StarCraft: Tyranid Empire

"I'll bet my monthly allowance that you're just trying to tease us. It's not over yet, Rory!"

Mr. Bill "Pearly" Bousquette, the second in command of the Royal Engineers, sat down on the ground and blew his beard in his eyes with anger.

He and several young engineers around him were inspecting the airlock cabin. They were wearing tight exoskeleton work clothes. It would not be a big deal if they fell from a height of several feet.

The Hyperion had just completed an overhaul and was moored in the dry dock ready to be handed over to the Royal Guard. It was supposed to be empty inside. As a result, something went wrong during the third inspection. The angry chief engineer Rory Swann immediately rushed over with several engineers to clean up the mess.

Originally, Swann did not need to deal with this matter. The entire Aurora Shipyard's ships were under his control. There were at least thirty battlecruisers parked in the dock.

But Swann is a person who can't take any time off. Whenever he has time, he runs around carrying a tool box. He also doesn't like giving orders, preferring to be around tools and people who know how to use them.

"Oh, I don't have time to do this. There is still a small problem with this compensator. You have to wait for me for a while. I will treat you to a Mai Tai cocktail later." Swann's voice came from Huberian's aisle communicator. come out.

"Don't rush me, guys, it's almost done."

"I have to say that the dwarf can drink pretty well. The cup he drinks beer from is as big as my head." Tychus said of Swann: "We drink from a bucket and can pee for half an hour."

The relationship between Tychus and Swann is not very good, so it's not like they are enemies.

"What a fool, Tychus," said the emperor.

Others ate meat and drank wine, but Tychus peed loudly.

"Your Majesty!" Bill "Polly" Bousquet saw Augustus and immediately bowed in salute, and the other engineers immediately put down their hands.

"Thank you, Bill, Boy, and Erich." Augustus shook hands with these engineers one by one, and the glorious young engineers only regretted that they did not wear the best clothes.

The engineers in the Imperial Engineering Corps come from all over the world, from factories, docks and quiet towns. Many of the young engineers grew up listening to the legend of Augustus Mengsk.

The emperor remembered the names of everyone he met, even the real unknowns. His memory is not much better than others, which makes it even more admirable.

A sergeant of the Demon of Heaven wrote a biography of the emperor after he retired, and the book immediately became a guaranteed bestseller. In that book, Augustus Mengsk was described as an outstanding Federation Marine officer, and the legend of the Terran Empire began.

"Are you still adapting to life here?" Augustus asked.

Most of the people at Aurora Shipyard were transferred here two months after the war started. Some came from the warm and humid tropical jungle world, while others lived in the freezing ice and snow.

"It's much better than the days we have lived in the past." Bill said: "Young people may not remember the time when they were sweating in the old T-280 space engineering vehicle."

Bill comes from Jos, a land of high-altitude plateaus, rolling mountains and deserts on the inner continental plate. In the past, Bill used to work for wealthy people traveling to Jos. Later, he was attracted by the favorable recruitment conditions of the Imperial Engineering Corps and decided to go to the core world to make a fortune and leave.

Unexpectedly, he worked for several years. If his two sons had not already started families and had careers in their hometown, Bill would even want to move to Kehal.

The benefits of the Imperial Engineering Corps are much better than those of private mining companies, and they are also safer. The most important thing is that the Empire will not default on pensions. The Royal Engineers were even more amazing, they worked for the emperor.

All in all, in the Terran Empire, talented people are better off than before. The imperial capital of Augustgrad had a massive middle class that only Tarsonis could match.

Augustus nodded and looked at the Hyperion, which was moored quietly in the dry dock.

The Hyperion never stopped being renovated and upgraded, and Augustus spent enough money on her to build ten Minotaur-class battlecruisers. And even when the drawings of the Minotaur-class battlecruiser were approved, the Hyperion's performance, firepower, and armor were not inferior to those of the new battleships.

In the past four years, the Hyperion's propulsion system, electronic system, armor and weapons have been redesigned. Everything is only the best. It is almost dismantled and rebuilt to build a new one.

This majestic battleship looks like new, with its towering bridge shining brightly under the pilot lights.

The flagship of the Empire, a symbol of freedom, the soldiers on board called her the Merciful Lady.

The current Hyperion is already one of the most powerful battleships in active service, except that it is not as large as the latest Gorgon battlecruiser.

Some people may ask whether it is worth spending such a high price. Emperor Augustus's answer was simple and clear: I have been on this ship for seven or eight years in the past, and the Hyperion has never abandoned me.

The Emperor is nostalgic.

"You did a great job," Augustus said to Bill.

"At least it's worthy of the salary." Bill smiled: "We also have children serving in the Navy, and some are on the front lines. They are on a certain battleship now, and outside the several-foot-thick bulkhead is the cold space. "

"We don't want those children who have just grown up to die so far from home because of our own negligence."

Bill had a son who joined Joss's Imperial Stormtroopers, and if the war spread there, there would be many others he knew who would join the fight. Another old engineer in the engineering group has three sons who have joined the army, two of whom are on the Bracken front line, but even so, his hand holding the welding torch is still so steady.

War is so unexpected, and suddenly people's familiar world and familiar life are torn apart.

"We can never get used to seeing death, whether it is a relative or a stranger we have never met." Augustus thought of the death of Thomas Omo and the number of people growing in Augustgrad Cemetery every day. The cross:

"Because of this, every work that can reduce casualties and achieve victory is extremely meaningful."

There are more and more military families.

In the old days of the Commonwealth, no one envied soldiers. People only joined the army for money. There is no protection for federal soldiers, that is, if they are not transformed into resocialized soldiers and survive until retirement, they will immediately become victims of the unemployment wave.

