting our spaceship, so there's no need to worry."

The first mate nodded, immediately following her instructions. However, after a while, he returned, looking somewhat troubled. "The information we retrieved doesn't indicate a central governing body on Earth. If we contact these so-called national governments, could it potentially stir up internal conflicts among them?"

Sif gave him an approving glance and said, "Queen Frigga's advice holds true. You are a very seasoned captain. Earth's political structure is indeed complex, lacking a central governing authority. However, we can contact organizations that operate beyond mundane politics, such as S.H.I.E.L.D."

The first mate nodded and contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. After a while, he returned and said, "The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. has granted us permission for the patrol, as long as we ensure that humans cannot see our spaceship. There should be no issues."

Sif shrugged and remarked, "Surprising, isn't it? Nick Fury didn't try to negotiate any conditions or anything. When I was on Earth, he seemed like a money-grabbing scoundrel, but it's fortunate he has some foresight."

"No, he didn't request anything. But I overheard some commotion in the background during our call. It sounded like he was arguing with someone," the first mate added with a hint of uncertainty.

"Arguing?" Sif squinted and said, "Earth is constantly in turmoil, but if Nick Fury is arguing with someone... well, let's proceed."

The massive Asgardian vessel floated silently in space. As it accelerated, streaks of light from its acceleration trajectory lingered in place, refusing to dissipate.

After a short while, a voice from the control room announced, "We are approaching the Central Courtyard and initiating dimension stabilization."

"Environment stable, the mother ship is beginning the jump."

"Jump completed, en route to the Solar System. We've reached the target location, Your Royal Highness Sif. What shall we do next?" the first mate inquired.

Sif stood by the control room's panoramic window, gazing outside. She said, "It seems quite peaceful nearby... Well, then we'll... wait a minute. What's that?"

Sif furrowed her brow and directed her attention to a mysterious spherical object outside the window.

Squinting, she realized it appeared to be a conglomeration of strange metallic pieces, compressed into a sphere under immense pressure. Even its center seemed to be collapsing.

Sif wore a puzzled expression and then raised her eyebrows with a hint of disgust. Among the metallic components, she had identified human script, suggesting that this was discarded human debris.

"All-Father above, can humans really toss space debris this far?" exclaimed the first mate in astonishment from behind Sif. He continued, "I remember just a few days ago, they could only dump garbage near Earth, right?"

Sif sighed and said, "It's truly exasperating, but they are, after all, a primitive spacefaring civilization. They lack the means to manage space debris properly, so they just throw it far away. But in reality, this is very dangerous."

"When they initially developed primitive spaceships, they still relied on chemical fuels, and their path planning wasn't that intelligent. Their exploration radius wasn't extensive either. If their spaceship collides with debris during a journey, it can lead to catastrophic accidents."

"In the early stages of development, neglecting proper disposal of debris leads to much higher costs in the later stages to clean it up."

Sif shook her head with a complicated expression. She said, "I don't know whether to call them daring or genius. They can't fly their spaceship out of the Solar System, but they can toss their garbage beyond it."

"I bet it's Stark behind this. Only he could toss garbage this far..."

"Then... Your Royal Highness Sif, should we help them clean it up? After all, God-King emphasized that they are an important part of the Nine Realms. He values their potential highly and often says that Asgard should assist them as long as it doesn't disrupt their normal operations..."

Sif nodded in agreement and said, "Indeed, and it's not a big issue. Many primitive spacefaring civilizations make such mistakes... Let's activate the ship's two cannons and clear away the debris."

The first mate saluted and immediately carried out the order. A beam of light shot out, and the garbage sphere disappeared.

However, before the spaceship had traveled far, another debris ball appeared.

Sif put her hands on her hips, displaying some annoyance, and said, "Not only are they littering, but they're also compressing all the trash into a sphere. And they're compressing it so tightly! Don't they realize that's essentially making a bomb?"

"Moreover, who will suffer the most from detonating such a massive bomb? Themselves in the future? Humans always do this... Well, open the cannons again. If we see more similar debris, dispose of them all."

"After we return, I must file a complaint with Thor. He really should keep an eye on the humans. The Nine Realms belong to every living being here, and their environmental pollution will inevitably reach the Celestial Palace!"

"Report! Your Royal Highness Sif, we've detected dozens of similar spheres in the vicinity. Should we clear them all?"

Sif looked at the control panel, and indeed, there were dozens of red dots scattered around. She sighed and said, "Clear them first, then accelerate toward the Solar System. We need to find Nick Fury and talk to him. We can't let them continue like this."

Following these space garbage spheres, one after another was cleared away. In no time, they approached the Solar System, and Sif said, "Stop. Don't take the mother ship any closer; it will frighten them. Send two escort ships, the ones equipped with additional stealth modules. The first mate will stay with the mother ship, and a small team will accompany me into the Solar System."

"Oh, and before we enter, try calling Nick Fury," Sif added, waving her hand. The first mate went to comply, but after a while, he returned, saying, "I couldn't reach the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. He seems quite busy..."

"In that case, call Stark," Sif suggested, and the first mate made another attempt. However, he returned shortly and said, "Stark seems busy as well. When the call connected, it was answered by his AI butler..."

"Never mind, report it to God-King. Let him communicate with the people of Earth. We should proceed."

Sif frowned and said, "These debris are so close to the Solar System; the situation inside must be even worse. If we don't hurry to clean it up, humans might blow themselves up."

She sighed and continued, "I don't understand what's wrong with this race. Why do they love making bombs so much? Are they afraid they won't blow themselves up?"

As Sif pondered, she descended to the lower deck and made her way to the docking port of one of the escort ships, followed by other crew members.

The captain of the escort ship saluted her, and the two escort ships sped into the Solar System in succession.

Then, Sif was left astounded by the sight before her.

The space between Earth and the Sun was densely cluttered with garbage.

[Read at www.patreon.com/shanefreak, and thanks for the invaluable support!]

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 864: The Dazzling Stars (Part Nine)