Passing through the space gate.
They arrived at the Ruins Base.
Carrying the infant Perturabo, Aoi and Dorn boarded a flatbed train, heading toward the waiting area in front of the eighth space gate.
Here, they also had to undergo a biological scan.
Once cleared, they were allowed to cross the dimly glowing space gate again, arriving at the forward base on Reach, just as evening was falling.
Whoosh~!
A gentle breeze swept through, causing Aoi's long hair to sway slightly.
The elven woman looked up at the sky, noticing the scenery similar to Terra and Earth, with Pelicans and Albatross ships occasionally passing through her field of vision.
Aoi stood still, seemingly lost in thought.
Her reaction had been calm when she arrived in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe with Night City, but now, in the pleasant environment of Reach, she felt a deeper sense of emotion.
Having lived for over 500 years, she never imagined that one day she would travel across different universes and visit distant planets.
If it weren't for the wars, traveling with a loved one to explore the customs and cultures of these places would have been incredibly relaxing and enjoyable.
"What are you thinking? Hurry up," Dorn called out from ahead when he noticed Aoi dazing off.
"Nothing," she replied, snapping out of her thoughts and quickly catching up to walk alongside Dorn as they made their way toward the teleportation hall set up in the east.
Glancing down at the still-sleeping Perturabo in her arms, Aoi finally asked, "Is it true that the people in the Prime Universe still don't know about the existence of the multiverse?"
"Ah, yes, that's right," Dorn nodded in confirmation.
"When will it be made public?" Aoi asked again.
?
Dorn glanced at his friend and subordinate with the corner of his eye, asking, "Why so many questions today?"
Aoi remained silent.
"Never mind," Dorn shook his head lightly, continuing, "Elves are usually simple-minded, but sometimes you overcomplicate things."
"My father hasn't revealed much information to us or our brothers, but I guess he'll make it public either after consolidating Universe 08 or when the tenth and eleventh space gates are opened.
Then again, he could have the PR and News Departments publish a multiverse report on the company's website tomorrow for all we know.
Who can tell? I certainly can't guess my father's intentions."
As they spoke, they passed through the checkpoint guarded by the AECS and completed a routine security check, arriving at the upper level of the hall.
Once they entered the elevator, Dorn teased, "So, you're asking all these questions today because you're hoping for a vacation, right?"
"Who wouldn't want a vacation?" Aoi admitted without hesitation.
"Haha, true, but the vacation plans will have to wait until we finish consolidating Universe 09," Dorn laughed.
"I'm your direct subordinate, so of course, I'll follow your orders," Aoi replied indifferently.
At this moment, they arrived at the teleportation hall, an expansive, brightly lit underground space.
The overhead speakers echoed with announcements:
"Please vacate Area 027, teleportation will commence shortly…"
"Area 088 is now open. AECS special forces, please proceed to your positions as directed by staff."
Ri~—Whoosh—
The noises and flashes caused by teleportation reverberated through the hall.
"Sir!" A staff member in a uniform approached, saluted Dorn and Aoi, and said, "Please follow me to Area 03. We only have a two-minute window."
"Thank you," Dorn responded with his usual courtesy, a trait he inherited from his father.
Of course, this was also because Dorn didn't know the staff member personally, so his usual snark had no opportunity to surface.
Soon enough, they arrived at the silver-mirrored floor of Area 03.
The staff member left the teleportation zone and moved to the control station behind a barrier, adjusting the hard-light interface and reminding them, "Now scanning for positioning. Please remain still."
With that, eight metal spheres, each the size of a ping-pong ball, floated above Dorn and Aoi, splitting into two equal groups.
Buzz—Buzz!
The spheres emitted a faint hum and formed a beam matrix, casting blue-green light that enveloped the two of them.
Before long, the beams faded.
The scanning spheres retreated from the teleportation zone, returning to their embedded storage rack.
The staff member then announced:
"Teleportation will commence shortly. Please remain still…
Three…
Two…
One!"
As the countdown hit "one," two mercury-like liquid metal spheres appeared in front of Dorn and Aoi, rapidly enveloping them.
Whoosh—Whoosh—!
Two bright flashes of light followed, and in an instant, they were gone.
——
From Aoi's perspective, she could still feel herself holding Perturabo.
But all around her was the deep void of space, with countless stars flying past, and in the distance, she could see beautiful, painterly-colored nebulae.
When the white light flashed, her vision returned.
"Primarch Dorn and his direct subordinate, Aoi Losrian, have successfully completed Ark teleportation. Technicians, please proceed to Area 003."
Aoi heard the female voice over the speaker and saw that the layout of the area was nearly identical to the teleportation hall back on Reach.
A group of technicians carrying tablets and accompanied by two small hovering drones approached Dorn and Aoi's location in Area 003.
After the routine checks by the technicians, Aoi and Dorn were finally free to leave the teleportation hall and took the elevator to the upper level of the core base.
It was at this moment—
"Waaah..." Perturabo's cries began to echo in the semi-enclosed elevator.
Even though the Ark teleportation system had been upgraded and improved numerous times—especially with support from the Calm Shore Corporation—it was far safer and more convenient than the Ark system seen in the Doom movie.
The improved Ark teleporters, at least, wouldn't cause elite marines to vomit violently after each trip.
But despite the upgrades, many first-time Atlas employees and soldiers still experienced dizziness and nausea.
It was clear that Perturabo had been awakened by the teleportation, and on top of that, he hadn't eaten since his "birth," leaving him in a state of hunger that worsened his dizziness.
There was also a strong possibility that Perturabo was simply cranky and throwing a tantrum.
"This child..." Aoi could only pat Perturabo on the back, hoping to calm the young Primarch down.
"This guy…" Dorn raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, complaining, "He might end up being even more annoying than Leman."
