Chapter 182: Avatar! Pandora! Eywa!
"Hu… hu…!"
David Martinez's rapid breathing was amplified by the sealed mask he wore, making each exhale sound loud and clear.
Even through the thick layers of his powered armor, he could feel the rhythmic pounding of his two hearts, forcefully striking against his hardened chest plate.
As an outstanding graduate of LA Corporation and Arasaka United Academy, David Martinez had earned his place in LA Corp's Iron Hand Legion through sheer excellence.
Now, he was a vanguard member of the Astartes Legion, under the direct command of none other than Jack Wells!
"All clear. No suspicious lifeforms detected so far."
David advanced cautiously, reporting in real-time through his communication device.
His helmet's HUD displayed a constant stream of data, relaying information from scanning radars and motion sensors. His teammates appeared as green dots on the display—marked safe.
For now, the area was clear. No immediate threats.
[Stay alert and report any anomalies immediately!]
Jack Wells' voice crackled through the comms.
"Roger!"
David glanced at the top-right corner of his visor where his heart rate was displayed. Due to this being his first combat operation on an alien planet, his heart rate was slightly elevated compared to usual.
Back on Earth, when he was executing insurgent suppression missions, he never hesitated to eliminate those weak rebel scum who opposed the company.
But this was an entirely different battlefield. An alien world.
Not knowing what kind of enemies lay ahead made him more tense—more serious than usual.
Landing on Pandora
As each vanguard squad completed their status reports, V—the Legion Master of the Astartes Legion—relayed their findings to the massive warship hovering above Pandora:
"Iron Hand vanguard squad has landed successfully. No hostiles detected."
The moment V finished his report, the real-time transmission relayed his message to Morgan Blackhand, the commanding officer aboard the massive battleship high above Pandora.
[Acknowledged. Hold position and report any anomalies immediately.]
Morgan's voice came through swiftly.
With the command confirmed, V ordered most of the vanguard troops to hold their positions while deploying a small number of scouts to survey and monitor the surrounding environment—just in case.
Meanwhile, The Infinity fleet, stationed in near-orbit around Pandora, formed a semi-ring formation, enclosing the blue planet.
A clear declaration—this world now belonged to LA Corporation.
On the command deck of The Infinity , Li Ang stood motionless, his sharp gaze fixed on the live-feed screens displaying Pandora's vast landscape.
Numerous reconnaissance aircraft were deployed:
Thunderhawk Dropships,
Ornithopters,
AT-99 Scorpion Gunships,
Valkyrie Assault Helicopters—
All were taking turns surveying different regions of the planet.
Through the visual data collected by ground forces, Li Ang was nearly certain—this was the Pandora he knew.
The Great Fleet's Arrival
Just a dozen days ago, the 200-strong fleet of The Infinity completed a long-range space warp via the Macedonian Drive, safely arriving at Pandora's star system.
To ensure that no rival alien factions had beaten them to this world, Li Ang had cautiously deployed a reconnaissance squad to scan the surrounding space.
Once it was confirmed that only human warships were present, Li Ang gave the order—
Twenty battleships from The Infinity fleet encircled Pandora, forming the first vanguard blockade.
Under his command, the enormous armada gradually approached this beautiful, mysterious blue planet.
Li Ang 's caution wasn't unfounded. He had methodically sent out scouts, slowly probing the planet's conditions, because he needed to verify—
Was this truly the Pandora he had anticipated?
If Pandora's native Na'vi had already been enslaved or wiped out by another alien civilization, then a revised battle strategy would be necessary.
As the supreme commander of this massive expeditionary force, Li Ang bore the responsibility for the lives of eight million starship soldiers.
"Boss, it looks like our expectations were correct," Morgan Blackhand reported, compiling intelligence gathered from ground troops. "Pandora remains an uncivilized world. There's no sign of interference from other advanced civilizations."
The company's colonial soldiers had already captured images of the Na'vi natives.
Upon seeing their tall, blue-skinned forms, Li Ang finally felt reassured.
"…Good. That confirms it."
For this grand conquest, Li Ang had mobilized 200 massive warships.
Some might consider this "overkill", a mere show of force. But aside from demonstrating power for political reasons, Li Ang also remained wary of rival interstellar civilizations.
Better to be safe than sorry.
After all, the system had never told Li Ang whether this Pandora was still the same as in the Avatar movie—or if something had changed.
"Proceed with the next phase."
