[Congratulations on becoming the Commander of an Interstellar Colony!]
[You will pilot a single-person spacecraft to an unknown planet to establish a colony, find ways to survive, gather various resources, and upgrade your base!]
[You may encounter others of your kind; you can form alliances or engage in violent plunder!]
[There are no laws in the colony; your word is the supreme law!]
[Through your base, you can trade with the Galactic Empire to acquire necessary supplies and sell your resources. Anything you can imagine, and things you can't, can be bought!]
[As your base level increases, more functions will be unlocked, and you will receive upgrade rewards!]
[Planet Allocation Countdown: 3! 2! 1!]
A silver-white streak of light rapidly cut through the atmosphere, whistling as it plummeted towards an unfamiliar planet.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, dust billowed!
After a while, the smoke and dust slowly dissipated, revealing the true form of the object that had fallen from the sky: a spherical spacecraft, about the size of a small car. Its metal shell was still emitting wisps of white steam, like a freshly steamed bun.
Cough, cough! Gagging sounds! First, there were coughs from inside the spacecraft, followed by sounds of dry heaving.
The landing impact was too violent; Jiang Ye almost coughed up his internal organs. Memories surged back into his mind like a tide.
Jiang Ye, an ordinary young man, vaguely recalled living on Earth in 2021, enjoying a leisurely summer vacation with air conditioning and watermelon. But one day, he fainted while playing a game. When he woke up, he was in a hospital. Opening his eyes, he saw a kind old doctor, who turned out to be the hospital director.
The doctor looked sorrowful and said, "Young man, you've finally woken up. I have some unfortunate news for you; your condition is quite serious!"
Jiang Ye's heart leaped. Was it serious in the sense that he could eat whatever he wanted?
The doctor shook his head and sighed, "It's even more serious!"
Jiang Ye was shocked. He hadn't heard of anything more serious. He hadn't even had time to eat what he wanted. Was he going to die in a few seconds?
The doctor patiently explained his medical condition using medical jargon that Jiang Ye didn't quite understand. However, he understood the treatment options the doctor presented, which sent shivers down his spine.
"There are two paths before you. Choose wisely. The first path: you lie in your hospital bed for a few months, and then we hold your funeral," the doctor said seriously.
"I can't have a funeral. I choose the second path. What is the second path?" Jiang Ye decided instantly.
"The cryogenics project," the doctor replied. "We have just completed a new technology to temporarily freeze people. They won't age or decay. When your illness can be cured in the future, you will be thawed and treated. You can live in the future."
"When will I be unfrozen?" Jiang Ye asked. "Are there any side effects?"
"No one knows for sure. It could be unfrozen in two years, or it could take a century, or perhaps never be unfrozen. The side effects are also unclear, but it's highly likely you'll lose some memories," the doctor explained. "Choose, the first path or the second path?"
Jiang Ye didn't hesitate. He chose the second path. He was wheeled into a giant, expensive-looking machine, given anesthesia, his vision went black, his body grew cold, and then he knew nothing more.
When he woke up again, it was many years later. Human technology had developed rapidly, and humanity had joined an organization called the Galactic Empire. The galaxy was not lonely; besides humans, there were tens of thousands of civilizations, meaning tens of thousands of alien races. They formed an empire, signed agreements for joint development, and occasionally engaged in wars.
Galactic colonization was the primary form of development, sending people to unknown planets to exploit resources and expand living space.
After being cured and waking up, Jiang Ye was penniless and had no relatives. Not wanting to be a vagrant in a strange world, he signed up for the colonization expansion program, becoming a colony commander and coming here in a small spacecraft. Many people from his time had done the same, generally signing up as colony commanders.
During the voyage, he had been recalling the past, but many memories were blank. He only remembered a short period before being frozen. He had even forgotten what the people he knew looked like. He always felt he had forgotten something important, but no matter how hard he tried to recall it, he couldn't. He could only wait and see if his memory would recover in the future.
Until his memory recovered, he could only take things one step at a time.
A new life, a new beginning!
In any case, he had finally landed. He was curled up in the cramped spacecraft cabin, wearing a baggy spacesuit.
The cabin was filled with dense wires, buttons, and display screens, like a pile of electronic junk. It was very shabby.
"Damn it, what a crappy spaceship! Doesn't it have a parachute?" Jiang Ye cursed angrily after his gagging stopped. He felt like he had almost been thrown out of his seat.
No one responded; he was the only one in the spacecraft.
Just as he recovered, the largest display screen in front of him lit up with a blue glow, and a soulless mechanical voice announced:
"Respected Colony Commander Jiang Ye, congratulations on a successful landing!"
"Your location: Orion Nebula, M78 Nebula, Sixth Star System, Sixth Planet."
Jiang Ye blinked. M78 Nebula? Isn't that Ultraman's hometown?
Immediately, more data appeared:
[Planet Gravity: 0.99g]
[Planet Atmosphere: Breathable directly]
[Planet Temperature Fluctuation: Unknown, currently 25°C]
[Number of Colony Commanders on this Planet: 100,000]
[Summary:
You are incredibly lucky! This is a planet very similar to Earth, where you can survive without a heavy spacesuit! Feel free to run around naked!