At the end of the first total war, the streets of Tarsonis were filled with disabled soldiers who had to beg to survive. Their young daughters learned to be charming and plaintive to please passers-by. God knows what kind of people would Take them home.

The situation did not improve until Augustus ordered subsidies for disabled federal soldiers.

Nowadays, Imperial soldiers are considered a respectable profession. You must know that the apartments in the center of Augustgrad are occupied by high-ranking Imperial officers. But whenever there is a war, people will die.

Valerian, son of Prince Arcturus, will also join the navy, starting as an ordinary officer.

Stillling's semester was shortened by one and a half years, and the cadets had to study several times as many courses every day as before. They accepted military management in order to become solid and reliable naval officers after graduation. There is no shortage of soldiers now, only outstanding officers who can lead them.

"This is the only thing we can do for them, better battleships and better weapons. Now we have the ability and conditions, instead of letting those brave children set foot on the road with rifles or even fire sticks. battlefield." Bill said:

"The Royal Engineers are always ready to go to the front line."

Engineering groups are indispensable on any battlefield. They can repair damaged weapons, erect bunkers on the front lines, and erect tall buildings.

"The empire needs people like you." Augustus looked at Bill.

Bill Bousquet was a person who grew up in the old federal system, and most of the people who maintained the imperial system were also such people.

At this time, a dull "duangduang" sound came closer and closer. It was the sound of Rory Swann walking.

"What kind of wind brings you here, hero?" Swann knew that Augustus had arrived, but he still finished his work before coming out:

"New job?"

"When did he give you a new nickname?" Tychus muttered.

"You know that's what Swann likes to do," said Augustus.

Swann has a habit of giving people nicknames, but not for ridicule, mostly for endearment. Raynor is a cowboy, Valerian Mengsk calls him boss, and he calls Protoss Empire executive Artanis baby.

"I'm looking for you," Augustus said to Swann.

"I guess you're in need of an engineer," Swann said, walking up to Augustus.

This strong Mrs. Mainho is not actually short, she just looks flatter. As soon as he saw Tychus, Swann immediately shook his beard and glared angrily, as if to say that the other party dared to come to his territory.

Of course, Tychus stared at Swann with wide eyes. If you don't have a good mouth to breathe in front of the emperor, then you have to compete with someone who has bigger eyes.

Augustus was accustomed to this and didn't bother to pay attention to them. He just thought that his two cats were having trouble again.

"Swan, I received a report that Gorgon's experimental battleship Loki (the Chinese translation is Vulcan) has reached the stage of testing weapons." Augustus said to Swan:

"It won't be long before we can demonstrate this powerful new weapon to the public."

"I don't want to dampen your interest, but we have to wait another two years for mass production of Gorgon." Swann shook his head: "This type of battlecruiser is too big, and the existing docks simply cannot Not that big.”

"I know." Augustus said:

"I was just going to see if she was worth the money."

"I can guarantee this." Swann nodded and said:

"The Minotaur is already big enough, but the Gorgon is basically twice her size and can carry eight thousand people. The ships behind it may be even bigger, which means there will be more space for loading. With more powerful weapons, our ships may one day be able to carry out solar bombardments like the Spear of Adun of the Duram Protoss."

"I like your enterprising spirit." Augustus said to Swann: "Now take me to see that big guy."

"I hope they know you're coming," Swann said. "We can take the streetcar from the shipyard. I hope you can stand the smell of us country bumpkins."

"You underestimate me." Augustus was silent for a moment: "Don't forget how I climbed up from a puddle of mud and stood where I am now. Do you think I am not willing to endure hardship now?"

The Aurora Shipyard is a miracle. She inherits the design of the Dalarian Orbital Shipyard, but it is better than the previous one. There are countless shipyards, countless docks, countless cranes, countless spaceships and trailers for transporting materials, and about 1.65 million workers.

The tram Augustus took was filled with workers dressed in blue or orange. They lived and worked in the Aurora Shipyard and considered it their home.

As the train was moving, the radio inside was still broadcasting the latest news. The Battle of Bracken really made Edmund Duke shine, and other generals were naturally not far behind.

Progress reports from the Aurora Shipyard will also be played on the radio, such as how many warships have been launched this month and how many will be launched next month.

In the distance, the huge, canyon-like slide is paved with equally huge and incredibly huge keels. Tens of thousands of people are working around it, and they look like little black dots from a distance.

Beside the slide are piles of alloy steel as high as a mountain, which are transported by super-giant cranes that are taller than the mountain. These alloy steels will be shaped, cut, and forged until they become hull components, and then welded together with the unparalleled beams, and then assembled into various equipment and weapons.

This is a Minotaur-class battlecruiser under construction. The length of cables laid inside her alone can circle the city of Augustgrad several times.

From the laying of the keel to the commissioning of a battlecruiser, countless people are involved, including workers, architects, engineers, smelters, blacksmiths, drillers, and electricians. The entire work of the shipyard is under the control of the Imperial Navy. Under the supervision of other departments, Imperial Navy soldiers wearing power armor or red and blue uniforms can often be seen here.

The Aurora Shipyard is an important military center of the empire and is guarded by a large number of troops.

Nowadays, the empire's shipbuilding technology has surpassed Umoyan by a lot, so they also covet it a lot. Of course, zerg will also infiltrate, especially a type of mimic hatchling that can assume human form.

Even further away was the Gorgon test ship Vulcan that Augustus spoke of. The dock that carried her alone was larger and more majestic than any warship he had ever seen. The giant turrets stand like rows of tall buildings, and the shadows they cast when they move are like the spreading darkness.

The Vulcan was sailing in the rising sun, hoisted by thousands of Terran Empire flags.

"Oh, not as good as Odin." Tychus said.