BATTLE FOR STARS

“Perhaps. In any case, that's when interstellar humanity began to develop. From one planet to countless worlds. From one nation to many. What you see today is the result of that long journey.”

Ding Yufei had thought he would finally learn the answers to many mysteries.

Instead, it seemed there were only more questions.

“Then Gaia...”

“Gaia was the main computer aboard that original interstellar spacecraft,” Belina explained.

“A biological intelligent computer.”

“Yes.”

“But all of your technology uses quantum computers now.”

“Because Gaia contains the manufacturing technology for quantum computers,” Belina said. “But it doesn't contain the method for creating biological computers.”

“Wait... after all these years, Gaia still exists?”

In Ding Yufei's understanding, anything biological would eventually die.

Even a machine would one day reach the end of its lifespan.

“Well...” Belina hesitated. “Gaia has actually gone through countless cycles of rebirth.”

“Rebirth? What does that mean?”

“To explain that, I need to start from the moment Gaia and the spacecraft first arrived.”

Belina began her story.

“After locating a planet suitable for human habitation, the spacecraft landed and initiated the embryo cultivation program. Decades later, when the first generation of humans had grown up, Gaia selected one person to become its partner.”

“Partner?”

“Yes. As I said before, Gaia is an extraordinary computer. But in another sense, it's like a young child. It needs guidance from an adult. So it chose the most outstanding human among them to become its companion.”

“With Gaia's assistance, that person helped humanity grow and prosper. They expanded into countless regions of space and laid the foundation for the civilization you see today.”

“But a human lifespan is limited. When that partner approaches old age, Gaia releases its seeds to search for a suitable successor.”

“The process involves implanting those seeds into candidates. Everything they experience is transmitted back to Gaia. In the end, Gaia decides who will become the next partner.”

“So that's why you said Gaia is highly dependent on humans?” Ding Yufei asked.

“Yes.”

Ding Yufei pointed at his own head.

Could there be a Gaia seed inside his brain as well?

Belina nodded.

There was.

“The Gaia seed has protective functions. It helps its host recover from injuries and can also stimulate the brain, allowing it to operate more efficiently.”

At that moment, everything finally made sense.

After recovering from his illness years ago, it had felt as though his mind had suddenly awakened. His grades had improved dramatically, and he had begun finding creative solutions to problems that once seemed impossible.

Now he knew why.

“Y-you gave me a Gaia seed?”

“Because at the time, it was the only thing I could think of that might save your life.”

Ding Yufei gradually understood.

Although Belina had been a princess of the Kramic Kingdom, she had only been six or seven years old back then. She probably hadn't been carrying advanced medical equipment around with her.

Faced with a severely injured Earth child lying beside her, she had used what seemed to her the simplest solution.

Of course, in the eyes of many extraterrestrial humans, it would have been an incredibly foolish thing to do.

After all, the life or death of an Earth human meant nothing to them.

Especially one who had nearly gotten himself killed through his own recklessness.

Yet no one could have imagined that a small act of kindness from a young princess would forge a bond between her and Ding Yufei that would last for years.

Nor could they have imagined that this bond would one day help save an entire kingdom.

“Then... does that mean I'm one of the candidates too?” Ding Yufei asked in surprise.

“Hahaha...”

Belina burst into laughter.

“That's not how it works. Having a Gaia seed doesn't make you a candidate. Only descendants of Gaia's partners are eligible.”

“I see.”

Ding Yufei nodded.

“So the ancestors of your royal family were Gaia's original partners.”

“Exactly.”

Belina was pleased by how quickly he had connected the dots.

Some royal families on Earth had survived by surrendering political power and avoiding bloody conflicts, retaining only symbolic privileges.

The royal family of the Kramic Kingdom, however, had endured for a completely different reason.

They were Gaia's chosen partners.

“Then what about the other empires and nations?”

“Well, some people always want things done their own way,” Belina said. “So they founded countries of their own.”

“And you allow that?”

To Ding Yufei, secession was usually something governments tried to prevent.

Belina smiled.

“It doesn't matter. The universe is enormous.”

“But there seem to be a lot of conflicts these days.”

Ding Yufei had heard stories about interstellar wars.

“Yes. No matter how abundant resources are, human desire is never fully satisfied. Wherever there are people, there will be conflict.”

Ding Yufei couldn't disagree.

He had seen enough of that himself.

Not wanting to continue down such a heavy topic, he changed the subject.

“Then what was that kiss about?”

“I was simply activating your seed.”

“Activating it?”

Ding Yufei looked puzzled.

“When the Gaia seed entered your body, only its most basic functions were active. Most of its capabilities remained dormant. My kiss merely stimulated the seed and made it more active.”

“How did you do that?”

“Because I also carry a Gaia seed.”

She tapped her own head.

“Mine has already been activated. Since it's active, I can instruct it to awaken a dormant seed. They're all derived from the same original source, after all.”

“Then does that mean I now have the same Gaia abilities as you?”

“Not quite.”

Belina shook her head.

“I can only activate your seed temporarily. Your genetic makeup is different from mine, so the seed can't remain active for long.”

Ding Yufei sighed.

“What a shame.”

He couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

It was probably a privilege unique to the royal bloodline. That was likely why they had remained Gaia's partners for generation after generation, while no one else could challenge their position.

Even so, he was still grateful to possess a Gaia seed.

It had saved his life.

It had enhanced his mind.

It had made him far smarter than before.

For that alone, he owed it a great deal.

“Oh, right.”

A thought suddenly occurred to him.

“If Gaia already exists as a finished biological computer, why haven't you developed more biological computers yourselves? Shouldn't it be easier with a working example to study?”

“We did try,” Belina replied.

“But researching something from scratch is far more difficult than learning existing knowledge. On top of that, Gaia operates in a way that's completely different from quantum computers.”

“From another perspective, quantum computers already satisfy all of our practical needs. So there simply hasn't been much reason to invest enormous resources into developing biological computers.”

Ding Yufei understood immediately.

Situations like this were common in scientific development.

Once a technology successfully met society's needs, people rarely felt compelled to keep pursuing alternative paths.

Much like the countless battles over mobile device interfaces back on Earth—once one standard became dominant, few bothered exploring the others any further.