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Chapter 717  Watching from a Distance

To ensure the communication foundation would allow for the exchange of information with full context and minimize misunderstandings, the process would take several hours or even days. The outcome depended on how quickly each side could comprehend the other\'s approach. For now, it had become a game of patience, where haste could easily lead to complications.

………….

While those aboard the ship waited for progress in communication, the rest of the solar system remained in a state of high alert. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Military bases across the system were operating at their highest situational readiness, a level they had never activated before. All forces, including those previously off duty, had been called back into active service three months ago when the vessel was in its final approach.

As for the returning personnel, they underwent intensive retraining, preparing for any potential threats before being assigned their stations.

Within the mission control room on Mars, the team was engaged in a different kind of task. They were using their powerful supercomputers to analyze and calculate potential reasons behind every action being recorded by their sensor array. These sensors had been stealthily deployed long before the Vessel arrived in the vicinity.

The array included two types of sensors: some disguised as ordinary asteroids, fabricated with atomic printers so convincingly that they appeared completely natural, even to those who had placed them there. The other type were active stealth sensors, maintaining a constant cloak of invisibility while transmitting valuable data back to the mission control team.

“We are detecting a mana pulse extending from the Vessel in all directions,” Awwab, the technician responsible for monitoring mana surveillance, announced. The holographic mockup of the solar system reflected this, showing the pulse spreading at light speed, bathing everything it touched in mana. For anyone with mana sensors, the pulse illuminated objects, making them visible and revealing the Vessel\'s intention to highlight any hidden entities or cloaked objects in the vicinity.

As the pulse swept through space, everyone in the room held their breath, anxiously watching the screens. The stealth fleet and concealed sensors were in the path of the pulse. Tension filled the air, as they feared their stealth technology might be compromised. But when the pulse passed the locations where their assets were expected to be, without any highlight or detection, the room collectively exhaled in relief. Their stealth tech had, for the moment, proven capable of withstanding the mana scan.

The pulse continued its expansion, reaching a distance of about ten light minutes before fading as it met the ambient mana levels in the surrounding void. The AI immediately noted the distance and, using the intensity of the initial pulse and the range it covered, began developing an algorithm. This would allow any future ships detecting a similar pulse to predict its reach and calculate how far it would travel before dispersing into ambient space, giving them an edge in potential encounters.

"Why now?" Jacob, the mission commander, muttered under his breath as he tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table. Positioned on one of the furthest ends of the oval table that had the hologram projection of the star system and its surroundings from the screen, he seemed deep in thought.

Years of intense training and countless simulated encounters had drilled a fundamental lesson into his subconscious: no action from the other side is random. Everything has a purpose, even if it’s not immediately clear. Overlooking such details could spell the difference between success and failure, or even survival and defeat.

His eyes narrowed as he tried to piece together the motivation behind the mana pulse. Was it a probing tactic? A sign of impatience? Or perhaps an attempt to confirm suspicions about something hidden in the void?

However, when no further unusual activity occurred from the other side within the next ten minutes, Jacob decided to leave the matter to the AI for the time being. Yet, twenty-seven minutes after the first pulse, a second one emerged—this time, twice as powerful as the first. It provided the perfect test for the newly developed algorithm, which had predicted the pulse\'s saturation point. As anticipated, the pulse extended precisely to the predicted twenty-light-minute radius before dispersing, confirming the accuracy of the AI\'s calculations.

"Anyone care to explain what they\'re doing?" Jacob\'s voice rang out across the room, sharp with the tension that had been building.

“I suspect they’re either mapping the area or scanning for hidden objects—or both,” Awwab, the mana specialist, responded. “Both tasks can be done simultaneously. They might also be searching for things that are invisible to the naked eye but detectable through mana, whether those things are related to us or native to the area.”

Jacob sighed, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "I enjoy a good mystery, but not when it could end in war."

The fatigue was setting in, and it was clear the constant pressure to maintain focus was wearing him down. Had it not been for the enhancements to his body, he knew he might have already collapsed from exhaustion.

“We’re operating with limited information,” his assistant said, handing him an energy drink. “Any mistakes we make will only become clear after we’ve gathered enough intel.”

Jacob took the bottle, nodding in silent agreement. He knew there was no leaving this room until communication was firmly established with the other side.

But their wait didn’t last too long. By the second day, as they had grown accustomed to the sporadic mana pulses, the AIs across the board reported to their respective teams: {The framework for communication has been established. We can now begin exchanging messages from both sides.}

Everyone in the monitoring rooms and on the ship let out a mild sigh of relief as they moved to the next phase.

The ship\'s captain immediately began initiating the communication process, having already been provided with the necessary notes and protocols for this crucial step.