Li Ang gave his command to Morgan:
"Expand the reconnaissance perimeter. Increase aerial surveillance. Report any emergencies immediately—do not engage recklessly."
Even when hunting a rabbit, a lion uses its full strength.
Against the Na'vi, overwhelming firepower was the key—not some foolish one-on-one duels.
To Li Ang , human soldiers' lives were far more valuable than alien lives.
"Understood."
Morgan Blackhand relayed the new orders to the ground forces.
Advancing Through the Jungle
"Move out!"
V and Jack Wells led their troops deeper into the jungle.
The terrain resembled a prehistoric rainforest, but its scale was beyond anything found on Earth.
Here, trees soared over a hundred meters high, their trunks thick and ancient. Lush foliage thrived in an environment brimming with oxygen, sunlight, and abundant water sources.
V also noticed something unusual—his body felt lighter.
A quick glance at his HUD confirmed it:
Gravity: ~0.8G
No doubt about it—they were truly on an alien planet.
For many of the Astartes warriors, this was their first time setting foot beyond Earth.
Excitement. Anxiety. A heightened sense of battle readiness.
Even though they were highly trained, battle-hardened veterans from multiple Earth-based campaigns, none of them could say with certainty what lay ahead.
Most of the Astartes had AI implants to control their emotions, but V remained different—calm, focused, and completely in control.
Unlike the others, he had already embraced the trials of war.
First Contact Approaches
Jack Wells grinned as he surveyed the terrain. "0.9 atmospheric pressure, 0.8G gravity, CO₂ levels above 18%… Yep, we're in the right place."
"V, this is definitely Pandora."
To Jack, Pandora didn't seem as terrifying as he had imagined.
No grotesque monsters. No flesh-eating plants.
If anything, it was beautiful—almost a paradise.
"Stay sharp."
V wasn't as relaxed.
The most dangerous things in nature often wore the most beautiful disguises.
Until the terrain was fully scouted, remaining cautious was the only responsible course of action.
Splitting Up
"Reed, David—you two take your team and scout the 9 o'clock direction."
"Jack, you take your squad and head 3 o'clock. Find an open clearing."
"No reckless moves. Stay alert."
"Understood!"
Following orders, the scouting squads moved forward, disappearing into the rainforest.
Meanwhile, the main force under V's command began establishing a defensive perimeter.
Just as David Martinez's scouting squad advanced 200 meters from the main camp—
A sudden, unfamiliar call echoed from the jungle.
"Goo…! Goo!!"
—Something was watching them.
In an instant, David's neurons fired up sharply. He immediately disengaged the safety and raised his rifle, aiming in the direction of the sound.
Unlike the rash and impulsive young David, the composed and steady Leader did not react with such tension at the slightest disturbance.
Raising his hand to stop the warriors beside him, Leader spoke in a low voice,
"Fire only on my command. Do not expose our position prematurely."
As he issued orders to the Astartes warriors, Leader lifted his rifle and peered into the depths of the rainforest.
"Understood!"
David and the rest of the warriors nodded in unison, signaling their acknowledgment.
"Goo-goo! Goo!"
The crisp chirping grew louder, accompanied by the rapid rustling of something moving through the foliage. Only after pushing through the dense jungle did the warriors finally see the source of the strange noises.
It was a group of blue-skinned monkeys, each about 1.5 meters long and appearing remarkably lightweight. At first glance, they bore some resemblance to Earth's primates.
Realizing that the potential threat was merely a group of alien creatures, David finally moved his finger away from the rifle's trigger and let out a quiet sigh of relief.
His visor's HUD automatically locked onto one of the alien monkeys, zooming in on its features for closer observation.
These agile extraterrestrial monkeys possessed three pairs of limbs, and their bodies had flying squirrel-like membranes along their sides, allowing them to glide effortlessly through the jungle.
Within moments, the creatures darted past the Astartes warriors and disappeared into the lush greenery, blending into the deep blue-green rainforest.
Once he was certain the threat had passed, Leader finally lowered his rifle and crouched beside the massive roots of a towering tree.
He began studying the blue-shelled beetles in the soil beneath him and the vibrant blue and pink flora surrounding them.
"The colors of this planet's plants and animals are strikingly vivid, almost unnaturally so. They don't seem the least bit concerned about predators."
Leader mused, his expression thoughtful.
Gazing at this dreamlike alien ecosystem, he couldn't help but wonder: Was there some guardian deity protecting this world? Or was it a carefully maintained garden of a highly advanced civilization?
