ca-book Chapter 65 Changes Brought About by Skydrive
Chapter 65 Changes Brought About by Skydrive
Chapter 65 The Changes Brought About by the Skydrive (4K+)
Sailor Valley Industrial Zone, outer ring of the seventh mining area.
This place is far from the Olympian Hub, so far that when the live broadcast of the execution of the Cardinals reached here, the miners in the shed only glanced up before continuing to line up to receive their nutrient rations for the next day.
To them, the fleet high in the sky, the gunfire on Mount Olympus, and the establishment of the Skyward Provisional Government all seemed like news from another planet.
Ivan is a maintenance worker at the mine. He is thirty-nine years old and has worked in the Seventh Mine for sixteen years. He has a prosthetic leg attached to his right leg.
At 5:30 a.m., before the wake-up bell rang in the seventh mine of Sailor Valley, the terminal screen lit up first, and rows of cold white numbers popped up, just like the mine's attendance system.
[Sacred Body Credit: 417 Mars Shields due this month]
Indulgence allocation: 72 Martian Shields
[Late Penalty for Prosthetic Body Maintenance: 39 Mars Shields]
[Three days after the due date, the output power of the right leg prosthesis for work was reduced to 60%]
Ivan stared at those lines of text for a long time, until the starting current in his right leg prosthesis slowly crept up the stump of his thigh. Only then did he reach out and hold onto the edge of the bed, propping himself up from the narrow bed.
His right leg is a prosthetic body for sacramental work, with a gray-black metal frame and the old emblem of the mechanical church engraved on the outside of the knee joint.
The mine archives refer to it as a redemption tool, while the church's propaganda says it is a gift of grace, a compassionate project that allows disabled workers to return to their jobs and regain their dignity.
The day he was fitted with the leg, a loan officer from St. John's stood beside his bedside with a thick electronic contract, telling him that as long as he signed it, he could continue working and support his family.
At that time, Ivan had just finished receiving first aid to stop the bleeding and was lying motionless in the makeshift medical cabin in the mining area. His future survival was entirely tied to this contract.
A single contract binds the entire 27-year installment plan.
Ivan was not fully awake from the anesthesia at that time, and only saw a series of fee lists on the electronic contract.
Prosthetic body principal, neural interface fee, surgical modification fee, sanctuary service fee, quarterly maintenance fee, late payment penalty interest, and a fixed monthly service fee —
The loan officer waited patiently for him, saying that if he didn't sign, the mining area could only treat him as "incapacitated," and his bed, meal tickets, and dormitory registration would be cancelled within three days.
So, Ivan signed.
From that day on, his monthly salary would first go through the clearing chain of Sacred Heart Credit.
The mining area deposits wages into the account, and the terminal immediately deducts from the prosthetic debt, then indulgences, then accommodation fees, air quotas, etc.
The water tickets and advance payments from the mining area canteen always left him with a pitifully small amount.
The prosthetic right leg was activated, and a slight clicking sound was heard from the knee joint.
Ivan glanced down and patted the outside of his knee twice.
Mineral dust fell from his joints, and the penalty interest warning on the screen was still lit up, as if reminding him that his leg would be de-energized in three days.
If the output power is reduced to 60%, he will not be able to keep up with the inspection speed of the maintenance team. If he cannot keep up with the inspection speed, his working hours will be deducted, and if his working hours are deducted, he will be even less able to pay off his debts.
He can't lose this job; if it really comes to that, he'll have no choice but to work at an underground clinic.
Ivan shook his head vigorously, as if trying to shake the chilling thought out of his mind.
He raised his hand to close the terminal, then went to the bathroom to wash up. He looked up at the mirror and saw his face, covered in stubble and with heavy bags under his eyes, flickering on the dark glass.
This face—is filled with numbness.
He mechanically bent down and put on the mining work clothes with the collar worn out. He felt nothing as the rough fabric brushed against his skin, only the dull pain at the connection between his right leg prosthesis and bone constantly reminding him that he was still alive.
His wife called him on video, and he answered. But the first thing she said made him pause for a moment.
"Can you come home early today? Lily misses you."
Ivan paused, his hand fastening his belt. A tiny crack finally appeared on his face, which looked as if it were covered in a layer of ash, revealing a hint of human vitality.
He remembered that his daughter had said last night that she wanted a hot meal, the kind made with real meat paste and vegetable fiber, not the nutritious porridge that was distributed by ticket in the mining area canteen.
