The "Artificial Earth" initiative was a massive side project undertaken during the construction of the Deep Space. Humanity had never been quite satisfied with the Noah’s original ecosystem, so they had always harbored the ambition to drastically overhaul it. They wanted to transform the massive habitat into an exact replica of the real Earth!
According to the engineering blueprints, different sectors of the Precursor Ark would feature distinct natural environments: forests, oceans, rivers, and even simulated clouds and rain. Together, these vast biomes would form fully functional carbon and water cycles.
The boundless energy generated by their nuclear fusion reactors powered the stable operation of these massive ecosystems. After a long period of terraforming, the forests, rivers, clouds, and rain finally materialized, and the results were quite impressive.
However... the ocean was far from perfect.
The water for this artificial sea had been harvested from Nyx, totaling a volume comparable to hundreds of massive natural lakes. Yet, this ocean looked entirely lifeless. There wasn’t a single ripple on its surface.
This was simply because they didn’t have a moon. Without the gravitational pull of a lunar satellite to create natural tidal forces, the artificial ocean had no waves. It remained eerily calm.
Because of this, the so-called "Gold Coast" sector had never been particularly beautiful. Artificial creations still couldn’t quite compare to natural wonders. Everything humanity possessed came from nature, and nature was their greatest teacher. No matter how advanced their technology became, it could never truly replace the real thing.
To breathe life into this dead sea, a few young engineers came up with a brilliant idea.
Since today happened to be a universal day off, the Gold Coast was packed with men, women, and children running and playing along the synthetic beach.
It was a rare moment of true leisure, and everyone was incredibly relaxed. Of course, this carefree atmosphere was only possible because the Deep Space was currently sailing smoothly through the cosmos. If they were in the middle of a crisis, no one would be in the mood for a beach day.
There was no actual sun inside the Precursor Ark; the sector relied entirely on artificial illumination. However, these specialized lights perfectly simulated natural sunlight, casting a warm and comfortable glow over the beach.
But most importantly, there was a massive waterfall cascading down from the "sky"!
Dropping from a height of two thousand meters, the waterfall generated a deafening roar in the distance. The sheer kinetic force of the falling water finally stirred up the stagnant sea. The introduction of the waterfall effectively brought the ocean to life.
Countless children shrieked with joy as they tumbled around in the newly formed waves, having the time of their lives.
This was the ingenious solution those young engineers had devised, and the results were spectacular!
"They redirected a river from the upper residential level so it flows directly down from the ceiling. That’s a drop of nearly two kilometers," Jason explained.
"That was a great idea. This place looks much better with the waterfall," Lily said with a smile.
Seeing so many children playing had put Jason in an exceptionally good mood. He led Lily away from the crowded public areas, eventually finding a secluded, quiet corner of the beach to settle down. He pulled a large picnic blanket from his bag, spread it over the sand, and personally poured two glasses of red wine.
Lily unpacked a few simple breakfast items, arranging them neatly on the blanket. She looked incredibly happy.
"But this still feels like treating the symptoms rather than the root cause," Lily observed, looking out at the water. "The rest of the ocean is still dead calm with zero ripples. The waves are only superficial."
"True. Unless we go to extreme lengths and install massive wave-generating machines to churn the entire ocean, we can’t simulate authentic tides. But that doesn’t really seem necessary," Jason laughed. "If you were the lead designer, how would you fix it?"
Lily thought about it for a moment before answering. "I would use the residual heat from the nuclear fusion reactors to heat the ocean floor, accelerating the overall water circulation process. You could also modify the topography of the seabed and use thermodynamics to artificially generate thermal ocean currents."
Jason burst out laughing. "If it were up to me, I’d just detonate a small-yield tactical nuke on the seabed. That would definitely create a massive wave."
"You have absolutely zero artistic vision!" Lily playfully scolded.
The two chatted casually, easily falling into their familiar rhythm. After quickly finishing their simple but sweet breakfast, Jason patted his stomach in satisfaction and slipped on a pair of sunglasses.
The ceiling in this sector was incredibly high, and the main lighting arrays were positioned perfectly to mimic the midday sun. Lily had come prepared. She found a dry spot on the sand, laid out two large beach towels, and leisurely settled in to sunbathe.
The artificial lighting here was never too harsh—it felt more like gentle winter sunshine, so there was no need for sunscreen. The ambient temperature was strictly climate-controlled, hovering comfortably between 28 and 30 degrees Celsius. It was just warm enough that a single layer of light clothing was perfect. In many ways, it was far more comfortable than any luxury resort back on Earth.
The two of them lay there quietly, listening to the distant roar of the waterfall and watching the crowds enjoying themselves down the beach. Life felt incredibly peaceful.
Lily suddenly turned her head to look at him. "I have a question. Why are we still looking for a new Earth? Isn’t this place good enough? For the general public, a natural planet might not even be as comfortable as the Precursor Ark is right now."
"The younger generations have never even seen the real Earth..." she added.