You are incredibly unlucky! This planet is vast, so a large number of colony commanders have been assigned here, a total of one hundred thousand. Beware of your 99,999 fellow commanders!]
[Note: A dangerous aura has been detected on this planet, currently unidentifiable. Be extremely cautious!]
Next, the display screen returned to the control panel.
There were only two function keys available.
The first was Base Upgrade.
The second was Chat Channel.
Besides these, there was a large blank area, presumably for functions to be unlocked later.
Jiang Ye's heart stirred, and he clicked on the Chat Channel first.
The chat channel was shared by all colony commanders on the planet, with an online population of 100,000 displayed.
Instantly, a flood of messages popped up at high speed, constantly refreshing:
"Help! My spacecraft fell into the sea! It's sinking to the deep ocean! I can't see the sunlight anymore, how do I get back to land?"
"Holy crap! I fell into a volcano, there's lava! My butt is burning, the outer shell is on fire! See you in the next life."
"Anyone there? Come find me, I'm under a cloud!"
"What the hell did I land in? So much sand, is it a desert?"
"Sob sob, I fell into the sea too, the door seam is leaking, I'm dying, boo hoo."
Jiang Ye quickly craned his neck to look out the window.
Fortunately, his landing spot was neither the sea nor a volcano, but a desolate hill. As far as he could see, it was all black and yellow soil.
In the distance, several rolling mountain ranges were shrouded in mist, appearing faintly, like an ancient landscape painting.
The surrounding environment appeared calm and safe for now.
Jiang Ye turned his head back and continued to observe the chat channel.
Judging from the messages from others on the planet, everyone's landing positions were random.
Many unfortunate souls had fallen into the sea, and drowning was only a matter of time. Others had fallen into volcanoes, likely to meet the King of Hell for a performance review. Those who landed in deserts and other harsh terrains, even if they didn't die immediately, had a tough start.
Compared to these people, Jiang Ye realized he was quite lucky!
Indeed, after a short while, the online population on the chat page dropped rapidly from the initial 100,000 to 99,000!
On this desolate planet, a full thousand colony commanders had perished at the start. And it hadn't even been five minutes.
Jiang Ye clicked on the Base Upgrade function key again.
A series of prompts popped up:
[The base is the spacecraft you are currently in.]
[The spacecraft's engine is a one-time use component; it cannot take off after landing.]
[Current Base Level: Level 0]
[Conditions to reach Level 1: Survive for 24 hours, complete the newcomer lottery at this time tomorrow.]
Jiang Ye nodded slightly, understanding the situation.
He had just landed today, so it wasn't officially the start yet.
The first day was considered a trial period, to familiarize himself with the environment and adapt.
Extending his hand, Jiang Ye forcefully pushed open the cabin door.
A refreshing breeze immediately blew into the cabin.
Jiang Ye climbed out of the cabin with great effort and stumbled to the ground. He took off his heavy spacesuit, which was heavier than a bear's fur coat and would suffocate him if worn for too long.
Refreshing!
He took a breath of fresh air and jumped a couple of times, feeling light. Now, he was only wearing a pair of briefs, which felt cool and comfortable.
Strictly speaking, apart from the base, these briefs were his entire fortune.
In the spherical reflection of the spacesuit's visor, Jiang Ye could see himself: young, fair-skinned, with a resolute expression. The only drawback was his lack of muscle, making him look not very strong.
Turning around, he observed the scenery around the base.
It was indeed desolate!
There wasn't a single green plant.
As for animals, there was no sign of them.
As far as the eye could see, there was only black and yellow soil and gravel everywhere.
A barren wasteland where birds wouldn't even defecate!
Jiang Ye began to worry. In such a poor and desolate place, he couldn't even chop wood. How was he supposed to develop?
How was he supposed to establish a colony?
Was he supposed to use his head to develop it?
It was already afternoon when the spacecraft landed. He wandered around the surroundings dejectedly, finding nothing of value, and the sky gradually darkened.
Watching the deepening darkness in all directions, Jiang Ye felt a bit uneasy.
Many wild beasts often appeared at night.
Although he hadn't seen any creatures during the day, it didn't mean there wouldn't be any at night.
Moreover, the base had mentioned a dangerous aura on this planet when the spacecraft first landed. He remembered that clearly.
For the first night, it was better to play it safe.
He obediently retreated into the spacecraft base, closed the cabin door, and locked it.
Although the base was small, it provided a sense of security. After all, it had a metal shell, and ordinary beasts shouldn't be able to tear it apart.
Jiang Ye rummaged through the storage box and found the last two tubes of space food and the last 1L bottle of purified water.
Space food, both in taste and appearance, resembled toothpaste. When eating, he could only squeeze it into his mouth bit by bit and swallow it with difficulty.
Jiang Ye's stomach was unbearable with hunger. He slowly ate one tube.
After finishing it, he was still not full, but he didn't dare to eat the remaining tube.