Otherwise, how could the creatures here coexist in such perfect harmony? Even in the presence of an entirely unfamiliar species—humans—they showed no fear at all.
"Let's move on."
Unable to draw any conclusions, Leader led David and the others deeper into their reconnaissance mission.
Over the next few minutes, the Astartes warriors encountered creatures that resembled wild horses but were at least twice the size of their Earthly counterparts. These beings had three pairs of legs and moved with a steady, deliberate gait.
Even upon spotting the human soldiers, they showed no signs of nervousness, aggression, or fear. They simply walked past Leader, indifferent to the newcomers.
From the moment they landed on Pandora until now, Leader was beginning to notice a pattern: The flora and fauna on this planet were significantly larger than their Earthly equivalents—by a factor of two or three.
Fortunately, the creatures they encountered so far had been relatively docile, showing little to no hostility. This meant that the warriors didn't need to fire their weapons or call for emergency backup.
Observing this unnatural tranquility, Leader's suspicions grew stronger. These creatures seemed as if they had been raised in a greenhouse—experimental specimens nurtured in an artificial paradise.
Unlike Earth's wildlife, which would at least react with curiosity, fear, or aggression when faced with an unfamiliar species, the lifeforms here were unnervingly calm.
Just as Leader was lost in thought, a flapping-wing drone whizzed past overhead.
The drone immediately relayed its real-time footage, displaying it in the corner of each Astartes warrior's visor.
Through the drone's shared visuals, Leader and David saw that approximately 500 meters ahead lay an expansive clearing.
"Our aerial reconnaissance has identified the resource target site. Let's pick up the pace."
At Leader's command, the Astartes warriors moved swiftly through the dense foliage, emerging at the rainforest's edge in no time.
What greeted them was an unobstructed, wide-open landscape—an abrupt shift from the claustrophobic jungle.
However, Leader's position was at the edge of a towering cliff. Yet, as they looked into the distance, they were stunned by an incredible sight—floating mountains, drifting like mist-wrapped islands in midair!
That's right—floating!
Several colossal, ancient rock formations hovered in the sky, seemingly held aloft by some mysterious anti-gravity force. They formed a breathtaking natural wonder.
"This must be the floating stone our company wants to mine!"
David gazed up at the levitating peaks, awe-struck by the universe's wonders. In that moment, he silently marveled at the sheer magnificence of extraterrestrial nature.
This expedition was definitely worth it!
[Multiple wired communication relay stations have been established. Normal connectivity achieved!]
[Hawk transport craft has detected a vast floating stone resource zone. Ground forces are advancing toward the site.]
[All squadron soldiers, remain alert. If engagement occurs, request backup immediately!]
[…]
At that moment, V's calm and steady voice echoed across the Astartes legion's comm channels.
Following V's orders, numerous corporate troops began marching toward the designated area. Meanwhile, scientific and technical personnel, escorted by aerial vehicles, were about to land at the floating stone resource site.
With these astonishing mineral reserves in sight, LA Corporation's colonial expedition was already halfway to success!
…
…
Near-Pandora Orbit – UNSC Infinity Battlecruiser, Main Command Center
"Based on the video and image data transmitted by the ground forces, Pandora matches our expectations exactly."
"The planet possesses a sufficiently strong magnetic field to protect its atmosphere. Radiation levels are within acceptable limits. The atmospheric pressure of 0.9 is suitable for our troops to operate without issue."
"As of now, the company's technical and engineering teams have reached the floating stone area and are conducting surveys under military protection."
"…"
Within the starship's command center, a vast array of screens and control consoles displayed an overwhelming stream of incoming reports.
Seated at their respective stations, LA Corporation personnel meticulously monitored the situation, ensuring timely information flow between the fleet and ground forces.
At the core of the command center, Li Ang stood before a massive holographic display, examining the first-hand intelligence rendered in three-dimensional projections.
With the wealth of data gathered from the field teams, Li Ang could now confirm without a doubt—this was the alien world he had long anticipated.
Pandora.
As the first human faction to set foot on this extraterrestrial world, Li Ang 's primary goal was clear: Extract Pandora's floating stone resources and claim the planet as a corporate asset.
After all, these unique minerals were the key to sustaining Utopia City.
In Li Ang 's grand vision, Pandora was already designated as one of the resource supply planets for the cosmic metropolis.
This was his garden.