She had a point. Jason paused for a long time before finally replying. "Yes, but that’s exactly why we need them to see a real home world. Maybe it’s just a deep-seated obsession of our generation, or maybe it’s an instinct woven into all of humanity."
"Human beings... we belong to the Earth."
"And I will always believe that artificial constructs can never truly compare to the wonders of nature."
Lily was clearly dissatisfied with this answer. She shook her head. "But even if we find a habitable world, it won’t be the real Earth. It will just be an alien planet. Our true Earth is dead, and we don’t have the god-like power required to restore it."
Jason was momentarily left speechless. He didn’t know how to counter her logic, but he couldn’t accept that humanity’s great search was a mistake.
He found himself recalling memories of playing in the real, natural ocean when he was just a child. His time on Earth only accounted for a tiny fraction of his now artificially extended life, but those years were profoundly important to him.
It was a strange feeling, and it was hard to articulate exactly why it mattered so much. Was it just simple homesickness? Or was it a biological imperative to return to their roots?
"We belong to a natural world. Perhaps the desire for an Earth is simply engraved into our very DNA," Jason said quietly.
Lily smiled gently. "Let’s put that heavy stuff aside for now. What do you plan to do after we actually find a new Earth? Are you going to stay the President of the Federation forever? We might find a planet in a few years, or we might be drifting out here for an eternity."
Jason remained silent for a long time, unsure of how to respond. "Once we find a new Earth... maybe I’ll step down from this job. How about we both become full-time scientists together?"
"Are you really just going to wash your hands of everything else? That wouldn’t be right; the Federation needs you," Lily teased with a bright smile. Despite her words, his answer had clearly put her in an even better mood.
Jason hesitated for a moment. "Yeah, I guess it wouldn’t be that simple. Even if we’ve successfully become a true interstellar civilization, our fundamental driving forces are still survival and reproduction."
"Right now, our lives are pretty fantastic. Our technology is highly advanced, and we possess virtually unlimited energy."
"It feels like we don’t have a single thing to worry about."
"But if our environment becomes too comfortable, will our societal progress just grind to a halt? If we aren’t careful, an interstellar civilization can easily degenerate and fall into the trap of total complacency."
He let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "In galactic sociology, this phenomenon is known as the theory of increasing civilizational entropy. It’s an old concept proposed by some alien cynics long ago. When a species is poor and struggling, they are willing to work hard and endure immense hardships to survive. But once they become rich and perfectly secure, what motivation is left to keep pushing forward?"
Lily shook her head, openly disagreeing with his assessment. "I don’t think that’s entirely accurate. For most people in our society today, merely satisfying their basic needs for survival and reproduction is no longer enough."
"For them, scientific research and discovery are as vital as life itself. Constantly pushing the boundaries of science and technology will always be a worthy goal."
"More precisely, the desire to explore the unknown!" she corrected herself. "That kind of philosophical pursuit is far more motivating than just basic survival instincts. Our entire education system and cultural atmosphere have already been shifting in this direction."
"You know what... you’re right." Jason nodded in agreement. "That cultural shift is precisely how the Federation has managed to make so much progress over the past century."
"But what happens if scientific exploration becomes increasingly difficult?" Jason mused. "If we reach a point where even an entire lifetime of study isn’t enough to grasp the foundational knowledge left by our predecessors... then that philosophical drive will gradually burn out."
Lily murmured, "But a time like that is still incredibly far away, isn’t it? Reaching the absolute end of the technological tree is a nearly impossible task. It will take tens of thousands of times longer than it took to figure out nuclear fusion."
It was a surprisingly heavy topic for a beach day, but the two of them naturally found themselves engaged in deep, philosophical debate.
It took Jason quite a while to remember that he had come out here to actually take a vacation, not to stress over the sociological collapse of their civilization.
He suddenly sat up on his towel. Just lying there sunbathing was starting to bore him.
He glanced out at the lively crowd playing in the surf, then looked down at Lily. "Why aren’t you wearing a bikini?" he asked curiously. "This is exactly the kind of place where you should wear something like that."
"Do you want to go for a swim?"
"No way!" Her face flushed slightly. With her strict, conservative personality, there was absolutely no way she would ever wear something so revealing in public.
Looking down at her lying there in her conservative clothes, Jason was intimately familiar with the curves hidden beneath the fabric. He suddenly felt a powerful surge of attraction. Ever since she underwent the Perfect Element genetic modification, she had become even more beautiful, and her physical stamina had vastly improved. Perhaps...
He quickly turned around, rummaged through his duffel bag, and pulled out a pop-up beach tent.
"Why on earth did you pack a tent? What do we need that for?" Lily asked, thoroughly confused.
"I’m trying to achieve my biological imperative to reproduce!"
"What?" She froze, completely stunned. A few seconds later, the meaning of his words finally clicked, and her face flushed bright crimson. "But... we’re in public!"
"No one will know!" Jason laughed as he quickly deployed the tent, immediately pulling her inside...
It seemed that even in the depths of space, there was still plenty of time for a little bit of romance.