C1 Disaster(1)
Nuclear Era, Year 52, November.
Only two weeks remained until the meteorite's impact...
At the Antathira Planet Defense Army Headquarters...
In the dimly lit conference room, 25 senators from the five continents and numerous space generals were seated around a table, all in silence, awaiting the highest executive officer's completion of the strategic report review.
This was the final meeting, one that would determine the fate of humanity!
Initially, everyone assumed it was a typical meteorite or comet. All its metrics seemed normal: a diameter of roughly 5 kilometers, a physical density similar to that of a standard iron meteorite, and a velocity about one-thousandth that of light, despite its direct trajectory toward Earth.
"You call that a meteorite?"
The highest executive officer of Antathira slammed the battle report to the floor in frustration.
"Damn it... You're telling me that's a meteorite? A meteorite equipped with a void shield, antimatter cannon, and neutron star armor?"
The main responsible officer for the interception operation spoke up nervously, "Commander... At first, we were in the dark too, but it wasn't until our interception fleet engaged it that we... that we realized..."
"Oh, my God..." Some attendees were already burying their faces in their hands, weeping.
Theoretically, intercepting a five-kilometer meteorite shouldn't have been challenging. After all, the Antathira combined space fleet's routine targets were larger than this!
Hence, during the first interception mission, the five continents didn't take it seriously. The North Federation dispatched a single unmanned spacecraft armed with a 1,500-ton nuclear bomb to intercept it. But when the nuclear bomb hit the meteorite and detonated, everyone's expressions turned grave.
The nuclear explosion had no effect on the meteorite; it didn't even alter its course, and its speed was still accelerating!
"I'm aware the nuclear bomb plan was a bust!" the commander bellowed. "What then? What did you do after that?"
"Then... the main space fleet entered the fray..."
The nuclear bomb plan's failure had taken everyone by surprise. Further intelligence revealed that the bomb hadn't even made contact with the meteorite; it was detonated a kilometer away due to encountering some kind of energy field.
Quickly, the first batch of the combined fleet entered the battlefield. These space warships, produced by the Western Empire, were powered by the Empire's unique "Soul Engine," capable of reaching one percent of the speed of light. They were armed with Melting Lasers and ARO armor-piercing rounds, equipped with Confusion Fields and lightweight Ion Cannons. Theoretically, they could easily obliterate the surface of a planet the size of Mars's moon Phobos.
It was futile. The so-called weapons were laughably inadequate, not even fit to scratch the surface of the "meteorite." The deluge of hundreds of millions of ARO armor-piercing rounds failed to penetrate the meteorite's shield. The meteorite's subsequent counterattack was akin to a miracle for the world of Antathira.
Someone remarked, "At the moment the meteorite attacked the human fleet, it seemed as though there were two suns in the solar system."
"So you sent just a scratch brigade?"
"Scratch brigade? That was nearly the entirety of the Western Empire's space forces... close to 60 Fire Lizard airships, 50 Poison Lizard warships, and 10 Illari Air Fortresses."
The supreme commander fell silent.
From that moment, humanity realized they were not up against a mere meteorite, but a super space warship with technology far surpassing their own, albeit slow-moving.
Nonetheless, based on their initial impression and its appearance, humans continued to refer to it as a "meteorite."
"Is this the extent of the Western Empire's space forces? What about the South Alliance? The North Federation? We have five superpowers! Are they not contributing any strength?"
"That's exactly what I'm getting at."
The Western Empire's defeat in space galvanized the other four superpowers. Though their space capabilities were not as formidable, a united front could offer a glimmer of hope.
Suddenly, the skies above Antathira were ablaze with light.
The North Federation's fleet boasted electromagnetic rail cannons and interstellar nuclear "Moscow"-class warships.
The South Alliance was armed with high-energy laser cannons and "Washington"-class war cruisers, equipped with Super Space Distortion Cannons.
The central headquarters had the "Pterosaur" airship fleet, outfitted with Ion Cannons and Nanomachine Synchronizers.
The Eastern Holy Land deployed the "Yamato Spirit"-class mothership fleet, complete with AI-integrated drone formations and kinetic cannons.
And the Western Empire's remaining space fleets, though few, joined forces to form humanity's true first line of defense—and possibly the last.
The combined fleet boasted a staggering 300 warships, supported by two extraterrestrial cities converted into space supply stations, with a total of one million personnel engaged in the battle.
They had mustered nearly all of their space forces—an unprecedented move. Naturally, if the campaign failed, it would be their last.
"So... what happened in the end?" The supreme commander's voice had lost its initial strength and authority, now quivering with a tinge of fear.
"We engaged in the ultimate showdown in Mars' orbit with the 'Meteor'... but..."
The plan was set: the Western Empire's remaining fleets would conduct guerrilla warfare, the North Federation would take on the frontal assault, the South Alliance would exploit hyperspace distortions to limit speeds, the Eastern Holy Land would deploy kinetic cannons and drone formations for long-range strikes, and the Central Headquarters' troops would use their nanosyncers to get close to the enemy, aiming to destroy its engines or other critical systems.
Humanity had abandoned the hope of destroying the 'Meteor'; merely paralyzing it and keeping it in an orbit far from Antathira would suffice.
Yet even this modest hope was mercilessly obliterated by the 'Meteor.'
"So... how badly did we lose this final battle?" The supreme commander deflated, slumping onto the couch, ceaselessly massaging his temples as he asked weakly.
"...It was devastating. We were utterly annihilated..."
The allied fleet paid a steep price to penetrate the Void Shield and deploy the nanomachines, managing to corrode the enemy's armor somewhat. But when the decimated fleet maneuvered to the 'Meteor's' rear, all hope was lost.
It lacked engine nozzles, gun ports, and even cooling vents.
Indeed, setting aside its ability to effortlessly decimate our fleets, by its sheer velocity alone, it was a veritable 'Meteor.'
