SPACE: I Can Summon Players From Earth!

Chapter 6: Command Center

Thirty minutes passed in silence inside the lift. Only the low, steady hum of the emergency power supply broke the quiet, while the air slowly grew warmer and noticeably thinner.

Then, Luis's fingers twitched. His eyelids fluttered, and with a low groan, he finally opened his eyes.

"Ugh~ my whole body feels like it got run over by a freight train."

Pushing himself up slowly. His head throbbed with a dull ache, and his right ankle still sent sharp jolts of pain whenever he shifted his weight.

"System? You still there? Don't tell me you got fried along with everything else out there!"

"Commander, I am fully operational and completely unharmed!" the System's cheerful voice rang out immediately, appearing as a small glowing hologram above his wrist.

"I have been monitoring your vital signs the entire time. You only suffered a mild concussion and some bruising from the shockwave~ nothing serious. You were unconscious for exactly thirty-two minutes."

"Thirty minutes? That felt like a whole night of bad sleep," Luis sighed.

"And what about the air in here? It feels harder to breathe already."

"Oxygen levels have dropped to thirty-three percent. We have roughly one hour left before it becomes dangerous to remain active," the System replied frankly.

"We must move quickly."

"Right, right. Let's see what kind of mess we made," Luis said, pressing the button to open the lift doors.

With a soft mechanical hiss, the doors slid apart.

The moment the gap opened, a wave of warm air rushed in, carrying a thick, acrid stench of burnt organic matter and scorched metal. Luis immediately clamped a hand over his nose and mouth, his eyes watering slightly.

"Ugh! That's terrible! It smells like someone burned a whole mountain of garbage mixed with rotten meat!" he complained, peering carefully out into the corridor.

The scene before him was striking yet surprisingly contained.

The walls, floor, and ceiling were covered in deep black scorch marks, and the air still shimmered faintly with residual heat, though it was cool enough to walk through without risk of burns.

But to his amazement, the structural bulkheads remained completely intact; there were no cracks, no collapses, and no holes blown through the decks.

"The explosion knocked me halfway across the lift, but the walls didn't even break?" Luis asked, truly impressed.

"This is a military-grade colony ship, Commander. Its hull and internal partitions are reinforced to withstand micrometeoroid impacts, radiation storms, and even small weapons fire."

"The blast was powerful, but it was fully contained within the cafeteria's reinforced chamber."

"However, all four doors leading into the cafeteria have been blown completely off their hinges or bent wide open—none remain closed."

Luis limped forward slowly, favoring his good leg, and glanced into the cafeteria itself.

The aftermath was clear, every table, chair, and piece of equipment was charred black or twisted into unrecognizable shapes.

Scattered across the floor were the remains of the beetle creatures, hardly anything more than piles of ash, melted shell fragments, and burnt limbs. Not a single one looked whole or intact enough to be identified.

However, all four doors leading into the cafeteria have been blown completely off their hinges or bent wide open, none remain closed.

"Wow~ they really got turned into charcoal."

"Good riddance, but man, that smell is going to linger for ages."

"Consider it a necessary clean sweep, Commander. The path ahead is now clear," the System said.

"Follow the glowing yellow line projected on the floor, it will lead you directly to the corridor that connects to the restricted personnel lift."

"Got it. Lead the way," Luis replied, keeping his weapon ready just in case. Even though nothing moved, the thick haze and dim lighting kept him alert.

He walked slowly, each step sending a faint twinge up his leg, until after only a few minutes he reached the end of the passage. There stood a set of lifts, five of them, and the middle was marked with a glowing golden emblem.

Senior Personnel Only — Command Deck Access.

"Is this the one?" Luis asked, staring at the reinforced panels.

"Yes, Commander. This private lift connects directly to the uppermost deck, where the main Command Center is located," the System confirmed.

"I have already overridden the old security protocols, you may enter freely."

The doors slid open smoothly. Luis stepped inside, and the lift began to rise almost silently. In less than a minute, it slowed to a halt and opened again.

Stepping out, Luis froze in awe.

He stood inside a massive, circular room far larger than he had imagined.

Rows of glowing consoles, holographic displays, and floating control panels lined the walls, shimmering in soft shades of blue and white.

But the most breathtaking sight was the entire front half of the room, it was a vast transparent observation dome, offering a full, unobstructed view of the endless void of outer space.

Stars stretched out like scattered diamonds across the blackness, and right before his eyes, the ship drifted slowly past a massive field of asteroids.

Huge chunks of rock and ice, some as large as buildings, glided silently by, catching the faint glow of the distant star system.

"This is incredible! It's like looking through a window into the universe itself," Luis breathed, forgetting his pain and fatigue for a moment.

"And the ship is still moving? It hasn't stopped or drifted aimlessly?"

"The main navigation and propulsion systems were set to full automatic mode the moment the emergency protocols activated," the System explained as she floated beside him.

"It is keeping the vessel on its original pre-set course while automatically adjusting to avoid large debris."