Hearing this, Aoi looked up at Dorn and said, "You Primarchs are like demigods, but after spending time with you, I've come to realize you're just regular people."
"Demigods, huh?" Dorn shrugged. "We're just stronger and faster than normal people… well, a lot stronger."
As he said this, Dorn gazed down at the wide-eyed, struggling Perturabo and continued:
"The guy you're holding is just a bratty kid, really."
"I don't know much about children," Aoi admitted. "Are they all this troublesome?"
"Not exactly," Dorn pondered for a moment.
Though he had long forgotten the circumstances of his and Vulkan's arrival on Earth 06 (Pacific Rim).
Beep—
Just as Dorn was lost in thought, the elevator doors slid open.
The artificial sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the outer hall beyond the elevator.
And there, clad in a white gown, stood Queen Tina Losrian, accompanied by two lightly armored guards. She approached Dorn and Aoi.
"Aunt."
Upon seeing Tina, Aoi bowed slightly in respect.
Her father was Tina's younger brother, making Tina a direct relative in the elven royal family.
"Queen Losrian," Dorn also greeted her with a gesture of goodwill.
"No need for formalities," Tina responded, raising her left hand slightly to Aoi, and then smiling at Dorn as she said:
"I've met the son of the Human Emperor."
With that, Tina gracefully stepped forward and took the bundled Perturabo from her niece's arms.
She then produced a bottle and filled it with the nutritional supplements Alexia had prepared, placing it in Perturabo's mouth.
At last, the infant Primarch quieted down.
Although Tina had also been single for over a thousand years, she had at least helped care for her niece Aoi during her childhood when her brother and sister-in-law were busy.
Elves, being known for their excellent memory, meant that Tina was far more adept at soothing children than Aoi.
"Phew~"
Seeing this, Dorn let out a long breath and thanked Tina:
"I'll leave my brother in your capable hands, Your Majesty."
"Assisting the Emperor is my honor," Tina replied with a smile, adding:
"However, I'm only caring for him temporarily. Dr. Ashford is currently busy, but she'll be taking over his care later."
Tina paused for a moment before continuing:
"I have some matters to discuss with Aoi. Do you mind if I borrow her for a while?
Since I can't return to Terra right now, some of the responsibilities of the Losrian Kingdom need to be entrusted to my niece."
Upon hearing this, Dorn immediately replied:
"Of course, I don't mind. The situation in Universe 09 is stable, and with Colonel Price and Serene providing support, we have some downtime."
"Thank
you for your understanding, son of the Emperor," Tina said, bowing slightly.
As she straightened up, she cradled the now calm Perturabo in her arms and walked toward the exit of the hall, glancing at Aoi:
"My niece, come with me."
"Yes, Aunt."
Aoi quickly followed her aunt, and together they left the hall.
As for Dorn, after lingering for a bit, he also decided to leave.
The moment he stepped outside—
"Whoa!" Dorn exclaimed in surprise.
He gazed at the ocean, forests, and artificial star suspended in the sky above, along with the company fleet, and muttered to himself:
"The view here in the core world is far more spectacular than what I read in the reports."
As he spoke, he walked toward the command building of the base.
Since Tina was going to discuss matters with Aoi, he figured he'd take the opportunity to visit his father.
It had been almost two years since Dorn had last seen his father in person after being appointed governor of Terra.
During that time, he hadn't even used private messages to update his father.
It seemed Dorn wanted to give his father a little "surprise."
Before long, Dorn reached the top floor of the command building and walked straight to the office door.
Before he could press the doorbell, the door automatically unlocked and opened.
Samuel Young, sitting behind his solid wood desk with a kind smile, looked at Dorn as he entered and said:
"Long time no see, my son."
"Sigh, of course, there's no hiding anything from you, Father," Dorn feigned disappointment.
"Your brother Corax is quite skilled at stealth," Samuel said as he rose from his chair and walked over to Dorn, placing his left hand on his son's shoulder armor.
"Once the consolidation of Universe 08 is complete, I'll make sure all of you brothers get together."
"Mortarion, Corax," Dorn nodded, "I've never met them in person, so when there's time, we should definitely gather."
As he spoke, Dorn added with emphasis:
"Father, I sense a certain tension between the brothers. As I mentioned, I haven't met them in real life, but they, along with Fulgrim, Angron, and Leman, have all received your guidance at Shield World 0459.
Although my good brother Vulkan is also here, Guilliman and Sanguinius…"
"I understand your concern," Samuel interrupted Dorn, turning to look out the floor-to-ceiling window at the core world.
"Dorn, you're straightforward and honest, which is something I deeply appreciate and find reassuring.
But I trust every single one of you, so there's no need to worry. Understand?"
"Yes, Father," Dorn agreed.
"Hehe, let's not dwell on unpleasant topics. As for…" Samuel turned back to Dorn, about to say more.
However, in that brief moment, he had a faint "vision" of the white-haired boy who used to joke around and spar with Vulkan all the time.
Now, look at him—he's all grown up...
Samuel reflected briefly, then continued:
"As for where you'll all gather after the consolidation, let's plan for the Imperial Palace on Terra."
"The Prime Universe, huh? Hmm, it's been a while since I—wait, what?" Dorn froze.
Then, with a look of disbelief, the Primarch asked:
"Father, do you mean the Imperial Palace? As in the one I'm thinking of?"
"That's right," Samuel didn't play coy and answered directly.
"Your governance of Terra made me realize that relying solely on a so-called united government isn't enough to unify all of humanity.
On the other hand, a revised Imperial system not only improves the efficiency of mobilizing troops and resources, but it's also better suited for our involvement in the multiverse.
And," Samuel added, emphasizing his point:
"It's also a means of combating the Warp."
________________________
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