*

Mars Defense Force.

Specifically, the 11th Border Battalion under the Space Operations Command is one of the units responsible for the safety of Mars, currently stationed at the 4th Space Station for rotational deployment.

Although it might be considered a desk job except for the regular patrols, it hasn’t been the case lately.

A major incident erupted, as if to make up for the previous calm.

Jin Geon, who followed a sergeant into the hangar, could see a half-destroyed ship.

The E-401 space passenger ship that departed from No.3 Dome Spaceport.

“I’ll wait here, so please call me when you’re done.”

“Understood.”

Since it was under different jurisdiction, it was unreasonable for Jin Geon, who belonged to the city government, to intervene, but he had already discussed it with the battalion commander.

Jin Geon entered the interior with the agents and headed straight to the engine room.

Fortunately, the crime scene was completely preserved.

The broken tokamak, and the suspect who caused this disaster.

“Fanatic, Genesis.”

Unlike others, he was a cyborg.

It was hard to determine the original form, possibly due to the explosion. However, there was no doubt that data could be extracted.

“Let’s investigate.”

“Yes.”

One of the agents plugged an adapter into Genesis’ head. Jin Geon, leaning against the wall, quietly observed the scene. The Emergency Disaster Response Team had various talents. Experts who showed incredible abilities in their respective fields. As expected, results came out soon.

“Some brain cells have deteriorated without external factors. It seems to have properties similar to semiconductors.”

Born human, but understanding the mind of a machine. This was undoubtedly a trace of supernatural abilities.

“Is he an infected?”

It was as expected. He had replaced his entire body with a mechanical one and acted without any rejection reaction. Blindly and vigorously. His behavior was no different from an android with only one command input.

“It’s not a good sign.”

The infected formed a group and attacked the space passenger ship to steal the ion drive. It couldn’t be a coincidence.

Yet, the Mars Defense Force handled it negligently.

It was evident they covered it up without a word despite such a significant incident, intending to eliminate any obstacles to promotion.

It was suspicious to say that a space sheriff sacrificed himself to stop it, as it wasn’t of such a scale.

“Team Leader?”

Jin Geon, pulled out of his thoughts by the voice calling him, nodded.

“Yes, go ahead.”

“We seem to have gathered all the necessary information. What should we do? Do you have any additional instructions?”

“No, we’ll deliver the investigation results and then head down to Mars. It’s not our jurisdiction anyway. The follow-up team will handle the rest.”

As he said. The main mission of Team 3, led by Jin Geon, was not this. Rather the opposite.

They had only stopped by while chasing a man. Yes, the important thing was—

‘Yang Hu.’

It was to deal with him.

They had already identified that Yang Hu lived as a person named Shin in No.3 Dome for 20 years. And that he killed the Hoover father and son in New Delvire and went into hiding.

They searched inside the dome but found nothing. It was natural to turn their attention outside. It was inevitable to think that he might have headed to Mars.

Of course, he could still be hiding in No.3 Dome or have fled to another dome.

But it was Yang Hu. Would he risk the same method again knowing he was being chased? No, it couldn’t be. Jin Geon, who had been tracking Yang Hu, could be sure of it.

Suddenly, a list appeared on his retina. From then until now, a total of 586 space passenger ships had left No.3 Dome. Estimated personnel: 24,667.

Anyone could be Yang Hu, and yet no one could be.

The amount to investigate was vast, but that’s why he could be confident. This time, he could put a period to it.

As Jin Geon took a step and disappeared, skid marks appeared and vanished like soot.

*

Terraforming.

Adjusting a planet to be habitable for the human species was not as easy as it sounded.

Even if there was technology and will, it wasn’t something that could be done instantly.

The Second was the same.

They moved to Mars at the request of humanity in 2159, right after visiting Earth.

But the actual completion of terraforming was in 2200.

It was a time that spanned more than a generation, but humanity didn’t just wait idly.

They developed foundational technologies to settle on Mars.

Perhaps because there was a goal, the technological growth during that time was explosive.

Thus, in 2201, humanity finally advanced to Mars.

To commemorate this monumental day, they attached the era name ‘Pioneer Year’.

By now, domes and other forms of autonomous regions, colonies, were established.

Currently, there are five colonies representing Mars.

The Seed Colony, where Ga-on arrived, was one of them.

Moreover, it boasted the largest size among existing colonies. Wide roads and roadside trees.

High-rise buildings spread like a spider web. And streets in ivory tones that looked cozy just by seeing them.

It was hard to believe that just 200 years ago, it was a barren land. Moreover, a blue sky, unseen in domes, stretched beyond the horizon.

The peculiar thing was that outside the colony was red soil.

