The crystal gangway above Drydock Basin #1 hummed as the Sovereign Aurora released its showroom mooring locks and lowered its boarding ramp toward the Taichu crew.
Xing Yao’s fingers flew across her Starlight Jade HUD, entering the master drydock override code that had just transferred with the flagship’s deed.
“Antimatter Keel Clamp disarmed, Chairman Lin!” Xing Yao reported, a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek as she locked onto the sub-basement schematics. “The freight elevator at the end of the concourse leads straight down to Sub-Bay #9 where Old Hammer and the three thousand welders are trapped!”
“Tie Niu, go call Forge-King Tie-Ran and his dwarf smiths off our flagship,” Lin Mo ordered, turning toward the freight elevator. “And tell Grandma Chen to bring the big soup cauldrons. Three thousand welders holding back a plasma-core haven’t eaten a hot meal in days.”
Before they had taken ten steps down the crystal gangway, the wide double doors from Pier #44 swung open.
A rich, mouthwatering cloud of simmering shrimp broth, ginger, and roasted sesame oil drifted into the sterile luxury showroom.
Grandma Chen marched in at the head of twenty Taichu kitchen aunties (Goodness: 91–98/100), her silver hair tucked neatly under a white chef’s cap. Two floating spirit-trolleys glided beside her, stacked high with steaming cast-iron wonton pots, bamboo steamers of scallion buns, and earthenware jars of crispy pickled turnips.