But then he looked up and saw the cold number on the retinal terminal screen—417 Mars Shields.
The notification of the reduction in prosthetic body power, which was set to take effect in three days, sank heavily into his heart like two cold, hard iron blocks.
His Adam's apple bobbed, but he ultimately only uttered a dry, curt sentence: "It depends on what the foreman decides."
Ivan didn't say anything more. He picked up his gleaming tool bag, pushed open the creaking iron gate of the shed, and walked towards the maintenance passage of the seventh mining area.
Outside, loudspeakers were playing the first batch of decrees from the Sky Drive Provisional Government on a loop. The sound was torn into fragments by the roar of the mine fans and the clanging of the transport tracks, leaving only a few indistinct syllables in the ears.
[Industrial and Mining Industries — Liquidation — Justice]
He didn't quite catch what was being said, but to him, the new regime wouldn't be much better than the College of Cardinals.
Politicians are all the same; they only know how to talk nicely. Nice words can never fill their stomachs, nor can they pay off a single penny of their debts.
When we entered the gate of the Seventh Mining Area, the Cardinals' admonition plaque that had stood on the outer wall for thirty years had been torn to pieces.
The platinum-leaf inscription, "Labor is atonement, righteousness is a gift," was scraped beyond recognition, revealing the cement wall beneath, blackened by coal ash.
Several young workers, standing on a shaky lifting platform, were nailing a bright red Skyward Banner into the dent left after the old Holy Symbol was pried off.
A large, dark crowd had gathered at the entrance to the mining area.
Some people looked up at the new flag, some huddled together whispering that "the leaders of the Holy Cardinals have really been executed," and others muttered a curse they had been holding back for half their lives.
But most people just stared at the attendance gate in front of them, their eyes filled with numb anxiety, not expectation.
Ivan, mingling in the ranks, heard a gaunt old miner behind him spit out a mouthful of black phlegm and say in a hoarse voice, "They fight their war, we do our work. If the canteen closes for a meal today, the kids at home will still go hungry."
No one objected.
The turnstiles lit up with a cold green light, and the maintenance team members entered one by one by scanning their faces.
Just as Ivan slung his toolbox over his shoulder, the mine's internal public address screen suddenly switched from routine operation prompts to the Mars public channel.
After a burst of crackling static, all the screens and broadcasts in the mining area switched to the same channel at the same time.
Everyone looked up at the largest main control screen.
An unfamiliar young face appeared on the screen. This was the first time the Supreme Commander of the Skywards had appeared before the entire population of Mars since the establishment of the new regime.
He was dressed simply, without any unnecessary decorations, except for the striking red Skyward emblem on his chest.
Zhang Qiming leaned forward slightly, and the light seemed to penetrate the screen, looking at every Martian who had struggled their whole lives in mines, factories, and slums.
"The People of Mars, Part 1"
His voice, calm yet powerful, came through countless loudspeakers, drowning out the roar of the mine ventilation fans.
"Today is the first day of the birth of the new Mars. On behalf of the Provisional Government, I hereby read out the contents of the first decree to the people of Mars."
"Effective immediately, the new government will completely abolish the old church indulgence system."
"Freeze all prosthetic loans, labor loans, and exploitation loans belonging to the sacrament system."
"All basic labor-related debts are completely frozen and will enter into a unified liquidation process."
"Starting today, the Bureau of Industrial and Mining Safety Investigation will be stationed in major mining areas and factories to handle cases involving old Shengwu credit fraud, forced labor, illegal recycling of prosthetic bodies, and excessive working hours exploitation."
Ivan stood there, stunned. Before he could recover from the blankness, a screeching sound of tires suddenly came from outside the mine gate.
Two heavy armored vehicles, black and silver, screeched to a halt at the entrance, their heavy doors slamming onto the ground with a dull thud.
On the vehicle, the red badges of the "Mars Provisional Government" and the "Mining and Industrial Safety Investigation Bureau" were particularly glaring in the morning light amidst the coal dust.
A dozen Skydrive soldiers dressed in black combat uniforms filed out of the vehicle and quickly set up a cordon at the entrance.
Behind them were several investigators in gray overalls and a few players carrying assault rifles. They were all looking around with curiosity on their faces.
The players had just unlocked the new faction quests and came to join in the fun. Since the establishment of the Skyward Provisional Government, the Skyward faction's quest system has had a new module—[Government Commissions].