This was evidence that human footsteps had not yet reached there. It was easy to forget in familiar scenery, but this was a planet different from Earth.

Whether one liked it or not, it was something they had to know.

Time taught them that. Earth and Mars had similar but not identical rotational periods.

Even at this moment, a time difference occurred.

Therefore, a day on Earth and a day on Mars were not the same.

To distinguish this, a day on Mars was called a ‘Sol’ instead of a day.

Naturally, the year was also entirely different. Mars’ orbital period was roughly 2 years. Twice that of Earth.

In other words, the four seasons were about twice as long. Earth was August 1, 2321. In the middle of summer, but Mars was Pioneer Year 65, February 12 Sol.

“Achoo.”

―It was winter.

*

No weapons.

No capital.

No connections.

To describe Ga-on’s current situation, it was dire, to say the least.

He was like a stranger who fell from the sky.

But even that is only for a day or two; after living for nearly 300 years, one inevitably learns the ropes.

After parting with the girl, he headed straight to a capsule hotel. A place where food, clothing, and shelter were provided.

Parasites who couldn’t secure a home mainly resided there, only to lie down, but for Ga-on, who had to save every penny, there was no better place.

In fact, he planned to get a small studio.

He had obtained a device and was now receiving basic income every month.

The support for a single-person household was 2.15 million Pia this year.

It was enough to live without working as long as he didn’t indulge in luxury.

However, upon checking his balance, Ga-on couldn’t help but curse.

[155,000 Pia]

That was his entire fortune.

The basic income system was standardized based on Earth’s time and was in effect.

Today happened to be the day it was deposited.

Yet, he couldn’t exceed 2.15 million Pia.

What on earth happened? While checking the transaction history, Ga-on found a suspicious reason in the payment list.

‘Automatic transfer?’

Every month, 2.15 million Pia, the basic income, was transferred somewhere.

[RYS Company]

It was a company he had never heard of.

Nothing came up even when he searched.

It was as if someone had blocked it. It seemed to be related to the previous owner of the device, the real Baek Ga-on.

Thinking about it, he might have acquaintances or relatives.

If unlucky, he might even run into them on the street. But—

‘They wouldn’t distribute such goods.’

In any case, he had no choice but to cancel it.

Even if he wanted to retrieve the money that was siphoned off, it was a ghost company he was dealing with.

It was probably the force that sold the device.

Regrettably, Ga-on couldn’t be confident about the subject either.

They must have set up the automatic transfer targeting such vulnerabilities.

Their determination to squeeze out every last drop was astonishing.

“There are too many thieves in the world.”

Shaking his head, Ga-on stood up.

He had planned to return as a troubleshooter after leisurely enjoying his daily life, but schedules always change, don’t they? Fortunately, this time he didn’t have to rush to find a broker.

He had already decided to accept a request from a user named ParadiseMaker, with whom he had worked for a long time in Lost Saga.

*

Edge of Seed Colony, District 43.

Unlike the dome, the outskirts seemed to symbolize wealth.

The direction indicated by the address reeked of money.

It was unusual from the moment he entered.

Not only did the appearance of patrol drones change, but the distance between mansions also widened.

It seemed like they had purchased the value of leisure.

The bustling downtown he had passed through seemed like a busy countryside in comparison.

Moreover, the proportion of androids on the streets increased sharply. It wasn’t that he had any special ability to distinguish them.

It was just that their brightly colored hair caught his eye.

This was a feature given to androids according to the AI Restriction Law.

It was an external element added to prevent confusion with humans.

Coincidentally, he ended up walking alongside an android, perhaps because their paths overlapped. Along the vine-covered wall.

Continuously, all the way. It was then that a voice came from right beside him.

“Are you following me by any chance?”

“No.”

“Just in case, I’m telling you that my workplace is nearby. It’s also about time for the patrol drone to pass by.”

“So you’re saying you’re a good citizen.”

“I am an android who can report to the police.”

It was indeed a coincidence, but the android seemed to be warning him, as if not believing it.

He wondered what kind of education they received to act like that, but he nodded in understanding when he saw where she stopped.

The mansion’s front gate boasted a different grandeur compared to others.

Coincidentally, it matched the destination he intended to visit.

He tried to enter naturally by following her, but as soon as he approached, two men came from the other side to stop him.

Armed, no less.

“This is private property. If you have no business here, please leave.”

“Doby Howard, he’s inside, right? I’m here to see him.”

He revealed the real name of ParadiseMaker, which he had learned recently, but the man didn’t budge.

He wondered if he had the wrong address, but since they didn’t deny it, it seemed he had come to the right place.

“What is your relationship with him?”

“Friend.”

Of course, with the premise of being online.