I am the Emperor of Humanity across the Multiverse

?! 

As the lights on the boarding bridge shifted from bright to red, and yellow warning lights began to flash at the corners, Robin Mead and her cameraman, Jerry, immediately showed signs of panic.

Although they believed in the saying "Atlas products are top-notch" and were aware of the solid structure of the space station, fear was inevitable.

This was because, when humans are in space, there's always a subconscious sense of isolation and the terrifying realization that escape is impossible. 

After all, space offers no environment to rely on. If a person is exposed to the vacuum, they would face suffocation, extreme temperatures that either burn or freeze them, and the low pressure would cause bodily fluids to evaporate and blood to boil.

So, the moment they heard the broadcast, images of explosions tearing through the space station, sucking them into the void, filled Robin and Jerry's minds.

"Mr. Liu, what should we do?" Robin asked, her voice trembling.

"No need to be afraid. We're safe for the moment," Liu Junhao replied calmly as he led them further toward the end of the boarding bridge, explaining as he went: 

"Although I'm not sure what's happening, we can treat the engineering ship as an escape pod. Follow me."

As a senior engineer, Liu Junhao had vast experience and had even been involved in the construction of Universe-06 (the Pacific Rim universe). Faced with an unknown emergency, the best option was indeed to continue boarding, just as he suggested.

"Okay!" Robin responded quickly.

Jerry, remaining silent, followed the two while still diligently filming the events for the live stream. He wanted to make sure the viewers could see the reality of the situation at the space station. 

This was a rare, explosive piece of news. If they made it back alive, he and Robin would undoubtedly receive generous bonuses, promotions, and raises. Furthermore, Liu Junhao hadn't indicated that they should stop broadcasting.

Liu Junhao, of course, understood these thoughts. However, the company's news and PR departments had specifically informed him that this live broadcast was an opportunity to showcase Atlas's true strength, so he ignored Jerry's actions.

The three of them ran to the end of the boarding bridge, passing through a pressure chamber guarded by two security personnel, and entered the spacious and brightly lit interior of the engineering ship.

The ship had sealed doors in every section, ensuring the safety of passengers in different areas in case of an emergency.

Following the seating information they had received earlier, they headed to Passenger Cabin 1.

Each row in the cabin had six individual seats, with over half a meter of space between them, providing ample personal comfort. The overall layout resembled that of a magnetic levitation train. Additionally, holographic tablets, loaded with movies and games that didn't require a membership, allowed passengers to pass the time during their journey.

However, the Atlas employees already seated there had no interest in movies or games.

No matter how calm they were or how much they trusted the company, it was hard to avoid feeling anxious and uneasy, making the atmosphere in Cabin 1 rather heavy.

The three took their seats in row 14 and waited patiently.

Even at this point, Jerry continued to film the interior of the cabin and then directed his camera toward the sealed windows on the right, ensuring that viewers could clearly see the docking port outside.

At this moment, the live channel was buzzing:

User 3367: "What kind of emergency is this? What's going on?"

SupremeWarrior: "Space station... What do you think the emergency could be? It's obviously something from space."

ParatrooperStraightIntoBattle!: "What the heck?! A space threat? Could it be an alien species?!"

User1237: "Or maybe it's a meteor or comet? Aliens seem a bit too far-fetched to me."

SupremeWarrior: "Bro, did you forget the werewolf and vampire incident two years ago? The world is full of strange things. Who knows what it could be?"

While the space station had entered emergency mode and viewers of Seattle Midday News were engaged in heated discussions, the major cities on Earth continued to operate as usual.

However, in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, home to the orbital elevator, air raid sirens blared across the city.

Woooooo! Woooooo! 

The sharp sound echoed through the streets, causing pedestrians to stop and bringing traffic to a standstill.

"What's happening?"

"Are we going to war?"

"It can't be a war, right? Libreville has an Atlas military base nearby. Who would dare provoke them?"

A couple visiting the city stood by a record store, discussing the situation.

Whoosh—Whoosh—! 

Just as the man finished saying "It can't be a war," several hovering transport vehicles, marked with "AECS," flew overhead.

The sight of such a show of force made it hard not to feel like the shadow of war was looming.

As people on the streets grew increasingly puzzled, the public holographic screens, which had been broadcasting news and ads, suddenly went black. Moments later, they displayed the spinning red and white "Λ" logo of Atlas, as if a signal was being transferred.

Then, the screen brightened, revealing a minimally decorated office.

Inside was a mahogany desk, atop which sat an old-fashioned clock, a pen, and paper documents. Behind the desk were floor-to-ceiling windows, flanked by red curtains, through which the evening sun streamed, adding a soft glow to the scene.

Sitting at the desk in formal attire, with neatly combed hair and a serious expression, was Samuel Young.

After a brief pause, Samuel began to speak:

"To all the humans watching this live broadcast, I am Samuel Young, owner of Atlas. Many of you may know me through our company's website, press conferences, or other channels.

Allow me to apologize for taking up your time, but what I am about to discuss will have a profound impact on the global order and could affect the future of all humanity."

At this point, the screen switched from Samuel's office to an image of deep space.

The view zoomed in. 

Zoomed in again. 

As the image became more and more blurred, the couple standing outside the record store, along with the rest of the viewers, could vaguely make out a massive, oval-shaped object in the vastness of space.

The first impression this strange, non-natural object gave was— 

'This is no man-made structure. It's an extraterrestrial artifact.'

___________________

Read Ahead

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