Most government-commissioned tasks are now considered low-value missions, but for most Skyward players, these tasks offer an exceptional experience and immersion, making them all loyal followers.
Half of Mars was conquered by their Fourth Calamity!
The lead investigator walked into the mine gate and immediately gestured for the Skydrive soldiers to take over the attendance gate and control console.
He opened an electronic decree, and the sound was broadcast over the mine's public address system.
"In accordance with the first decree of the Martian Provisional Government and the latest instructions from the Supreme Commander, effective immediately, all systems in the Seventh Mining District, including the Sacred Credit System, the Indulgence Allocation System, the Prosthetic Body Mandatory Maintenance Deduction System, and the Labor Hour Debt Offset System, are permanently frozen."
"All former sacramental finance personnel shall immediately cease all work and undergo isolation and investigation on the spot."
"Anyone found to be involved in crimes such as forced prosthetic loans, inflating maintenance costs, illegally deducting working hours, transferring the debts of the deceased to the family, or selling slots in debt-financed labor teams will be dealt with on the spot."
After the announcement was read, the Skydrive soldiers acted swiftly and arrested a group of people on the spot. The investigator read out the terms of the punishment, and the accompanying firing squad immediately raised their guns.
Bang bang bang bang—! ! !
Several corpses lay in the coal dust at the base of the wall. A suppressed gasp rippled through the crowd, which quickly subsided.
Looking at the mottled wall, Ivan suddenly remembered countless mornings when these people stood behind the glass window of that office, looking down at them as they lined up.
Ivan would never forget the disdain in their eyes.
"So, even they have a day when they're forced to stand against a wall—"
Just then, the terminal communication in Ivan's pocket suddenly "dinged" with a soft, unprecedented notification sound.
The glaring red deduction notification no longer popped up on the screen; instead, a line of light blue, gentle text appeared:
[ZhiShiLang Public Service Terminal sends you greetings—]
Mr. Ivan Andreyevich
[The Supreme Commander of the Provisional Government of Mars extends his sincerest condolences to all Martian laborers who have long suffered oppression from the Church.]
Every drop of sweat you shed for the industrial, mining, and urban operations of Mars will be remembered. Your labor will never again be swallowed up by religious authority and debt.
Below is the result of his personal liquidation.
[Sacred Body Credit: Permanently Frozen]
[Historical Indulgences: Completely Abolished]
[Basic Labor Debt: Liquidation Completed]
Current total debt: 0 Mars Shields
[Right Leg Sacrament - Type 7 Labor Prosthetic Body]
Ownership: Transferred to Ivan Andreyevich
Ivan's breath caught in his throat, and he stared blankly at the "0" for a very long time.
The terminal continued to refresh the notifications.
[The following issues were detected in your right leg prosthesis: severe knee joint wear, aging neural interface, and decreased stability of power output]
[Friendly Reminder: Please visit the temporary prosthetic body maintenance station in the Seventh Mining Area within three days for a free comprehensive inspection.]
[Basic labor prosthetic body lifetime maintenance costs: fully covered by the Martian interim government's mining and industrial support system]
[Current Hot Meal Quota: New quota module has been loaded]
[Household Basic Supply Quota: Under Recalculation]
[Follow-up Notice: The Industrial and Mining Safety Investigation Bureau will take over the old accounts of the Seventh Mining Area. Please check them. The grassroots trade union and the mining area management committee will be re-elected. Worker representatives, maintenance team leaders, and key production personnel can submit registration applications through the public terminal.]
Ivan's gaze eventually fell back on the line "Current debt: 0".
He thought he would laugh, or he would cry.
But his face was stiff as if it had been frozen by the cold wind in the mine, without any expression. Only his chest felt tight, as if something was blocking it, neither rising nor falling.
He slowly lowered his head and looked at his right leg. He suddenly felt that the prosthetic body under his foot seemed to have become lighter.
Is this an illusion?
He was in a daze for a long time, then suddenly remembered the question his wife had asked him that morning.
"Can you come home early today?"
At that time, he only said he would see how the foreman arranged things, because he didn't know if he would have to work overtime again today, or if he would have to pay an extra maintenance fee this month.
He had no idea whether the hot meal his daughter had been talking about last night would still be available at the ration window tonight.
Ivan slowly opened his terminal, his finger hovering over the family channel for a few seconds before sending a message to his wife.
When I get home tonight, the hot meal the kids wanted is ready.
T