Capítulo 413: First Steps
The first step onto the moon's surface was surreal.
Kaelion stood at the edge of the landing platform, his armored boots crunching softly against the fine, silvery dust that coated the lunar terrain. The landscape stretched out endlessly before him—a barren expanse bathed in pale light, its silence as absolute as the vacuum that surrounded it.
"Alright, team," he said, his voice crackling slightly over the comms in his helmet. "This is where we make history."
Behind him, a group of adventurers and engineers began unloading the cargo. Their suits gleamed under the faint glow of the Earth hanging above them like a watchful sentinel. The team wasn't large—Arthur had been cautious about sending too many people on the first wave—but it was formidable. Every member had been handpicked for their expertise, their grit, and, most importantly, their willingness to venture into the unknown.
"Kaelion," a voice called out over the comms. He turned to see Tyra, the lead engineer, a tall woman with sharp features and an even sharper tongue. She held a handheld scanner, its interface flickering with streams of data. "We've got a signal. Aetherite's close. The readings match Arthur's projections."
Kaelion nodded, his heart pounding. "Good. Let's move."
The team marched across the uneven terrain, their boots leaving shallow prints in the fine dust. Massive crates floated behind them on hover-lifts, carrying the advanced equipment they would need to set up the base and begin mining operations. Despite the layers of shielding in his suit, Kaelion could feel the weight of the silence pressing against him. The moon was a place devoid of life, yet it hummed with a strange, otherworldly energy that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
They reached a ridge that overlooked a crater, its depths cast in shadows that even the moon's light couldn't penetrate. Tyra waved him over, her scanner now buzzing faintly. "It's here," she said, her voice laced with awe. "Right below us."
Kaelion peered down, his sharp eyes scanning the darkness. "You're sure?"
"As sure as I can be without drilling through to the core," Tyra replied dryly, though her usual sarcasm was tempered by the excitement in her voice. "The energy signature is like nothing I've seen before. If this really is aetherite…"
"It is," Kaelion said, his voice firm. "Arthur doesn't miss."
The team descended into the crater, their movements cautious but determined. The hover-lifts hummed softly, their engines steady as they followed the group. At the base of the crater, Tyra and her engineers began setting up the scanning equipment. Massive rods were driven into the ground, their tips glowing faintly as they activated.
"Starting deep scan," Tyra announced. The rods emitted a low-frequency hum, and holographic displays flickered to life around them, projecting a three-dimensional map of the ground beneath their feet.
The first sight of the aetherite deposit left the team speechless.
The holograms revealed a glowing, crystalline structure embedded deep within the lunar rock. Its edges shimmered with an iridescent light, shifting through a spectrum of colors that seemed almost alive. The energy radiating from it was palpable, even through the scanners. It was as if the substance was a living thing, pulsing faintly with an inner rhythm.
"By the gods," one of the adventurers muttered, his voice hushed. "That's… that's it, isn't it?"
Kaelion nodded slowly, his throat dry. "That's it."
Tyra was already moving, her hands flying across the controls of the scanner. "This is insane," she muttered. "The density, the purity… If this stuff is what Arthur says it is, it's not just revolutionary. It's beyond that. We're talking about rewriting the laws of mana application."
Kaelion's comm crackled as another voice came through. "Commander, we've set up the first perimeter markers," said Durak, a stocky, no-nonsense adventurer who served as the team's security lead. "Nothing on the scanners so far, but I've got my people keeping watch. This place is too quiet."
"Good work, Durak," Kaelion replied. "Stay alert. We're dealing with something unprecedented here."
Tyra looked up from her scanner. "We'll need to excavate carefully. This stuff is embedded deep, and it's fragile. One wrong move could shatter the whole deposit."
Kaelion turned to the rest of the team. "You heard her. We do this by the book. Start setting up the excavation equipment and establish a secure perimeter around the deposit. Tyra, you're in charge of the dig."
The team sprang into action, their movements swift and coordinated. Massive drills were unloaded from the hover-lifts, their sleek designs a testament to the cutting-edge technology Arthur had provided. Tyra oversaw the placement of the drills, her sharp voice cutting through the comms as she barked orders.
Kaelion watched as the operation unfolded, his chest swelling with pride. This was it—the first step in a venture that would change the world. Arthur's vision was ambitious, but standing here, looking at the glowing aetherite deposit, Kaelion couldn't help but believe in it.
As the drills began their careful work, the team's excitement was tempered by a growing sense of responsibility. They were handling something unknown, something powerful. And as the first shards of aetherite were carefully extracted, glowing faintly in the lunar light, Kaelion felt a surge of determination.