Luis limped forward until he reached the center of the room.

There sat a large, high-backed chair made of dark polished alloy and soft, supportive padding, facing the main console and the observation dome. Engraved clearly on its armrest in bright silver letters was the word: COMMANDER.

"Is this where I belong now?" Luis asked, resting his hand lightly on the backrest.

"Take your seat, Commander. Once you sit there, the system will fully recognize you as the authorized user," the System said with a bright smile.

Luis lowered himself carefully into the chair.

The moment his weight settled, the entire room seemed to hum with renewed energy. Lights brightened, holographic screens expanded to full size, and streams of data flowed across every display.

"Congratulations, Commander Luis!" the System announced loudly, her tone filled with pride.

"You have successfully reached the Command Center. I have completed a full integration and reboot of the ship's central AI. All previous user accounts, restrictions, and security locks have been cleared. From this moment onward, you are the sole legal owner and supreme commander of this vessel~~ the Galactic Dawn."

Luis leaned back, letting out a long breath of relief.

"Finally! So now I really am in charge? No more locked doors, no more restricted areas, no more systems that refuse to answer me?"

"Exactly! You have full authority over every deck, every system, every weapon, every storage bay, and every resource on board," the System replied.

"And now that I am fully connected to the ship's core, the Greatest Commander System has officially reached one hundred percent operational status."

"Great! Now tell me properly, what exactly does this system do? You mentioned it before, but you never explained the details clearly," Luis asked, turning his attention to the hologram.

The System raised a hand, and a new interface appeared before him, filled with glowing icons and organized text.

"To put it simply, Commander: this system exists to help you build your own power, gather loyal followers, and eventually become the greatest commander across the entire galaxy. It provides missions, resources, upgrades, and all the tools you need to expand your influence."

"Sounds good so far," Luis nodded.

"But what was that special ability you hinted at earlier? Bringing people from Earth, right?"

"Precisely, but there is an important detail I must clarify," the System said, her tone becoming more serious yet still enthusiastic.

"We do not summon their physical bodies directly~ that would be unstable and risky across dimensions. Instead, we summon their souls."

Luis blinked, surprised. "Only their souls? Then how do they exist here?"

"Ah, that is where the ship's greatest reserve comes in," the System explained, gesturing toward a new set of data panels.

"Deep within the lower decks, there are massive cloning facilities and genetic storage vaults. The Galactic Dawn carries the complete blueprints and genetic templates for millions upon millions of fully functional human clones. These bodies can be grown and matured to perfect physical condition in a matter of hours, ready to receive consciousness."

Luis's eyes widened in understanding.

"So you summon their souls from Earth, and then place those souls into these pre-made clones?"

"Exactly!" the System confirmed eagerly.

"The process works like this: We can locate suitable candidates from Earth, individually deliver them a device that can connect from Earth to here. It is also thenthing that can draw their souls across the dimensional barrier. Once here, each soul is gently transferred and integrated into a fully grown, healthy clone body. It is seamless, stable, and far safer than transporting physical matter across realities."

Luis leaned forward, fascinated. "how can you even deliver that device and what happens to them once they wake up? Do they remember who they are?"

"Commander, I have a special skill that can teleport an object as long as the destination is stated, but it would cost a lot of energy everytime I use it."

"Luckily when I searched every device that the Commander can now access. This ship has a built in device thay can use, a Dimensional Folding device. It opens a microscopic, temporary wormhole link directly to Earth's surface. The object is pushed through, requiring zero Earth-side infrastructure."

"They also retain all their memories, skills, and personalities," the System replied.

"They simply awaken in a new, strong body, ready to serve under your command. You can set the requirements for who you want, engineers, soldiers, scientists, administrators, or even ordinary workers."

"Once they arrive, they are bound by a spiritual contract that ensures loyalty, while still giving them freedom to grow and advance. In return, you offer them a new life, better opportunities, and rewards they could never achieve back on Earth."

"This! this is perfect!" Luis said, a grin spreading across his face.

"I was worried I'd have to run this whole ship alone forever. But with this system, I can build a proper crew, an army, and even a whole organization."

"Not only that," the System added,

"as you complete missions, secure more areas, and increase your authority, you will unlock more clone templates, faster cultivation rates, and even the ability to summon souls with higher potential. This is how you will go from being a lone survivor to the greatest commander the universe has ever seen."

Luis looked out through the observation dome once more, at the vastness of space and the drifting asteroids.

The dangers were still there, the oxygen still needed fixing, and the ship still had many unknowns but for the first time since waking up, he felt true confidence and purpose.

"Alright then," he said firmly, turning back to the main console.

"System, let's start putting this power to use. First priority: restore life support and bring oxygen levels back to one hundred percent. Then run a full scan of every deck and tell me exactly how many of those creatures are still alive and where they are hiding."

"Understood, Commander! Executing commands immediately!" the System replied, her figure glowing brightly.

As the orders were sent out and the ship's systems began to wake up fully.