He watched as the surrounding structures began to collapse inwards, the dining room vanishing amidst the debris, indistinguishable from the pile of rubble. An entire quarter of the base was engulfed in flames, and numerous drones took to the sky, moving about like flocks of birds.
The base was shaped like a cross, with a spaceport at its center. Each arm of the cross consisted of two long platforms with cranes and other equipment. Upon closer inspection, the distinct shape dissolved, and the entire scene resembled a vast ant colony teeming with countless small drones and irregular, functional structures.
One side of the base was severely damaged, the flames blending with the blood-orange glow of the star as it scattered throughout the atmosphere. The star, appearing twice the size of the Sun in the sky, hung low just above the horizon, its shape distorted by refraction.
That was all he could see on the recording. His last memory before the incident was falling asleep in his room, leaving a 19-hour gap between the event and his recollection. Some other video footage of him was available, but it only showed him walking through corridors. He decided to review it later.
"You were awakened after 68 hours when we managed to contain the effects of the explosion and secure sufficient resources. The attack on the base was one of multiple simultaneous assaults within the system. Other incidents occurred on the second planet and at mining facilities in the outer regions. We've lost almost all connectivity to the Hypernet, with only two small data portals remaining. Additional connections will arrive in the next 8 months via superluminal ships from Strongpoint 9," said a voice, adding, "That's all I can tell you for now."
The voice was his sole source of information since waking up. As it paused, an eerie silence and emptiness enveloped him. There was nothing to see—only emptiness and his thoughts.
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