Vol 2. Chapter 6: New Fortress Construction Site and Multi-Legged Heavy Machinery
A construction ship drove drills into the seabed, embedding support pillars as the foundation for a new offshore structure. Commander Eve observed the process through live footage sent from a solar-powered Swift reconnaissance drone while skimming through data about the fortress construction site.
“The coastline is all volcanic rock. So, this whole area was covered by a lava flow?”
“Yes, ma’am. The Afurasia United Kingdom’s coastline is almost entirely overlaid with volcanic rock, extending for over 2,000 kilometers—a truly immense span.”
Interestingly, Telek Harbor was one of the few coastal areas not composed of volcanic rock. According to surveys, the area’s bay likely formed due to minor upheavals that diverted the lava flow, creating a natural enclosure around the harbor.
“Where did all that lava come from...? It must’ve been a long time ago, right?”
“Yes, ma’am. Considering the vegetation, it’s safe to say the lava flow occurred several hundred years ago at the very least.”
“Hundreds of years... That’s hard to imagine.”
A volcanic eruption of such magnitude, capable of covering an entire coastline and beyond, must have been cataclysmic. If the volcano that caused it was still active, caution would certainly be necessary.
“At the very least, no significant seismic activity has been detected since our arrival in this world. It seems unlikely that active volcanoes are nearby.”
“Well, a volcanic eruption or earthquake would be impossible to counter... or would it? Hmm... no, probably not, right?”
“If we were to install environmental control systems designed for planetary terraforming, some control might be possible. However, large-scale facilities would be required both on the ground and in orbit. At present, this is not feasible.”
“Right... I suppose my civilization was just getting to that level. We were starting to develop outer planets, weren’t we?”