Chapter 3: Landing
Ceres was 15 billion kilometers from the Sun, already outside the Solar Circle.
The Sun, as seen from here, was less than half as bright as a full moon seen from Earth, which meant it was just barely bright enough to cast a shadow.
This showed just how faint the sunlight on Ceres was.
This incredibly weak sunlight caused the surface temperature of Ceres to drop to approximately minus 251 degrees Celsius, or only about 22 Kelvin.
This extreme cold had solidified most gases. The planet’s surface had no atmosphere and was in a state of high vacuum.
Furthermore, now that it was outside the Solar Circle, high-energy interstellar radiation could bombard the surface unimpeded.
Without any protection, even the strongest human would die in less than a minute on its surface.
Without Space Suits, no matter how many Clones Li Qingsong created, it would be useless.
But Space Suits were different from the clone-culturing pods. The Deep Space Spaceship didn’t have many spare parts.
’You’re the only one on board. Aren’t four Space Suits enough for you? Why would you need so many?’
Li Qingsong’s two brains began to think simultaneously, but after a long time, they still couldn’t find a solution.
’Modern Space Suits are so incredibly complex. I can’t possibly build one myself. I can’t even cobble one together from spare parts.’
Finally, Li Qingsong gritted his teeth.
"Forget it! A so-called Space Suit serves five key functions, and that’s it. One, provide pressure. Two, store oxygen. Three, provide insulation. Four, block radiation. Five, maintain communications.
For pressure, I’ll just get some airtight, sealed material and cut it into the shape of clothing.
For oxygen, I’ll have to use oxygen tanks. Every kind of Space Suit needs them, anyway. But I do have plenty of oxygen tanks here.
As for insulation... I can’t solve that one. At most, I can rig up some batteries to heat the oxygen tanks so they don’t freeze over and become unusable for breathing.
So I won’t solve it! Worst-case scenario, I’ll just have the Clones wear thicker layers. Anyway, thermal radiation is the least efficient method of heat transfer. With good insulation, they should be able to last for a few hours. When it gets too cold to bear, they can just come back to warm up.
As for blocking radiation, that’s even less solvable. So I won’t solve that either!
Besides, while there is radiation here, the dosage isn’t that high. Even if they get sick, it won’t be for a few years. When the time comes, any Clone that gets radiation sickness can just be recycled and remade.
And there’s no need to solve the communications problem at all. I can directly control the Clones with my mind now, so what do I need communications equipment for?"
Having made his decision, the two Li Qingsongs immediately went to the warehouse and began searching for usable materials.
Eventually, Li Qingsong’s gaze fell upon a special plastic film.
This film was originally used for emergency seals.
If the spaceship was ever damaged, Li Qingsong could cover the breach with this film to create a temporary, emergency seal between the ship’s interior and the outside environment.
Because it didn’t take up much space and was lightweight, the spaceship had a large supply of this film.
"I’ll use this!"
Li Qingsong took out a roll and brought it to the fabrication room.
Afterward, the two Li Qingsongs once again began studying subjects related to clothing tailoring and film processing.
After 40 hours of study, Li Qingsong finalized his plan for the work ahead.
’The cutting isn’t too difficult. The key is how to seal the seams—that’s a bit tricky. And also reinforcing the vulnerable areas like the soles, palms, knees, and elbows.’
’Tricky, but not impossible. At most, it just requires high precision and the process will be time-consuming and troublesome.’
With the fabrication plan confirmed, Li Qingsong controlled his two bodies, gathered various tools, and began the work with intense concentration.
Three months later, the first "Space Suit" was complete.
For the eye area, Li Qingsong left an opening and then used a piece of special-purpose glass.
Metal plates were added to the vulnerable areas like the soles, palms, and knees, connected to the film with soft padding.
The many seams in the film material were secured using a special stitching method combined with a special adhesive to ensure they were airtight.
Overall, it looked like a dark yellow, full-body protective suit.
After placing it in the vacuum of space outside the ship for an inflation test and carefully observing it, Li Qingsong looked at the data and sighed. "It’ll have to do."
The first Space Suit took three months to make, but the second was completed in only two.
By the time the second batch of five Clones was successfully born, Li Qingsong had a total of six Space Suits.
’I still need to make six more.’
With the addition of these five new Clones, as expected, Li Qingsong felt that his basic brainpower, operational capacity, and so on had increased fivefold compared to when he only had his original body.
A total of seven bodies began to bustle about in the fabrication room, and after another full six months of hard work, they successfully rushed to complete the remaining six Space Suits.
At this time, another batch of five Clones was successfully born, increasing the number of bodies and brains Li Qingsong could command to twelve.
Twelve Li Qingsongs, all identical in height, weight, and appearance, bustled about inside the Deep Space Spaceship. The once huge and empty ship cabins now seemed a little crowded.
At this point, Li Qingsong temporarily halted the creation of Clones.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want more Clones. Rather, if he created too many at this point, the resources on the Deep Space Spaceship would be insufficient.
Clones were not robots. Although they had no consciousness of their own, they still had biological instincts. They needed to breathe and eat, too.
Li Qingsong slowly took stock of his current supplies.
Originally, the supplies and energy on the Deep Space Spaceship were enough to last him for 15 years.
But after creating the first Clone, that time was cut in half, leaving only 7.5 years.
Now, with 12 bodies, the ship’s food, drinking water, oxygen, and energy would only last for one more year.
Within that year, Li Qingsong had to acquire sufficient supplies from Ceres. Otherwise, all the Li Qingsongs would starve to death.
’Well then... It’s time to get to work.’
Li Qingsong looked out the viewport at the massive, dark-red planet, his resolve hardening.
He left his original body and one Clone behind on the Deep Space Spaceship to avoid a total wipeout. The remaining ten Clones all boarded two small landing craft, carrying some initial supplies with them as they departed.
There were only two small landing craft in total, and Li Qingsong had now dispatched them both.
Through the viewport, Li Qingsong’s original body watched as the two small landing craft shot flames from their tails, gradually descending toward the ground below.
Through the Clones’ eyes, the dark-red ground before them rapidly grew larger.
The two landing craft finally touched down. The hatches opened, and through the Clones’ vision, the dark, cold, desolate, and dead landscape of Ceres once again unfolded in Li Qingsong’s mind.