The initial shard of aetherite, glowing faintly in Tyra's gloved hands, felt almost ceremonial as she placed it carefully into a reinforced vial. The vial, made of a mana-conductive alloy lined with protective runes, shimmered faintly as it sealed the shard within.
"First sample secured," Tyra announced, her voice steady but tinged with awe. Around her, the team let out a collective breath, the magnitude of the moment settling over them. "We'll analyze this once we're back at the base."
Kaelion nodded, his gaze still fixed on the holographic map displaying the vast deposit beneath their feet. "This is just the start. Let's get the full rig operational. We're not leaving here until we've got a sustainable setup."
Tyra signaled to her engineering team. "Alright, people, you know the drill. Secure the perimeter first, then set up the extraction frames. The deposit's density means we'll need precision mining—no brute force."
Durak and his security team expanded the perimeter, placing mana-infused pylons that shimmered faintly, creating a barrier that would detect any anomalies or threats. Though the moon was barren, they weren't taking any chances. As Durak often said, "The unknown doesn't care about your confidence."
The engineers worked quickly, assembling the massive extraction rig piece by piece. The rig was an amalgamation of cutting-edge technology and advanced mana engineering. Its central core was a cylindrical structure lined with runes designed to stabilize the delicate process of mining aetherite. Around it, articulated arms extended, fitted with precision drills and containment fields to gently carve the aetherite from the surrounding rock.
"This is delicate work," Tyra reminded them as the drills hummed to life. "Aetherite isn't like normal ores. Its mana saturation makes it volatile if mishandled. Slow and steady wins the race."
Kaelion stood at the edge of the operation, his sharp eyes scanning the team's progress. He glanced at the horizon, the Earth hanging above them like a silent observer. Despite the calm, a tension lingered in the air—a mix of anticipation and the weight of responsibility.
The drills began their slow descent into the crater floor, their tips glowing faintly as they made contact with the lunar rock. The team watched in silence as the first shards of aetherite were delicately extracted, their iridescent glow casting faint patterns on the surrounding machinery.
"First load coming up," Tyra reported as one of the containment arms carefully deposited the extracted shards into a storage unit. The unit, designed specifically for this mission, was a series of vials mounted within a protective casing. Each vial was lined with runes to prevent mana leakage and stabilize the aetherite.
Kaelion approached Tyra as the first vial filled. "How's it looking?"
"Better than I expected," she admitted. "The deposit is pure, almost unnaturally so. If this is the standard for aetherite… Arthur wasn't exaggerating. This stuff could redefine mana technology."
Kaelion smirked. "You sound surprised."
"I'm an engineer," Tyra shot back. "I don't get excited until I see results. And this…" She gestured to the glowing vial. "This is a result."
The rig continued its slow extraction, each pass of the drills carving out more of the glowing substance. The engineers monitored every step, their screens displaying streams of data on the stability and purity of the material. The storage unit gradually filled, the vials glowing softly as they were carefully sealed and cataloged.
As the operation progressed, the team discovered that the deposit was even larger than they initially estimated. Holographic maps updated in real-time, revealing an expansive network of crystalline veins spreading outward from the main deposit.
"Looks like we've hit the jackpot," one of the engineers muttered, their voice tinged with disbelief.
Kaelion frowned slightly. "Tyra, is there any risk of destabilizing the area if we go too deep?"
"Not with this setup," she replied. "The rig's designed to adapt to the deposit's structure. But we'll need to reinforce the base once we expand. A deposit this size could take months to fully extract."
Kaelion nodded, already considering the logistics. "Set up a second rig once this one's stable. We'll need to double our output if we want to meet Arthur's timeline."
The team worked tirelessly, the lunar day stretching on as the operation grew. Additional rigs were assembled, their articulated arms extending like mechanical spiders as they joined in the extraction. The storage units filled steadily, each vial a testament to their progress.
As night began to fall on the moon—a slow, creeping darkness that turned the landscape into a canvas of shadow and starlight—Kaelion stood at the edge of the crater, watching the rigs hum and glow in the distance.
"This is it," he muttered to himself. "The start of something bigger than any of us."
He glanced at the storage unit, now filled with dozens of glowing vials, and allowed himself a rare smile. The team had done it. They had taken the first step toward an era defined by aetherite. And though the road ahead would be fraught with challenges, Kaelion felt a surge of pride and determination.
This was just the beginning. But it was a beginning that would change the world.
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