He didn't know how to obtain food yet. The remaining provisions had to be saved.
Water was the same, even more precious than food.
After all, a person could survive for more than a week without food, but would die within three days without water. A shriveled, mummy-like corpse would be a tragic sight.
Jiang Ye took a few sips from the bottle of water.
Then, he found an empty plastic bottle he had finished earlier.
He lowered his pants, aimed at the bottle opening, and began to urinate.
He filled about half the bottle, then screwed on the cap tightly. He held the transparent bottle up to his eyes to look.
Golden yellow, crystal clear, with foam.
"If I can't find water in a couple of days, and I'm forced to, I'll treat it like drinking champagne!"
Jiang Ye thought with heroic fervor, staring at the urine bottle.
The sky had completely darkened. He lay by the base window and looked outside for a long time, but he didn't see any animal eyes. The outside was as dark as if ink had been splashed on the window. He could barely see a few stars. It was deathly silent.
Bored out of his mind, he opened the chat channel.
As soon as he opened it, he froze!
The last time he checked during the day, there were 99,000 people online.
But now, the number had dropped to 98,801!
This meant that in the past ten hours or so, 199 more colony commanders on this planet had died!
Jiang Ye's face turned pale. So many people, how did they die?
Unlike the lively scene in the morning, the chat channel was very quiet at this moment. Occasionally, one or two people would pop up, saying meaningless things like "It's so dark," "I'm so lonely," or "I can't sleep." It was very boring.
Jiang Ye observed the chat for a while, but there was no valuable information. Feeling tired, he closed the chat channel and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day at noon.
Jiang Ye woke up from hunger.
To conserve energy, he decided not to go anywhere today and just lie in the base, waiting for the lottery.
On such a crappy planet, he couldn't even chop trees. Currently, there was no way to develop.
Therefore, whether he lived or died depended on his luck in the lottery.
If he could draw something good, like fast-growing plant seeds, perhaps he could continue to develop the colony.
By afternoon, a countdown finally appeared on the base's display screen.
Time until newcomer lottery: 59 minutes!
Along with the countdown, a large roulette wheel appeared on the screen, divided into different colored prize zones.
Next to the roulette wheel was a prize description:
[First Prize: Randomly awarded a special ability] [Winning Rate: 0.00002%]
[Second Prize: Randomly awarded a box of weapons] [Winning Rate: 10%]
[Third Prize: Randomly awarded a box of tools] [Winning Rate: 40%]
[Fourth Prize: Randomly awarded a box of food] [Winning Rate: 45%]
[Thank You For Playing Prize: We regret that you did not win a prize. Start from scratch and strive to survive!]
The roulette wheel was also drawn strictly according to the winning rates. The areas marked with food and tools were the largest, followed by weapons with a smaller probability. As for special abilities, the probability was so low it was practically nonexistent, appearing as a mere line that would be overlooked if not looked at carefully.
In the center of the roulette wheel were four large characters: Click to Draw.
The time had not yet arrived, and these four characters were still a dim gray.
Upon discovering the lottery roulette, the chat channel immediately exploded:
"Did you guys see the roulette? The lottery roulette is out!"
"Saw it. The prize probability settings are unreasonable! How can the first prize probability be so low? Are they kidding me?"
"Holy crap? There's even a 'Thank You For Playing' prize? What's the point of playing without starting equipment?"
"Buddha bless me! Give me a second prize! Give me a Gatling gun with blue fire!"
"What good are weapons? There are no animals around me, I can't hunt. It's better to give me some tools. I pray for a third prize!"
"I'm starving, starving, starving! I want to win a fourth prize, food! Hungry, hungry, hungry!"
"I also feel that the prize settings are not very reasonable. The probability is disproportionate, and the order is also problematic. The most crucial thing right now is not to starve or die of thirst. Shouldn't food be the first prize?"
A group of people chattered, and many felt that the prize settings were problematic.
Jiang Ye thought about it carefully and felt that the prize settings had some logic.
There were no laws on this planet; it was a dog-eat-dog world. Those with weapons were the bosses. It made sense to give weapons as the second prize.
The third prize was tools. With tools, one could produce and build, develop the colony, and survive in the long run.
As for the fourth prize, food, although precious at the moment, it could only solve immediate problems. Once it was gone, there would still be no solution.
This was Jiang Ye's attempt to explain based on the roulette settings. He knew in his heart that the actual situation was unpredictable.
For example, if Zhang San won the second prize and got a fully loaded AK47 assault rifle. Zhang San would be overjoyed and decide to become a ruthless bandit, wanting both money and lives. But later, Zhang San would carry the gun and walk for days without finding anyone to rob, eventually starving to death on the road. In that case, it would have been better to win a fourth prize and get a couple of steamed buns to eat.
Of course, there were also things Jiang Ye couldn't explain.
For example, the "Thank You For Playing" prize was simply to annoy people. If you won it, you could basically write your will in advance.
Even more annoying was the first prize, with a winning probability of 0.00002%. It was no different from saying it was impossible! Even a god would turn green at this probability, and a gambling king would flip the table!