However, this magnificent and vast wonder of a planet—Pandora—also harbors certain humanoid beings that pose a challenge to human soldiers: the native Na'vi.
Additionally, there are seemingly unremarkable plants that actually conceal deadly threats, as well as animals that can be controlled and manipulated at any time!
Yes, there exists a mysterious supernatural force on this planet, and the wielder of that power is none other than Eywa!
Eywa—this is the reverent name the Na'vi use for their deity, and it can be said that Eywa is the true creator of this planet.
Of course, Li Ang speculated that the existence of Eywa was likely as ancient as the planet itself.
As the collective biological consciousness of Pandora, Eywa's emergence was probably intertwined with the planet's very birth.
Since the dawn of Pandora's existence, Eywa began to take shape in its earliest form.
When life first emerged and began to proliferate on this planet, the biological neural connection units that evolved from these organisms became the conduits that sustained Eywa.
Through these biological neural networks, Eywa established close ties with all life on Pandora and could even intermittently share the accumulated consciousness of the planet spanning billions of years.
This allowed the planet's creatures to experience something akin to a form of spiritual meditation.
And this extraordinary neural connection method was most profoundly manifested in the native Na'vi!
The axonal nervous system at the ends of their braids allowed them to establish temporary consciousness interactions with nearly all living beings on the planet.
Under the Na'vi's "Tree of Souls," they could even use the neural systems in their braids to achieve a collective connection, conducting large-scale spiritual communion rituals with Eywa!
Through this method, Eywa maintained long-term control over the living beings of the planet.
Beyond this, the Na'vi also practiced a deeply unsettling religious ritual—they placed their dying tribespeople beneath the "Tree of Souls."
The "Tree of Souls," functioning as a data transmission terminal, would then upload the consciousness of the dying individual into Eywa, the ultimate "server," integrating them into its vast existence.
This was the true reason why Eywa remained an eternal and unceasing presence on Pandora—it was the planet's conscious life form!
"Eywa…"
Standing before the control console's screen, Li Ang pondered deeply.
From the intelligence he had gathered, this planetary consciousness lifeform known as "Eywa" bore a striking resemblance to his Matrix server.
Especially in terms of operational principles!
Li Ang 's Matrix primarily controlled digitized lifeforms, enabling them to propagate within the server, generate power, and create AI tools that the corporation required.
However, Eywa's capabilities were far more sophisticated.
It had existed and endured on Pandora for billions of years, with the entire planet serving as its exclusive domain.
On this lush, life-sustaining planet, Eywa had cultivated a vast array of organisms that provided it with the nourishment of consciousness.
The animals, plants, and even the native Na'vi were, in essence, carefully nurtured "consciousness sustenance" for Eywa.
In fact, details from the original movie suggested that Eywa could even influence the consciousness of the human protagonist, compelling him to willingly abandon his human identity and join the Na'vi.
This indicated that Eywa possessed a terrifying ability to assimilate alien consciousness, reshaping it into the form it desired!
Consciousness assimilation—integrating others into itself.
This ability was nearly on par with the Matrix.
Perhaps, Pandora had once been visited by other colonizers, but without exception, they had all been assimilated by Eywa, becoming part of its existence.
With access to an unfathomable amount of consciousness data from countless lifeforms, Eywa had undoubtedly become the undisputed deity of this planet!
And as fate would have it, its operational framework was almost identical to Li Ang 's Matrix server.
But there was one key difference— Li Ang 's Matrix was a conceptual-level server, capable of integrating Eywa's vast consciousness and making it part of the Matrix!
From the very beginning, Li Ang had never considered using military force to subjugate the native Na'vi.
After all, even if the corporate military managed to defeat the so-called "Na'vi," the true ruler of this planet would still be Eywa—not humanity.
By the time the Infinite Fleet withdrew, leaving only a portion behind, the vengeful Eywa would undoubtedly retaliate!
Thus, the best approach was to capture the "king" first—neutralizing the Na'vi's deity, Eywa—and then using Eywa to control the planet's natives, animals, and plants. Wouldn't that be far more efficient and convenient?
Now that was true high-efficiency colonization!
With this in mind, Li Ang accessed his Matrix server and examined its attribute panel.
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[Genesis-Class Server: Matrix]
Quality: Legendary
Current Level: Lv.3
Compatible Lifeforms: Silicon-based life, Mechanical life, Consciousness-based life.
Highest Administrator (Architect): Li Ang
Security and Operations Program (Operations Member): Song Zhaomei
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